Insurrection (The Kurgan War Book 6)

by Richard Turner

  Cole was tiring. He had killed more than a dozen of the demonic robots, yet more seemed to be coming out of the ground by the second.

  Less than half of the men were still on their feet. They had formed a circle and were killing the machines as fast as they crawled out of the mud. But it was a losing battle. The machines didn’t tire. It was only a matter of time before the soldiers’ strength waned and they were overrun.

  Sheridan stopped short of the melee and turned to look at the vehicles on the side of the ditch. A desperate plan hatched in his mind. He spoke into his mic, “Kabar, can you read me, over?”

  “Yes, sir, I read you loud and clear.”

  “Good. Order the captain to drive his APC up to the lip of the ditch directly across from Cole, and tell him to turn his vehicle’s electronic countermeasures system to full power.”

  “How will that help?”

  “Do it,” snapped Sheridan.

  A couple of seconds later, the APC edged past the overturned bulldozer and drove up until its tracks rested on the edge of the obstacle.

  “Major, the captain says full power will ruin the rest of the electronics in his vehicle,” reported Kabar.

  “Tell him to do it or he’ll have to answer to me,” replied Sheridan.

  Sheridan looked over at Cole and his men. The fight slowed down and then stopped. Unseen, the APC’s electronic countermeasures had extended across the ditch and was frying the circuits of the robots.

  “Well done,” said Sheridan to Kabar. “Now get him to send a platoon of engineers across right away with demining equipment.”

  “He’s already given the order,” replied Kabar.

  Sheridan walked to Cole’s side and saw the ground covered with destroyed anti-personnel robots. “You okay?” he asked, handing his friend his canteen.

  “I am now,” said Cole, taking the flask in his hand. “What happened?”

  “Technology saved the day,” replied Sheridan, pointing back at the APC.

  “Thank God for that.” Cole patted Kellin on the back. “Corporal, have the men take cover until help arrives.”

  Kellin wiped the sweat from his face and nodded.

  Sheridan and Cole took a seat in a shell hole.

  “I feel like I just ran ten marathons,” said Cole.

  Sheridan smiled. “You look like it, too.”

  “Enough about me; how are you feeling?”

  “I’m feeling okay,” responded Sheridan. “I’m sure this hit to the head is going to come back and haunt me.”

  “Better a headache than no head on your shoulders.”

  “I think the shock broke my hearing aid. I can hear you somewhat in my ear, but the enhanced hearing is gone.”

  “Not to worry; it probably didn’t work the way they said it would anyway.”

  Sheridan looked around. There was barely a squad of soldiers with them. “Is this it?”

  “They’re the only ones still on their feet.”

  “Let’s hope Kabar hurries that platoon of engineers over here.”

  Cole chuckled. “He must have heard you.”

  Sheridan looked back and saw Kabar approaching with a platoon of heavily armed combat engineers.

  “Where shall I put them?” called out Kabar.

  Cole stood. “I’ll show you.”

  Sheridan was thankful for his friend and mentor. A couple more minutes off his feet was just what he needed. Sheridan began to feel more himself with every second that passed by.

  The rumble of guns heralded another exchange of gunfire. The fortress may have taken a pounding, but there were still artillery pieces hidden deep inside the structure that continued to fire. Cole had just sighted the last squad when the first of the shells began to fall on their position. He dashed back and jumped into the shell hole as the ground shook from a shell that struck the ground nearby, sending clumps of wet sand and muck skyward.

  “I guess they don’t want us going any further,” said Cole, wiping the mud from his face.

  “How will the Old Guard be able to get through that wall of fire?” asked Kabar. “They’ll be shot to pieces.”

  “Right now your side is recording each and every gun position,” said Sheridan. “It’s just a matter of minutes before missiles fired by drones or ships in orbit began to systematically take out all of those artillery pieces.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because that’s what your side did to my men on Derra-5.”

  Kabar looked down.

  “Hey, there’s no need to be ashamed. It’s not your fault. Besides, we did it right back to them when the time came. It’s a good tactic that works.”

  The sound of the shelling was deafening. Sheridan sank as low as he could in his hole, praying for the bombardment to end.

  “Look,” said Cole, tapping Sheridan on the leg.

  He turned his head and grinned when dozens of Kurgan fighter-bombers streaked out of the clouds and fired off their missiles. The walls of the fortress trembled from multiple explosions as the rockets took out their targets. No sooner had the planes vanished back into the clouds when a wall of missiles shot down and finished off the last of the fortress’ heavy artillery.

  The way ahead was almost open. There was one last thing to do before the Kurgan military could try to retake the fort.

  Sheridan crawled out of the shell hole. Aside from the moans of the wounded, the battlefield was still. A thick cloud of smoke hung in the air.

  “Listen,” said Kabar. “The silence is deafening.”

  An armored engineering vehicle edged up to the ditch and stopped. On its back were three rows of rockets. Two men jumped from the cab of the vehicle and ran toward the back to prepare the warheads for launch.

  “What are they doing?” Kabar asked Sheridan.

  “I think they’re going to create safe lanes through the minefields,” said Sheridan.

  Less than a minute later, the missiles flew over the muddy ground and fell to the ground. With a loud bang, the fuel-air countermine rockets exploded, setting off hundreds of mines at a time. With each explosion, the ground seemed to ripple like waves as the mines were destroyed.

  Sheridan looked through his binoculars and saw the same thing happening all down the line.

  “I guess the prizefight is about to begin,” said Cole.

  “Jesus,” muttered Sheridan when a column of Old Guard soldiers walked across the improvised bridge and carried on toward the smoking fortress walls. Crimson banners were held high as the veteran soldiers marched in step with a fierce determination in their eyes. Their faces were covered with intricate tattoos telling their family history.

  “How many battalions in a Kurgan Old Guard division?” Cole asked.

  “Twelve,” replied Sheridan without taking his eyes off the armored warriors.

  “So, it’s twenty-four versus thirty-six.”

  “After seeing these big bastards, my money’s on them.”

  Cole nodded. “Mine too.”

  “What are we going to do?” said Kabar. “Wait for the fight to be over before trying to get into the fortress?”

  “Are you kidding?” said Sheridan. “No, we’re going to follow this battalion forward. The second we see an opening we’re making a run for it. We can’t afford to wait. Harry may see the battle begin to turn against the rebels and let the virus loose. I . . . we’re not going to let that happen.”

  “Hey, sir, take a good look at those guardsmen and tell me what’s odd about them,” said Cole.

  Sheridan looked but didn’t see anything about the warriors that he found to be different. “I give in. What is it?”

  “None of them are carrying a rifle or sidearm. They’re armed only with swords.”

  “Damn. You’re right. This is really going to be something to see.”

  As the last rank of soldiers walked off the bridge, Sheridan, Cole, and Kabar stood up and followed at a discreet distance. One by one, the Old Guard battalions filed through the gaps in the
minefield until they formed up in one long line three ranks deep. A grizzled-looking Kurgan general with an eyepatch over his left eye walked out in front of the massive phalanx and raised his sword high in the air. He let out a war cry which was taken up by the thousands of warriors waiting to do battle.

  “I don’t mind telling you this is giving me goosebumps,” said Cole.

  “It’s a bloody impressive alright,” added Sheridan.

  “Sir, here they come,” said Kabar, pointing at a gap in the city walls.

  Like their senior counterparts, the Young Guard marched out in parade ground order and formed up into three divisional-sized formations. In the wind fluttered the crimson and white flag of the insurgents. Each Young Guard warrior wore a white armband on his left arm to differentiate himself from their enemy.

  The aged Kurgan general brought his sword up and bashed it against the armor protecting his chest. In seconds, fourteen thousand warriors were beating their swords on their armor in unison.

  Sheridan stood on a rock to see what was happening. A rebel general walked out of the Young Guard ranks and planted a fluttering flag in the dirt. He drew his sword and drew a line in the sand which Sheridan took to mean that they would not let anyone pass that imaginary line.

  The old general stopped beating his chest and brought his sword above his head. His men went silent and stared at their opponents. With a flash of his arm, the general dropped his sword to his side. With a loud, lusty cheer, the Old Guard charged forward.

  Sheridan watched in awe as both sides smashed into one another with a loud clash of steel. It was as if he had stepped back in time to witness a medieval battle. The sound of swords hitting together filled the air.

  Cole flipped off the safety on his rifle. “Sir, look; there’s a weak spot in the line just off to our left. What do you say? Shall we give it a go?”

  Sheridan saw what Cole was getting at. The Kurgans had spread out during their charge and left a hole in the line. “Yeah, we might as well. As they say, there’s no time like the present.”

  “What do you want me to do?” asked Kabar.

  “Stay close behind us, and if anyone tries to stop us, kill them.” replied Sheridan.

  “For once, you’ll have to shoot at someone who isn’t unarmed,” taunted Cole.

  Sheridan rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Okay, when we go, we don’t stop until we’re inside the fortress. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” said Cole

  Kabar just nodded.

  Adrenaline and fear coursed through Sheridan’s veins. He took a deep breath and started to jog. His feet picked up the pace the closer he got to the melee. The mass of armored soldiers slashing and thrusting their meter-long swords at their adversaries moved back and forth like a deadly rugby scrum. Bodies and severed heads littered the ground. The ground had turned red with blood. No quarter was asked for, and none was given. A Young Guard soldier with a deep gash on his forehead saw them coming and raised his sword arm. Sheridan dropped him with a three-round burst to the head.

  Cole fired a burst into two rebel soldiers trying to finish off a badly wounded Old Guard warrior.

  They were almost through the fight when two rebel guardsmen saw them running toward the broken city walls and ran to stop them. Sheridan saw them out of the corner of his eye, stopped, and turned to face the onrushing assailants. He flipped his rifle to fully automatic and fired off a long burst. The closest insurgent fell with a dozen hits to his face and neck. The next soldier, bleeding from a wound on his cheek, kept coming. Both Sheridan and Cole were astounded to see Kabar calmly draw his pistol and fire a shot into the rebel’s skull, killing him.

  “Let’s go,” said Cole, pulling Sheridan and Kabar away from the swirling mass of soldiers.

  “There, head for that,” said Sheridan, pointing at a collapsed piece of the outer wall. They scrambled over the rocks and jumped down inside the fortress’ perimeter. The charred remains of several insurgents, who had been outside when the supply ship exploded, lay next to a melted artillery piece.

  “Now where to?” said Cole.

  “Follow me,” said Kabar.

  They jogged to a closed steel door and tried to open it, only to find it was locked from the inside.

  “I’ve got this,” said Cole as he opened a pouch on his belt and brought out a tiny drone which resembled a millipede. The silvery insect came to life and crawled inside the lock. A couple of seconds later, the door popped open.

  Sheridan slid inside. There was a long, dimly lit corridor which seemed to go on for hundreds of meters. “It looks safe,” he said to his colleagues.

  Kabar stepped into the tunnel followed by Cole, who stopped long enough to retrieve his robot and pull the door closed behind them.

  “Does anyone have the slightest clue where we are or what we have to do next?” said Cole.

  “I do,” replied Kabar. “This fortress was built using the standard template for all strongholds in the empire. There are ten floors beneath us. Some are for ammunition, food, and water storage. Others will be for barracks and living areas, while some will have offices and medical facilitates. If this fort is like the one I toured on Ke-2459, there will also be a subway system to move around under the mountain and possibly an underground hangar.”

  “We need to find a map,” said Sheridan.

  “We also need a plan, sir,” stressed Cole. “We can’t just go bumbling around an installation packed with rebel soldiers and hope not to get spotted. I suggest Kabar takes the lead, and we follow along like a pair of dutiful Chosen soldiers.”

  “I agree,” said Sheridan. “From here on out, Alan, please zip your lips tight, and I’ll try to say as little as possible to Kabar.”

  “Before I become a monk and not utter another word, do we have an idea of where to look for Mister Williams?”

  “If I were him, I’d want to be near an exit,” said Sheridan. “He may be mad, but I don’t think Harry’s suicidal. He’ll do what he must and then make a run for it like he did on Tranquility Station.”

  “The subways are usually built on the floor above the deepest ammunition bunkers,” said Kabar. “So we could try looking for him there.”

  “Okay, I guess that’s our plan,” said Sheridan. “If for any reason we get separated, remember that Harry Williams and the virus is our mission. Nothing else matters. We can’t let it leave this fortress.”

  Cole offered his friend his hand. “Good luck, sir.”

  Sheridan shook Cole’s hand. “Good luck to you, too.”

  As Kurgan officers didn’t like to shake hands, Kabar bowed.

  “Lead on, Kabar,” said Sheridan. “If anyone asks, we’ve been sent by our superior officer to fetch more ammunition for our gun emplacement.”

  Kabar nodded, turned, and began to walk down the long, empty hallway. Behind him, Sheridan and Cole slung their weapons over their shoulders and walked in unison trying to look and act like Chosen soldiers.

  Chapter 29

  At the end of the corridor, they found an old map on the wall. Someone had painted graffiti on the lower portion of it, making it unreadable.

  “Here,” said Sheridan. “The nearest elevator we can use is on the floor below us.”

  Cole pulled open a door. “I’ve found the stairs.”

  They took the stairs and walked into a scene of pure misery. Chosen and Kurgan insurgents, who had been severely wounded during the bombardment, covered the blood-soaked floor. Unable to walk or crawl any further, they lay there waiting to die.

  Sheridan closed his eyes and shook his head.

  Cole nudged Kabar and indicated with his head toward the elevator they were looking for. They walked around the wounded soldiers, blocking out their pleas for help, and entered the elevator. Kabar pressed the button for the bottom floor.

  “I know it’s a religious thing, but you guys really need to reexamine your medical treatment plan,” said Cole to Kabar. His voice was bitter and angry.

  “It’s the L
ord’s will, and since these rebels believe in the words of the Lord, they will die knowing it was his will,” replied Kabar.

  “That’s a load of crap, and you know it.”

  Kabar turned to look at Cole. There was a flash of anger in his eyes. “Mister Cole, I don’t tell you what to believe or how to live your life, so do me the same courtesy and keep your narrow-minded opinions to yourself.”

  Sheridan raised his hands between his two colleagues. “Knock it off! I’m really getting tired of this crap. I thought I told you two to drop it. This can wait until we get out of here.”

  “Sorry, boss,” said Cole. “For some reason, it’s gotten under my skin. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch. I just don’t get why they let their soldiers die when they don’t have to.”

  “You don’t need to. Let it go. Let’s just keep ourselves focused on the task at hand.”

  The elevator began to slow. The instant the doors slid opened, hot air rushed inside.

  “My God, it must be at least twenty degrees hotter down here,” said Sheridan.

  “It must be from the geothermal power station they use to power the fortress,” said Kabar.

  They stepped out of the elevator and looked around. They had come out into a vast cavern that stretched as far as the eye could see.

  Sheridan walked to a set of stairs leading down to the floor of the cave. He looked over and saw three massive apartment-sized turbines humming away as the steam generated by the water heated by the planet’s core ran through them and powered the fort’s generators.

  “Hey, you, what are you doing down here?” called out a Kurgan senior technician as he strode toward them.

  “I’m sorry, I must have pressed the wrong button,” said Kabar. “I was looking for the ammunition storage floor.”

  “It’s two above this one,” replied the technician, eyeing the three men suspiciously. “How come you’re covered in mud?”

  “Yes, I guess we are. We’ve come below looking for more ammunition for our 240mm mortar.”