Assassination Anxiety (The McKenzie Files)

by Barry K. Nelson

  Colin waited, stepping forward as the troopers in front of him climbed up a ladder to the surface. Then it was his turn, with Everton, Diane, and Kelly after him. Colin reached the surface and sucked in a deep breath of fresh air that caught in his chest as he looked forward and saw the mob of troopers still on the run. He turned at the sound of explosions behind him and saw ruined buildings collapsing in the distance. Two Protectorate fighters flew overhead and opened fire down on that area.

  Everton climbed out of the hatch and touched Colin’s shoulder. “We can’t stop. Keep it moving.”

  Colin ran forward, glancing back to see Diane and Kelly running to catch up to him. “You think anybody’s going to come looking for us,” Kelly gasped, “if we don’t get back to Maseklos Prime?”

  “Doubt it,” Colin barked, trying to keep up with the troopers ahead. “If we’re lost, that will give Captain Carter an excuse not to dig up any more office equipment.”

  The now larger group traveled along a paved road in between rows of tall ruined buildings and came to a large plaza. They ran across its decorative red and white stone tiles and reached a wide flight of stone steps that took them down to a huge field. Colin was dismayed, having to step over more dead troopers on the way down the steps.

  The field was littered with stone and metal wreckage from destroyed buildings, burned-out cars, and the bodies of both human and Brelac troopers. Long metal beams and thin remnants of former buildings protruded skyward, creating a jagged, smoking landscape. Beyond the field several yards away, Colin spied a tall blue wall of glowing energy surrounded by a huge circular metal structure. Silver and black heaps of metal wreckage lay just outside the metal wall ringing the energy barrier.

  Everton yelled, “The command center’s just up ahead. We’re almost there. Let’s pick up the pace.”

  A loud boom from an explosion behind them caught Colin’s attention, and he turned to see two Viperoids stomping across the plaza. The heavy thuds of their footsteps were unmistakable. But on closer inspection, he realized these two robots were different from the others that he’d encountered. These two had long rectangular components mounted on their sides instead of twin plasma guns.

  Right behind the Viperoids, several Brelac troopers brandishing rifles with long cylindrical barrels stormed across the plaza and charged down the steps. The Brelacs opened fire on the fleeing group.

  Colin considered turning back to fight when two of the Protectorate fighters soared overhead and flew toward the wall of the command center. They veered to the right and flew back toward the Brelac to commence a strafing run with their laser cannons. Colin saw the troopers on both sides of him turn and stand their ground to return fire. A few of them took hits from incoming plasma bolts and fell.

  “It’s getting heavy out here!” Diane yelled. “What do we do?”

  “Keep moving with the rest of the group and get under cover,” Colin advised. “Then we’ll see if they need our help to push the Brelac back.”

  They crossed a wide grassy field littered with stone and metal debris, as well as dozens of red cushioned seats scattered about. The field was pitted with several wide craters caused by past explosions. Looking up to his left and right as he ran, Colin saw remnants of rows of the red seats still intact, forming bleachers with huge holes blasted through. An open stadium – or used to be. Not the best choice for a temporary command center.

  The group ran toward a metal barrier wall outside the energy wall. Two short metal columns spaced twenty feet apart sported large gun barrels mounted on top – the command center’s first line of defense. As Colin drew closer to the outer wall, he glanced at the heaps of silver and black wreckage, realizing the hulks were burned remnants of destroyed Viperoids. The gun barrels opened fire, sending rapid bursts of laser fire at the Brelac force.

  Colin kept running forward, glimpsing over his shoulder the action behind him. The two Viperoids were still stomping toward them. He followed the group through a hole blasted in the metal wall and ran toward the energy wall. An opening appeared, as if by magic. As he passed through, a deep-toned hum filled his ears. He spotted the four-foot-wide metal strips mounted along the stadium tower that generated the energy field. Even over the humming around him and the backdrop of artillery fire and explosions, he could hear the distinctive swooshes of the Viperoids’ rectangular weapons launching a volley of missiles. The tips of the weapons glowed white with spheres of energy while discharging short tails of flame and long streams of black smoke. The humming noise was soon drowned out by the deafening booms of explosions as the first Viperoid missiles hit the energy wall. Judging by the sound of the blasts, Colin knew that a tremendous amount of force was being used and wondered if the shield wall could withstand such an assault for a prolonged period.

  Several feet away on the right, he saw three massive gray tanks on wide treads sitting haphazardly about. The missile-launcher turrets were scarred and scorched. One tank’s gun barrel was completely missing. Standing several feet in front of the tanks were two black column-shaped machines six feet wide and twelve feet tall. Each emitted a low hum and had two rows of red blinking lights ran down the sides. Below the lights, four black cables ran from panels on both machines, strung out in various directions across the field.

  Behind the tanks, Colin saw a row of six triangular fighter craft, each one resting on thin landing gear legs. Large sections of their hulls were torn away and showed blackened scorch marks. Troopers with toolkits crouched underneath each fighter, performing repairs. Colin wondered again why an open stadium was being used as a military base, especially during an enemy attack. Maybe they had no choice.

  A young male trooper rushed over to Lieutenant Everton and saluted. “Lieutenant Everton? Glad to see that you made it here, sir.”

  “I wish I could be as happy about it as you are, trooper,” Everton replied. “Where’s your commanding officer?”

  “Major Lawson is in the command post that we set up in a locker room. I’ll take you there.”

  Everton looked to his right and waved his hand at a trooper who ran over and also saluted.

  “Astor, take a head count of our people and give me a casualty report.”

  Colin, Diane, and Kelly kept up with Everton as he followed the trooper through the bustling crowd. “These guys have a stadium set up as a base? How secure is this place?” Colin asked.

  “They’ve held out here for three days now. So far, the shield walls that they’ve installed, along with the two Valkyrie 25 shield generators, are holding up against the Brelac assaults. It’s a big help that they’ve set up six laser turrets to cover the entire perimeter. And it’s hard to miss the three heavy anti-air defenders over there, with laser turrets and tracking missile launchers to counter incoming fighters and missiles.”

  Colin nodded, agreeing that the command center seemed to be well equipped, given the temporary status. “This Major Lawson ... do you think he can help us with our mission?”

  “You never told me about your mission. Unless it’s classified.”

  “My friends and I are investigating the recent assassination attempt on President Drennan,” Colin explained, seeing no harm in telling Everton why they were here. “We’re trying to find a ship called the Chimera, to speak with some of its crew members.”

  Everton shot him an incredulous look. “You came all the way here to jump into this war zone just to talk to a few people? I would have tried sending them an email first.”

  Colin half laughed. “Now, why didn’t I think of that? Sure would have been a lot easier than nearly getting blown to bits by a Brelac brigade.” Of course, email was no substitute for a first-hand look at the goings-on surrounding Mertz’s situation.

  Their trooper escort led them over to a wide space between the bleachers. They took a short flight of steps and entered a brick corridor with the floor painted gray. They followed the corridor for several feet and approached a door to the right, behind which several loud voices could be heard. They e
ntered the locker room converted to a makeshift command center. Several tables with troopers manning computers sat in the center of the large room lined with gray lockers and black metal benches pushed back out of the way. Colin eyed the three men in gray camouflage fatigues watching the troopers at the computers. Their uniform insignias indicated two of them were captains and one was a major. The troopers sitting at the computer tables spoke loud instructions into thin microphones wrapped around their heads. A four-foot black box with red lights on the side and small round communication’s dish mounted on top was aimed at the ceiling.

  The three officers turned when the group approached. The trooper and Everton stopped in front of the tables and saluted. The trooper said, “Sir, Lieutenant Everton and his brigade have arrived.”

  Major Lawson returned the salute. “Lieutenant, sorry that your arrival was a little rough. Hope you didn’t have too many casualties. We need every trooper to help hold onto this chunk of real estate.” Lawson looked past Everton’s shoulder. “Who are your friends?”

  Everton looked back as Colin stepped forward and gave a salute. Diane and Kelly also saluted. “Major Lawson, I’m Sergeant Colin McKenzie, and this is Captain Diane Christy and Trooper Kelly Lytton, Technical Master, First Class. We’re the Silencers, a unit affiliated with the CID.” Colin reached into his pocket and brought out his badge.

  “I’m Major Dave Lawson, in command here since Colonel Swanson was killed four days ago by a missile attack. And these are Captains Pinnard and Chen. Silencers, you say? Never heard of you. What’s your business here on Retalas?”

  Colin put his badge back into his pocket. “We’re investigating the recent assassination attempt on President Drennan. We received a lead in the case, and we need to locate a ship called the Chimera so that we can speak to a few crew members.”

  The female trooper seated at her table turned and called out to Lawson. “Sir, the Brelac have amassed for another assault near the southern shield wall. Sensors are picking up two hundred troops. The number is increasing. And six Viperoids. We’re also picking up the energy signatures from four psycho-gunners. Looks like they plan to hit us pretty hard.”

  “Excuse me, everyone,” Major Lawson said. He, Pinnard, and Chen turned their attention back to the large monitor. Colin, Diane, Kelly, and Everton stepped closer to the table to see what was going on.

  The monitor revealed the image and sounds of the battle taking place outside. The two Viperoids were making a steady advance toward the stadium while firing missiles from their twin launchers. Several explosions went off on the ground ahead of them. The swarms of Brelac troops stayed behind the robots but still fired at the shield wall. From the left and right sides of the view, multiple high-speed laser shots were striking one Viperoid. The robot staggered back. Its missile launchers both exploded, taking off its left arm. The rapid laser fire burned gaping holes into the Viperoid’s body. It fell to the ground and then it exploded, its flaming parts scattering across the field.

  The camera’s view switched to the turrets firing on the second Viperoid. Their combined rapid firepower shredded the robot with a series of fiery explosions. A large blast shattered its body into burning fragments that pelted the field.

  “Two Viperoids are down. The rest of the enemy force is holding back,” the female trooper reported. “Southern shield wall down to sixty five percent.”

  After the destruction of the second Viperoid, the view switched to the background, zooming in to show four Brelac armed with long-barreled rifles, spread out among a mob of their comrades.

  “There they are, up front. Psycho-gunners!” Lawson cried, pointing at the monitor. “We need to take them out!”

  The psycho-gunners began firing crimson energy beams from their weapons, while the other Brelac troops opened fire with their plasma rifles. The sounds of loud explosions bounced off the locker room’s walls and, for a moment, the image on the monitor turned snowy.

  “We’re losing video,” the male trooper seated at his table reported. He typed several keys on his keyboard. “Cameras four, five, and six are out.”

  “Get the picture back,” Lawson ordered. “I need to see what’s going on out there. How’s the shield wall?”

  “Shield strength is down to forty six percent and dropping under the assault,” the female trooper reported.

  “How are the other sections?”

  “They’re hitting us on all sides. North shield wall strength down to sixty-nine percent. East shield down to eighty-seven percent. West shield down to seventy-three percent. Sensors are picking up a large concentration of Brelac troops now massing to the north as well as the south.”

  The picture on the monitor returned in time to show the rapid fire from both lasers turrets shredding a row of the attacking Brelac, reducing them into sprays of blood and chunks of flesh. The four psycho-gunners were no longer in view. Two Protectorate fighters flew overhead and strafed the area.

  “Shield strength now down to twenty-five percent,” the female trooper reported. “The Brelac are falling back beyond the range of the laser turrets. But sensors are picking up their incoming reinforcements.”

  “Any more psycho-gunners with them?” Lawson asked.

  “Sensors haven’t picked up anything yet, and I see no signs of the four that were there. I think the turrets got them.”

  “That tips the odds slightly in our favor,” said Lawson. “But that could change.”

  “Enemy reinforcements are pouring in from other sectors,” the male trooper said. “We’ve got several smaller companies converging with their main forces at the north and south.”

  Lawson shook his head. “Then this could be their main push. They’re going to hammer us from both sides. We knew this would happen eventually.” Lawson turned his attention to Colin. “Looks like you and your friends came here to attend your own funerals.”

  “I sincerely hope you’re wrong, major,” Colin replied. “We need to find the Chimera.”

  “You’re looking for the Chimera?” Lawson nodded “At least I can help you with that.” Lawson turned back to the computer behind him and punched a few keys to bring up the image of a huge oval space vessel with gaping holes ripped across its dark hull. Its front section was buried by a mountain of rubble that was once a building. The two broad dorsal fins at the ship’s rear were shredded by previous enemy fire, while a faint yellow glow came from the row of the ship’s four round engine ports. Several energy bolts pelted the left and right sides of the ship, causing bright blue flashes to erupt across its hull. “There it is,” Lawson said, pointing at the monitor. “The Chimera was part of a task force of six ships charged with providing orbital and lower air support for our ground forces in this sector. Then three days ago, the ships came under heavy fire from a larger group of Brelac ships. Three of the ships were destroyed in space. The Chimera provided cover for two that were heavily damaged and were forced to withdraw. It was a noble effort that cost the Chimera dearly. Enemy firepower ripped into it, forcing it to crash-land about three miles from our location.”

  Colin stared at the monitor in dismay. “Any chance that some of the crew got out alive?”

  “As far as we know, there were twenty-one survivors. We were in contact with them on the day they crashed. Then their communications went out. Their main engines have been disabled and can’t give them enough power to fly out of there. But by some miracle, they did manage to maintain their shields. Beyond that, they’re basically in the same boat we are.”

  Colin regretted coming to this war-torn planet, realizing this entire trip was a collection of bad news on worse. But still, he had to try and salvage something from this journey. “We’ve come this far. We need to at least try to reach them. Have you tried a rescue operation?”

  Lawson threw his hands into the air. “Yeah. Like I haven’t thought of that. I’ve tried twice to send out teams to reach that area. Both teams were barely able to come back with their asses intact. About two miles from here, the Brelac
have set up a line of death to separate us from the Chimera with a heavy concentration of troops, Viperoids, and psycho-gunners. I even tried sending a team through the subway tunnels, but they’re too heavily blocked off after being caved in. We’re outnumbered and outgunned. I was counting on a larger number of reinforcements to arrive, but it looks like the small part of Lieutenant Everton’s brigade is it. And we’ve just received word that two other transports with the rest of your brigade were destroyed. There were no survivors. That loss includes your commander, Colonel Wheaton. I’m sorry for the bad news.”

  Diane tapped Colin’s shoulder. “What now?”

  Before Colin had the chance to speak, Everton stepped forward. “Major, I’d like to volunteer a team and try to break through to reach the Chimera and get those people out.”

  “No way,” Lawson denied, frowning. “As much as I’d like to give any idea a shot, the reality is, it’s hopeless. I already told you that we’re outnumbered. We’re down to our last six fighters, all of which need repairs before they can be sent back into combat. We’ve lost two of the escort fighters that came with you when your ship crash-landed. I need every available man here to help hold our position. If this half-assed base falls, then nothing will keep the Brelac from overrunning this entire sector.”

  “But, sir,” Everton insisted. “The team that we can send in will be McKenzie and his two pals. I’m willing to go with them, if need be.”

  “Just the four of you against an army of psychotic monsters who will gun down anything that even smells human?” Lawson snorted. “And just what makes these three so special, besides their fancy CID badges?”

  Everton had no quick and easy answer. “It’s kind of hard to explain, sir. Maybe you should hear it from them.”

  Lawson shook his head. “I don’t have time for any CID spy stories right now. If the three of you are on a CID mission, then you can do what you want. But lieutenant, I need you here to help hold the enemy back. Assemble your brigade and await further orders. Dismissed.”