“With a bunch of desk jockey assholes going to revel in their glorious victory.”
Chandra smiled. Dupont had been listening in from the row behind them, but they hadn’t noticed his presence. The General’s face was of hate and scorn, but he dared not take the fight to Taylor at that time. He plotted and schemed while better men and women fought and died.
From the window, it was clear that resources had been poured into Paris. They could see thousands of construction vehicles at work. Two cranes were already put to work on the Eiffel Tower, rebuilding the iconic symbol of France.
“So this is why we aren’t getting any help.”
As he said the words, they saw two large transport craft land in the centre of the city.
“Paris was a bastion of hope for us all. To rebuild it is the ultimate act of defiance to the enemy.”
“I thought that was going to the Moon and kicking their asses?”
“All in good time.”
A few minutes later, their craft put down on a landing zone with the wing of fighters that were attached as a protection detail. As they stepped out onto the tarmac, they were greeted by a host of officers and politicians in all manner of uniforms and insignia. The French President and Prime Minister were at the centre of the party which Schulz and Dupont headed to.
“Major Taylor.”
Mitch turned at the stern manner in which is name was called. General White stood to his flank with several other US officers. A broad smile stretched across his face as he looked down at Taylor’s scruffy uniform that had only received the quickest of brush downs.
“Your presentation seems to have gone rather downhill since coming this side of the pond,” he jested.
Taylor reached out and shook White’s hand.
“Damn good to see you again, Sir.”
“I have to say you were sorely missed during the last few months.”
“You seemed to manage just fine, Sir.”
“Please follow this way!” called Schulz.
The General led the French leaders towards the monstrous enemy structures which Taylor and Chandra were all too familiar with.
“So this is where you killed the bastard?” asked White.
“Not alone, Sir. The Company under the command of Major Chandra here excelled themselves.”
White shook her hand and nodded in gratitude.
“I believe we have met in previous years.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Taylor under your command? Times have changed!”
They were led to the site where they had previously seen humans incubated for as far as the eye could see. As they stepped from the corridor out into the vast hall, they gasped at the sight of the equipment once again. The humans, or what appeared to be humans, had long gone, but the chambers remained. Schulz stopped the column and addressed them before the alien technology.
“From the reports of Major Chandra and her Company, we know that these chambers were occupied up until the enemy retreat. Our best experts so far believe that the humans within them were being used either as some power or food source, or potentially for experimental purposes. We certainly know that they were keen to establish creative ways to end our race.”
Chandra looked down at the bulkheads and walls that still bore the scorch marks from their battle. It still didn’t feel real that they had won.
“How did we ever do it?” she asked Taylor.
“What?”
“Win. In the opening months of the war, we faced extinction. How did we ever turn it around?”
“We aren’t the only soldiers to have turned the tide in great battles and wars.”
“If it had been you that had landed here on foreign soil and been forced out with such losses, would you let it go? Would you return to your home world and forget?”
Taylor contemplated the question for a moment before realizing that he only had one answer.
“I’d want payback.”
“Even as the aggressor?”
“Sure. Only a coward would turn tail and run.”
She nodded in agreement. “Then this war isn’t over. Maybe it can never be over.”
Schulz’s voice echoed around the hall as he led on the party through the enemy facility. Taylor and Chandra remained silent as they both pondered her realization. Then Mitch looked up and his eyes grew wider and mouth drier as he recognized where they were heading.
“This is where we took down Karadag.”
“You know I have been dying to see this spot,” muttered White. “Where mere humans killed a titan.”
The General patted Mitch on the back.
“He was a formidable opponent. I never thought I’d see the day when a war could be decided in single combat.”
“It wasn’t, Sir. Sergeant Parker was by my side. No one soldier could have beaten that bastard. I can still barely believe that we managed it.”
“You did your country and the world the greatest service here. No one should forget that. You will be honoured appropriately in time.”
“Honoured?”
The General looked puzzled.
“The only honour I would ask is to go home, or somewhere I could call home.”
White smiled but was also surprised at his words. The group came to a standstill as Schulz turned and stood triumphantly at the place where Karadag fell. His blood still stained the metal floor, but his body was long gone; whisked away by the enemy as they fled from the planet.
“This is where it all happened, where the creature known as Karadag met his end at the hands of the 2 ^nd Inter-Allied under the command of these two fine officers!” shouted Schulz as he beckoned towards the two of them.
Cheers and fierce clapping rang out as all attention was on Chandra and Taylor. Mitch noticed neither of them was mentioned by name, but he didn’t let it bother him. As far as he was concerned, the victory belonged to all who contributed to the war effort. Attention soon focused on the German General, and White turned back to Taylor.
“I hear they’re still keeping you busy here, Major.”
“Clean up work,” he replied.
“And a little more than that. You nearly got yourself killed earlier today,” Chandra added.
“Go on,” continued White.
“Found a few stragglers in Reims, nothing we couldn’t handle.”
“Yes, I have been hearing more about pockets of enemy forces. There is chatter about assembling a few hunting teams to sort them out. Your names have been floating about as you’re more than suited to the task.”
Taylor’s eyes lit up. He was all for helping the civilian population, but their lives had ground to a monotonous halt. The near death experience earlier now felt like a spark of excitement in their tedious lives.
“Sounds like our kind of work.”
“Good. Now, those cells, or chambers we saw just now. What the hell do you propose they were doing there?”
Taylor sighed at the thought of it as Chandra stepped in.
“We’ve thought and talked it over almost every day since, Sir, but it’s only speculation.”
“Well, go on then, speculate.”
“I believe they were being readied as an army against us. I wouldn’t like to say if they were captured humans, or some kind of cloned or genetically created beings. It’s clear we have given the enemy a much harder fight that they could have imagined.”
White nodded in agreement. He wasn’t shocked at all by the theory as she continued on.
“We outnumbered them in every major engagement, and once we had started to modify their own technology, they were overwhelmed. Despite everything we had developed, they were still better soldier for soldier. What they needed more than anything was manpower.”
“Based on the number of incubation chambers, if they had gotten those people into combat, the war could have gone very differently,” whispered White. “I won’t lie to you, we were having a rough time of it back home. Germany would have quickly fallen, and the joint armies tha
t fought across France and over the Rhine would have been encircled within weeks. It’s a damn miracle what you pulled off.”
“How many of those incubation cells are there?” Taylor asked.
“From what I understand, five hundred thousand or more. That’s a lot of manpower.”
“We need to know what they were planning,” mused Taylor.
“Can’t we just be happy we won?” asked Chandra.
“To lower our guard so soon after a narrow victory would be foolish indeed,” replied White.
The next hour was filled with questions for the two Majors that neither could answer. They were quizzed as if they were intelligence officers, when all they did was fight. After an exhausting grilling by the Command staff, they were finally allowed to leave aboard another plane. The two of them slumped into the comfortable seats of a luxury civilian transport, sighing in relief as they finally laid to rest.
The plane could seat fifty, but only five were aboard. Few would choose to leave the recovering capitol for the ruins of Reims.
“What was the point of it all?” asked Taylor.
“We’ve got to do our best to understand our enemy,” she replied.
“I understand that, but they have experts for that. Our job is to fight.”
“Schulz wanted to revel in his victory. Word is spreading of your defeat of Karadag, but many still do not believe it. There’s no body as proof, no video footage, just the word of one gung ho marine who is hated by Command, and claims to have slain a monster with only the aid and confirmation of his girlfriend. Would you believe it?”
Taylor smiled.
“You should have been there. I still can’t believe we managed it.”
The two went silent as the craft lifted off and headed back to the only home they knew.
“You heard White. Taskforces are being created to hunt down the remaining forces, and we’re right at the top of the list.”
“Because of our reputation, or because certain individuals are still hoping they can get me killed before this is over?”
“Both I should think. The Company is restless. They need something to occupy their minds. We aren’t talking about a meat grinder here. Hunting a handful of Mechs with the numbers and firepower we have should be exactly what we need.”
“Agreed.”
“Captain Jones.”
“What of him?”
“I wasn’t there when you all took on Karadag as you have just mentioned, and your report did not reflect it, but I know Jones went wild. He has had a death wish. Do you believe he is over it?”
“Back then I would have said no, but you saw him with Dubois. He’s a changed man, and back to his old self.”
“You believe it could all change overnight?”
“You’d be amazed what the love of a good woman can do.”
“I’ll take your word for it. I agree, though. I thought we’d lost him for good. On that note, we’ll be getting our orders regarding this new matter tomorrow, and I’m sure that Command will be keen to get us in the field ASAP. I’ve seen enough drunken exploits to last a lifetime. Take it easy tonight, and rest up for the morning.”
Taylor trundled back to his billet. He felt like a week had been crammed into the day, and he was once again left in the lurch, awaiting some news of what they were to do. He opened the door on the popup shelter to find Eli comfortably asleep inside. It wasn’t quite the coming home to his own house experience but was an appealing sight, nonetheless.
As he pulled off his equipment and clothing, she rolled over and slowly came to. A smile came over her face as she watched him take his shirt off and reveal his toned but scarred body.
“Hey, stranger,” she whispered.
“I thought you’d be out having a drink.”
“I figured we’ve done enough damage,” she laughed.
He sat down on the edge of the bed as she got up to hold him. She ran her hands softly over his body. His arms and legs were bruised and scraped from his fall, and he winced in pain as he found so many muscles and bones to be throbbing.
“How much more of this do you think you can survive?” she asked.
“I’m still standing, aren’t I?”
“Just about.”
He turned to see if she was truly worried for him but quickly realized she was merely having fun. His own mortality was always something that prayed on his mind.
“How are we still alive?” he asked. “All the crazy shit we’ve done, and made it through?”
“Our training, skills, common sense, and a heap load of luck.”
Taylor sighed. “That’s reassuring.”
He lay down and took a deep breath as he settled in comfortably beneath the sheets, and Eli huddled up next to him.
“You almost died today,” she whispered. “Remember the rules, never go anywhere alone. Just because the enemy is in retreat, doesn’t mean it’s over. None of us are safe.”
He nodded in agreement. He kicked himself for being so reckless, but without such a visible enemy to fight, it was hard not to try and move on from it all. He felt an immense feeling of satisfaction rush through his body that almost made him shiver.
All the drinking and partying we have done, and this feels a whole world better.
Taylor drifted into a calm and tranquil sleep as if he’d been waiting for it for months.
Chapter 4
Taylor awoke early and feeling fresh, unlike the previous few weeks when his head throbbed. He was up and out of bed in a flash. His ripped and filthy uniform from the day before was gone, and a fresh pristine replacement lay in its place. Parker was already gone, and he could only assume she was responsible for the service.
As he pulled on his clothing, he could hear Silva shouting outside, calling the Company to attention. He rushed to the door as he buttoned his shirt just in time to see a jeep pull up with Commander Phillips on board. The road they had set up in was largely covered by a huge shelter that span the full width to the buildings either side. Mess tables filled the shelter, but a roadway had been maintained through the centre where the officer’s vehicle arrived.
Phillips leapt from the vehicle with a smile as he approached Chandra. Taylor quickly hopped to her side and seemed to be the last soldier to awake.
“Didn’t think we’d be seeing you anytime soon, Sir,” she pondered.
“No, but Command has a new job for your Company, and they have placed me in command of this part of the operation.”
“Search and destroy?” asked Taylor.
Phillips nodded with a surprised expression.
“We were in for quite a surprise yesterday, Sir. It’s clear there is still some fighting to be done here.”
“Well, it’s nice to hear you’re up to speed, Major,” he snapped.
Taylor could see it bothered the Commander that he clearly already knew their orders before they had been relayed. He had passed on General White’s news to Chandra as well, but she saw fit not to put the Commander out of place by saying so. A few minutes later, they were sat at one of the tables, discussing the planned operations as trucks continued to roll through the huge shelter and carrying debris away.
“There have been a number of incidents in previously occupied territories, unfortunate encounters. Some have involved allied troops and been dealt with to varying degrees of success. However, other situations have occurred where civilians have stumbled upon the enemy and no mercy has been shown. The last thing we need is the civilian population living in fear of the monsters hiding in their own backyard.”
“Have there been many fatalities?” asked Chandra.
“A few. Media links are still poor, and that’s saved it from becoming a widespread epidemic. However, that situation can’t last forever. We need these pockets of resistance cleared quickly.”
“How many are we talking?” asked Taylor.
“Quite honestly, we have no idea. We don’t know if these are enemy soldiers who got left behind during their hasty retreat, or if the
y were planted specifically. All we know is it is seriously hindering our efforts. Clean up crews have to be protected at all times, and that is a logistical nightmare. We’ve also lost a number of soldiers because of these encounters.”
“And we’re expected to do this all alone?” asked Chandra.
“No, a taskforce is being assembled in each country. Mostly they’ll be taken from native forces, but the French military is weak and spread thin. Your Company has a thorough grasp of warfare in this land and is more than up to the task.”
“We gonna get the resources we need?” asked Taylor.
“I have been given the authority to provide any and all assistance required.”
Taylor smiled in surprise. “Wow, looks like we really are getting out of this shithole.”
“Out of the frying pan and all that,” whispered Chandra.
“What is the strength of this Company?” asked Phillips.
“One hundred and twenty three,” she replied.
“Far from full strength, but more than suitable for this new task.”
They stopped as two of the Company delivered mugs of tea and coffee to them. The heater modules kept them all from freezing, but a hot drink was always welcome when you looked out at the weather conditions which were rapidly worsening.
“We’ll need transport and more than a few jeeps,” stated Taylor.
“Already en route. General White has attached three copters to you for the duration of this taskforce. Lieutenant Rains and his comrades are en route as we speak. They’ll be putting down in the Parc de Champagne shortly. It’s just south of here and will become your staging ground for now.”
“What about this place?”
“A Gendarmerie detachment will be arriving within the hour to relieve you. Chandra, I want you to assemble the Company and move out. You’ll have to make your way to the Parc on foot, but once you’re there, you’ll have everything you need.”
Forty-five minutes later they were once again traipsing through the war torn streets, but this time with a newfound enthusiasm. They reached the Parc by noon to find the three copters had already arrived, along with several support craft and transports. Marines guarded the perimeter of the site and made it most welcoming. The corporal on the main entrance through a stone wall saluted as they approached.
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