Colony (Terran Chronicles Book 3)

by James Jackson

  None of the other men know if he’s joking, Peter is well known for his dry sense of humor.

  Peter points to the pile and says proudly, “We have knives, pistols, assault rifles, rations, biohazard suits, scuba gear, and even an inflatable raft.”

  Paul begins to familiarize himself with the vehicle he is to drive. He pops the hood, walks around the outside, and jumps into the driver’s seat. Turbo charged air cooled diesel engine, five speed manual transmission, four wheel drive, and seating for ten! He continues his musings, so this is what the GAZ Tiger M looks like. Gazing around slowly, he nods his head in appreciation at the design. Four doors, roof hatch, and a rear hatch, plenty of ways to get in and out. Properly sealed, this baby is supposed to be able to cope with chemical, and even nuclear, attacks.

  Chokichi runs his gaze across the various weapons, finally selecting two sniper rifles. He adds these to the array of gear he has already selected. The rest of the men begin loading the vehicle, taking advantage of the four unused seats.

  Within an hour, all six men are wearing body armor and camouflage gear. Knives, grenades, and pistols hang off their bodies like Christmas tree ornaments.

  Henry places small medical kits under each seat, then fills his own backpack with an array of supplies. He shakes his head in amazement, I practically have a small ER in this vehicle, bandages, plasma, surgical tools. There is even a defibrillator.

  During this entire time, no one from the base has come anywhere near them, nor has any aircraft landed or taken off from the airport. Finally, everything is loaded, the Tiger is packed with enough equipment and supplies to support a small army.

  Peter stands in front of the group grinning, “I have one more surprise for you all.” He pauses, then points skyward, his grin broadening. “Andrew and Joe have been aboard the Terran, and have pinpointed two possible locations for Malak’s hand.” He pauses for effect, “And both are cave systems within a few miles of each other.”

  Radclyf’s demeanor goes cold and hard, “It is about time we paid them a visit,” he glances at Hayato, “We owe those bastards, big time.”

  Hayato turns to Chokichi, his last surviving team member, and nods sternly. “Yes we do.” Switching his gaze back to Radclyf, he adds, with a hate filled tone, “They will pay the ultimate price, for all they have killed, not just our men.”

  Paul begins to frown as he realizes things are not quite adding up, “We driving there? ‘Because if we are, we’re gonna need a shit load more fuel!”

  Peter glances at his watch, “Nope, our ride should be here any minute now.”

  Everyone, except Peter, expects to see a massive transport plane, but instead, they are surprised when a rather familiar looking shuttle arrives. As it comes closer, it is evident that it is larger than those they used aboard Terran. It hovers on its gravity plating before them, then lowers to the ground.

  John walks down the large ramp, beams a smile at his friends, and then heartily shakes everyone’s hand.

  Henry is aghast, “You stole a shuttle?”

  John tilts his head in mock confusion, “Not at all,” he says as if slighted, “This is a test flight of one of our very own.”

  Radclyf glances at the ramp, then at the vehicle, “It will be a tight fit.”

  John gives a fake cough, “A very thorough test of the new transport shuttle.” Looking at Peter with determination, he adds, “Okay, I have to have this bad boy back in two hours.

  Peter checks his watch again and says, “Yes, we timed this pretty well.”

  John looks at the group of men, dressed for war, “I can get you there, but you will have to find your own way out.”

  They all understand that this could be a one-way trip. Radclyf looks at the shuttle with a little envy, “If only we could use that for the whole mission.”

  Hayato shakes head in disappointment, “Too big, besides, I’m pretty sure those terrorists have a lot of anti-air rockets.”

  Peter nods his head in confirmation, “That’s what our intel tells us, which is why we’re taking the Tiger.” Peter walks over and pats the vehicle, “It’s resistant to small arms fire, and can even withstand most heavy weapons.” He continues his thoughts to himself, a good thing, as we will be right on the Iranian border with Turkey, a heavily contested area at times.

  War Zone

  Location:

  Northern Border Region

  Iraq

  John banks the shuttle away, its side ramp is still open and drawing small arms fire. He cringes as bullets zing all around, many finding their mark leaving small dents in the shuttle’s sides. Suddenly, a volley of heavy fire enters through the ramp, and exits out the far side of the shuttle’s walls. Not a scratch, he thinks, well damn it all to hell. Gaining altitude, and closing the ramp, he banks the shuttle over, just in time to avoid a trio of anti-air rockets. He looks down at the desert scene below, I hope the guys make it, they have to be outnumbered a hundred to one.

  Radclyf hangs on as he bounces in his seat. He shouts over the din of machine gun bullets ricocheting off the Tiger’s armor, “Holy crap, did someone send them a fax or something?”

  Paul pushes the vehicle even faster over the rough terrain as he tries desperately to find some kind of shelter. Small gullies, thick shrubs, and even clumps of rock, afford some protection as they speed across the desert landscape. Slamming on the brakes, he narrowly avoids an artillery shell, a massive gout of earth flies skyward, then rains down on them.

  Taking advantage of being momentarily stopped, Chokichi takes a deep breath and opens a small sniper port. Sliding the barrel of his rifle outside, he waits a few seconds, sights in his target and fires. A single bullet flies out across the landscape, even as hundreds more zing at them. His solitary bullet finds its mark, the target’s head snaps back, the man’s brains exit the back of his skull, splashing those nearby. Closing the sniper port, he lifts a finger signifying a kill.

  Paul slams the accelerator to the floor just in time to avoid an incoming mortar shell, “So much for sneaking in.” Making a bold move, he aims for the one place the terrorists least expect them to go.

  The volley of fire directed at the meandering vehicle increases even more as John’s shuttle moves out of range. Undeterred, Paul manages to drive the Tiger closer to its destination. The noise becomes deafening as bullets of various calibers ping off the vehicle’s sloping armor.

  Suddenly, the window in front of Paul cracks, causing him to flinch. The tires, though self-inflating, can no longer keep up with the onslaught, and begin to deflate. Running on shredded tires, the Tiger begins to climb the rough, narrow, mountain path getting closer to what may be their only chance of survival.

  The Tiger enters the low cave fast, so fast they run over a cluster of men who are too slow to move out of the way. Skidding to a bloody stop, Chokichi pops the vehicle’s roof hatch, while at the same time Radclyf opens the rear. The other four open their doors, and in unison, the team unleashes all hell. Six heavy assault rifles, all on full auto, shred the survivors at the cave entrance in no time at all.

  The group quickly reloads, then Hayato checks the bodies. He lifts up an arm belonging to one of the dead men, revealing a distinctive tattoo. “Hey Radclyf, is this what I think it is?”

  Radclyf walks over and stares at the tattoo for a few seconds, then replies, his voice full of scorn, “Malak’s Hand, for sure.”

  Though some of the dead do not have the same tattoo, most do. The group places a dozen Claymore mines at the cave’s entrance facing outward. Leaving the cave is not an option for them.

  Chokichi lifts up his sniper rifle, then peers through the scope at a cave entrance on the other side of this valley. Being wary of the Claymores they set, he dares a quick peek outside their own cave. He is surprised to find the valley floor quite a distance away, almost immediately, a bullet strikes the rock wall beside him, causing him to quickly retreat.

  Chokichi reports his findings with little enthusiasm, “There are hundreds
of them out there, with dozens of vehicles.”

  Though the cave is not very wide, Paul still manages to turn the Tiger around. He leaves the roof hatch, the rear hatch, and the doors open. Radclyf, Hayato, and Peter quickly unload an assortment of rifles and machine guns. Henry has been no slouch either, and steps back to proudly display the automatic sentry gun.

  With the occasional bullet pinging off the rocks around them, they work quickly and efficiently. Peter scrutinizes their efforts and smiles, Claymores at the front, sentry gun on the right, Chokichi on the left, and Paul will use the vehicle’s rooftop hatch. Satisfied that no one will be entering their cave without paying a heavy price, he glances back at the Tiger. Its armor is pocked with small holes, and even missing whole chunks, revealing in places a thin layer of gamin plating, the only reason they are alive.

  Peter turns to look at Radclyf and Hayato, then takes the leather wallet containing the Red Star from his pocket. With a grim determination he presses the central piece, “Petrovich, requesting priority one strike, this location,” he pauses, shrugs his shoulders, and says, “Countdown, thirty minutes.”

  Radclyf has been calculating their odds of survival as well, “Thirty minutes, well, our bodies will get a decent burial.”

  Peter slowly shakes his head, causing Hayato to frown and ask, “Just what is a priority one strike?”

  Peter glances at his watch, “In twenty-five minutes, my Government will announce that a group of rebels have comprised a nuclear facility,” he lifts an eyebrow, and says no more.

  The group remains quiet for a few seconds, absorbing the news, while gunfire rattles sporadically from outside the cave. Gathering their wits, Radclyf, Hayato, and Peter head down into the bowels of the cave, leaving Paul and Chokichi to guard the entrance. Henry follows his three colleagues downward. He is heavily laden with spare ammunition, as well as other equipment.

  Peter is beginning to wonder if they chose the right cave, when a telltale sight meets them at the first bend. Strung out along the ceiling, and leading downward, are electric lights.

  From behind them, comes the sound of a single gunshot. On the other side of the valley, Chokichi’s bullet finds its mark. The man’s face literally implodes, the force of the impact throws the man to the ground. The dead man’s associates can only stare in disbelief at the victim of Chokichi’s expertise.

  Peter takes point, leading them deeper and deeper into the cave. He glances at his watch and grimaces, we’re moving too slow, he realizes with alarm. Downward and downward they travel, rounding bend after bend, and still they meet no resistance.

  Thud... Thud... Thud...

  The sudden volley of bullets surprises them all. They quickly dive to the ground, but one of them is too slow. Radclyf cringes, drops to the ground, and rolls over onto his back gasping for breath. Henry cautiously moves his way, then stops as Radclyf waves him off. Radclyf gathers his breath while saying silently to himself. I have got to stop getting shot, bulletproof vest or not, this hurts.

  Peter stares ahead and quickly assesses the situation. He silently motions Henry over. The cave opens into a large cavern, inside which, two groups of men are using piles of boxes as cover. Peter ducks as sporadic gunfire rattles over their heads. Though inaccurate, the ricocheting bullets are almost as dangerous as the direct fire. Henry crawls away from Peter, leaving him both of their portable rocket launchers.

  Peter readies the shoulder mounted rockets, glances back at the others, and nods. Radclyf and Hayato immediately open fire with their assault rifles, completely draining their clips in one solid loud burst. While they reload, Henry fires his weapon until it too, is dry. Peter closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, then gets to his knees. He lifts both rocket launchers, one to each shoulder, and fires. The constant barrage of gun fire from the three men has kept the terrorists pinned. The rockets streak out, one to each pile of boxes. At the last possible second, the three men dive to the ground, and cover their heads.

  The twin blasts are deafening in the confines of the cavern. Terrorists are hurled back by the force of blast, to lay crumpled, dead and dying on the ground. Hayato and Radclyf move into the cavern, weapons ready, covered by Peter and Henry. They are surprised to find all the guards have been completely incapacitated.

  A loud blast from behind them, accompanied by the rattle of the sentry gun, reminds them that there are still plenty of ‘bad guys’. A quick scan of the cave reveals their worst fears.

  Peter glances at his watch as he says what they all know, “This is the wrong cave. We have four minutes to get back to the entrance.”

  The four men run. The pair at the entrance of the cave is only alive thanks to the amazing sentry gun. Paul and Chokichi have been taking turns reloading the weapon, its barrel now glowing red. They are surprised to see Peter sprint, then reach into his pocket. He takes out the leather wallet, presses the central emblem, then almost screams, “Petrovich. Abort strike, I say again, Petrovich, ABORT STRIKE!”

  The six men quickly assess the dire situation. The entrance to the cave already has amassed a mountain of bodies, but they cannot hold it for much longer. The sentry gun is down to its last box of ammunition, and to top that off, all the Claymores at the entrance of the cave have done their job.

  Peter looks to the others, and with resolute determination, states the obvious, “We have to get to the other cave before those bastards escape.”

  Almost as if by magic, or some divine force, the second Peter points toward the other cave, there is an explosion in the valley, accompanied by a flaming fire ball that shoots skyward. The men quickly scan for the source of the blast, Hayato cheers and points when he spots their salvation.

  High up in the sky, is the shuttle that transported them to the area, its ramp is wide open. Balanced upon this side ramp is a single large barrel. The shuttle moves in lower over the valley, then suddenly banks to one side, literally tipping the barrel off the ramp. It falls to the ground, where it explodes amongst a mass of troops. Chokichi lifts up his sniper rifle to get a better view, then smiles when he gets a fleeting view of the inside of the shuttle.

  Chokichi lowers his rifle, and while grinning says, “It looks like the shuttle has a bunch of barrels strapped to the inside. I saw two men moving one onto the ramp, just the distraction we need.”

  Radclyf does not hesitate, “Let’s load up and roll.”

  Paul stares through the cracked windshield of the Tiger at the pile of corpses in his way. While he starts the battered vehicle, Chokichi remotely shuts off the sentry gun. Seconds later, they roar out of the cave, hapless bodies are either crushed or tossed aside. The vehicle’s shredded tires leave chunks of rubber behind as they try to find purchase on the desert road.

  Entering bedlam once more, Paul dodges potholes, incoming rockets, and as much of the small arms fire as he can. The ride is bumpy and rough, made more so by the deflated tires. The steady sound of bullets pinging off the vehicle’s armor gives testimony to the nonstop barrage directed their way. In the sky, the shuttle continues to circle, sporadically dropping fresh barrels of death into the valley.

  Chokichi smiles when he spots a group of men heading into the cave they just exited. Pressing a button on the remote in his hand, he nods in appreciation as the sentry gun instantly opens up. It expends the last of its ammunition on those foolish enough to be in the way. He closes the small sniper hole, then presses another of the remote’s buttons.

  BOOM!

  A massive gout of flame vomits out of the cave, incinerating everything in its path. A dull thump is felt through the floor of the Tiger as the cave collapses in on itself. A dust plume billows out from the crumbling cave entrance, followed almost immediately by a landslide as the side of the mountain gives way.

  Paul grabs his helmet and slams the visor down over his eyes. The windshield before him is nothing more than a shattered mess, and yet it still repels a near constant hail of bullets. He shouts out over the ever growing noise, “We’re half way there, but I
don’t think we’re going to make it.”

  John glances down at the armored vehicle below and cringes, the damn thing is practically running on its rims, and has more holes in it than a chunk of Swiss cheese. Glancing back at the rear section he hollers, “How many barrels do we have left?”

  One of the Russian soldiers responds in halting English, “Seven barrels left.”

  John glances down once more, then responds, “Put them all on the ramp, then hold on.” Gaining altitude, he moves out of the range of those firing from below.

  Paul does his best to push the Tiger, but even redlining the engine fails to increase their speed. Suddenly they are lifted into the air, the landmine performing its task flawlessly. The front right side of the vehicle lifts up first, quickly followed by the other wheels. For a split second, the Tiger seems to dance on its left rear wheel, before it too, lifts off the ground. The armored car lands heavily on its side, then rolls over onto its roof and slides along the rocky ground amid a cloud of dust. A missile slams into, then through, the windshield, unleashing its full fury on the driver’s seat, an empty driver’s seat. Shrapnel sprays out in all directions.

  John swoops the momentarily ignored shuttle downward, then rolls it over onto its side, tipping the seven remaining barrels out, and into the sky. They fall haphazardly, each impacting with the ground in fiery plumes, effectively creating a wall of fire between the flipped vehicle and the mass of terrorists. He levels the shuttle out, and heads for his friends.

  The rear hatch of the battered Tiger pops open, six dazed and bloodied men tumble out. Crouching, they quickly form a ring. Each has a weapon raised, pointing outward. They await a rush of attackers. Through the smoke and dust, Hayato notices the shuttle coming in to land. Tapping the man on his right, he runs to the open ramp. The others follow behind quickly.

  Less than a minute later, they are in the air gazing downward at their surrounded vehicle. Peter, his hands cut and bleeding, takes out his Red Star once more. Before he can touch it John says something that stops them all, “If you want to take care of these bastards personally, I saw something that just may do the job.”