‘One-Zero-Bravo has prepared an explosive charge to destroy the three missiles,’ the sergeant major continued, ‘so expect a detonation shortly after we’re clear of the pipeline. One-Two, move off when ready.’
Corporal Kamara responded instantly. ‘One-Two, moving now.’
I waited anxiously whilst the green crosshairs marking the troopers of Two Section followed the blue line, eager to join in with the pursuit. Now that we were out of the tunnels all I wanted to do was sprint after Bhasin and his Militia friends, but I understood the need to exercise caution. I kept my mind focused by watching and listening out into the forest ahead of me, expecting a counterattack at any moment. Our enemy knew we were chasing them now, and that we were hot on their heels. The question was whether or not they were willing to take us on after such of brutal display of the firepower at our disposal. The dropships waiting above made us far more dangerous than anyone else on the battlefield, but we couldn’t unleash our full fury until we confirmed the target.
Once I saw Two Section had advanced two hundred metres along the blue line, I ordered my men to step off in single file, taking our place at the lower left corner of the triangle with Three Section patrolling parallel to us a few hundred metres to our right. Between our two sections, two single crosshairs marked Corporal Abdi and his runner, keeping back to manage the rear of the formation so that the sergeant major didn’t need to worry about what was happening behind him.
Our pace was hard, fast enough for me to break into a sweat as I battled through the thick wall of plant life, stepping over roots and stones. The tiny motors in my respirator whirred as they fought to keep my visor clear, blasting cool air against my cheeks.
Abs transmitted over the platoon net as we went. ‘All call signs, this is One-Zero-Bravo, be aware . . . controlled detonation in ten seconds.’
‘Controlled detonation.’ I parroted the warning onto my section net so that every trooper knew what to expect. Only Puppy and I were privy to the higher platoon net, in order to minimise cluttered transmissions.
Sure enough, after ten seconds there was an almighty explosion as Abs detonated his charge, destroying the three missiles that had been left outside the pipeline. The blast sent a shockwave that caused the earth to shift, swaying the trees around me, but I didn’t stop or turn to look.
Grim determination spread across my hardened features, as I took some satisfaction knowing that we had destroyed three of the missiles. I knew that there were more, but at least we had made a dent in our shady adversary’s anti-orbital arsenal. It was a step toward mission success, giving us a tiny piece of justification for the terrible losses our platoon had endured. Nothing could bring back the friends we had already lost, but if we could stop the missiles being smuggled into Europa then it wouldn’t have been in vain. We would follow Bhasin’s men for as long as it took, I decided, harassing and killing them until there was nothing left. Perhaps we would find Mr Barkley and our missing comrades, or perhaps we wouldn’t, but we would have our vengeance.
As we continued the OC spoke up again, his calm voice in stark contrast to the tension I felt moving through the forest. ‘Blackjack call signs, this is Zero-Alpha. Looking at the ground, I assess that your quarry intends to use a valley a few hundred metres to your south. Our dropships have limited eyes on, but it appears to be pretty shallow and solid underfoot. I suspect that they are using the valley to move eastward at speed without being detected, before turning north where it meets a road a few kilometres away. They might have vehicles to meet them there. My dropships will struggle to get into a position to observe effectively along the road, owing to the forest canopy, however I have asked Richelieu to watch the road from orbit whilst there is no cloud cover. The ship won’t be able to drop any bombs, as I’m sure you’re all aware, but it’ll provide you with sufficient early warning. Advance with caution. Call if you need us.’
I glanced down at my datapad whilst I walked and tapped at the screen to access my map. I could see the valley that the OC had described, and agreed with his assessment. Even if Bhasin and the Militia didn’t use the valley itself for cover, it would provide them with a simple navigation feature that any returning work parties could use with ease. The Militia weren’t even nearly as well equipped as we were, so it was unlikely that many of them carried navigation equipment of the same standard as ours.
The sergeant major had obviously been studying his own map at the same time as me, his orders coming through my headset moments after I looked up from my datapad. ‘We will switch to two-up formation once we reach the valley. One-Two will cross to the southern side. One-One will take up position on the northern side. One-Three will remain in reserve behind One-Zero-Bravo. One-Zero-Bravo, acknowledge.’
‘One-Zero-Bravo, roger.’
Two Section were halfway across the valley when we reached its northern edge. As the OC had described, it was rather shallow, no more than ten metres deep, but its sides were steep and rocky. Smaller bushes and trees filled the valley, making it difficult to see anything moving along its base. It reminded me of the valley we had fought across when Three Section had been ambushed by the Militia the night before, except that this time we would be advancing along its length, and it was us in pursuit rather than the other way around.
My section took up position on the left hand side of the valley, whilst Two Section continued their crossing. No longer concerned about the need for stealth, I took full advantage of the net to make sure Puppy was happy with my own intention within the sergeant major’s wider plan.
‘We’ll move in half-attack,’ I ordered. ‘Puppy, your fire team will go in single file behind my left hand man.’
‘Roger, mate.’
‘Griffiths, swap with Myers so you’re closest to the valley. I want a bit of firepower if anybody pops up in there.’
‘Roger,’ the Welsh trooper replied, quickly swapping with Myers and taking a knee on the edge of the valley slope. His hefty mammoth gun would have a devastating effect if he were to fire it along the length of the valley, and I had no doubt that he relished the opportunity to use it. We all despised the Militia, and Bhasin’s treacherous rogue Guardsmen, but Griffith’s hatred was even more powerful, having seen his friend butchered by Helstrom. Nobody wanted revenge as much as he did.
The section finished re-orientating itself to clear along the northern side of the valley, with my fire team in an extended line facing the east and Puppy’s men in a single file trailing back behind Myers, who was now my furthest trooper out to the left.
Half-attack formation essentially looks like an upturned “L”, and isn’t considered a formation in its own right. It has no recognised hand signal, or a place in any field pamphlet, but it is a useful combination of two other formations. With my fire team in extended line, we could clear the ground ahead of us as well as effectively engage any targets we encountered. At the same time, however, the fire team following on behind was kept clear of any anticipated head-on battle and therefore formed a reserve, but more importantly provided me with protection on my left flank.
‘One-One, this is One-Zero . . .’ The sergeant major sounded slightly puffed from his rapid valley crossing. Though the vegetation wasn’t as dense as it was on either side, I suspected the steep sides of the valley made going pretty hard. ‘I have eyes onto you. One-Two are across the valley and will be heading off shortly. Advance as soon as you’re ready, but ensure you remain balanced with us. I want both your sections to be mutually supporting throughout the advance.’
‘One-One, roger,’ I acknowledged, before switching back to my section net. ‘Prepare to move . . . move.’
My fire team set off, marching into the undergrowth as fast as we could without breaking into a trot. As we advanced, I made sure that I kept a clear view to my right. I didn’t doubt Griffiths’ battlespace awareness - he knew that we needed to stay balanced with Corporal Kamara’s section on the opposite side of the valley and would adjust his speed accordingly - but I also kne
w that he was only one man armed with only one weapon. He couldn’t be expected to scan for targets and watch for our comrades at the same time without making mistakes.
The platoon hadn’t moved more than a few hundred metres when Griffiths suddenly raised his mammoth in alarm, pointing it into the valley.
‘Eyes on!’ he hissed excitedly. ‘Eyes on!’
I slowed, moving right to get a better view into the valley, but the foliage prevented me from seeing anything. Griffiths had a better vantage point than I did, so would be more likely to spot anything moving in the low ground.
‘Where?’ I asked.
‘Right at the bottom of the valley,’ he said, ‘about two hundred metres ahead.’
‘Keep moving,’ I whispered, hurrying him with a sweep of my arm. I didn’t want to let them get away. ‘What are they doing?’
‘There’s a lot of them . . . I think they’re headed this way!’
I stopped, instantly changing my mind. ‘Shit! Go firm and drop a crosshair onto the platoon net!’
‘Will do!’ With a quick tap onto his datapad and a flick of the hand, Griffiths created a blue crosshair that hovered within the valley ahead of us. Everybody within the platoon could see the crosshair, directing them onto a point of interest.
I sent my own message to reinforce the crosshair. ‘All call signs, go firm. Reference crosshair- sighting. Enemy soldiers moving toward us in the low ground. We’re observing and preparing to engage.’
‘Roger,’ the sergeant major replied. ‘One-Two, go firm.’
‘We’ve stopped,’ Corporal Kamara responded. ‘No eyes on.’
‘One-Zero-Bravo, anticipate flank interference. I suggest you split One-Three either side of the valley to prevent anyone coming in from behind.’
Abs, who was bringing Three Section up at the rear of the platoon, acknowledged instantly. ‘One-Zero-Bravo, roger.’
‘They’re still coming toward us,’ Griffiths said in warning. ‘I can’t quite see them. They’re only about fifty metres away, though.’
The Welsh trooper hefted his mammoth gun, bracing himself to fire. Though designed with the same auto- correct capability of my own magnetic rifle, the mammoth gun had an obscene amount of kick to it, and the recoil could quickly spoil the aim of somebody not firing in the prone position. Because of the shape of the valley slope and the height of the foliage, lying down to fire wasn’t really an option.
‘Puppy, send your mammoth gunner to me,’ I ordered, before switching to the platoon net. ‘One-Zero, I’m going to engage.’
‘Yeah, happy with that,’ the sergeant major replied instantly. Another blue line appeared, this time crossing the valley at a right angle. ‘No fire to the west of this line. We have no eyes onto your target, so we will remain firm and protect your southern flank. You will need to assault in an easterly direction.’
‘Understood,’ I replied. The sergeant major was telling me that the only way to safely attack was from within the valley, meeting the enemy head on. It was stating the obvious really, since advancing onto our foe from any other direction would be dangerous.
I looked over my shoulder to see Leaman arrive beside Griffiths at the edge of the valley slope. He crept the last few paces, finding a suitable fire position amongst the ferns. Griffiths indicated the direction of the enemy, and Leaman nodded.
‘Thirty metres,’ Griffiths warned. ‘They’ll cross the line soon.’
I understood the urgency in Griffiths’ warning. The blue line created by the sergeant major was a control measure he had imposed to prevent us from shooting our comrades on the far bank. Once the approaching enemy crossed that line, we would need to move in order to engage with any degree of safety.
There wasn’t a moment to lose.
‘Fire!’
Less than a second later, Griffiths’ mammoth gun erupted, spitting death down onto the unwitting targets below.
I didn’t wait for the enemy to respond. ‘Puppy, take over here! Myers, Weatherall, follow me!’
The three of us dashed back the way we had come, running behind Leaman and Griffiths as they sprayed the valley with bursts of steel darts.
After running for twenty metres I turned downhill and half-slid, half-ran down the valley slope. As I did so I caught glimpses of Three Section further back, forming up to defend our rear.
Weatherall suddenly let out a yelp as he tripped and fell behind me. His rifle clattered noisily as it hit the ground, and he swore loudly. I turned around to see that he had landed face first, and though his helmet and armour would have saved him from serious injury, the fall must have been painful.
'Get up!' I hissed without sympathy. 'Come on!'
I ripped through the foliage at the base of the valley, quickly indicating for Myers and Weatherall to take up positions either side of me. I assumed that Weatherall was OK, since he was still with us. His visor was unlikely to have cracked from his fall, and if it had then his respirator would have warned him by now.
The sound of the two mammoth guns was far louder in the bottom of the valley. The air hissed as thousands of darts peppered the rock at supersonic speeds, before ricocheting as they struck solid rock.
'Weatherall, you cover!' I ordered above the din. 'We'll move first!'
Weatherall nodded, having managed to compose himself after his fall. 'Yep!'
'Myers, move!'
Myers and I bounded forward as a pair, ripping through the undergrowth for ten metres before taking a knee again.
I checked over my right shoulder to make sure Weatherall had seen us stop and that he was making his bound. Fortunately, the foliage was sparse enough for us to see each other, meaning that we didn’t need to keep telling each other when to bound, but it wasn’t sparse enough to give us any view onto the enemy. Griffith’s crosshair hung threateningly in the air ahead of us, made even more threatening when I remembered that the enemy had closed significantly since its creation. In my haste I had forgotten to tell anyone to alter the mark, and the sergeant major’s no fire line was only ten metres away.
‘Puppy!’ I called over the net as I made my next bound toward the line, narrowly avoiding tripping on an exposed rock. ‘Get me an updated enemy position!’
‘Roger! We can’t see them that well . . . they’ve gone to ground!’
We took a knee again, the blue “no fire” line hovering just above our heads. As I waited for Weatherall to move up, Griffith’s crosshair disappeared, only to be replaced by another one, this time much closer. It was only twenty metres away, just beyond a cluster of bushes that blocked our view.
‘Fucking hell!’ Myers blurted on its appearance, forgetting himself. Assuming Puppy had correctly placed the crosshair, our enemy were right in front of us.
‘Puppy, keep an eye on me!’ I ordered. ‘Get the guns to switch at the last moment!’
‘Will do!’
I saw that Weatherall had reached us. ‘Myers, let’s go!’
The two of us headed toward the blue crosshair, slowing from a run into a brisk walk so that we could engage any targets that appeared from amongst the bushes. Rounds pinged and whizzed as the torrent of darts fired by Griffiths and Leaman struck the rocky valley base, threatening to hit us at any moment, but I preferred the risk of being hit by a ricochet than a round from the enemy. So far I hadn’t noticed a response from our unseen opponent at all, suggesting that they were cowering amongst the foliage, or cut to ribbons by the darts raining down upon them. It was pretty stupid of them to have approached along the valley base, I decided, not without any attempt to hold the high ground.
As we battled through the bushes, Myers snapped up his rifle and fired. ‘Contact front!’
Less than a second later I caught a glimpse of something fleeting through the bushes only a few metres away. I swung my weapon around, engaging just moments before my visor flashed orange. There was a yelp, and the target disappeared into the scrub.
I fired several darts after the figure, but I wasn’t sure if I
had hit him. I then continued forcing my way through the undergrowth, negotiating my way around the bushes in search of more targets.
The two mammoth guns continued to fire overhead, despite Myers and I being virtually on top of the blue crosshair. For a second I feared that they had failed to notice us encroaching into their arcs, until I realised that they were firing ahead of us, onto something further along the valley.
‘Enemy attempting to withdraw!’ Puppy shouted over the net, causing me to flinch at the sound in my headset. ‘Multiple targets! We’re switching fire!’
‘Roger!’ I replied. ‘Weatherall, move!’
‘Moving!’
Suddenly more gunfire erupted a few hundred metres ahead of us, except that this time it wasn’t from our own weapons. I looked to the high ground where Puppy and his half of the section continued to engage targets ahead of us, wondering if the enemy fire was directed at them.
‘One-One-Delta, this is One-Zero-Alpha, is that you in contact?’ the sergeant major asked Puppy over the net, sounding worried.
‘One-One-Delta, no!’ my 2ic replied.
‘Contact front!’ Myers shouted again, snatching me back to the battle in the immediate vicinity. In the blink of an eye, both of us fired simultaneously, engaging two figures scrambling from their hiding place amongst the rocks. They were headed for the far bank where the sergeant major and Two Section waited, but they never made it that far. The first man screamed as a dart struck his upper thigh, before disappearing into a cluster of ferns. The other collapsed without a sound as I shot him square through the chest.
RECCE II (The Union Series Book 5) Page 12