by Aidan Colyer
“Let’s get back to the squad and discuss it.”
Roland crawled backwards and then rose to a crouch moving fast over the sand back to the squad’s position behind one of the ubiquitous rocky outcrops. Watts followed him.
“We have a choice sarge. The enemy are dug in and are supported by several APC’s. They also have a command tent and a squad of suits. We can hit them but we will need to push home the attack until they are destroyed or retreat.”
Murden pondered the information for a moment.
“We do it. If this is a command unit as you suspect we could collapse this part of their lines. It may tip them over the threshold. Clark, have you got another launcher?”
Clark pulled a single shot launcher from her pack and grinned.
“Give it to Roland. We hit them with rockets first. Roland will hit one APC and Clark the second. Watts, you concentrate on the suits. Bywaters and Webb, head to the flank and lay down fire from your rifles.”
Roland fished his spare scope out of his bag and chucked it to Webb.
“Use this. You may not be trained like we are but it is better than nothing.” Watts pulled out her spare and handed it to Bywaters.
“What are you going to be doing sarge?” Clark asked as she rearranged her gear to get to the spare rockets easier.
“I’m coming with you to load your launcher. We need to take out the APC’s and the command tent. Every shot will need to count so we need to do it before they get their sights lined up on us.”
She looked around the group. Webb and Bywaters were testing their new scopes and Murden waited until they were ready.
“Okay, let’s move to forward positions. We stay in pairs. After we have dealt with the APCs, we push into the camp and start throwing grenades. That goes for everyone including you two.” She pointed at Watts and Roland.
They nodded and everyone split to go their own ways.
“Good thing we picked up those extra pistols,” Watts said as they ran back to the position they had been in. They stopped and checked ahead before moving closer to one of the APCs that was parked in the centre of the defences on their side. They found a small dune and hunkered down behind it. Watts loaded up a magazine of tier three ammunition and settled herself. Roland set up his rifle and then grabbed the rocket launcher. He checked to his sides and then lined up on the APC. He waited for Clark to fire.
As soon as Roland heard the whoosh of the rocket flying towards the enemy positions, he pulled on the trigger. As soon as the rocket was away, he ditched the launcher and grabbed his rifle. He lined up a shot as the APC took the rocket to its turret. They hadn’t destroyed it but the twisted hunk of metal that now adorned it would not be returning fire any time soon.
Watts started shooting at the suits as Roland picked off gunners that were heading towards their positions.
Webb and Bywaters opened fire from the left flank picking off anything they could see. Shots hit the dune in front of Roland as he saw the second rocket from Clark tear into the last APC. It had rolled forward and carried on as the rocket hit its flank. The burning wreck crashed through a sandbag wall before coming to rest on top of the position.
“How many suits are left?” Roland asked Watts as he shot another gunner that was moving his heavy weapon.
“I have two left,” she said firing. “Make that one.”
“We move after you have got them,” Roland replied firing at a squad trying their damndest to plug a gap near the burning wreck of an APC. Watts fired again twice more before slapping Roland on the shoulder. He fired once more before jumping up and following her. They stopped at the next dune and fired off a few more shots emptying their magazines. To their left Webb and Bywaters were also advancing and firing. Roland reloaded and slung his rifle drawing his pistol turning on the laser sight with his off hand. He grabbed a grenade from his webbing and they moved forward. As soon as he was close enough, he threw the grenade. He followed the momentum through and ended up flat on his stomach. He heard the grenade explode and turned to see Watts throw another one. Hers created a large plume of smoke.
“This is it. Let's go,” she said drawing both of her pistols.
She had put a long magazine in both pistols making them look decidedly odd. Roland turned to the camp and started to run aiming his pistol forwards. They hit the sandbags in front of the smoke and then rolled over them. As they came up shots whipped through the smoke tearing at the sandbags. They kept moving going to the right heading away from the source of the shots. The smoke started to clear and Roland skidded to a halt as a soldier appeared right in front of him. He fired three shots felling them and then shooting their comrade who was turning. A fire team came running around the edge of the burning APC next to them. Watts raised her pistols and let rip spraying them with bullets. Roland took a few shots at them too. They all went down as they ran into the hail of bullets. Watts dropped to her knees and started to reload while Roland covered her.
“These are great,” she said with a massive grin on her face.
Chapter 20.
Roland fired a handful of shots as more enemy soldiers ran towards them. They ducked down behind cover as a rocket streaked across the camp and struck the command tent. It tore through the armour and the cloth exploding on the far side of the tent. The fabric ignited sending a gout of flame across its roof. Roland aimed at the entrance hoping for some easy kills. Two soldiers ran out, and he downed them before someone shot at him. It wasn’t fast enough though.
The first bullet tore across the top of his hands with the second hitting his right arm. He dropped to the floor as the third bullet hit the side of his mask tearing it off and leaving a ragged hole in his cheek. Watts glanced at him and then stood to fire from both pistols. She crouched back down as the fire stitched its way across the sandbags towards her. She holstered one of her pistols and grabbed Roland by the collar of his tunic hauling him up to the sandbag wall, which they were defending.
“How bad is it?” she asked popping off a few more shots over the top of the wall.
Roland checked his health bar. It was still shrinking. He was down to 65%.
“Bad. I need bandages,” he said trying to open his pockets but failing as his bloodied hands slipped on the buttons. Watts dropped her other pistol and opened the pockets for him. She tugged the bandages out and dropped them in his lap. Grabbing her pistol just in time to shoot an enemy who came running around the end of the wall. Roland tied the bandages around his hands and arm. He left his cheek open, as the health bar had stabilised. Fishing out another stamina tablet, he washed it down with some water before he splashed the rest on his cheek. It stung as much as his legs had when he was being healed. He gritted his teeth but tensing the muscles made it worse. Not having the time to do anything else he grabbed his pistol from the ground and reloaded it swinging up and firing over the wall. He could see Murden and Clark to his right. However, there was still no sign of Webb and Bywaters.
The enemy had all made it to positions and were returning fire. Roland ducked back down and pulled another grenade out. He pulled the pin and threw it over the sandbag wall. He followed it with another straight away. Watts waited until they exploded and then dived over the wall. Roland grabbed his pistol to follow and heard her pistols burst into life. He rolled over the top and joined her taking measured shots using his laser sight to line up on the enemy helmets peaking over the defences. Murden and Clark joined in throwing grenades and advancing too. Roland watched as they jumped over a wall. Clark was hit in the chest by a burst of fire and thrown backwards. Roland switched to look at where it had come from and fired back at them. They ducked before he could get a hit though. Murden tried to get up but was pinned by heavy fire. Webb and Bywaters had come into view now. They were equally stuck as a squad of the enemy exchanged fire with them. Roland tried to give them some covering fire but a few bursts fired at him made him dive back down again.
“We are all pinned. Any ideas?” he asked Watts. She fired over the top
of the wall without looking and then turned to him.
“The only thing we can do. Grenades and lots of them.” Roland pulled out all of his grenades and threw them into a pile in-between them. Watts did the same. They had ten fragmentation grenades and four smoke grenades.
Watts emptied one of her satchels and stuffed four of the grenades inside. She grabbed a fifth one and put it in the bag while holding on to the pin.
“Cover me,” she said and then pulled the pin.
She stood and so did Roland. He fired indiscriminately to keep the enemy down as she hefted the satchel as far as she could throw it. As soon as it left her hand, she ducked down. She didn’t make it though as a burst of shots hit her in the chest sending her sprawling. Roland dropped next to her and checked the wounds. She was pulling in breaths gasping for as much air as she could get. Her eyes were wide. Roland tore off her armour and saw the damage. One bullet had gone through her left shoulder. The other two had left bruises on her upper chest. Both of her collarbones were at weird angles. Roland grabbed a bandage and pressed it on the wound in her shoulder. The satchel went off as he pressed down. A shower of sand and hessian fell over them Roland ducked down to cover Watts and when he came up, he saw her breathing slow. Not again, he thought and looked up to find Bywaters. They had taken advantage of the satchel charge and had pushed forward throwing their own grenades. The squad in front of them broke and ran being cut down as Webb fired at their backs. He waved to get Bywaters’ attention, but she was too focused on moving forward.
“I’ll be back Roland whispered into Watts’ ear and pressed her hands on the now soaked bandage.” he grabbed her automatic pistol and his own. He checked they were full and then ran. He fired to his side at anything that moved as he vaulted a sandbag wall. Shots tore through his cloak and several glanced off of his armour and helmet as he made his way to Bywaters. He dropped the pistols as they ran out and concentrated on running. He dived over the last sandbag wall and felt a bullet smash into the base of his helmet. It flew off his head clattering down into the foxhole on the other side of the sandbags. Bywaters almost shot him as he landed and then lifted her rifle.
“What the hell was that?” she screamed at him as Webb fired across the camp.
“Watts is injured,” he said pulling himself up.
“She isn’t the only one by the looks of it,” Bywaters said eyeing the bandages.
“Don’t worry about me I’ll be fine. We need to get back to her.”
He turned and faced the direction he had come. There was nothing for it but to continue running. He counted to three before leaping out of the foxhole hoping Bywaters followed him. He ran as bullets hit all around him diving to slide into the foxhole where he had left Watts. Her face had turned blue the bandage she was holding trailing from her hand. The blood flowed freely from her shoulder now. He pulled out a fresh bandage and pressed. She looked at him and then next to him. Bywaters had followed. She pulled out her device and ran it over Watts. The collarbones moved back into place and colour returned to her face. The blood flow in her shoulder slowed and stopped.
Bywaters frowned and slapped the side of the device.
“It’s out,” she said turning it over.
“What do you mean out?”
“I don’t know. It stopped working for no reason.” They looked at each other realising what was happening. Roland grabbed Watts’ second pistol and looked around for the others. He could have sworn Webb followed them over the top too.
Then Roland saw it. He had. He hadn’t made it all the way though. His body lay stretched out across a piece of debris the back of his head gone.
He wasn’t fading out.
Roland went to look over the sandbag and stopped. Dropping the pistol, he grabbed his rifle thumbing the switch to turn on the infrared setting. He slowly rose out of the foxhole until the combat was in view. He played his scope across the camp frowning as he realised at the quietness. The enemy weren’t firing. Then he saw them. A squad of the rebels advancing on their position. He ducked back down and turned to the others.
“The rebels are here. We need to kill the rest of the enemy and hope it ends the battle. If we don’t, it’s game over for us.”
Bywaters pulled Watts up, but she was still struggling to breathe. She wasn’t out of it but she wasn’t in the best of conditions either. Roland drew his old pistol and his bayonet. They frowned at him.
“What are you doing Mellors?” Bywaters asked.
“We need to assault the last of the enemy before the rebels get to us. That means we need to get up close and personal. Watts can you still throw?” she flexed her arm and winced. She shook her head. They both looked at Bywaters.
“Fine. What’s the plan?”
“You throw the smoke grenades towards the enemy so we can get close. When we do, you grab the rest of the grenades and make your way around to the far side with Murden. Use the grenades in a satchel and throw them at the rebels to keep them away. Watts, can you hold a pistol and bayonet?”
She grabbed her remaining pistol and drew a bayonet.
“I have little choice don’t I?”
“No,” replied Roland.
“Ready?” he said turning to the sandbags and making his way along them to the end. Bywaters grabbed the grenades. She stuck the fragmentation grenades in a satchel and lined the smoke grenades up.
“Now,” Roland said. She threw the grenades in quick succession. Roland heard their distinctive fizz and burst from the cover. The enemy fired through the smoke trying to pin them down. They were wildly off which gave him the time he needed. Roland and Watts ran forward into the cloud emerging out of the other side right on top of the enemy. They opened fire shooting downwards taking out the four closest to them. The rest of the squad popped up on the other side of the foxhole. Roland threw his now empty pistol at them and then charged in. he rammed his bayonet into the stomach of the first trooper and received a blow to his back from the second as they brought their rifle butt down on him. He fell with the soldier he had stabbed and kicked out. His boot connected with a knee folding their leg back with a loud crack as their leg snapped. He scrambled up grabbing the enemy soldier as they fell slamming his bayonet into their chest repeatedly. They slipped from his grasp as blood welled up around his hands. He looked up seeing Watts struggling with another soldier rolling over the corpse of an enemy she had shot at point blank range. Roland dived forward knocking the enemy off of her. They scrambled to right themselves as a shot rang out behind Roland. The soldier‘s face exploded. Roland turned to see smoke rising from Watts’ pistol. She grinned at him and then flew sideways as a shot hit her in the temple. She was dead before she hit the floor. He followed the line of fire as three enemy troopers jumped into the foxhole. He stabbed at them with his bayonet but it was knocked out of his hand as one enemy smashed their rifle down.
Roland scrambled back as they levelled their rifles. A burst of fire rang out tearing into the right-hand enemy. He fell into the others knocking their shots wide. Or, at least that’s what Roland thought until he tried to push himself up. His left arm refused to work. Glancing at it, they had shattered the elbow with one of their shots. He couldn’t feel the pain just a numbness as he landed on the destroyed limb. The enemy stood swinging around to face the new threat. Another burst of fire rang out taking them in the chest and sending them sprawling to the floor. Roland heaved himself up and looked to see Murden standing over the foxhole. Her leg was torn apart and the remains of bandages held the ragged flesh in place.
An explosion erupted to their left.
Roland ducked down as shrapnel tore over the foxhole. Murden went down hard screaming as white hot metal struck her face. Roland pulled himself forward and found a pistol. He looked around to find a new target. Not seeing any in the immediate vicinity he stood and regretted it instantly as a bullet impacted the side of his armour. He folded over but kept his feet as the enemy troops stood to get a better aim. As he hunched over he pulled up his rifle a
nd fired at them hitting both in their heads and chests. Not being able to control the pain anymore he sank to his knees. His vision blurring at the edges as his knees pushed into the sand.
Please be enough he thought.
[Enemy casualty threshold reached. You have won the battle, prepare for extraction.]
Roland lay back and stared at the notification hoping he would phase out with the rebels and their damned devices so close.
Chapter 21.
Roland watched as the notification flickered. The entirety of his vision flickered in time with the notification. His body jolted and then the sky disappeared. It came back followed by another flickering notification. Everything started to fade again. His back arched as pain seared through him. As he stretched farther than he should have been able to his muscles tensed like he had been electrocuted. He opened his mouth to scream, and the sound didn’t come. The world faded to black and Roland imagined himself floating. He couldn’t tell where he was supposed to be but there were tubes attached to him. Without warning, the world flooded back in and his body went limp again. He came to laid on the concrete platform at the forward base.
He turned his head to the side seeing the others lying around him. Those that had died, which was all of them as far as Roland knew, were laid out too. The low angle made it impossible to tell if they were dead or simply unconscious. He tried to stand but his injuries sent him back to the concrete in an unceremonious heap. His breathing slowed as his chest filled with liquid. The sound of someone next to him filled his ears as he turned his head back. He couldn’t make out what they were saying. Their muffled voice and odd movement of their lips which didn’t quite sync with the words worried him. He tried to get up again, but they held him down. A needle flashed in the afternoon sun and then he fell back into blackness.