“So where we heading, Sir?” asked Silva.
“To the city of Metz.”
Several of the marines gasped. A few weeks ago it would have meant little to them. They neither knew where it was nor cared. But now they knew the terrain and the enemy’s location, and it was a grim fact to swallow.
“Sir, that’s way beyond the enemy’s front line, and we know Saarbrucken is crawling with the bastards.”
“That’s why we’ve got Eddie here. Lieutenant Rains, along with Lieutenant Kato, will be flying us in. I know this is a lot to ask,” he stopped and sighed. “We pulled off Poitiers, so you can’t tell me we can’t make this work.”
“What kind of trouble we expecting?” asked Sugar.
The burly gunner stood confidently. Taylor looked down at the vast weapon in his arms and smiled. He carried one of Reiter’s newly designed weapons, but he had bolted it together with his old light machine gun. The bastardised weapon looked so large that it should be vehicular mounted. Yet Sugar stood casually with it resting across his arms. He watched the Major stare at the weapon that he held like his own baby.
“I won’t lie to you. I have officially requested permission for this rescue mission and been denied flat out by General Schulz. I cannot order any of you to follow me here, but I am unwilling to leave our people at the mercy of the invaders.”
He turned and paced down the line before the marines. None of them spoke as they all took in what Taylor had said. They knew that disobeying direct orders from the General was not a situation to be taken lightly. Mitch took a deep breath to calm him before continuing.
“The General has not fought among us. He has not watched his friends be killed every day of this war. He has not stood firm against all odds and fought to the bitter end. He may yet be a good leader, but he is not one of us. We are numbers on a screen to him. He will not allow this rescue because he has made a calculated risk assessment of the resources that would be required for it. We are that resource.”
He stopped and looked out across their faces that were shadowed in the low light.
“My friends are not a resource. We have made it this far by sticking together and fighting for each other. I refuse to give up on one another now. We have made it this far together. Anyone who wants no part in this may leave now without issue.”
Taylor looked across the faces of the troops before him. He knew he couldn’t rightfully force any of them to follow him in disobeying orders, but he prayed they would stand by him once more.
“Those who wish to sit this one out may fall out now and return to the Company!”
He stared into their eyes and each of them stared back. They all stood fast without a single flinch or doubt. The Major had won the respect and trust of everyone among them before the war had even begun. Now more than ever, they would follow him to hell and back.
“I am not bullshitting you here. There could be hell to pay for this even if we succeed. But for me, there is no punishment that our command could dish out that would not be worth paying for a chance to save our people.”
“Sir, I think I speak for all of us. Let’s do this,” said Silva.
“Oorah!” Parker shouted.
The cry was repeated along the line and rang out across the open plain of the landing zone. Taylor smiled at the confidence they were placing in him.
“I cannot promise you anything from this mission, or the resistance we could face. I cannot say we will definitely get our boys out, but I can promise you we will do everything in our power.”
“You point the way, Major, and we’ll do the talking,” said Sugar.
The hulking gunner grinned again as he stood still holding his treasured weapon.
“We’re heading for Metz. All intelligence would suggest that the major mass of enemy forces are further east around Saarbrucken, but that doesn’t mean we’ll have an easy run of it. The copters should be able to get us in without resistance if we fly low through the valleys and stay out of trouble.”
“Sir, do we have an extraction plan?” asked Parker.
“We’ve got Rains and Kato here who will stick with us where possible, but aside from them, no. Nobody but those here and Major Chandra know of our intentions. The most assistance she could provide us with is her pleading with the Generals to help. They have already shown they will not risk assistance to save those prisoners, so I would not expect them to extend any more help for us.”
“Shit, a suicidal mission behind enemy lines. Sounds just like our kind of gig,” roared Silva.
Chuckles rang out across the lines. Taylor appreciated them making light of the situation. It was the only way to stay sane.
“Parker and Silva will lead their own sections, and the rest of you are with me. Remember what it’s like to fight on their terms. No radio links means we need to stay close. This new gear we have got has made it a fair fight, but let’s keep the odds in our favour. Sections stay in visual contact at all times. Any questions?”
The landing zone remained silent.
“Alright, load up, and let’s get our people back!”
The troops separated and began shuffling quietly into the copters. A sombre tone fell over the landing zone as they all considered the danger they were facing. Going deep into enemy territory, and without hope of backup or assistance, was a daunting task. They had only done it once before to destroy the enemy weapon in Poitiers.
Destruction of the invaders’ super weapon had been seen as the only hope for humanity’s survival. They had accepted it might have been a suicide mission and gotten on with it. Now their lives seemed to carry more value, but they knew they had a responsibility to the prisoners to bring them back. Taylor noticed light footsteps approaching and turned to see Major Chandra step out from the darkness.
“You said you’d stay out of this.”
She nodded.
“And I will, but I could not let you set off alone. It’s a grim day that our own people are giving up on each other. Perhaps this can go some way to reinforcing the value of our soldiers’ lives. Men and women from every nation have given everything they had to give.”
“You may support us in spirit, Major, but it is vital that you isolate yourself from this mission. You could lose command over the Company should your involvement be known.”
Chandra sighed. She was stuck in an abominable position.
“I hate this. I must turn my back on comrades to save others.”
“You’re doing the right thing. The Company has tight bonds, and we cannot lose that. General Schulz would gladly split the unit.”
“I’d like to see him try. He may be in charge of this front, but he is not a British officer. We have more than earned our right to stand together as one.”
Taylor nodded in agreement. For years he had trained against the British in friendly exercises, and they had been their best competition. Never could he have imagined to have become one with them. He looked down at the slight Indian officer and smiled at her. Her stature hid her strength of character and body well. Now before him in the Reitech suit, she was dwarfed even further.
It made him think of his brutal mauling at the hands of Karadag, the alien Commander. The memory ignited a spark of pain to soar through this body. His wounds had largely healed, but the aches and pains were far from gone. He did his utmost to hide it from his comrades, and they respected him further for soldiering on.
“Have you got anywhere on securing Reiter the resources he needs?” asked Taylor.
“Barely had a chance since we got onto planning this mission.”
“Last time I came up against one of those alien bastards in close quarter, I got my ass kicked. Every time they get close, we get torn apart. I never thought I would see the day when we would need to fight hand-to-hand, but it doesn’t change the fact that it has been thrust upon us.”
“I hear you.”
“That shield technology could work if Reiter can just get it to an operational level. I know he has some ideas on a close quarter weapon, so push him.”
“You think he’ll still be working at this time?”
“Trust me, that man doesn’t sleep. He only works.”
“Then I’ll get on it and good luck tonight.”
“Thanks, we’ll see you at dawn.”
