The last unit turned and started to run back into the housing estate, their eyes widening as shrieks and gunfire erupted before them, the Morgons grenadiers and soldiers charging into the housing estate from three sides. Muffled detonations and explosions resounded around the panicking soldiers as they sprinted for the nearest blocks, the sounds of muffled screams and escalating machine gun fire filling their ears.
Chapter Seventeen: The Far East 1
Thailand
Finally advancing to the bend in the Chao Phraya River after bitter street fighting from Bangkok Airport, the Morgon forces began to slowly progress along the eastern bank in either direction. Behind the forward units, buildings burned out of control, the smoke billowing upwards around blinking street lamps and flickering bright neon advertising signs. Embers drifted and swirled into the night sky as fires crackled from shops and apartment blocks along each street and thoroughfare, abandoned cars and small minibuses left blocking the roads when their drivers had fled.
Puddles of smouldering green mush were formed in pools across the intersections, splattered across walls and the front of vehicles. Warped and bent short range mobile missile launchers and heavy machine guns lay crumpled and at contorted angles, the putrid remains of the human crews slowly sinking into the steaming toxic liquid. Short range acid mortars had delivered their potent and toxic explosive rounds almost vertically, providing little warning or chance of escape for the defenders.
Bodies and butchered frames lay across the streets, fleeing residents crumpled beside the remains of defending police officers and reservists, the gutters stained crimson with blood. Alloy boots clanked along the flickering pavements and tarmac, tall and muscular camouflaged armoured frames marching forward in small combat squads towards the river, assault and sniper rifles held across their chests.
Angular helmets moved slowly from side to side, tiny red piercing beams sweeping through smashed shop windows and into blood smeared entrance halls, scanning the frontages and buildings for signs of human life. Behind the frontline camouflaged grenadiers and black armoured soldiers, ravenous howls resounded across the buildings, the snapping of incisors as large carnivorous dark leopards shook their heads, spittle splashing across the two black armoured handlers straining on dual leashes behind. Their bicep armour bright red, the handling units had just been deployed from the airport, the animals extremely efficient at hunting down and despatching any survivors.
Firefights erupted all across the path of the advances on the eastern river edge, the Thai army and police fighting desperately in improvised units with security personnel and residents for every metre of their colourful city. The explosions and gunfire continued day and night as the authorities even hastily arming locally formed gangs to protect individual areas, the members fighting alongside rivals to prevent their neighbourhoods falling to a vicious invader.
Any consideration that a happy and welcoming Thai race could be easily subdued and would not rise up against an aggressor was simply a myth…most of the remaining or surviving tourists were stunned by the level of the resistance, as were the Morgon infantry. Their respect rose rapidly for a previously underestimated opponent, the advance becoming far slower than expected and resulting in calls for reinforcements from the commanders in high orbit.
Further south, transport craft and armoured soldiers began to progress upstream along the river from a large vessel newly repositioned and submerged in the Gulf of Thailand…the Morgons were reinforcing their forces.
Further along the coast, sporadic fighting and gunfire suddenly echoed to the north of Pattaya City, the wary local army units already dug in below the large illuminated welcoming city sign to the south, forward trenches with infantry near the sea front beaches with mortars and heavy machine guns set in the trees behind as support.
A low siren began to wail all across the city as flashes of sniper fire erupted from the high rise sea front buildings, tall black armoured frames rising from the surging waves, rounds sparking off the plate as the Morgons surged forward up the beach. Behind the infantry, walker legs whirred and creaked as the alien armour began to rise from the surf and deploy, the Thai soldiers staring on in horror as mortars fired down onto their beloved beach, thumps of artillery sounding from outside the city as explosions ripped through the waves.
Several of the bars of the party city were still open, some of the drug infused and inebriated holidaymakers having discounted an immediate urge to flee from the coast, believing perhaps just one more night of fun or entertainment was within their grasp. Some were not even aware of any imminent danger, oblivious to the news as they went from hotel room to club or party and back again, the outside world simply elsewhere, especially with a drugs trade that had flourished in the last couple of days, the police becoming far too busy to enforce or arrest any dealers as a state of emergency was declared.
Many of the visitors no longer even had the considerable resources required to flee, their holiday money virtually exhausted and credit cards now refused. No trains were running, the few scheduled coach transports and those laid on by the authorities were overwhelmed and prioritising families with children of locals and visitors alike…single holiday tourists were a secondary priority and to be collected later…time had simply run out.
Most had realised it was far too hot to venture out of the city on foot, especially without adequate stocks of water…they became resigned to be stranded in one of the
