All they had to do was get through the wall of fire. The ATVs slowed and the mechs disembarked and worked to clear a path through the blaze that would enable the wheeled vehicles to pass. They pushed in and tossed flame retardant grenades into the flames that gave them at least a few minutes of respite to drive their vehicles through.
Once they had created a path, the mechs pulled back, caught hold of the side of the vehicles, and climbed up but didn’t bother to get inside as they surged forward. Karina could feel the heat from inside the vehicle and hugged herself a little closer.
She had nothing else to do but hum softly to herself to keep her nerves under control. The last thing the drivers and mechs needed was for her to panic while they tried to get her and the other refugees—which was what they were now—to safety.
Finally, the heat receded and the weight of leaving Auburn began to lift from her shoulders as she looked out the windows. There was still considerable smoke in the air, and the lack of any sunlight made it difficult to see anything. But they were past the fires, which meant that they were on their way to safety now.
"Shit!"
The driver yelled, and she leaned forward to look through the small partition between the back of the ATV to try to determine what had alarmed him.
The questions in her mind—and likely in those of the other the passengers—were answered when the entire vehicle shuddered and a flash of explosives flared outside, visible through the window. Her eyes were blinded for a second and additional explosions erupted around them and left her disoriented. The mechs leapt free and attempted to fight something, although she couldn’t determine what.
Had they seen the people withdraw? Were they trying to fire over the blaze to kill those who tried to escape? That didn't seem right, but she could think of no other explanation.
She leaned forward and through the dust and smoke, was finally able to see the mechs that advanced on them. They were the same pristine white and gray ones that had attacked the town. Had they expected someone to flee and sent forces to block their escape, or had they planned to attack the town from behind and simply encountered the exodus by accident?
It didn't matter as the end result was the same. The lead ATV burned, in pieces where it had been shredded by whatever had hit it. A couple of the mechs were down too, and the others were already scrambling onto the two remaining vehicles and shouted at the drivers to get them the hell out of there.
Unfortunately, there was no way forward. All they could do was turn and return to Auburn. The mechs ahead of them held a solid line that might as well have been an impassable wall.
The journey was as fraught with tension as their earlier flight had been when rockets began to pound again. They destroyed a couple of their mechs but left the vehicles alone to continue the grim retreat into what offered little in the way of hope.
The faces of those around her mirrored her anxiety. Every one of them knew that they rumbled inexorably into the thick of the battle, with no way out.
A couple of hot tears ran down Karina’s cheeks, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. All she could do was hold her hands on her belly while the heat of the fire receded again, which meant they were almost in Auburn and trapped in the nightmare they had tried so hard to escape.
It was like they were caught between the hammer and the anvil. She couldn't help but weep openly despite the gentle touch of the hands of the people around her who tried to comfort her. There was nothing they could do.
Chapter Forty-One
Davis5 watched the ATVs turn and head through the wall of flames and into the town they had tried to escape from.
He hadn't been happy to be assigned this detail. His platoon leader had selected the fighters to attack the town and rid them of the problems that had assailed them over the past few days. It was a shit job to simply huddle in the rear to make sure no one tried to bolt.
It was made even worse when high explosives and napalm-tipped missiles made sure no one could see them move into position behind Auburn. While it was tactically sound to give them cover to hide their movements, it was still a shit position to be in. Killing civilians wasn't a pleasant experience, even if they had fought tooth and nail against him and his.
The handful of second-hand mechs they'd brought for an escort hadn't even been enough to put up a proper fight, and it wasn't long before Davis5 raised his hand and closed it in a fist to indicate for his men to cease their barrage. The more experienced of his pilots already knew what was coming and had already held their fire. Those who weren't had the discipline drilled into them long enough that they didn't continue to shoot at those who retreated.
When he was asked why he didn't simply kill them all, Davis5 would say he didn't want to waste ammo. He’d also add that driving civilians into Auburn would force their enemies to fight from a more defensive position once they knew they had defenseless civilians in their ranks.
It made tactical sense, but the truth of it was that he didn't like the thought of killing civilians, even when they were armed and ready to fight back. The action didn't sit well with him, and while he knew better than to question orders—much less defy them outright—there were small technicalities that allowed
