2041 Sanctuary (Dark Descent) (38 page)

‘We have a fast mover north-north-west,’ Samson broadcasted. ‘All units evade protocol four. Shelter and cease movement.’

Samson sank down to his haunches, remaining stock still as the small drone flew closer to their position. He trained his scope on the target, zooming in on it as it approached. The illuminated red crosshairs and green range finder, supported by the digital read outs and tracking lines that ran throughout the length of the scope, helped guide his aim. There was no mistaking the model, a typical six rotored affair used throughout the U.S. Army. Samson slowed his breathing and considered his next course of action. He knew from the radar scans they’d made of the area prior to their breach of the surface, that drones were deployed in the skies. He also knew their armour should enable them to remain hidden from view, unless the vehicles had been retrofitted, in which case they were screwed.

‘Iwamoto,’ Samson said to the Darklight captain while tracking the drone’s path with his weapon. ‘Make safe the director and the coms techs.’

‘Already done, Colonel,’ came the immediate response via his helmet’s internal speakers.

The drone had slowed as it neared the outer boundary of the USSB’s surface footprint. Now one hundred yards from Samson’s position and a mere fifty from their perimeter, the circular machine spun on its axis, hovering for a few seconds before altering course. Samson swore. It was heading straight for them. Had it caught a small movement from one of his team, or did the intelligent software spy something else? Either way the drone had overstayed its welcome. Samson’s finger, already resting on the trigger, tightened. The first stage of the firing mechanism’s pretravel complete, Samson followed the drone, the crosshairs locked in on the tiny craft’s central hub.

Deciding the machine had spent far too long in their vicinity Samson made a split second decision.

‘I’m taking the shot,’ Samson informed his team. Squeezing the trigger through its second stage, his rifle fired, the silencer muffling the sound as the butt of the stock kicked hard back into his shoulder. The bullet ripped through the drone, sending sparks flying and the crippled object plummeting to the ground.

‘We have multiple targets inbound,’ the major’s voice crackled through the com. ‘Prepare to engage!’

No sooner had his XO given them the heads up than a raft of drones appeared on radar. At the same time a barrage of flares soared into the skies around them, bursting into life and shedding a dull yellow light over the New Mexican landscape.

‘Take out those drones,’ Samson said as he himself selected one of the flying machines, fired and then cycled to the next target.

Sporadic gunfire from the left flank erupted into a continuous exchange as the SFSD defended their line. Samson’s onboard graphics highlighted a worrying scene as ground troops and vehicles homed in on their location from all directions. A bullet whizzed past his head, followed by another three, one grazing an armoured panel on his shoulder. Switching to his gun’s grenade launcher, Samson fired a quick succession of projectiles towards the onrushing vehicles, taking out two and disabling another.

Explosions and bullets rained down on the SFSD unit as they fought a rearguard action, driven backwards by the sheer weight of numbers now upon them. Joiner really didn’t want anyone escaping Steadfast, it seemed. Samson advanced to the front, making use of various depressions and trees for cover. Dispatching two U.S. Marines who’d already circumvented his men’s line, and scooping up one of their radios as an afterthought, Samson stepped over the body of a dead comrade to join his major.

‘I don’t think we’re going to be able to hold them for much longer!’ the major shouted to Samson, his voice muffled through his helmet.

Samson didn’t reply as he took down four more men, two of them in one shot. His back to a craggy rock, Samson saw the shadowy semi-transparent forms of Darklight rushing to replenish his Terra Force’s depleted ranks.

Flash grenades and smoke canisters shot into the air as the enemy altered tack, trying to disorientate the smaller group from Steadfast. The thump of the projectiles hitting the ground sounded all too familiar to Samson, the noise quickly followed by ear-shattering detonations. Light exploded all around them, coupled with thick, oozing clouds of acrid grey smoke. Checking his visor’s display, Samson saw that Iwamoto and another Darklight operative had fled from the battle out to the agreed coordinates, escorting the red dot of Steiner along with them. A hundred yards behind this group of three, two more Darklight soldiers shepherded the three yellow dots of the communication technicians in the same direction. If Samson’s men and the remaining Darklight soldiers could waylay the U.S. Army long enough, those two small groups might be able to escape undetected.

Samson knew if he was to make his move, it had to be now. ‘Major, take command and hold them back for as long as you can. No surrender!’

‘Yes, sir!’ The Major rattled off a clip of armour piercing rounds into an approaching personnel carrier that had appeared through the misty haze.

Knowing his last order would be adhered to, Samson retreated back to the opening of the conduit shaft, dodging in and out of cover as he went. Detaching a dense hexagonal object from the armour on the outside of his left thigh, he flicked a switch to start a small green light pulsing along its length. Flinging the device down through the opening, Samson ran off into the darkness, away from the chaotic firefight behind. Securing his rifle diagonally onto its clasp in the centre of his back, the barrel poking out over one shoulder, Samson picked up speed as he hunted down the people ahead making for safety.

His well-conditioned body enabled him to catch up to the first group, heavy boots eating up the distance with each powerful stride, the ground beating to the rhythm of his footfalls as he passed by. In front, his visor picked out the first of the Darklight men protecting the three coms techs. Had Samson been without the correct frequencies the Darklight man’s armour utilised, he would have found it difficult to get a bead on him; as it was he stood out like a pig in a top hat, ludicrously plump and ready to be slaughtered.

Sliding to a halt, his boots kicking up gravel and dust in the darkness, Samson unhooked his rifle again. Switching in a clip of armour piercing rounds, Samson pulled back the heavy bolt and loaded a bullet into the chamber and took aim at the Darklight operative’s head. With one swift movement he squeezed off a round. Sixty yards away the Darklight man fell as he ran, his life snuffed out without warning.

The sound of a low-flying drone overhead made Samson freeze in place. Now in combat mode, the robotically controlled machine bombarded the other Darklight soldier and the communication technicians alike. Samson watched a small but deadly accurate grenade deployed by the drone deal the soldier a fatal blow, throwing his broken body into the air. The drone’s controller then switched to a small machine gun turret located on its underbelly to strafe the technicians with a hail of bullets. After the massacre, Samson took aim, sending the drone spiralling to the desert floor.

Making his way to the crash site, Samson surveyed the scene. Four bodies lay motionless on the ground. Moving amongst them, Samson put a bullet in each of their heads before taking off on foot once more. His radar told him Steiner and his two Darklight bodyguards had reached and then passed the rendezvous point; they knew as well he that the battle was lost.

Half a click later and Samson had run the three of them down.

‘Colonel?’ Iwamoto’s voice came out of the darkness ahead as Samson slowed to a walk.

‘Yes, it’s me.’ Samson joined the Darklight captain and his female lieutenant. Samson disliked women in the armed forces; they distracted the concentration of a good soldier. He made a point of having no females in any unit he commanded. Of course the army didn’t agree with that view, but Samson ensured any woman that passed the rigorous vetting process for the SFSD had to undertake a special strength test, purposefully designed to ensure failure. He always got his way, by hook or by crook.

‘Where are the technicians?’ Iwamoto asked him.

‘Dead, drone strike. Is Steiner unhurt?’

‘The professor is fine, he’s just over there.’ Iwamoto pointed to where he stood.

Samson peered over his shoulder and caught sight of the small figure of the professor pacing about, twenty yards away. To Steiner, without a combat helmet, the darkness would’ve appeared all encompassing.

Gunfire echoed in the distance. ‘Sir, we have to move,’ the lieutenant said to her captain.

As Iwamoto turned towards her, Samson, now within touching distance, slid his large knife out from its sheath and lanced the blade up underneath the back of Iwamoto’s helmet, the shuddering blow severing his spinal cord. The Darklight captain’s body fell towards the lieutenant, who reacted to Samson’s attack by rolling to one side. Unfortunately for her Samson was quicker. Smacking the pistol from her hand, the two highly trained soldiers grappled on the dusty ground.

The lieutenant initially had the upper hand, as the move against Iwamoto had surrendered Samson’s advantage; however, his superior strength and skill quickly told. On top now, Samson rained down blows upon the Darklight officer’s helmet, the dull thud of metal on metal ringing out onto the night. The blue light from the woman’s black helmet grew brighter and then went out as Samson smashed his fists into the face plate, the helmet caving inwards under his animalistic ferocity. The lieutenant’s arms went limp and Samson paused, realising she was dead. To make doubly sure of the kills, Samson slit each of his victim’s throats, noting the legs of the lieutenant still twitched as he did so.
The body is a fragile thing
, Samson thought idly as he retrieved his rifle, which had fallen off during the struggle.

Samson approached Steiner, whose back was to him, the professor unaware of his close proximity. Samson reached out a hand in the darkness but, just before he touched him, Steiner turned around and Samson dropped his arm back down to his side.

‘Who’s that?’ Steiner said, the faint green light from Samson’s visor reflecting off the professor’s face in the dark. ‘Colonel, is that you?’

Samson stared at the small man in front of him, thinking how easy it would be to end the old man’s life here and now; a quick strike, simple and swift, over in a heartbeat.

♦

‘Colonel?’ the professor said, unnerved by the lack of response coming from the shadowy form of what he believed was the Terra Force commander.

Samson moved closer. ‘Yes, it’s me.’

‘Where are Captain Iwamoto and his lieutenant? I heard a commotion, but the explosions in the distance turned me around. It’s difficult to get your bearings in the dark.’

‘They’re both dead,’ Samson replied in his usual cold manner. ‘Sniper took them out, I took out the sniper.’

‘Oh, dear God.’ Steiner was in shock. He’d only been talking to them a few moments before. ‘Are you injured, Colonel?’ Steiner noticed what looked like the glint of blood on his armour.

Samson didn’t respond. Instead he slid a small device from a clip on his chest plate and launched it into the air, the tiny blades whirring away into the darkness.

‘There’s no further pursuit,’ Samson said as he assessed information being fed back to his combat system by the miniature aerial drone. ‘Let’s move. I need to get you to safe harbour.’

‘What about the technicians, the equipment, the rest of our team? We need them to complete our mission.’

‘The coms techs are gone, the equipment lost and the rest of my unit are as good as dead. Their sacrifice will help us escape. We cannot wait here any longer. They will find our tracks soon enough.’ Samson nudged Steiner forwards with a forearm, lighting his way with a small dimmed torch mounted on the side of his assault rifle.

‘Wait.’ Steiner stopped. ‘What about the conduit shaft? We can’t leave it exposed or they’ll send engineers down to collapse it from the bottom up. We must preserve its structure, at least in part.’

Samson turned over his wrist and opened a small panel on his armour, revealing a digital display. Extending his metal-clad index finger, he tapped away at it for a moment, finally pressing a square section that lit up in red. A massive explosion ripped through the night sky, back from whence they came. A huge fireball billowed out and up, the sound far louder than the thunder that closed in on their position.

‘Problem solved,’ Samson said after the blast and flames had dissipated.

Steiner stared out into the darkness as the first drops of rain pitter-pattered onto the dusty ground around them. ‘That was a big blast. You probably just killed any of our men who were still left alive back there.’

‘As I said, they were as good as dead.’

Steiner looked at Samson’s expressionless mask, the green glow pulsing from the visor in the oppressive blackness. He felt sickened by the man’s lack of compassion for the lives of the people he’d just snuffed out like a candle.

‘If the blast didn’t kill them, the army would have,’ Samson said as if that exonerated him from the crime.

‘They might have been taken prisoner.’ Steiner’s tone was accusatory.

‘And they would have talked – eventually. They’re better off dead, for our sakes and for the mission.’

Steiner stood unmoving, numb from his adrenaline filled flight from the battle and the unsettling callous nature of his lone companion.

Samson nudged Steiner again, motioning with his gun for him to carry on walking. Knowing he must go on and that he now needed Samson more than ever, Steiner put one foot in front of the other.

Drops of rain transformed into a torrent and lightning flashed through the heavens, for a split second the bright, white light highlighting the path ahead. Thunder cracked out its deep rumbling reply, a mournful echo of Steiner’s heavy heart as the two men disappeared into the endless night.

TERMINOLOGY / MAP

USSB – United States Subterranean Base

GMRC – Global Meteor Response Council