Battle Earth IX (19 page)

“You boys fight dirty,” he told them.

They smiled and nodded in response.

Taylor lifted his hand to call for silence, and he quickly got it.

“Listen up. You know who I am and what I’m about. The enemy leader is on Earth and in this very country. I intend to seek him out and end his life, but I need help.”

“What can we do?” Doyle quickly asked.

Taylor was glad to see everyone in the room seemed as eager as Doyle was.

“First we remove any enemy presence from the town. That includes freeing Commander Kelly ASAP. Second, we reform the MDF, and third, we take the fight to Erdogan. Are you with me?”

There was universal agreement around the room. He could see they were a people that had given up and accepted their occupiers for good. He had given them a glimmer of hope, but he wasn’t sure how fair it was. Though the way he saw it, they either risked their lives with him, or they accepted the end of them if they carried on as they were.

Discussion suddenly filled the room, as more than a dozen people started asking questions and double their number began speculating as to answers.

“Please listen to me!” Taylor boomed.

His voice carried throughout the bar, and all were silenced.

“Firstly, I can’t listen to every voice here, and we have to act quickly. So, Doyle, you’re going to answer my questions. If anyone has anything to add, put your hand up, and I’ll get to you.”

He looked to Doyle, and the man shrunk before him with shyness as all eyes turned to him.

“How many UEN soldiers are in town?”

“Uhhh…”

“Keep your answers simple, accurate, and as quick as you can,” added Taylor.

“Twelve,” he finally replied.

“Twelve, is that all? Are you sure? You didn’t sound sure.”

He looked around the room, and several nodded in agreement.

“Twelve, Sir, I’m sure. Commander Kelly had me keep constant watch and count all occupying forces. He was very clear about that when this began.”

“Okay, so what are their standing orders here, and what sort of rotation do they work?”

“They just guard Commander Kelly’s home and stand guard at the landing zone. That’s it.”

“And what sort of hours?”

“Uhh…eight hour rotation, and only four of them on duty at any time. Two at Commander Kelly’s home and two at the landing zone.”

“That’s it? Twelve soldiers, only four ever on duty, and that is what is keeping you all in your place?”

Another man beside Doyle stepped forward. Taylor didn’t recognise him. He was at least ten years older than Doyle and was confident in his posture.

“Colonel Taylor, you have to understand; we aren’t kept under control by twelve soldiers. We’re kept under control of the threat surrounding us. When the Krys first came here, Commander Kelly tried to fight. We lost twenty-seven of the MDF in that battle and had many more wounded. The twelve soldiers that watch us do just that. How are we supposed to fight against whatever comes at us, should we lift a finger against them?”

Taylor was shocked. He had considered the strife they might have experienced since it had begun.

“Twenty seven?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir, including Major Martinez, and Captain Morris is currently being held in the town prison, but he only tried to bring an end to the bloodshed.”

“All good men,” Taylor said softly.

He nodded as he thought about it and finally looked up at them all.

“The threat before you is that if you turn against these twelve soldiers, you fear what comes next; the day after, the week after, the month after. What if I told you, there is no month after? When Erdogan has control of the planet, you are finished. You were systematic in bringing about the defeat of his relatives and peers. So forget a week from now, a month from now. We have a small window of opportunity to act, are you with me?”

“Of course,” Doyle replied quickly and without doubt.

He looked around to the others who were quickly coming round to Taylor. He took his opportunity to strike a home run.

“So we’re gonna take down the fuckers who prey on this town, and then we’re going after their leader, you got it?”

He knew he was taking a chance trying to take charge of them, but it was worth a shot, so he continued as if they had already agreed.

“So here’s what we’re gonna do. These two fine gentlemen, Private Lewis and Corporal Robinson are going to handle the two at the landing zone. Doyle, you will accompany me to Commander Kelly’s home where we will get him the hell out of there.”

“Take care of? What are we talking about here?” a voice yelled from the back of the room.

Taylor looked for the source but couldn’t find it, but he decided to respond quickly either way. He stepped over to the body of the German Corporal he had so recently shot dead.

“The enemy is the enemy, no matter what form they take. This is war, and we will fight it as warriors. Any man or woman without the stomach for this may leave now and go home. Though I would highly recommend you either join the fight, or flee for your lives.”

There was silence and nobody moved. They hung on to his every word, and he knew he had them hooked.

“So you have half of the plan. There are six enemy combatants currently off duty. I want volunteers to deal with them. That is, to kill or capture them.”

Taylor took a deep breath. He took a peak around the corner. One of the guards was in a vehicle parked across the road from Kelly’s home. It was a two-storey residence and larger than any private accommodation he had seen there so far. He looked back to Doyle who stood beside him.

“Where is the other guard?”

“Inside,” he replied.

“Where?”

“Ground floor, always near the door, except for an hourly inspection of the ground and first floor.”

Taylor stopped for a moment. He was surprised at Doyle’s competent assertions. Doyle still looked like a young man, and it was easy to forget the years of war he had fought through and survived. It was in that moment Mitch realised he hadn’t given the man enough credit.

“Do you know the guy in the vehicle?”

“Sure.”

“Okay, reckon you can deal with him?”

Doyle knew exactly what he meant, but he had to think about it for moment. It appeared that despite all his years of combat, he had never had to take the life of a human.

“Don’t think, do it,” Taylor said firmly.

He nodded in agreement, though he still looked shaky, but he had to rely on him. He only had Rains with him, and he knew for a fact that he couldn’t handle the job.

“All right, so give us three minutes to get into position, and then you take out the guy in that car, you got me?” he asked Doyle.

The young man agreed. Taylor quickly turned and headed for the back of the house and grabbed Rains to go with him.

“Why the hell are you bringing me along? I fly, and that’s it,” he complained.

“Times change, and you’re needed as well to do…whatever you’re needed to do.”

“Well, all right then, but I fly well because I’ve done it a million times. Now how many times have I killed a man?”

“Okay, so focus on what you’re good at.”

Rains froze in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“You know what you are?” asked Taylor, “A world class distraction. You dress like a hobo, you act like a permanently stoned drug addict, and do nothing better than distract men and women from their post.”

Rains was still speechless.

“So use it. You’re good at it. You’re my distraction. You’re an old friend calling in on Kelly. You do that, and I’ll do what I’m good at.”

“And what’s that?”

“Problem solving,” he replied with a smile. He led Rains on down the side of the building and around to the rear of the building. As they took a corner, Taylor stopped and checked his watch. It was almost time.

“So here it is. I break the lock on the door. You go in, no weapon in hand. You’ve just arrived, and you’re looking for your old friend, Kelly.”

“No weapon? I mean; what do you expect me to do, talk the guy to death?”

Taylor reached up and covered Eddie’s mouth. It quickly silenced him.

“No, I expect you to do as I ask. It’s one guard, who may or may not be well trained. If he is, then he will treat the first sign of movement with the utmost suspicion, and that is what I am relying on.”

“And if he’s better than trained, exceptionally trained?”

“Well, then he wouldn’t be alone, and he’d expect the first sign of trouble to be just the beginning.”

“You’re not helping,” replied Eddie.

But he went forward as asked anyway. He approached the door as confidently as he could, and with his pistol still holstered inside his jacket. Taylor crept up towards the building a few metres behind and approached the back door from a crouched position. He looked at his watch one last time. There were just twenty seconds left until Doyle was to do what he was asked. Taylor counted it down to ten and then put his pistol against the lock of the door where Rains stood, and pulled the trigger.

A shot burst through the door panel, and Taylor gave it a faint push to pry it open. The gunshot could not go unnoticed, and Rains looked at him to ask ‘are you serious?’ but Taylor merely pushed him through the doorway.

Taylor rushed in behind him and took up a position beside the cover of the nearest wall. Rains froze just two steps in. They could hear footsteps approaching, and Rains was still frozen. He’d stood beside marines and fought before, but never had he been tossed into such a high stress situation. A moment later, a man rushed towards him with a gun in hand and yelling, “Don’t move, do not fucking move!”

The gunman got within a metre of Rains when a shot rang out, and blood spurted out across the floor. The man dropped lifelessly to Rains’ feet.

“This is not what I signed up for,” Rains stated firmly.

“None of us did,” Taylor murmured, as he patted him on the back and stepped on through to the next room. As he did, he was struck in the face with a baseball bat. Taylor stumbled back, and blood flowed from his nose. He recovered, looked back, and saw Kelly standing in the shadows before them.

“What the hell, Kelly?” Taylor shouted.

The old Commander rushed towards them and grabbed Taylor in shock.

“Mitch? Have you lost your mind?”

Taylor was still reeling from the pain, and blood flowed between his fingers as he cupped his nose.

“Goddamn it, Kelly, you’re crazy!”

“Says the man in enemy territory trying to save me. You must have gone out of your mind. Leave now and don’t come back.”

They all heard a noise from the front of the house and turned to confront it. Taylor held his pistol up with one hand while still holding his bleeding nose with the other, and Kelly defiantly lifted his old school wooden bat. Out of the shadows came Doyle. He was a little shaky and had blood on his collar and hands. Kelly turned to Taylor.

“What have you done?” Kelly asked, horrified.

Doyle shrugged and pointed to Taylor for answers.

"You put him up to this? You've no idea what you've done. You've probably guaranteed our deaths."

"No, that was done the day the UEN took control of this town from you," Taylor answered him quietly.

* * *

Robinson crept up beside a parked car and peered over towards the guard station they had first seen when they arrived. He ducked back down to Lewis.

"We've got to take them down without them getting a signal out."

Lewis nodded in agreement.

"What would get their attention enough that they'd come out but not report in anything suspicious?"

He got no response.

"Wait, I got it. Two drunks shambling over a landing pad start a punch up. How are your acting skills?" he asked with a smile.

Without waiting for a response, he stepped out into the open and began stumbling towards the guard post station. He swayed from side to side as if he would fall over any minute. He turned back to look at Lewis and staggered a metre wide in a massively exaggerated state of intoxication.

"Hey, Lewis, you fucker! Where are you? Lewis!" he screamed.

It was part of the act and meant as an order at the same time. The Private stepped out and followed after him. His feigned drunkenness was about as unconvincing as Robinson had ever seen.

"Every goddamn time you get drunk, and every goddamn time you make it my problem!" he shouted. He spun around to notice he'd just started to get the attention of the guards.

"You gotta learn to handle your drink!" he yelled, as he stumbled back towards Lewis and fell against him.

"Whoa, whatta you doing?" he asked aggressively.

He pushed Lewis, causing them to part.

"Hit me," he whispered.

Lewis was frozen solid.

"Hit me," he said again.

Lewis hesitated, so he went forward instead.

"You know you’re nothing but a lazy punk!"

With that, he slapped Lewis across the face, which left him more surprised at the puny strike than the fact he had struck at all.

 
"What's the matter? You a coward?"

He slapped Lewis again, and this time he seemed to loosen up and get into the act. He suddenly swung for Robinson and clipped him with a solid blow to the chin. He reeled back and exaggerated an almost falling action, as if he'd been hit by a freight train.

"Why, you son of a bitch!"

He rushed back at Lewis and grabbed him in a standing clinch.

"Stay on your feet," he whispered.

They tussled, and each pretended to try and throw the other, punching with hooks and uppercuts. As they turned, they could see the two guards approaching. They kept up the act right until the point they felt the guards grab them and try to tear them apart. They suddenly released their grip, and Robinson turned and struck the first in the face with an elbow, knocking him to the ground with a straight punch to the face as he tried to recover.

Lewis simply grabbed the other guard’s pistol from his holster and held it to his stomach, causing him to freeze solid before him.

"You've gotta be the worst actor I've ever seen," joked Robinson to Lewis.

"Yeah, well, it worked, didn't it?"

* * *

Taylor and Kelly sat at his breakfast table. Kelly looked like a broken man, one who had accepted defeat a long time ago.

"So why here, why did you come for me?" he asked.

"Because I need you. I've got one shot at killing Erdogan, the enemy leader. I need help from within this country, and you are all I’ve got."

Kelly shook his head.

"What?"

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?"

"No, damn right I don't. Quitting ain't in my blood," he quickly snapped, "and I wasn't aware it was in yours either."

"It isn't about quitting."

Kelly tapped a few controls on the table before him, and a large screen projected on the wall. It was a news channel with a female news anchor reporting from the rubble of what could be one of a hundred cities. Text along the screen passed by with all those cities which had fallen to the Krys and their UEN allies.

"Oh, come on, this is just propaganda," added Taylor.

"Yes, but that doesn't make it any less true."

The reporter continued on, "A number of EA leaders have been killed in targeted attacks, and we are already getting reports of evacuations taking place throughout most remaining hold out cities. The grand Lord Erdogan has repeatedly asked us to convey the message that all who lay down their weapons will not be harmed. The war is over. It is time to stop fighting."

Taylor shook his head.

"You don't believe that shit?" he asked Kelly.

"You’re damn right I do, and it's time you did as well."

"Even if it were, we can't surrender. There will be no peace with Erdogan."

Kelly nodded in agreement. "Then there remains but one solution."

Taylor thought for a moment.

"You're not suggesting?"

"I am. You once told me to leave my homeland because it was the people who made it home, and that without them none of it was important, did you not?"

Taylor nodded. "But it isn't over. We still have a chance of taking him down."

"Get real, Colonel. You can't take down the most lethal opponent the World has ever known with you and a few old soldiers. This fight is over."

"It can't be over. We've fought too hard. We've sacrificed too much for it to be over."

"And yet you cannot change what is. You can only do the best with what you have."

Taylor was silenced.

"So you're saying what, run? Where? Nowhere on Earth is safe."

"I agree."

It hadn't occurred to him that running meant leaving Earth, but it was clear that was what Kelly was implying.

"We can't. How could we leave?"