When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (95 page)

             
“Fares
?
”

             
He let out a breath h
e’
d been holding
.“I’
m here. The
y’
re still just moving from pool to pool, stirring things inside
.
”

             
“What does it look like the
y’
re doing
?
”

             
“Mixing something
,”
Fares said
.“
I ca
n’
t be sure. A few seem to be testing it for something
.
”

             
“Any chance this is just their mess hall
?”
Pierre chuckled
.“
Making some alien gumbo for the troops
?
”

             
Fares knelt down near his battle buddy, concentrating on Josh to establish a connection. The radio winked to life and he saw Jos
h’
s face on the HUD
.“
Wha
t’
s your take, Josh
?
”

             
The line was silent for a moment as Josh thought of a course of action
.“
OK, Archangels. Stand fast, and make sure your filters are still running. We do
n’
t know what the
y’
re brewing, but we know they have biological weapons aboard
.
”

             
Pierre squelched his radio and Fares turned. The prone man pointed across the room, toward the back wall where the faintest light could be seen. Fares squinted, and the HUD responded by zooming in and enhancing the image. There, in the back of the room, was what appeared to be a water tower. He was about to call Josh when he heard the fire team approach from behind.

             
“What the hell is this place
?
”

             
Fares slowly knelt down, scooting back until he was behind cover. He turned toward his fellow soldiers, breathing heavily
.“
This is definitely a brewery. There are about a dozen tanks spread all around, and they look pretty deep
.
”

             
Alexa, coming up from the rear, joined the group
.“
How can you tell
?”
She kept her rifle pointed the way they had come.

             
“They use these long poles to stir the vats
,”
Fares said
.“
Each one has to be twenty or thirty feet
.
”

             
Josh grumbled
.“
That does
n’
t make any sense. There are
n’
t enough floors left
.
”

             
“What do you mean
?”
Alexa asked.

             
“If these things drop down another three stories, where is there room for an engine
?
”

             
Cho shrugged
.“
So, what do we do
?
”

             
Josh grabbed the sides of his helmet, taking in a deep breath. He closed his eyes, trying to remember everything h
e’
d learned about the alien ships. Nowhere had there been a discussion of a chemical processing plant in the belly of the massive hives. Every minute that passed, another human lost their life somewhere on the planet. If he did
n’
t make a decision soon, there would
n’
t be a planet left to save.

             
“W
e’
ll wait five minutes, see what they do
.”
Even as the words left his mouth, he felt that familiar pinching in his chest.
I
t’
s the best option for now
. But he could
n’
t lie to himself. It was a rotten feeling, not knowing what to do.

             
The soldiers nodded, assuming defensive positions. Alexa pulled out a map of the structure and began a recon of the surrounding area. Fares and Pierre took up posts overlook the steaming pools. Cho pulled the bomb from Pierr
e’
s back, checking the system to ensure no components had been damaged in the last two days. Josh, meanwhile, leaned against the wall and tried to come up with a better plan than sitting and waiting.

             
“Josh
?”
Da
x’
s voice came in at barely a whisper
.“
What are you doing
?
”

             
“Waiting for that shoe to drop
.
”

*              *              *              *              *

              Captain Grahams ducked into his turret just as an incoming round tore through the surrounding trees. The shrill whistle of mortars and artillery rattled the daw
n’
s silence, sending what remained of the wildlife scattering in every direction. To his left, Charlie three-two exploded in a pillar of purple and yellow flame. Metal shards pinged off the tan
k’
s front slope, some sticking out like darts. Smoke billowed from the nearby wreckage blotting out what little light filtered down through the dense canopy.

             
It had been a bold attempt at flanking the enemy, but technology had triumphed over tactics. The enemy had seen them coming a mile away, and now they found themselves on the defensive. Grahams had never seen anyone this devoted to the fight. It was remarkable, though it had a demoralizing effect on him and his remaining soldiers. They were losing the war of attrition, with only four tanks and scant fuel to spare.

             
Another artillery shell vaporized the towering sun-oaks ahead of Charli
e’
s position. That was enough for Grahams. They had been cut off from friendly support for over a day, forced to watch the fall of New Eden over their internal net. The battle for their home planet was lost, but there was still time to hurt the enemy, and that was all that mattered. Grahams stood in his hatch, hand on the trigger to his personal machine-gun mount, and sized up the enemy.

             
Across the field drove a full company of Scorpion tanks, turrets glowing with a full charge. Alongside rode four-wheeled trucks carrying anti-armor soldiers and riflemen. Pills rolled out front, scouting the terrain. The humans were outgunned and outmanned by a significant margin. But despite the odds, Grahams could
n’
t help but smile. This was his turf, and he had the home court advantage. Eighteen miles away, Fort Metts lay burning. Before the war, it had been an ideal place for military families. One of the major perks was that, given the ample space provided to the base by the governor, ordnance ranges could be kept far away from the living areas. In this particular case, the Unexploded Ordnance Disposal site was moved to a clearing just outside of the forest that surrounded the site.

             
Grahams reached into his pocket and felt the remote detonator. It was a crude device, hacked together by his driver in a matter of hours after the
y’
d arrived at their patrol base. It needed to be well within the blast radius to activate the buried warheads, but it was
n’
t meant as a trapdoor. It was a last resort. A fina
l“
fuck yo
u”
to the invaders. If he could
n’
t fight them off, Grahams was damned sure he would make them pay for every inch of ground. Putting a hand on his crew helmet, the captain toggled the radio.

             
“Cavemen
,”
he said
.“
Tank and trucks, front. Fire and adjust
.
”

             
The command was executed seconds later. Each gunner sighted a target, called out range and awaited release. Tank commanders listened for their loade
r’
s cry o
f“
u
p”
to signal they were clear of the main gun
s’
recoil before giving the command to fire. As one, the Shiva tanks spewed flaming Sabot rounds at the arrayed enemy. Each dart tore into the enemy at mach four, the kinetic energy generating enough heat to melt through the armor like butter. Though most of the Scorpions shrugged off the attack, one took a round in its ammunition storage rack and split inside out with a fiery boom.

             
Each tank split off in its own direction, following tried and true doctrine to move as a platoon and disrupt a superior force. Still standing in his hatch, smiling and burning with adrenaline-fueled anger, Captain Grahams stared down the enemy.

              -                           
V                            -

              Cameron stood in front of the mirror, checking the fit of his flight suit. It was a newer model, complete with molded armor plates and extra cushioning. It added some bulk to his shoulders and arms, which to him was a fine thing. As he drank in the image, Kaileen walked up behind and handed him the last piece: his new rank. The small square clipped onto the front of his suit easily.

             
“Now tha
t’
s dashing
.”
He smiled, turning to catch a kiss.

             
Kaileen put her hands on his cheeks and pull him down to her face. He was only a little taller, but the flight boots added an inch
.“
Are you ready
?
”

             
“I better be.
I’
m leading a ground run in twenty
.
”

             
She kissed him again
.“
Any word from Josh
?
”

             
He turned away, crossing his arms
.“
Still nothing.
I’
m getting a little freaked
.
”

             
Kaileen rubbed his back, squeezing at his shoulder where the armor separated and only the flight suit remained
.“I’
m sure they moved him. I
t’
s dangerous for a those special-forces units to be in high profile facilities. Josh and the rest are probably hiding out in one of the capitals and waiting an evac. And tha
t’
s if they have
n’
t left already
.
”

             
Cameron shook his head
.“
I do
n’
t think h
e’
s dead
.”
He faced her, taking her hands in his own
.“I’
m just worried.
I’
ve been thinking about George
.
”

             
“Oh, baby. You ca
n’
t keep torturing yourself
.”
She pressed his right hand against her cheek
.“
George would
n’
t want you to think this way. He was a pilot, just like you. He knew what it meant to leave the hangar
.
”

             
He bit his lip
.“
So many people are dead. And this war is just starting
.”
Cameron looked at her, his jaw clenched
.“
I ca
n’
t lose you
.
”

             
“You wo
n’
t
,”
she said.

             
He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing hard
.“
I ca
n’
t lose you, Kaileen
.
”

             
She held him back, staring into his eyes
.“
You wo
n’
t, Cameron.
I’
m not going anywhere. I just got you back, and that would be a little hypocritical of me
.”
Her hold tightened
.“
I know its been a lot for you. I ca
n’
t believe yo
u’
ve held together this well
.
”