Lethal Strike Page 10

  "This is war, one ain't so different from the next."

  "Really? Honestly tell me you've seen anything like this before?"

  "We've seen shit you can't even imagine."

  "And I suppose you think I've been flying a desk the last few years, do you?"

  Ross stood up and got between them. It was hurting his head to hear them argue.

  "Enough. This isn't helping."

  "But..." protested Ortiz.

  "But nothing. The Major is right. We don't know shit about what we're dealing with. So what, if she hasn't got any experience with this sort of work. It's not like our skills are getting the job done. Maybe it's time for a fresh go at it."

  Ortiz held up his hands as if to surrender.

  "Hey, what the hell. Sure, go for it."

  Ross didn't look impressed with his tone, but he wasn't going to get reeled into an argument. He turned back to Kim.

  "You really want to do this?"

  "Sure, why not?"

  "It's not always a nice experience. This is grim work, and I'd not wish it on anyone."

  "Nothing about this work is nice."

  She led the way. They went into the shack and down a flight of stairs to a large basement. An expanse that was well hidden from above, and few would expect to find in such remote parts.

  "It must have taken some time to build this place," she said.

  "Another survivalist nut like Miles."

  "Yeah? Maybe they weren't so nutty after all?"

  Ross shrugged as they reached the enemy soldier. It was bound with heavy ropes and chains, and firmly anchored to the ground. There was a pool of blood around it where they'd clearly made no attempt to heal the wounds it had suffered when they first trapped it.

  "How is it even still alive?"

  "Tough son of a bitch, isn't it?"

  But the creature perked up and showed interest in Kim. She could tell by Ross' expression, it was not normal.

  "What is it?"

  "It sure likes you."

  It seemed to be studying her, but she said nothing and waited for it to speak.

  "It's no good. You'll have to do the talking."

  She didn’t, and the creature's helmet prised open, releasing a puff of steam. Ross couldn't believe it.

  "Days of nothing, and all it took was one look at you?"

  But she was too interested in the enemy soldier. Its helmet split vertically in two in the middle and retracted back. They both took a step back as they saw its face, pale and almost flat in parts, but with a slight orange tint. Its jaw was wide, and its eyes even wider. A flat nose and scales around its eyes. It was like nothing either of them had ever seen.

  "It's not human, that's for sure," said Kim calmly.

  "Ugly," Ross replied abruptly.

  It turned to study him before briefly going back to Kim. It was unsettling how long the creature stared at her, and then it began to laugh. It was similar to the deep drone that the officer had made before blowing itself up. That was even more unsettling.

  "If this thing self destructs, it could take all of us with it."

  "You said you checked it over?"

  "Yeah, but what are we even dealing with here?"

  The creature continued to laugh deeply, so much so its body shook. Ross was sick of hearing it. He went forward and kicked the creature’s remaining leg. It was enough to silence it for a moment.

  "What's so goddamn funny?"

  The beast looked back to Kim.

  "That your women fight your war for you."

  Its voice was coarse and slow. It didn't sound like any voice they'd ever heard, yet it seemed to understand English perfectly.

  "Your women don't fight?" Kim asked.

  "Of course not," it replied slowly and confidently.

  "Why?"

  "Women cannot fight. They are not capable."

  "Really? I was capable enough to take down one of your fighters."

  "You are a pilot?"

  "Yes, a fighter pilot. I fight in the fastest and best jets there are."

  "And where is your fighter now?"

  She hesitated, not knowing how to respond.

  "Not capable," the creature added in an insulting and backhanded way.

  She was boiling over, and Ross could see it. He moved to block her, but he only just made it to stop her swinging at it. The creature continued to laugh.

  "We're getting somewhere. Let's hear...it...out."

  She shrugged, trying to throw the furious feelings off, finally nodding in agreement. He turned back to interrogate the creature.

  "What are you doing here? What do you want from us?"

  The creature looked confused, as if the answer was so obvious, but eventually answered.

  "Everything."

  "Everything? Like what? All our land, this country, the continent?"

  "Everything!" the beast roared, "Your land, your people, everything."

  "Where did you come from?"

  "Nowhere your small mind would understand. Now, release me."

  "Why would I do that?"

  "Because you are defeated. Your country has fallen. Your world has fallen. You cannot resist."

  "Oh, yeah, and what are we doing right now?"

  "You are nothing. Every day you get weaker. You are nothing more than a few holdouts. No concern of ours."

  "Really? Is that why you keep coming for us?"

  "And keep getting your asses handed to you," added Ross.

  "You think we care about the lives of drones?"

  "Drones? Those soldiers we see in the day."

  "They are nothing more than soldiers. We could lose millions to take this world, and it would be no matter."

  "Well how many can you afford to lose? Because we aren't done yet," snarled Ross.

  Once again, the creature laughed. Ross had been through this kind of thing so many times before, but always in the knowledge he had the full might of the US Army behind him. That wasn't the case anymore. He was painfully aware of his own mortality and the precarious situation they now found themselves in.

  “You cannot stand against us. Surrender now before any more blood is shed.”

  “Surrender, and do what? What are you doing with the people in those camps? The prisons?” Kim demanded.

  “Whatever we please. Submit to our will, or die.”

  “There has to be more to this. This cannot be total war. We must be able to find some common ground?”

  “Submit or die!”

  She looked to Ross for some direction, but he was speechless.

  “We’ve just met intelligent life for the first time, and all you want to do is kill or enslave us?”

  “That is all you are good for.”

  She gasped in horror and stormed away, but Ross stayed. The creature turned its attention to him. Despite being in chains and bleeding out, it looked calm and defiant.

  “If you think you’re gonna take this country, this world, from us. Maybe you aren’t as smart or advanced as I thought.”

  “Empty words,” the creature growled.

  “Still here, aren’t we? I’m not the one tied up in a basement and dying.”

  “Pathetic creatures, your country is already broken.”

  He’d heard enough. He drew out a flashlight and pointed it right into the beast’s face. It recoiled, howling in pain as its visor sealed shut, and still it squirmed. He turned it off and smiled. He never thought he’d enjoy torturing someone, but this was different.

  “Can’t even handle the light, and you came to Earth. You should have stayed in whatever deep dark hole you came from, because I’m gonna make sure to put you right back in it, and your whole damn kind.”

  He stormed out. The creature seemed near unconscious from the blast of light and mumbled, unable to respond. He felt a little satisfied to have brought it some further discomfort after what it had said. He stepped outside and found Kim leaning against the side of the shack. She looked pale and distraught, as if she’d seen a g
host.

  “This…it’s a lot worse than I thought. Or maybe it’s exactly as bad as I feared and prayed it wouldn’t be.”

  “It’s bad, I get that. But we’re still breathing.”

  “You heard what that thing said. Our country is broken. We might be the last holdouts.”

  “No chance.”

  “How can you know that?”

  “Because if they were that powerful, and we were all that’s left, they’d have thrown everything at us by now. We’d never have made it this far.”

  “You really believe that?”

  “I know it. You’ve seen these assholes at work. They’re nothing if not efficient. If they were done with the rest of the country, they’d be all over us. They might be tough, but he’s still full of shit. Important thing is we finally got something out of him.”

  “Did we?”

  “Yes, some idea of what they are doing here.”

  “Not exactly good news, is it? Annihilation or imprisonment?”

  They won’t be the first assholes to try it, and they won’t be the last.”

  Chapter 3

  A whistle rang out in the distance, and Ross reached for the rifle lying beside him. He rushed forward to see what was coming. An enemy truck was advancing through the foliage towards them.

  “Cover!” he yelled.

  He waited to see everyone into their foxholes, but stopped as he looked more closely. A figure was hanging off the side of the vehicle, and it looked human. Not like the humanoid form machines they’d fought, but actually human.

  “What the hell?”

  He lifted his rifle to use the scope for a better look, and his concerned look turned to a smile.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said in astonishment.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s Ramos, everyone stand down!”

  Ramos leapt from the side as the vehicle rocked to a halt, and the rest of the team leapt out from the back door of the cage. Lee and Donny climbed out from the cab.

  “I sent you looking for intel. Scope out enemy movements, and you come back with a truck?”

  Ross sounded both a little amused and put out at the same time.

  “We had no choice.”

  Donny pointed to the cage of the vehicle. Ross went past the cab to look, in time to see civilians being helped down the step at the rear. He recognised the Sheriff instantly.

  “Sheriff Willis, nice to see you again.”

  “What, what are you even doing here? What have you got to do with all this?”

  “Nothing by choice. We were sent to investigate a shitstorm that got kicked up. We were dropped in it like the rest of you, and we’ve been here ever since.”

  “I…I don’t know what to say…”

  “Thanks, because we just saved your ass,” said Lee.

  “Saved how? How can you fight against them?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We tried. Many of us tried. I saw two of my deputies blown away before my eyes. Like they were nothing. I saw my neighbours shot down when they tried to fight back. How are you still alive, and free?”

  “Because we didn’t lay down and take it,” replied Lee.

  “Enough,” growled Ross.

  The Sheriff didn't try and argue with the football player. He looked sheepish, something none of them had seen from him before.

  "So what now?"

  "We are here to fight, and we're gonna keep on fighting until we win."

  "This ain't your home."

  "It is now. We’ve been stuck here since all this began. Hell, maybe it's just right where we were supposed to be."

  "But you had to know the trouble we had here, right? That's why you came? A team like yours coming to Wood Point never made any sense."

  "We knew a training team got themselves in trouble, and we were sent to investigate."

  "Sorry, but that's bullshit. You don't send Special Forces after a bunch of rookies."

  Ross smiled, for all his attitude; the Sheriff clearly had some sense, too.

  "When we left base there were other reports of activity. Strange things. Lost communications, satellites down. Nothing suggesting we were under attack like we were."

  "All I know is you came to town the same time all this trouble did. How'd we know you aren't part of it? You aren't the ones who brought this upon us?"

  "Jesus Christ, what is wrong with you?" Emma yelled.

  The football players were right behind her with their ridicule, while Ross' team stayed well away from the drama.

  "We rescued your ass. Us, and the Master Sergeant's team, and now you want to talk shit about them?" Donny added.

  "Enough!"

  Burns roared as if shouting down a troublesome class of children. It had the desired effect. Ross hadn't wanted any part of it, but the rest of them were bickering like they were back at school, even highly trained soldiers.

  "Christ, what is this? It's pathetic! Nobody wants to be here. You want to go home somewhere nice. Put your feet up, have a few beers. You want to believe none of this is real. That it’s happening to someone else. Or at least it’s someone else's fault. Well, that's all crap. This is happening, and we're in it together. I don't give a goddamn what you did or what you were up to before this point. What town you're from, or why you were here when it all went down. I’m concerned with what you're willing and able to do next. Will you stand and fight with me? If the answer is no, then you’d better well be on your way, because I'm not here to bury my head in the sand or listen to excuses. If you’re here, you’re here to fight alongside everyone here, the ones still standing, and still fighting. So I don't want to hear crap about anyone. I'll be the judge of people, when I see what they do with my own eyes. You got that?"

  Willis looked even more sheepish than before. The camp was silent, but that silence was broken by the whistling sound of a heavy turbocharged diesel engine in the distance. All among them who had served recognised the sound instantly, the whistle of the old M35 Deuce and a half.

  “What the hell?”

  “That ain’t no alien crap, Donny,” Ortiz said excitedly.

  “That’s coming from the road West. Who the hell would travel on that by day with that much noise?” Burns asked.

  “Someone who doesn’t fear the enemy, or is too stupid to realise they should.” Ross rushed towards the road without giving any commands. Most of the group joined him. Even Willis. There was an excitement building. Hope that it could be relief.

  “Something doesn’t add up here,” said Ramos.

  “I know,” replied Ross.

  “Those trucks, they’re practically antique, National Guard, maybe?”

  “You think they’d still be standing after all this?”

  Ramos shrugged as they rushed on. It was several hundred metres through forest before they reached the roadside. Ross froze in astonishment as he saw smoke plumes pour from exhausts up ahead.

  “How?” Ramos asked.

  They were marvelling at four REO trucks heading along the open road. At their head were two Stryker wheeled APCs, followed by two HMMWVs, a third at the rear. Motorcycle outriders surrounded the convoy, and more were coming up over the hill. Two more trucks with quad-mounted anti-aircraft .50 calibre machine guns fitted in old M45 weapon mounts, and two more HMMWVs at the rear. What looked like militia soldiers hung off some of the trucks.

  “Who the hell are these guys?” asked Ramos.

  “That’s the most beautiful sight I ever saw,” said Ortiz with a smile.

  “No idea, but the fact they’re even still alive says a lot,” replied Ross.

  “The cavalry has finally come!” Lee shouted excitedly.

  “They don’t look like army to me.”

  “They’re not, Emma,” Ross said.

  “It looks like an army to me,” replied Willis.

  Lee rushed out from cover and shook his arms excitedly to draw their attention as they drew near. Ross didn’t look happy about it, but it was too
late to do anything, and deep down he was at least relieved to see human faces that were not behind bars. The convoy rocked up to them casually, as if expecting to find them, or at least without concern for whom and what they were.

  The passenger door of the lead Hummer swung open, and man stepped out. Bearded and tattooed along his bare arms and with a shaven head He wore body armour with plates over a tan vest, a black bandana around his head. His faded combat trousers were tucked into his boots. In his hands was a military grade combat shotgun. He looked like the type of militiaman who’d been waiting for this sort of fight his whole life. Ross knew the sort, but he tried to avoid them wherever possible.

  “Afternoon,” he said casually, stopping before his vehicle as several others climbed down from a truck. They were dressed in a mix of civilian and military attire ranging from the Vietnam era to present day. Their weapons were a mix of military and military look-alike civilian-supplied armaments. A few looked like Army regulars, or National Guard at the very least.

  “Afternoon. Master Sergeant Jack Ross!”

  “Sergeant Buddy Travers!”

  “You boys look like you’re looking for trouble?”

  “Sure are, but not with your kind.”

  “You coming or going?”

  “Wherever the enemy can be found, that’s where we’re going.”

  “You’re going after them? Hunting them?” Ortiz couldn’t believe it.

  “That’s right. This is our land, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let some alien assholes take it from us.”

  “Alien? That’s what they are? You know that, for sure?” Ross asked.

  “Come on, you must have seen their blood run. You’ve seen the hardware they’ve got. They ain’t from this world.”

  “I told you,” whispered Ortiz.

  “What’s your business here?”

  “Most of these folks are from this town, Wood Point. My team, we happened to be here when it all went down. Been here ever since, trying to get by.”

  “Hiding? Hoping someone will come and help?”

  “Hiding!”

  Ross shoved Ortiz and looked at him angrily until he backed down.

  “We’ve been fighting since the day it all began. We’ve hit the prisons they set up, freed what folk we could. But every time we hit them, they hit us right back, ten times as hard.”