Battle Bound (Honor and Duty) Read online

  A slight smile touched her lips as her sniper rifle came to life. The round, specially designed to penetrate all but heavy armor, cut through the air. As she watched its trajectory on her HUD, she held her breath. A split second later, the round found its target. The officer’s head jerked back as the round penetrated the visor of his helmet. Before he hit the ground, Tango and Ghost opened fire. Mortar rounds tore through the trees, sending snow and dirt and other things best left unsaid flying into the air.

  “Move out! Secure the area!” she ordered as she rolled behind the debris pile a mere moment before an explosive round struck the ground where she’d been lying.

  The next hour was a blur. Snow mixed with blood. Smoke mingled with early morning fog. The sound of weapons and explosions punctuated by death cries filled the air.

  Welcome to the Fuerconese Marine Corps. Ooh-rah!

  

  “LZ and surrounding area secured,” Tango reported as he and Ghost trudged into the clearing.

  Their heavy armor bore the signs of battle, as did that of every Devil Dog. A medic moved among the Marines, checking their injuries. So far, they might be a bit dinged up but they were all still battle able. Fortunately. They had a great deal to accomplish and not long to do it.

  “Grab some chow. Then assign three to remain and hold the area once the shuttle lands. The rest of us move out in five.”

  “Will do.”

  Following battlefield discipline, he did not salute. In fact, nothing about his physical response betrayed the fact he had been speaking with a senior officer. Good. She preferred not having a target painted on her armor. If she had her way, they would all make it back to the ship in one piece. Unfortunately, there was one little problem with that plan. She had yet to find Adamson.

  Trusting her Marines to finish policing the LZ, Ashlyn moved toward the tree line, battle rifle at the ready. Somewhere out there happened to be her sergeant. The biometric readings from Adamson’s armor still registered on Ashlyn’s system. Now that the fighting had ended, at least for the moment, she planned to waste no time locating the sergeant and finding out what happened to separate her from the rest of the squad.

  “Ma’am, care to tell me where you’re going?” Corporal Gary Taggart, call sign Tag, asked as he joined her.

  “Just going for a short walk, Tag. Seems we have a member of our team who decided to go off on her own. I figured it might be good to find her so she doesn’t miss out on all the fun.”

  “Ma’am, you have an odd definition of fun,” he said and she heard the humor in his voice. “As for our wandering Marine, I believe she might just be coming back.” He pointed to their left and Ashlyn shook her head to see a mud covered Adamson moving in their direction.

  “Reaver.”

  Adamson stopped in front of them. A touch to the side of her helmet and the visor cleared, letting Ashlyn see her face. There could be no mistaking the broad grin the blonde wore. Nor did she miss the satisfaction that fairly radiated off of the sergeant. Whatever the reason, Adamson had a lot to answer for.

  “Walk with me, Reaver,” she said and nodded to Tag before strolling in the opposite direction.

  “Before you rip me a new one, Angel – and I admit, you have every reason to do so – let me explain.”

  “I’m listening.” She motioned for Adamson to follow her to the far side of the LZ.

  “First off, I will be having a very serious discussion with the techs who prepped our armor. One of my thrusters malfunctioned on the way down. That’s why I missed the LZ.”

  For a moment, Ash said nothing. She knew Adamson would never lie about something so serious. More importantly, she knew it meant they had to be sure there were no other issues with their battle armor. Unfortunately, they did not have time to do anything more than a system check. Anything longer would give the enemy time to regroup and overrun them.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Bumped and bruised but nothing serious.” Adamson signaled to a passing enlisted and ordered him to bring her backup weapons and ordinance once the shuttle landed. “But I do have some intel.”

  “Tell me.”

  Ten minutes later, Ashlyn entered the newly landed shuttle, Adamson on her heels. As she did, she nodded to see other members of the squad working to quickly off-load the equipment they hadn’t jumped with. The chatter coming over the company’s battle-link confirmed the other squads had managed to secure their own landing zones and were ready to move out. Thanks to Adamson’s thruster problems, they now knew where to head.

  “Admiral, Angel here,” she said once a link with Tremayne had been set up. “LZs secured. We are about to move out.”

  “Status?”

  “Green.” The Admiral did not need to know about the bumps and bruises.

  “Excellent, Angel. Get those ground defense systems off-line so we can send you some aerial reinforcements.”

  “Understood, Ma’am. Angel out.” She breathed deeply and cleared her mind before once again toggling the battle-net. “This is Angel. Move out. Rendezvous at Target Alpha. I repeat. Rendezvous at Target Alpha.”

  

  Never again would she complain about fighting in the rain and mud. As the hours of fighting and slowly moving from one target to the next passed, Ashlyn swore her next leave would be spent somewhere warm and sunny. Pioneer’s Landing was in the middle of winter with long nights and very short days. The temperature had fallen well below freezing and the wind was so bitter she swore she could feel it through her armor. It didn’t matter that her armor’s internal systems worked overtime to keep her warm. The servos on her armor felt like they were moving through molasses. Judging from the chatter coming over the battle-net the others felt the same way. But their complaints did not slow them down or hamper them in carrying out their mission.

  At least the weather worked against the enemy as much as it did them. Not that she would complain – too much.

  “Angel, does it seem like there are fewer bad guys out here than there should be?” Adamson asked as she came forward to Ashlyn’s position near the front of the squad. The others ranged around them, moving carefully through the trees as they came ever closer to their final target.

  “I was just thinking the same thing, Reaver.” She lifted her right fist, signaling the squad to come to a stop. As if to punctuate her order, the wind picked up strength. Trees groaned and ice cracked as branches swayed far above the ground.

  “I’d like to think it was because they don’t believe we’d attack in all this white shit.”

  Ashlyn might not be able to see Adamson’s sneer behind her visor but she certainly heard it.

  “First, Reaver, shit is usually quite a bit darker than this godforsaken snow.” She allowed herself a soft chuckle. “Second, maybe they think we’re too soft to be out in it. I don’t care which as long as it keeps them from mounting any real resistance.”

  Still, it didn’t make any sense. The Callusians had to know they were coming. They Devil Dogs had come across several small patrols and had attacked and secured two of their three targets. Surely someone managed to get off a warning to the final target. So why weren’t they mounting some sort of counter-offensive? There were any number of explanations but only one made sense. They were planning a final stand at the SAID station. It made sense, in a way. If the Devil Dogs could take out the surface-to-air integrated defense system from the ground-based station, Tremayne and the taskforce would soon be able to mop up the last of Callusian resistance overhead.

  “We need eyes on the target,” she said. “They know we’re coming and my money’s on them hoping to lure us in before springing a trap.”

  “That would explain why we haven’t had any real trouble so far.” Adamson scanned the area, as if expecting the enemy to leap out of the shadows. Not that Ashlyn blamed her. It had been too easy. That usually meant the proverbial shit was going to hit the fan before long.

  “Tag, you and Clutch are with me. Tell Clutch to bring his bag
of tricks with him.” Ashlyn glanced around, noting where each of her Devil Dogs waited for orders. “Reaper, we’ll hold up here. Don’t dig in. We won’t be staying. I just want to see what’s up ahead. Tell the shuttles to stand by for emergency extraction, just in case.”

  “Angel.” The sergeant dragged out her call sign, her disapproval clear.

  Ash switched to a private channel. “MJ, I need to see this first hand. But if you can find a sniper in our group who can outshoot me, I’ll stay back and you can go with them.”

  “You know I can’t, Ash, but that doesn’t mean I agree this is the best plan you’ve ever come up with.”

  What could she do except shrug? Adamson had the right of it. “We’ll keep in constant contact. If things get hairy, I’m relying on you to make sure the mission is completed.”

  “Understood. Just don’t make me have to come drag your ass out of trouble, ma’am.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Ash lay in the snow, looking at the SAID station below. Tag lay to her right, scanning the area and sending the information back to the rest of the attack force. Approximately ten yards east of them, Clutch dispatched half a dozen mini-drones flying out over the valley below. As he did, Ash hoped they were small enough enemy scanners wouldn’t pick them up.

  As they waited, Ashlyn shouldered her sniper rifle. There was a moment’s disorientation as her battle implants synced with the rifle’s scope. Then the scene below came into sharp focus. She adjusted the site slightly and continued scanning the area, counting off six enemy troopers as she did.

  “Clutch?” She spoke softly even though they were on a secure channel.

  “Your instincts were right once again, Angel.” As he spoke, her HUD started streaming the data from the drones. “Large force inside the walls and the approach is mined.”

  “You two stay here and keep your eyes open. Tag me instantly if there is any change in status.”

  Carefully, she edged away from the crest of the hill. A few minutes later, she was racing through the trees as fast as her armor could take her. At the same time, she broadcast over the battle-net her approach. The last thing she needed just then was for someone to take a pot shot at her and get lucky.

  The next three hours were a flurry of activity. The first thing Ashlyn did was call in the company, leaving only enough Marines as needed to hold the already captured targets. She had seen enough to know it was going to take all her people to take the SAID complex. Fortunately, it was not much larger than their other targets. That meant they would not be hampered by additional hiding places from which the enemy could attack.

  It also meant close quarters fighting. She hated battles like that. No matter how careful you were, something always went wrong. Add to that the fact they had no idea if the Callusians had any hostages in the building. That meant they couldn’t just hit the building with heavy ordinance until either the Callusians surrendered or it was nothing but a smoldering pile of slag.

  No, it meant that once they breached the building, they had to move slowly and carefully.

  “Sitrep?” she asked as she once again bellied up to the crest of the hill.

  “Platoons are in position. Forward scouts report no change in status,” Adamson said from her side. “Clutch and his team have marked the probable locations of mines and IEDs.”

  Ashlyn nodded and studied the updated map. She watched as a dozen blinking blue icons moved slowly across the perimeter in front of the main entrance to the building. A pattern quickly evolved. They only went so far in either direction and never went more than twenty feet from the entrance. The smart bets were on that being the boundary leading up to the minefield. That left approximately one-hundred yards her Marines would have to clear before reaching safety.

  Without a word, she adjusted the settings for the map and studied the locations of the mines and IEDs. A slight smile touched her lips a few moments later. It would be tight but there were approach lanes. The question became whether those lanes were there to draw her people in or if the Callusians had left them for their own people.

  “Reaper, heavies go in first. On the bounce. I want them to hit here, here and here before reaching the safe zone.” As she spoke, she indicated the approaches she wanted the heavy armor to take. “They are to move as soon as snipers open fire, taking out the guards. Snipers are to hold position until the entrance is secured. Medium armor in after the heavies. We’ll button up the building and secure egress. Then we will make entry. I want Clutch’s squad to clear us an egress in case we have to get out hot.”

  “A suggestion?”

  Ash nodded.

  “You stay back with the other snipers. Let us make entry first. Then you join us.”

  Ashlyn opened her mouth to protest and snapped it shut. At the same time, she thanked her good luck because her visor was still opaque, allowing her to study the map of the target area below. That meant Adamson had not seen her almost put her foot into it. Not that she liked the idea of letting her Marines go in first. But Adamson was right. She was the company’s best sniper. Add to that the fact she was also the CO and her place was not at the front as they breached the doors.

  “Agreed.” Now she smiled as Adamson started in surprise. “Reaper, I don’t like it but I will be of more use up here, at least for the moment.” She brought the platoon commanders online. She outlined the attack plan. Then, while Adamson and the platoon COs passed word on to the individual squads, Ashlyn contacted Tremayne.

  “Angel, I don’t want to rush you but the sooner you take the target, the sooner we can finally mop up here,” the Admiral said.

  “Understood, Admiral. I will leave a link open so you can monitor. We move in five.”

  “Get it done, Angel. We’ll send in air support just as soon as you get the defenses down.” Tremayne paused as someone gave her a status report. “We are at a stalemate up here, Angel. We need those defenses taken out.”

  “We’ll get it done, Ma’am. Angel out.” She quickly inched backwards until she could stand without being seen from below. Then she trotted down the hill toward Adamson and the platoon commanders. “Listen up!” When every Marine stopped what they were doing and turned to face her, she nodded once in approval. “This is it. We take control of the facility and bring down the SAID system or the taskforce will be unable to push the Callusians out of the system. Heavies, you go in first, on the bounce. Slammer, make sure your squad knows where to bounce.”

  “Roger that, Angel.”

  “Snipers, if you check your HUDs, you will see where I want you stationed. The heavies will move in when we open fire on the enemy below. Once the heavies have secured the field, First Platoon, you will take the front approach. Second Platoon, secure the rear. Third Platoon, split between the two. Snipers, move. Sing out once you are in position. Heavies, prepare to move out.”

  She punched Adamson’s shoulder. This was it. This was the mission and who knew how many lives rested on what happened in the next few minutes and hours?

  

  “Heavies are in position.”

  Adamson’s voice over the battle-net sounded calm. Ashlyn cycled through the readings on her HUD and chuckled softly when she pulled up the sergeant’s vital signs. The blonde might have been out for a leisurely stroll, judging by her readings. That would change but that calm would ease the concerns of the newer members of the company and that, Ash knew, was invaluable.

  “Roger that.” She once again shouldered her sniper rifle and scanned the area below. “Fire Team Sigma, lock your targets and sound off.”

  She waited, tracking her target, as the other snipers complied. Once they had each reported back, she offered up a quick prayer and then gave the order to open fire. As she did, she took the first of three shots she had planned. A split second later, her target went down. Without hesitation, she found her second target. He died before he had time to react to the first shot. Her third target had enough time to bring his weapon up before her shot entered his neck at a weak point in his ar
mor. Three shots. Three kills. Three more deaths to haunt her later.

  “Targets neutralized,” she radioed the moment she received confirmation from the other snipers. “Heavies, move in. First Platoon, railguns on the entrance. Everyone else, get ready to move in!”

  The sight of Marines in heavy armor bouncing onto a target never failed to move her. Heavy guns at the ready, suit thrusters working in conjunction with the exoskeleton to let them cover a three-hundred-yard distance in only a few hops, they soon held the area in front of the SAID building. Better yet, they had gotten creative with their orders and used light weapons to clear a path through the minefield for the others to follow. Oh, she’d have to have a talk with them about that but she wouldn’t knock them for it. That saved a great deal of time and, quite possibly, lives.

  Much as she wanted to be with the next group heading into position as they readied to make entry into the building, she stayed put. As she listened to the reports coming in, she continued to scan the area, her rifle at the ready. Something nagged at her. It had been too easy and that worried her.

  Over the last year and a half, she had fought the Callusians more than she cared to think. Never had a mission been this easy and, yes, this had been easy despite the weather. What resistance they had come up against had been minimal. After realizing the enemy had tried to lure their ships into a trap, she couldn’t help wondering if this wasn’t something of the same.

  “Fire Team Sigma, stay on alert. Something doesn’t feel right,” she radioed.

  Once again, she cycled through the different HUD screens on her visor. Her heart beat a little faster. Someone or something was out there. She knew it. But where and would she find them before her people became the hunted instead of the hunters?

  There!

  A flash of light almost directly across from her caught her eye. Instinct bred from years of training kicked in. Even as she targeted the area, she switched displays yet again. First infrared and then back to normal with ever increasing magnification. Her lips pulled back and she hissed out a breath. Damn it! She had been right. It was a trap and they had walked straight into it.