Battle Earth IX (13 page)

All went quiet as he entered, and he noticed Jones at the core of the meeting.

"Well, I'll be damned!"

"Be careful what you wish for," Jones replied.

He walked up to the large dining table where they were all sitting around. Silva was there, as well as Lieutenant Ota.

"Jackson?" Taylor asked.

Ota shook her head. "Crushed by a Mech before we got out of the city. We couldn't even recover his body."

"Then you will merge his Company with yours, Captain Ota."

The promotion meant little when it was under such circumstances, but she tried to fake a smile and nod in gratitude.

"What's our current strength?"

"Last figure count was two hundred and eight."

"Well now it’s two hundred and thirteen."

Nobody replied, and they waited for him to continue.

"We paid dearly to hold that city for as long as we did, and look where it's gotten us?"

"We nuked the fuckers, didn't we?" Silva asked.

Taylor nodded. "Yes, and we can only hope that it made a sizeable impact on their forces, but either way, they'll be coming for us in force before long."

"Orders from General Heath are to dig in along a five kilometre defensive line, and await reinforcement from the 1st and 3rd Marine Divisions and 2nd Armoured. They should sure raise hell when they get here," Jones stated.

Taylor didn't look confident, and Jones didn't like it.

"What is it?"

"I just came from Heath. Chances of reinforcement are slim."

"What?"

"We aren't the only ones having a hard time."

"Then what are your orders?" asked Silva.

"As Heath said, dig in. That's all there is to do."

The room fell silent until Taylor finally looked to Jones.

"Can I have a word?"

Jones led him to a small office at the back of the house that was empty.

"Can't say that was a great move for morale."

"No, Charlie, but I'd rather them know the truth, and get to terms with it, than leave them hanging onto something which ain't ever gonna happen."

Jones nodded in agreement.

"So what is it?" he asked.

Taylor sighed, as he thought how to explain and even wondered if he should.

"Well, come on, spit it out. I've never known you to hold your tongue."

"Heath told me a few things while I was with him."

"And?"

"And, well...the simple truth is, France is falling. It's been a focus of enemy forces in what he believes is an attempt to make a point. We both know what France meant to us all through the war, and..."

"And Coco is still there..."

"Yes," replied Taylor, "I'm so sorry."

"That's it. That's all the news you've got? You are going to leave me hanging with that grim prospect with nothing more?"

"Sorry, it's all I have, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Taylor turned about to leave but stopped for just a moment.

"Everyone looks exhausted, including you. I'll get watches set, but let's be sure everyone gets the rest they need. I'll take the first watch. You find a bed in this place and get a few hours in."

He left the office and Jones who was still very quiet. Taylor felt awful for him, but he didn't know any words that might console him, for there was nothing good about their situation.

"We're still alive," said Parker.

He looked over and saw she had sat down a metre to his side, and he hadn't even noticed. He was on watch, but there were so many thoughts cycling around his head that he had not noticed her approach. He looked around at their surroundings. It was a dry and mild night, but more than anything, it was peaceful. There was no sound of gunfire and tracers lighting up the sky. The air was fresh and crisp, and for a moment, one could imagine there was no war at all.

The road in front was perfect, and the houses opposite looked as inviting as the one Taylor was sitting outside of.

"Think it's somewhere you could see us living?"

"If you'd asked me a few months back, yeah," she replied.

"And no longer?"

"No, because come tomorrow or the day after that, it'll be as wrecked as everywhere else we have left behind."

He nodded in agreement.

"You should get some rest."

He looked down at his watch. It was true.

"Yeah, about time Jones did his turn."

He got to his feet and strode into the house and upstairs where he knew Jones had gone. He banged on the door.

"Jones, get up!" he yelled.

There came no response.

"Jones!"

Still nothing. Concern overcame him, and he gripped his rifle in one hand and prised open the door with the other. It was empty. The bed sheets were strewn about from where he had clearly been, but there was no sign of movement. He rushed back down into the kitchen where Lang and Fuchs sat chatting quietly.

"Captain Jones, have you seen him?"

"He left about twenty minutes ago," Lang replied.

"Left? How?"

Lang pointed to the back door of the house.

"Ah, shit, and you didn't think there was something a little suspect about that?"

The two of them looked surprised and unable to answer. Taylor knew there was nothing they could have done or known to have stopped him leaving.

"Oh, hell, Charlie," he muttered, "If he comes back, you let me know," he said a little louder.

"Do you expect him to?"

Taylor shrugged. "No goddamn idea, Lang."

He strode out of the back door and towards the guard standing at the end of the garden. It was one of Lang's men, but he didn’t know his name.

"Captain Jones, where did he go?"

"That way, Sir," the man quickly answered, pointing back to the way they had entered the neighbourhood.

"Know where he went?"

"No, Sir."

Taylor turned and rushed back through the house.

"I’ve got a pretty good idea," he said to himself.

As he approached Parker, she could see the concern in his face.

"What is it?"

"Jones, he's gone."

He stopped for a moment and could hear a vehicle tearing off into the distance.

"Find Ota, and tell her she's in charge."

"Where are you going?"

"To make sure Jones doesn't get himself killed."

Taylor rushed to the jeep they had arrived in and raced on down the road. He could use only blackout lights and markers because of the risk of enemy detection from the air.

"Goddamn you, Jones, you crazy son of a bitch!"

He had no lights to follow and could no longer hear the vehicle ahead. He stopped at the side of the road beside two soldiers standing guard at a crossroads.

"A vehicle just came by, where was it heading?"

One of them pointed. He began to speak, but Taylor raced off without a word. He was looking around in all directions in a desperate hope to find Jones, but there seemed little chance. Then, as he passed a small park, he noticed a line of copters on the green hidden between trees. Camo nets had hastily been thrown over them in an attempt to conceal their presence.

"Gotta be."

He pulled into the park and raced across the grass towards them and soon noticed a little movement. He slowed the vehicle cautiously until he came to a halt and leapt out. He hoped it was Jones, but he had to be cautious. The gaps he had seen in their lines made him wonder how on earth they could defend such a broad line, and the threat of airborne attack was ever present.

Taylor crept up between the trees, and all the time watching. He could see a camo net being pulled from one of the copters. He took cover beside one of the other vehicles and stopped. He waited to see if he could identify anyone, and then he caught sight of another glimmer of movement. A figure was lifting its arms, and he heard the character say, "My baby."

He knew it could only be Rains. Taylor stepped out from the cover and paced towards them.

"Rains! What the hell is going on here?"

The Lieutenant nearly jumped out of his skin and then froze. A moment later Jones paced around the corner and stopped.

"What are you doing, Charlie?" he asked.

"You know exactly."

It was true. Taylor knew from the moment he told Jones about the state of France there would be no holding him back, but that wasn't a reason to hide the facts from him.

"You know you would do the same. I'm going to get her out, both of them, Coco and our unborn son."

Taylor didn't know how to respond. It would be hypocritical to try and stop him. He looked around to see four of Jones' unit was with them. Lewis, Wood, Evans and Corporal Robinson.

"You can either leave us be, or help us," Jones said calmly.

Taylor looked to Rains.

"Hey, I got a chance to fly. I ain't gonna say no," he responded to Taylor's glaring eyes.

Taylor shook his head. He didn't even know why he’d chased after Jones other than the fact he had slipped out in the night, but he never imagined the possibility of going with him.

"France is gonna be a death trap," he stated.

"Yeah," replied Jones.

"You're gonna need more than five men to pull it off."

"Probably."

"And maybe twenty-four hours. That means leaving our people for twenty-four hours here. A lot can happen in that amount of time."

"Yep."

"Why should I go with you?"

"Because I would do it for you. Because you know how important this is to me. You risked everything to save Parker. I only ask you respect my right to do the same, and support me like I did you."

Taylor thought about it for a moment.

"This would mean going UA again."

"AWOL, you're in the Army now," replied Jones with a smile.

"God knows what we are anymore."

"Inter-Allied."

He nodded in response.

"All right, all right. I'll come. But let's do this right. We get in and out fast. The mission is to get Coco out safely. We do this without casualties. We can't afford any."

"Agreed," Jones replied and reached out his friend Taylor, tapping him on the shoulder.

"So, who else are we taking?" asked Taylor.

"Just us," replied Rains, "With a single copter and a few guys, we’ve got a chance of getting in and out of there."

"He's right," Jones agreed.

"This just gets better and better."

"So you're in?"

"Yeah, I guess, but this is your mission. You are taking the lead."

"Okay," Jones replied, somewhat surprised. He looked over to Rains. "How long till we can get this bird in the air?"

"About a minute. She's ready to go."

"All right, then let's move out."

They climbed aboard as Eddie went to the cockpit and fired up the engines.

"So you got much of a plan?" Taylor asked.

"France may be a sinking ship, but she ain't down yet. I figure the lines will be all over the place. A single copter doesn't pose a threat to anyone and shouldn't draw any attention. We head right for Meaux and attempt to put down there.

"Right on top of the base?"

"Yes."

"Which is almost certainly under attack?"

"Yes, well I didn't say it would be easy. Let's just get there and see."

"Great plan," Taylor replied sarcastically, "and how do you know you will have a son?"

"I just know," he said, smiling.

A few moments later they were lifting off in the darkness. Rains was flying by night vision only and with no lights of any sort. It was dangerous, but less so than announcing their presence to all around them.

"You know what really pisses me off about all this?" Taylor asked of Jones.

Jones looked puzzled. "I thought it was a little obvious."

Taylor shook his head. "No. The fact that everything we do is reactionary. Not once have we gone on the offensive. Not once have we forged a plan which isn't merely in a desperate response to what is being thrown against us."

"I don't see how we can do differently. Look at this war. It's a fucking disaster."

Taylor's face tightened as he looked scornfully at Jones. Never did he accept such talk in front of the troops, and yet he relaxed, realising it was both true and unavoidable.

"We're doing this, aren't we? Going out on our own free will to get Coco."

"Who would be perfectly safe if our armies in France were holding out," replied Taylor, "Let's think about this for a minute. We get Dubois out of France, but what then? Where do we go?"

"I don't see what you mean."

"France is falling, I get that, but the United States seems to be following her. We can only retreat so far."

Jones nodded in agreement and put his head in his hands, thinking about it for a moment.

"Earth's a big planet. We'll find somewhere to go," he finally responded.

"Not big enough to hide forever."

It was a grim reality that none of them wanted to face.

"We've got to get back to our unit after this though, right, Sir?" asked Lewis.

Taylor nodded.

"If one thing is certain in this life, it's that we need each other. Inter-Allied will stand together in victory or death."

"Better be victory then, hey?" asked Jones with a smile.

They carried on through the night with no idea of their surroundings. They remained silent and listened for some sign of attack, but it never came. It wasn't long before the sun was up as they passed into new time zones, and morning turned to mid afternoon as they approached the English Channel. Taylor strode up to the cockpit to look out with his own eyes.

"I don't like this. It’s way too quiet."

"Can't we just enjoy a bit of peace?" asked Rains.

"Love to, trust me."

"Trust you? Says the man who leads me to hell every time he's in trouble."

"Don't pin this one on me. This is Jones' doing, and you obviously didn't take much convincing."

"Hey, there's a damsel in distress, how could I pass up the opportunity to rescue her?" replied Rains rather jovially.

Taylor could never tell whether Rains was genuinely that calm and relaxed, or if it was a coping mechanism, but it was comforting, no doubt.

"Okay, we got something up ahead," Rains said, looking at his scanners.

"What is it?"

"It's not good, whatever it is. Multiple contacts and they are not friendly."

"Got any ideas?"

"Well, we ain't fighting 'em, and that's for sure."