Fang: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 3) (12 page)

“How are they firing the recoilless rifles indoors?” Zach asked.

“
There's a fire escape, remember?” Danny reminded him. “They're firing from that position and ducking inside to reload.”

“
Ah, good plan,” Zach said with a smile. He went back to watching the battle.

Black Wolf's ambush had thrown the enemy attack into disarray. The enemy infantry scrambled for cover, trying to avoid the bullets coming at them from two sides. Another armored car was thrown back, hit by a recoilless rifle shell. A pair of explosions added to the chaos. 81 mm mortar shells, it looked like. Bravehart was certainly putting on a fireworks display today.

“Might want to get down,” Danny said. He grabbed his machine gun and crouched next to the edge of the roof.

Zach got down as well, prepping his grenade launcher for a shot. He might be able to hit the enemy at this distance with his carbine, but it wouldn't be easy. A grenade was likely to have more effect.

The enemy below started to return fire. Bullets smacked into the face of the building. Nothing came close to them, since they were so high up and they hadn't fired any shots. The enemy was likely more concerned with the hail of fire coming from the lower levels.

Well, they would ignore them at their own peril. Danny lined up the sights and pulled the trigger. A second later Zach lobbed a grenade onto the streets below.

“Wolf Lead, how does it look from your angle?” C.J. asked. “Marauder is two minutes from the station, and the rest of the attack force is mobilizing right now.”

“
We have them on the back foot,” Zach told him.

“
Good. We'll wait for the rest of the battalion to arrive, then we'll launch the counterattack. Can you guys hold the station while we make the push forward?”

Zach stepped away from the edge of the wall to hear better. Danny's machine gun was chewing through the enemy infantry on the streets, but it was also causing quite the racket.

“We can, but are you sure you want us to give up this position? It's pretty strong.”

“
Once we push the enemy away you should be able to hold the station with just a platoon,” C.J. said. “I'm assuming that you want to join up with Barghest Company when it gets here. I can have Viper or Lion hold the station, if you want.”

“
No, that makes perfect sense,” Zach agreed. “I'll send Bravo over to hold the position when you launch the counterattack.”

“
Roger. Once we get the troops in we should be fine with just Bravehart holding the station. Push south and try to take the gate. I told Storm Hawk and Archangel to have their assault guns waiting to move in once you guys capture it.

“
Will do,” Zach replied.

That was a tall order, and it was certainly going to be a trial by fire for the new recruits of Barghest Company. It would be fun, at least. Zach hadn't been a part of a pitched battle since the assault on the Eagle Creek district, and he was spoiling for a chance to fight. Plus, taking this district would be a coup. Nora's idea of a rail line between Lerna Bastion and Indianapolis wasn't just a pipe dream; it was a definite possibility. It would take time to construct, but once that happened they could easily shuttle troops and equipment between the north and the south. That would give them the strategic mobility needed to take care of both the city and Ragnarok Company with the troops they had on hand.

Ragnarok. Indianapolis had become such a formidable obstacle that he often forgot about their existence. But they were there, and their presence was a nightmare for Hydra. Every time they tried to plan an operation they had to worry that their enemy was going to stab them in the back while they weren't looking.

Surprisingly, the northern front was fairly silent. Lerna Bastion had been subject to several air raids, and there had been some skirmishes up north, but there was nothing serious. News seemed to indicate that Ragnarok was hitting the smaller companies in the north, along with fending off attacks from Ronin and its allies. But their presence was still being felt. Hydra still needed to defend their northern areas with high quality troops in case the enemy changed their mind. Having Knight Battalion, particularly Sacred Sword dedicated to the north was a hard blow to their efforts in Indianapolis.

Still, there were plenty of veteran troops left in the south to do the job. All they needed to do was execute. And while Black Wolf Company was a light infantry unit, they could fight, and they certainly weren't going to shrink from their job.

Zach signaled Danny over the radio to get his attention. “Dragon Battalion is going to launch an attack once their reinforcements get here. Once that happens, head over to the station and hold it until Barghest arrives. We're going to take the southern gate after they get here.”

“Jeeze, not asking for much, are you?” Danny commented. “Sure thing, I'll alert my sergeants.”

Zach turned his attention back to the scene below. Between the troops holding the station and Black Wolf's flank attack, the enemy battalion was in complete disarray. All of their armored vehicles were either badly damaged or completely knocked out. Scores of troops had been killed, and the rest of them were hugging cover. Any time they tried to retaliate they were met with a torrent of machine gun fire and sniper bullets.

“Wolf Lead, this is Eagle Lead. Marauder is here. We're launching the counterattack right now,” C.J. told him.

“
Might want to duck and cover,” Bryce added.

“
Everyone, be advised that there's going to be fireworks,” Zach warned.

A few seconds later the shells started falling.

Zach ducked and covered to avoid the possibility of being hit by any shrapnel. From the sounds of things Bravehart was laying a ton of hurt on the enemy. The smaller explosions of the 81 mm shells were punctuated by the larger booms of the 120s. The building shook. And then, suddenly, it stopped.

“
Hakkaa päälle!”

Zach looked over the edge of the building in time to see Marauder storming forward, cutting down any enemy that had survived the bombardment. Crimson Eagle was right behind them, and Taurus, Viper and Lion followed in their wake.

“Time for us to go,” Danny commented from beside him. “Bravo Wolf, let's move!”

Zach activated his radio. “My guys, give Dragon Battalion cover fire, but be careful. I don't want any accidents.”

He watched Dragon Battalion smash through the enemy line, sending them reeling. Their gambit had begun.

CHAPTER 12

Wild and Young

The Zionville district was a warzone by the time Barghest Company arrived. Although, that was pretty much true about every place in the virtual reality, Nora thought. It was called World at War, after all. But battles fought by alliances and larger companies were on an entirely different level from the run of the mill variety.

Nora could hear the crackling of small arms as Barghest Company emerged from the subway. They had received the signal from C.J. and headed for the station, leaving behind the mystery of the abyss. Once they had reached the station they had loaded up in the passenger cars, along with Redd Foxx and Storm Hawk. A short trip later and they were in the middle of the fight.

Danny was waiting for them up top, along with the rest of Bravo Wolf Platoon.

“Where's Zach at?” she asked.

“
Over there,” he said, indicating a tall building that looked like a department store. He turned toward Anna and Lee. “We want to hold that building because it provides us a good vantage point. If one of you could put a squad there, that would be great.”

“
I'll put fifth squad up there,” Lee said. “What's our objective from here?”

“
We're driving toward the south gate,” Danny said. “We have a big enough force to take it so we can get assault guns inside the walls.”

“
Not giving us the easy job,” Selene commented.

“
Well, Dragon Battalion decided to go fight the whole city by themselves,” Danny grinned. “Taking one gate seems like it's pretty tame by comparison.”

Nora looked over at Karen. “We should get everyone ready for the advance.”

Karen nodded. “Right. Assemble your platoons on the surface and let's get ready. I'm going to figure out when and where we go.”

Nora signaled the rest of Yellow Platoon. “Everyone, assemble on my marker.”

She watched them come forward; first was Allen's squad, then the squad led by Simon, and finally April's understrength squad. Nora looked her troops over and spoke.

“
OK, you're going to get your first taste of what this alliance is really about. We're all about the big battles, and that means several things. It means aggression tempered by good sense. It means communication with other squads and other companies to make sure that we're fighting at peak efficiency.”

She paused for a moment to let her words sink in. “You might not be the most experienced ones here, but don't let that get you down. You're important, and we'll need you in order to succeed. Just remember that you don't have to be the hero. Fight smart, and fight as a part of the task force. Make sure we know what you're doing, but if you see an opening don't hesitate to take it.”

Nora paused again and looked at them in turn. There was some nervousness from them, but she could see the determination as well. Every single one of them wanted to be a part of Redd Foxx or Black Wolf, and this was their chance to prove themselves in front of their leaders.

“
Yellows, are you ready to fight?”

“
YES!” came the reply.

“
Good speech,” Karen said from behind her.

Nora turned around. “So, what's the plan, then?”

“Redd Foxx is going to act as the vanguard. The rest of us follow behind them. Storm Hawk covers the left flank, Black Wolf covers the right. We're going to be in the center.”

“
I see,” Nora replied. On one hand, it put them out of immediate danger. On the other hand, it meant that they would have to reinforce any part of the line that was faltering.

“
We'll try to punch through the enemy positions and take the gate as quickly as possible,” Karen said. “Keep in mind that we're Redd Foxx's immediate backup, so we're probably going to have to get down and dirty.”

More unsettling news, Nora thought to herself. They were really intent on testing what the new players were capable of doing. That was all well and good during recon missions, but this attack was critical to the long term success of the alliance.

She shook off those thoughts. They were probably wrong, and anyhow, it wasn't like her opinion mattered at this point. The task force needed to get going before the enemy had time to recover and organize a proper defense.

Barghest deployed into a line stretching from one side of the street to another. Selene's platoon lead, with Nora's following behind. Black Wolf and Storm Hawk moved to streets on the flanks, and Redd Foxx had already gone ahead.

Karen's voice came over the radio. “OK Barghest, move out and stay sharp.”

The company started down the street at a brisk pace. Nora hoped that their plan of attack would work without many hitches. They were going to push down the fastest route to the gate, brushing aside any resistance they came across. Hopefully there would only be small patrols, which Redd Foxx could take care of with little problem. The last thing they wanted to do was to become involved in a pitched battle before the task force reached the gate. That would allow the enemy to call for reinforcements and stop the Hydra advance in its tracks.

And a delay like that could be the death blow for their attack on the district. Without their armor support Hydra was at a distinct disadvantage, especially since they didn't have their air support either.

“
Contact,” Anna's voice said over the radio. All of the officers in the task force were using a single channel to communicate, and there were separate channels for each platoon as well.

“
What kind of contact?” Nora heard Lee ask.

“
Small patrol. We're not going to bother being stealthy. It'll take too long.”

There was a pause for a moment. Nora thought she heard the sound of gunfire ahead, but it was echoing from all around at this point.

“That's taken care of,” Anna said. “We're going on ahead. Assume we're fine unless we give a signal otherwise. We'll take care of the enemy patrols in the meantime.”

Barghest Company continued their advance, eventually coming across the bodies of Redd Foxx's victims. They looked like they were well equipped. Most were carrying assault rifles, though two had machine guns and one was carrying a sniper rifle. It also looked like they had been well stocked with grenades, though their pouches were empty. Redd Foxx must have stripped them of ammunition before they had moved on.

They moved on. Another patrol lay slaughtered a couple hundred yards ahead, again stripped of ammunition. The streets were scarred by grenade explosions and bullet holes. Anna certainly wasn't having her troops be stingy with their supplies. It was often forgotten in favor of their stealth abilities, but Redd Foxx was capable of putting up quite a fight.

“
Contact. Contact,” Liz's voice suddenly broke in over the radio.

“
Yeah, I see it too,” Danny responded.

“
How bad?” Karen asked.

Nora didn't have to wait for a response to know what was happening. The sound of a ferocious battle filtered over from the direction of the right flank. She could hear a ton of automatic weapons fire, punctuated by the sound of something much heavier.

Zach's voice broke into the conversation. “Black Lead, are you there?”

“
I read you, Wolf Lead,” Karen answered.

“
We're bogged down here. You're going to have to push on ahead with Storm Hawk.”

“
Can we come help?” Selene asked.

“
We're going to be stuck here for a while. It looks like we just stumbled across an assembly area, and they have several companies here with armor support,” Zach told her.

“
Are you guys going to be enough to hold that off?” Karen asked.

“
Yes,” Anna said.

Karen spoke up with some force. “OK then. We can't afford to lose momentum right now. Barghest Company, double time it. Once we're past Redd Foxx we'll make our attack on the gate. Nora, take the Yellows and head in first. Selene, follow behind with the Reds and back them up when they need it. Crush the enemy. Lee, can you hold Storm Hawk on the flank to guard us?”

“Sure thing,” came the response. “Are you sure that your guys are ready to handle something like this.”

“
Positive, thanks. Barghest, let's get this done!”

“
Come on,” Nora told her troops with a wave of her hand.

She smiled as they ran forward, skirting the edge of Redd Foxx's positions. Karen was displaying the leadership qualities that all of them had seen when they had nominated her for command of this company. Faced with a situation where her inexperienced troops would have to carry the load, she showed no hesitation. The speed with which she had designated her company's assignments showed confidence, and that would trickle down to the lieutenants and the squad leaders.

It didn't seem like much, but having confident troops was critical. It could mean the difference between storming a room successfully or being bloodily repulsed when the attackers hesitated for a split second.

The gates loomed ahead of them. The gatehouse itself wasn't going to be that tough to take, especially since they were behind the wall. All they needed to do was to perform a single storm assault on the structure, and they would have it in hand.

The problem, though, was the walls and fortifications surrounding the area. Barghest could take the gate, but if they didn't suppress the defenses their reinforcements were going to come other withering fire as they tried to enter the district.

But the defenses on the walls were formidable, much like the ones that Hydra had placed at Lerna Bastion. The walls were covered with pillboxes and bunkers, bristling with machine guns and heavy weapons. There was only one entrance at each strong point, which was easily defended and difficult to storm.

Barghest Company wasn't helpless; they were equipped for close quarters battle, owing to the fact that they had come straight from a recon mission in the tunnels. They had flamethrowers, grenades, and lots of automatic weapons. But still, this was going to be a tall order, first getting on the wall, and second, clearing it.

Nora switched her channel to her squad leaders. “No hesitation, and don't lose momentum.  Let's move!”

Yellow Platoon broke cover and charged straight for the wall. Bullets started to skip around them, fired from the enemy turning to face them. The Yellows continued to press their attack despite taking several casualties. Then Nora saw several of the enemy fall. The rest tried to take cover.

“
Press the attack,” Selene said over the radio. “We'll provide overwatch until you get a foothold on the walls.”

“
Thanks,” she responded.

Simon's squad was the first unit to the steps.

“Don't hesitate. Get up top and secure the area!” Nora ordered.

To their credit, the squad responded quickly. They charged up the stairs, heedless of the bullets heading their way. One of their soldiers was hit, but the rest kept going, pressing the assault. They reached the top and started laying fire on the enemy surrounding them.

“Keep pushing,” Nora said. “Simon, press your squad to the right section of the wall. Allen, head left once you get up top. April, keep your guys with me. We're going to do some bunker clearing.”

“
Sounds like fun,” April commented with a healthy dose of sarcastic enthusiasm.

Nora looked up at the wall again. Most of the bunkers that would cause the assault guns trouble were to the left of the stairs they had taken.

“April, head left. Allen, bypass the bunkers if you can. We'll clear them out on our way through.”

“
Copy, Wolf 2,” Allen said.

“
How are we getting inside the bunkers?” April asked.

“
Well, we do have some breaching charges with us,” Nora said. “And if those don't work, there's always the flamethrower through the firing slit.”

“
Can we reach them from the wall?”

“
We only need to get the flame to go through the firing port,” Nora reassured her.

Flamethrowers didn't just kill with fire; they also burned all the oxygen in the air, which would be deadly in a confined space like a bunker. Nora planned on making heavy use of grenades and flamethrowers. She didn't want to risk any of her troops if she could help it, since they couldn't gain practical battlefield experience if they were dead.

She climbed up the stairs and headed to the left, following in the footsteps of Allen's squad. April and her troops were right behind her.

The first bunker they came across was shut, barred by a heavy steel door that looked like it would be tough to break through. Terrance, one of the engineers in the squad, kicked at it.

“So, how much explosives are we going to need to use on this? 'Cause it looks like it's gonna be a lot,” he said.

“
One charge,” Nora told him. “Place it there. Right between those two rivets in the middle of the door. No, over a bit. Yeah, right there, that's good.”