THE FOREVER GENE (THE SCIONS OF EARTH Book 1) (32 page)

When the first explosion rocked the entrance, she nearly jumped out of her skin.  The door held, but the hard-water was not designed to withstand explosives.  After half a dozen more hits, a gaping hole appeared.  Then a grenade bounced through the breach and exploded within the corridor.  The sound was deafening and the defenders were showered with debris.

"Hold," shouted the major.  Seconds later the first enemy soldiers came through the opening.  The Mongolians were ready and cut them down with a withering fusillade of laser fire.  The attackers lost ten men or more before realising that the entrance was more strongly defended than they had hoped.  They pulled out of the building and sprinted back to the forest.

Huran moved his detail even further away from the entrance, anticipating more grenades being lobbed through the opening.

"What is your status, major?" Qara heard Ganzorig say over the com.

"We have pushed them back, sir, no casualties," replied Huran.  "But they have breached the door and we have no way of securing it again.  They will be able to drive us back with grenades.  We won't be able to defend it so easily next time."

"How much time do we have?"

"I can't say, sir.  Not long."

"There is another group of about fifty preparing an attack on the south east entrance," broke in one of the scouts.  "They intend to divide our forces."

Qara heard another series of explosions, slightly muffled this time.  The Chinese had the numbers to attack from more than one direction at a time.

"Lieutenant Jebe, get the rest of the men to that entrance and take command of the situation," barked Huran.

What if a third entrance came under attack, wondered Qara.  Who would be left to defend it?

The Chinese used the same tactics to blow a hole in the south east entrance.  Then, instead of trying to storm it, they turned their attention to the main entrance.  When they blew the front door apart with grenades, Huran was forced to send soldiers to hold it.  The defenders were now spread dangerously thin.

Trying to hold back the waves of panic that threatened to engulf her, Qara tried desperately to think of a solution.  They should just surrender, she thought at first.  Surely being captured was better than being killed?  But she knew that it wasn't that simple.  The Chinese had already suffered casualties and might not be prepared to stop the attack.  And even if they did, what would happen when they discovered that the president of Mongolia had fallen into their hands?  What would they demand in exchange for his safety?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the crack of another grenade exploding in the corridor.  It was followed by two or three more.  She could hear other grenades exploding elsewhere in the building.  The Chinese were attacking the three entrances at once.  She risked a peek around the doorway she was crouched in.  Shadowy figures with laser repeaters appeared through the smoke shrouding the entrance.  They dived into the corridor, took cover and then exchanged fire with the defenders.

"Keep them pinned down," she heard Huran say.

From reports over the com she knew that the same thing had happened at the main and south east entrances.  Chinese soldiers had forced their way in and were engaged in a firefight with the defenders.  At the main entrance, both sides were pinned down.  But at the south east entrance, the enemy had attacked in greater numbers.  Jebe's detail took casualties and was down to nine men.  They were forced to fall back.  Ganzorig ordered his security agents to reinforce them, but more and more Chinese soldiers were pouring through the breach.  Overriding his agents' concerns for his safety, Ganzorig picked up a laser repeater and joined them himself.

Qara looked at her 'link and saw with horror that less than ten minutes had gone by.  How was it possible for so much to happen in such a short time?  And how were they going to hold out for another ten minutes?

Ganzorig must have been thinking along the same lines.  "Where are our 'copters?" he rasped.

They are engaged with enemy 'copters over the city, sir," said Tegus.  "I don't know when they will be able to break free."

So, no help was coming.  Or if it was, it would be too late.

Oddly, the hopelessness of the situation swept the panic and confusion from her mind.

"We have to surrender, sir," she heard Huran say.  "We cannot hold back so many."

"No, wait," she shouted.  "We have one more option."

She ducked into a nearby room where the sounds of battle were at least slightly muffled.  Mentally berating herself for not thinking of it sooner, she jabbed at her 'link.  It seemed to take an age, but in reality, the call connected within seconds.

"Emissary acknowledges," said a high-pitched voice with a slightly metallic tone.  A female voice.

"Vi, it's me, Qara.  I've changed my mind.  I want to come with you."

The translator's response was heartfelt.  "I am glad to hear you say that.  You are most welcome."

Qara thumbed her 'link so that the rest of the conversation would be relayed over the com.  "Unfortunately, I am in a spot of trouble," she went on hurriedly.  "There are others with me.  We need help."

"Where are you?"

"We are under attack at your old facility in the forest.  We can't hold out for more than a few minutes more."  She had to shout the last bit over a loud exchange of laser fire.

There was a slight pause before Vi spoke again.  "We have a shuttle on its way to one of the settlements outside Ulan Bator.  I have diverted it to your location.  It will be there in less than five minutes."

Vi, the people attacking us have 'copters with missiles.  If they see your shuttle…"

"Don't worry; all of our shuttles are shielded and cloaked.  We anticipated having to land in war zones.  Listen carefully; there is a landing pad on the roof of the facility, north of the dome.  Access is through a hatch in the roof of the old medical room.  The shuttle will land there.  I will signal you once it has touched down."

"Thank you, Vi.  I will see you soon, I hope."

The call ended.

"Good thinking, Qara," she heard Ganzorig say.  "You heard that, major?  We have to disengage at the right moment so that we can get to the shuttle when the time comes.  Any ideas?"

"I do, sir," said Huran.  "Stand by.  Scouts, converge on the north east entrance."

Qara was already dashing back towards the central dome, looking for the medical room.  If the entrance she had come from was north east, then north was that way…

The Chinese soldier appeared in front of her as if from nowhere.  He raised his repeater and fired, but she was already running and able to use her momentum to dive through a nearby doorway.  Rolling to her feet, she fumbled desperately for the handgun which she had stuck in her pocket when she was talking to Vi.  What a stupid thing to do, she thought.  The soldier came around the corner before she was able to get it free.

A burst of laser fire from somewhere else cut him down, and she saw the stocky form of Batu advancing down the corridor.  He fired again and she heard bodies hitting the floor.  The infiltrator hadn't been alone, she realised.  They must have broken in somewhere, under cover of the fighting, planning to take the defenders by surprise.

Batu stopped in the doorway.  He checked that both ends of the corridor were clear and then beckoned her.  "Which way?" he asked.

She resisted the urge to hug him and darted out into the corridor.  This time she kept the handgun in her hand, the safety off.  With Batu following, she found her way back to the central dome and then into the small medical room which opened off it. They quickly located the roof hatch in one of the corners.  It was easily reached by climbing handholds set into the walls.  Batu reported the position of the room over the com.

"Good work," replied Ganzorig.  "Get the scientists in there now so that they are ready to go as soon as the shuttle arrives.  Major, whatever you have in mind, now is the time."

She listened to the events of the next few minutes play out over the com.  Huran had bolstered his detail with four men from the main entrance, leaving five to keep the Chinese pinned down there.  When they were in position, he ordered the six scouts to attack the Chinese at the north east entrance.  They had left a force of about twenty men there to keep the defenders occupied, while their main strength had gathered at the south east entrance.

When the scouts opened fire from the forest, the Chinese were forced to defend themselves.  As they turned away from Huran's detail, he led a charge down the corridor.  Caught in the middle, the Chinese were quickly wiped out in a brief firefight.  Only two of Huran's men were killed.

Joined by the scouts, the major's detail numbered seventeen.  He led them around the outside of the building to the south east entrance.  There were about eighty Chinese soldiers attacking Jebe's position.  His squad was hard pressed and would soon be overwhelmed.  Then the Chinese would be able to take the building and finish off the other defenders.

Despite the disparity in numbers, Huran had no choice but to attack the superior force.  On the plus side, the Chinese were in the open, believing that all of the Mongolians were still inside the facility, and two of the scouts had grenade launchers.

A well-placed barrage of grenades scattered the Chinese and sent them racing for the cover of the forest.  Before they could regroup, Huran led his men back into the building through the south east entrance.  Another firefight ensued as they attacked the enemy soldiers who were already inside the facility.  Although outnumbered, the Chinese fought back and three more Mongolians were killed.

The major's men flanked the enemy soldiers, but left them space to retreat.  They did so, eventually making a break for the forest.  Huran let them go.  By then, Jebe's detail had lost five men, including one of the security agents.

While that was going on, Qara was relieved to hear the thump of something heavy settling on the roof.  Seconds later, Vi confirmed that the shuttle had landed.  Batu threw open the trapdoor and the scientists were soon climbing through it.  While Huran took his men to the main entrance to drive out the rest of the enemy soldiers, Tegus and the remaining security agents hustled the president into the medical room.  Once all of the scientists had disappeared through the trapdoor, Qara, Ganzorig and the agents followed.  Batu stayed below as rear guard.

  Climbing onto the roof, Qara found a short ladder leading to a hatch directly above her head.  She needed no invitation to scramble up through the floor of the shuttle, where she was gently but firmly assisted by two tall, slim figures in white-grey shimmer robes.  More Faerie Folk physicians in robes of the same colour stood nearby.  She assured everyone that she was unharmed and then spent an anxious few minutes waiting for Batu and the soldiers.  Eventually they began to appear, the first seven or eight of them wounded.  They were helped away by the physicians, who immediately began tending to their injuries.

At last, Batu appeared, and this time she gave in to her impulse to hug him.  Huran was last, shutting the trapdoor behind him and pulling himself wearily through the hatch.  "We had better go," he said.  "Although they cannot see the shuttle, the Chinese suspect that something is happening.  They may try to shoot it down."

One of the Faerie Folk closed the hatch and the shuttle lifted off immediately.  Belatedly realising that it was there, the Chinese 'copters took off and fired heat-seeking missiles at it.  But the missiles exploded harmlessly against the shuttle's shields and its passengers suffered no more than a mild buffeting.  Within minutes, it had outdistanced the 'copters and begun to accelerate away from the Earth's surface.

Weak with relief, Qara sank into a tall chair.  But before she could relax, she had one more call to make before they were out of Personet range.  She activated her 'link and waited for her father to answer.

"Hello, Dad.  Listen, I don't have much time.  Things have changed.  A Faerie Folk shuttle will be landing in your area soon.  Get on it.  It will take you up to Emissary.  I am on my way there in another shuttle.  I will meet you on the ship."

He didn't speak for a moment and she could almost see him shaking his head.  "No, Little Wolf," he said eventually.  "I am a Mongol and I belong in Mongolia.  I am too old to leave now.  I shall join one of the tribes on the steppes and live out my days there.  It will be good for me.  City life has made me soft and lazy.  I will enjoy re-living some of the hardships of my youth."

"No, Dad!  You can't stay behind.  It is too dangerous.  There is a war going on and you could be hurt, or killed.  Or you will be exposed to radiation.  You will get sick and die.  You have to get on the shuttle."

  "Do not worry, my child, I will be safe.  The vastness of our land has protected our people for thousands of years.  It will continue to do so.  The invaders do not care about nomads living on the steppes and they will not bother us.  They will not be able to find us if we do not wish to be found.  And the radiation will not reach us out there.  The distances are too great."

She tried desperately to think of something she could say to change his mind.  But he had always been a stubborn old man and, deep down, she knew that it was futile.  "But, Dad, I can't leave you behind.  I shall stay with you.  I will come back when the shuttle returns and we can live on the steppes together."