Vampire's Day (Book 2): Zero Model (16 page)

58.
Assault-4

The battery charge in Natasha’s tablet hadn’t been completely exhausted, so she sat with her headphones on, listening to music or at least pretending to do so. Boris could see how scared she was. Donahue sat next to him, and was clearly panicked as well, but he didn’t have any music, and so sat in silence. The remaining civilians react differently to the crisis - some pray, while one cries out at each loud sound.

Boris was also apprehensive, but in a different way
,
not the same as during local wars he’d taken part in. There he was armed, trained, and knew what to do, and he knew who opposed him on sight. Here it was different, worse; he didn’t like this inaction, the passive expectation of something unknown among unfamiliar civilians in a trench, covered with concrete slabs.

Why were they here? Because the base, where they were brought, was being attacked. Who attacked a US naval base; was it those locals who attacked them early in the morning on the road? He supposed so, but how could they dare to attack a naval base that was ready to defend itself? Why? Who were these enemies, what was their strength, what were they trying to achieve - nothing was clear, and they could only sit and wait helplessly.

The momentary lull was over as the shooting started again with a bang. And then the trench walls shuddered from a powerful shell exploding close by - the enemy had finally returned fire.

The artillery attack was short, precise and deadly – orange flame ignited in several places across the field, while the short-range radars detected a dozen fast approaching targets. The anti-aircraft Vulcan knocked down one of the incoming missiles, while Stinger shot down a second, and then the central defensive sector was covered by powerful explosions.

Chief first realized that it was, remembered his father Vietnamese stories, fights for fire support base when Charlie is often used these tricky thing - Soviet portable rocket launchers, a smaller version of the famous GRAD. The primitive but reliable launch tube could throw a powerful rocket to ten kilometers, the perfect weapon to shoot the enemy military base since the coordinates were well known. The first salvo was immediately followed by a second, shot from a new position. The launcher and rockets were easy to transport, created that way so that the infantry could move quickly with them on foot.

The second time, the elevation of the flight was angled higher, and the rockets flew past the safety zone and fell onto the base. A strong fire started thanks to a direct hit on a hangar. They hadn’t seen weapons like these for the entire day; apparently the infected had saved the rockets for a special situation and that had come. Colonel and his men had nothing with which to respond to this sudden and serious threat - the range of the mortars and automatic guns wasn’t enough to destroy the enemy launchers.

Richardson threw all of the drones into the fight, and the infected sent out a new salvo. This time the missiles fell in the northern sector, one hundred and fifty meters from Bronson’s dugout. His trick with the heavy sniper rifles worked - his fighters hadn’t given away their positions, and now the enemy shelling was inaccurate. The infected fired several missiles at them in random locations, and then began to bombard the central sector again.

Colonel suffered the first loss - a direct hit covered the mortar battery and one of the trenches, and a few marines received shrapnel wounds and contusions from the close blast. Circling over the battlefield drone fix extension of the main enemy forces forward - infected army prepare for solving throw.

“Chief, listen!”

He could hear words through a powerful, but not previously used radio; English with a local accent made its way through the strongest interference.

“Give us the civilians, give us the civilians, give…”

59.
Assault-5

The gunners Diego and Rodrigo stood at automatic grenade launchers and reported readiness for take-off. Van Zant, a former South African Air Force navigator, had already taken his place in the cab, and Nguyen started the engine. He conducted a last short radio session with the crews of the other aircraft - everything was ready, and the heavy helicopter readied to take off. Two minutes later, all the crews took off; the squadron made a U-turn and went in the direction of the west, quickly disappearing into the night.

Train local pilots, Nguyen serious planned raid across the mountains into the valley, the local general staff is ready to continue the war, which will have to carry on the other side of the ridge. Selected and explored routes, via an agent’s network specified targets, in general, everything is ready to receive orders, which finally arrived. But Nguyen weren’t prepared for the fact that Yankee will give this order and now he wanted to look what is really going on in the valley. He understood that there is something unheard, something unprecedented.

The fierce artillery skirmish lasted for more than an hour. Howling rockets flew from the huge field and fell in the central sector. After each volley, when the GRAD crews changed position, another breakthrough would start - a new group of the infected came forward, breaking through the minefield and forcing the marines to waste precious ammunition. Heeding the warning of Bronson, the Colonel changed tactics – he stopped using the mortar and automatic guns against the infected, instead using just the machine guns.

These suicide attackers weren’t able to get closer than three hundred meters to the trenches, but each breakthrough gradually undermined the defense – the minefields were almost completely spent, nine marines had been killed in rocket attacks, with a dozen seriously injured. On the base territory, where the rockets fell, fires continued to grow.

Butterfly hovered in the dark sky, occasionally dropping flares to aid the gunners by guiding them to the targets. The mobile camera rotated from side to side; Sarah didn’t stop her attempts to detect a priority target – there was a GRAD position that had caused a lot of trouble, smashing all the windowsof the control room with
a
close missile hit. There was another crimson flash as a rocket went up into the sky, and Sarah accurately noted the coordinates and gave them to the Bumblebee pilot.

The assault drone went into a dive, shooting the GRAD crew with an automatic gun. Sarah watched with pleasure as the missiles detonated, and felt sorry for the first time that her own drone didn’t carry weapons.

There was a powerful explosion nearby, a howitzer shell, or bomb, thought Boris. His ass felt as though it jumped from the bench, and sand poured from the walls and ceilings. Donahue said prayers in a low voice, while Natasha stared at the screen. He could see her fingers were white, pressing on the expensive gadget with such force that it threatened to break.

Through hysterical screams the paratrooper distinguished the familiar howl of a GRAD, and pushed Natasha and Donahue to the floor, knowing that it would not save them from a direct hit. The blow was very strong, and the walls, floor and ceiling shuddered; for a split second the lights went out, and yet they were lucky – the rocket had landed nearby, and not on their heads. This blow was the last straw, and panic started in the shelter. Boris barely managed to pull his companions back to the wall
,
before the refugees nearly trampled them. The marines at the door tried several warning shots, and then, when that didn’t work, used their powerful electric batons. After knocking out a dozen civilians, they managed to reduce the wave of panic, and sent the civilians back to the shelter.

Again there was heavy mortar fire, and the enemy crept closer. The decisive assault would begin soon.

“We have a breakthrough!”

In the central sector the infected went ahead the whole crowd, under the cover of mortar fire, GRAD roared with renewed vigor. Covered by a direct hit, one of the M2 Bradleys rose into the air, the torn turret piercing the ground thirty meters from the trench.

60.
Assault-6

The Browning M2 shone crimson, sending bullets at the approaching enemy infantry – Chief himself stood next to the gun. Every man was now involved. Next to his machine-gun the mortar crews were located, no longer trying to save ammunition. Luck was currently on his side, and the enemy mines didn’t fall on them, allowing Bronson to continue shooting the infected, who were attempting to break his line.

His grandfather had told him about the Japanese, who, with bayonets and backpack filled with explosives, attacked his marine platoon in a desperate attempt to throw the Americans from the top of the unnamed, flamethrower-scorched hill. There, in Okinawa, the Japanese were trying to kill his grandfather’s machine-gun crew, fulfilling orders and obeying their oath to die before allowing the enemy to take their native land. Here, on the edge of a giant field of drugs, his enemies went into battle with the same suicidal bravery, but they had no order or sacred oath.

They swept forward, obeying the call of the unknown hunger, driving the hordes onto machine-guns and mines in a ruthless quest to get the blood of their enemies. They wanted the actual blood of the enemy and Bronson was likely the only one there who really understood their motives. An interesting thought suddenly flashed through his mind - if they got him as well, would they tear his throat to drink his blood or not?

At this time, almost all the infected were armed. They ran forward, shooting on the move, and if they fell, slain by bullets, those following would pick up their guns and again open fire. A single bullet struck the armored gun shield, sending out bright sparks, and on the right flank a mortar shell went straight into the trench, killing the automatic grenade launcher crew. At that point the Colonel ordered to the retreat. Richardson only gave this order to his marines. Bronson’s team would have to remain in their trenches and dugouts to either victory or to death; they had nowhere to retreat because there was no second line of defense.

“Marines have left the first line of trenches!”

The main part of the Colonel’s forces retreated to the second line, suffering losses under mortar fire. A few surviving Bradley and Humvees drew back, snapping bursts of auto cannon and machine guns. This time the enemy threw forward all their vehicles, as well as the infantry. Chief had never seen anything like it.

Beaming headlights, shimmering turn signals and stop lights, the deafening roar of sirens - hundreds of cars were heading from the field to the base, lining up in a broad front. While the infantry had detonated the minefield in their suicide attacks, the unknown enemy commander had pulled to the field everything that could move, using the fact that Colonel withdrew his assault drones from surveillance for defense of the base. SUVs and armored trucks with heavy machine guns, tractors, numerous civilian cars - the cavalcade moved forward. Again the enemy opened fire with the mortars, and launched rockets into the dark sky, punching the road in front of this crazy horde that came forward, shooting and crushing their own dead and wounded, like Hannibal's ranks of elephants, destroying the Roman legions.

61. Assault-7

Fighting off the infected troops, Chief simultaneously supported the marines on the flank, firing mortars at the left edge of the cavalcade. Powerful explosions overturned trucks, heavy machine guns pierced pickups and cars, homemade chariots were undermined or got stuck in craters - but the moving wall still continued to reduce the distance, coming closer and closer to the first line of defense. And behind this moving wall were the infected, the bulk of their army, still numerous in spite of losses. They're quite a bit to the refugee camp where in the concrete holes sits more than two thousand people. The radio issued the ultimatum again. “Give us the civilians!”

Dozens of flares erupted in the sky, dispelling the darkness, the drones illuminating the attacking army. Colonel had thrown into the fight his last reserve - five helicopters, flying over the distant hangars near the shore. Even before they had been encircled, Richardson had ordered the helicopters to take off and disperse over the base, so the Black Hawks wouldn’t come under fire. The idea worked, and the enemies only managed to destroy only one helicopter. The other five took off safely; to attack the enemy in the moment the infected threw forward their full force.

The helicopters were divided into two groups and now simultaneously attacked the infected from both flanks. Going over Bronson’s position, the Black Hawks rushed forward, using machine guns and rocket hits. A fierce battle started between the ground and the air. And from the mountains came the roar of powerful engines.

“Work!”

The upgraded Crocodiles could climb to four kilometers with full ammo, but Nguyen was going to use another maneuver, and as soon as they crossed the pass, he gave the order to descend to fifteen meters. This extremely low altitude didn’t give the enemies with Stinger missiles the opportunity to aim and shoot; he’d been taught by his Russian mentor. And now he was going to repeat the maneuver - he knew that the Cartel had a lot of MANPADS. A bright flash and missiles fired from a pickup lit up the dark sky and cut off the tail of a Black Hawk, confirming his choice of tactics.

“Attack!”

Nguyen didn’t look at the falling Black Hawk; he drove Crocodile forward, allowing the operator to direct the bow gun, shooting the infected from the rear. Squadron MI35 created Armageddon in the night sky, exactly for which they had been created. Attack, turn, go around, attack again. The infected were stuck between the anvil, formed by the base defenders, and Nguyen’s squadron, fulfilling the role of the hammer.

The enemy army, who had, a few minutes ago, threatened to crush the defenders of the small fortress and break into their territory, were now virtually wiped out in less than three minutes. Yet the victory wasn’t without issues - burnt land snapped fire after each air attack. Nguyen, who had been in many wars, hadn’t encountered such a persistent enemy – the infected weren’t going to run from the battlefield, and made continued attempts to break through, despite the fire from the sky and the ground.

The infected fired on the helicopters with anything that could shoot, and a few bullets bounced off the armored glass, leaving a number of small chips. Nguyen was forced to attack the remnants of the enemy troops once again, in spite of the fact that time was running out - they were at Crocodile’s maximum range, a few more minutes and they wouldn’t have enough fuel to return to their base.

“Stop work, leave the battlefield!”

They made a U-turn and, among the burning cars, a heavy machine gun rumbled again. Nguyen guided return fire, and destroyed the enemy firing point, but bullets stuck Crocodile on the tail, damaging the thrust stabilizing propellers. The helicopter was still under control and, if they had more fuel, Nguyen would go to their base. But they are in front of the mountains and the damaged Crocodile can’t make it over the pass on the remaining kerosene. He had to land now, and, ordering the pilots to return to the airfield, turned towards the American base.