"What the hell?" Taylor asked.
Gun turrets atop each of the vehicles continued to fire at the battlements with little effect other than keeping heads down.
"Where are they going?"
"They aren't coming over the wall. They're going through it!" Jones shouted, "Take them out!"
Scores of troops opened fire on the vehicles. As one of the towers opened up, it tore one apart, and it ignited into a raging fire, but it was too late for the rest. Taylor watched in horror as three-metre wide corkscrew-like drills deployed at the front of the vehicles, ready for impact.
"Oh, shit!"
It was too late. They felt the impact as one of the skimmers smashed into the wall at the very base below them. Taylor and several others lost their footing and crashed against the barricade. As Taylor regained his faculties, he could make out the ear splitting sound of drilling beneath them for twenty seconds, and then it stopped. He looked to Jones who stared at him, waiting with suspicion.
The two of them looked over the edge in towards the city, confused. It had gone quiet along the walls. A soldier nearby began to laugh. "They can't get through!" He jumped up onto the top of the rampart and screamed, "Fuck you, you failed!" Jones shook his head.
"This was no accident...they're..."
He was cut off by a massive explosion further down the line, which shook the foundations of the wall and sent huge chunks of concrete hurtling into the air.
"It's gonna blow!" Jones shouted.
He grabbed Taylor, and they rushed to the edge of the rampart, jumping as the explosion erupted in the wall below them. The blast launched them twenty metres through the air. As they hit the ground, Taylor rolled over and saw a five-metre chunk of concrete fly past his head, missing him by only half a metre. He was stunned by the impact, but his suit had at least slowed his descent and broken his fall. He was sitting on the ground before two layers of the fortress that was Baltimore. His shield and rifle were gone, and he looked out to where the wall had been. The area was engulfed in a ball of dust and smoke.
Through the smoke came silhouettes, and they were not human.
Chapter 5
Taylor was still flat on his ass as the Mechs bore down on the scattered survivors. They lay among the bodies of those killed in the blast, and as the dust began to settle, it became clear the outer wall was slighted. He felt helpless for a moment, coming to terms with what they faced. Then he felt something brush by him. Dozens of troops rushed past towards the enemy, with Captain King at the lead. They fired on full auto as they advanced, but much of the fire was absorbed until they reached the first wave, drawing their Assegais as they went in to hand-to-hand.
He scrambled to his feet to join the fight. As he ran forward, he knelt down and grabbed a shield that lay scattered on the ground before him and the enemy. King had driven right through the first line of Mechs and was already engaging the second with a few of his Rangers. Further waves took on the enemy’s first line. Taylor reached the first, and he jumped, using a little power of his suit to launch himself up and over the hulking shield of one of the Mechs. He drove his Assegai into its head.
As he descended, he felt the Assegai pull. It was stuck in the creature, and he was forced to spin to wrench it from the Mech, forcing him to land hard on one knee. He straightened his leg but felt an impact on his shield. It brushed off just enough to push him aside but not knock him over. He looked around and saw a wounded Mech soldier that had been thrown his way. Without hesitating, he leapt onto it and stabbed it three times before it could recover.
He looked up from the ground. There was a never-ending stream of the enemy, and a volley of pulses surged towards them from the nearest soldiers. He raised his shield, watching as much of the energy dissipated over his shield.
"We can't keep this up!" King called out to him.
King turned back to carry on the fight but was struck by a shield edge to the head which buckled his legs. His attacker pulled back its Assegai-like weapon to lunge and finish off the Captain, but Taylor leapt forward, using his body weight to knock the creature onto its back. He repeatedly stabbed it until it stopped resisting. He dropped his shield and holstered his Assegai.
"Cover me!" he ordered Jones and the others fighting with him.
Taylor picked King up. He was barely conscious and muttering something which was indecipherable. He turned back to Jones. He was waiting for Taylor's order.
"Let's get the fuck out of here!"
Without another word, he turned, slung King onto his shoulder, and rushed for the next wall of the defences. The few small gates were flooded with troops trying to retreat. He knew he had no choice but to try and clear the wall. Pulses rushed past him and smashed into the wall, and as much fire was being returned from friendly positions. He looked up for just a moment to find a gap in the friendly firing solution and jumped.
The wall was fifteen metres high and easily manageable by him, but he had no idea if he could make it with the weight of King on his shoulder. He left the ground and hoped for the best. As he reached the upper edge of the wall, he came to the limit of his power, clipping the very edge as he tumbled over it. Taylor recovered just in time to land on the far side without injury, lucky to have found an open space amongst the chaos.
He looked down at King. A deep wound span from his face and down his neck, stopping at the shoulder plate of his armour. He was conscious but faint and weak.
"King? Stay with me."
His eyes opened a little further to look at Taylor.
"You're out of this fight, Captain," he said, looking up at the chaos around him. Jones landed beside him, quickly calling out, "Medic!" when he saw King resting in Taylor's arms.
"We’re in it deep here, Mitch," Jones said, kneeling down beside them.
Gunfire raged above them, but Taylor was too caught up in the moment to notice. A medic rushed up to them. It was clear few wounded had made it to safety, as the Captain had his complete attention.
"Please lay him down," said the medic.
Taylor was oblivious to his words.
"Sir, please lay him down, so I can help."
Jones smacked the top of Taylor's helmet to get his attention, and he snapped out of the daze.
"Yes, of course," he said, as he released his grip on King.
"Make sure he is well cared for," Taylor said firmly.
"Of course," the medic replied, and he went to work.
Taylor turned and looked back at the wall. It was a near identical fortification as the one that had been destroyed moments before. He quickly leapt into action towards the nearest ramp leading to the second level battlement, where he could get some visibility over the battlefield while still having protection over his head.
"Wait!" Jones called after him.
He carried on until he stood beside the troops who were laying down constant fire from the defences. Taylor looked out through a small loophole to survey the situation. Jones reached him and waited to see what he was getting at.
"Whatever those breaching vehicles were, I can't see any more of them."
"They're sure to be bringing more up," replied Jones.
"Yes, and we’d better be prepared for them next time."
He looked out at the craft they had flown in on. Only one remained intact and was swarming with Mechs.
"Well, we certainly ain't flying out of here."
"You ever thought we would?" Jones asked cynically.
Taylor grunted. He looked back to see most of his unit had made it.
That is at least a relief.