Taylor could see how terrifying the breaching vehicles were to all those around him, and he felt it too. The last one had almost been the end of him, and it made him think of Eli and how much they had to lose. He stood back and looked for her. About ten metres along the line he spotted her, and she was looking at him at just the same moment. It was all the time he could spare, and he went back to his position as the first wall mounted weapons opened fire. Two of the vehicles ahead burst into flames, and one of them veered off course, smashing into another that caused it to flip over and dig itself into the ground and come to an abrupt halt.
Cheers rang out across the line, and Taylor briefly thought they had a chance of stopping them, but the gunfire continued all the same. Their nearest vehicles were now within two hundred metres and closing fast. Taylor took aim and fired three single shots in rapid succession and watched as each one glanced off their armour.
"Not good," he grumbled.
He looked around and wanted to say something. He wanted to call on some reserve, bring something else into play, but there was nothing. Engines roared overhead as Mech flyers soared over them, unopposed by the gun towers that were too occupied on the ground. Mitch looked up at doors opening on the vehicles, and Mechs leapt out, descending onto the open plain before them and throughout the tiers of defences beyond.
"So not good," he said to himself.
He knew he could do nothing against the incoming vehicles, so he turned his attention to the airborne Mechs dropping among them. He targeted one descending near to him and fired a burst into its back, killing it before its feet hit the ground. He turned his attention to another and fired several shots as it landed, but most missed, and only one hit it and glanced off. Remembering the assault beyond the wall, he turned back for just a moment and watched another of the vehicles be engulfed in flames. But out of those flames came two more heading for the wall thirty metres to the west.
The fixed weapon emplacements tracked as quickly as they could, but most of their fire missed the vehicles, and it was too late. They hit the wall with a vicious impact, and just as before, went silent for a moment. Jones froze and looked to Taylor in horror.
"Off the wall!" Taylor screamed.
He immediately ran to the edge and jumped. He had to hope the others would follow suit. Taylor was heading head first onto a Mech and simply slipped his shield beneath his feet like a surfboard and landed square on top of it. The weight of the impact smashed it head first into the ground, but that wasn't enough certainty for Taylor. He landed fairly solidly and quickly put the barrel of his rifle to the back of the Mech and fired a three-shot burst.
"Take cover!" someone yelled.
It was the only reminder he needed. He rolled over and lifted his shield to hide behind it, and had just five seconds before the blast ignited. Showers of debris impacted over his shield, but nothing substantial. He pulled it aside and got up. The wall before him had remained intact, but then he turned westward and could see the dust settling and a gaping hole in their defences. In his daze he had forgotten all about the Mechs dropping above them, and a pulse stuck the ground only centimetres from his feet. He raised his shield, and as he looked up, one of the creatures was hurtling towards him.
The Mech struck the base of his shield. It gave way and twisted his still recovering arm. He let out a cry in agony, as he felt the pin sharp agony run up the arm as the creature landed beside him. With one swing, the creature swung its pulse cannon around and used it like a club to smash him in the flank while the pain was distracting him. He felt his body fold at the waist, and he dropped to the ground.
As he hit landed, he realised the trouble he was in and pulled his shield around to cover his body. The cannon opened fire, and three pulses struck his shield in rapid succession. He had no idea what to do, for he was pinned down, and the shield wouldn't last out much longer.
The firing stopped, and he carefully peered around his shield. His eyes widened on seeing a foot of the Mech stomping down towards him. He raised his shield at the last second, and the impact forced it onto his helmet with such immense force he was knocked unconscious.
* * *
Taylor awoke to a bumpy ride. He was moving fast and looking at the floor. His vision began to clear, and he could tell he was being carried, but was noticeably higher than any human could carry him. A moment later he was placed down to rest and was able to see the face of his saviour - Jafar.
"How long have I been out?" Mitch quickly asked.
"Too long!" a voice yelled at his flank.
He turned and saw Jones bandaging up a superficial wound on his own arm.
"Really, how long?" Taylor insisted.
"Couple of hours."
Taylor's eyes widened.
"Two hours? What the hell has happened in that time?"
"About what you'd expect."
Taylor shook his head. He was relieved to be alive, but the sensation was overwhelmed by his anger that he had not been there to fight the battle. He looked around at the subway station a little over fifty metres ahead of him. It was where he had been called to Heath's operations room.
"What are we doing here? Why aren't we in the fight?"
"We've been pulled back for a little R&R," replied Jones.
"How much have we lost?"
Jones went quiet and looked down as he finished tying his bandage.
"How much?"
He slowly looked up at Taylor, and he could already tell it wasn't going to be good news.
"To the east and north four tiers, but we still hold them to the south and west."
"Four?" asked Taylor.
He wasn’t really surprised but still felt shocked. He went silent, taking in everything around him. He could hear the war still raging in the distance.
"We can't stay here," he muttered.
Jones looked over to him.
"What was that?"
Taylor took in a deep breath.
"You were right. We're losing. Stay here and we all die."
It was loud enough that a number of the troops around him also heard what he had said. It was clear they agreed with him. Taylor looked around for a rifle and soon found one, though he had no idea if it was his. He propped it beside him and used it for leverage to get to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Jones asked.
"To make sure the General knows what’s what."
"He ain't gonna like that."
"I don't give a shit. We either get out of here ASAP, or it’s over for all of us."
Jones couldn't disagree, so he leapt to his side and followed him on towards the subway station entrance. Taylor passed Parker. She stood talking with her platoon, and he acknowledged her as he stepped beyond. He hadn't even thought to ask after casualties and who of his friends might be dead. The survival of them all was too important to be distracted with anything.
"How you gonna play this?"
"Same way I always do, Charlie."
"Piss everyone off, then?"
Taylor smiled a little in response, but it soon waned at the thought of their present situation.
"Something like that, yes."
The guards let him by without question, for they all knew who he was. As the two of them stepped into Heath's war room, they could feel the tension there. Nobody was speaking, and Heath was sitting back and upright in his chair deep in thought while many of his staff just looked lost and confused. The General had the look of a broken man about himself, and Taylor knew it was the prime time to make his point. He strode up to the General so he might talk privately.