He walked up to the large dining table where they were all sitting around. Silva was there, as well as Lieutenant Ota.
"Jackson?" Taylor asked.
Ota shook her head. "Crushed by a Mech before we got out of the city. We couldn't even recover his body."
"Then you will merge his Company with yours, Captain Ota."
The promotion meant little when it was under such circumstances, but she tried to fake a smile and nod in gratitude.
"What's our current strength?"
"Last figure count was two hundred and eight."
"Well now it’s two hundred and thirteen."
Nobody replied, and they waited for him to continue.
"We paid dearly to hold that city for as long as we did, and look where it's gotten us?"
"We nuked the fuckers, didn't we?" Silva asked.
Taylor nodded. "Yes, and we can only hope that it made a sizeable impact on their forces, but either way, they'll be coming for us in force before long."
"Orders from General Heath are to dig in along a five kilometre defensive line, and await reinforcement from the 1st and 3rd Marine Divisions and 2nd Armoured. They should sure raise hell when they get here," Jones stated.
Taylor didn't look confident, and Jones didn't like it.
"What is it?"
"I just came from Heath. Chances of reinforcement are slim."
"What?"
"We aren't the only ones having a hard time."
"Then what are your orders?" asked Silva.
"As Heath said, dig in. That's all there is to do."
The room fell silent until Taylor finally looked to Jones.
"Can I have a word?"
Jones led him to a small office at the back of the house that was empty.
"Can't say that was a great move for morale."
"No, Charlie, but I'd rather them know the truth, and get to terms with it, than leave them hanging onto something which ain't ever gonna happen."
Jones nodded in agreement.
"So what is it?" he asked.
Taylor sighed, as he thought how to explain and even wondered if he should.
"Well, come on, spit it out. I've never known you to hold your tongue."
"Heath told me a few things while I was with him."
"And?"
"And, well...the simple truth is, France is falling. It's been a focus of enemy forces in what he believes is an attempt to make a point. We both know what France meant to us all through the war, and..."
"And Coco is still there..."
"Yes," replied Taylor, "I'm so sorry."
"That's it. That's all the news you've got? You are going to leave me hanging with that grim prospect with nothing more?"
"Sorry, it's all I have, and there's nothing we can do about it."
Taylor turned about to leave but stopped for just a moment.
"Everyone looks exhausted, including you. I'll get watches set, but let's be sure everyone gets the rest they need. I'll take the first watch. You find a bed in this place and get a few hours in."
He left the office and Jones who was still very quiet. Taylor felt awful for him, but he didn't know any words that might console him, for there was nothing good about their situation.
Chapter 7
"We're still alive," said Parker.
He looked over and saw she had sat down a metre to his side, and he hadn't even noticed. He was on watch, but there were so many thoughts cycling around his head that he had not noticed her approach. He looked around at their surroundings. It was a dry and mild night, but more than anything, it was peaceful. There was no sound of gunfire and tracers lighting up the sky. The air was fresh and crisp, and for a moment, one could imagine there was no war at all.
The road in front was perfect, and the houses opposite looked as inviting as the one Taylor was sitting outside of.
"Think it's somewhere you could see us living?"
"If you'd asked me a few months back, yeah," she replied.
"And no longer?"
"No, because come tomorrow or the day after that, it'll be as wrecked as everywhere else we have left behind."
He nodded in agreement.
"You should get some rest."
He looked down at his watch. It was true.
"Yeah, about time Jones did his turn."
He got to his feet and strode into the house and upstairs where he knew Jones had gone. He banged on the door.
"Jones, get up!" he yelled.
There came no response.
"Jones!"
Still nothing. Concern overcame him, and he gripped his rifle in one hand and prised open the door with the other. It was empty. The bed sheets were strewn about from where he had clearly been, but there was no sign of movement. He rushed back down into the kitchen where Lang and Fuchs sat chatting quietly.
"Captain Jones, have you seen him?"
"He left about twenty minutes ago," Lang replied.
"Left? How?"
Lang pointed to the back door of the house.
"Ah, shit, and you didn't think there was something a little suspect about that?"
The two of them looked surprised and unable to answer. Taylor knew there was nothing they could have done or known to have stopped him leaving.
"Oh, hell, Charlie," he muttered, "If he comes back, you let me know," he said a little louder.
"Do you expect him to?"
Taylor shrugged. "No goddamn idea, Lang."
He strode out of the back door and towards the guard standing at the end of the garden. It was one of Lang's men, but he didn’t know his name.
"Captain Jones, where did he go?"
"That way, Sir," the man quickly answered, pointing back to the way they had entered the neighbourhood.
"Know where he went?"
"No, Sir."
Taylor turned and rushed back through the house.
"I’ve got a pretty good idea," he said to himself.
As he approached Parker, she could see the concern in his face.
"What is it?"
"Jones, he's gone."
He stopped for a moment and could hear a vehicle tearing off into the distance.
"Find Ota, and tell her she's in charge."
"Where are you going?"
"To make sure Jones doesn't get himself killed."
Taylor rushed to the jeep they had arrived in and raced on down the road. He could use only blackout lights and markers because of the risk of enemy detection from the air.
"Goddamn you, Jones, you crazy son of a bitch!"
He had no lights to follow and could no longer hear the vehicle ahead. He stopped at the side of the road beside two soldiers standing guard at a crossroads.
"A vehicle just came by, where was it heading?"
One of them pointed. He began to speak, but Taylor raced off without a word. He was looking around in all directions in a desperate hope to find Jones, but there seemed little chance. Then, as he passed a small park, he noticed a line of copters on the green hidden between trees. Camo nets had hastily been thrown over them in an attempt to conceal their presence.
"Gotta be."
He pulled into the park and raced across the grass towards them and soon noticed a little movement. He slowed the vehicle cautiously until he came to a halt and leapt out. He hoped it was Jones, but he had to be cautious. The gaps he had seen in their lines made him wonder how on earth they could defend such a broad line, and the threat of airborne attack was ever present.
Taylor crept up between the trees, and all the time watching. He could see a camo net being pulled from one of the copters. He took cover beside one of the other vehicles and stopped. He waited to see if he could identify anyone, and then he caught sight of another glimmer of movement. A figure was lifting its arms, and he heard the character say, "My baby."
He knew it could only be Rains. Taylor stepped out from the cover and paced towards them.