"Hell, all you need is nets," said Acosta.
Taylor turned in surprise to hear the Private speak out and inject into their conversation. At first he took offence at it, but was then keen to hear what he had to say.
"Go on..."
"Those drones are hard for us to hit with a rifle round, Sir, but they ain't all that tough. Fire a net up, and you'll take them down easy."
"Where's this coming from?" asked Silva.
"When my daddy used to go fishing, he didn't harpoon each fish one at a time, he cast a net and made the job easy."
"Nets? Sure you don't mean your granddaddy?" jested Silva.
"He learnt with his pops and his before him, okay. He liked it that way."
"All right, all right," interrupted Taylor. "It's not a half bad idea. You can take it to Reiter when we get back."
"Me? No, Sir, I was just passing it on to you."
"You have a good idea, Private, then you better be prepared to act on it."
"Yes, Sir," he muttered nervously.
"We've got an armoured column coming up the road!" shouted one of the troops on guard outside.
Taylor lifted his comms. "Grey, cancel that brew. We're moving out!"
He took a little amusement in knowing just how the Captain's face would look at that moment before heading for the door. The first sight that struck him was that of five bodies of fallen comrades. They were loaded onto mechanical mules ready to move, and several others wounded beside them. Mitch wanted to tell them they were going home, but they no longer had one.
"To the boats, lets go!"
Chapter 2
It was a short journey back to Meaux and an unexpected one at that. Ever since signing up with the European Alliance, they had been at the forefront of the conflict, which until recently had not erupted into total war. Many had been pondering over the frightening thought of nuclear powers facing off against each other once again. All knew from their schooling that such an event could be as potentially cataclysmic as the alien invasion they had lived through. But nobody would ask it openly, not until Acosta and his big mouth was sitting opposite the Colonel.
"Sir, why are we sitting by while we got nukes ready to use?"
Several others shook their heads but still listened in intently. They wanted answers as much as the inquisitive Private did.
"Because we're fighting a nuclear power, and using them only assures mutual destruction."
"Not if we hit their silos first, go tactical on their asses."
"And their allies? Subs? Satellite silos?"
"Well, hell yeah, hit 'em all."
"You're a simple son of a bitch," Silva said.
"Several laughed, and it made him more than a little embarrassed, but he tried to brush it off.
"All been tried before," replied Taylor. "We start throwing nukes, and we can say goodbye to half the World's population. Hell we lost enough to the aliens."
"Yeah, but we're still fighting 'em!"
Taylor couldn't refute it. "You just leave the big decisions to others, Private. Those with the bigger picture and a greater understanding of these things."
"Like you do?" Parker asked.
Taylor smiled in response. He had gained a reputation for insubordination to the level it was now a joke amongst the Corps.
"Hey, when you reach Colonel, feel free to call the shots. Till that time, your ass is mine, and you'll do, think, and say whatever I want you to."
Several of the others laughed at him being put in his place, but all in good humour. They put down in the Meaux base shortly afterwards and found they were being welcomed by General Dupont himself with just a few of his personal staff. Taylor stepped down the ramp and sighed as he awaited the ribbing he was expecting, but to his surprise it never came.
"Welcome back, Colonel," said Dupont.
He was so polite Taylor wondered if he were even the same man he used to know. For just a few seconds, he considered the possibility the General himself was a Krys agent, but he let the thought settle to the back of his mind, realising it couldn't be true.
"You wanted us...me back for something big, what's the story?"
"You'll have to follow me. The rest of your unit can stand down. Canteen is open and awaiting them."
"I'd have a few join me, Sir."
"A handful of your most senior personnel."
He turned and pointed to Silva, Grey, and Parker.
"Better bring him along, too," Dupont said, pointing to Jafar.
They're finally learning to trust him, Taylor thought.
He turned to the others who hadn't bothered to fall in.
"Get some chow, and some sleep if I haven't found a job for you by the time you're done."
There were various grunts of relief and approval. Taylor joined the General as he got up to pace.
"So what's up?" he asked.
"When we get inside, Colonel."
They passed through into one of the administrative buildings that Taylor knew to house some of the research facilities. It was a vast six storey complex, with an array of anti-aircraft weapons fitted along its walls. It was the kind of stronghold many would choose to take shelter, and the last on Earth Taylor ever wanted to be because he knew what a target it made itself.
As they stepped inside, Taylor realised what a hive of activity it was; both researchers and military personnel rushed past them.
"Whatever you had to tell me can't be that much of a secret," said Taylor.
"Not a word leaves this building. Those operating here, live here presently. Until today, only three of my staff and myself have left this facility in the last month. Since you uncovered... and recovered the first Krys agent we have been working to determine what exactly they are."
"And hopefully in what numbers they are, and how we can identify the bastards."
"Yes, and many other questions which we are all asking."
"And have you found those answers?"
"Some of them."
They reached another level of security where three armed guards stopped them. They stood before a heavily reinforced blast door. It clearly had more than a single entry device.
"They're with me. Open the door," Dupont said casually.
The guards hesitated, looking suspiciously at the alien among the group, and then to Taylor who was still coated in dust and with a bloodied face. His rifle slung at his side was another cause for concern. One of the guards tried to talk, but the General interrupted him.
"Well don't just stand there, open the door!"
They jumped to action. Two of them pulled out key cards and held them before a scanner at each end of the door. A green light on a board of three lit up. Next the General stepped forward to a retina scanner, and it immediately flashed a second green light. Lastly, he typed in a passcode onto a small pad beside the retina scanner, and the last light went green. As the doors prised apart, they could see they were foot thick steel, and it was clear the entire section they were entering was proof against all but apocalyptic assault.
Castle within a castle, Taylor thought.
The room was filled with yet more busy personnel, and most of what they worked on went right over the Colonel's head. Dupont led them to a table where a few familiar faces sat, including Reiter. He nodded in a casual welcome and then turned his attention to a man he'd never expected to see again - Major Bryan Weller; his interrogator when he was incarcerated so long ago by Dupont and Schulz.