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Grayson's Shadow Hawkstepped across the broken body of his opponent and strode down the slope toward where the second enemy Phoenix Hawkstood with its arms raised in ungainly surrender. Smoke wreathed its torso from the pair of jagged wounds Lori and Nadine Cheka had planted in its back. Khaled's Stingerclosed in from the far side of the shallow valley as hovercraft grounded to pick up the liberated prisoners.
"Looks like they're all safe," Ramage was saying through Grayson's command circuit. "No casualties among the women!"
"Great," Grayson said, relieved. They had planned the assault to draw the Kurita BattleMech escorts away from their prisoners, but stray rounds—or a vengeful Kurita soldier—could have had nightmarish consequences. The keys to making the attack a success were doing it with speed and decisiveness. "What about our people?"
"A couple wounded in the firefight with the foot soldiers. We were lucky."
"I won't argue that." Grayson turned his attention back to the enemy ‘Mechs. The Waspwas out of the fight for the moment, but didn't seem badly damaged. The Kurita Stingerhad halted and put up its own hands when the Phoenix Hawkhad called it quits. Ramage's anti-Mech commandos were now dropping from their hovercraft alongside the pair of Kurita 20-tonners. Grayson saw the Stinger'shead split apart and the Kurita pilot wiggle out of the tight cockpit under the threat of Ramage's guns and satchel charges.
He opened a combat frequency. "Strike Two, this is Strike Leader. Operation complete."
A reply sounded in his earpiece. "Strike Leader, this is Two. Your target yelled for help, like you thought. It’s leaving the city at a trot"
Grayson turned his ‘Mech and looked south. Regis was a low sprawl across the horizon, with the University Towers stabbing up into an overcast gray-green sky. Two-and-a-half kilometers was ninety seconds for a trotting ‘Mech. His infantry was still spread out across the valley, leading former prisoners and captured Kurita soldiers to empty hovercraft waiting among the trees. There were also the captured ‘Mechs to think about
"I copy, Two. What are they? Can you take them?"
Clay's voice replied with expressionless calm. "Two lances, Captain. I make it a Phoenix Hawkand a couple of Shadow Hawks,two Wasps,an Archer,what I think is a Centurion,and a Warhammer.
That was not good. The Strike Two ambush force consisted of both of Grayson's heavies—the Riflemanand the Wolverine—plus the main body of the rebel ‘Mechs. Montido's 55-ton Dervishstiffened the unit, but most of the force consisted of Waspsand Stingers.Grayson had insisted that the AgroMechs be left out of it this time. The enemy lances were on the light side, but the Archerand the Warhammerwere both 70-tonners and out of the ambushers' league. There was also the danger that ‘Mechs would strike from the Kurita DropShip, a few kilometers to the northeast
McCall's voice broke in. "Captain, if we can nae takit these
"We can take them, Lieutenant. We're in position, and they haven't spotted us yet."
Unless they'd picked up the radio chatter, of course. Strike Two was using directional microwave antennae locked into a receiver set up on Basin Rim, which then shunted their transmissions to Grayson's Shadow Hawkby a short-ranged relay. It was very possible that the enemy might tap in, however.
"We'll stay put, Two." he said. “Take them."
The ambush force lost two rebel Stingers,one shot to pieces by the combined fire of the enemy Warhammer and Archerwhen it tried to change position, and the other smashed by the enemy Centurion.Neither rebel pilot was able to eject before his ‘Mech was destroyed. Relatively little damage was scored on the Kurita relief column: Clay's Wolverineclaimed a Wasp,McCall's Riflemanchopped the Phoenix Hawkinto scrap, and one of the Kurita Shadow Hawkswas limping heavily as it retreated back into Regis.
The battle had an importance that far outweighed the casualties on either side. The relief column fought with its outgunned ambushers for the better part of twenty minutes before deciding that Escort Two-Four was beyond help from them—and who knew what other surprises those wooded hills north of Regis held? The Kurita forces could have summoned more ‘Mechs from Regis. At what risk, though, when the scope of the ambush was not known? The Kurita lances elected to play it safe by withdrawing back to the shelter of Regis. The wreckage of the two rebel Stingersand the two Kurita ‘Mechs was left where it was. There was too much danger that a sudden sortie would trap any Techs or warriors working to salvage the BattleMech hulks.
In exchange, Grayson's forces had captured a Stingerand a Phoenix Hawkintact and were able to haul off the wrecked Waspand Phoenix Hawkas well. The Waspwas a real prize. A lucky shot had severed a primary driver link in the ‘Mech's lightly armored spine and cut its power supply to its legs and arms, but the damage would be easy to repair. The Phoenix Hawkneeded a new head. If they couldn't find one, its carcass would still provide spare parts for dozens of light rebel ‘Mechs.
All in all, it was a highly successful raid, not to mention the fifty Verthandians rescued before they could be led aboard the grounded Kurita DropShip awaiting them.
Shortly after they reached their Fox Island camp, Lori brought Grayson the startling news that one of the rescued women was Sue Ellen Klein.
* * * *
Rescued and rescuers had rendezvoused back at the Fox Island caves after the battle, pausing only to let a band of rebel AgroMechs race north with the Kurita prisoners in tow, a diversion that might keep the Dracos away from Fox Island for awhile. Grayson knew that they would be visiting Fox Island again, and soon. The longer he could put that visit off, the better prepared they would be to receive it.
As for Sue Ellen, Grayson barely recognized her. She was gaunt, with a haggard expression and a dullness in her eyes that twisted at Grayson's soul. He found her sitting on a log before a smoldering campfire, staring into the flames.
"Sue Ellen? It's me. Captain Carlyle. Are you O.K.?"
She refused to meet his eyes.
He extended a hand to her. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? No? Are you hurt? Sick?"
It took some minutes before she could speak. When she did, her voice was detached, so soft that Grayson had to lean forward to hear. "How did you escape?" she said.
"What do you mean?" he murmured.
"I...I wanted you dead. And apparently I told them something they could use. Something...something about a man named...Ericksson."
"You told them about Ericksson?"
She nodded. "I betrayed you."
Could he blame her? Grayson remembered her last words to him as the Phoboshad plunged from the sky toward the Verthandian jungle. "Maybe you had reason to," he said gently. Somehow, he was not angry, knowing what she must have been through since last they'd met.