Chapter 137: Against a Hundred Thousand More - II

Falcon One continued north along the western edge of the commercial district.

The infected followed through the streets below. Those closest to the outer shopping centers reached the western avenue first. They ran between abandoned buses and climbed over the vehicles blocking the smaller lanes, while more continued leaving the parking structures and buildings behind them.

Falcon One did not fly toward South One. It remained west of the prepared line and continued north, keeping the mass away from the ground formation until enough infected had entered the wider road selected by the Engineers. Striker One followed several hundred meters behind it.

"Striker One to Fairy. Twenty-two thousand contacts have entered the outer avenue. Another seven thousand are approaching the entrance. Additional movement remains inside the district."

Hans watched the red markers spread through the western blocks. The first group had separated from the larger concentration, but only because the abandoned vehicles and surrounding buildings restricted how many could enter the avenue at once. More continued pressing behind them.

Falcon One continued toward West Three along its assigned circuit. The helicopter passed the northern side of the avenue and crossed above several cleared office compounds.

The infected followed the change in direction. Some entered the wider road immediately. Others remained trapped behind buses and collapsed barriers, forcing the mass into several narrower streams before they gathered again farther north.

A Screamer climbed onto the roof of a delivery vehicle.

"Sniper One has the Screamer," the western team reported.

Anton opened the overwatch channel.

"Hold it until the first section crosses the marked boundary. After that, clear every exposed Screamer."

"Understood."

The Screamer cried toward the district. Its voice passed through the surrounding blocks, and another wave of infected emerged from the western shopping center. Glass broke along several entrances as the bodies inside forced their way through.

Hans watched the markers join the rear of the moving mass. The Screamer was helping Falcon One empty the buildings.

A Thrower appeared along the third level of the nearest parking structure. It tore a section from a damaged barrier and raised the concrete above its shoulder.

"Thrower marked on the third level."

"Sniper Two has it."

The rifle fired. The first round struck the Thrower’s arm, causing the concrete to slip from its grip and fall against the parking ramp below. A second round entered its head.

"Target eliminated."

Falcon One reached West Three.

The prepared engagement area extended across a four-lane road beyond the commercial properties. Empty parking lots occupied one side, while two cleared office buildings stood on the other. Engineers had already moved the larger vehicle obstructions away from the center and marked the surrounding structures as expendable. No bank, shopping center, or occupied civilian building stood inside the approved zone.

Falcon One crossed above it before turning west. The first section followed.

"Striker One to Fairy. Twenty-two thousand contacts inside the marked corridor. The remaining section is still behind the boundary."

The red markers filled most of the road. Others poured into the parking lots, spreading through the open spaces as they pursued the helicopter.

The Screamer crossed the marked boundary.

A rifle fired from the western overwatch position. Its head snapped backward, and the body disappeared beneath the infected pressing around it.

Another Screamer emerged near the rear. The second Sniper fired before it could call again.

"Western Screamers eliminated."

Falcon One continued its outer circuit.

Matilda shifted to the artillery channel.

"Hellhammer One. Western Pattern One. Execute."

"Hellhammer One receives. Coordinates confirmed. Four rounds, HE-FRAG. Six-second stagger."

"Gun One, aligned."

"Gun Two, aligned."

The artillery position remained several kilometers behind the ground formations. Neither vehicle needed to approach the commercial district; the marked area was well inside their twenty-five-kilometer range.

"Firing."

The first Hellhammer discharged. Its report reached the command vehicle before the shell arrived, crossing above the secured blocks and descending into the northern half of the marked avenue.

The explosion removed an entire section of infected. Bodies and fragments struck the abandoned vehicles around them. Windows broke across the expendable office buildings, while the nearest groups collapsed beneath the shrapnel.

Six seconds later, the second shell landed farther south and removed another portion of the mass.

The infected did not stop. Those behind the impacts climbed across the fallen bodies and continued toward Falcon One, while others turned briefly toward the explosions before the helicopter’s engines pulled their attention west again.

The third and fourth shells followed at the same interval. All four impacts divided the concentration into broken sections, though thousands remained inside the corridor.

"Striker One, engage," Matilda called.

"Striker One copies."

The Apache moved along the eastern side of the engagement area as its rocket pods adjusted.

"Sixteen rockets selected."

The first pair launched, followed by fourteen more in a staggered ripple.

The rockets crossed the road from south to north. Explosions struck through the sections that had survived the artillery, throwing bodies into the surrounding parking lots and overturning several abandoned vehicles. Smoke covered most of the avenue, though red markers continued moving inside it.

Striker One shifted along the eastern side. Its chain gun turned toward the gaps between the artillery impacts, then fired short bursts through the center of the concentration. Brutes and larger infected fell first, followed by the packed rows continuing through the smoke.

"Approximately twelve thousand contacts remain mobile," the gunner reported. "Two Tanks near the center."

Both Tanks pushed through the smoke, forcing the ordinary infected away from their paths.

The gunner locked both targets.

"Launching Hellfires."

The first missile left the weapon mount and struck the leading Tank through the upper body. The explosion tore open its chest and threw the remains against a bus.

The second missile hit the other Tank before it cleared the smoke. Both markers disappeared.

"Armored targets eliminated. Bringing the remaining concentration toward South One."

"South One ready."

Anton opened the platoon channel.

"South One, receive. Full western line."

The squad leaders acknowledged.

Falcon One altered its route again. Instead of continuing west, it turned north toward the side of South One’s prepared position. The helicopter remained far enough from the formation that the infected entered the road leading toward the ground forces without following it directly over their line.

The surviving concentration changed direction.

Big Rhino and the other Vanguards assigned to the western line fired first. Their 120mm shells struck the larger groups still packed between the abandoned vehicles. High-explosive blasts broke open the remaining clusters, while their secondary weapons covered the infected spreading through the adjoining lanes.

The Missile Infantry from all six squads fired from behind the armored line. Their missiles passed above the forward vehicles; high-explosive warheads struck the packed center, while airburst rounds opened above the groups spreading through the side roads.

At one kilometer, every Guardian APC attached to South One opened fire. Bastions One, Two, and Three covered the center and adjoining lanes, while the reserve APCs took the outer approaches. Their autocannons shifted between the streets whenever the infected divided around the abandoned vehicles.

The five standard squads deployed their Guardian GIs behind the APCs. Their shields locked into place along the firing line, followed by the MK19s sending forty-millimeter grenades beyond the armored vehicles and into the groups gathering behind the wrecked vehicles.

Seven Machine Gunners covered the gaps between them. The mechanized squad placed both of its gunners along the center lanes, while the remaining five covered the wider approaches.

The first belts disappeared into the M249s while the Army Soldiers waited behind the heavy weapons. Whenever one gunner reloaded, the neighboring position continued firing into the same lane.

The fresh squad remained beside one of South One’s veteran formations. Its soldiers followed the same target assignments and kept their position behind the first line.

Promotion notices began appearing before the concentration reached ordinary rifle range.

Hans dismissed them as they came. The ammunition counters of the promoted units increased with their new ranks, and the soldiers continued firing.

The Scouts marked every group that changed direction. Rifle fire joined the heavier weapons once the first rows entered range, with the Army Soldiers firing across all six squad lanes and cutting down anything that survived the autocannons and grenades.

Smaller groups continued through the center.

The Conscripts opened fire when they entered the final approaches. Their submachine guns covered the spaces between the vehicle barriers while the veteran squads continued engaging farther targets.

The Attack Dogs remained behind the firing line. There was no reason to send them into a concentration that was still being destroyed at range.

None of the infected reached the soldiers.

The final contacts fell across the roads ahead of the prepared line. For several seconds, only the weapons continued tracking the empty approaches.

"South One Actual to Fairy. Western concentration eliminated. No casualties."

"Fairy receives."

Hans looked at the western section of the Radar. The twenty-two thousand markers inside the corridor had disappeared, though a larger mass still remained inside the commercial district.

"Striker One to Fairy. Forty-eight rockets and six Hellfire missiles remain. Chain-gun ammunition above ninety percent."

"Fairy receives."

Falcon One continued its outer circuit. The streets near the western shopping centers had cleared further, though more infected remained inside the underground areas and deeper buildings.

Matilda shifted the command map toward the south.

Falcon Two had drawn another concentration away from the southern parking structures. Striker Two remained behind it, while Striker Three watched the roads leading toward South Two.

"Striker Two to Fairy. Thirty-one thousand contacts confirmed along the southern approach. More movement remains behind them."

Hundreds of thousands remained inside the district.

"South Two Actual to Fairy. Southern line ready."

"Fairy receives."

South Two waited behind its prepared positions.