Chapter 141: Against a Hundred Thousand More - VI

The Tank remained behind the abandoned buses. Above Specter, the Leaper crouched along the rooftop edge without jumping. Callum watched both markers; neither side approached the other.

"Specter to Fairy. Priority contacts holding outside the intersection."

Hans studied the surrounding roads.

The ordinary infected had spread behind the enhanced contacts, though they had also stopped beyond South Two’s effective firing line. The Tank stayed close to the commercial buildings, denying Raptor One a clean strike, while the Leaper remained near enough to threaten Specter without entering the rifles’ best range.

They knew what the intersection was for.

"Raptor One to Golden Eagle. Your large friend is hiding behind the buses again."

"Stay on him."

"With pleasure."

The fighter continued around the eastern side of the district.

Hans looked over the remaining concentrations. Thousands waited along the roads while more occupied the parking structures and shopping buildings behind them.

Perhaps they expected him to conserve ammunition until the five contacts moved.

That would have worked before the Airfield and the expanded armored force. Now, waiting only gave whatever controlled them more time to adjust.

"Bring Specter and Viper back," Hans said.

Matilda opened Specter’s channel.

"Specter, withdraw to South Two. Do not pursue."

"Specter receives."

Callum and the four DASFs moved backward together, circling around the edge of the acid-covered pavement. Specter’s escort APC waited on the western side of the intersection, collected them once they cleared the damaged section, then returned behind the armored line.

Matilda watched the eastern groups remain in place.

"The interception failed."

"Then we stop waiting for them."

Matilda flashed with a rare smile.

"Falcon One and Falcon Two, resume the lure. Stay over the approved avenues."

Both crews acknowledged.

"Striker Two, Striker Three, engage exposed concentrations. Preserve the shopping structures when possible, but do not hold ammunition for the enhanced contacts."

"Striker Two copies."

"Striker Three receives."

Hans shifted to South Two.

"Stop them from reaching the buildings."

Matilda opened South Two’s command channel.

"South Two Actual, engage the exposed concentrations. Keep them out of the structures."

"South Two receives."

Sabine switched to her platoon channel.

"Vanguards, engage the deeper concentrations. Bastions Four through Six, cover the road mouths. Infantry dismount behind the armored line. Missile Infantry, HE blast against exposed clusters. Guardian GIs, deploy behind the Bastions. Machine Gunners, take the open lanes once they are clear."

The Vanguards fired first.

High-explosive shells struck the infected holding along the eastern road. Guardian APC autocannons followed, sweeping across the groups that separated from the impacts.

Missiles crossed above the armored line.

Their HE warheads struck the larger groups gathering behind the first explosions, breaking apart concentrations that had survived the Vanguards or had not been shelled yet.

Behind the Bastions, Guardian GIs locked their shields and tripods into place. Their MK19s opened fire moments later.

Forty-millimeter grenades arced into the road mouths. Each explosion was smaller than a tank shell, but the repeated impacts kept the infected from reforming between the wrecked vehicles.

The infected had refused to enter Hans’s killing ground, so he moved the killing ground toward them.

The Screamer cried from inside the parking structure. This time, every group began moving at once.

The movement was not toward South Two.

Several groups entered the side streets. Others turned back toward the shopping structures, using the buildings to escape the Vanguards’ firing lines.

"They’re withdrawing," Matilda said.

Hans watched the markers leave the open roads. They were trying to preserve the remaining numbers.

"They won’t be. Not for long. Continue with the mission."

Matilda nodded.

"Falcon One, cut across the northern exits. Falcon Two, take the eastern roads. Keep them moving."

"Falcon One copies."

"Falcon Two receives."

Both helicopters descended until their engine noise rolled through the surrounding blocks. Their door gunners continued watching the rooftops and upper floors.

The infected nearest the exits reacted first.

Some followed the Falcons. Others continued toward the buildings until Bastion Four and Bastion Five opened fire.

Their autocannons swept across separate road mouths. Bastion Four held the northern exit while Bastion Five shifted toward the eastern lanes, tearing through the groups attempting to reach the shopping structures.

Bastion Six joined several seconds later.

The three Guardian APCs maintained their assigned sections without crossing one another’s fire. Whenever the infected divided again, their turrets followed the larger groups and left the smaller clusters to the infantry behind them.

The Machine Gunners fired from the spaces between the vehicles.

Belts disappeared into their weapons while the Army Soldiers and Conscripts handled whatever survived the autocannon bursts. Nobody waited for the infected to reach the original engagement line anymore.

"Reloading!"

The nearest Machine Gunner lowered his weapon.

Another took over the lane before his fire stopped completely.

The first replaced his ammunition and raised the M249 again.

"Ready."

He resumed firing.

The same rhythm continued across South Two. Rifles emptied, magazines changed, and the soldiers returned to their targets while the next section kept the road covered.

The Vanguards fired again.

War Elephant’s shell struck the intersection ahead of the withdrawing infected. The explosion threw bodies and pieces of abandoned vehicles across two lanes, closing another route toward the shopping structures.

"War Elephant to Fairy. Eastern intersection handled!"

"Continue engaging," Matilda answered.

War Elephant’s commander laughed.

"War Elephant was already planning to!"

Its coaxial machine gun opened fire before the smoke cleared.

The leading vehicles had remained in the heaviest sections since the operation began. Bastion Four and Bastion Five had already cut through hundreds, while War Elephant continued adding kills to the progress earned during the earlier commercial battles.

None had reached their next promotion yet.

This engagement would bring them much closer.

The other Vanguards continued firing. Their next shells struck the intersections ahead of the withdrawing infected, overturning abandoned vehicles and throwing bodies across the roads.

"Striker Two, northern street."

"Targeting."

"Striker Three, eastern group."

"Already on them."

Both Apaches attacked.

Rockets crossed above the armored line and struck the exposed concentrations. The chain guns followed, cutting through the survivors as they scattered between the damaged vehicles.

The red markers began disappearing faster.

Hans kept the five enhanced contacts marked separately.

The Leaper moved between rooftops, staying ahead of Falcon Two. The Lasher disappeared inside one of the pedestrian bridges. The Spitter changed levels within the parking structure whenever Striker Three moved for an angle.

The Tank remained near the northern exit.

Raptor One passed above it again.

"Still hiding," the pilot reported. "I think he likes me."

"Keep watching him."

"I knew you would say that."

Another scream came from the parking structure. It lasted longer this time around.

The infected still outside stopped retreating. They turned toward South Two again, even as the Vanguards and APCs continued firing.

Hans looked at the remaining count. Whatever directed them had decided that losing them in the streets was worse than sending them forward.

Or perhaps, it thought his ammunition was running out?

A wide smirk appeared on Hans’s face. Attrition had never been his army’s weakness. Whoever was controlling these infected, they were bound to be disappointed.

On the Radar, the Tank moved swiftly and left the abandoned buses.

It entered the northern road ahead of the ordinary infected, using its remaining arm to throw one bus away from its path. The groups behind it poured from the side streets, parking ramps, and shopping entrances at the same time.

More appeared than Hans expected. They’re going all out. Well, that will save us some time.

"Tank advancing," Striker Three reported.

The Tank crossed the shopping frontage and entered the approved corridor.

"Raptor One to Golden Eagle. Target clear."

Hans watched the distance between it and South Two.

"Send it."

Raptor One banked toward the northern road.

One of the fighter’s missile bays opened. A precision missile dropped clear before its motor ignited, leaving a white trail as it accelerated toward the avenue.

"That’s what I’m talking about."

The missile entered the camera feed first.

The Tank looked upward before the fighter appeared behind it. It changed direction, but the missile followed. The open avenue offered nowhere large enough to conceal its body.

The missile struck through its upper chest.

The explosion lifted the Tank from the pavement and threw it into the infected behind it. One arm separated completely while most of its torso was torn open across the road.

Hans shifted to the Radar. Its marker remained.

The Tank groaned as it pushed against the pavement with what remained of its shoulder.

Raptor One clicked his tongue.

"Stubborn bastard."

"Thanks for the assist," Striker Three’s gunner replied. "We’ll finish it."

"Be my guest. There isn’t much left anyway thanks to me."

Striker Three shifted along the eastern side of the avenue.

Its chain gun turned toward the Tank as the infected continued dragging itself across the pavement. The remaining ordinary infected crowded around it, some passing over the ruined torso while others pushed through the road behind it.

"Target acquired."

The Apache fired.

Thirty-millimeter rounds struck the Tank from the shoulder upward. The first burst tore through what remained of its chest. The second crossed the neck and head, scattering flesh across the infected behind it.

The Tank dropped against the pavement.

Its marker remained.

"Was that all you got?" Raptor One asked.

"Striker Three, finish it," Matilda ordered.

"Striker Three copies."

The gunner selected one AGM-114 Hellfire. It ignited beneath the Apache’s right stub wing.

Flame burst behind the missile as it accelerated from the launch rail. A white trail crossed the avenue while its guidance system kept the missile centered on the Tank.

The infected attempted to drag itself behind a wrecked sedan.

It barely moved another meter.

The Hellfire struck the opened chest and detonated through what remained of its torso. The explosion lifted the Tank from the road before slamming it back into the pavement. Several infected surrounding it disappeared beneath the blast, while others were thrown against the abandoned vehicles nearby.

The Tank’s marker vanished.

"Striker Three confirms target eliminated."

"After I opened it for you," Raptor One replied.

"Keep telling yourself that."

Screams rose throughout the commercial district.

One came from the parking structure. Another answered from the eastern blocks. More followed until the sound passed through every road around South Two.

The infected still inside the buildings poured outside.

Groups that had been using the side streets for cover returned to the avenues. Others forced themselves through the shopping entrances and parking ramps, no longer waiting for the Falcons to draw them out.

"Look what you’ve done, boys," Raptor One said. "Broke their hearts."

"Cut the chatter," Matilda ordered. "Raptor One, remain on station for precision support. Strikers, engage the dense concentrations. South Two, hold formation."

She changed channels.

"Specter, Viper, intercept any enhanced contact that reaches the line. Do not pursue into the structures."

"Specter receives."

Across the tactical display, the remaining four enhanced contacts began moving.