The first effects of the traps almost made our men start firing too early, thankfully we got their attention in time and they held back on the rounds. Start firing too early and they could have retreated and we would have wasted those rounds.The startled screams and shouts of the Erl's forces when the ground drops out from beneath them or when they slingshot up into the canopy trapped together with their fellow soldiers in magical ropes, was the catalyst for those itchy trigger fingers.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!"
You could see the tension in everyone present ready to start defending the line. We couldn't yet see the movement of the soldiers, only hear the shouts and cries as more traps were found. I pulled my visor down and started looking at the drones feed. They were starting to send small amounts of people forward to either set off the traps or find the spaces in between to safely traverse.
'That's right suckers, you just think you're being smarter.' I can't help but grin as they find the route we wanted to funnel them into. The perfect area that down sloped into a natural gully, one we could pelt the majority of them with knock out gas and they'd have no way to quickly evade them because they'd be surrounded by traps. To the east of the gully, large boulders the height of small cars were stacked and too smooth to climb. The gully narrowed to the west with high sandy walls and a nice big cage trap farther down.
I flipped up the visor and kept a close eye on the now visible soldiers making their way to the ambush spot as I gave the okay to start firing on the outskirts of the forces to help funnel them to the middle of the area.
"Major General Sin, Sir. I've got a report here for you." One of my officers comes up and I take the report and dismiss him, looking it over. My visor scans it and I send it John to read over as well. We've got a rough estimate of troops that the drones picked up and also reports from Turks base.
Our forces were spread out through fifty miles across Panama, a feat never before seen. Our drones were taking out enemy soldiers that were trying to make it through in other places and finding even more traps, some not forgiving as others. I was starting to think that this was too easy right now.
"EVERYBODY STAY ON HIGH ALERT! DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN!" I shout as something just doesn't feel right.
"Sin, we got some heavy artillery being fired on us over here."
*Boom*
"Turk?! What kind of rounds?"
*Tck-tck-tck*
"Non-magical at the moment. HOLD YOUR POSITION AND KEEP FIRING SOLDIER!"
I can tell by the comotion in the background that they're getting some heavy action over there.
"Do you need assistance?"
*Boom*
"No, as long as my men remember you can't run forever from these guys and TO HOLD THEIR FUCKING POSITION!"
As soon as he says that he goes silent for a second.
*Shrilling whistle*
"Shit.. Sin get us some back up. TAKE COVER MEN!"
*KA-BOOM*
"TURK?! ARE YOU OKAY?"
I'm met with radio static and I turn and kick the ground in frustration.
"SHIT!"
I immediately pull up my coms and pull some names out from my list. I'm making calls and telling them to get geared up and their troops, we're pulling them to the front. They had ten minutes. In twenty minutes I briefed them on the situation and told John to command our forces while I took the company of soldiers to go to Turk.
"Mary Douglas Lacroix, I love you, now go kick some ass."
I smirk at his send off over our coms and snap a platoon with me, while the squad leaders snapped the rest. Once there, immediately I had to chug one of the small blue bottles I had with me. Luckily we had a steady supply with a lot of the governments allowing prisoners to donate in exchange for luxuries. Snapping the whole platoon had made me lightheaded.
Within seconds I was back to normal and we made our way down from the main camp that was running around like crazy moving equipment and artillery to the front lines here. I grabbed one of the soldiers whizzing past.
"Where is your Major, soldier?" I ask him and he glances at my two star badge.
"At the front, Ma'am. Major General Sin, they're taking on heavy fire and it took out the radio tower. We have a crew building the back up tower right now. We're getting everything we can to start unloading on these guys. Take a box of shells before you head down that way please."
As he quickly takes off with his hands full, I turn to my company and motion for them to grab something. I grab a box my self and head down the way the others are going. The thick jungle trees and rolling terrain, gave the soldiers moving equipment some cover from the shots being fired.
Dropping my box off where others were, I pulled another soldier to me.
"Where's Turk?!"
He points to the west of us and immediately I'm moving my men that way. The direction we're moving is getting heavy fire, but I can hear Turks battle laugh as we approach.
Debris flies through the air, filled with sand and bits of plants.
The familiar scent of smoky earth and gunpowder fills the air with the sounds of shots being fired and shouts from both sides.
My heart starts to beat faster, knowing this all too familiar scene.
"HOLD YOUR POSITION!" I order my men. I snap to where Turk is, firing a Gatling gun and laughing like a maniac.
Before I was unable to view how the Erl's forces were attacking but now my mouth drops.
Across the river, thousands of the Erl's forces were lined up shooting and trying to cover some of their troops who were making it into the water to get across.
The bridge had been blown up, intentionally or not, leaving the river the only way for the forces to make it across.
"TURK!" I scream next to him.
"I SEE YOU! YOU BROUGHT SOME MEN I SEE, GOOD. HAVE YOUR MAGIC USERS START PUTTING UP WARDS, THESE ASSHOLES HAVE RPGS!"
"Akiyama, instruct the stronger magic users who can do wards to start doing so."
I look around and notice that some of the Erl's men have made it to this side of the river.
I pull out my gun and shoot off a few rounds at the ones climbing up the banks, taking a couple out before calling two squads over to help cover the river banks.
Turk had two soldiers helping feed his gun and needed more back up.
Turk was having a time shredding through the forces on the other bank. Suddenly a burst of fire goes off.
"RPG!" Turk yells at the top of his lungs.
I instinctively toss up a ward and it hits it. My ward throws the explosion on their own forces climbing up through the river.
Suddenly their are shouts of excitement, that can be heard in between the shots. I pause and look up to the sky.
'It's an A-10 Warthog. I thought those were retired in 2040?'
"TAKE COVER!"
*BOOM*
The shock wave of sound and heat hits us before debris starts falling.
I look over to see Turk has pulled his men closer to him to help shield them from the debris.
I hear some cries from our side and have to look around. A few people were hit by flying debris from the explosion and then I see a few of the Erl's forces have made it up the bank and are attacking our troops.
"TURK! PUT SOME ONE ELSE ON THAT GUN AND COME HELP ME NOW!"
I bellow before standing and shooting a few rounds at the enemy soldiers, getting them to have to focus on something other than the troops in front of them.
I snap closer and shoot them, snap farther back and shoot a few others.
More of them are making their way up the banks of the river.
The temporary reprieve of constant machine gun fire from the air strike was enough time for more to make their way to us.
I snap my gun away and pull my Katana.
Turk unleashes a battle cry, that makes blood run cold.
I look at the enemy climbing up the banks and give them all a cold, wicked smile.
'Let's paint the town red'
.....
I don't know how long Turk, myself and the others there fought. The sun had disappeared but flames from burning debris around us and across the river from the the other airstrikes, still provided enough light.
Turk ripped his way through. I sliced and stabbed and had taken a few bullets through out the day, only to smile in the soldiers face as I was still able to plunge my steel deep into them. The first rays of dawn had us finally step back.
They were still shooting from across the river, but no more troops were advancing. In truth, they had retreated from the river bank but still had a large number of forces in the area. I'm wiping the blood, gore, grit and grime from my face as I walk back to Turk's tent.
The army and support troops had finally showed up and the tower was up and running to help with our coms in this terrain. As I walk in, I'm handed a plate of hot food and a drink. I take them nodding my head in thanks as my voice is still to hoarse to talk properly.
After sipping on the drink and slowly eating while in Turk's tent, the others present are going over the information and movements of the surveillance we've gotten. The larger drones that could get a wider and clear picture were being shot out of the sky or out of the trees when spotted. The smaller drones were still mostly intact except for the ones taken out by the air strikes.
"Turk...?" My hoarse voice barely comes out strong enough to be heard over the voices of the other ones talking to him.
Raising a hand, he silences them and looks to me and grunts.
Taking the opening I croak out, "Any contact..from....John?"
'I sound like a dying parrot on a sinking ship.'
He hits one of the officers reporting to him on the hip and grunts at her.
"They are still fighting holding them back behind the line that was set in place. We get a message every hour with the reports. Is there anything else you'd like to know Major General Sin?"
I wave her off with a raspy, "No, thank you."
I set my plate down and lean back in the chair feeling exhaustion setting into my bones. I can't keep my eyes open at this point anymore and let the heaviness in my bones take me.