Several shells exploded overhead, and a pile of small fragments struck like hail against the hull of the downed aerodyne that served as shelter for several squads.
- What the hell am I even doing here? We were just supposed to help with special forces training. Work as consultants and advisors. Now I'm fighting off a bunch of heavily-armed Latin-American gangsters who could be considered regular army men in the middle of the Panama Canal jungle until support arrives or we get friendly fire and get buried right here, - I mutter, filling the magazine with ammo and counting how much I have left.
- Skipper, what are you muttering about? - Manfredi raises his blood-stained head as his brother sits across trying to stop the bleeding from a special ops guy who was unlucky enough to catch a ricochet right in a weakly protected part of his thigh.
- I'm trying to figure out exactly where we took a wrong turn and ended up in this shit. I'm not really a big fan of jungle fights. By the way, are you done with the dolphin? - I put away the loaded magazine and point my head at another special forces operative who had been spitting blood for several minutes because of a shrapnel or bullet that had penetrated his body armor.
- Yes, he stopped spitting blood and is more or less stable. His partner's gonna have to have his leg replaced. The ricochet not only severed an artery, but the bone and muscle turned to mush. And about the wrong turn, I consider the moment when the cowardly general almost at gunpoint of the entire military base did not make us go to rescue his subordinates. Asshole, - Manfredi spat, and took out a small flask from which he took a sip, then handed it to his brother, who also took a sip.
- Uh-huh. After all, because of such a mistake, he would not only be removed from his post, but could be kicked out of the army altogether. To send a special forces unit on a supposedly ordinary raid without preparation into the red zone. It's a good thing I managed to send the hidden camera footage to our main office before they blocked us from communications. - I stand up, finished reloading, and do a quick check of my weapons and armor. - But bitch, sending a few more squads with minimal air support to help the downed special forces was a completely idiotic order.
- Tell me about it, Skipper. Army idiocy in all its glory and power. After all, if you shoot down the newest army airdrain, it means that the enemies have good air defense installations or enough MANPADS. You have to suppress them completely first and only then send in the rescuers. Even I, who didn't graduate from a military school like Saint-Cyr or West Point, can see that. - Rico sits next to me.
- It's the army. It's probably just more internal intrigue within the high command, though. Apparently, our general is not at all friendly with the commander of the Air Force or just does not want more people to know about his mistake. And he brought us in because at the moment we are just mercenaries, for which he doesn't have to report officially. Okay, we'll talk about the army later. How many hostiles did you manage to count? - I'm getting into a comfortable firing position and preparing to face another assault.
- A shitload. I took out all the snipers, but I couldn't get to the men with the rockets. Now as soon as they see me, they start pouring in all the heavy machine guns. I can't even lift my head up - Rico said briefly, and took up a position behind the downed aerodyne.
We were lucky that the pilots had managed to form a circle of downed aerodynes. If it wasn't for those three aerodynes, we would have just been shot down one by one. A couple of birds crashed a little ways away from us, though, and we had to use smoke to pull out any survivors under hurricane fire.
- Net attacks are increasing, but together with the special forces netrunners we manage to contain most of the viruses. I suggest checking your weapons as often as possible, most of the viruses are targeting them. Apparently they want to take them alive. - Kowalski fired a long burst toward the jungle and crouched down, waiting for return fire.
- We stabilized most of the wounded. But we lost one, and another will probably die if we're not out of here in ten minutes. And the medical supplies weren't so good either. Most had only personal first aid kits, and what we were able to bring with us and salvage from the downed birds went to the wounded. So I advise you to be careful - Johnson outlined the situation over the shared coms channel.
- Understood. I'll try to find out from the military about reinforcements and what we'll do next. - switching to military channel.
Brief and heavily laced with swear words conversation with the commander of the military could be condensed into several words: shut up and wait for reinforcements.
- Okay, guys, there's some very bad and shitty news for me, Rico and Private. - I turn on the secure intercom channel and signaled Kowalski not to let the Army netrunners overhear our conversation.
- The bad news is that we're going to have to wait for reinforcements and continue to beat back enemy attacks. I'll be honest, we may have to make a breakthrough, I don't have much hope that we'll be rescued or not covered by friendly fire. And the shitty part is that me and Rico and Private will have to remember that raid in the Amazon forests.
- Fuck, Skipper, you know how to lighten the mood. We barely made it to the border alive - Private whimpered.
- But we survived, so stop pissing yourself, Private. We survived then, we'll survive now. So, in case everything goes the worst possible way, we'll take off. Our small group will have an easier time getting lost and getting away from the pursuers, especially if they're busy with the military. - I briefly outline the plan.
- Uh, Skipper, are we going to leave the soldiers and run away? - Kowalski asked.
- Don't tell me you're feeling patriotic and stuff. I don't remember swearing an oath to the flag or signing a service contract with troops.
- No, I didn't like the fact that we got screwed big time by the military either, and yes, the word "patriotism" was the first thing to get knocked out of my head on the streets. I'm more worried about the problems the Pentagon guys might cause us - Kowalski hinted, that they might have a vendetta against us.
- Forget it. We shouldn't even be here. We're consultants and coaches, not infantrymen who can be forced into an armored truck and sent off to fight under threat of court-martial. Besides, the general screwed up big time and overreacted when he made us come here. He didn't just screw himself, he screwed everyone who invested in him. Now, when this shit is over, he'll either be sent to the organs or work his money off on Jig-Jig Street. I'm sure he's getting phone sex from the superiors and Jeremiah right now. Trust me, the relationships there are so fucked up now that even BDSM won't help - my words bring a light laugh. - That's right, guys, we can't be discouraged. Even if the military wants to blame it on us, I have a fellow Arasaka heir who can solve all the problems with a couple of phone calls. It's all about surviving.
- Art raid attack! Mines! - A loud shout makes us all squeeze into our hiding places.
Shell bursts and mine fragments, that's what I fucking love. One shell hit our airfield and made it shake, but it managed to hold and not fall apart or explode.
- Assault! - the observer saw a couple of armored cars and some infantry units approaching.
- Private, you've got a flare gun! Rico, hit the weapons module and the cameras! Kowalski, you're on cyber defense! Manfredi and Johnson, get the wounded out of range and get ready to give fire support to the Private with the machine gun you removed! - I'm giving orders and trying to cut off the infantry from the armored vehicle.
- Shots fired! - The Private stands up sharply and fires the grenade launcher, the missile almost reaches its target as the active defense system shoots down the missile. - Shit! Skipper, we only have two shots left, and one more high-explosive shell.
- Let's try to take out the active defense system! Kowalski and Rico, you're on APS! - I insert a magazine full of incendiary rounds and fire at the armored car, trying to hit the sensors. That's enough to get the gunner's attention, and the large-caliber shells from the automatic cannon start hitting my cover.
While I was distracting the gunner, Rico was able to do some damage to the outer parts of the active defense system. Kowalski couldn't help him because of the increased activity of enemy netrunners. Better than it could have been, but worse than I wanted.
- Shot! - The second shot from the grenade launcher was more successful and the missile hit the side of the armored vehicle exactly where the gunner and commander should be. With a roar of the engine, the armored vehicle, like a bull in a bullfight, rushes in our direction.
- Private, high-explosive on the tires! We have to stop it before it breaks our defensive formation! - Private at full speed gets a high-explosive rocket and, when we're less than fifteen or ten meters away, shoots at the armored car.
That's enough for the armored car to lose speed and instead of ramming our aerodyne, it just hits it hard.
- Private, take the shield and come with me to the armored car, we have to kill the driver before he comes to his senses! - I throw a smoke grenade and under its cover together with the private climb on the armored vehicle.
At that moment one of the hatches opened and the bloody head of the driver started to rise out of it. I shoot him right in the face and pick him up by his uniform, pulling him out and throwing him on the ground. Then my eyes caught on the almost whole armament module. The missile hit well below it and probably only took out the crew without damaging it.
- Private! Get inside, you'll be my chauffeur! I'll take the gunner's seat. - I'm squeezing inside the car.
- Skipper, I can only drive civilian models! I've only learned the military ones in theory and practiced on a simulator, - replies the Private, who has to throw away his shield to get inside the car.
- And I only know how to drive a cab with Delamain, - I snapped, throwing down a couple of corpses, whose lower limbs with part of the abdomen were torn off by a missile hit.
- It's all automated and you just have to give voice commands! How can you drive it? - asks the Private and tries to figure out the car.
- Exactly, now you see how bad my driving skills are. Now turn the car around to face the enemy. - I'm lucky that most modern armored vehicles are quite versatile and even a novice with basic training can figure out how to shoot or activate the defense systems.
Private, cursing me, the vehicle and its creators, was able to deploy the vehicle and I was done with checking the weapon and defense systems. Except for light damage and partially expended shells, nothing else was found in the APS. Just then the infantry came to the distance of the jerk to our armored vehicle, and not wanting to waste more time, I open fire.
Automatic cannon together with a machine gun, like the scythes of a reaper, dissect the enemy infantrymen. Someone falls, sawed into two halves, someone is luckier and he just sprayed with bloody smoke direct hit of the auto-cannon shell, and especially unlucky machine gun rips off limbs, making them die in agony.
Another enemy armored vehicle, which was providing fire support, notices me and tries to point its weapon. I activate my chrome and, using my enhanced reaction speed, aim as accurately as possible directly at the muzzle of the enemy autocannon. I manage to open fire a couple moments faster than the enemy gunner. Several shells hit and damage the barrel, disabling it. Still, he manages to fire a short burst that hits my armored vehicle with a nasty ringing sound. Fortunately, that was all the enemy armored vehicle was able to do before I just started firing before the autocannon bursts into flames. The cars armor is pretty tough, but I just chewed through it aiming at one point, though towards the end the autocannon started to lose accuracy due to overheating.
Turning the turret around and switching to heat-seeking mode, I started looking for enemy machine gunners. If we still have to make a breakthrough, it would be better to deal with them now, while we have the chance. I change the armor-piercing shells to fragmentation shells and hit the machine gunners, trying not only to kill the gunners, but also to damage the machine guns as much as possible. Replacing a machine gunner in battle is easier than the machine gun itself.
- Skipper! I see a couple of bastards, they seem to be carrying light ATGMs or just heavy rocket launchers! - I'm being alerted by the Private.
- Copy that. - And I see them, one grenade launcher even gets a shot off.
The active defense system warns of an enemy missile. But I'm calm, the system can handle it, because it's one missile, not a full salvo. The machine gun forces the enemies to lie down, which saves them from bullets, but not from autocannon shells. A few short salvos and that's it, the enemies are neutralized.
- Skipper! - Johnson's on the line. - The military's taking off without telling us.
- What? Reinforcements arrived, but I didn't see any aerodynes, - I'm surprised to answer and check the screen displaying information from the armored vehicle's small radar.
- No, those jerks got orders to abandon us and leave on their own. Kowalski burned the brains of the netrunner unit when they tried to cut off our communications with them. That's when we found out what they were planning. Shit, they're getting outta here! They're even leaving some of the wounded behind! - Johnson's words made me want to turn the turret of the armored truck around and shoot those deserters.
- All right, we need a good driver. Who has experience in extreme driving of armored vehicles or APCs? - a bold and bright idea popped into my head.
- I do. I had to drive a lot of things for SovOil, - Manfredi's words gave me confidence that my idea would work. - Some of the bases were so far away that only special vehicles could get there.
- Then take the wheel. And bring in all the wounded and dead, if there's room for them. We will also break through, but with comfort and protection, unlike those Delta fans, - I give orders and continue to shoot at the enemies, so that they do not realize that now there will be an attempt to break through. It should look like a stubborn defense to the last.
- Why the hell are we carrying dead and wounded? - asks Kowalski, whose nose is starting to bleed from the exertion.
- Because we need witnesses and evidence of cowardly abandonment of positions by special forces. Who knows what the military police or whoever's watching the military might think. And it'll be nice to dip those cowards in the shit. Enough grumbling, at least we're not carrying them on our backs.
It took a couple of minutes to load and the military started to withdraw, leaving us surrounded. We've got communications blocked, and their netrunners are all over Kowalski. They were probably even glad when they saw that the ring of encirclement around us had closed, and only a fraction of the enemy forces were following them.
Well, they thought so, until the armored truck roared its engines and started shooting off smoke grenades. Thick clouds of smoke made it impossible to see what was going on there, even for people with thermal imaging cameras. The enemies started firing blindly, hoping that quantity would turn to quality. But the hopes of the enemy and the military were shattered when an armored vehicle burst out of the clouds of smoke in the direction of the fleeing enemies.
Our armored vehicle broke out of the enemy encirclement and calmly overtook the retreating military. Everyone was shocked by such a brazen and audacious act. The military even tried to contact us and yelled something about help. I didn't care about that. I was trying not to break my neck because of Manfredi's crazy driving style. The sharp turns and speed changes made everything inside the car that wasn't buckled up go flying. And what was buckled up was hitting walls and corners.
- Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Man-Manfre-Manfredi, slow down or we're gonna die in here! - I yell, trying not to bite my tongue because of the shaking.
- Come on, Skipper! It's less than twenty-five clicks to the nearest military base! We'll be there in half an hour! - Manfredi replies.
- Slow down! No, Kowalski, don't you dare! You fucking asshole, you puked on my helmet! - The private tries to strangle Kowalski.
- MANFREDI! - I yell, trying to overpower the other passengers, but he just laughs, and by the roar of the engine, it looks like he's speeding up.
A battered armored truck with signs of belonging to one of the cartels with which the cold war is being fought here flew out to the US Army base that provided control and security for the Panama Canal.
All the soldiers prepared to repel the attack, to negotiate, to do anything. But what they saw next made them drop their jaws in amazement.
A smiling and laughing man in a TT outfit emerged from the driver's seat.
- Delivery right to the door, Skipper. Just like you asked for! Hahahahahahahaha. - At that moment, another man in TT gear came out of the turret, only he was almost covered in blood and vomit.
With trembling hands he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and somehow managed to smoke. After taking a couple puffs, he smiled and vomited directly at the driver. And the rest of the passengers started coming out of the back of the car, covered in blood and vomit, as if they'd all been waiting for this.
- Yeah, I've seen all sorts of things over the years. But this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this. All right, judging by the TT gear, they're not the enemy. Let them into the base. Just wash them off with a fire hose first. Several times, - ordered the senior officer at the base and looked thoughtfully in the direction of the forest, from which the uninvited guests came.