— 17 —
The lower route, skirting the forest, looked too deceptive to Bull. If there was going to be trouble, that route would be the way to find it. The central route was too predictable. Anyone would bet that he would come that way. Team Foxtrot, now Group Foxtrot, had never had a reputation for predictability. The upper route, going first north then west, presented the least obvious choice. It took them through mountainous terrain and the homes of the Crageens. They might not be so hostile now that the war was over and the Raiders had proved to be their worst enemy.
"Did you bet on this one, Ennis?" Bull asked his corporal.
"Me, sir? Bet?" Ennis tried his best to look innocent. "Heck sir, you're too hard to predict."
"But . . ." Bull supplied him.
"But if I was to bet, I'd've said that you'd take the plains route, sir. You know, go northwest straight to the wreck," Ennis finished.
Bull shook his head. "I'm glad you didn't bet. I hope you made overlays for the route through the mountains."
"The mountains!" Ennis swore. Bull nodded to himself. The corporal must have bet a packet. Ennis recovered from his shock and stammered, "Uh, yes sir. I have them here." Ennis groped inside the tank for them.
When the officers arrived. Bull told them, "We're going to the mountains." As they digested that information, he continued, "It's the last place we're expected to go. The Crageens aren't our friends, but their enemies are our enemies. I don't think they will have anything to do with Jebbitt's Raiders after the way they were treated.
"The corporal here is handing out—hand out those overlays, Ennis!—maps of our route." Bull snagged one of the overlays as Ennis extended it toward an officer. "I see my corporal has learned to put in phaselines. Good. We may use them."
He paused to let that message sink in. Then he looked at the overlays again. Slammers did not normally use phaselines, relying on instant computer displays to show the locations of all known enemy and friendly troops. Phaselines had been used extensively in the twentieth century by commanders not so equipped, to keep track of the progress of their sub-elements. Without the satellites to spot for them, the Slammers were reduced to such primitive techniques. Each phaseline was drawn across a particular landmark, normally a town, and was used to let Bull know where his sub-elements were located.
"While we may have to alter our route as we go, I propose that we take this route: Madden to Lakeside, then to Glendale, Cullea, and Nickel Run. That's where the mountains start. We'll turn right at the second fork after Nickel Run, left at the first tee junction, then right at the second tee, into Regarra and on to the wreck itself. That's when the job'll really begin . . . Sergeant Major Ogren's job. The phaselines, in order, are labeled Indigo, Fawn, Lavender, Rust—that's Nickel Run—Blue, Brown, White, Gold, and Iridium—that's our Slammers."
"Iridium," one of the new lieutenants murmured appreciatively.
"That's our goal," Bull agreed. "We can't stop for anyone. We've got to open that road. Any questions?"
"What formation are we using, sir?" Lieutenant Dyer of Foxtrot Alpha Tango inquired.
Bull pursed his lips. He hadn't decided on a formation yet. Although he would be able to change it as the need arose, he would still pay the penalty if the chosen formation didn't suit the terrain if they were attacked. There were some mountains on the west side of their route out to Cullea, particularly one near Glendale. The rest of the terrain was fairly flat. Still, Bull thought that the only two formations he would choose would be a tank shield with the skimmers in close behind his panzers, or a skimmer recon with a tank back up.
If Bull chooses the tank-shield formation, turn to section 26.
If he chooses the skimmer recon formation, turn to section 28.