— 24 —
He made the decision instantly. "Our hovertanks will go first, at least as far as the forest. Then we'll see." He looked at the newly promoted Lieutenant Dyer. "Your platoon will have the right flank, mine will take the left. Lieutenant Peyton's platoon will snuggle up in your wake." Peyton made a face. "You don't have to get too close," Bull told him, "just close enough to get dirt in your face." To the leader of the other training infantry platoon Bull said, "Your platoon has the honor of eating my dust." The young man grinned.
Bull locked eyes with Lieutenant Smyth. "For the time being your job will be to form the van for the softskinned vehicles." He looked over to Sergeant Major Ogren. "I suppose you know what to do?"
Ogren snorted. "You open the door, we'll close it. Just you open the door . . ." He paused, then added, "sir."
Bull nodded. He wondered how he'd had the luck to get the sergeant major leading the softskinned vehicles, until he recalled that Colonel Hammer had assigned him. Maybe it wasn't so much a matter of luck after all. Sergeant Major Ogren had been known to force obedience in the worst of situations.
"We leave in five minutes. I'll contact you by laserlink," Bull finished, climbing back into his turret. He watched as the officers headed back to their commands, and then fastened his helmet. With a deft motion he adjusted the boom mike hanging from his helmet to just in front of his lips and tightened up the chin strap so that outside noise was cut off. A quick glance told him that the great two-hundred-millimeter main gun was armed and ready, while a caress was all Bull needed to know that the two-centimeter turret gun was yearning for action.
"Fire it up, Timmons," Bull said over the intercom. To his corporal he said, "I hope you didn't bet we wouldn't need any ammo!"
"No sir! We're fully combat loaded," Corporal Ennis replied. "It took us three minutes to switch from training to combat ammo. That's a new battalion record."
"Sar' Major," Sara Engles muttered. She was the fourth member of the crew, Bromley's communications chief. She had joined his tank when he'd made first lieutenant, and had instantly displayed a talent close to mind reading. She always had the radios switched to whatever frequency Bromley needed before he could ask. She was taciturn, stalwart, and stubborn; Bull would never trade her.
"She's right. Sergeant Major Ogren sort of helped," Ennis agreed.
"Have you briefed Timmons on the route?" Bull asked.
"Yes sir, he showed me the way," Timmons replied. "I'll get you there as quick as you want. Just let me dodge the trees." On their last mission Bull had ordered his driver to topple trees to hinder the movement of Jebbitt's ground tanks. Timmons had complained mightily about the delay and lost time.
"I'm not trying to slow anyone down this time," Bull responded. "Get ready," he said to his crew in general. "Foxtrot this is Foxtrot Six, report," Bull said over the radio. He could never figure out how it was that Engles always knew which channel to switch to before he said anything, but she did, and it had saved their lives several times.
"Foxtrot Alpha Tango." Dyer's terse reply indicated that he was ready to move out.
"Foxtrot Alpha India." Lieutenant Peyton's reply was a scant moment behind.
"Foxtrot Bravo India, wait one. Over," a young voice Bull didn't recognize replied. Shortly afterward Bull heard "Foxtrot Bravo India" from the platoon leader.
"This is Foxtrot India, roger," Smyth responded in a bored tone that seemed to say "What took you so long?"
"Sierra Major, waiting impatiently," Ogren grumped.
Good, Bull thought to himself. Now for Central. "Central, this is Foxtrot. Moving at this time."
"Roger," the voice of Central replied calmly.
"Foxtrot, move out," Bull told his command. Instantly he felt the surge of power as Timmons changed the thrust of the fans and the huge tank glided forward. Behind him the sound of seven more hovertanks filled the air. Farther behind the soft noise of skimmers made no appreciable difference, though the heavy engines of the softskinned, wheeled vehicles that had been hastily rounded up by the regiment added another tone.
The tanks cleared the gate and instantly assumed a column separation of fifty meters, guns hedgehogged left and right to cover either side of the wide streets of Madden. Behind them, with less trepidation, rode the infantry on their skimmers. The huge panzers slid slightly around the tight corners that Timmons's blistering pace encouraged, and scraped the tanks' rusty hover skirts against the road, raising sparks. Finally they cleared the town on a wide but poorly paved road.
Bull's platoon fanned out to the left and Lieutenant Dyer's tank platoon fanned out to the right. Together they formed a wedge behind which the two infantry platoons arrayed themselves. Farther back Smyth's platoon formed a second wedge in front of the softskinned ground vehicles Sergeant Major Ogren commanded.
They soon reached the junction Corporal Ennis had labeled phaseline Orange. As the formation veered west, Bull noted with relief that there was little traffic on the road in front of them, even though it was a sunny workday. On that thought Bull put his binoculars to his face and peered out into the fields. He was reassured to see farmers working their fields, some even waving to the moving convoy, mistaking their action for training maneuvers.
Bull did not expect trouble this close to the Slammers' base. If there was going to be trouble, it would be nearer the wreck. The enemy would be more likely to attack helpless survivors than to tangle with armed soldiers. The town of Plains swept into his view. He gave it a careful search, then inspected the area around it for anything unusual. The forests on his right were Dyer's concern, but the mountain to the west beyond Plains was Bull's worry. He'd have to worry a little longer, because he was still too far away to resolve any worthwhile details.
"Foxtrot, this is Six. Widen it to two hundred," Bull ordered, telling his command to increase the gap between vehicles to two hundred meters. The increase would not reduce their ability to react to a situation but would make it hard for an attacker to switch targets rapidly. Bull breathed a bit easier.
"Approaching Aqua," Dyer reported. "Request permission to recon."
"Negative," Bull replied. They were indeed very close to the town of Plains, designated phaseline Aqua.
"Foxtrot Alpha India, detail a recon to Aqua," Bull told Lieutenant Peyton, knowing that he did not want his tanks near the dangers of a narrow-streeted town. The sight of a skimmer squad zigging in front of his tank informed Bull that Peyton had been eager to recon the town. A quick glance behind him confirmed that Peyton hadn't gone himself. The recon squad behaved well. A team dismounted near the edge of the town and disappeared into its outskirts, backed up by the still-mounted second team.
"Foxtrot, reduce speed," Bull radioed, allowing time for the recon team to examine the town.
"This is Foxtrot Alpha India Eight. Aqua is secure," Sergeant Hunt reported shortly after Bull noted the returning pongoes at the town's edge.
"Foxtrot, proceed to Aqua," Bull acknowledged. Timmons accelerated in response. "Foxtrot Alpha India Eight, rejoin your command."
Bull turned around to see how his command was coping with the newly increased speed. The softskinneds appeared to have bunched up behind Smyth's platoon. "Foxtrot India, increase your pace," he ordered.
The two tank platoons were pinched closer together as they made for the entrance to Plains, but a good knowledge of the roads in the village allowed them to avoid getting entangled. Bull worried that the softskinned vehicles might not perform so well. "Foxtrot India, post road guards for Sierra Major."
"This is Sierra Major," Ogren's raspy voice replied. "Just post one set; I'll have them relieved as I come to them."
"Foxtrot Six, roger," Bull agreed, giving Smyth permission to follow the sergeant major's suggestion. He turned his attention back to his own platoon and ordered, "Lariat, proceed to phaseline Red." He swung his binoculars to the mountain again. It bothered him, especially as watching it would soon become Dyer's responsibility when the combat group followed the road to the southwest.
"Keep a good eye on that mountain," Bull ordered his platoon.
"Yeah, it looks like a real friendly place," Sam Lewis agreed.
"Six, this is Tango Alpha," Dyer interrupted. "We have a possible"—the roar of powerguns drowned him out—"correction, have engaged and destroyed two enemy tanks in the woods to the direct north of Aqua."
Before Bull could reply, two explosions rocked his tank. As the dust cleared, he could see that one of the two shots had struck it a glancing blow.
"Foxtrot, this is Six. Enemy tanks on the mountain! Engage at will!" To Ennis he said, "Find them yet?" Without waiting for Ennis's reply, he radioed Central. "Central, this is Foxtrot. We have engaged and destroyed two enemy tanks and are now being engaged by a further enemy position, number unknown. Out." As he finished speaking, he added, "Sara, send them a spot report. I'll do my own switching."
"On the way," Engles replied.
"Got 'em!" Ennis yelled. On the combat group net he said, "Four enemy tanks, azimuth three-three-five, elevation twenty. Engage."
Bull put his eye to the main gun sights. He quickly got a target on the crosshairs, but another explosion rocked the tank before he could fire.
The enemy has a total of four tanks. Two others were destroyed. Their Ordnance value is 2 per tank.
Lieutenant Bromley's forces are eight hovertanks and twelve squads of skimmer infantry. The Ordnance value of Bull's hovertanks is 4 each, while that of each skimmer infantry squad is 2.
The enemy exchanges no more than three volleys with Group Foxtrot before they retreat. Both the enemy and the Slammers attack using Chart D.
If the enemy succeeds in destroying Group Foxtrot, turn to section 29.
If the enemy is destroyed or driven off, turn to section 27.