The War Across the Stars (15 page)

A soldier walked out of the command tent and approached us. 

“Rangers,” he began.  “Your services are no longer necessary.  You may remain here as an auxiliary force, should the need arise somewhere.” 

“10-4,” Ryan said. 

The officer walked back into the tent from which he had emerged.

Chapter 9

Pursuit

             
“Rangers!” Major Kohl said as he stepped from his command tent for the first time in hours.  “We have a lock on Vorgian Commander-in-Chief, General Walt Lee.  According to our sources, he left the capital shortly after our invasion.  He is currently in an APC en route to the city of Ridgefield.  We should be able to catch them by dropship, but it is important that you take him alive,” he explained.  “Understood?”

             
“Yes sir!” Ryan exclaimed. 

“But be careful, we don’t have much intel on enemy forces located in Ridgefield, so if he makes it you may be in a lot of trouble.” 

“Roger that, sir,” Ryan acknowledged.

“Remember soldiers, taking him alive gives us exactly what we need to end this war.  The highest Vorgian authority held in our custody will cause the rest to crumble.  If we kill him, they’ll just heap command on someone else and view Lee as a martyr,” Kohl warned.

             
It was time for more action, this time without Phil.

“Let’s go guys,” Ryan ordered, running over to a nearby Corsair, whose engines moaned to life. We boarded it, and soon were soaring at maximum speed toward the Vorgian city of Ridgefield. 

             
“This is it guys… the end of the war,” Nevin said excitedly. 

“It’ll finally be over?  We can stop risking our lives every other day?” Max asked, smiling. 

“No Max, not really.  While the war may be over, we’re the Rangers.  It’s up to us to take down pirate groups and anything else that Command feels is worth sending us too.  Particularly with our new training… becoming all purpose soldiers is going to make us the single most important squad in the Elonian Empire,” Ryan murmured thoughtfully.

             
After that, the only noises heard were the roar of the engines, and the occasional gunfire from somewhere below.  Then, the dropship pilot spoke. 

“We’re closing in.  Lee is on the road just ahead of us.  We can’t risk firing on him, so it’ll be up to you to slow him down.” 

“Roger that,” Ryan stated.

             
We soared over the APC carrying the general.  The road was a thin concrete strip surrounded by trees.  The dropship started to lower itself, and turn broadside toward the speeding APC.

             
“Go! Go! Go!” the pilot ordered. 

             
Our team jumped free from the Corsair and into the grass.  The APC had begun to slow down.  There wasn’t enough room, even through the grass, to get past our dropship.  Finally, it skidded to a stop.  A lone Vorgian popped up and manned a machine gun on top of the APC.  He opened fire on the Corsair.  A single shot from Ryan’s rifle dropped him limply on the gun. 

             
Suddenly, the armored personnel carrier turned a sharp left, and plunged into the trees.  It took down several before crushing its tip into a thicker tree. 

             
“Hurry guys!” Ryan called as we charged toward the woods.

             
The door opened up and several people darted out.  The second was an older man, likely Lee.  I took a shot at his leg, but narrowly missed.  As we entered the opening carved by the APC, Lee and his officers disappeared deeper into he woods. 

             
“Don’t let him get away!” Ryan yelled. 

             
Nevin sped up, leaving us behind him.  He entered the deeper region of the woods.  I heard various voices.  One was yelling out orders, while the others were harder to understand.  I tore through the branches and twigs that were in my way.

             
Then there were several gunshots, followed by the distinctive crack of an SR-4.  I flew over a dip and landed beside Nevin with his rifle raised.  Bullets whizzed by us.  Nevin fired again into the woods.  I only saw rustling, and knew that hitting anything would be beyond my ability. 

             
Ryan caught up to us and slowed down. 

             
“Guys, the woods aren’t too long.  They should be out in the open soon,” Ryan informed us.

             
“Okay, let’s do this,” Nevin agreed.

             
We darted further into the trees as fast as we could.  Within minutes be burst out the other end to see a road.  Parked on the road was another APC.

             
“Shoot! He’s gonna get away!” Ryan yelled sprinting toward it.

             
Nevin and I followed.  Then I heard its engine rumble to life.  Nevin leaped onto the back of the vehicle.  It started to move.  I followed Nevin’s act of bravery, barely catching on to the back of the vehicle as it drove off, leaving Ryan and Max behind.  Nevin heaved himself on top of the fast-moving vehicle.  I looked back, seeing Ryan running after us, however he just wasn’t fast enough.  Then, I climbed up with Nevin.

             
“What now?  We can’t break through the windows,” I said.

             
“Well, you’re right.  I dunno what we should do.  I guess just wait here until the vehicle stops,” Nevin called over the wind.

             
We waited on top of the APC silently for several minutes.  As it would seem, the general had no idea that we were on board.  But we had no contact with Ryan, so it was up to us.  As I looked ahead I saw several large, cecrete walls.  Several manned gun turrets were on top of them, as well as a man holding some sort of detonator. 
             

             
Suddenly, the vehicle began to shake violently.  Looking off the side, I saw explosives scattered across the road and even in the grass beside it.  Should they be detonated, we would both be dead, but so would the general.  The turrets aimed at us, but refrained from firing.  Then, to my surprise, the men pulled out rifles and opened fire.

             
“Nevin!  What should we do?” I asked as the bullets pinged around me. 

             
Our armor was taking the blows, but it could only take so many before something came through.  I lifted my SMG-56 with one hand, the other still holding on to the vehicle.  I sprayed some bursts at the gunmen as we passed the gates.  I actually managed to hit one, and he toppled to the ground.

The APC kept driving, and soon the gunmen were out of range.  We had to be nearing the city.  The checkpoint was likely nothing compared to the forces that will be there. 

“There.  I can see the buildings.  Be ready to take him down as soon as he exits the vehicle,” Nevin said.

I steadied my gun.  Several Vorgian aircraft soared above us.  The general had to know we were here by now.  Ahead was a tall building with Vorgian flags waving before it.  The APC turned hard, sliding sideways toward the building.  I heard its horn honk loudly, likely some sort of signal.  A shocking force of soldiers exited the building and opened fire on us.

Nevin hopped off the back and returned fire on the hostile platoon.  I remained on top of the vehicle and aimed carefully down my gun’s sights.  Vorgians continued to pour out of the building. 

“Nevin!” I yelled.  “He’s entering the building, we need to press forward.”

I watched as once again Lee slipped away.  I jumped down into a mass of Vorgians and entered hand-to-hand combat.  I bashed one in the face with my left hand, then sprayed SMG rounds into another.  I slipped out my knife and stabbed it into the neck of one right as he shot me at point blank range. 

I felt a stinging pain.  I realized that a bullet must have penetrated the soft part of my armor.  I held my submachine gun at my hip and blasted into the crowd.

Then, I charged.  Nevin was right behind me as we slammed through the wall of soldiers.  We entered the building and dashed down the long hallway.  At the end, I saw Lee turning a corner.  A soldier stepped out and tossed a flash-bang down the hall.  It blasted open, but it failed to affect us due to our tinted visors. 

Bullets flew by us from behind, some denting our armor.  I feared taking another… the pain from one was enough.  I slipped around the turn and shot the soldier who threw the flash-bang.  No sign of Lee.  I looked around, and spotted an elevator.  The floor number was negative three and decreasing.

“Prex,” I mumbled.  “He took the elevator.”  I tried to pull open the elevator doors, but my gloved hands could not get a grip through the seal.  “Nevin, use your breaching charge.”

“On it,” he responded. 

I moved back to the main hall and fired some shots at the oncoming mass.  Then, a door opened behind me, and more soldiers entered.  We were surrounded on three sides.  I heard an explosion from Nevin’s breach, then turned around and darted for him.

“Go!” I yelled.

He leaped in, grabbing the elevator’s cord.  I followed suit, and we slid down.  We slid for what felt like an eternity, but eventually reached the roof of the elevator, now at rest on the bottom floor.  Nevin peeled open the service hatch, and we both slipped into the elevator.  It was empty.  I slammed a button and the elevator’s door opened.  We carefully entered the room.  It was dark, and unlike the decorative walls and furniture of the upper stories, this room had plain Cecrete walls and lacked any furnishings. 

I could not even see any doorways to other rooms. 

“Where could he be?” I asked.

“No idea,” Nevin replied plainly.

Then I saw it.  There was a manhole on the floor, and its lid was slightly out of place.  It had not been placed back on correctly. 

“He’s in the sewers,” I murmured as I moved the lid aside.

I leaped down and landed on a hard surface.  There was a river of sewer water running down the center.  It was a slimy green color. 

Nevin plopped down beside me. 

“Which way?” Nevin asked.

I thought hard, but briefly, knowing the consequences of failure. 

“Left.”

We ran down the hall to our left.  My heart beat faster.  The running was causing additional pain to my wound, which throbbed continuously like an intensifying fire.  The tunnels seemed to stretch forever, with the pain only adding to the feeling. 

Out of nowhere, a Vorgian SAS leaped out from behind the curved wall.  We fell into the river of muck and began sliding with the current. My gun clattered on the cold Cecrete walkway we had been traversing.  I wrestled free of the crazed soldier and kicked him away.  Then I planted my feet on the ground and grabbed onto the edge.  I pulled myself out and saw Nevin running toward me holding both of our SMG’s. 

“You okay?” he asked

“Yeah, I’m good,” I answered as he passed my gun back. 

My armor dripped with the slime.  Nevin and I proceeded down the hall.  Then we saw him. 

“We’ve got this!” I said as I sped up.

Nevin zoomed ahead and closed in.  He began firing his SMG at Lee’s guards and officers.  The last two of his guards collapsed, one of which fell into the river.  Nevin catapulted himself forward, crashing into Lee.  The two rolled then slid to a stop.  His uniform had
Lee
stenciled on it.

I caught up and reloaded my gun. 

“Now what?” Nevin asked, holding down the thrashing general.

“My guess… would be to knock him out somehow,” I answered.

“Ok,” Nevin said, squeezing the general’s shoulder.

Lee suddenly fell limp. 

“Nice… Let’s go,” I said. 

Nevin hoisted the frail old man onto his shoulder, and we began to walk down the tunnel.  We couldn’t go back the way we came, considering the amount of opposition there would be.  We had to find another alternative.

As we meandered down the tunnel we heard voices.  They were alert, and obviously in search of us. 

“Do we fight, or hide?” Nevin questioned.

“Hide,” I said, leading the way toward the river. 

We both eased ourselves into the water.  I heard the footsteps and voices get closer.  I held my hand over Lee’s mouth and nose and dunked his head underwater.  I looked up, but could barely see anything through the slime.  Flashlights flashed around above the surface.

At last, they passed.  Nevin and I emerged from the water.  We pushed Lee back onto the ground.  We then pulled ourselves out and picked Lee up again.  We quickly moved the way that the soldiers had come from. 

“There!  A ladder!” I said looking at a rusted ladder.

“’Bout time we found one,” Nevin mumbled.

Together, we climbed the ladder pushing Lee up.  It seemed to be a long ladder, perhaps stretching clear back up to the surface.  We reached the top and rose from the floor.  The lid to the hole was off to the side.