Desperate Measures Chapter 19

Chapter Seventeen

Erik expected more on-the-ground resistance the last few kilometers as the forest began to give way to the vast field of grass surrounding the mansion.

While the conspiracy’s penchant for attempting to overwhelm with sheer numbers was consistent with the dire wolf horde, he suspected there was something more to it. His worry that this battle was personal hadn’t left him.

In a battle against other humans, one side might win or lose based on running out of ammunition, but monsters’ teeth and claws didn’t go away. Exoskeletons and tactical suits were good protection, but he didn’t want to go up against a

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at close range.

He’d seen plenty that could get through tactical suits.

The outline of the mansion was visible in the distance, along with the bright flash of AAA emplacements firing into the sky. The trees were growing sparser and the booms louder. Manicured patches of lawn filtered into the forest more, the increasing number of obviously artificial clearings.

“We’re going to proceed with the second phase of the ops plan,” Erik announced. “We’re going to join together to form Alpha and Beta squads. Beta, you’re still responsible for clearing out the AAA and doing whatever pest control we need outside, including holding the LZ for our exfil. All Alpha soldiers, you’re with me. We’re going to go crash the house party.”

Initial intel indicated the bulk of the AAA was deployed at the front of the mansion. Erik and the colonel both worried about getting cut off from retreat, so they would decide on the final details at the last moment. If things went better than expected, and they cleared out the rest of the enemy without too much resistance, then all they’d done was be overly cautious.

The exo formation broke into two groups of six, with four soldiers joining Erik and Jia as they changed course to head toward a side entrance of the mansion. He’d kept one rocket exo on their team, but he wanted the bulk on Beta Squad to help rapidly take out the AAA.

“Down to forty percent,” Emma reported. “I’m surprised they’ve lasted as long as they have. That portends less effective resistance inside.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Erik returned.

He expected more

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reinforcements.

He was surprised they’d made it all the way to the perimeter of the mansion’s grounds without running into reinforcements or additional traps. He wasn’t going to complain about an easier approach after the dire wolf horde, but he also doubted the enemy was done flinging death at the squads.

Was there some clever strategy informing the whole thing? Throwing monsters at them in narrow internal hallways might benefit the exos more than the

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.

He was going in regardless, so they would find out soon enough. Before that, they could help Beta Squad with their job.

An eight-barrel turret protruding from some hedges spun back and forth, filling the sky with rounds as it attempted to bring down the rest of the drones. Another cannon fired exploding shells with a steady thump. A missile launcher with four racks sat ready, recently raised out of the ground, judging by the damaged grass. The enemy was smart enough not to waste their missiles on mere drones.

It was an impressive setup. If the team had tried to make a direct landing, the air defenses would have shredded them, especially in a flitter. Even dedicated fighters and close-air attack craft would have had a hard time.

“Alpha Six, take out the SAM launcher,” Erik ordered. “We don’t want any surprises, but we can leave the rest for Beta squad.”

“Yes, sir.” The soldier spun his exo toward the target. “Backblast area clear.”

Blowing up readied SAMs was easy. After all, the enemy was providing them with massive amounts of explosives waiting to be set off.

With a whoosh and a roar, a rocket shot from Alpha Six’s launcher and sped toward one of the missiles. It struck, and its impressive primary explosion was consumed by a massive secondary explosion as the missiles went off. The shockwave knocked over some nearby trees and launched a massive cloud of dirt, grass, and rock into the air. If Erik hadn’t been in his exo, he would have clapped.

Erik had chosen the target well. Although it’d cracked and scorched the walls and windows of the mansion, it was far enough away that nothing more than minor surface damage was inflicted. He doubted they’d stuck the informant outside next to a missile launcher.

“Target neutralized,” announced Alpha Six, pride in his voice.

More loud blasts sounded from the front of the mansion. The ground shook, and dark smoke filled the air. The percussive drumline of AAA weakened with the destruction of more turrets and launchers. It wouldn’t be long before the enemy would be vulnerable from the air.

The colonel wanted to avoid calling in air support for political reasons, but the enemy didn’t know that. While the primary point was to secure their safe exfiltration, the focus on air defense also served as a feint, focusing the enemy on a strike from the air rather than the exo team heading into the mansion.

A loud grinding noise sounded from all around. The ground shook.

“Detecting thermal traces from right underneath the surface,” Emma reported.

She sent targeting markers to Erik.

“Enemy at 9 o’clock,” he shouted. The constant jamming was damned inconvenient.

A massive covered ramp erupted from the ground, ripping apart the carefully manicured lawn and opening into a darkened tunnel. Dirt and rock tumbled down the sides and front, accompanied by the unpleasant dissonant rumbling of the rising structure.

Short bellows sounded from inside, inhuman, loud, and angry. Something was coming.

Thunder echoed from inside, something heavy and hard striking the metal of the ramp as it charged up. Loud snorts and bellows echoed from below.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jia muttered. “Is this a demon zoo?”

“Something like that,” Erik offered. “Let’s close it down.”

He knew it’d been too easy to get close to the mansion.

A group of stampeding monsters crested the ramp, each almost the size of the MX 60. Thick, dull gray plates covered their four-legged bodies all the way down to their black hooves. Narrow red eyes peeked out from slits in the natural armor. Their size was weapon enough, but four spikes protruded from the fronts of their bodies.

The exos opened fire with their rifles. Velocity and size granted deadly penetration power to their weapons, enough to rip through a lot of targets, manmade or otherwise, but their rounds bounced off the armored plates with sparks and minor gouges. Erik didn’t know whether to be impressed or worried.

“Keep mobile, and don’t let those bastards run you over,” Erik ordered. He fired another burst to no effect. “See if it’s weaker on the other side. Grenade and rocket use is a go. Switch to plasmas. These things might be tough, but they’re still creatures some scientist cooked up, not advanced alien crap.”

Different-sounding roars from the front signaled an attack on Beta Squad. Erik didn’t regret splitting up. It also meant the enemy had to split their forces. The ramp descended shortly after the last

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emerged.

No easy way in for the team.

While the new monsters, which Erik had taken to thinking of as demon rhinos, lacked the numbers of the dire wolves, their ability to take a punishment made the latest battle a more dangerous engagement. Another barrage didn’t accomplish any more than the first shots and the exos scattered, using their jump thrusters to spin and clear the charging

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.

Despite Erik’s suggestion, the rear and side armor of the enemy didn’t look any thinner than the front. The squads’ rifles came alive again, along with satisfying thumps as the grenade launchers fired their latest choice. A rocket screamed from Alpha Six.

A demon rhino roared when it was hit by the white-blue blinding explosion of a plasma grenade. Another bellowed its displeasure at Alpha Six’s explosive surprise.

“Tough bastards,” Erik muttered. “But if you feel pain, that means you can die.”

A plasma grenade stood a decent chance of taking out a military exoskeleton, depending on where it hit. The grenades had blasted free and cracked the plates, exposing softer flesh underneath, but they didn’t kill the monsters. The rocket attack had about the same effect.

Erik was satisfied. It took a stronger punch, but they could win.

Jia ran to the side, spraying bullets toward one of the newfound openings. Her demon rhino reared back, blood splattering from the wound before landing with a loud thump and rushing toward its tormentor.

Another monster galloped toward Erik, preventing him from helping his partner. He fired another plasma grenade before activating his jump thrusters for a lateral dodge, narrowly avoiding the vehicle-sized monster. He sent a burst into the weak spot. The monster shook his head and let out an angry snort before continuing its charge. These were definitely tougher than the dire wolves.

Another rocket from Alpha Six screamed across the lawn and struck the hole. The explosion blew out a huge chunk of the demon rhino’s body, and it collapsed to the ground with a dying moan.

“Don’t go crazy with those,” Erik ordered. “We might need them later. I’d hate to run into a ridiculous armored giant elephant and only have our rifles.”

Jia jumped over her target with careful timing, using the demon rhino itself for a mid-jump boost. She angled her rifle down and sent a stream of bullets into its weakened area, and it jerked and bellowed before dropping to its knees. She didn’t stop when she landed, instead rushing to the enemy to keep firing at point-blank range until it stopped moving.

One of the soldiers lacked Jia’s exquisite timing, and the demon rhino slammed into him before he’d cleared it. His shield took the brunt of the spikes, but the blow sent him careening through the air. Erik couldn’t risk a grenade or call for a rocket strike with the exo so close to the enemy, so he sprinted straight toward the

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, drawing its attention with harassing strikes against its wound.

The damaged exo hit the ground. The pilot’s life signs were stable, but he was groaning and not moving.

Erik continued firing at the monster until it turned toward him. He picked up speed and jumped into the air to avoid it connecting with him. Twisting, he launched a plasma grenade into the wind. The explosion sheared a leg off and sent the monster’s body into another demon rhino, knocking the second over.

The monster rolled back onto its feet with some effort, but the precious seconds it lost let Jia and another soldier riddle its wound with bullets. It fell to the ground again, head lolling to the side.

The roars and screams of the dying monsters stopped from the direction of Beta Squad, replaced by a triumphant cheer. Alpha Squad needed to hurry up and not be outdone.

“Probably had easier

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,” Erik muttered.

With a pattern now established and the enemy numbers reduced, it was a simple matter for Erik, Jia, and the remaining soldiers to put down the last group of demon rhinos. The downed soldier groaned and righted his exoskeleton.

“Alpha Five, you okay?” Erik asked.

“I’ve been hit harder than that and lived,” the soldier replied cheerfully. “But I’d rather not do it again.”

“Yeah. That’d be best.”

Jia had been right. It was a demon zoo, or they’d taken a wrong turn on the way to France and ended up in Hell.

Acrid smoke filled the area, along with pieces of metal and plastic from the destroyed missiles and downed drones. The mammoth corpses of the demon rhinos formed a maze, their blood soaking into the grass. Craters from explosions and hoofprints left the lawn dangerously uneven.

“We still jammed, Emma?” Erik asked.

“Rather thoroughly,” she reported.

“Guess we’ll need those flares.”

“We know they have some sort of subterranean facility,” Jia observed. “Should we try to dig up the tunnel?”

“No,” Erik replied. “It’ll take too many of our explosives to do it, and I’d rather not walk right into any

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pens. Besides, we’re still looking for Ahmed, and if he’s alive, I doubt they’d keep him with the monsters.”

Erik couldn’t get much of anything off the thermals to tell him what was inside the mansion. They could be stepping into an empty facility or a place filled with every type of

yaoguai

imaginable and some that weren’t. The jamming meant Emma would need direct IO port access to do anything about the systems, so there was only one choice.

“Alpha Squad, prepare for breach,” Erik announced. “Beta can finish clearing up out here and watch our asses.”

He headed toward a large pair of double doors in the back. “Alpha Six, get ready to say hello.”