Secret War: Warhammer 40,000, Ben Agar [list of ebook readers .txt] 📗

I shouldn't have been surprised; they were Throne agents. Although I was sure that me, Darrance, Hayden and Castella could've taken them out without losing even one of us. But the strategy depended on our information and the enemy not knowing of our presence.

Brutis had made this decision, perhaps knowing he'd lose more men or perhaps he'd underestimated the capabilities of Edracian's forces. I doubted it was the latter. That seemed a little callous to me.

The Magistratum were the first to arrive in their armoured vans and formed a cordon around the place. The Enforcers stormed out the back doors, exchanging fire with the forces on the wall as they moved to secure the nearby buildings for cover. Both the mercs and Brutis' men were soon after. The roar of battle was deafening, the flashes of fire blinding even from this distance. I didn't need to listen to the comm to know the forces on the wall were wreaking utter havoc on them. The casualties were mounting and mounting for the first few minutes of combat. Quickly, I counted the enemies on the wall. There were fifty, now. Ten of which crewed on five mounted heavy stubbers that had been quick, professionally deploying mere seconds after the main force's arrival.

I clenched my teeth, trying to fight the cold fear creeping up my spine. Never had I ever been so near such a large-scale conflict before. It was terrifying even from so far, but this couldn't qualify even as small on the overall scale. I'd heard of forces of hundreds of thousands, or sometimes, even millions fought one another, on battlefields from one edge of the galaxy to the next, every day.

It made me feel small, insignificant, even more than usual and not just that I was expected to plant an explosive on that wall somehow and make it out the way before it exploded. It was suicide, sure as hell suicide. Brutis Bones wasn't asking much, wasn't he? He was putting a hell of a lot of faith in us, too much, in my opinion. All it'd take was one wild stray round, coming from either side, bullets didn't tend to discriminate, to end it, and there was a shit ton shot down there.

No wonder so many needed to believe their Emperor protects them if they had to fight through conflicts such as this. Even now, I still didn't, and even when I got down there, I still wouldn't. I knew no good god would want to spend even a second to help me. I wouldn't deserve their help, and I didn't want it, nor did I need it.

Suddenly, a soldier shooting one of the heavy stubbers head exploded in a shower of brains and blood, which coated his allies around in crimson. That was Hayden, no doubt working his magic. I wished I had a Long-las so I could do something to help, not just crouch, watch and wait, not that I'd be all that good at it.

The fight intensified, now the besiegers had secured the surrounding buildings, and the armoured vans had advanced to provide better cover for those on the ground.

The enemy casualties increased as the attackers gained a better angle on the defenders, but they were still holding, with calmness and discipline that I couldn't help but admire.

And envy.

I sighed, my teeth on edge and wishing that I'd get the order to move soon despite the danger.

That was when my microbead chimed, making me flinch in fright again. The tune indicating Someone tripped the lower laser. I stiffened, unslung my shotgun and quickly slipped aside the doorway.

Another followed the first chime in quick succession, only two; I could handle that, maybe. If there weren't more and the others had just managed to dodge the laser.

I started hearing footsteps, somehow heavy enough to hear over the din of battle.

"Kid," came Garrakson's voice over the vox. "We're approaching your six; it would be appreciated if you didn't shoot us."

"Garrakson?" I whispered, wide-eyed with surprise.

"Yeah, it's me, kid," he said. "Me and Torris, and before you ask, neither of us are shapeshifting; Xenos arseholes, we're here to help."

The second trip laser went off.

"What?"

"Kid, we know what mission you're on; we wanted to help you out, make sure you get through it."

"But-"

I stopped my sentence as Torris and Garrakson stepped on the roof. Garrakson still with his Autocannon and Torris with his shotgun.

"But, but Brutis' ordered me to go alone," I stammered.

Torris shook his head. "Don't really care; we're with you. You've done enough alone already."

Garrakson grinned. "Besides, I'm the explosives expert; it just wouldn't be right if I weren't there."

I nodded and laughed nervously. "If I may be cliche. Like the old times, eh?"

Torris tilted his head. "Like the old times, eh," he echoed in good humour. "Kid, you may have a very, very long list of issues and character flaws, but despite that, we like ya. For some reason, I can't think of yet, but maybe we'll live long enough to figure that out one day."

"Doubt it," said Garrakson, grinning.

I grinned back. "Thank you. Despite everything I've done, thank you."

Just then, my microbead beeped.

"All infiltrators, advance," said Brutis.

"Time to go, kid?" said Garrakson. "You ready?"

I stood with wide eyes and looked at the battle down the road, realising I was far from ready.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I sighed.

"Stick with us, kid," said Garrakson. "You'll be fine."

"Okay, thanks, guys, I...I really appreciate this. I do."

Then we were moving.

 

 

We jogged the kilometre; well, Garrakson and Torris jogged; I walked quickly to allow them to keep up. It took us a good six minutes to reach the battle zone. The sights and sounds were somehow becoming brighter and louder than before. The blood thundered in my ears, and my heart lodged in my throat, making it hard to breathe.

We were all fit, but Garrakson still struggled; his Autocannon must've been a good forty, fifty kilograms. I knew I could barely lift that big bastard, let alone run a kilometre with it.

Actually, on second thought, perhaps I could.

Finally, we arrived at the cordon, finding two Magistratum armoured vans blocking the way and twelve enforcers standing guard. One of them being Arlathan Karkin, who looked at us with watery eyes and seeming even paler and tired than before.

"Hey," he said. "You're here. Good, I'll send out the word, and we'll get started."

I didn't reply, feeling the corner of my mouth twitch, honestly surprised he didn't make a snarky comment on us being late or something along those lines.

"He's here," said Arlathan. "Are the others in position?"

Arlathan nodded to the reply I couldn't hear.

"Yeah, okay," said Arlathan, who cut the link and looked at Torris and Garrakson. "And what are you two doing?

"We're going with him," said Torris with finality.

Arlathan nodded and said, "then, I'm going too."

I couldn't hide my surprise.

Arlathan sighed. "I need to do this; I messed up, bad and..."

"Yeah yeah, blah blah blah," interrupted Garrakson as he walked on. "You want to make up for your earlier cowardice and incompetence. I've heard it all before."

Garrakson walked past me. "You and the kid seem to have a lot in common."

He grinned and looked over his shoulder at us. "Now, you coming or what?"

The four of us stuck to the shadows as we advanced, and I had to fight the urge to cover my ears from the constant roar of battle. We stopped at the side of the closest building, pushing our backs against the wall.

"As much as I appreciate you guys coming," I said. "I think you'll just slow me down."

"We'll be right behind you," said Torris.

I sniggered. "I doubt that."

"I won't," said Garrakson, hefting his Autocannon with a grin pointedly.

Arlathan shook his head. "You have the bomb ready?"

I nodded and pulled it from its pouch on my belt. "Push this button here, right? Tear off the adhesive and plant it against the wall. I've got ten seconds to make it clear before it blows."

Arlathan nodded.

"Can I have a look?" said Garrakson, and I handed it to him.

He studied it intently for a few seconds and fiddled with it a bit before giving it back.

"Now you have ten seconds," he said.

My blood turned to ice. "What?"

Garrakson shrugged. "Your timer was actually set to five; who gave you this?"

It was the Olinthre-thing, he'd given us the explosives just before we'd left, and with a shaking hand, I activated my vox.

"Castella! Hayden! Darrance! Check the timers on your bombs!"

Their confused replies chorused through the vox.

"Do it! They may've been timed to five instead of ten seconds! Do it now!"

I cut the link before they could reply and snarled a curse; I should've checked, I should've suspected something! Why didn't we check the timers? I could only thank goodness Garrakson had looked.

Arlathan looked at us, confused. "What the hell?"

Suddenly a thought chilled my bones, and I looked at Garrakson, then activated my commlink to 'Olinthre's' channel.

"What do you want?" came Olinthre's voice almost immediately. "I'm in the middle of a frigging firefight. I-!"

I clenched my jaw and cut the link.

"You ready?" asked Arlathan.

I nodded hesitantly while fighting the fear roiling in my guts.

Arlathan activated his link. "He's ready. Are all the others ready?"

He nodded and raised his hand. "All forces providing cover fire in five, four, the, two, one! Go! Go!"

We were then around the corner and sprinting, sprinting into a hell I had never known before and would never forget.

I covered my ears and clenched my teeth as I ran through the gunfire; even then, the roar of the combined cover fire was horrific. The blaze of light would've been blinding if I hadn't closed my eyes, and it left afterglows on my retinas.

It was a good fifty-metre space to the wall; it mustn't have taken me more than a few seconds to sprint the distance; it was a disorienting, sickening hell of light and sound. I could barely see even a metre in front of me. It took me the entire time I screamed; I didn't figure this out until I finally reached the wall. I saw the big blank grey wall approaching only in the very last second; I only managed to slow down slightly, twisting, so I hit shoulder first instead of the face first before I hit it hard. I cried out as I bounced back and reeled to the ground, agony burning up my shoulder and along my arm.

Dazed, shaking and hurting like hell, my breaths shuddering in my throat, I began to clamber to my feet. I didn't deem to dwell on the stupidity of what I'd just done; under the same circumstance, many may've done the same.

I barely kneeled when a hand suddenly grabbed me from under the arm and abruptly hauled me to my feet. Torris smiled at me, and at his side was Arlathan, who was still somehow giving that guilty look, despite the situation.

"By the Emperor, kid, you're fast!" Torris gasped.

I grinned nervously back and, with a shaking hand, pulled out the bomb.

"Hurry up before they notice us!" Torris yelled.

I nodded and approached the wall, Arlathan and Torris pressing their backs against it at my flanks. I had to fight hard not to flinch at every roar and scream around.

I almost dropped the bomb at least twice as I struggled to tear off the adhesive strip with sweaty, shaking hands and when I flinched in fright as another gasping figure crashed heavily against the wall alongside me. It was Garrakson, still somehow hauling his Autocannon and who managed me an encouraging nod, despite sweating up a storm.

"We're with ya, kid!" he yelled. "We're your friends, and we're with you!"

I nodded in return with tears in my eyes and finally managed to do pull off the slip. As quickly as I could, I planted the bomb and about to set it when the other explosives went off, one after another in quick secession; their bone-shaking, mind-shattering roars eclipsing every other sight and sound—followed by blood-curdling screams and clattering crunching of falling debris.

There were