Mission Origin View (Final Days Trilogy) (32 page)

As Gideon followed his
marines, he listened to Anna as she read the information. With the information Anna was reading and by recalling the layout of the camp from memory, he began to formulate a rescue plan.

Ten minutes later the
marines were in position about twenty yards from the camp fence. “Marines,” Gideon said over the platoon channel, “I’ve analyzed the information and concluded we can complete the mission. Michael was right. The point where we breach the camp fence and the direct path to the prisoners’ building is the best plan of attack and rescue. We won’t be
camouflaged, but w
e’ll have maximum cover using buildings and vehicles along the way, and most of the guards are on the other side of the camp. We should reach the prisoners’ building, get the doctor, and be out of camp before they can flank us or bottle us in. And that’s without factoring in the distraction Michael has planned. Here are your assignments. Gunny, myself, and Sipes will make our way to the prisoners’ building. Mucha will follow us until we reach the water tower, and then he’ll climb to the top and provide observations and sniper-covering fire. Manelly and Kindle will stay at the fence and cover our rear to make sure our way out is secured. We’ll jump off as soon as Michael starts the diversion.

“
I know this sounds like a half-baked plan, but I’m sure it’ll work. Remember, we’re marines, and we’re trained to adapt and overcome.”

***

Michael approached the main gate, walking as if he was out for a stroll. Two guards stationed just outside the gate were at first startled by the robed figure appearing so early in the morning. Then they relaxed when they realized he was alone and wasn’t carrying a weapon.

“
Who are you? And what do you want?” a guard demanded as both guards raised their weapons toward Michael. The guards in the towers trained their spotlights on Michael.

“
I am here to release your prisoners,” Michael said in a loud, deep voice that almost shook the ground.

“
Towers, do you have this guy in your sights?” one of the gate guards asked over his communications channel.

“
Yes,” both towers replied in unison.

“
Place your hands behind your head,” the guard said and then motioned with his weapon for the other guard to put restraints on Michael.

Michael put his hands behind his head
, then with his right hand reached below his neck into a slit cut into his robe. His right hand felt the handle of his weapon, and he grasped it. A second later he pulled the weapon out as quickly as the strike of a snake and killed the guard who was approaching him. Michael then fell to the ground and rolled out of the spotlights to his right just microseconds before laser and mag rail projectiles from the towers smashed the ground he’d been standing on. A guard in one of the towers turned the camp alarm on, and spotlights moved frantically back and forth, trying to find the intruder.

***

“Let’s do it!” Gideon said as he heard plasma burst from the mag rail guns firing at the front gate. He also heard the loud wailing of the camp alarm. Xia led the way, and as he ran toward the fence, he used his weapon’s particle beam to cut a hole in the wire so he, Gideon, and Joseph could fit through. Without slowing, the three men ran through the hole and made their way to the closest building for cover. Mucha, Manelly, and Kindle covered them until they reached the building. Then Mucha followed and joined them.

The four men then leap
frogged two by two to provide each other cover until they reached the water tower. As Mucha started up the ladder on the water tower, Gideon could see armed guards running from all directions toward the gate. Whatever Michael had done, Gideon thought, definitely caused a distraction.

***

As soon as Michael rolled out of the spotlights, he ran toward the fence, used his weapon to cut the fence, and without losing stride, entered the camp. Camp guards, alerted by the alarm, flooded out of buildings like angry ants looking for something to sting.

A few yards inside the camp,
Michael stopped, held up his weapon, and fired beams of light in all directions, each individual light beam seeking a guard.

The beams burned through buildings, vehicles, and any other obstacle
s to reach the armored heads of guards within a seventy-foot radius. The guards within the “ring of death” fell instantly. After his weapon fired, Michael ran toward the closest concentration of guards, stopped, held up his weapon, and fired again.

***

Mucha reached the top of the water tower and propped his MPB-92 on the top safety rail of a narrow walkway that circled the tower. Using his heads-up display, he selected the configuration of his weapon and deployed the sniper scope. The scope silently emerged from the stock and positioned itself over the magnetic rail barrel of the weapon.

Mucha looked through the scope along the path the team would take to the prisoners
’ building. He saw guards running across the path toward the front gate. “I’m in position and see a lot of resistance crossing your path. I’ll let you know when to run to the next building,” Mucha said over the platoon channel.

Gideon replied with an acknowledgment chime.

“You’re clear,” Mucha said a few seconds later.

As Xia, Gideon
, and Joseph ran to the next building, Mucha scanned the area for hostile targets. A couple of guards came out of a building and were headed toward the three men. Mucha quickly zoomed in on the trailing guard and fired a mag rail projectile. The man fell dead, and Mucha quickly took out the other two guards before they realized they were being targeted. Mucha then wide-zoomed his scope lens and began scanning the area again. “You’re clear,” Mucha transmitted. He continued to provide cover and took out potential threats until Xia, Gideon, and Joseph made it to the rear of the prisoners’ building.

***

Oblivious to the presence of Mucha on the water tower and the extract team, the tower guards began firing laser and mag rail rounds at Michael. Everything fired at Michael was being deflected just inches from his suit.

Michael
, knowing the tower guards had found him and the number and concentration of guards on the ground had greatly decreased, used his weapon to cut a hole in the wall of a nearby building and entered. It was dark inside the building, but he could see everything as though it were daylight. It was a cafeteria for the prisoners and guards, with tables and chairs lined in rows. Michael walked toward the center of the building, pushing tables and chairs out of the way as he walked. In the center of the cafeteria he stood with his weapon, patiently waiting while rounds of laser and mag rail projectiles continually bombarded the building.

***

“Gunny, let’s make a door,” Gideon said as he set his weapon to particle-beam mode. Xia raised his weapon and waited until Gideon was ready. “Now!” Gideon ordered. The two men began slicing the metal building’s wall, and Xia rushed in as soon as the rectangular piece of metal they had just cut hit the floor inside the building with a loud clang.

Prisoners
lay on the floor under their bunks, shaking, crying, and screaming from fear because of the battle raging outside and the sudden entry of these strangers into their building. Pieces of shrapnel from the mag rail projectiles that were hitting the cafeteria showered down on the prisoners’ building, sounding like metallic rain.

The environment in the
prisoners’ building, compromised by their entry, began to cause the prisoners to gasp for air. Joseph immediately entered and began covering the hole with thin, flexible, self-sealing
plastanium, while Gideon and Xia continued to secure the building. No guards were in the building, and Xia and Gideon began to search for Dr.
Qasim.

“
Everyone, stay down, remain where you are, and be quiet. We’re US Marines!” Gideon yelled through his helmet speakers. “
We’re not going to hurt you. The environment in the building will be back to normal in a few minutes.”

A few seconds later the screaming stopped
, and the crying turned into sobbing. Xia began walking up and down the center aisle of the building, which was laid out like a military dormitory. Rows of bunks and lockers lined both sides of the long, narrow building.

Now that it was a little
quieter, Gideon spoke again, loudly enough for everyone to hear. “We’re looking for
Doctor
Vashni Qasim. Doctor, please stand. We’re here to help you.”

After a few seconds no one stood
, and Gideon spoke again. “Doctor, we know you’re here. We’ll check everyone in here until we find you. I suggest you stand so we can take you to a safe place.”

A woman
, who was a few bunks down from where Xia was walking, crawled out from under her bunk and stood. Gideon noted she looked a lot thinner than the photo he had seen. Xia walked over to her and waited until Gideon arrived.

Gideon took off his helmet and spoke in a low voice
. “Doctor, we’re here to rescue you. We have a starship and want to offer you political asylum to the United States. Do you except?”

Xia had stepped behind her as Gideon
spoke, ready to use the small syringe.

“
Yes, I want to go with you!” she almost yelled with joy.

“
Do you have an environmental suit?” Gideon asked.

“
Yes, in my locker,” she answered.

“
Put it on, and let’s get out of here,” Gideon said.

The d
octor hurried to her locker, took out her environmental suit, and began putting it on. The prisoners under the bunks closest to her crawled out from under their bunks, opened their lockers, and took out their environmental suits as if expecting to be able to come along.

“
Back under your bunks!” Xia yelled through his helmet speakers. The few who had gotten up fell to the floor. Some began sobbing again.

“
You can’t make them stay here,” Dr. Qasim said to Gideon in an insistent voice. “They at least deserve a chance to escape, even if you can’t take them with us. The czar regular army will send reinforcements soon, and they’ll kill every prisoner here, no matter if they tried to escape or not!” She finished putting on her environmental suit.

“Everyone!”
Gideon yelled. “Get up, put on your environmental suits, and get back under your bunks. We’ll let you know when you can leave.”

Gideon then turned to Dr. Quasim.
“Is that fair, Doctor?”

“
Yes, thank you,” she said.

In unison, the prisoners emerged from under their bunks and began putting on their environmental suits. Some of the prisoners were old and had pr
oblems putting on their suits. Younger prisoners, after putting on their suits, began helping those who were having problems. Gideon looked down the line of bunks toward the end of the building, where Joseph had sealed the breach. Joseph was now helping an old woman put on her suit. In a few minutes everyone was suited up and back under their bunks.

“
What now, Lieutenant?” Xia asked.

“
We get out of here,” Gideon said as he put his helmet back on. “Sipes, prepare to move out.”

Political Prisoner Camp, Planet Leonis

0455
—February 28, 2372

As the Leonis sun began to
illuminate the eastern sky, Mucha watched as the guards continued firing mag projectile after mag projectile into the same building. Shrapnel from the impacts zipped through the air in all directions. Holes in the building reminded him of Swiss cheese, and he assumed Michael was in that building, either hiding or dead by now. Mucha then scanned the prisoners’ building, and everything looked quiet. The nearest guard to the prisoners’ building was fifty yards away.

“
Mucha, are we clear?” Gideon transmitted over the platoon channel.

“
Yes, sir. No guards nearby,” Mucha said.

“
Do you have a location on Michael?” Gideon asked.

“
Yes, sir. Looks like he’s held up in a building a hundred yards southwest of you. The building is surrounded by guards, and they’re pounding the building with mag rail rounds as they approach,” Mucha said.

“
We’re extracting now. Keep an eye on us, and unless we hear from you, we’re not going to stop until we’re at your location,” Gideon said.

“
Yes, sir,” Mucha responded.

***

“We’re leaving!” Gideon transmitted over his helmet speakers so the prisoners hiding under their bunks could hear. “Wait here five minutes and then leave.”

“
Gunny, you’re on point. Doctor, you and Sipes will follow, and I’ll bring up the rear,” Gideon said.