The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell (67 page)

  The Dragon Clone noticed on his left side that Sulloway (one of Mitchell’s engineers) went down an air duct that was on the wall near the floor. He then ran to her and threw a grenade down the air duct. When Sulloway realize what he did she started to scream. When the grenade went off some of the shrapnel got her in both feet and lower legs. The grenade also caused the air duct to come apart. She fell head first into some darken room. Her right hand hit the edge of a desk causing her to break her right wrist and arm. Her left hand missed the table, but her elbow hit it causing her to dislocate her shoulder and injuring her elbow. Her head then hit the floor knocking her out cold. Luckily for her she lived. It was several minutes before she was found by Chester.

  The lost of Mitchell and her engineering staff dealt another blow to Galactic Prime. Each member of her staff was the chief engineer in their department. Without them and their experience, repairs to the ship will be slow and laborious. At that point in time, even if Galactic Prime had all of it’s gun ports, it would not stand a chance in a fair fight. They must retreat in order to survive, but they can’t and they won’t. None of them will abandon Task Force ZH-3C.

  “Captain we found Sulloway. She’s still alive but she needs immediate medical attention. She inform us that those transmitters and hacking devices were the source of the explosions.” Chester mentioned over the helmet-com..

  “Understood.” Mad Dawg said.

  “This is Murphy. I want all available security personnel to get to the engineering sector immediately. It’s time to trap and kill this fucker.” Murphy ordered them over the helmet-com.

  “Murphy… I can smell your fear.” The Dragon Clone said over the helmet-com. Murphy neither said or did anything when he heard that.

  Chester had two of his Marines take Sulloway to the sickbay. Knowing that one floor above them, there is another engineer who is wounded, Chester and the rest of his team left to find him. They got there without incidence, stabilize the engineer, and took him to sickbay without incidence.

  “Captain… I’m coming for you.” The Dragon Clone said over the helmet-com.

  Both Mad Dawg and Murphy had to hear as more of Murphy’s security team encountered the Dragon Clone and lost their lives. After it happened for a third time it told them that he was serious when he says that he is coming to the bridge. Murphy decided to retreat to the bridge to assist the Marines who was there. Murphy had only one other team who is left.

  There was six security personnel in each of the three teams that engaged the Dragon Clone. One was found in critical condition, but died later. Of the remainder only two survived. Sixteen more KIA. The fear is rising for everyone.

  Defense Team B (the security team on the right side of the entrance to the bridge) was the first to spot the Dragon Clone. They saw him jump, almost flew, passed them twenty feet in front of them. He went in a perpendicular direction in relation to them. A few of the Marines shot at him, but missed.

  “This is Defense Team B… we saw him! He’s heading down the corridor to our left!”

  “Bravo team… get over there and kill that fucker!” Murphy ordered his last remaining security team that he can send out. He had only one other security team left – Alpha, the one with him.

  “Roger.” They all said together.

  Before Bravo team got to where they thought the Dragon Clone was headed they heard an explosion. When the Dragon Clone went by Defense Team B he looked at them so that he could remember where they are at. He then jump back to where he was standing, but this time he shot the barricade with a six round grenade launcher. When the barricade was hit it sent shrapnel everywhere. He then quickly came down the corridor shooting at the Marines until none of them were left standing. Some of the Marines shot at him, but they missed. His aim was fast and true while their aim was slow and inaccurate. None of them survived.

  The Dragon Clone then went to their position and carefully looked around the corner (only his left eye and the left corner of his mouth was shown) at Defense Team A. He then smiled, jumped at the wall with both of his feet landing on the wall. While his feet was still on the wall he fired the grenade launcher at them. He then jumped back to his original position. When the grenade hit them, it killed three of them and seriously wounded three more. Defense Team A was now out of the picture.

  The Dragon Clone then quickly turned around and saw Bravo team. He fired his grenade launcher at them at the same time he shot at them. He quickly ran to their position and killed all of them. At that moment six more Marines were killed. The Dragon Clone then ran down the hallway until he came to the hallway that led to both Murphy and the bridge.

  Murphy and his team saw the Dragon Clone on the corridor to their right. They noticed him because the Dragon Clone jump to the corridor on their left side. Although they shot at him, they missed. The Dragon Clone then did a back flip to the corridor on the right. He kept on doing that several times over with the Marines shooting, and missing him. Because the Dragon Clone did that very quickly, and he did it in the dark, the Marines didn’t know what side he was on when he stopped.

  “What side is he on!?” Murphy yelled looking back and forth very quickly.

  “I don’t know sir!” One of the Marines yelled.

  “Goddamn it!” Murphy yelled still looking back and forth.

  Knowing that Defense Team A is down, and some of them are still alive, a couple of Marines from Defense Team D ran to them to move them from harm’s way. While they were doing that they heard an explosion and gunfire where Defense Team C was. As they were returning to their positions, they heard their helmet-com inform them that all six members of Defense Team C was killed.

  The Dragon Clone then ran down that hallway which led to the bridge and where Defense Team A was. When he got close enough, he fired the grenade launcher at Defense Team D’s position. It didn’t kill any of them, but it did wound some of them. The Dragon Clone then quickly ran around the corner to where the team is and shot them. Only one Marine was left standing, but was injured. The Dragon Clone ran to that Marine, picked him up and threw him at Alpha team.

  While that Marine was still in the air, the Dragon Clone rushed Alpha team shooting at them. When the Dragon Clone was at Alpha team’s location, they started to fight in hand-to-hand combat. When it was over five Marines from Alpha team were dead. Murphy was seriously injured. The Marine that the Dragon Clone threw was still alive, but seriously injured.

  “Your death will heighten the fear and the demoralization of the crew.” The Dragon Clone said to Murphy before he killed him.

  The Dragon Clone knew that two Marines from Defense Team D was still alive and three Marines from Defense Team A was still alive but he did not kill them. Realizing that he won’t kill them, the two Marines from Defense Team D crawled to the other three Marines from Defense Team A and the five of them tried their best to get to sickbay. They were later found and was taken to sickbay.

  While the Marine who the Dragon Clone threw was crawling away, he looked up at him. He then realized that the Dragon Clone is not going to do anything until both he and the other Marine is at safe distance from the entrance to the bridge. The Marine realized that they are not dealing with a monster, but one who is following orders. That the death of Mitchell and her team was not done in cold-blood, but rather he was just following orders.

  “Captain… I am a Dragon Clone and I can smell the inferno of fear within your soul. It’s time for you to scream like a little bitch.” The Dragon Clone said over the helmet-com. He then drop the helmet..

  The Dragon Clone used his grenade launcher to destroy the door to the bridge. He then threw a dead Marine body in the bridge. It landed a few feet behind the Captain’s chair. Everyone started to shoot at the corpse. The Dragon Clone then threw a flash-bang grenade into the bridge.

  The Dragon Clone then jumped at and landed on the Captain’s chair. While he was still in the air he quickly looked both ways to remember where everyone was. The Dragon Clone then jumped to his 10 o’clock position where a Marine was squatted down behind his station. The Dragon Clone then killed him. He then threw a knife to his left side killing a Marine who was standing there. The Dragon Clone then turned to face the Captain’s chair. The Dragon Clone then threw a knife on his right side killing a Marine who was standing behind his station. The Dragon Clone then used his last remaining grenade in his six round grenade launcher. He fired the round to the north-by-southeast part of the bridge. The round landed on the right side of a computer station wounding two Marines standing nearby. After everybody started to come to their senses they noticed where he was standing. They then shot at him but missed him when he jumped behind the Captain’s chair. He then threw a knife to the northeast part of the bridge killing a Marine who was standing behind his station. Everyone then rushed the Dragon Clone’s position.

  Mad Dawg, who was standing to the far left of the Captain’s chair, was first to get near the Dragon Clone. The Dragon Clone spun around and kicked Mad Dawg so hard in the face that it knocked out two of his front teeth. Braddick, who was coming from the far northeast corner of the bridge, jumped at the Dragon Clone on his right side. The Dragon Clone then kicked Braddick in the chest while he was still in the air. A Marine coming up from behind the Dragon Clone’s right side, took the butt of his laser rifle and hit him hard in the forehead. On the Dragon Clone’s forehead is a shield looking bone protrusion. On the top part of this “shield” are two small horns which are pointed vertically over the top of the head. When the Marine hit the Dragon Clone with the butt of his rifle it had no effect on the Dragon Clone. The Dragon Clone then did a flying headbutt and killed that Marine instantly. He then did a back kick on the Marine behind him. The Dragon Clone then spun around and kicked her in the head. At that moment Braddick came near with a knife. The Dragon Clone kicked the knife out of his hand, then kicked him in the head, and then picked him up and threw him at the female Marine. Mad Dawg then gave the Dragon Clone a right, then left punch. When Mad Dawg tried to give him another right punch, the Dragon Clone caught it and using both of his arms, broke Mad Dawg’s right arm. The Dragon Clone then made a move using his right and left hands which caused Mad Dawg to fall head over heels on the Dragon Clone’s left side. The move broke Mad Dawg’s right wrist. He then stomped Mad Dawg hard on his right side breaking two ribs. Both the female Marine and Braddick stood up. The Dragon Clone then jumped behind them, snapped her neck killing her. Braddick then turned to face him. Braddick then tired to punch him, but the Dragon Clone moved out of the way, grabbed his arm and threw Braddick to the ground. He then shot Braddick in the back seriously wounded him. Mad Dawg now realize that he is all alone on the bridge with the Dragon Clone. Braddick and the two other Marines are too wounded to be much help. At that moment, 76 Marines were killed and 13 Marines, including Braddick, was wounded.

  Mad Dawg quickly got up, went to his chair and pushed a button that altered the crew that the bridge needs them. The Dragon Clone reached behind his back, grabbed a small axe, threw it at Mad Dawg cutting off his left hand. The Dragon Clone than went to Mad Dawg, grabbed his throat with his right hand, and picked him up. He then started to strangle Mad Dawg.

  “Remember this moment captain.” The Dragon Clone said. He then threw Mad Dawg back several feet.

  While Mad Dawg was still in the air, the Dragon Clone grabbed his gun on his left side and shot Mad Dawg in the left knee. Mad Dawg watched as the Dragon Clone reached behind himself, grabbed an explosive, set it and put it on the Captain’s chair. He then turned and quickly ran out.

  While the Dragon Clone was running as fast as he could to a hanger to acquire a Marine drop-ship, he saw a armed Marine coming from around a corner. He then jumped at the Marine with his feet pointed at him. The move broke the Marine’s lower back when he hit him. When the Dragon Clone got to the hanger he saw a Marine and then he shot him dead. He then shot to death another Marine.

  “No, no not me!” A third Marine screamed and ran out of the hanger.

  Although the Dragon Clone could have kill the third Marine he chose not to. Instead he got on board the drop-ship, smell it for explosives (there were none), and piloted it out of Galactic Prime. He then headed toward Starbase VXN-2212/O to dock.

(2)

    Both Blue and Green Team had just left on foot after they eat breakfast. They wanted to get a head start on what will be a long trip. And they didn’t want to be caught by the enemy at night while on foot. They would rather be at some type of a base camp.

  The monorail ran for twenty-seven miles westward through a valley. It then curved to the south-by-northwest and then ran to the coast. At the coast it cross the waterway and headed north. They could see that it headed westward, but a fog bank blocked the view of where it headed.

  “So what are we going to do now ma’am?” Coté asked.

  “I guess we got to go back and get a boat.” Sanchez responded.

  “You mean we came all this way for nothing?” Kaminski asked.

  “So why weren’t we told that it would lead to a waterway ma’am?” Nakada asked Sanchez.

  “Because Mad Dawg hung up on the captain before she could ask him.”