pointless, considering he'd never believed in a god to begin with.
"Two...one! Fire!"
The Mechs and MPs fired simultaneously, peppering the entire area. Taylor put his rifle around the corner of one of the huge trashcans and fired a burst. Two of the shots hit a Mech, and it tumbled down dead. He tried to fire again, but his rifle was hit and wouldn't fire. He ducked fully back into cover and pulled the rifle up close. Two shots had hit the barrel and front receiver, rendering it useless. He threw it aside and drew his pistol.
A scream rang out. He turned to see gunshots penetrate a hole in the wall and hit Rains. A few were absorbed by his armour, but one passed through his upper arm and another the side of his neck. He dropped down to the floor, trying to cup his wounds. Before anyone could do anything, a grenade flew overhead and landed between Herrera and Acosta. They turned to move out the way, but the blast still caught them. Acosta was hurled against a wall and knocked unconscious while Herrera took shrapnel to the legs and hit the ground face first.
All seemed lost, and not to the alien invaders or even their agents, but to a bunch of MPs with their Mech dogs. But then an engine roared overhead. It brought the firing to a stop. Everyone looked up to see a transport close to the size of the Deveron swoop in overhead and cast a shadow over them all. A US flag adorned the hull, and Taylor shook his head. He knew it was the end.
Several doors opened either side of the ship and troops jumped out. A few dozen landed on the rooftops either side of the alley, and twenty dropped in to where they had come to the dead end. They were indeed US troops and fully equipped in Reitech equipment.
Taylor, Jones, and Silva had their weapons trained on them but had made no attempt to fire. The troops didn’t take cover or even kneel; they knew as much as Taylor did that it was over. An officer strode forward from the middle of the group without even a weapon raised. He wore Army Ranger insignia, as did all who had arrived with him, and bore the rank of Captain. He stopped ten paces from Taylor and looked down at the wounded before turning back to his troops.
"Medics!"
Taylor lowered his weapon, nodding to the others to do the same.
Medics rushed forward to help the wounded, and Major Martin came striding past the cover from the other direction.
"Thank you, Captain. We'll take it from here!"
The Captain looked up at the MP Major with a disgusted look on his face.
"You keep your filthy hands to yourself, Major!" he boomed.
Martin was stopped in his tracks and utterly shocked by the condemnation.
"Captain, need I remind you I have direct orders to detain these men and bring them back to the United States for trial?"
The Captain spat in front of the Major and replied, "Pack up and piss off."
Taylor didn't recognise the Ranger officer, but he liked him already.
"You are way out of line, Captain. Hand over the Colonel and his men and back down, or you will be placed on a charge!"
The Captain ignored him and raised his comms link and simply said, "Prepare to fire."
The Rangers at his back and along the rooftops trained their weapons on the MPs and Mechs. Martin's face turned to stone.
"You've done enough damage here. Walk away or never walk again."
Taylor could see the fear in the Major's eyes. He wasn't a fighting man and never would be. He was a bully who just got put in his place.
"You're in big trouble, Captain. More trouble than you can ever imagine."
With that the Major turned and left, and the Ranger officer knelt down and offered his hand to Taylor. Mitch couldn't believe their luck. He took his hand and was hauled to his feet.
"How did you do it? Who gave you the order to come to our aid?" asked Taylor.
"I did," stated the Captain. "If a soldier cannot come to the aid of Colonel Taylor and the Inter-Allied, then who will he help? There's a war to be fought. You know it. I know it. Every man and woman here came
"Two...one! Fire!"
The Mechs and MPs fired simultaneously, peppering the entire area. Taylor put his rifle around the corner of one of the huge trashcans and fired a burst. Two of the shots hit a Mech, and it tumbled down dead. He tried to fire again, but his rifle was hit and wouldn't fire. He ducked fully back into cover and pulled the rifle up close. Two shots had hit the barrel and front receiver, rendering it useless. He threw it aside and drew his pistol.
A scream rang out. He turned to see gunshots penetrate a hole in the wall and hit Rains. A few were absorbed by his armour, but one passed through his upper arm and another the side of his neck. He dropped down to the floor, trying to cup his wounds. Before anyone could do anything, a grenade flew overhead and landed between Herrera and Acosta. They turned to move out the way, but the blast still caught them. Acosta was hurled against a wall and knocked unconscious while Herrera took shrapnel to the legs and hit the ground face first.
All seemed lost, and not to the alien invaders or even their agents, but to a bunch of MPs with their Mech dogs. But then an engine roared overhead. It brought the firing to a stop. Everyone looked up to see a transport close to the size of the Deveron swoop in overhead and cast a shadow over them all. A US flag adorned the hull, and Taylor shook his head. He knew it was the end.
Several doors opened either side of the ship and troops jumped out. A few dozen landed on the rooftops either side of the alley, and twenty dropped in to where they had come to the dead end. They were indeed US troops and fully equipped in Reitech equipment.
Taylor, Jones, and Silva had their weapons trained on them but had made no attempt to fire. The troops didn’t take cover or even kneel; they knew as much as Taylor did that it was over. An officer strode forward from the middle of the group without even a weapon raised. He wore Army Ranger insignia, as did all who had arrived with him, and bore the rank of Captain. He stopped ten paces from Taylor and looked down at the wounded before turning back to his troops.
"Medics!"
Taylor lowered his weapon, nodding to the others to do the same.
Medics rushed forward to help the wounded, and Major Martin came striding past the cover from the other direction.
"Thank you, Captain. We'll take it from here!"
The Captain looked up at the MP Major with a disgusted look on his face.
"You keep your filthy hands to yourself, Major!" he boomed.
Martin was stopped in his tracks and utterly shocked by the condemnation.
"Captain, need I remind you I have direct orders to detain these men and bring them back to the United States for trial?"
The Captain spat in front of the Major and replied, "Pack up and piss off."
Taylor didn't recognise the Ranger officer, but he liked him already.
"You are way out of line, Captain. Hand over the Colonel and his men and back down, or you will be placed on a charge!"
The Captain ignored him and raised his comms link and simply said, "Prepare to fire."
The Rangers at his back and along the rooftops trained their weapons on the MPs and Mechs. Martin's face turned to stone.
"You've done enough damage here. Walk away or never walk again."
Taylor could see the fear in the Major's eyes. He wasn't a fighting man and never would be. He was a bully who just got put in his place.
"You're in big trouble, Captain. More trouble than you can ever imagine."
With that the Major turned and left, and the Ranger officer knelt down and offered his hand to Taylor. Mitch couldn't believe their luck. He took his hand and was hauled to his feet.
"How did you do it? Who gave you the order to come to our aid?" asked Taylor.
"I did," stated the Captain. "If a soldier cannot come to the aid of Colonel Taylor and the Inter-Allied, then who will he help? There's a war to be fought. You know it. I know it. Every man and woman here came
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