Free Beyond the Shroud of the Universe by Chris Kennedy Page B

slightly as a door opened in the back of the aircraft. After 30 seconds, the shuddering ceased.
    “ The weapon is deployed. ”
    “ Understood. ” The pilot brought the plane back to the right. He looked back to the area of Lashkar Abad. “Leh lehizdayen,” he said in Hebrew. “ Fuck you. ”
    The copilot nodded. “I think they’ll get the message.”
     
     

Starboard Cabin, LCAC 85, Approaching Lashkar Abad, Anti-Earth, Unknown Date
    “Oh fuck,” the craftmaster said, a note of awe in his voice. “Hey, Klemarczyk, what’s our target again?”
    The navigator didn’t look up from her chart. “It’s a warehouse. Just follow the wadi to the southeast, and we’ll run right into it. It sits just past a small village.”
    “We’ll run right into it?” the craftmaster asked.
    “Yeah,” the navigator said without looking up. “It should be right in front of us. You can’t miss it.”
    “You mean that? ”
    “Holy shit…”
     
     

Port Cabin, LCAC 85 , Approaching Lashkar Abad, Anti-Earth, Unknown Date
    Master Chief heard the engines come back up to full power and felt the craft jump forward as the craftmaster accelerated to attack speed.
    “Five minutes,” Petty Officer Johnson said from his normal position up in the observation bubble. The platoon’s medic, Corporal Shaun ‘Lucky’ Evertson, had patched him up and given him some drugs, and the loadmaster had resumed his duties.
    “ Five minutes, everyone, stay sharp! ” Master Chief commed. “ Gunners ready? ” With the loadmaster injured and the deck mechanic lost overboard, the platoon was manning the LCAC’s two M60 machine guns.
    “ Mount One is ready, ” Sergeant Milan ‘Gunner’ Vranjesevic said.
    “ Two is manned and ready, ” Sergeant Dan ‘Giseman’ Geisenhof added. “ I can see the facility. It’s lit up like a Christmas tree. At a guess, I’m probably going to need a bigger gun…I may need more ammo, too, but definitely a bigger gun. ”
    Master Chief looked up to the loadmaster. “Can you see the target?” he asked. “What’s it look like?”
    “It’s big,” Petty Officer Johnson said. He slid out of the seat so Master Chief could climb up to look out the bubble. “Here, take a look.”
    Master Chief looked at Night. “Want to go first?” he asked.
    “Go ahead,” Night said as he went to the door. “I’m going outside.”
    Master Chief climbed into the loadmaster’s seat and his eyes widened in surprise. “Fuck…” he said involuntarily under his breath. He had been told the facility was about the same size as the one on Earth, but it wasn’t. It was much, much bigger.
    Where the warehouse building on Earth was only two stories, this one was at least three stories high, and probably closer to four. It was hard to tell, though, because part of it was obscured by an enormous wall. It wasn’t a chain link fence like on Earth, but a no-kidding wall that any medieval castle would have been proud to call its own. The wall was at least 15 feet high and looked thick…far too thick for the LCAC to knock down. The only opportunity would be the gate, but the gate doors were closed and looked like they were made of metal and at least as solid as the rest of the walls.
    Fuck.
    “ Grenadiers and cyborgs to the bow, now! ” he commed. He looked down at the loadmaster. “Tell your craftmaster to aim for the gate. We’re going to take it down.” He switched back to the comm system. “ Aim for the gate and try to take out the hinges. 25 nanogram setting! ”
    “Hey, Master Chief,” the loadmaster said, “he wants to know what you think you can do against that wall.”
    “Tell him—” Master Chief started and then reached for the headset. “Give me the damn headset, and I’ll tell him myself.”
    He took the headset and put it on. “ Craftmaster, this is the platoon’s master chief. I have my grenadiers and cyborgs going to the bow. They are going to blow down the gates. Don’t stop; they’ll get them