Chapter 30

"It's time, people," Huxley shouted. "Fall in and assemble into your platoons."

Men and women sorted themselves into two groups of about twenty, awaiting Talbot to distribute their equipment: body armour, weapons and ammunition.

Each platoon was further subdivided into three squads of seven, each containing a sectional leader and a radio operator.

Valerie, Emily and Claire each carried an autocannon whilst Talbot had claimed the M120. The rest of the men carried automatic rifles or sub-machine guns. Everyone was provided a side arm.

"I know we're all feeling nervous," Huxley told them. "Some of you may not be coming back from this. All I can tell you is to keep a clear head, watch your back and those of the rest of your section, and just do your job. Good hunting."

They exited the building and made their way to the plane parked on the apron after an engine test the previous day.

Pete Sands felt scared, having only fired his service pistol twice in action. He had however racked up many hours on the police firing range and had his marksmanship certificate to prove it. However, that did not compare to going into combat where men and machines were going to do their level best to kill him. He caught movement out of the side of his eyes and saw Janice walking towards his group. She stopped in front of him, obviously sad to see him leave.

"I'll be fine Janice," he told her, wishing he felt as confident as he looked.

"I can't let you go like this," she said.

"I'll be back," he told her but she'd already turned her back on him and approached the Major.

Sands sighed, wishing that she hadn't made parting harder than it already was.

The Major beckoned to Talbot who led Janice back towards the hanger. A few minutes passed before the two reappeared but this time Janice was dressed in full body armour and carried a pump action shotgun.

"Shit," Sands gasped as he watched the smiling woman join his section.

"Like I said," she repeated, "I can't let you go like this."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"Somebody's got to take care of you Pete."

From out of the airport building, another five Hybrids suddenly appeared and walked up to Huxley. James was amongst them.

"This isn't really our fight," James announced. "But we care a lot about some of the people here. You've fed us and made us your friends. We can't stand idly by and let you risk your lives without offering our assistance."

"We'll take all the help we can get James," the Major replied sincerely. "Talbot, get these people suited up."

"Yes sir," Talbot snapped.

The group was gone nearly thirty minutes before Talbot re-emerged with the whole Hybrid contingent marching in strict formation behind him. The morale of the strike force boosted enormously as a result. More time was spent reorganising, forming eight sections instead of six.

They marched four abreast up the rear access ramp of the transport, gripping on to hastily improvised handholds that dangled from the roof of the cargo hold. Huxley and Emily followed Sleeper, who would serve as their pilot, into the cockpit.

It took several attempts but eventually the two powerful engines exhaled a plume of dense, black smoke and burst into life. Sleeper allowed them to rotate for several minutes until they ran evenly, filling the cabin with a steady drone.

"We go in three minutes," Huxley called over the internal intercom. "Hang on tight and try to keep hold of all of your equipment."

In the cargo bay, human and Hybrid slapped each other lightly in a gesture of solidarity, wondering what the next couple of hours would have in store for them. They clung to their supports as the plane rocked as it taxied slowly towards the end of the runway.

Sleeper applied the brakes and stared down the long stretch of concrete at the line of tall trees in the distance. He tried to estimate the effect of the weight of twenty extra bodies and hoped the airframe could be persuaded to generate the extra lift to compensate.

"Here goes nothing," he told Huxley, pushing the throttle forward and hearing the engines roar in response. The plane crouched catlike on the runway, waiting to pounce once Sleeper released the parking brake.

The initial acceleration pushed them back in their seats and they began to pick up speed. Occasionally they would hit a pothole in the concrete and the impact would jar through their bones. The trees rapidly approached and Sleeper kept a close eye on the airspeed indicator as it climbed towards the minimum needed for take-off.

"It's going to be close!" he exclaimed as the plane struggled to lift. He pushed the throttles against the stop, redlining the engines and felt relief as they slowly left the ground behind. The trees loomed large, filling the cockpit windows.

Emily closed her eyes, realising how close it was to being over before it had even begun. The tops of the trees passed barely beneath them and the aircraft jolted severely.

"What the... ?" Huxley demanded.

"I think we just lost our undercarriage," Sleeper replied.

"Is that bad?" Emily asked.

"Only when we land," he quipped.

After trimming the flaps, the altimeter levelled out at a thousand metres, reducing features on the ground to the size of toy models. The plane's shadow was visible as a dark shape that progressed rapidly over the lush landscape below.

Sleeper powered up a portable GPS and waited a few seconds until it obtained its satellite lock and displayed their position overlaid over a contour map. He banked onto a heading that would take them directly towards the Facility.

"We'll be over the target in fifteen minutes," he informed Huxley. "I'll drop down beneath their horizon on approach and climb at the last minute. With any luck I'll lay us down on their front lawn and we'll be on them before they even know what's happening."

As the minutes ticked away, Emily stood up and clambered back into the cargo area, anxious to be with her section when they hit the ground. As the aircraft neared their destination, the rear loading-ramp lowered and filled the cabin with wild turbulence from exposure to the outside air.

"One minute to insertion," Huxley's voice blared over the intercom. "It's going to be a very rough landing. Disembark immediately and target anything that moves. Secure the perimeter then advance to your designated assembly points.

"Emily, Claire. Take your teams around the side to the loading dock. Secure the production area then move onto the communication centre. Everybody else is with me. We go in through the front door and up the main stairwells. Our destination is the executive offices on the fourth floor. Good luck everybody and keep your heads down."

The plane lurched as it throttled up to clear the trees surrounding the perimeter and the sprawling Production Facility sprang into view. The vast concrete and glass structure sat with the mountain at its back and carefully landscaped lawns bordering the remaining three sides. The central glass atrium shone brightly as it reflected the midday sun.

"Brace for impact." The final instruction came over the intercom as the plane nosedived into the front lawn sending several employees scattering for cover.

Several of their force lost their grip and tumbled around the cabin as the aircraft decelerated rapidly. Leaving a deep trench in its wake, the plane spun on axis before a wing tip dug into the lawn slamming them to an abrupt halt.

Emily sprinted down the ramp, spraying the front of the building with automatic fire and catching a returning Infiltrator team in a hail of bullets. Their vehicle exploded, blowing in nearly every front facing window and showering the occupants with flying glass. Her team raced around the side of the building, laying down suppressing fire as they went.

Bullets hit one of the new Hybrids in the chest but his body armour managed to stop the rounds. The Hybrid let loose a return volley hitting his unprotected attackers and downing them permanently. The loading dock was swarming with Hunter Killers and Claire tossed an EMP grenade into their midst and watched as they collapsed. Pete Sands and Janice fired into their ranks killing a number of them and forcing the rest into retreat.

Huxley and Sleeper unbuckled their harnesses and rushed to join Valerie and Natalie as they dealt with any threat from the front of the building. Sporadic gunfire from one of the upper windows attracted a return volley from one of the autocannons that effectively silenced it. Anxious to escape their exposed position, they made a dash for the main reception area that was now a scene of total devastation. Glass was scattered everywhere and two men lay motionless in a pool of blood. A receptionist and two secretaries cowered behind what remained of the front desk and Valerie told them to remain face down on the ground if they wished to live. Bringing up the rear, Huxley entered the building, mentally picturing the route to his destination.

Meanwhile, Emily and Claire ran down the main corridor, shooting anything that opposed them. They split their force in two with Emily's and Talbot's section heading straight for the communication centre while Claire proceeded to the production area.

The space held all the equipment necessary for rebuilding them and she was enough of a realist to appreciate that it wouldn't be much longer before they took casualties. Securing it undamaged would be vital in the aftermath of the assault.

Simmonds jumped to his feet as he perceived the roar of the approaching plane and gasped in shock as it careened across the front lawn until it came to rest. As soon as armed men leaped out and started firing, he feared the worst. Most of his forces were patrolling the outer perimeter, the likelihood of an airborne assault having never been considered.

"Send out a general recall," he told Hodges. "Get everybody back here."

"Henderson," he snapped. "Get the defence system online now."

"It'll be five minutes before the coils are at full capacity."

"We should be able to hold them off until then. Network the HKs. Make sure they can all see what's going on."

"What about the main Datacore?" Henderson asked.

"If things go badly, we'll have to blow it. Arm the charges and route the activation sequence to my terminal. Also, call the pilots and tell them to start warming up the chopper."

"Are we leaving?"

"It's just a precaution."

Melanie and two other Infiltrators were with Howard Jackson when a large explosion shook the complex. The sound of approaching gunfire drove them into defensive positions and the woman looked around for likely points of entry.

Glass shattered and several dark objects sailed into view. She ducked for cover but the resultant explosions left her dazed and confused. Forced to reboot, she awoke as one of her companions was struck by several bullets and collapsed dead across a workbench. The man that shot him carried an automatic rifle that swept in her direction. She spun up and shot him then began searching out other targets. Another man was moving too quickly to hit and she realised immediately there were Hybrids amongst the assault force.

The Hybrid sped for cover but the remaining Infiltrator had extrapolated his path and fired once, hitting him in the neck. The Hybrid grunted and fell.

A high-calibre weapon opened up and Melanie watched the Infiltrator disintegrate along with the bench behind which he'd taken refuge. Spotting Howard's cowering figure, she felt the need to hit back at the man for not providing her with adequate means to defend herself. He'd always favoured the Hybrids over her own kind and she suddenly felt great antipathy towards him. Sensing her intent, Howard rolled across the floor narrowly avoiding her first volley. She'd adjusted her aim just as Janice materialised beside her. Even spun up, she couldn't retarget in time to prevent the shotgun obliterating her.

"Please No," Howard screamed as he faced his certain demise.

"Who are you?" Claire demanded.

"Howard Jackson," he replied anxiously.

"Good. I've got instructions to protect you at all costs."

"What do you want?" he whimpered.

"We're taking over the Facility. We'll need you to repair any of us that are injured in the process."

"You're a Hybrid?" he exclaimed, not recognising her profile.

"I'm Claire Savage."

"The prototype?" he gasped.

"Emily's on her way to the command centre while Valerie's attempting to reach Simmonds and the other directors."

"Emily and Valerie are here?" The man was exultant, all his fear dispelled.

"And Natalie. She's going to try and disrupt their internal network."

Howard stood and faced Claire, a father seeing his estranged daughter for the first time.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you Claire. I've always wondered what had become of you."

"I'm afraid the family reunion will have to wait. I'll leave Pete and Janice with you for protection. I need to link up with Emily," Claire informed him as the remainder of her section formed up around her.

"Claire," he told her urgently. "Henderson has constructed some form of defence grid around the Facility. I'm not sure exactly what its capabilities are but I suspect it's some sort of electronic countermeasure."

"Where is it?"

"There are dozens of the units scattered throughout the building. There's one in the corner over there."

Claire ran over to find a square box, the size of a small refrigerator. A digital readout displayed a readiness figure that currently indicated fifty five percent. She watched it climb two percent over the next few seconds and estimated that it would be fully charged within minutes. She relayed her findings over the radio and set off for the communication centre.

Howard scrutinised his security detail and smiled. He remembered Janice from when he'd treated her several weeks ago, as well as the man that was with her. He looked from one to the other, noting how at ease they were in each other's company. Janice touched the man possessively at every opportunity and the man seemed to welcome her attention. With a smile, he sat down as he received final confirmation of the suspicions he'd been forming for some time about the Hybrids and their capabilities.

Emily almost ran into an ambush. A dozen HKs were awaiting their arrival and it was only her ability to spin up that allowed her to escape their fire. One of recruits and another Hybrid were not so lucky. The human died instantly whilst several bullets pierced the Hybrid's body armour and took him offline.

She and Talbot faced each other and took out the last of the EMP grenades.

"On three," she told Talbot as they primed the weapons and counted down.

Both tossed the grenades into the midst of the Hunter Killers and waited for the devices to detonate. Emily crashed and rebooted then followed Talbot and three of the section into the fray. The HKs that were not destroyed fell back under their onslaught but soon found the courage to counter-attack. Two of their squad were wounded whilst Emily and Talbot became pinned down in an alcove, unable to progress or retreat the way they'd come.

"Go back," Emily ordered. "I'll cover you."

"No. It's suicide."

"That's an order Sergeant. I'll draw their fire, get back to the others and find another way to link up with Claire."

Talbot tried to stop her but she was already spinning up and charging forward, expending the last of her ammunition on the advancing HKs. He sprinted back up the corridor and barely perceived Emily take damage from the HK's armour piercing rounds. She fell to the ground and he would have been gunned down himself had someone not pulled him to safety.

"No. No. No," he agonized, seeing Emily's legs fly out from underneath her and her gun clatter noisily along the ground. The HKs converged on her while he and the remainder of the section ran in the opposite direction. Multiple gunshots rang out from the direction in which they'd retreated.