Chapter 6

Miles burst into the command bunker at the fort which was in a state of panic. At the centre of this was Genette, and her guards, who were at that moment engaged in an argument with Miles' second in command. Behind him stood Carla and security staff. Above the raised voices Miles calmly spoke

"Well aren't we a happy group, all of you shut up. Lieutenant, what's all this about?"

"Ma'am President" He started sarcastically "wants to order us about, when I'm in charge until you're ready to take command again. Unless you are already" He hastily added

"I believe I'm fit enough to take command. And can somebody tell me why there's a hailstorm of fire coming down outside!"

"you have no authority here" Genette angrily butted in

"Funny thing that, was about to say the exact same to you. Now shut up I'm not in the mood for this now" She looked as if she was about to continue the argument when Carla shouted from one side

"Command Ryder is on the radio, he's with Helman and a division of troops heading for the fort. He's talking pretty fast sir"

Miles ran over to the radio, grabbed the receiver and spoke into it

"Ryder you there?"

"Yeah I'm here" Static buzzed around the voice "Listen, some serious stuff is happening now, stuff even more wacky than the shit coming from the sky"

"Like what?"

"I'll tell you when I'm back, for now I'm bringing Helman and his division with me back to the fort, we really need every solider at his post, things are going to heat up now, Ryder out"

"What the hell was that about" Genette said, frustrated

"not the slightest clue but the stuff coming down outside I fail to see as a coincidence. Lieutenant, put all defences on high alert, 360 degree, guard"

Genette turned to Todd, her second in command (who was unchanged from their first meeting in Washington) and said

"Get to the front line and tell me what you can see, take your men with you" He nodded, about turned and ran out of the bunker "After all this, I'll need a chat with your friend, Miles"

Todd grabbed the men under his command, stationed outside and sprinted to the back gate of the fort, which was the direction Ryder was approaching from. He ran through the camp which was in a state of developing panic as the meteor-looking objects grew closer to the ground. Everywhere people were running for shelter or grabbing their weapons and heading for the defences as sirens whirred, signalling the full alert. A voice boomed out of speakers stationed around the camp which shouted

"All personnel to their stations, full alert status, all personnel to their assigned defensive stations!"

When Todd reached the gate, the dust trail of the approaching division of soldiers was already visible. However small chunks, of what seemed like flaming rocks smashed into the ground, straight through the hard surface, creating dents in the earth. There was no debris created though as the rocks seemingly disappeared deep into the earth. From the lead jeep, Ryder knew what had just hit.

Back in the bunker, Miles, Carla and Genette monitored the situation as other reports started to come in. Across the room, one of the radio operators shouted up

"Sir, we're intercepting reports from all over the state, similar objects are coming down and landing everywhere" Another one also shouted up nearby

"Report from Florida HQ, they're receiving these things as well, lightning storms are also coming down in various places, they're requesting any information we have"

"Nothing at all" Miles barked

"Sir! Scouts report the nearby groups of Exclamber have joined up and are moving into the state, will be here soon"

"Prep defences" Genette shouted

"Stay out of this Genette" Miles argued as Carla stood helplessly in between the two leaders. To break the stalemate she ran to the radio where she contacted Ryder's jeep and shouted over to him

"This is Carla, Ryder you better know what's going on!" Genette walked quickly over to Carla and snatched the radio off her

"Commander Ryder, report" There was a pause

"Genette, what are you doing here?"

"I'm taking command here"

"Miles, shoot the bitch or shut her up in some way. The things coming down appear to be alien of sorts, in Cheyenne we came across a group of em after a lightning storm brought them down. They claim to be from heaven" Everyone in the bunker hesitated for a second with a confused looked across all faces

"Oh I wanna hear this one" Miles sighed heavily

By then Todd had relocated over to the front of the fort as the Exclamber had swarmed up to a hoard in rapid speeds. Already the artillery positions had started firing into the hoard but this was doing little to stem the tide that was approaching them. The soldiers everywhere raced to their positions and steadily aimed their weapons down towards the enemy, waiting for the signal to fire

He looked on at the black and crimson front charging towards them with anger. He ordered his platoon to join the men on the frontline while he took a squad into a nearby bunker which overlooked the lines better.

Despite the concentration of men and firepower things did not look good for them. It soon got worse as molten rock from Exclamber catapults started raining down onto them against the background of the meteors still falling.

The projectiles smashed for a second time into the trench line causing the fiery liquid inside them to be released upon impact, burning all in its path. Just as the men started to fire their weapons the ground started to rumble

"Helman get whatever armour you have to flank left, round the fort and into the Exclamber, the infantry can follow us to the defences" Ryder shouted out order from the front seat of his speeding jeep

"Ok then" Helman responded replaying his friends' order "Wait I know that rumble"

"This doesn't bode well" The two felt it even through the heavy vibrations of the jeep

"Ryder! What the hell is the rumbling?" Miles promptly barked through the radio

"The things are coming up from the ground" Ryder cryptically responded

"You better start fucking making sense Ryder I swear to God!"

"Don't even go there, we're through the gates now, we're going to help the defence at the frontlines"

"I'll meet you there"

The soldiers all disembarked and made a dash for the front lines as the Exclamber tide smashed into it like rock on rock

Todd stood next to the heavy machine gun as it roared away. He picked targets and let well aimed shots off into the enemy as did his men, the intense shaking of the earth did not help though. However nothing could stop the inexorable path of destruction heading their way. The Exclamber were just about onto them

Suddenly a howl sounded that was even more intense than that coming from the Exclamber. From the ground just in front of the trenches leapt dozens of huge dark blue, skinned demons. They burst from the earth with force, spraying dirt out like an explosion. These demons were horned and carried massive axes decorated with bright red markings. Like the angels in Cheyenne they unleashed devastating attacks into the crowd.