Shadows, стр. 24

Chapter 10

Winds atop the plateau filled the air with dust and bits of dried vegetation. For Tanavuna’s men, it was a daily occurrence, and they knew how to deal with it. The younger men formed a semi-circle facing away from the gusts, using their bodies as shields for the older men who formed a second semi-circle. All of them had pulled up their face coverings to protect their eyes until the gusts died down.

As the fighting tapered off in the city below, Tanavuna couldn’t sit still. Instead, he paced, frequently asking Major Moorefield’s radio man if Captain Cutter had called. The man answered “no” every time and pointed out that a call from the platoon leader would probably come using the platoon’s radios.

Kesteluni’s spirit called to the young hetman; he could feel her nearby, and he knew that if he dashed down the stairway into the maze of tunnels dug into the plateau, his men would follow. His impulse was to do just that. Waiting as part of a coordinated effort was not how his people reacted when danger threatened. But Major Moorefield had warned, during the briefing on his part in the mission, that charging into an unknown combat environment would only get his men killed; he needed to let the assault troops open the way first. So instead, Tanavuna paced, waited, and cursed.

The smell of burnt gunpowder on the breeze, combined with the sounds of battle echoing through the stairs leading down into the rock of the plateau, did nothing to alleviate Tanavuna’s worry. If anything, it made it worse. He had decided to lead his men into the tunnels anyway, orders be damned, when Captain Cutter finally called.

“Desperado Six’s team has done all they can, Shadow Five,” Cutter said. Tanavuna heard tension in his voice. “They’ve secured all known exits from the city and pushed forward as far as practical. Opposition is disorganized and temporarily suppressed. Desperado Six is sending a runner to lead you to our forward positions.

“He will show you the entrances from the plateau that command believes lead to the Inner City. There’s also a breach in the wall and a few other potential entry points. Use them or not; it’s up to you. Not all are secured, and we can’t say what’s waiting on the other side. Have you devised a plan of entry?”

Tanavuna hesitated. Six months of intensive training in the Offworlders’ way of war had been enough to instill more than basic small unit tactics, but there was still so much to learn. He didn’t dare admit he only knew one way to go about his mission: go with all of your men and overwhelm the enemy. Except that wouldn’t really work in a system of tunnels and passages against an unknown number of enemies. Only then did his desire to rescue Kesteluni dampen enough for him to realize what was expected of him.

Even though Cutter wasn’t physically there to witness his nervousness, Tanavuna licked his lips before answering. “I had thought to charge through the tunnel, but the enemy would expect us to do that.” He waved away the tiny insects buzzing near his eyes. “So, I will do as I do when hunting for meat. I will send Sergeant Brakkel down with Second Squad to move through the main tunnel from the place of plants and keep the J’Stull focused on what they expect to see. Third Squad can enter through a breach point in the wall, move into the Inner City, and come up on the enemy holding the tunnel from behind. I will go with Third Squad. That will let us search more area for Kesteluni and the persons of interest.”

“If the enemy is running away, don’t stop him.”

“I understand, Shadow Six.”

Cutter started to say something else, but then waited through a burst of gunfire before resuming. “I have intelligence for you on the HVTs, but remember that the lives of two dozen men are in your hands. They are willing to die for you, and some probably will; don’t waste them.”

“I would never do that. They are my friends, my family.”

“No, Shadow Five, not anymore, they’re not. Now they’re your soldiers, the men you lead into battle knowing they won’t all come back. Trust your training.”

Tanavuna nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Cutter passed along everything he’d learned about the HVTs and said he’d move north through the Outer City with First Squad. They would spread out in a mutually supporting skirmish line, at best speed, theoretically capturing any persons of interest or pushing them toward the Inner City where Tanavuna’s men could capture them.

“And you agree to my plan of action, sir?”

“You’re the man on the spot, Shadow Five, and I trust your judgement. Do what you think is best.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“The only men you owe thanks are those following you into battle, Shadow Five. Shadow Six out.”

* * *

Major Moorefield’s guide found Tanavuna atop the plateau overlooking the cache site, along with a handful of men deployed there as an observation point. He directed Sergeant Brakkel and Second Squad to the stairs leading down into the triangular draw filled with medicinals and other materiel, and from