Parchman, стр. 38
‘What are they doing?’ said Chuck out loud. ‘Why aren’t they attacking?’
‘I don’t like this,’ said Logan.
The Lieutenant pulled back his remaining soldiers into rank. In simplenumbers they still had around one hundred men remaining, whilst Logannow had more, completely turning the tables.
The Lieutenant held up what looked like a gun in the air and let off a flarewhich sent a red plume of smoke high into the sky.
‘That can’t be good,’ said Chuck.
From through the buildingsfive IMV’s slowly drove past the soldiers andin front of the Lieutenant’s men acting as a barricade between them and the prison. Moving twenty yards ahead of them, the soldiers startedmarching behind and using the infantry mobility vehicles as cover.
‘OK,’ said Logan to everyone around him. ‘Looks like we’ve got to gothrough a few armored cars to get this finished.’
‘I love your confidence,’ said McGregor. ‘But car beats human.’
‘Is it too late to start building trenches?’ said Chuck nervously.
Tallulah looked at Logan pleadingly. ‘Let’s get back in the prison and takethe upper ground. We’ve got enough weapons to fire down on them overthe cars and ontohis army.’
‘Those vehicles will go straight through those prison gates as if they werenothing,’ said Logan. ‘We let them in, and they have the advantage again. We’ve got people in there and most are injured andcan’t fight. We are the last line of defense.’
‘He’s right,’ added McGregor, to Tallulah. ‘It either ends with us here andnow or it doesn’t end.’
Tallulah looked through the armored vehicles to the Lieutenant. He wassmiling. He knew that this was it. The last confrontation and despite alltheir efforts the inexperience fighters were about to be bested by theUnited States army. They would lose everything and everyone and the Lieutenant knew it. They locked eyes and he raised his arm and pointed towards her. ‘What had she ever done to him?’ she thought to herself.Tallulah drew her sword.
Both sides edged ever closer with the soldiers heavily protected by thearmored infantry vehicles.
The Lieutenant held up a hand and the vehicles stopped fifty yards fromthe prison. The remaining army stood to attention and Logan halted hislegion.
‘Men,’ shouted the Lieutenant. ‘Before you stands civilians who despiseyou. These men and women have taken the stance that despite you riskingyour lives for them to keep this proud country safe for many many yearsthat you do not deserve the luxury of a roof over your head and food inyour bellies.’
Logan baulked at the words coming out of the Lieutenants mouth.‘Rubbish,’ he yelled. ‘We will offer a safe haven to any men whosurrender. We welcome anyone who wishes to strengthen our community.We are also proud Americans who have nothing but praise for our militaryveterans.’
‘Listen to the lies,’ said the Lieutenant. ‘These people have just killed yourleader Commander General Roderick in front of your very eyes. Does thatsound like someone who wants to make peace with you?’
The Lieutenant sneered at Logan.
Holding out the palms of his hands in a gesture of submission Loganlooked across the field of dead bodies then at then men in front of him.‘No more people need to die.’
The soldiers looked up and down their lines. Only a few remained whohad been on the government base and they had lived a charmed life incomparison to most of the men left alive. Peace sounded like a fair option.Becoming part of a community working together felt like the right thingto do and be equal alongside these people who had just promised them ashare in their new lifestyle.
‘Don’t be weak,’ said the Lieutenant, seeing that his troops were warmingto the idea of peaceful existence with no more fighting or death. ‘Theyhave no wish to live withthe likes of us. They’ve killed your leader. Theyhave killed your brothers. Once you are within their walls and vulnerablethey will kill you too. No. I say we follow Commander General Roderickinto Hell and put every last one of these demons into the ground. Nosurrender and no quarter given. On my advance we attack. Leave no manor woman alive.’
Both sides stirred into action and prepared themselves for the final battlethat would give the winners the spoils of victory and the prison andeverything in it. For the soldiers it was pride and a new way of life but forthe prisoners and Logan it was much more than that. It was aboutprotecting the weak and giving those who could not protect themselves inthis wicked new world a fighting chance to live out their lives.
Logan pulled his gun, whilst Tallulah, Chuck, McGregor, Jackal andeveryone else prepared themselves for all-out war.
The Lieutenant glared at Tallulah. She was his one and only target eventhough she was completely unaware that she had bruised his ego by cuttinghim. His fury burned inside his chest and he would made her die the mostunforgettable and painful death ever.
To her he was just another soldier.
‘Attack,’ yelled the Lieutenant, leaping forward and running towardsTallulah.
As he did so an explosion of such ferocity hit one of the armored vehiclethrowing it up in the air and backwards onto a number of the soldiersbehind it. Shrapnel flew everywhere. The Lieutenant looked behind himas the car was still burning on the floor. When he looked back he was faceto face with Tallulah and the hilt of her sword pressed tight against hisstomach with the blade exiting his back.
The