Intrepid

38

Colonel Cortez did not like the way this battle was going.

Too many of the Guard's heavily armored men lay in the dust on the near side of the peach orchard. Their forty-year-old armor hadn't done so well against the newest mod of the old M-6.

The fire from the peach orchard hadn't started out nearly as strong as he'd expected, and it was already tapering off. Cortez considered sending out a runner to jack up Captain Afonin, but thought better of it. That damn hill was firing back plenty.

Only a half dozen sharpshooters were firing among the psalm singers here in the trees. Zhukov had done a check of ammo during the break. Several of the boxes everyone thought were full of ammo had turned out to have proselytizing pamphlets in them. Just the ammunition a Christian soldier needed.

Zhukov sent a runner. He'd come under fire a full half klick from the dikes. A long stretch of muddy water lay between them and the folks shooting at them. No cover, no protection. The troops were no go.

Colonel Cortez was not a happy man … but he was a methodical thinker. Checked on his right. Going nowhere in the center. What did that leave him? He glanced to his left, where a few psalm singers were dug in on the hill, not doing much. ''Wonder what the kid is doing on the other side of the hill.''

''Sir,'' said the older captain.

Cortez decided on a different throw of the dice. ''Captain, I want half of your command.''

''For what, sir?'' The fellow seemed more startled by the order than questioning it.

''I'm pulling them back.''

''Where do you want me to take them, sir?''

''They're coming with me. You keep the sharpshooters making noise here.'' Cortez looked around, spotted a sergeant who seemed more worldly than the rest, and motioned to him. ''Pick half the company that know how to shoot, move fast, and will follow my orders without question. Make sure they have a full ammo load, and follow me.''

''Yes, sir,'' the sergeant said, with a happy grin.

While the sergeant collected the team, Colonel Cortez went down the list of things he would need to do the next fifteen or thirty minutes … assuming he guessed right.

His eyes lit on some Guards who hadn't been sent one place or the other. Right! Engineers! Just what the colonel ordered.

Now Cortez grinned. Those farmers could dig themselves in as deep as they wanted. It didn't matter.

All they were doing was digging their own graves.

* * *

''Sorry it took me so long to punch through to the Wasp, ma'am. They're jamming us real bad.''

The Wasp was almost overhead before the comm tech passed Captain Drago through to Kris with a worried look and apology.

Kris gave her a quick nod and concentrated on Drago.

''Your battle's still going,'' was his first comment.

''Yeah, I'm in one whale of a gunfight, and I have no idea how much ammo these volunteers brought with them.''

''Oh my, that can't be making your bunny jump.''

''Not even a little bit. Captain, I need you to settle this, or it may not go down nearly as well as my reputation calls for.''

''That bad, huh? Well, you're far too close for me to singe their behinds with my lasers. Even the five-inchers.''

''Hey, I've been through that once this week. I am not interested in doing it again.''

Kris could almost hear the frown growing on Drago's face. ''I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what do you want?''

A small voice from somewhere on Drago's bridge could be heard saying, ''Then don't ask that dame.''

Kris ignored both. ''I need you to get Thorpe out of my sky. I don't care if you scare him out or chase him out or blow him out. But I need to tell Cortez that his ride is gone.''

Kris paused to glance out her observer port. The firefight hadn't slackened while she talked. ''Bret, a whole lot of good people are going to die if we let this firefight go the full count. I can't think of anyone else but you to stop it.''

''How I hate it when you tell me I'm the only one that can save your bacon.'' Drago sighed. ''But then I should have known you hadn't gotten my ship riding his exhaust for nothing.''

Actually, Kris had done that long before she thought of this way out. She thought. Well, maybe she wasn't totally innocent of planning ahead for the worst case.

''Thanks, Bret, and thank the whole crew. There are a lot of people down here who are going to owe you their lives.''

''Kris, only heroes respond to that kind of talk. Remember, we're just in it for the money.''

''Yeah, right,'' was all Kris could say to that.

''Now if you'll excuse me, me and my pirate crew have a bit of finagling to do. You said you wouldn't mind if we just scare Thorpe out of your sky? I did hear you right?''

''Anything that makes him not available to give Cortez and his troublemakers a ride home.''

''Hmmm. Let me talk to my dirty-trick brain trust. I'll get back to you next orbit.''