Strike Force Five Part 15
Unleashing the Hellhounds
Treize Khushrenada's body was left were it fell. Trowa purposed that the compound's fiery end would provide an appropriate funeral pyre. Quatre, with uncharacteristic cursing, expressed his judgment that any form of honorable rite was too good for the vile Son of Satan.
He believed that any benevolent gesture would be defiled by the Colonel's demoniac evil. It was, in his opinion, far more fitting to let the carrion eaters pick his carcass clean. But since the Strike Force's tight schedule could not allow the local carnivores proper dining time Khushrenada would have to be included in OZ's final sendoff.
*********
After the third attempt to contact Duo and Heero was foiled by static, Trowa decided that the waiting period had run out. He knew when the compound began to burst apart that his teammates would have no problem figuring out what was happening. OZ's death throes would be a clear and unmistakable sign that no one could ignore.
The first order of business...the fuse activations. Trowa flipped the master control's remote switch. A green light told him that a strong signal was being transmitted. In a little more than a heartbeat the depressing of a single button would put into motion what promised to be a grand celebration.
*********
At the Communication Center's monitoring station a quartet of perimeter warning lights blinked on. The light's red glow exhibited an attitude of urgency that prompted the attending operator to summon the Duty Supervisor.
In turn the "man-in-charge" motioned toward a Communa-Tech whose idle appearance caused him to draw the assignment. "Take two sentries and go out to the motor pool." the Supervisor ordered, "Call back when you find this signal's source."
The now moving, if not necessarily motivated, Tech walked outside. "You two," he waved to a pair of sentries who were lounging about in the same state of laziness, "come with me."
"What's going on?" one soldier wondered.
"C & C had picked up four transmit readings from the motor pool. We have to drive over and check them out. It's probably just some minor echoes." the Tech continued climbing into the driver's side of a jeep.
The troopers settled in, one beside the Tech and one in the backseat. "With all those reflective metal surfaces it's hard to tell what refract-projection images are bouncing around out there." the Tech finished starting the engine.
The trooper in front stretched out easing back in his seat. "Well at least we can get away from this constant racket and have some peace and quiet for awhile." he commented.
*********
The mission's next phase would be the most rewarding. Wufei, Trowa and Quatre, each with a remote detonator in hand, counted down to OZ's moment of truth. With one unified act of liberation all three buttons were depressed at once.
A truck and a land transport flew apart. The implosion deep within their exhaust pipes created a reflux current sucking back the charge's power. The resulting fragmentation spewed out razor bits of the vehicle's metal-alloy shells. Penetrating shards and ignited fuel sprayed in an all-inclusive mixture as each adjacent vehicle took its turn in the deadly demolition.
The humans and mechanicals closest to the blast ceased to exist in an instant. Others, the unluckier ones further away, had a few horrifying moments to consider their place in the afterworld before their skin was peeled from their bones leaving only charred skeletal frames behind.
A mysterious wall of smoke masking an ever-expanding fireball rolled out in all directions as the superheated cloud swallowed up everyone and everything in its blistering path. Included in the merciless incineration's fierce appetite were three men in a jeep who had been innocently sent out to search for the source of an alluring signal and were hoping to find nothing more than peace and quiet.
*********
Similar scenes of eradication played themselves out in every section of the compound. Trowa's disks tucked under the fuel depot tanks responded to their electronic directive. In the first seconds the disk's discharge split the tank's wall. Liquefied gas spilled from the gap running over the side. The flow pooled under the tank rapidly overspreading the area. The steep ground slope hastened its swelling surge.
In the same brief moments sparks and heat that were expelled from the explosion torched an oxygen generated combustion. Again the engulfing firestorm quickly claimed all it touched. Its enkindled stream carried the burning tidal drift to every surrounding structure. The only saving factor was that the stream's path could be seen from some distance away allowing more warning. This time less lives but more property fell victim to the river of fire.
The furious firestorm ripped savagely ahead. The cannibalistic infiltration, transfused with shredded metal, toxic fumes and blistering heat flared over Treize Khushrenada's body reducing even his bones of ashes. Then just as violently the superheated wind scattered the cremated remains so that the Colonel's lustful body and depraved soul could never merge again.
*********
At the Communication Center men, women and mechanicals swarmed about the room trying to decipher the peculiar readings and confusing data flooding the consoles. Everyone was so absorbed in the muddled mess that no one bothered to look outside. It wasn't until a terrorized man burst through the door shouting wildly and declaring the end of the world was their disorder and distraction explained.
A few providentially blessed souls, either from fear or curiosity, had wandered into the street before the disks left behind by Quatre answered their destructive call. Foundation blocks pitched and slid off center. The radical realignment altered the building's vertical plumb line. Windows bowed, some inwards, some outwards. When their tension point reached its limits the splintering glass bombarded anyone with ruthless fury.
On every control panel electronic connections broke free. Burning wires and sizzling circuit boards sent up heavy black smoke. The odor and irritating fumes mixed with the dust and debris falling all around.
The Duty Supervisor mistakenly thought to himself, "At least the Tech I sent out to check on those strange signals is well away from the devastation."
Believing, even falsely so, that one life had been spared made his soul more peaceful as a warped ceiling beam gave way. When the solid chunks stopped falling and the air cleared no trace of the Supervisor could be found.
*********
An odd resounding rumbled across the eastern sky. Tremors ran beneath the grainy topsoil with such force that even at Duo and Heero's considerable distance from the compound the quaking was sharply felt.
Dense dark smoke curled in columns swirling the hearted air into funnel clouds. In other locations the fuming smog rose at it own rate but everywhere the hazy smudge was colored with the reds and oranges of hungry flames. Especially in the area above the fuel depot the savage blaze lit the sky in boiling black waves that blotted out the stars.
"What in the...." Duo wondered as a stronger tremor stopped him in mid-sentence.
Heero faced his partner and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "I think that is our signal." he reasoned. "Finished with the waiting wouldn't you say?" he stated nodding towards the east where a bright aura lit up the sky as if the heavens were ablaze with freedom's fire.
*********
With the explosive laden pack pressed snugly against his back Duo pulled his SCAT off its mounting stand. Heero's loaded crossbow was cocked, locked and ready as he secured it and the quiver of arrows across his bike's gas tank.
"Its show time." Duo announced giving Heero a playful jab on his shoulder before his mischievous grin disappeared as his face shield fell forward.
Heero opened his SCAT's throttle to the maximum. "Let's give these bastards a taste of hell." he declared as he followed Duo out to meet their destiny.
Three storage units about four feet high had been conveniently stacked three-quarters of the way to the tower. Heero had previously decided that their location would provide suitable cover for a backup station to guard Duo's explosive placements.
Sandy grit spewed from Heero's rear tire at the brake's hard application just short of his shielding position. The crossbow's cord "sang" with a shrill zip as its steel-tipped shaft left the stock.
A black uniformed soldier was poised to fire at Duo. Suddenly he sprawled backward his mouth opened in a silent scream and his death-frozen eyes searching the darkened sky for a guiding light to the next realm.
Duo jumped in his seat not aware of the trained weapon until the soldier had been laid low by Heero's quick reflexes. Heero pulled forward until he and his bike were hidden behind the storage units. Duo pulled alone side flipping up his face shield. "Thanks." he shouted above the distant crackle of flames.
Heero shook his head in acknowledgement of Duo's gratitude. "Go on and don't be all night." he shouted back, "I know how you like to play with your toys." he stated as he dismounted his motorized steed.
Heero slid another arrow from the quiver. Leaning against the crates he loaded the crossbow listening for the reassuring "snap" when the trigger locked in place. Bracing his shoulder on the unit's plexi-form side he constantly shifted his eyes scanning for more threatening black uniforms.
*********
Duo leaned over the SCAT making a straightway course to the tower's front base support. He looked neither left nor right trusting his comrade to keep the wolves at bay. He cut the engine and centered the bike sliding the pack off as he dismounted.
Duo drew his pistol seeing no harm in helping Heero out by providing some self-protection of his own. He stayed low scrambling behind the wide steel beam that sat atop the base support. Glancing up at the tower's full height his sight ran out well before the vertical length disappeared beneath the cannon's turret. The spiraling ramp, that offered a view of its bottom or side depending on the angle, intercepted the beam's straight line at regular intervals.
As he experienced a bit of vertigo Duo sighed, "Damn that's tall."
Lying his pistol by the square support Duo quickly unpacked his bag. Before leaving the estate he had "cross-tied" the fuses connecting each with the next forming a continuous charge line. Now all he had to do was connect the chain to the electronic detonator and encircle the linked arrangement around the base.
When Duo was safely away and the primed arrayal's blast dispatched, the firing sequence would be completed in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately this rapid fire method, while quite effective for the job, gave Duo only moments, and not many at that, to clear the blast zone. And while Heero's cover was adequate against pistols or rifles the flimsy storage units would be no match for the explosive's raw energy density.
As Duo tied in the last fuses a warning from his inner voice made him turn to look back at his teammate. To the left another black-clad trooper was making a silent calculated path easing up behind Heero. An SR42 was raised to targeting level aiming directly at Heero's head.
Reaching into the top of his boot Duo extracted a bi-fold knife that he had tucked in while suiting up. Now he had the perfect application for the thin bladed weapon. Gripping the hardened point he reached back and put all his strength and accuracy into sending the sharpened shaft spinning towards Heero's stalker. The soldier paused, no doubt to sure up his aim before sending the unaware rebel back to the phantom regions from which he came.
"HEERO! DROP!" Duo screamed above the rumbling of the compound's secondary explosions and the fitful wind that had begun to howl.
A confused expression momentarily floated over Heero's eyes as they met the imperative pleading in Duo's widened pupils. Then with a reaction borne purely out of an involuntary animating agent, Heero flattened out seconds before the long blade buzzed over his head finding its mark in the soldier's upper torso. If the man made a sound Heero could not pick it out from the thousand other pitches and tones dancing in the air nor did he hear the thud when the limp body hit the ground.
Flashing a "thumbs-up" sign Heero signaled his thanks to Duo before crawling to the soldier and scooping up the SR42. The rule of "Never Waste a Weapon" was also applied as with some effort Heero extracted Duo's knife from its stubborn attachment in the fallen foe's chest.
"Duo will want this." Heero told himself wiping off the bloody blade on the trooper's jacket front. "No point in messing up my windsuit." he continued his mental conversation.
Duo checked the fuse linkage one last time and flung the empty pack over his shoulder. Pistol in hand he scooted lowly away from the support and headed for his bike. Without warning a shot from an unknown site stuck close to Duo's leg spraying grainy soil over his boot. Before Duo could find the shot's origin Heero's crossbow sent yet another OZ employee crumpling into the dust.
"Son of a bitch!" Duo hissed growing tired of the constant assaults.
As Duo reached his SCAT the ground rocked beneath his feet, the jolt upsetting his balance that was only kept by grabbing onto the bike. Again the sharp shaking repeated but this time Duo verified the source...the Laser Cannon had suddenly come to life.
Once more the recoiling discharge shook the entire area. Duo squinted up trying to separate the cannon's smoky vapors from the smoggy gray sky. "Ready or not," he told himself, "got to do it now."
Straddling the SCAT Duo removed the remote control from his jacket pocket. Holding the pistol in one hand and the remote in the other he caught the device's repressed antenna with his teeth pulling it up to its full extension.
Duo heard Heero's bike roar by the storage units. Gunning his own engine he shot away spraying dirt from his tires. As he reached the remote's minimum range he hit the signal button with his thumb, dropped the remote and opened the SCAT's throttle as far as it would go. Duo came up beside Heero and side by side both men leaned forward over the bikes using leather and helmets and luck as their shield.
A thunderous rumble as loud and jarring as the cannon's report send shock waves out in all directions. The substantial force gathered momentum as each charge's shattering spilt multiplied the next one's impulse energy. Storage units, equipment and anything else that was not tied down were caught in the explosion's outward flinging. One wave unfolded from the base compactly at first then unfurled in a blasted broadcasting of stinging debris.
Another concentrated cloud climbed upward expanding into a lofty dispersion. Rapidly the support beam was enveloped in the coiling mass of sparks and smoke and fire. The rolling heat batted against the tempered metal, climbing and clawing its way to the platform. Most of the power would be spent before it reached the crossbeam cage surrounding the cannon but the goal was to undermine the base and let gravity do the rest of the toppling.
A previously unseen soldier staggered from the surging plume of flames. Only a smoldering outline...a few ignited fingers of fire still clung to the charred form as the man reeled several steps before succumbing to the shock. The blackened shape fell forward lying lifeless as smoke drifted from the body.
The swiftly encroaching surge, its force lessening in expansive degrees, overtook the SCATs. All Duo and Heero could do was hunker over, hold on and pray that the fully opened engines could carry them passed the explosion's unforgiving fury.
A billow of dense smoke swamped the fleeing riders. The encompassing cloud wrapped about their bodies in a stifling veil that choked off their breathing and crept under their face shields to overspread their vision. Relying on instincts alone Duo and Heero aimed for the forest determined to outrun the fuming mixture.
Then with a triumphant roar both bikes shot into the clear. As the explosion's fiery edge spread out into a thin haze Duo and Heero skidded to a stop and pulled off their helmets. Their faces were stained with sweat and grim. The same gritty residue clung in their hair and on their windsuits but their disheveled appearance did not matter as they waited to witness the tower's downfall.
The massive structure was embroiled in flames that curled out and upward. A torrid whirlwind whipped through the center sucking up the smoke and heat like a chimney. Sharp pops and creaks bounced over the ground. Gradually the smoke and heat smoothed out giving the Strike Force comrades an unobstructed view of the tower's last erect moments.
A series of groans rose from the gaping hole blown out at the base and the ground quaked with vibratory tremors. More moans of heat fatigued metal were carried on the hot wind blowing across the clearing.
Duo flashed a satisfied grin at his teammate. "It won't be long now." he announced sure that the tower toppling would begin at any minute.
TBC...
Back to Karen, The Huntress's Fanfictions Page