Time War: Invasion (9 page)

"Get us the uniforms, a couple of vehicles, and enough gear to look the part, and I will handle it."

"Like all the stuff we left at that house?" Vi asked him.

"Riddled with holes and stained with blood, not quite the impression that will sell this."

Corwin was glad to hear some plan was coming together.

"All right, in the confusion of the impending attack we should be able to make this work. We wait for the cover of night, and then we'll see if we can find what we're looking for. But we do nothing until the fighting starts. We start things too early and we could damage the Allies’ mission, and risk being hunted down before all this has kicked off. This is all on the fly right now, and I am aware of that. I wish I could tell you we had more intel, a better plan, and teams of analysts working to help us out, but we don't. All we have is each other, and that is what we must rely on."

He went back to his former position and sat down to take it easy, knowing there was nothing more they could do. Beyett pulled something out of his pocket. It was paper and folded many times over. He opened it out to reveal a map of France. It looked as though it was already twenty years old and was a little fragile. Beyett pointed to where they were, and Corwin ran his hand over the paper until he found the border of Germany.

"We aren't even that far away."

"That's no distance at all in the life we came from, but with wheeled vehicles, and the quantity of soldiers between us and there, it'll feel a whole lot longer than you think."

"If you were Villiers, where would you be?"

Beyett shook his head.

"Somewhere deep in the heart of Germany. Somewhere far from the risk of attack from the air, and where he can work, develop, and scheme. Perhaps even right by Hitler's side."

"You think he could have wormed his way into government that easily?"

"You know what Hitler was always obsessed with? Among other things."

Corwin shook his head.

"Wonder weapons. Villiers could have promised him the Earth, and actually delivered on that. I've no doubt he will be up there at the top."

Corwin shook his head. "We were so close. I had him in my sights, so close to ending it all, and now this. Everything we ever worked for has counted for nothing."

"No, not nothing," replied Beyett, "All that work has led to us. We are the sole creations and endeavours of the civilised and free world. It is a massive burden to endure, but it is ours to carry."

The sun was finally going down, and they were all restless and waiting for some sign of the beginnings of an operation. None of them was used to having to lie in wait for anything. Hunter couldn't help but stare at Frasi. The man appeared little older than him, but they were nothing alike. He wanted to follow in Corwin's footsteps with all his heart, and he couldn't see how anyone else wouldn't. Frasi sat on the perimeter of them all, out of talking distance from the rest. Though everyone knew that with his hearing he probably heard everything they said.

He was alert and on watch all the time. He came across as feral in many ways, barely speaking or interacting with them in any way, and yet his loyalty appeared unflinching. Hunter couldn't resist going over to talk to him and try and glean some sense of his character from him. Frasi didn't turn to look at him, but it was clear he was aware of his approach in his peripheral vision. Hunter knelt down beside him and hoped for some words to come, but they didn't, not from Frasi.

"You don't like people all that much, do you?"

"I don't hate people. I just feel better when they aren't around," he replied sternly.

Hunter was taken aback by the comment and took it as his cue to retreat back to Corwin, who was smiling. He had not heard the words, but could already see in Hunter's face he had been sent packing.

"Not the most talkative of people, is he?" Hunter asked, sitting down beside Corwin.

Corwin's smile dissipated as he explained.

"We found Frasi in some wasteland of a city. There was just nothing left, nothing but him. I don't know how he survived or how long he had been there. He will never say, and I'll never push him."

Hunter's face turned to stone, realising how inappropriate he had been.

"But he's one of us? An ape?"

"Who knows what he is? He's certainly got enhanced abilities from somewhere. When he found us, he tried to steal from us. Just food, and almost got away with it, till Lecia put a shot through him at two hundred metres. We didn't know who or what he was, but clearly he didn't mean us harm. We patched him up and gave him a few days’ rations and went on our way, but he tagged along with us. Stowed away in a box on the back of my DART. Crazy son of a bitch rode in that box for hours. He's not left our side since."

"So he's not even officially part of the Regiment?"

"Officially?" Corwin smiled, "Nobody is gonna stir up trouble for a man who chooses to go fight and do everything he can for those around him. Anyway, none of that matters now. We're all strangers lost in a foreign world together. Maybe knowing we all share that same feeling will bring him some peace."

Corwin instinctively looked down at the pad on his arm once more as he had so many times recently. He wanted some news, some information, but there was nothing. He felt completely blind and deaf to the world without the technology they so heavily relied on. Then, just as he hoped for some sign, they heard explosions erupt in the distance. At first just a few, and then their frequency increased to such volume it was just a constant drone as the areas around them were carpet-bombed.

"This is it. This is the beginning," said Beyett.

"Can we finally go kill something?"

Corwin shook his head at Porter.

"Not yet, this is just the start."

"How long do we wait?"

"One hour."

Beyett agreed with him. "That should give some time for the Allied forces to arrive, but a long way before seaborne landings."

"How else are they getting here?" asked Hunter.

Corwin pointed up to the sky.

"Parachute and glider."

Hunter seemed amazed. The concepts weren't entirely alien to him, but he'd never seen either with his own eyes. When the bombing finally came to a close, it was soon followed by the thunder of ship guns joining the assault. The time passed quicker now, and all were eager to go when Corwin finally got up to move.

"Stay quiet, stay safe. Don't fire unless absolutely necessary. Don't reveal yourselves to anyone, and never kill an Allied soldier."

"Even if they would try and kill us?"

Corwin knew it was hard to accept.

"We have no friends in this world, Vi, so let's try and make some, okay? You encounter any Allied forces, then you do everything in your power to ensure they don't get hurt."

"And if we encounter these Allies, and for some reason they don't try and shoot us, but want to know who the hell we are?" Nylund asked.

"Beyett, got any ideas?"

"We can try and blend in as part of them."

"Think that will work?"

Beyett shook his head. "I doubt it."

"Then we are a Ranger unit."

"And people will buy that?" asked Vi.

Corwin shrugged. "It's worth a shot. Come on, let's move out."

He led them back to the track they came in on and then southeast, away from where the main offensive would likely come. As they reached the edge of the tree line, Corwin heard the sound of engines. He raised his hand quickly, calling them to a halt and to duck down in the foliage. Their multi-terrain camouflage worked relatively well, especially since most of the desert dust and sand had been washed away by their unexpected plunge into the lake the day before. He gestured for Beyett to come up beside him. The genius among them had never been so close to his side in a warzone before, but Corwin increasingly had to rely on his knowledge of history.

 
Three small tanks rode into view. They looked lightweight and lightly armoured, carried four drive wheels without any bogeys, and a stubby barrelled gun in a small turret.

"German?"

Beyett shook his head at Corwin. They could finally make out the Allied star painted over the front of the hull as they tore past them at quite a speed.

"How the fuck did they get here so soon?"

"I don't remember what they're called, but I recall the Allies flying light tanks in with gliders at times in this war."

"A tank in a glider? Who the fuck would be crazy enough to do that?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Vi, and you work with what you have," replied Beyett.

"They gonna do any good?" asked Corwin.

Beyett shook his head. "Who knows? But if they are here, that must mean there have been substantial airborne landings. We must be careful."

Corwin got up and led them across the open field and beyond. They reached the outskirts of a small town. There were no lights on for fear of bombings. This made their work all the more easy. Most windows were covered up with shutters as the civilians hunkered down in hope of survival. Corwin stopped them once more when he saw a glimmer of movement. A German soldier walked out of the front door of a house. His rifle was slung over his shoulder as he lit up a cigarette. Corwin looked to Frasi and simply nodded.

They stayed put and watched Frasi run to the back of the house without making a sound. A few seconds later he appeared behind the soldier and drew a knife across his throat before he even noticed he wasn't alone. Frasi took the weight of the man as he fell and dragged him quietly back into a bush the other side of the house.

Engines roared once again, and they dashed to the side of the same house. Five trucks full of soldiers rushed past on the road to Dieppe. They were running with blackout lights only and were completely loaded with troops.

"Whole lot of uniforms we could have used there," said Vi.

"Like you'll be wearing them."

She looked confused by Porter’s sentiment.

"You know what the Nazis thought of women?"

She shook her head.

"Only good for fucking and making babies."

She spat on the ground beside him in disgust.

"Maybe they had a point," he added, just to piss her off.

"He's an asshole, but he's still right," Lecia said, passing them by. Corwin signalled for them to be quiet; they could hear vehicles heading their way once again, but this time from the west towards a small crossroads up ahead.

"Sure is getting a little busy round here," whispered Beyett.

They waited and watched, and a car came into view. It was a large and luxurious four-door officers’ command car. There were recognition markings fluttering in the wind from the wings, but it meant nothing to any of them.

"Got to be someone important?"

Beyett nodded to Corwin. A truck followed close behind, and as soon as they had gone past the junction, Corwin signalled for them to go forward. He rushed across the road and into the garden of the house opposite, leaping clean over a fence. They went from one garden to another, running in parallel with the convoy and almost able to keep up, for they were travelling at a relaxed pace. They covered almost half a klick like that when Corwin stopped them. He’d seen the vehicles pull up to the lavish gates of a manor house and stop in the front courtyard.

There were two guards posted at the gate, and they could see huge red banners with swastikas hanging from the columns on the front of the structure.

"Aiming a little high, aren't we?" Beyett was looking at the grandeur of the mansion.

"Isn't that the way we always roll?"

Beyett couldn't disagree, but he didn't like it. They watched carefully as a soldier opened the door of the car, and two officers stepped out. Both wore lavishly decorated uniforms, clearly high-ranking officials.

"Struck gold," said Porter.

Corwin watched as every soldier they passed avoided eye contact and simply saluted without hesitation.

"We get that car and those uniforms, we could get far," said Tano.

"I'll get them for you," Rane said in his usual gruff voice.

Corwin smiled.

"I think this one might need a bit more of a delicate touch than you have to offer."

"Come on, let me at 'em."

"We aren't even going to be able to fit you in one of those uniforms," Tano said, looking at the hulking figure of Rane.

"He's got a point," replied Corwin, "Look at us, trying to blend in to this world. It's a fucking disaster."

"No, it might just work yet."

"Think we should choose a slightly less ambitious target?"

"No, Nylund, time isn't on our side, and this will do us just fine."

Corwin looked carefully at the whole building and everything around it. A two-metre high iron fence ran for several hundred metres in either direction until it met a small wood on either side. There was little cover, but it was so dark the flat ground leading up to the structure was almost completely obscured.

"Here's the deal. Rane, Nylund, you're taking the two on the gate. Lecia, find some high ground where you can cover the frontage of the building, and you fire the moment those two make their move. Beyett, you stick with Lecia. We cannot afford you risking your life. We need you more than ever. Hunter, Chas, and Vi, you're with me taking the left hand side. Tano, Frasi, Harland, take the left flank."

He stopped and looked at Porter, and just knew he could be a spanner in the works.

"What?" Porter asked, smiling.

"Don't fuck this up for us," said Corwin.

Porter shrugged while he still smiled.

"All right, you're with me, too," he said, knowing he needed to keep an eye on the ruthless and erratic soldier.

"Nobody fires a weapon save for Lecia unless you absolutely have to. We work through this place silent and smooth, and leave none alive. We do not let any signal get out. We do not damage those vehicles or wreck the uniforms of the brass we just saw go inside. I cannot stress that enough. You all with me on this?"

They all nodded agreement, and he slung his captured rifle onto his back, hoping to not need it. He looked to Rane and Porter one last time and prayed they could approach the situation with the stealth and caution that was required; he'd never seen evidence of that from either before. He sighed, realising how unlikely it was to work before heading onwards.

"Bet you can't wait to slip into one of those snazzy uniforms?" Porter joked to Corwin as they made their way quietly through foliage to reach the far edge of the fence where they could get over without being noticed.