This one only took a day to complete so I hope it doesn't lack in quality. I was amazed by how well received the first chapter was and I really appreciate the reviews and follows. If you guys have any suggestions, be it syntax corrections or where you want the story to go then feel free to PM or say in the reviews. I will probably have another chapter out by tomorrow or the day after. Again, thanks so much for the encouragement.
"Move it, move it!" hollered the sergeant, his voice muffled by the mask. Sev snatched up his bag and gun as quick as he could. His canteen clattered to the ground and he didn't bother trying to grab it as he desperately sprinted for the cover of a doorway. There was another bang. It sounded terrifyingly loud, as it echoed back and forth down the silent road. There was a crack and chunks of rockcrete smacked against Sev's fatigues. He kept running. He huffed a sigh of relief as he skidded to a halt in the safety of the entrance way. Sarge, Ryn and two of the other guardsmen were with them. Across the street, in an identical doorway, the rest of the squad was cowering. Sev looked into the street. There was the radio man.
It was the first time Sev had seen a dead man. He was laying face down, his arms at awkward angles. A pool of blood was spreading out around him, following the lines and cracks in the road. The radio was on his back and his las gun lay in the road. It had been knocked over when the man had crumpled. A few discarded items also lay around the truck. Sev's canteen as well as some other pieces of equipment that had been forgotten in the men's desperate sprint for cover. Three men had forgotten their bags, the sergeant included.
On of the guardsmen peered out from behind the rockcrete wall of the entrance way. There was a bang and he ducked back. He was rewarded for his efforts with another crack as chunks of masonry flew off the wall.
"Sniper up there somewhere sarge" the man said matter of factly.
"You don't say" The sergeant snarled. He looked around, hoping for an obvious and immediate solution to present itself to him. None came.
"We need to call for back up. We need that radio. Thompson, you stick something out to get the snipers attention. Corporal Alyn, get ready to see where the shot came from".
Sev was still in a state of shock but he had regained his senses enough to be impressed with the sergeant's level headedness. Thompson, one of the guardsmen on their side of the street stuck his shovel out and a second later the corporal across the road snuck a glance. There was a bang and the shovel shot back. There was a whizzing sound and the wall on the other side of the entrance showered chunks of rockcrete and dust. Had Thompson not pulled the shovel back there would be a sizable hole in it. The corporal had ducked back as soon as the shot was fired.
"Well?" The sergeant called across.
"Ya... ya I saw him. About ten apartments down. Our side of the street" he croaked. Sev couldn't see his face but he sounded scared.
"Alright, Ryn, you get upstairs and set up that bolter. We're going to need covering fire. Dono, you're going to grab that vox".
"Yes s-sir" Dono replied. If Alyn sounded scared, Dono sounded like he was about to piss himself. There was a crash as Ryn kicked in the door. Sev pushed past him embarrassed, realising it was his place to go first. There was an unspoken decision between them. If there were enemies in this building, then hopefully they would have shown themselves by now. They dashed up the stairs as quickly as their gear would allow them and made their way down the hall. Sev kept his lasgun at the ready just to be safe. He kicked down the door of the apartment. It looked almost identical to the other hab they had been in earlier, with slightly different furnishings. Sev took a few steps and then dropped prone. It would be better not to let the sniper know of their presence. Sev looked back and Ryn was right behind him. They crawled as close to the window as they dared. With a click the tripod was deployed, seconds later the heavy bolter was set up. Sev held the huge belt up slightly from the ammunition box. The heavy bolter could fire without being fed but anything to decrease the chances of a jam could be lifesaving. Ryn racked the slide and the first massive bolt clacked into place.
"We're ready up here sir" Sev mumbled down to the sergeant over the vox bead.
"Alright you heard him Dono. As soon as they start firing you go. On your mark Ryn" The sergeant replied.
Ryn counted ten houses down from the apartment where his comrade was even now preparing to run into the open. It took him a second but sure enough there it was. It was barely noticeable but a bulky flash suppressor could be seen poking over the lip of the balcony. The sniper must have been lying flat in the apartment. Ryn pointed and Sev spotted him too. Ryn wouldn't be able to see the sniper over the barrel flash and propellant smoke so it was Sev's job to spot. Ryn adjusted the iron sights and let his breath half out. And then he depressed the trigger.
Sev could never fully prepare himself for the impossibly loud banging. He held the belt loosely over his hands as it was greedily eaten by the bolter with a clattering sound. Steaming casings the size of fists were shot out the opposite side. He watched as the mass reactive shells went to work blasting huge chunks of the building outwards into the street. There were barely perceivable lines in the air where the bolter rounds had left their tiny rocket trails. Sev risked a glance down. Dono had made it to the radio. He was struggling with the straps, trying to free it from its owner's shoulders. And then it was free. He made it the last few metres to the sergeant and dove into cover. Ryn stopped firing.
There was a slight tinkle as the last few casing rattled to the floor and then silence. The damage to the opposing balcony was immense. The area around the balcony was torn to bits and chunks of masonry and railing lay in the street. Sev's throat stung from the propellant heavy in the smoky air of apartment and he spat a viscous lump of saliva. He couldn't imagine the sniper having survived such a withering barrage.
There was a loud curse from down below. Then a second of silence.
"The shot killed the radio. We got not contact with company boys" the sergeant said over the radio. "First things first, we have to kill this sniper. Ryn, you give covering fire. Everyone else, move along the side of the street he's on. Hopefully he won't be able to see us".
Sev couldn't see the sniper. He must have ducked back into cover. The men on the Sev's side of the street sprinted to the other side. No movement. The squad went single file along the wall, keeping themselves as tight to the wall with lasguns at the ready. No movement. It was as they drew closer to the entrance that Sev saw movement.
The sniper had reappeared two windows down. Sev pointed and yelled. Ryn was turning but it was too late. There was a bang and a soldier dropped. Ryn opened fire. Again the bolter roared. This time, barely discernable, there was the sound of meat exploding. Through the smoke, dust and fragments where the shells were landing Sev saw a red mist, just momentarily. The squad sprinted the rest of the way into the apartment. Seconds later there was a bang as a door was kicked down. Alyn appeared in the door of the second ruined balcony. He took a step back in shock. There work done, Sev and Ryn packed up and ran back downstairs.
One of the guardsmen was lying in the street. There was a huge hole almost dead centre in his chest and there was a pinkish red spray against the wall going at a downwards angle, the direction the bullet had gone. He lay slumped sideways slightly, his masked head leaning over his chest. He wasn't moving. The pair tried to avoid looking and continued on up the stairs. They came into the room where the sniper had been. The squad was staring in awe at the corpse and as the heavy weapons troopers pushed in so were they.
It was huge. It looked to be a bit over two metres but its broadness was more startling. It had dirty green skin and massive corded muscles. A hood covered its head with a pear of goggles over the eyes. Its equipment looked ramshackle to say the least and the sniper looked as if it logically couldn't function. But function it had. It was difficult to tell much else besides this because the greater part of the beast's chest had been blown out by the bolter rounds. But it was still easily identifiable. It was undoubtedly an ork.
"We need to get moving" the sergeant said. They had no time to stand around looking stunned at an ork.
They got out side and went to the dead guardsman. The corporal read him the last rights and they stripped him of his power cells and any other useful equipment. Then they did the same for the radio operator. It was inadequate but all they could afford in terms of time. Any equipment that had been abandoned was grabbed and the men moved off. The sun set behind them as they made their way down the road.
It was well after sunset by the time the squad decided to stop for the night. They had no map and travelling at night would be futile. A large square was bordered by a few industrial looking stores and an ecclesiarch church. They decided to not go breaking into a church and headed for one of the shops. It was two stories high and had long glass panels running its length. The wooden double doors were locked but the window was smashed in with a rifle butt and the door soon stood open before them.
The squad switched on helmet mounted flashlights as they advanced into the darkened store. There were rows of shelving racks holding bland looking food and Administratum issued magazines. They crept through the silent store, rifles and flashlights sweeping back and forth, checking every isle. Moonlight streamed down from skylights, making the dust that had been kicked up by their boots glint.
"Ryn and Sev, get that heavybolter facing out into the street. You two will be waking Tomas and Dono up in an hour. Alyn and Winn, you two are next; and then me and Soloman" the sergeant whispered. "You boys make a barricade for that bolter, the rest of you eat and get to sleep".
Ryn and Sev slunk to the front of the store. After moving around some of the lower shelves and flipping some storage crates they had made a barricade of sorts. The heavy bolter was soon set up and Sev sat down to eat while Ryn took first watch.
"Turn off that light would you Sev, I can't see a thing out there" Ryn hissed at him.
Sev obliged. He leaned back against the barricade and tucked into his MRE. It was after he was done that he picked up his water. To Sev's supreme horror it felt sticky and when he looked closer he saw that there was blood on it. The radio operator's blood. With a curse he wiped it off with the back of his cuff. It had been a stressful day. Although there had already been two deaths Sev didn't really feel like there had been real combat. Sure, the scurrying around under sniper fire had been terrifying but Sev felt that he hadn't seen a real fight yet. And the sooner he did the better, as the anxious nervousness of waiting was killing him.
The moonlit square was silent but all the same Ryn panned the massive machine gun back and forth. Some garbage drifted across the square in front of a statue of huge space marine, his head bowed and gun held against the ground in solemn prayer. An imperial poster, this one stating in huge red letters "The Emperor blesses the hard working", flapped in the wind. Ryn relaxed a little, ready for a long two hours.