Chapter 4

"This wasn't quite my idea of giving them hell." Gibson complained. The two officers were curled up in sleeping bags under the shelter of an abandoned factory's doorway. To any onlookers they looked like two vagrants trying to stay warm as the night drew in, only if they got really close would they notice the subtle glow of the hand held terminal concealed in Max's sleeping bag.

"You'll get your chance to shoot the place up later. In the meantime, watch." Max replied as he watched the handheld's screen intently. Overhead a small drone was feeding him a real time view of the area, he'd already identified four parties in the ambush around the drop point and what he suspected was the command post. It all looked suspiciously militaristic.

"There's only four of them in that room. We can take them, interrogate them and be done with it." Gibson continued complaining. His bag of toys had consisted of a Mars Laser Carbine and a satchel full of various grenades.

"And if they won't talk?" Max responded only half paying attention as he fiddled with the terminals controls.

"Make them." Gibson replied simply.

"You'd resort to torture?" Max was surprised enough to look up from the screen.

"Well no, just rough them up a little, scare them a bit. Nothing that extreme." Gibson grumbled.

"Might work." Max said. "But I have two better weapons in play. Boredom and a laser microphone. Put this ear piece on."

It took a while, but as their watch dragged on the enemy in the command post began to lose focus and started to chat amongst themselves. At first they stuck to small talk, but eventually it gave way to complaining about their current tasking and then slowly to complaining about all the tasks left to do tonight. With a practiced ear Max drew out usable intelligence from their conversations as Gibson worked with a map of the city to try and pin point potential locations that the hostage might be held at.

"Think I've got it." Gibson whispered. "There's only three places that she could be referring to as a 'steel mill'. Ones in use, but two are closed down. However, one of those is right next door to the diplomatic compounds, it's no good as a cover location. They must be using this one." He stabbed at the map with his finger.

"I agree, but look at the list of names they keep mentioning. The guard could be as many of twenty, we can't take that on alone. We'll have to bring in others." Max replied, concerned.

"Someone will blab and once they do we can forget about finding the kid. Besides your forgetting something, they've got fourteen men here, that only leaves six guarding the factory. If we go now, we've got good odds of getting in and out before this mob know what hit them."

"That's a fair gamble Sam, if your wrong we both die."

"That's how the game works. You coming?"

"I think I'd better." Max programmed the drone to return to base and closed up the terminal. "Hate to think what crazy ideas you'd come up with on your own."

Quickly packing up their equipment, Max and Gibson walked briskly back to Gibson's car and took a circular route to the suspected hide out. Leaving the car well short of their objective they approached the abandoned steel mill careful to stay in the shadows. Using his carbines optics, Gibson scanned the front of the building.

"One guy guarding the front door, can't see any others. Don't suppose you have another of those drones on hand?" Gibson asked.

"Only had the one and it'll need charging for three hours before I can use it again." Max replied.

"Old fashion way it is then. I'd assume they are keeping the kid in the mangers office, it will have good lines of sight, be easy to defend." He produced the map. "I'm going to circle round on foot, go in through the loading bay. Take out the guard there and then find the kid and bring him out the same way. I want you to bring the car round 15 minutes after I set off, we'll go straight back for the Fed Com Compound, failing that head for the spaceport."

"You're going to go in alone?"

"6 on 1, good odds for a Logandaler." Gibson replied like that should explain everything.

Max didn't look convinced but nodded anway. "15 minutes then. Good luck Sam."

"See you on the other side Max."

As Max went to retrieve the car, Gibson set off on a long loop round behind the mill. The streets were deserted at this hour, the industrial complex eerily quiet as Gibson moved swiftly from shadow to shadow. He wasn't surprised to find that the apparently abandoned mill had a brand new padlock on its gate. Rear slinging his carbine, he took a few steps back and then with a running start jumped up and pulled himself up so he could see over the brick wall. A lone sentry patrolled the loading bay, his rifle slung as he kicked a stone in front of him. Gibson waited until the sentry's back was turned then heaved himself over the wall and dropped back on the other side. The sentry turned at the sound, but unable to see anything in the twilight he turned and continued his absent minded patrol. Leaving his satchel behind, Gibson checked his watch and crept up behind the sentry, reading his carbine. He waited until the sentry was about to turn about before rising up, carbine held up ready to fire. The sentry turned to find himself face to face with the business end of a Mars Laser Rifle, his eye widened in surprise and he nearly dropped his rifle in his haste to throw his hands up. Gibson put a finger to his lips and signalled that the sentry should lie down. Quickly he stripped the sentry of his weapons and tied and gagged him before retrieving his satchel.

Gibson tested the rear door to ensure it was unlocked before pausing for a deep breath. He checked his watch, 3 minutes left. Carefully he pushed the door open and moved into the abandoned mill. Moving swiftly between the massive machinery he quickly located the elevated manager's office, a single light illumined the room which could only be approached by one stairway. Two shadows moved backwards and forwards within. Another three Black Warriors were grouped around a burning oil drum in the centre of the factory floor, trying to stay warm. Moving up to the foot of the stairs Gibson opened his satchel and took out a pair of grenades. The first, a flash bag went through the broken window of the manager's office, the second a frag grenade went looping towards the oil drum. Shouts of surprise filled the mill followed shortly by a pair of explosions. Gibson was already pounding up the stairs and burst into the room before the defenders could recover. The first died before he'd even realised he was under attack, the second managed to raise his weapon, but half blinded by the flashbang he didn't have a chance to fire before Gibson's second shot took him in the chest. Setting off a smoke grenade, Gibson quickly moved to the side of the third figure in the room and cut the bonds binding him to a steel chair.

"Quickly Sir, we've got to go."

Temporarily blinded and deafened by the explosions, William was barely able to comprehend what was going on so Gibson grabbed him by the arm and pushed him towards the stairs. With smoke covering their descent, Gibson sent another frag grenade towards the fire before paused for a moment, focusing on the front door. Unsure of what was happened, the front door guard stepped right into his sights, looking left and right as she tried to make sense of the chaos in front of her. She didn't get a chance as two shots in quick succession from Gibson's carbine dropped her.

"This way Sir." Gibson took William by the arm once more as he made for the open rear door. Disorientated and shocked the surviving guards started to open fire, but it was sporadic as they opened fire at random, hoping to hit their illusive enemy. Running through the rear door and into the yard, Gibson led William towards the rear gate. It swung open as Max, having picked the lock, pushed it open. He dropped to a knee, Imperator Rifle held ready as he covered the rear of the mill. Gibson bundled William into the rear seat of the car before moving to cover Max.

"Get in." Max shouted as he jumped in the driver's seat.

Gibson threw himself into the car. "Go, go, go."

The car leapt forwards as Max floored the accelerator.

"Who are you?" William asked as he started to regain his senses.

"Sir, I'm Captain Gibson, one of your father's men, this is Captain Rivers of the FWLM, we've here to rescue you."