فصل 57

chapter-57 Outnumbered and outgunned

The Faraday docked as close as it could get to the island without hitting reef, about two hundred yards out to sea. I wished I had something to blow it up with. The Tesla, the Elgen’s landing tender, had begun transporting troops to the reef, dropping them in the water, then returning for more.

More guards came from the west, arriving on rafts and smaller boats. Within a half hour there were hundreds of troops surrounding the compound.

“They just keep coming,” Taylor said. “Like ants at a picnic.” Suddenly Ian shouted, “We’ve got two helicopters inbound. They’ve got missiles.” “Where?” Tanner asked.

“Three o’clock.”

Tanner lifted his binoculars. “There they are.”

“How far out can you bring them down?” I asked.

“Now,” he said. He reached out his hand.

“Lead helicopter is down,” Ian said.

“I’ll get the next.”

“You got it,” Ian said. A moment later he shouted, “Missile was launched!” A fiery streak hit the outer wall of the compound, exploding loudly and throwing concrete and twisting rebar. When the smoke cleared, there was a hole in the wall the size of a truck.

“There’s a break in the west wall!” I shouted over the radio.

“We see it!” Jack shouted. “Concentrate fire at the hole. No one gets in.” Through the haze I could see fire spewing through the hole from the mouths of Elgen machine gun barrels, answered by our own troops. Then Elgen guards began running in through the hole.

Dozens fell before Jack’s forces, but the Elgen kept pouring into the break. Even though the prisoners had stopped hundreds, they were soon overwhelmed, outnumbered, and outgunned. Jack’s men were forced to fall back behind the chain-link fences, which separated them from the guards but not their bullets.

Then the Elgen turned their guns on the towers. They couldn’t hit me, as I could repel everything they had, but I was concerned for the others.

“Everyone down!” I shouted. “I don’t want to deflect something into you.” The number of Elgen in the yard just continued to grow. Our tower sounded like it was being chipped apart piece by piece, splinters and plaster and dust clouding the air.

I lifted the radio. “Jack, fall back!” I shouted. “Get your men into the buildings. The Elgen have taken the grounds.” I looked out over the flow of Elgen guards. “There’s nothing we can do to stop them.” “They’re going to set explosives on the prison walls,” Ian said.

“We’re so dead,” Tanner said.

“Shut up!” I shouted. “Stop saying that!”