Omega Force 6: Secret of the Phoenix Read Online Free Page A

rocker-type switch located on his throttle. The ship shook violently as the repulsors pushed against the water. They leveled out and were suddenly engulfed in a thick fog as the ultrasonic frequencies from the repulsors vaporized the lake water instantaneously. When his indicators said they were a few feet above the water surface, he increased the power and brought the ship to a steady hover about a hundred feet above the lake.
    “Engines coming up,” Twingo said. “We’ll have grav-drive in sixty seconds. Captain, go ahead and kick on the pre-heaters on the mains to dry out the plasma ducts and the thrust nozzles.”
    “Gotcha,” Jason said and flicked the switch to bring the mains to standby, priming the fuel system and engaging the pre-heaters to dry the motors out. “Pre-heat is on.”
    “Thanks,” Twingo said distractedly. “If we have to make orbit quickly I don’t want ice forming up in the injectors or the constrictor rings.” Jason felt the ship rock and shudder as the emitters for the grav-drive began to come and the repulsors pulled against their effect. A few seconds later he could hear the repulsors automatically throttling back as the gravimetric drive took up the ship’s weight. “Drive is online,” Twingo reported. “You’re clear to begin maneuvering.”
    “Let’s go pick up our crew,” Jason said, pushing the throttle up. “Kage, start bringing the weapons online and get in touch with the strike team. We need to know the situation. I specifically want to know if they’ll need any air support and if they have any wounded.” From the time they received the call to the time they were underway, less than five minutes had elapsed.
    ****
    “Bravo squad is accounted for!” Mazer’s second in command shouted over the din of the pitched battle. “Charlie is coming up the stairwell at the east end of the building, but they’re running into heavy resistance.”
    “Can we move to help them?” Mazer asked.
    “Our only way out is through the blast doors,” the lieutenant said. “We’d have to fight our way to them.”
    Mazer sighed. Things had spiraled out of control quickly. The moment Bravo squad had withdrawn, the security forces had rallied and began to press the attack against both the retreating Marines and Alpha squad, which was currently entrenched behind the heavy blast doors the warlord Rorid had hidden behind.
    “Get me a channel to Charlie squad,” Mazer said. His com chirped twice to let him know he had a direct line to the commander of the pinned-down squad. “This is Captain Reddix. We’re going to coordinate our efforts to eliminate all enemy combatants on this floor so we can extract the package safely. I want you to hold fast. Set up a defensive position where you are.”
    “ Sir ,” the sergeant leading Charlie squad said. “ We’re not in a defensible position. If we stop now we’ll be trapped between floors in a narrow stairwell .”
    “Not for long,” Mazer explained. “Alpha and Bravo squads are going to push to you. We’ll drive everyone on this floor towards you and then they’ll be forced to fight us on both fronts.”
    “ Acknowledged. We’ll be waiting for your signal .”
    Mazer was painfully aware he’d put Charlie squad in a perilous position and if he didn’t act quickly he’d be responsible when they were overrun in the tight confines of the maintenance stairwell. “Lucky! I need you and five volunteers to remain here and keep Rorid alive. Alpha and Bravo, form up at the doors. Phalanx formation, Alpha right, Bravo left … we’re going to press the attack and push the remaining security forces back so Charlie can engage them from the rear. This has to be done quickly, Charlie is trapped and evac is on the way. Let’s move!”
    With Lucky and five of the Marines taking Rorid into one of the back rooms to secure him, the remaining twenty-one warriors formed up near the doors into a wedge formation. They would provide a smaller target