RECCE II (The Union Series Book 5) Read Online Free

guessing.’
    ‘Have they used explosives?’
    ‘No. They have used some grenades, but that is all.’
    That was a good sign. Often in tunnel warfare the
instant response to an attack was to detonate explosives, bringing tonnes of
rock down upon the attackers and forcing them to dig their way in. If the rogue
Guardsmen hadn’t used explosives already, then they might not have any at all.
Perhaps they had used all of it when they had sabotaged the FEA defensive
positions in the village, just prior to the Militia’s attack. Then again, perhaps
they were saving what explosives they had for the final moments of their
defence.
    ‘The fighting has been fierce,’ the commander
summarised, ‘but the traitors are losing ground. If you join us now, then they
will not be able to stop us.’
    Suddenly an arresting hand gripped my shoulder and I
felt a tap against my helmet. I realised that the sergeant major had moved up
to me and was pressing his visor against mine.
    ‘Don’t commit to anything yet,’ he whispered, the
sound barely audible but for my headset. ‘I want to get a feel for how the
battle is going. The FEA already seem to be sapping the Guard’s strength. They
might win without us.’
    ‘Roger,’ I agreed, reluctantly, understanding his
thought process. It made sense to let the FEA either defeat the Guard on their
own, or at least weaken them sufficiently to allow us to swoop in and finish
the job. It made sense, but it still didn’t feel right. Some might have said
this wasn’t our war, but so long as the Guard held our men captive then that
was exactly what it was.
    ‘How many more of them are back there?’ Myers asked,
jerking a thumb over his shoulder.
    ‘Not many,’ I answered.
    ‘We might as well just get on with it, then.’
    ‘Shut up, Myers,’ the sergeant major snapped.
    Myers had developed an annoying habit of expressing
his opinion, especially since his friend Skelton had been severely wounded, but
I understood the sentiment. The thought of holding back and leaving the FEA to
fight on their own left a bitter taste in the mouth.
    The FEA commander leant forward, stealing a glance
around the corner of the tunnel. A few loose shots were fired, however they
mustn’t have been directed at him because he made no effort to duck back into
cover.
    ‘I will move into the next tunnel,’ he announced,
and then rounded the corner in pursuit of his men, his entourage following
closely after him.
    I looked over my shoulder.
    ‘Follow him,’ the sergeant major ordered, sensing my
uncertainty. ‘Leave a ten-metre gap, though, so he can call up his reserves.’
    I gave a nod, exaggerating the movement so he could
see it in the dark.
    ‘Come,’ the FEA guide urged me, gesturing after her
commander. ‘Follow him.’
    I didn’t have the heart to tell her that we weren’t
going to attack until they had exhausted themselves. The harsh reality was that
we weren’t prepared to take more casualties than we needed to, not when we had
already lost so many.
    I edged up to the junction, and then looked around
the corner to see what was happening.
    We had reached the Guard headquarters. I recognised
the long, wide access tunnel lined with entrances to various caverns and
chambers. It was the same place that the platoon commander had used to brief us
following the Militia’s resurgence. All of the light sticks that once
illuminated the tunnel had been extinguished, possibly to spoil the FEA’s night
vision. It wouldn’t affect us, however. The access tunnel was much wider than
the one we were presently occupying, though not much higher, and its floor had
been flattened so that it could be paved with large, solid metal panels -
presumably to create a smooth surface that vehicles of some description could
use to move equipment to the surface.
    The FEA had managed to clear twenty metres along the
tunnel, although it was apparent that the multiple connecting entrances were
slowing their advance. A key principle