Annihilation Squad by Gav Thorpe

Author:Gav Thorpe
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Black Library
Published: 2011-10-24T16:00:00+00:00

TEN

AMBUSH

We spend another two days rattling around in that wagon before we finally come to a stop. Stiff and tired, we jump down out of the train to find ourselves in a marshalling yard on the slopes of a mountain. Rickety, temporary-looking sheds and storehouses line the track, watched over by a high tower with skyward pointing. Beyond is a mass of shattered buildings, their skeletal ruins rising up against the dark, tar and dust covered slopes beyond.

Not far on, the rail track comes to an abrupt end as it disappears into a crater several hundred metres across. The rock has fused in strange organic shapes from some immensely hot detonation. The mountains are obscured just a few hundred metres higher up the slopes by a thick layer of cloud. It has a dirty, reddish tint to it, clinging to the mountainsides. I make a silent plea to the Emperor that we don’t have to go up into the deadly-looking smog.

The place is half-deserted; a few men are hurrying around swathed in robes and scarves to ward away the chill mountain air. Without a word, the Colonel leads us between the buildings, heading uphill.

‘Where the hell are we now?’ asks Brownie, gazing around at the empty buildings.

‘I think it’s Diabolus forge,’ says Erasmus, staggering along with heavy stubber ammo under one arm and his servo-skull under the other.

‘And what’s Diabolus?’ says Kin-Drugg. ‘Looks like the arse-end of nowhere to me.’

‘It’s where I was due to be stationed on my arrival,’ Erasmus says quietly. ‘It’s a Departmento Munitorum outpost, set up during the second Armageddon War. As you can see, it’s very low priority now. The mine has been abandoned since the latest invasion, so there’s not much to protect any more.’

‘You knew we were coming here and you didn’t say anything,’ I ask, rounding on Spooge. ‘Why didn’t you tell us?’

‘Was I supposed to have told you?’ he says, cringing back from me. ‘When did anyone ask me? And how was I supposed to know you were all coming here too?’

‘Just ignore him,’ says Brownie, wrapping an arm around Erasmus’s shoulders, his skin seeming even darker against the pallid neck of the scribe.

‘Since when have you two been friends?’ I say, taken aback by this show of support. It’s not like Spooge is really one of us, he’s just been tagging along because there’s been nowhere else for him to go.

‘Razzy here’s the best damn loader I’ve ever had,’ says Brownie, patting the scribe on the head. ‘Not had a belt jam yet, have we, mate?’

‘Razzy?’ I say, trying not to laugh.

‘Well, Erasmus such a mouthful, isn’t it?’ says Brownie. ‘And so’s Spooge. I like Razzy.’

‘Well, you better start saying your fond farewells,’ I say with a snarl. ‘It’s the end of the line for Razzy, and I bet that we’re not going to be hanging around any longer than necessary.’

I quicken my stride and walk ahead. Brownie’s gone soft in the head, worrying about a damn scribe. He’ll be glad to be rid of him once the serious fighting starts.

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