RECCE (The Union Series Book 4) by Richards Phillip

Author:Richards, Phillip [Richards, Phillip]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: The Electronic Book Company
Published: 2015-01-20T05:00:00+00:00

We found the FEA headquarters not long after leaving the square. They had occupied a series of multi-storey administrative buildings on the north-eastern edge of the village, using the vantage point to oversee the progress of the battle. Their three fighting companies had virtually cleared the entire village, whilst their support company had spread themselves out across the outskirts, establishing a perimeter with their heavy weapons. It was a far more professional show than the poorly-organised circus we had seen on the hill - which was embarrassing for the Guard, considering that the FEA were little more than conscripts, many of them with less than a few months of military experience.

My section and Corporal Abdi’s established a perimeter around the buildings, adding to the protection already provided by several sections of FEA.

Meanwhile, Mr Barker entered the building containing their battalion headquarters, curious to find out what was going on across the village. Sergeant Major Davies had reported that all was quiet back on Hill Kilo, and that the FEA were claiming to have successfully cleared the warren system beneath them. It was a pretty tall claim - the warren was supposed to be extensive and the FEA hadn’t taken long to clear it - I wondered if they even knew how to clear through a warren.

I had my troopers spread out across the ground floor of a smaller, burnt-out administrative building, pushing over desks and other office furniture to create cover from which to observe out of the windows. They wouldn’t stop a dart, but they made us harder to spot.

As soon as our position was established, Puppy used the free moment to get us all to double-check our equipment again, making sure that none of our respirators were damaged, and that we still had enough food and water. We had already checked our equipment after the battle on the hill, but that had been in the pouring rain. Rain could affect even the most professional troopers, damaging morale, decreasing dexterity and shortening concentration. Mistakes were often made in the rain - which was why there was a saying in the dropship infantry - ‘Instant fool; just add water!’

Whilst my 2ic did his job of maintaining the section, I found myself a spot in the middle of the building, beneath a doorway, where I could see most of the ground floor. Sitting down with my back against the doorframe, I took a long drag from my feeding straw, filling my mouth with warm, tasteless pulp. I hadn’t eaten as much as I should have for the time I had spent in the field - an easy thing to do whilst commanding a section.

Swilling the food around inside my mouth, I thought back to the sheer brutality that I had witnessed in the village: the civilians who hung by their throats with their hands severed, and the executions that had taken place right in front of us.

Who were those armed civilians, and who were their victims? Were they Militiamen committing their

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