War of Secrets by Phil Kelly

Author:Phil Kelly
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Published: 2018-05-09T14:31:30+00:00

Chapter Twelve

THAT WHICH LIES BELOW

Fortress Sixth West

Allhallow, Space Marine Chapter Planet

Farren bludgeoned a charging mutant with a sidelong swipe of his bolt rifle. He dashed its brains upon the wall of the narrow tunnel before kicking it hard in the spine. This one had been covered in matted hair so thick it gave him the appearance of some primitive from mankind’s distant past. It made Farren feel unclean just to look at it.

The lieutenant found a moment for a silent prayer to the Omnissiah. After fighting what seemed a dozen of the things on the stairs that led to the sub-levels – and in several cases, barely overcoming his assailants – he was glad of the reprieve.

‘Spread out,’ he said, motioning his squad to advance down the stone-walled stairs. ‘Shoot first, worry about collateral damage second. I won’t have another Vesleigh on my conscience.’

On reflex, he looked for the squad runes of Thrunn and Enrod in his peripheral vision, then realised that he and Parvell were still helmless. He was keeping it off for good reason, even down here in the gloom of the keep’s dungeons; the t’au stealthers had caught him off guard once already. Parvell had a point, although he was loath to admit it. That said, the xenos had not attacked for some time, perhaps driven off by the throngs of mutants that burst out of every corridor and shadowed stairway.

‘What are we looking for down here, lieutenant?’ said Enrod.

‘Enemies,’ said Thrunn, helpfully. He kicked open a wrought iron gate, the metal screeching before ringing off the wall of the cell beyond with a deafening clang.

Farren shook his head and replaced his helm, reasoning that a sniper in the dark could see him silhouetted easily enough now Thrunn had revealed where to look. The big warrior had never really valued the concept of stealth.

‘These rebels,’ said Farren over the vox, peering around a column before stepping out to the next. ‘These mutants. They are a grotesque distraction. Nothing more.’

‘Lieutenant?’ asked Thrunn. ‘How so?’

‘I do not know, to be honest. But the true quarry, that which I believe the Dark Angels are seeking, will be harder to find.’

‘The xenos commander?’

‘No,’ said Farren. ‘I don’t think it’s the xenos that the First are after, despite the conflict thus far. It will be the source of these mutations, and they are not of alien provenance.’

‘So why are the t’au here?’

‘Mercenaries,’ stated Thrunn flatly.

Farren nodded. ‘I think that might very well be the case. That, or they are under the spell of whatever haunts this place.’

‘Some kind of empyric curse,’ said Enrod. ‘Has to be.’

‘Those who are struck by that white psy-discharge, they are infected by it themselves,’ said Farren as he peered around a pillar. ‘Then they either die, prove strong enough to ride it out or turn into those mutant things.’

‘So Vesleigh’s got that to look forward to,’ said Enrod. ‘If he survives.’

‘Stop, Enrod,’ said Thrunn.

‘It was the lieutenant’s call to leave him,’ said Parvell. ‘So we support him on it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.