The Counterstrike: A Military Sci-Fi Alien Invasion Series (Annihilation Book 2) by Joshua T. Calvert

Author:Joshua T. Calvert [Calvert, Joshua T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2022-05-09T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

NIKOS

Nikos kept a tight grip on his knees as their armored personnel carrier was shaken several times.

“What’s going on?” he yelled over the din. Across from him, Sönke tapped his outstretched finger against the spot on his helmet where his right ear was located. When Nikos understood, he said more quietly, “Sorry.”

“Probably dodging something.”

“Hang on, guys!” one of the crew members yelled from the front. The smell of heavy diesel and heated cables permeated his nose through the respirator. “Something’s coming at us!”

“What?” asked Nikos, irritated. “What do you mean, something’s coming...” That was as far as he got, as there was a crash outside and the entire floor of the vehicle vibrated like a vibratory plate. There was a clang and crackle against the wall of the tank behind Sönke and then the entire world dissolved into chaos: Up became down, left became right. Arms and legs of the strapped soldiers jerked first in one direction, then in another. Everything was spinning, rolling over. Smaller objects that appeared too briefly before Nikos’ eyes to identify flew back and forth between them, hit, rose again, and hit somewhere else. His helmet was slammed violently against the ceramic paneling behind him — so hard that a brutal gong sounded in his ears, and he blacked out for a moment. The direction of the relentless gravity changed a few times, shifting toward the seated people across from him, who suddenly became the new “down.” Nikos’ arms and legs were pulled in Sönke’s direction, then there was a crash that drowned out even the noise of the diesel, and all movement stopped. For a moment, it remained quiet, except for the howling engine, which his brain was already tuning out. After two breaths, he opened his eyes, which he had unknowingly squeezed shut, only to close them again as a volley of bullets rattled through the Puma’s armor like hail.

“Got hit!” shouted someone from the crew further forward in the tangle of the infantry fighting vehicle.

“Negative!” another voice bellowed over the engine noise.

“Hannes, get us the fuck out of here. We’re sitting on a fucking platter!”

“Controls are down!”

“Son of a bitch.”

“What’s going on?” asked Nikos into his radio for what felt like the tenth time.

“I don’t know, but doing nothing is bad.”

“We’ve got to get out of here or we’ll get barbecued!” someone shouted, and this time, it wasn’t anyone from the crew, but one of the four soldiers who sat with them on the three folding seats on each side. He peeled himself out of the straps and crawled to the hatch at the stern — disregarding the legs of Nikos and Sönke that were in the way.

“Hey!” he protested, but the other three soldiers had also already unbuckled their seat belts and were pushing him from behind with the force of approaching panic.

“Keep that damn hatch closed!” someone from the tank crew yelled, but the order was lost in the general shouting of the soldiers, who sought their salvation by fleeing outside.

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