Page 47 of House Divided
“Ready for go on your mark,” affirmed the general.
“All right.” Enoch returned the binoculars to a pouch. He turned around. “Madeline Marx, are my orders regarding your movements completely clear?”
“Crystal clear. Stay here on my backside and do nothing,” returned Madeline in disgust. “I’ve been a part of this from the start, Enoch, you’ve no right—”
“Yes you have, but your part is not that of a frontline soldier,” interjected Enoch. “Have I made the consequences of disobedience clear to you?”
“You think that you—”
“Madeline.”
“Yes, Enoch,” she answered finally.
“Good. Keep safe here. I’ll message you when the complex is secure.” Enoch kissed the top of her head then activated his comms. “All fire teams. Prepare to engage on my signal.”
He turned back to Madeline and nodded. She activated her comms, opening a channel on Giles’ particular frequency. “Send in the clowns,” she whispered.
An instant later, the lights throughout the Pleasure House complex went dark. They could hear confused shouting from the rebel PDF sentries.
“All fire teams, go!” ordered Enoch, and he and a platoon of Marwan’s PDF launched themselves from their hidden position, charging toward the main entrance of the complex.
Madeline and General Marwan huddled over a screen, watching the progress of the assault. They noted with satisfaction that the attacking troops practically flew past the major defensive positions, which had been thrown into confusion by the crash of the security net. Within five minutes, almost every attacking fire team had made its first position.
Madeline frowned. “What’s happening there?” she asked, pointing at one dot that seemed further away than the others.
“Fire team Foxtrot, what is your situation?” demanded General Marwan over the comms.
“Security was quick off the ball and took defensive cover!” came the response. “We’re under heavy fire, pinned down!”
“There’s a way around,” offered Madeline.
Marwan frowned. “I don’t see it on the plan.”
“That’s because it was part of a new renovation. Give me a backup squad, and I can have the enemy cleared out in no time,” said Madeline confidently.
“Your, uh, partner, seemed very firm on the idea that you should stay here,” observed Marwan dubiously.
“Well, I’m sure as hell not going to tell him,” replied Madeline. “Now can I have that squad?”
The general gave a snort. “Try not to get killed,” she said and gave a signal. A backup squad moved obediently into position.
“Wish me luck,” said Madeline.
“Your man finds out, you’re gonna need it,” returned Marwan.
Madeline made sure the squad was behind her and ran as low to the ground as she could manage toward the main entrance of the Pleasure House complex. She could hear the sound of weapon fire, but it seemed to be coming from deeper within the complex itself. Madeline went into the first building, the squad following closely, and after a few minutes of turning hallways, she signaled for them to stop. There was the sound of multiple weapons firing nearby.
“You’re going to follow me through this emergency door, and we’ll come out on the blind side of the defenders,” she ordered, speaking low.
“You mean we’ll flank them,” said the squad leader.
Madeline nodded. “Yeah, that,” she agreed. “I’m going to open this door; you’re going to push through behind me and flank these guys.”
“Got it.”
“Let’s go!” pressed Madeline, shoving the door open and diving through, hitting the floor.
The rebel PDF soldiers turned in surprise at the attack from an unexpected quarter. The squad accompanying Madeline dropped the surprised soldiers quickly and efficiently. Madeline got on the comms. “Fire team Foxtrot, you are clear. Proceed to next objective.”
