The Last Bastion of the Living (The Last Bastion #1)(101)

“How are we doing on ammunition on that tiltrotor?”

Dwayne tapped on the screens and a window popped up revealing the exact number. “The guns are down to half.”

Commandant Pierce pointed to the primary screen that revealed the carrier as it sped alongside the rock formation. The remaining Scourge from the group that had broken off from the crowd around the city fell behind the carrier, joining the larger horde. “Once they double-back, they should have a clear shot back to the hydroelectric station,” Commandant Pierce noted. “Have the tiltrotor fire at the leading edge of that horde. I want them to exhaust their weapons on the front of that crowd. It will give the carrier more distance, but also provide obstacles for the Scrags following behind.”

“Agreed,” Dwayne answered, then immediately transmitted the order to the tiltrotor pilots and gunners.

“They’re performing well, aren’t they?” Mr. Petersen said, joining them. “I can’t help but admire Vanguard Martinez. She really is the exemplary soldier you said she was, Commandant Pierce. You were wise to recommend her to be the first of our Boon.”

Dwayne ignored the man. It was obvious that Mr. Petersen had heard the president’s accusation. And there was no reason to believe that Commandant Pierce would volunteer Maria as some sort of slight against Dwayne. He was sure she had been genuinely surprised to find out about his relationship.

“Yes, I was.” Commandant Pierce fastened her stony gaze on Mr. Petersen.

With a slight smirk, the man walked on to check in with the SWD personnel at their stations.

“We’re putting more ground between us and the Scrags,” Maria’s voice said. On one corner of his screen he could see her dark eyes glancing toward the camera. He loved how they glimmered like obsidian. He had missed that when-Dwayne sat up straight and stared intently at Maria’s eyes. Commandant Pierce was talking briskly to Lindsey. He stole a quick look in Dr. Curran’s direction, then returned his gaze to Maria. Maybe no one else noticed in the heat of the moment, but he knew Maria’s face intimately. Her eyes were as dark and clear as they had been when she had been alive.

“Castellan Reichardt,” Commandant Pierce’s voice said, cutting through his flurry of thoughts. “We were able to get through briefly to Chief Defender Omondi. It’s confirmed he is still holed up in the basement of the facility.”

“Relaying that information to Vanguard Martinez. Do we have the schematic of the hydroelectric station yet?”

One of the SWD officers said, “Yes, sir. Transferring to you and Vanguard Martinez now.”

The commandant squeezed his shoulder as she leaned over him again. “Keep focused,” she whispered.

He gave her a short nod. She probably thought he was ruffled by Maria’s presence on the mission, but it was her clear dark eyes that had him unsettled. As soon as he was able, he was going to have a word or two with Dr. Curran.

On the screens around the command center, the carrier sped along its path toward the point where it would reverse course. Hopefully, the maneuver would be performed out of the sight of the pursuing Scourge.

“Is our little surprise ready?” Commandant Pierce asked.

Dwayne gave her a brisk nod.

“Good,” she gave Mr. Petersen’s back a fierce look. “He’ll have a fit. I’m going to enjoy this.”

The cameras on the tiltrotor continued to transmit the aerial view of the carrier on its fast-paced journey toward the end of the rock wall. The old underpass appeared to be in good condition. Dwayne hoped the carrier would be able to maneuver swiftly around the curving road.

Keeping one eye on Maria as she toiled at her console inside the carrier, he observed all facets of the unfolding events. Lindsey cursed under her breath at her work station, attempting to contact Chief Defender Omondi again.

On screen the carrier started to reduce speed as it exited onto a curving off ramp that ducked under the road before emerging on the other side to end at a three-way intersection. Commandant Pierce folded her arms over her breasts as she stared at the primary screen. The sheer force of her will that the carrier succeed was a palatable energy. Dwayne silently prayed as he prepared to signal the tiltrotor.

For a few seconds the carrier vanished from the screens as it journeyed through the underpass. When it emerged unscathed and turned onto the road that would carry it to its destination, Dwayne exhaled and transmitted a signal to the tiltrotor.

The screens flashed as the aircraft fired two missiles into the side of the stone formation. Massive explosions blinded the cameras, filling the screens with white light.

“What the hell was that?” Mr. Petersen twisted about in his chair, glaring at Dwayne and the commandant.

“Missiles,” the commandant answered with a wry smile. “You have heard of those?”

As the images on the screens returned to normal, the passage the carrier had taken was blocked by a massive landslide. Part of the Scourge horde was buried under the dirt and boulders. The rest of the horde scrambled around the edges of the destruction, their path redirected away from the escaping carrier.

“I didn’t sign any clearance for you to use missiles! Those were in reserve for the final attack!” Mr. Petersen snapped.

“Well, at least now the mission is back on track,” Commandant Pierce said with an even bigger smile.

“I didn’t approve of the use of those missiles! All the remaining stock was to be used in the—”