Chapter Seven

Bang, bang, bang. "Sheeeeeeiiiiiiiiiitttttt! That’s three rounds to the outer shelling," Miller cried  out. Diz was well aware of the shells coming from the Ziege line.

 

"The tank will hold Private, now sit back relax, drink some coffee." Diz could see the enemy line through the targeting cam.  It was nothing but large magnetic plate for as far as the eye could see, he counted maybe forty war rigs carrying ugly a*s goat men.

 

"Coffee, are you serious?" Miller was losing it, while Diz cackled madly. 

 

"Private. Load the cannon," Diz barked as he looked through the targeting cam and he aimed at the closest war rig, he heard the lovely clunk of the cannon lock. Diz inhaled 3….2…1. "LET'S ROCK AND ROLL BOYS!" Diz shouted over comms.

 

"ROCK AND ROLLS," came the united reply from all the comms.  

Diz fired and the shell flew across the field a spiraling at its tracked the war rig became a pile of fire and blood as is upended and tore into another, flipping it in the process.

 

 "Nice Shot mon, now let get the partay star'ed"  said  Sergeant Blazhe

 

**********

S**t, s**t , s**t, s**t, s**t. Miller could hear the bangs and the sting of small arms fire outside, they had gone underprepared with one tank and a handful of guys. Diz had a crazy look on his face.

 

"Come on Private.  I need those goats to stop shooting at us.  Would you be a dear and shoot them?" Diz shoved Miller's long range rifle into his hands "Thank you."

 

Miller lifted the latch as the scream of battle roared like a missile and  small arms erupted into an all out cacophony of violence. In dug at millers ears. "Breathe in, an out" The sound faded and Miller leveled his rifle the moving tank didn't help things. He caught a Ziege in his sights.  The ugly horned head was shooting a primitive ballistic weapon at the tank.

 

"POP goes the weasel." The Ziege's head exploded in a rain of crimson and horns. Two, three, four, five, six; the onslaught seemed endless.  

 

"Bad news gentlemen and women our back up is slightly delayed.  We are on our own," Diz announced over the comm.

 

"What a f****n' surprise" said someone else.

 

Miller saw the shape of even more war rigs they must have contained hundreds of Ziege.  He was beginning to run out of confidence, and bullets.

 

"Miller, it's Diz" chimed the comm.

 

"Yeah what's up?"

 

"I'm going to have to do something and you're not going to thank me for it."

 

"What exactly?" Miller asked, slightly fearful of what his superior was about to ask of him.

 

"The tank has taken too much damage and the engine is gonna give out."

 

"So?"

 

"Sooo, we're gonna take a war rig with us and I need you to snipe the driver."

 

"Are you crazy?

 

"Yes."

 

"WE won't make it"

 

"We'll make it."

 

"How do you know that?"

 

"I dunno but here we go"

 

"Wait!" the tank thundered forwarded knocking Miller back.

 

"Now or never Private."

 

Miller leveled his rifle the war rig was maybe 20 yards away the driver looked like a mad ram. "Breathe. 3, 2, 1."

 

"NOW PRIVATE."

 

Bang. The driver hit the rig horn and tank speed up.  Melted steel and black smoke kissed the air with the sound of a thousand loud bangs all ringing in Miller's head. The tank began to shred and Miller could no longer keep awake, maybe he died.

 

***

 

Miller saw his mother there at his bed side, "Wake up my little hero.  It's time for your playdate. Wake up please wake up."

 

"WAKE UP PRIVATE," Diz's yelling could barley be heard over the roar of gunfire. Miller's head felt like some had just taken a hundred rocks and ground them against his skull. The husk of the tank war rig marriage lay burning behind them.

 

Diz offered him his rifle as a helping hand, "Welcome to the Gear Heads, Private."