Chapter Eight

Diz and Miller scrambled from rock to rock, cover to cover taking out as many Ziege as possible between them.  The usually barren landscape was now covered in red blood and various body parts. Soon they were in the middle of 

 

"I spy, with my little rocket," Diz muttered sing-songing, looking through the sights of one of their last hand-held rocket launchers, "Something I want for Christmas."  Two tanks trundled nearby is single file.  "What?"  Miller yelled over the cacophony of battle.

 

"You ever steal a tank, kid?"  Diz asked.  Miller shook his head with a smile crossing his face. Diz's excitement was definitely contagious.  An unnerving thought to be sure.  Diz hollered, "Obviously you had a sad childhood.  When I was your age, we had already been arrested for stealing six.  They never found the seventh!"  Diz started cackling and shaking his head.  "You ready to make it eight?"

 

Miller took a deep breath and nodded.  He hoisted his binocs up and tracked the two rigs.  He couldn't see Diz when he asked, "Where is that trip-"  A huge explosion engulfed the leading tank, instantly slagging much of the metal.  "There."  Diz said with satisfaction.  The other tank jerked to a stop and a few Ziege jumped out and desperately tried to save some of their fellows.

 

Miller replaced his binoculars with his rifle and sighted down.  "Wait for it," Diz said. Another set of explosions nearly flipped the first tank and threw several Ziege twenty yards away.  The blast shook the foundation of the Temples.  Diz had yelled "Now!" just before the secondary explosion and Miller had fired.  One Ziege tumbled backward, a neat hole in his chest as blood blossomed behind him.  None of the others had noticed.

 

Miller glance back and did a double take.  Diz was gone.  He swept his gaze around frantically until his eyes settled on a figure moving low and rapidly towards the rear of the second tank.  Miller glance back through his scope and watched Diz creep behind another Ziege separate from the rest and open its throat from ear to ear.  He climbed up into the tank and disappeared inside.

 

The others whipped their heads around a second later and pointed their weapons at the second tank and start yelling. Miller squeezed off another round, dropping their chieftain.  The others started looking around in a panic; the perfect distraction. Diz popped up and grabbed ahold of the machine gun.  He cackled loudly as he laid into them, the deafening roar even made Miller cringe where he was at.  He dropped a dozen of them before the rest scattered. 

 

Miller took aim at the enemy riding one of the opposing tanks, he fired.  He watched through his scope as the slug hammered into it.  He worked the action and signaled Diz to make a run for it.  Instead, Diz dropped down and the main gun swiveled to one of the fleeing Ziege.  The cannon belched fire and Miller watched as the shell seemed to move in slow motion.  Through his scope he saw the Ziege torn in half as the shell blew through him.  A split second later, the shell impacted the ground and detonated.  The zoom on his rifle allowed him to see the flames char sections of the torso and blow the rest into the sky.  It seems slow and somehow graceful as the intestines fluttered and what remained of the liver tumbled end over end to land wetly by the keening torso.

 

"Damn,"  Miller muttered.  He hit his radio and spoke, "That was a bit excessive, don't you think?"

 

"Nothing is excessive with these sonsabitches," Diz replied.  "But did you see that?  That was AWESOME!"  Miller shook his head and said, "Yeah.  Pretty sure I saw the pancreas hit a rock, and I think it's still bleeding."

 

"Sweet!"  The turret swiveled to point at the remains.

 

Diz scrambled out of the tank, "Cover me." He sprinted toward the other tank " I like to call this one the Boom and Boom" Diz detached his arm and flung it on to the top of the tank "BOOOOOOOM" said Diz as the tank hatch blew off, and Diz hopped into the tank "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" came through intermixed screams of Ziege tank drivers. The tank then let off a round straight into a Ziege siege machine. "Come on grab the other tank we have work to do and hand me one of my extra arms from the console."

 

Miller got into the tank, tossed Diz an arm, and took a few minutes to familiarize himself with the controls.  Diz was yelling at him over the comms the whole time.  When he was ready he directed the tank to surge forward. Diz and Miller moved to pin the last Ziege tank while it was weaving and dodging their fire.  Diz chortled over the comms and Miller couldn't help but laugh alongside him.  The other tank was driving around so sporadically, it looked like a five-year-old got ahold of his dad's liquor bottle, then decided to run around outside.

 

At some point, the occupants hefted a small white flag.  "Is that…." Miller trailed off.  He hit the zoom.  "Yup.  That's their underwear.  And it's not entirely white."  The two of them grinned and turned to take out the Ziege that were on foot.