Chapter Ten

Ifri and Ström moved through the battle field, finishing off the remaining Ziege that the company had left behind.  The mopping up operation took a little longer than expected due to the thick pall of smoke.  By the time the company was gathered again, the sun was beginning to set.

 

Ström turned to Ifri, "Well.  You're the boss.  What do you suggest we do from here?"

 

"Gather their gear, weapons and whatever else you can find that we can use. Command isn't going to give us the supplies we need over the next few months," Ifri said as she wiped her blades off. 

 

"Dibs on the war machine rotor piston. Oh and the tank suspension coil and the……" Diz said enthusiastically as the company stared blankly at him, "What?"

 

"LOOTIN' TIME B*****S!!" Ström roared.  A cheer as the company scattered again, this time with significantly more enthusiasm.

 

Ifri and Ström went to either side of the remaining two tanks.  Diz was already a*s deep in the engine of one of them attempting to fix the carburetor.  

 

Ström knocked on the side to get Diz's attention.  Once the engineer had clambered out of the engine cavity. Ifri strode up to the duo, "Is there any way to get both these rigs moving, Diz?"

 

"Well," he rubbed his hands in a dirty cloth, "Yes and no."  At Ifri's' questioning look he held up a hand, "We can get it going, but it won't be able to shoot.  At least not yet.  When I get it back to the base, I should be able to improvise something.  For now, it'll move, but that's about it."

 

"Good," Ifri said, "Let's load them up and get back home." 

 

Ifri and Ström walked different directions on the battlefield.  Ifri looked around.  'Nothing really useful in the scrap,' she thought to herself, 'Not over here at least."  She glanced over just in time to see Ström attempting, and failing, to convince Diz to drop whatever hunk of junk he was about to blow himself up with. 

 

Ifri turned a dial on her wrist that linked to her augment.  She focused on Ström and heard him yelling. 

 

"Diz put it down!"  There was a low pitched buzz and a sudden explosion followed closely by blue electricity arcing, gouging furrows into the metal platform around them.  She could see when the air cleared that Diz was lying on his back.  She could only see his feet and legs when his hand shot up, "DIBS ON THE EXPLODEY THING!"

 

Ifri shook her head in disappointment in herself that she hadn't seen that coming.  "Company! Get ready to move out. "

 

Ström turned away, shaking his head with a rueful smile.  He looked up at Ifri and shrugged helplessly as Diz hauled himself to his feet, eagerly gathering the pieces of his latest project, gleefully humming to himself.  Ström tossed his head back and bellowed, "PACK IT IN BOYS AND GIRLS!  WE MOVE OUT IN," he sent a questioning glance at Ifri.  She held up a fist, "TEN MIKES!"

 

Ifri radioed in, "Captain to Archangel, we need medivac.  We're heading home." 

 

"Archangel to Ifri, we are touching down in five minutes. How many do we have?"

 

"Twelve KIA and 5 injured, 2 are crit."