Encircling the Strongpoint (Part Two)

Dawn's light had grown a little brighter, but the clouds remained thick and black, and the branches cast deep shadows.

The soldiers were equally adept at concealing their positions beyond the reach of the light, while the sounds of gunfire continued to come from beyond the treeline.

Suddenly, Captain Mars's call to Second Platoon broke through the static in Bather's ears:

"Yang Dex, where are you? Have you taken out those damned rocket crews?"

"On it, sir, but we've run into some trouble."

"Understood, Sergeant. Same on this side of the road, but you need to keep moving. First Company is in trouble. They're pinned down. You have to draw Greenskin fire away from them and let them get into the woods."

The entire regiment deployed swiftly. Bather did not remain in the rear; he led a company forward along the right side of the road, where he could see the clearing ahead through the dark tree trunks.

In the clearing, an armored vehicle lay overturned in the middle of the road, black smoke billowing from its burning rear compartment like a massive wave into the sky.

A huge silhouette of cables and sharp right angles was tearing at the vehicle's exposed underside with a weapon that resembled some kind of tool, while soldiers behind the low roadside embankment poured bullets into it.

Bather knew that was where First Company was trapped.

"Who's firing at that Ork boss?"

The colonel roared over the communicator:

"You're wasting damned time! Rifle rounds can't punch through armor that thick! I need a heavy machine gun on it! Where the hell is it?"

"Right here, sir!"

A deep voice shouted from the right.

"The machine-gun squad is in the woods east of you."

Bather looked toward Vlam. He was a huge man, so large