Read Online Book of the Guardian 3: The Last Mission by Ben Winston - Free Book Online Page B

floor is clear, heading for the lobby."
    "Third floor, give us a sec. This last one is trying to hide from us."
    The medic arrived followed by several civilian men. The medic immediately got to work on the wounded, and two of the other of the civilians helped him. One of the civilian men walked up to John.
    "My Lord General, Corporal Hayle," he indicated the medic. "Said there was a medevac at the park. We'll help with the wounded, you go kill these fuckers," the man said.
    "You are?" John asked.
    "Captain Peter Goring, late of the Royal Lancers. I was a Marine for six hundred years, Sir. I think I let them retire me too early," the man replied.
    John handed him an earbud comm unit. "Thank you for your service, Captain. We have hostiles in the building to the north, if you can help by getting the wounded back to the park we would really appreciate it.
    "For now, we'll use our personal vehicles to get these folks to the park. We can pick up a delivery van or something so we can carry more. We'll try to follow you, but we'll stay back far enough to stay out of your way," Goring replied. "We have a couple of medics with us, too."
    "Thank you, Captain," John replied and put an armored hand on the man's shoulder in gratitude.
    "Ell-tee, some of the civilians have volunteered to help with the wounded. As soon as the upper floors are clear, we need to move north," John said.
    "First and second squads are already in the lobby of that building. They're sticking together, and working their way up. No wounded yet," the Ell-tee replied.
    "Understood, keep them together until the rest of us can come play too," John ordered. "This is a fucking nightmare."

Chapter 32
    ––––––––
    T he proof that these had not been normal Tammerain troops lay before him. John looked out at what was left of the city of Sanctuary on the planet Haven. Even after the destruction of their capitol ships, the smaller ship dove into the atmosphere to kill as many humans as they could before they were destroyed themselves.
    There had been no reason for it; just the wholesale slaughter of innocents. Of the Tammerain forces that had attacked, none of them survived. To the last being they fought with mindless abandon, killing anyone and everyone they could see. The thing that bothered John the most about it was that there had been no reason for it. The battle was over, and they had lost, so why had they done this? It made no sense.
    "John, Mark wants us back on Centauri," Chloe said to him softly, and lightly touched his arm.
    He had been standing there staring out at the destruction, tears falling freely down his cheeks. When she interrupted him, he almost rounded on her for disturbing him. "They counted on us, Chloe. They trusted us, and we let them down."
    "I know love, I feel the same way," Chloe replied. "Come on, we have to go now."
    He let her lead him back to the Hades . The destruction had been so bad that Captain Stilts had set the destroyer down as close to the city as she could so her Marines and medics could render what aide they could. The fleet was handling the rescue and aide operations now, and the four small destroyers had been recalled back to the Capitol world.
    John was oblivious to the salutes from soldiers and sailors alike that had been working around him while he stood vigil. John had put on his armor and joined the Marines that had run from the destroyer to engage the Tammerain troops that made it to the surface. He led the platoon into the heart of the enemy and there they killed every Tammerain butcher they could find. He was still in his armor, standing guard over the aide station since the platoon had returned. He had refused refreshment and just stood, weapon at the ready.
    Chloe nodded to the Captain, as she passed the woman on the way to the quarters John had been assigned. The Captain wiped her own tears from her eyes and turned back to her duty, after everything was said and done, that's all a soldier really had at the