wounded with you?"
"Affirmative, Sneak Play."
"Pull out, Slugger. Get clear as soon as possible. Inform me when you reach—" she crouched over her map card "—Victor-Four. Confirm copy."
"Sneak Play, Slugger confirms. Pull back to Victor-Four and advise."
"Luck, Slugger." She switched channels on her radio chest pack. "Romeo One, Sneak Play. Still with us?"
"Sneak Play, Romeo One. Glad to hear your voice. What can we do?"
"Stand by, Romeo One. We'll have targets for you—" She broke off as Staff Sergeant Ernest Caldwell tumbled into the pit with her. The other two survivors of his forward air control team were with him. "Romeo One, our FAC just turned up. I'm handing off to him." The rattle of incoming small arms roared higher. "I'm going to be busy." She turned to Caldwell as she reached for her blaster once more. "When Slugger gets clear, I want those woods hit with everything they've got, Sergeant. Burn them out."
"Yes, Ma'am."
She rose higher in the pit, listening to the cacophony of her men's weapons, her suit sensors and the Troll's dying glare showing her the enemy. She braced her firing hand on the lip of the pit, and her radio was back on Company T's tactical net.
"Here they come, boys," she said calmly. "We've got to hold them till Slugger gets clear—then the airedales can have them."
There was no more time for talk. The Apocalypse Brigade swept towards the Marines, muzzle flashes and the back-flash of recoiless rifles and rocket launchers lighting their positions like summer lightning.
Company T's survivors poured back an