NOVEL NEXT Chapter 121 – Detonation
2213 June 18th, 2020 CE
Alemany Boulevard, San Francisco
The boulevard was illuminated by the headlights of the numerous armored vehicles. Everybody was a bit confused and waited quietly in their vehicles as the detonation of the missile had yet to go off. Eric rubbed his chin wondering if whatever missile they had feared hit San Francisco was a dud.
Demon FOB in the Pacific
The Great Lord sensed something wrong and stood from her open air throne to look around her area. “Guards! I feel danger but I don’t see anything. Check the surroundings!”
“Great Lord, nothing is threate…”
The guard was cut off as a massive explosion detonated in the middle of the island. There was a blinding flash of light and a mushroom cloud rose to the sky. The ground trembled violently.
“What is…”
The Great Lord was cut off as the shockwave threw her onto the ground. Within seconds, thermal radiation swept over her. The searing heat and flames of the blast quickly engulfed the entire island, turning it into a flaming inferno. The only thing that was left standing on the island was a strange circular swirling purple that sat in the middle of the island.
Ten minutes later
Eric spoke up in the Bradley “Well nothing seems to be happening, Staff Sergeant.”
The staff sergeant didn’t reply to Eric but gave an announcement instead. “I just got informed that PLS trucks are arriving with more than enough gas masks for everyone. I want everybody to have one just in case.”
The back door of the Bradley was opened and Eric could see the Palletized Load System trucks driving into the boulevard.
A few minutes later
The gas mask was definitely not the most comfortable thing as Eric, now back inside the Bradley, adjusted it in a vain attempt to address the discomfort. Voices came through comms.
<<<”Does anybody else in the Humvees notice the green stuff in the air that is moving towards?”
“Yep I see it too. That's probably what the missile brought. Some sort of gas attack. Lets hope our gas masks work”>>>
The green gas soon started to envelop the vehicles in the boulevard.
The staff sergeant started talking. “All systems are holding up. The Bradley is airtight.”
The staff sergeant then talked into comms. <<<”Are you guys in the Humvees all right?”>>>
A few seconds later, a curt reply came through.
<<<“Yeah, we are fine. The gas masks are working.”>>>
Washington D.C.
An aide started reporting. “We are getting information from units on the ground that this may be a chemical attack, they are seeing some sort of green gas.”
Ronell nodded. “Seems to be as predicted. Are our men all fine?”
“The gas masks seem to be working and no deaths among our units have been reported.”
The tension and apprehension seem to lift a bit at that news. Ronell breathed a sigh of relief “It is not as bad as we feared. What are the chances that those trapped inside San Francisco will survive?”
Cralson commented on that. “It will depend on what sort of gas it is. We have given orders for some of the gas to be taken as a sample and sent to a lab in order to see what it is.”
“Are we able to push them back now? How many more units are arriving, Cralson?
“Elements of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Oregon and elements of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team from Idaho are all racing to get to San Francisco. Combined, elements from those two BCTs should amount to about 5,000 more men. We also have more Marines from elements of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton flooding in. In addition to the units already present in San Francisco, the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, this is most of our ground combat units that we have at hand in the West Coast. We also have amphibious assault ships with their complement of Marines and aircraft nearly ready to sail towards San Francisco once the ocean is confirmed to be clear. If we add them all up, it should amount to 20,000 to 30,000 men. They have armor support and limited air support due to hostile anti-air. We have been avoiding the usage of artillery and missiles and resorting to precision airstrikes in fear of collateral damage if there are any surviving civilians in the city. We will have to wait and see whether or not that would be sufficient in pushing forward.”
2227 June 18th, 2020 CE
Near Alemany Boulevard, San Francisco
Amongst the crowd of demons, Vghg looked to the front of the street. “I’m seeing the human metal boxes in front of us. They have some sort of light. It's very bright.”
Shgvfdyhc responded. “Human alive?”
Around them the demon army slowly marched forward.
“I’m not sure, their boxes aren’t moving at all though.”
“Maybe they dead inside?”
“Most likely. Then let’s march forward with the rest of the army.”
Alemany Boulevard, San Francisco
The gunner of the Bradley that Eric was in spoke to the Staff Sergeant. “Staff Sergeant, the monsters are getting close…”
“I see the damn things in front of us. Don’t open fire yet. I got orders not to open fire on them until they almost get into the boulevard.”
“Won’t they attack us, sir?”
“They aren’t doing so yet so they might think we are dead due to their gas attack. Just keep calm and open fire when I tell you”
The gunner nodded in response to that.
The staff sergeant had his hand reached out. His other hand was trying to get the comms as close as he could to his ear. He repeated what he was hearing. “Wait for it… wait for it… NOW! Fire!”
The connection between the street and the boulevard exploded as machine guns, 120mm cannons, and 25mm chain guns opened up on the monsters that were only a few yards in front. The unsuspecting monsters were caught off guard.
Sudden explosions went off at the front of the demon army.
“They not dead!”
“Push forward! For the Great Lord!”
The mass of monsters surged forwards into the kill zones set up by the human armor. Soldiers disembarked from their vehicles in order to start laying down small arms fire on the surging mass.
Eric kneeled as he fired off his M27 rifle. Besides him, a soldier wielding an AT-4 stood up.
“Backblast clear!”
“Clear!”
“Rocket, rocket, rocket!”
An AT4 rocket slammed into the mass of monsters.