The Toymaster's Castle

Chapter Forty-Two - Running Defence

For two days, nothing happened and we basically just sat around, suffering from a totally impossible combination of tension and boredom.

A little bit more information came in about the attacks that had already taken place and they seem to fit with the guesses I'd made. These people were definitely moving along the main roads... they tended to arrive in the early morning... and they attacked in huge numbers.

But, apart from that, details were pretty sketchy... they just didn't leave any survivors behind. They even seem to be killing their own men if they were too badly hurt to walk back home.

I suppose that made sense even if it felt a bit gruesome. In these primitive times, pretty much any significant wound was a death sentence.

Then, on the third night, a farm was hit.

It wasn't one of the ones under our protection but it was right next door to one of the places I'd picked out. That gave us a fair measure of confidence that my guesses might be right. It also meant that Jake, who'd been at the observation post on the neighbouring farm, had been able to run across there and watch the second half of their attack.

Daniel ordered him to come back into town to give his report.

There were an awful lot of attackers - what Sarge described as a swarm attack. Most of them didn't even have proper guns - just knives and clubs and things. The only people with guns were standing at the back, giving orders... the officers... and they only seemed to be worried about making sure the guys in their swarm thing were doing their jobs - they even shot one of their own guys because he wasn't charging fast enough.

It was all over in a couple of minutes. The survivors were all hauled outside and one of the officer types went down the line, making a selection. All the men were killed as were a couple of kids and an older woman. They kept hold of four teenage girls and younger women.

Meanwhile, the farm was being ransacked... any food was loaded onto carts. But even here, discipline was unbelievably harsh.

It was all over within a couple of hours and, when they were done, they threw the bodies inside the house and then set the place on fire... at least that explained why they didn't find many bodies in the places that had been raided.

"How many of them were there?" Sarge asked.

"About ten officers, over a hundred grunts... about a dozen of them died in the attack, all told."

"So you're better off going through with the attack than in rebelling against your officers," Sarge said, obviously thinking out loud. "With the promise of food and a bit of recreational gang rape if they survive... Oh! I'm sorry, Ma'am ."

"That's OK," I said. "I'd managed to work out for myself that they wouldn't be getting all that many bunches of flowers!"

"What does that mean for numbers back at base?"

"To be that careless with your men, you'd want to have at least four times that many... probably nearer eight... and at least a couple of dozen more of the officer types to keep them all in line.

The next few days were unbelievably tense as we waited for the attack. Then, on the third evening, we got a message from Mick who was on duty in the observation post of the second farm on our target list... no words, just a text-type message: "Farm under observation. Four guys. Basic military training."

"I'd lay money on their planning an attack for dawn," Sarge said.

"Can we get their women and children out, at least?" I asked.

"No chance - not without being seen. But I can get in with a couple more of my guys."

"I'm coming with you," Daniel said. My tummy did this funny clamping together thing when I heard that.