irritation。 Dunst； whoever he was； seemed to be the reason that Sergeant Wulfe had it in for him。
Lenck wanted details； sure that the knowledge would give him the upper hand； but he had no idea
how to get them。 Wulfe’s crew seemed to dislike him just as much as their precious commander did；
especially that bastard Holtz； the one with the mashed…up groxburger for a face。
“Ain’t you listening； Lenck？” growled Varnuss over the intercom。
“No； I’m not；” said Lenck； “but don’t let that stop you。”
The big loader turned to scowl； tattoos on his neck and shoulders rippling as the muscles under
them shifted； but he changed his mind when he saw the way Lenck was stroking his knife。 He turned
back to his station and muttered； “I said it’s getting worse out there； not better。 Look through the
vision blocks。 It’s like night…time； only its all red。 We shouldn’t be moving at all。”
“Least we’re not out in front like Cold Deliverance；” said Riesmann； chipping in。 “Second in
line suits me fine。 I wouldn’t want to be on Muller’s crew for love nor money。”
“And that’s saying something；” Lenck quipped； “since you’ve always had so damned little of
either。 Relax； both of you。 That’s an order。 You don’t hear Hobbs complaining； do you？”
“He only stopped “cos you threatened to fix it so everyone in the army group thinks he’s a fruit；”
replied Riesmann sourly。
“Right；” laughed Lenck； “and the same goes for you。 Think of it like this： so long as we’re stuck
in this storm； van Droi and that flag…waving fool of an infantry colonel have enough to worry about。
We’re not out in front。 Hobbs is doing all the driving。 All we can do is sit back and ride it out。”
The others didn’t reply。 They listened to the wind for a moment as it screamed around the edges
of the tank。 Lenck could hear the tow chains creaking。 Riesmann and Varnuss glanced at each other
nervously。
“What’re they saying on the vox？” Riesmann asked。
“Nothing；” Lenck replied。
“You sure？ The lights are on。 Someone’s talking。”
“It’s just interference；” said Lenck。 He reached into one of the stowage bins and pulled out a
green metal jerry can。 It was much smaller than the ones they had been given to piss in。 He
unscrewed the cap； tipped the can to his mouth； and drank。
“Hey；” said Varnuss； “what’s that？ If you’ve been holding back water…”
“It’s not water；” said Lenck smugly。 “It’s a little something special I’ve been keeping aside。” He
tossed his head。 “Damn it goes down rough。 Good kick though。”
Varnus and Riesmann half…turned。 It was the most they could manage in the incredibly cramped
turret basket。 Riesmann sniffed the air and said； “That’s liquor。 You’d better share it out； Lenck。 We
look after you； you look after us； remember？”
“Teah；” rumbled Varnuss； “that’s what you said； Lenck。”
77
“I know what I said； you dolts。 Give me a bloody break。 Would I have shown you at all if I
didn’t intend to share？”
He lifted the jerrycan and handed it to Riesmann； who took it greedily and raised it to his lips。
Before he could gulp any down； however； New Champion of Cerbera skidded forward with a
sudden surge； and then stopped。 Her front suspension strained； groaning as it was compressed to its
limits while her rear lifted into the air。 Then there was a sharp clang that shook the whole tank； and
the front suspension sprang upwards again。
The men inside were thrown from their seats。 Lenck just managed to avoid splitting his head
wide open on the corner of one of the stowage bins。 Varnuss wasn’t so lucky。 Blood spilled from a
deep cut in his crown。
Riesmann was thrown painfully against the manual traverse wheel； grunting as the metal handle
dug into his side。 He spilled Lenck’s liquor all over his fatigues。
“What the frak was that？” shouted Lenck。 “Hobbs； what in the bloody warp just happened？”
Fear and shock raised the pitch of Hobbs’ voice as he replied over the intercom； “By the
frakkin” Eye； Lenck。 I think… I think we just lost Cold Deliverance。”
Wulfe had to strain his ears to make out the lieutenant’s voice as it said； “All tanks； halt！ That’s an
order。 Stop where you are。 Do not move an inch。” He didn’t waste any time。
“Dead stop； Metzger；” he snapped over the intercom。
Last Rites II ground to an immediate halt。
“What’s going on； sarge？” asked Holtz； pressing his eyes to the main gun’s scope。
“Quiet；” said Wulfe。 He squinted with effort as he listened carefully to the voice on the vox…link。
After a moment； he said； “It’s Cold Deliverance。 She’s gone quiet。 From the sounds of it； she
dropped。”
“Into what？” asked Siegler； turning to stare at Wulfe。
“We won’t know till the storm’s passed；” said Holtz。 “Will we？”
Wulfe was listening to the vox again。 Then he said； “The New Champion called it in。 From the
sounds of it； the front tow peg snapped right off。 Damned lucky she didn’t go over； too。”
“Or unlucky；” grumbled Holtz； “depending on how you look at it。”
Wulfe knew what he meant； but； if any of Muller’s crew were still alive； it was just as well
Lenck’s tank hadn’t gone over。
“What’s van Droi saying？” asked Siegler nervously。
Wulfe listened for a another moment。 He shook his head miserably as he answered； “Nothing we
can do。 So long as the storm continues at this intensity； we can’t move a bloody muscle。 Muller and
his boys will need to wait it out like the rest of us。”
“But they’ll need medical attention！” piped Siegler。
“I know that； Sig；” snapped Wulfe； “but look outside the tank； damn it。 You think we can help
them in this？”
Siegler looked down at his hands； obviously upset； and Wulfe felt immediately contrite。 He
leaned forward and patted the loader’s broad； powerful shoulder。
“Sorry； Sig；” he said。 “I know you’re just worried about them。 I am； too。”
Warp…damn it all； he thought。 We can’t keep taking knocks like this。 Where in the blasted Eye
are the rest of the army group？
Forcing calm into his voice； he told his crew； “Let’s keep it together。 Gunheads never give up；
remember？ We keep fighting。 It’s what we do。”
Siegler looked slightly mollified。 He said； “Maybe Borscht’s ghost will help us again。”
Wulfe’s blood turned to ice…water。
“What did you just say？”
“Damn it； Siegler；” Holtz hissed。 “I frakking told you about that。”
78
Siegler seemed to realise the gravity of the mistake he had just made。 His eyes flashed from
Wulfe to Holtz in a panic。 “Sorry； Holtz！ It just came out。”
Wulfe turned to Holtz。 “Explain yourself； corporal。 And that’s not a request。 It’s an order。”
Holtz shook his head and sighed。 “What did you expect； sarge？ Did you think we were too
stupid to put it together？ That canyon on Palmeros； you losing it and stopping the tank for no reason。
Then Strieber’s lads getting hamstrung by that landmine。 And there was the medicae report。 Old
Borscht died at almost the exact moment you started hearing a voice on the intercom that no one
else could。”
Wulfe slumped in his chair。
“You knew all this time？” he muttered。 “Why the hell didn’t you put in for a transfer？ Your
sergeant thinks he saw a ghost； for Throne’s sake。 Metzger； did you know about this？”
The driver answered in a sullen tone； “Afraid so； sarge。 It was your warp…dreams mostly。 You
did a lot of shouting in your sleep while we were between systems。”
Wulfe was dumbfounded。
“We don’t think you’ve lost it；” said Siegler。
“Right；” said Holtz。 “In fact； we were pissed off that you didn’t tell us yourself。 I mean； the
ghost didn’t just save you。 It saved all of us。 We could have prayed for Borscht’s soul together。
Viess took it pretty badly。 Said you should have trusted us more。”
Wulfe saw how foolish he had been to think they wouldn’t put two and two together。 “I couldn’t
tell you the truth。 I wasn’t sure it was the truth myself。 I still haven’t come to terms with it。 Not
really。 If it ever got out… I don’t want van Droi to think I’ve lost it。 I don’t want to lose my
command。”
“You really have lost it if you think the lieutenant doesn’t already suspect the truth；” said Holtz。
“I mean； he never really pushed for a full account； did he？ He just accepted that groxshit report you
submitted。 No questions asked。”
Wulfe thought about that。 It was true。 He had been too relieved at the time to question the
lieutenant’s easy acceptance of the report。
“Who else knows？” he asked。
Holtz shrugged。 “No one but us； Viess； and probably van Droi。”
“It has to stay that way；” said Wulfe。 “You all know how well it would go down with the
commissars。”
“You gonna tell us what actually happened then？” asked Holtz； hoping to bargain。
Wulfe didn’t get the chance to respond。 The vox…board on his left started blinking。 It was the
company command channel。
“Sword Leader here； sir；” said Wulfe。 “Go ahead。”
He listened to the lieutenant’s transmission。 It crackled with static； but he noted how much the
vox…signal had improved in the last few minutes。 Then he toggled back over to the intercom system。
“Well？” Holtz asked。
“The storm’s clearing；” said Wulfe。 “Van Droi wants all vehicles checked for damage。 I’m
going up front。 It’s time to find out what happened to Muller and his men。”
79
CHAPTER TWELVE
The wind was still howling； and the air dragged at his clothes and hurled sand at him with stinging
force； but Gossefried van Droi knew he couldn’t wait any longer。 If there were men still alive in
Corporal Muller’s tank； they would need extrication and medical attention as soon as possible。 Now
if he could just find the bloody thing。
“Here； sir！” yelled a trooper barely visible as a shadow up ahead。 The wind snatched at the
man’s words； but van Droi could just make them out。 He hurried over。
“Over here！” said the man as van Droi closed。 Others had heard and gathered towards him。
“Careful！” he told them。 “There’s a sheer drop。”
Van Droi halted at the man’s side and； peering through his goggles； read the name strip above
the left breast pocket of his fatigues。 It said Brunner； one of Richter’s crew。
“Show me； Brunner；” said van Droi。 Brunner moved forward carefully for a couple of metres；
guiding van Droi。 Then he pointed down towards the area in front of his feet。 Van Droi moved level
with him and looked down to find himself standing right on the edge of a sheer drop。
Brunner directed his attention to the ground on the left； and van Droi saw two tank tracks
leading straight to the edge。 Damn it； he thought。 Ten kilometres per hour was too fast； after all。
They’d have been over before they could stop； and the chains weren’t made to suspend a tank’s full
weight。
He squinted down into the shadows； but the drop was too deep to show him anything solid。 The
storm was still cloaking the area enough to hamper vision at that range； but it was weakening all the
time。 What would be revealed when it had passed completely？ Had the orks followed them in？ Were
they closing on their backs even now？ There was nowhere to run。 Forward progress was blocked by
the edge of the escarpment。 How far did it extend to left and right？
The answers would have to wait。 Van Droi needed to speak to Colonel Stromm at once。 He
ordered everyone