Death By Water Death By Fire

By Mike Adams

The First Day of the alien onslaught isn’t over yet!

The Rift offensive against the human defenders of the New Hope Colony has begun. Castillo, Rocky Point and Winter Haven are in the crosshairs and the other shoe is about to drop.

Attacks by land, sea and air are designed to overwhelm the human settlements. 20,000 alien warriors and their Rift officers are aimed at Winter Haven alone.

The Andoval mercenaries are looking forward to feasting on the bodies of thousands of humans. Their Rift employers want to take possession of the eastern end of the Alpha continent before their Supreme Commander arrives with the second army of mercenaries.

Failure isn’t an option for either side.

The remainder of the alien force that tried to take the Cairo heads for its next target. In the meantime, the aliens are spotted moving towards Winter Haven. It won’t be long before they get there.

Jacks Company is recovering from their own battle with the aliens.
Clearing away the dead aliens and the debris of battle from around the ship will take a while.

If you liked the first books of the Fierce Girls At War series you will love Death By Water Death By Fire, the 11th installment of the saga of the ‘fierce girls’ war against the aliens. Click the BUY NOW button at the top and continue your journey now.

“It’s been six, seven days since we arrived on Asia only to learn that we’d landed right in the middle of an alien invasion. They sent us to Winter Haven where they say an army of giants is headed our way. At least the scenery is nice and the lake is beautiful. I hope my people are still alive a week from now. May as well enjoy the fresh air while I can.”
-Captain Li Hua Chin, Captain, detachment commander, Colonial Rangers, New Hope Colony, China

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Adams
• Release date: Apr 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370648658

Mike Adams

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Staten Island, NY. Mike has a BS in Business Admin from Wagner College and an MBA from SDSU. A retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander, Supply Corps (Logistics), a former small business owner, and part-time substitute teacher. he's visited 6 continents and 36 countries, speak Spanish, some German, a little Italian and a little less French. He currently lives in Chula Vista, CA with his wife Chris.

Book preview

Prologue

Major Claudia Stairs

May 2117

Northern Pakistan

Lieutenant Colonel Rhyne Caldor, commander of the First Battalion of the 2nd Air Cavalry Regiment, stood in front of his officers in the briefing tent at the American military camp at Mingora in Northern Pakistan's Swat valley where they'd hurriedly gathered at his summons at 0340 in the morning. Most were still getting dressed as he told them, Ten minutes ago 500 heavily armed fighters led, we believe, by one of Hassan Gul's lieutenants launched a night attack with no warning against the UN compound at Wali. Relief agencies have been using the airbase there to bring in food and medical supplies for the area. There are about 200 Canadian soldiers there to provide security under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Colin Fox. The report says the raiders overwhelmed the outer defenses quickly and the Canadians and aid workers had to withdraw to the inner compound. They're in trouble people and we're going to bail them out. Major Blake?

Major Harrison Blake got up and told them, Bravo and Delta Companies are the Ready Reaction Force and will board six armored shuttles and head out in ten minutes. The Canadians don't have a lot of time; they're outnumbered and outgunned so get moving everybody. I'll brief you on details on the way. Weapons and armor only, supplies will come in later. Alpha and Charlie companies will follow once the APCs have been loaded on the larger transports. Now move out! There were a total of 10 armored anti-grav shuttles based at the American compound including two medical shuttles. Two of them were larger cargo transports each designed to carry armored vehicles and a full company of soldiers into battle. Alpha and Charlie would be traveling in them as soon as they were loaded.

Ten minutes later 300 soldiers, two full companies, departed in six armored combat shuttles headed southeast for the 110 kilometer, 30-minute flight. The mission commander Major Blake was in the lead shuttle with two platoons from Bravo Company; Bravo's six platoons filled the first three shuttles to depart. First Lieutenant Claudia Stairs' platoon was in the third shuttle along with Second Lieutenant Jase McGovern's people. Delta Company followed in the last three shuttles. The two medical shuttles followed a few minutes behind the combat shuttles. In addition to the medical teams they carried, each contained several emergency medical pods for the most seriously wounded.

The militants were expecting the shuttles loaded with reinforcements to come and they were waiting for them. They had specially modified surface-to-air missiles ready to disable the main power cells that powered the aircraft's antigravity plants. In case of damage in addition to its main power cell every shuttle had backup power cells to allow them to make an emergency landing under power. The shuttle's wings also provided some lift and their engines kept their airspeed up unless they were also damaged. The important thing was to get on the ground as soon as possible.

Major Blake's shuttle was forced down five kilometers from their destination and the extremists moved in. The second and third shuttles continued on to the relief base but the fourth shuttle was also damaged and forced to land a kilometer further east. The fifth and six shuttles were ordered to assist the two downed aircraft that quickly came under attack from the ground. The two medical shuttles stayed back aware of the danger and waited for instructions while shuttles two and three continued on to their target.

When they arrived at the UN compound, the two assault aircraft, which were both armored and armed, flew in low firing missiles, cannon and heavy caliber machine guns at any targets around the inner compound. Each cleared an area to land and as soon as they dropped their rear and side access ramps the Air Cavalry platoons ran out of the aircraft which immediately took off again and continued providing air support.

The extremists were heavily armed and they had brought man-portable mortars which were continuously raining explosive shells on the Canadians and aid workers who were hunkered down in underground bunkers built in case of an attack. The extremists hated the Westerners and blamed them for the viral pandemic which had killed over 15 million in northern Pakistan in 2103. Most of them were too young to realize that the older men leading them now were among the militants who had fought violently against any attempt to distribute the vaccines that could have saved so many. Now half the local population, those who had contracted the virus but survived, were sterile, a condition that was the lot of over 400 million across the world including in the more advanced countries where more of the afflicted had survived.

With two-thirds of the relief force on the ground short of the objective Captain Evette Morrissey, Bravo Company's executive officer took command of the remaining relief force. Morrissey had been in shuttle three while the Company Commander Captain Alex Huston was with Major Blake in shuttle one. First Lieutenant Claudia Stairs became Morrissey's second-in-command. She was the senior lieutenant on the ground; the others were all second lieutenants. Morrissey's shuttle with two platoons led by Lieutenants Eddie Blankenship and Parnell Greene landed on the north side of the compound while the other shuttle with Stairs' and Jase McGovern's platoons came down on the west side.

The Americans landed unseen by most of the raiders and the Air Cav attacked them from behind. The Canadians immediately came charging out of their bunkers and caught the insurgents out in the open between the two forces. About two hundred were trapped between them on the north and west sides and most were killed. The attackers on the south and east sides of the compound smartly withdrew and scattered, they were already aware that even more of the Americans were on their way.

When the shooting had died down the commander of the Canadian unit came out of his bunker on the west side of the compound and Lieutenant Stairs strode over to him and smartly saluted, Good morning, Colonel Fox. I'm Lieutenant Claudia Stairs from the 2nd Air Cavalry.

Fox returned her salute, Pleased to meet you, Lieutenant Stairs. You got here just in the nick of time. They were about to break through when you hit them from behind.

I'm glad we got here in time. Two of our six shuttles were hit by SAMs and disabled and two more had to stay to cover them. Our mission commander and my company commander are with that group.

Are you the next senior officer then?

On this side of the compound, yes Sir. Captain Morrissey is over on the north side and will be joining us presently.

Okay. Good work, Lieutenant. When the captain gets over here give her my complements and ask her to find me. We have a lot of wounded and I'm going to check on them.

Yes, Colonel. We have two medical shuttles on the way. There should be here within five minutes.

Fox nodded, Great, thanks.

We have a few wounded as well, Colonel. I'll send our medics over as soon as they get done with them.

Greatly appreciated. What was your first name again, Lieutenant?

Claudia, Claudia Stairs, Sir.

Thank you again, Claudia.

You're very welcome, Colonel.

When the handful of raiders that were captured alive were questioned it was learned the attack on the compound was actually a secondary objective, more of a diversion really meant to lure out the Americans, shoot them down and kill the survivors. The plan did not work out so great. Only two shuttles were hit, both were damaged but they landed safely with no casualties while the other shuttles provided cover. There were some casualties from ground fire as the troopers exited the shuttles but the insurgents paid a much heavier price, losing more than half the fighters they'd started with and failing to take either of their objectives, the shuttles or the UN compound.

###

February 2124

New Hope Town

In the middle of the afternoon, Major Judith Sorenson the Executive Officer of First Battalion in the colony's capital New Hope Town called Captain Stairs, the XO of Delta Company to come to her office. Captain Ji, the commander of Delta Company was in the field with two platoons from the Chinese detachment.

Come on in, Claudia, a smiling Sorenson welcomed her as the young captain entered her office. Take a load off.

Thanks. What can I do for you, Major? Stairs asked as she sat down across the desk from Sorenson.

Sorenson grinned at her, I've got a special job for you and your people to do this evening. Something I think you'll enjoy immensely.

Stairs raised an eyebrow, Oh?

Sorenson nodded, Claudia, have you ever met Lieutenant Commander Rick Cassidy or Gunnery Sergeant Molly Pickford in the Logistics Directorate at the Regiment?

Stairs shrugged, No and yes. I've heard of him and I've met Gunnery Sergeant Pickford once or twice. What about them?

Well, I think it's time you became acquainted with Lieutenant Commander Cassidy. Sorenson sighed as she frowned and said, You see there was an incident last night where Molly Pickford was attacked.

Stairs looked at her sharply, What do you mean attacked? Sexually?

The major nodded grimly, That was the idea; apparently a first date gone wrong. Some civilian mining manager who started getting rough and wouldn't take no punched her several times in the face and the ribs, took her by surprise or he never would've gotten in the first shot. Molly's okay though, some cracked ribs and her face is badly bruised but he messed with the wrong Marine and she messed him up pretty good. She's a sweetheart and quite beautiful and she's also one of the toughest women I've ever met. He's under arrest at the moment and I expect he'll remain so until he's taken off planet at the very least.

That's good to hear, Claudia gave Sorenson a satisfied grin. Women getting harassed here seems to be all too common.

Judith nodded, Exactly! Well. you have to understand that Rick Cassidy is not just Molly's boss; those two are more like brother and sister. I really don't know much about their background, they've been kinda hush-hush about that, but they came here together as a team and now that Rick's attention has been drawn to this problem, he has some ideas on what to do about it.

Claudia looked back at the major in surprise, What you mean ideas? Isn't he like one of the most junior department heads in the Regiment? What can he do?

Sorenson chuckled, "Well don't be misled by his lowly rank of Lieutenant Commander, which as you know is the equivalent of a major. Also keep in mind that Logistics is probably the one department that everybody, almost, wants to stay on the good side of."

Stairs tilted her head speculatively, Okay, so what does he have in mind and what does that have to do with us?

Judith Sorenson smiled again, Well it seems that this morning Rick went over to see this guy's boss at his office. He wanted to make sure that the boss understood the ramifications of the actions of his number two man and how he was going to have to make amends to Gunnery Sergeant Pickford on behalf of his company.

Claudia looked at the Battalion XO questioningly, Make amends?

Yes. These companies will have to start answering for the behavior of their employees.

Stairs grinned, I like that idea.

I thought you might. Well, it seems that the boss did not respond too well and he put in a complaint with the Colony Administrator and the Regimental Commander General Black. They had a meeting with Cassidy during which he played a recording of the boss calling Molly Pickford that little bitch which immediately nullified any complaint that he had for anything that Cassidy had 'supposedly' done to him at his office this morning. Sorenson paused as she tried to maintain a certain level of professionalism in her expression rather than break into outright laughter knowing the whole story of what happened at the mining company's office that morning.

Ooh. Not a very smart thing to say I guess and be called out on it.

Not smart at all. Cassidy gave him till 9 PM this evening to personally go find Gunnery Sergeant Pickford to apologize on behalf of his company and to offer to do whatever she wants him to do.

Stairs looked at her, You don't expect him to comply, do you?

No, we don't. When Rick told me what he wanted us to do when the deadline passes this evening, I nearly broke down laughing.

Stairs pursed her lips in curiosity and asked, So, what is it?

Sorenson chuckled then replied, You are gonna take your entire detachment, less your APCs, over to those company offices, it's in a building on the north side of town, right after the deadline but not a minute before. Once there you and your people will assist in the complete removal of all materials from the building which will then be disassembled by a team from one of the construction companies. The pieces will then be transported by another team from Logistics and moved to some other location on the other side of town where everything will be put back in place just like it was before. We'll do this quietly and secretly. A team from Colonial Security will make sure that there aren't any unauthorized personnel in the area. When the manager shows up for work tomorrow, he’ll find his offices have disappeared like they were never there, and he’s going to find out that you don't mess with Cassidy or with Gunnery Sergeant Pickford.

Claudia grinned broadly, Oh, this is going to be fun!

Sorenson smiled at her, Yes, I think it will be too. And Claudia, this is going to have repercussions throughout the colony. I believe that people are going to find out that any protests about such strong-arm tactics are going to be met with a brick wall when it comes to the Regimental Commander or the Colonial Administrator. The political issues involved in dealing with people from so many different countries under the rules we have to work with make it difficult for both the Regiment and the civilian administration to deal with offenders like this unless there's concrete proof. If Rick Cassidy and Molly Pickford can deal with things quietly but effectively, and I think that is exactly what is going to happen, things will begin to change for the better. It will never be perfect. There's always new people coming in who will have to learn, the hard way if necessary, that mistreating women in the Ranger Regiment, or any women here for that matter, will be dealt with severely.

Stairs rubbed her hands together, I'm all for this! My people will be too. But these are civilians. What about miscreants within the Regiment?

Same thing. Serious cases will be dealt with one way or another.

Good!

When Stairs gathered her platoon leaders together and told them that all the Americans would be involved, Lieutenant Jing Woo the leader of one of the two Chinese platoons still in town protested, You can't leave us out of this! Why should you guys have all the fun?

Stairs looked at the beautiful Chinese officer and nodded, Okay Jing, but your platoon only. Someone's got to mind to store in case something comes up. Lieutenant Chang, that's you.

Lieutenant Hong Chang nodded, Yes, Captain. I have to tell you that I'm not sure that this is going to go over well with Captain Ji when he comes back.

Stair shrugged, Captain Ji can speak to Major Sorenson if he has any problem with it. This is a direct order from the Battalion Executive Officer.

Of course, Captain. I'll keep an eye on things at the base tonight.

I'm sure you will.

A grinning Lieutenant Zoey Bryant said, It's about time that someone put their foot down on somebody's neck.

Agreed. I want you all to gather your troopers right after dinner and I'll go over with them what they'll be doing tonight. All four American platoons will be involved as will Jing's people.

I haven't met him yet but I can tell I'm going to like this guy Cassidy, Bryant said. The three male platoon leaders in her detachment all chuckled as the dark-skinned Bryant grinned widely.

Me, too! Jing Woo agreed. Too bad Eva's not here. She would have loved to be part of this. Lieutenant Eva Zhang commanded one of the platoons out in the field with Captain Ji.

I think you're going to like them both, said Sorenson.

Chapter 1

Ciara at the Range

November 22, 2126

Day 67

New Hope Town

After just five days on the ground at the New Hope Main Terminal, the cargo supply ship Asia had departed. Shortly after their arrival General Gavin Jamison the commander of the Ranger Regiment at the New Hope Colony had called a meeting of all the senior officers among the 437 Rangers who had come in on the starship. They assembled in the auditorium at Ranger headquarters onboard the grounded starship Seeker, the converted exploration ship that had been turned into the administrative center for the settlement.

At the same time that Jamison was talking to those officers, 14-year-old Ciara Cassidy had slipped off the ship in Ranger uniform in the company of two female lieutenants, the admin officers for the Chilean and Polish detachments, Miranda Balestiere and Adriana Klezewski. After finding her father’s office aboard Seeker empty, she had gone to look for him at his private residence with her two Ranger friends. It was there that she had met the acting logistics officer, Major Naomi MacCaffrey.

The major had broken the news that her father Commander Rick Cassidy and her aunt Gunnery Sergeant Molly Pickford were missing along with the crew and other passengers of the cargo transport lander Cairo which had disappeared on the first day of the alien invasion. Ciara had been terribly disappointed and worried but at the same time she felt confident that they hadn’t used up all of their nine lives yet. She’d already learned a lot about the cargo transport landers from maintenance officer Captain Gianna Honeycutt during the voyage, something she was interested in because she knew that her father and Molly frequently traveled on them accompanying high value and other important shipments to the other settlements. MacCaffrey told her that the general opinion in the Regiment was that the armored transport should have been able to put down safely somewhere and that had raised her spirits immediately. She decided to ignore the possibility of their not surviving.

Almost immediately Ciara had recognized Naomi MacCaffrey as the Canadian officer Molly Pickford had saved from execution in Nigeria over four years before, an event that had started the chain of events that had led to her father and Molly having to fake their deaths and flee to the colony under new names, courtesy of US Naval Intelligence and then-Colonel Robert Black. Molly Pickford, then known as Staff Sergeant Susan ‘Molly’ Bennett, had been adopted into the family by Ciara, by Rick’s mother Kelly, by his three sisters Bridget, Nicole and Chloe O’Brien, and by Ciara’s mom Melanie McCord and she had been considered an integral part of the family ever since. When they had first met him, Robert Black had already been slated to become the Regimental Commander at the New Hope Colony. Major General Robert Black was now the senior Ranger at Ranger Command in Geneva Switzerland and he had married Ciara’s grandmother Kelly Cassidy just weeks before Ciara had departed Earth. Kelly Cassidy was a former police captain and weapons instructor who had taught all of her children and her only grandchild to be exceptional marksmen.

It wasn’t until three days after arriving at the colony that Ciara had had a chance to meet with General Jamison. Based on the recommendations of Major Johnson and the four detachment commanders who had come in on the Asia Jamison had personally recruited the teenager to assist with training the hundreds of volunteers at the Ranger Base, a part-time job to be worked around her academic schedule at the New Hope Academy. The Academy was the colony’s only school and like Ciara all students had to be at least fourteen, be in top physical condition and be high academic achievers before being approved to go to the colony with their parents. There were fifty female students and interns along with eleven New Hope Academy staff members who were among those missing with her dad.

Naomi MacCaffrey had taken her to visit the range at the base that evening but the range master on duty had been unavailable and they returned to the residence soon after. The residence was Rick Cassidy’s private home but it had been turned into the living quarters for virtually every female officer currently in New Hope Town who was not a member of one of the cargo transport lander crews who had their own quarters aboard their transports. The residence had been expanded greatly over the previous two months and now hosted nearly one hundred officers and senior enlisted females.

Ciara had moved off the Asia and into her father’s residence the day after arrival along with the twelve female officers among the newly arrived Rangers. Medical personnel were already starting to move the injured Rangers out of the hospitals and they wanted the ship cleared of all those not returning to Earth as soon as possible. The group from Asia had all been given floor space and air mattresses. There was plenty of space in the expanded residence but furniture was somewhat lacking in the crowded residence.

Within a few days many of the Rangers from Asia were on their way east. The Polish detachment had been sent to Castillo, the Chinese and French detachments had gone to Winter Haven and the Chileans first shipped out to Winter Haven and then moved on to McKinley Station. Ciara was aware that an attack was expected in the Winter Haven area very soon and she was worried about her friends, especially Chilean Lieutenant Miranda Balestiere, French Lieutenant Lydia Gervais and Chinese Captain Li Hua Chin. Ciara had said tearful goodbyes to her Ranger friends, not sure when or even if she would ever see them again.

The day Asia departed for Earth Ciara headed to the campus of the New Hope Academy to check in with the dormitory office to get her room assignment. It was the last day off before classes began. She had left her things at the residence until she could get transportation to move the pile of bags she’d brought with her from Earth. Naomi MacCaffrey had promised to drive over to the school that afternoon to pick her up and take her over to the base range again to meet the range master. The weather was sunny and warm and Ciara had walked the two miles to the school following the curve of the bay and enjoying the view. Her room had been pre-assigned and she had her access code within minutes but before finding the room she headed for the school’s cafeteria to meet with her student friends from Asia who had all moved onto the campus several days earlier.

There she is! exclaimed Katey Kennedy. The 15-year-old Irish girl had been Ciara’s cabinmate for the six-month trip to the colony and since she was traveling alone her parents had been assigned as Ciara’s guardians for the duration of the voyage.

So, you’re finally moving in! You do know that classes start tomorrow morning, don’t you? asked a smiling Jana Halstrom. The 15-year-old Danish student from Copenhagen was there with her younger sister Lena. Also seated at the long table were 15-year-olds Kenji Sato, Emil Slovic, and just turned 15 Cory Pruitt and his 16-year-old sister Willow. Rosa Valenzuela and the Alvarez brothers had stayed on Asia and returned to Earth with their parents after having had just a few days to sample life on a planet different from the one they’d been born on. Their parents did not have skills that were considered critical during the emergency and they saw no reason to volunteer to stay with their children in a place where the future was so uncertain. The three deeply disappointed teenagers would have to learn about life at the colony from the 21 students from the Academy who had departed with the Asia.

Ciara snorted a laugh, Sure, I know. That’s why I’m checking into the dorms today! She looked around and asked, Where’s Ivan? Fourteen-year-old Ivan Tolkov was the only one of the group from Asia who was absent.

I haven’t seen him for three or four days, replied Emil.

Me either, said Cory.

I saw him for a minute a couple of days ago right here, said Kenji. He was here with his parents and they were headed out for the main settlement hospital just as I was coming in. My mom works there too. We only got to talk for a minute. He said his parents wanted to spend as much time as possible with him before classes started. They were living in tents somewhere for a day right after they moved off the ship then they moved into the dormitory with the other parents.

He’s bound to make an appearance tomorrow then, noted Willow. Say Ciara, will you be wearing your Ranger uniform on campus? she asked with a sidelong glance at her brother.

Ciara’s eyes widened in surprise at the question and she replied, I guess, sometimes. When I’m going to the base or coming back anyway.

Will you be wearing it to class? Jana asked in curiosity.

Uh, no. Why?

Look around, Ciara, said Willow. Haven’t you noticed?

Noticed what? she asked as she looked around the dining area. Then she realized that quite a few of the other students kept looking over at her then away. She could tell that some of them were talking about her, or at least it seemed that way. Uh?

Do you have any idea how many people have asked about you the last couple of days? Willow asked.

Asked about me? Why? Ciara asked in bewilderment.

Lena shook her head in exasperation, Ciara, everybody knows who you are. Well, a lot of them anyway.

What? Why?

Emil snorted, You know, Ciara, you’re really smart but you can be pretty oblivious at times.

Ciara looked at him totally confused now and demanded, What are you all talking about? She looked at Kenji who just held up his hands and grinned at her without answering while Cory and Emil started laughing, enjoying her discomfiture, a state they’d never seen the usually unflappable girl in before.

Look Ciara, said Willow as she rolled her eyes, "even before any of us said anything about you everybody here seemed to know that the daughter of Commander Rick Cassidy had come in on Asia and would be going to school here. They all know that he and your Aunt Molly are with the people who are missing."

Oh.

People have been asking about you. What you’re like, what you look like, you know? said Lena.

What did you tell them?

I told them you were really smart, said Jana.

And I told them you were really pretty, said a grinning Cory. Ciara blushed but grinned back at him.

And that you have blonde hair, or silver and blue hair, or black and red hair, snorted Emil referring to the various colorings she played with during the long voyage.

I told my roommates about the ‘College Katey’ thing, chuckled the buxom young Irish girl. Katey Kennedy had gone to the officers’ mess one evening for dinner with her parents and had pretended to be a college student. The results had been hilarious for those in the know including the ship’s commander Captain Whitfield and some of his senior officers who watched as some of the younger male officer tripped over themselves trying to get her attention not realizing that she was really only fifteen and quite off-limits. And that led into your ‘Operations Technician Hailey Mills’ joke on the Chilean officers.

"You told them