and those two august bodies almost never saw eye to optic sensor。
“Grub’s up； sarge；” called Siegler from the side of the tank。 “You want to wake Metzger？”
Wulfe slid off the track…guard and landed on his feet by Siegler and Beans。
“Let him rest a little more；” he told them。 “We’ll keep some for when he wakes up。”
The three men sat and enjoyed their small repast as chanting lifted towards them from the valley
floor。
“I still don’t get it；” said Beans。 “They think they can find out where it went？”
Wulfe nodded and spoke around a mouthful of tough； dry meal…brick。 “You’d better hope they
can。 The orks will be on us soon。 I think deViers will give the cogboys enough time to finish their
little communion and then lead us off somewhere。 He won’t give up looking。”
Siegler shook his head。 “And people call me crazy；” he said。 Wulfe grinned and clapped his
friend on the shoulder。 “Yes； they do。” Beans laughed。
A burst of vox…chatter from the bead in his ear made the smile suddenly drop from Wulfe’s face。
He spat his mouthful of meal…brick onto the hard ground at his side。
“What’s up； sarge？” asked Siegler。
Wulfe stood bolt upright。
“Get your arses into the tank；” he told them； “and wake Metzger at once。”
All around them； the air shook with the rumble of engines being turned。 A Chimera just ten
metres away rumbled noisily to life； coughing blue…black fumes from her exhausts。 Siegler and
Beans jumped to their feet。
“That was van Droi；” said Wulfe； picking up the remains of his meal and stuffing them into a tin
box。 “The tech…priests say they got their answer。 We’re moving out。”
“But where to； sarge？” asked Beans。
Wulfe had turned and was already clambering up the side of the tank。 He didn’t stop climbing；
but called over his shoulder； “To the mountains； trooper。 We’re going into the mountains。”
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CHAPTER TWENTY…FOUR
The path the 18th Army Group took from the valley up into the Ishawar Mountains soon became
treacherous； especially for the tanks； most of which weighed over sixty tonnes； but there was no
time to be careful。 The orks were less than an hour behind them。 They had spotted the Cadians rising
up into the hills and had turned on a burst of speed。 Bergen didn’t know how long it would be before
the orks caught up to them； but he knew the machines at the rear of the column would soon face the
threat of ork bikes and buggies。 The light； speedy greenskin machines were far more adept at
handling rough terrain like this。 The steep gradients and narrow trails that Exolon found itself forced
to follow were really challenging the heaviest of the Cadian machines。
For now； though； there was little choice but to push on with all the speed they could muster。
General deViers was taking Tech…Magos Sennesdiar extremely seriously。 The magos claimed that
the almighty Omnissiah； tech…aspect of the Divine Emperor of Mankind； had been roused by their
ceremony and had spoken to them directly through their most powerful and sophisticated auspex
scanners。 The data was irrefutable； the tech…priests insisted。 The Fortress of Arrogance had indeed
lain in the valley for many years； but had been moved in the recent past。 Even now； Sennesdiar told
them； the orks that had taken it were within striking distance； if only the general would lead his
forces up into the mountains exactly as the magos directed。
It sounded entirely too convenient to Gerard Bergen。 He was sure the tech…priests had known
from the start that Yarrick’s lost tank was no longer in the valley。 DeViers was still in charge；
however； and the old general had become so frantic； so desperate； that he might believe just about
anything he was told。 Whether deViers was mad or not； Bergen and the other divisional leaders
weren’t about to protest。 Not now。 What was the point？ Rennkamp and Killian both seemed to feel
as he did。 Cut off from the rest of the Imperial forces with little hope of ever returning； there was
little choice but to follow the path they were on and see where it led them in the end。
Bergen rode high in the cupola of his Chimera； a habit he had developed over his long years as a
tank commander。 He remembered those times fondly； times before he had been singled out for
greater things。
Greater things？ That was a laugh。 Operation Thunderstorm had gone to hell。 The Munitorum
wouldn’t want to lose face。 They’d expunge it from the Imperial records once it was clear how
spectacularly it had failed。
It hasn’t failed yet； said a tiny voice in the back of his mind； but another； louder voice at the
front said； hasn’t it？
Bergen tried to ignore both and looked up at the sky。
The cloaked Golgothan sun was close to its zenith； judging by the bright patch in the thick red
clouds overhead。 At this altitude； the clouds seemed so low they might choke him； and he
automatically checked that his rebreather mask and goggles were firmly in place。
The expedition force had ascended over a thousand metres already。
Where in the blasted warp are the cogboys taking us； he wondered？
He tried to look back down the mountainside along the route they had followed； but all he could
see was the clouds of dust kicked up by the line of coughing； spluttering vehicles behind him。 The
column was significantly shorter than it had been when it had set out from Balkar。 He still didn’t
know exactly how many had died rushing the ork wall。
140
He felt two sharp tugs on his trouser leg and dropped back down into the Chimera’s passenger
compartment。 His adjutant indicated a flickering light on the vox…caster。
“Major General Killian wants a word； sir；” he said。
Bergen told his adjutant to patch Killian through； and then spoke through the tiny vox…mic built
into his rebreather mask。
“Bergen here；” he said。 “Go ahead。”
“Gerard； this is Klotus。 I’ve just had a vox from my scout captain。 Something you should
definitely hear。”
“Go ahead。 I’m listening。”
“It’s about the trail we’re following；” said Killian。 “We’re not the first to tread it。”
“So the orks did bring The Fortress of Arrogance this way？” said Bergen in genuine surprise。
Whatever he had expected； it hadn’t been that the tech…priests might be telling the truth。
“Too difficult to say； the tracks are vague； all but eroded。 But the scouts say there is sign of at
least one vehicle and a fair number of foot soldiers。”
“It has to be orks。 According to the records； we’re the first Imperial troops to set foot here since
the last war。”
“Maybe。 But not everything goes into the records； does it？ And it depends on whose records
we’re talking about。 There’s no way the tracks are thirty…eight years old。 I can tell you that much。”
Bergen sat silent for a moment。 It had to be orks。 It just had to be； but； if the tracks were
Imperial； it meant that someone else had got here first。 Why hadn’t Exolon been told？ By all
accounts； theirs was the first officially sanctioned mission ever to attempt a recovery of Yarrick’s
tank。 If the tracks they followed belonged to an Imperial force； who the hell were they； and what
were they doing here？
“Will you tell me the moment you know more？”
“Of course I will；” said Killian。 “I don’t like this any more than you do。”
“You’ve told Rennkamp？ General deViers？”
“About to；” said Killian。
Bergen thought about that。 “Why did you come to me first； Klotus？”
Killian hesitated； perhaps checking for a second that the channel was properly encrypted。
“Because deViers has been losing it for months。 We both know it。 And he’s closer to cracking right
now than I’ve ever seen him。 If he has some kind of breakdown； the mission will fall to you。 And so
will our survival。 I want to get off this rock alive； Gerard。 I’m not meant to die here and neither are
my men。”
“Thanks for the update； Klotus；” Bergen said。 “Keep me posted； won’t you？”
“You’ve got it。 Killian signing off。”
The light on the vox…board blinked out。
In Tech…Magos Sennesdiar’s specially fitted Chimera； Tech…Adept Xephous hit a toggle and
watched a similar green light die。 He turned to his superior and said；
replied Sennesdiar。
There was a moment of silence as each of the Martian priests processed the ramifications of this。
It was Armadron who ultimately broke it。
Sennesdiar replied。
said Xephous。
141
answered Sennesdiar。
said Xephous。
said Armadron；
Wulfe growled as another wave of dust smothered him and his tank。 If he didn’t know b