GM-46

Dead again

11.

The sergeant took advantage of this respite to activate his infrared filter. Instead of increasing the ambient brightness, now almost nil under cover, infrareds would reveal to him any source of heat, including that of his enemy, even if he were hiding.

His rifle was snatched from his hands. An orange and yellow mass distorted by his filter passed in front of him. He just managed to jump back to avoid the punch aimed at him. The two antagonists watched each other from ten yards away. The soldier switched off his vision system and switched on the two powerful LEDs embedded in his helmet.

Nathaniel was looking at him, flooded by the beams of cold white light. Only a few slender birch trunks separated them. Although not a clearing, the area remained sparse. They began to walk in a slow circle, leaning forward, sizing each other up. The light rustle of dead leaves moved by their footsteps filled the night, amplified tenfold by the total silence around them. The sergeant put his right hand behind his back, to his kidneys. He drew a long hunting knife from the sheath on his belt and passed it in front of him in an expert defensive move.

"I'm going to bleed you like the dog you are..." he said with a cruel smile.

He made the blade dance, which at times reflected the rays of his two small lamps. He mimicked a leap forward, without any reaction from his opponent who continued to turn without blinking.

"Come closer, damned 46..."

Nathaniel tilted his head to one side, as if the soldier aroused in him only a singular curiosity.

"46, 46, 46, 46..." the soldier taunted in a mocking voice.

The knife kept moving slowly back and forth in front of its owner's face. But neither of the two rivals launched the first assault. The dance continued, immutable, the blade still floating in the air in a simplistic, repetitive choreography.

"You're going to..."

The tenth of a second's lapse of concentration at the start of his sentence cost Callaghan dearly. His opponent had leaped forward without a warning. The knife went forward in search of a chest to pierce. Nathaniel pivoted and presented himself sideways. The blade passed in front of him in a silvery flash. He lowered his arms, raising a knee. The sergeant's wrist was protected by his armor. It didn't break, but the shock made him lose his grasp and the dagger disappeared into a thorny bush. Another pivot, and Nathaniel brought both fists forward, striking the soldier squarely in the solar plexus. He was thrown backwards ten yards in a crash of broken wood, but immediately righted himself. His armor had absorbed the blow. Nathaniel stepped back. With his exoskeleton still operational, the sergeant remained a dangerous opponent.

The circling contest resumed, but not for long. The soldier dashed forward, leaped into the air and, using his equipment, increased his velocity to the maximum with the intention of crushing his enemy. The latter leaped as well. Lighter and more agile, he somersaulted over Callaghan to deliver a precise kick between his shoulder blades. The armor wasted a precious second compensating for the change in trajectory. Carried away by his weight and momentum, the soldier crashed headfirst into a tree at full speed. The force of the impact should have killed him. But the polymer helmet and armatures around his neck protected the bones of his skull and nape. The shock, however, was violent enough to make him lose consciousness. He slumped with an electric hum.

Nathaniel stepped forward to neutralize the exoskeleton's power source when a dazzling light suddenly blinded him.