They went back to watching the road. The sun beat mercilessly upon their heads and the marines with caps were glad for them. There were no orders so they just had to sit and wait for something to happen. There was more firing, but it seemed to get further away. The marines were starting to grumble and shift about. Battle armour, made from hardened steel, was not designed to be comfortable-just to protect the arms, torso, groin and the thighs. Then a new grumbling started, it was coming from the abandoned roadblock around the corner. Some troops wearing brown uniforms moved stealthily around the corner. “Don’t fire yet, let them get into the field of fire. Check your targets, save ammo, check your weapons now.” ordered Josh as he looked at the weapons stash they had bought with them from the barracks, assault rifles, pistols, two sniper rifles and a lone M456 RPG. The launcher only had two Thor anti-armour rockets, ‘best keep that for the growling object’, thought Josh. The troops were getting closer, and Matt’s rifle began to rhythmically fire on them. Enemy troops fell as the rifle rounds found them and the rest took cover. The marines and civilians opened fire, their weapons making a thud-thud-thud sound that matched the incoming enemy fire. Then something long and tubular, a barrel, nosed around the corner. The rest of the tank crept round the corner and the noise rose to a crescendo. It was an ancient M1A1 Abrams tank. It had numerous basic repairs on it, and it looked like it had half a cannibalised Challenger tank stuck onto it.
“Hol-ee crap Sarge!” shouted Ben as he fired at the machine gunner at the top of the tank turret. Tyler grabbed the loaded RPG an aimed it at the base of the turret. There was a whoosh as the rocket left the barrel of the RPG and it flew at the tank. Tyler fumbled madly with the reload catch. The tank stopped and looked at them; the muzzle pointing straight at the bus. The Thor rocket hit some armour plating, bounced and blew up three enemy troops who were trying to set up their own RPG. “Ha! Suck it Commie!” shouted Ben, and his words were followed through by a concentred stream of 7.62mm bullets. The tank fired and blew the bus onto its side, crushing the civilians and marines beneath it. Josh dropped behind a red car to reload and noted that the teenagers were still jumping up firing then ducking again, their movements exaggerated by the stress. He saw Tyler fumbling with the RPG and he crawled over. As he rolled to Tyler and started to load the last Thor rocket he saw one of the teenagers stand up and take a full clip on his left side. The teenager dropped his sidearm. His face contorted with pain, he dropped to his knees and slumped onto his side, where he lay still.
The tank was moving towards them, it was trying to nose into the gap made when it blasted the bus. A marine flung a grenade over the car, there was a crump and when he heard some angry shouting he jumped up to fire into the enemy again, and he slumped across the windscreen of a car, his blood seeping down the glass.
“Sir we’ve gotta go!” shouted Adam as he fired at the tank and watched the bullets ping off the front. The enemy troops were now using the tank as cover and they were advancing behind it.
“ Blast that bloody tank,” shouted Tyler as another shell flew over head and blew a chunk out of the hospital.
“Right, listen up! It appears that command has left us in the lurch. I want the other roadblock survivors to go with Ben and the civilians to the next checkpoint, if that one has been abandoned I want you to fortify it and wait there for the rest of the squad and me. If we are not there half an hour after you arrive I want you to retreat until you find our forces. The rest of the squad and I will give you covering fire, on three.”
He looked over the top of the tank and felt something hit his helmet with a ping. He dropped down and counted aloud to his men, “One…Two…Three”.

1. Who are you?.......
2. Are we friends?........
3. When and how did we meet?........
4. Do you hav a crush on me?.........
5. Have you ever wanted to punch me?........
6. Give me a nikname and explain why?........
7. Describe me in 1 word........
8. what was ur first impression ov me?.......
9. do u still fink the same?......
10. What reminds u of me?.....
11. If you could giv me anything wot would it b?......
12. How well do u no me?......
13. Whens the last time u saw me?.....
14. Eva wanted 2 tell me sumthing u couldnt?......
15. Are you goin 2 put dis on ur blog and c wot i say about u?...