ODST RED ALERT

Part 9

Kiara helped the survivors out of the vent and treated those with major injuries, even though the worst she saw was a broken leg. While she was treating a burn on a 17 year old girl, the room started to shake and a massive explosion echoed around the room. Then the rescue party clambered out of the vent. Kiara was shocked to see that only half of the rescue party had returned. She found ALPHA 06 and asked him where everyone else was.

"The Lieutenant led a group to buy the survivors' time to escape. While they were getting into the vent, my team started to put charges all around the room and in the armoury. When we were done, we began to pull out and I gave him the detonator. He told me that he would be right behind us so I entered the vent. Then I heard the door cave in and I looked to see how far he was behind me. As I turned, the charges went off and the vent collapsed. I was just able to get to a safe part in the vent. I heard the screams of those who stayed behind as they were massacred by the Falling. I am so sorry but..." ALPHA 06 stopped because he could see that the news was very distressing for Kiara.

"Please, I have to know." She asked him.

"Lieutenant H02, DELTA, of HELLFIRE is M.I.A, most likely K.I.A."

Kiara thanked him and excused herself. She went into a nearby storage closet and locked the door. She then slid to the floor, pulled her legs in and wept.

"What was that?" asked Pasagoa as the floor stopped shaking.

"100 pounds of military grad explosive." Assrak said. Everyone turned to face him. Even thought they had their helmets on, it was clear that they were all giving him strange looks. "What? I like things that go BOOM."

"Any idea where it was?" Thea asked him in a sarcastic voice.

"Safe room 565." Irish said to him.

"Do you have some sort of special talent as well Captain?"

"No, I just looked up the damage report on the wall terminal here." He said as he revealed the terminal.

"Oh…"

"According to this, Safe room 565 was just around the corner and the nearest active safe room is 570, right here." He pointed at a white blip on the terminal screen.

"Maybe Crow's there." Assrak commented.

"There or not, we need to rest. We can't keep going like this." Thea said.

"You're right." Irish said. "Fine, we'll stay there and rest for a few hours, but the more time we waste, the less likely it is that we'll find Delta alive."

"That isn't part of the missi…" Pasagoa began to say.

"I am NOT leaving him behind!" Irish bellowed at Pasagoa. Suddenly, the radar stared to beep. Irish turned to see what looked like a muscular Falling approaching them. It had the face that was clearly alien, though there were a number of human faces scattered around the different parts of its body. It had a tail that looked a lot like that of a Lizard and, what appeared to look like, fleshy blades growing out from where it's hands should be. It started to pick up some speed.

"So…do we stay and fight or make a break for the safe room?" Assrak asked as he brought his rifle up to bear on the creature. "On three, run." Irish said as he prepped a frag grenade. "THREE!" They all started to run for safe room 570. There was an explosion from behind them, from the frag grenade, and an ear piecing screech. They sprinted past the wreckage of safe room 565, unable to look inside. Irish consulted his HUD for 570's location. The closest way to reach it was to jump across an elevator shaft. When they reached the shaft, there was no way for them to jump the shaft.

"Now what?" Assrak said in despair.

"You first." Irish told him and before Assrak could protest, he had already been thrown to the other side. "Pasagoa, you're next." Pasagoa then propelled himself across the shaft and landed next to Assrak. Then Thea was forced across. Everyone shouted at Irish to hurry up and jump. He went for a run up to be met by the face of the Falling that they were running from.

"IRISH, RUN!" Assrak bellowed at him. Irish sprinted like a mad man towards the shaft, with the Falling right behind him. When he reached the shaft, he jumped for the others. He fell short of the doorway and just managed to grab the ledge. Everyone rushed to help him up. They pulled him up just as the Falling hit the shaft, exactly where Irish had been. It then plummeted down the shaft, whaling.

"That was WAY too close, thanks guys." Irish said as he got up off the floor. He consulted his HUD for 570's location. To his amazement it was right opposite them. He walked over to the door and whacked the door. A slit opened in the door and a pair of eyes stared out at them. Then they disappeared and the door opened. A burly man ushered them in. When they were all in, the closed the door, locked it, bared it and put a small barricade up behind it.

"Are you looking for Professor Crow?" the burly man asked.

"Yes, we were sent to find him." Pasagoa said. "How did you know?"

"Someone just like you was looking for him."

"Delta was here?" Irish said. "I knew he was still alive!" he said triumphantly.

"I'm afraid that we can't confirm that." The burly man said sorrowfully.

"What do you mean? Where's Delta?" Irish demanded.

"Irish I presume?" a voice said from behind the burly man. He moved to reveal Kiara.

"Kiara? What are you doing here?"

"I'm working with the Professor." She motioned for Irish and the rest of HELLFIRE to follow her. "I'll tell you what we know about Delta.