Chapter 7: I want to get away
The man driving opened up the small porthole linking the driver with the troop-transport part of the car.
He gave the thumbs up signal, " Don't worry folks, everything is gonna be all right."
Harry gripped the gun like a scared child grips a teddy bear. He clenched his teeth as he said a silent prayer, and for once in his life he believed in God. Sarah leaned over toward him with the baby breast feeding on her bosom. She figured it would take Tomas's mind off of the loud zapping noises and echoing gun shots. They hunkered down together, and for a moment, they where more of a family now than ever. Fear can do strange things, it can paralyze you, maybe even bring you to God, or bring you closer to those you love. Fear is more than an emotion, it is a uniting force. The cock pit of the vehicle hummed with chatter, as the quad 20mm machine gun on the roof of the metal cube shook the whole vehicle. The car motored down through a wide street.
The echoing booms and the sounds of bugs in the hot summer air added to the chirping radio in the car.
" ONI extraction required. Way points 32 south-east by 45 North." the radio broadcaster announced.
" Damn!" The driver yelled, " We gotta help em."
The man sitting shotgun yelled at him, " Hell no, what have those ONI pricks done for anyone?"
" Look soldier! I can't let someone die!" The car suddenly screeched and shifted weight as it veered off down into a patch of woods.
Iso'tolla stood in the docking bay as he had his assistant Zolan' Mora strapped him in toe the side of the Spook drop ship. The ship carried only three elites on each side, instead of 4 grunts, 2 jackals, and one elite on each side. Zolon'Mora than strapped herself in as the sided of the drop ship closed. The com on the Golden Elite's head chirped.
" Greetings Commander, and Zolon Mora. I am Zukaov'tokla, your special ops leader. When we hit the ground your excellency, meet up with me. I am the Elite in the black armor. My comrades are wearing cyan armor."
The com chirped again as Iso'tolla responded to the special ops leader, " I know the plan. Do not treat me like a grunt." Than he barked, " I may have put you in charge of those elites, but I still have the final say."
" Yes your excellency, how foolish of me." Zukaov rolled his eyes, but luckily it was not visible to Iso'tolla or he would have killed him on the spot. Iso'tolla had a really bad temper.
The pilot of the ship was a jackal, Iso'tolla wanted a Jackal, he was not a racist creature like most of the elites. Even though he be littled grunts, he still respected most members of the Covenant. And he was no dummy, Jackals had better eyes, ears, and noses than elites. Elites won over in the brains and strength category however. Jackals lacked the necessary vocal-cords to communicate with words, so the Jackal had implants in his head that talked for him.
The computerized voice spoke, " Thank you, your excellency, for having me aboard. We will be approaching the source of the A.I.'s creation. ETA in 20 units, I apologize for the long run, I got confused after taking the evasive maneuverers."
Zukaov barked, " You little long necked good for nothing bird, I will shoot you..."
Iso'Tolla spoke up, " No you will not. I am in control and I think Drog is doing a great job."
Drog the jackal's computerized voice spoke in, " I am flattered, your excellency."
Zukaov grunted just soft enough that only he could hear it. "I hope he dies."
The Drop ship landed, and the doors on the u-shaped hovering vehicle opened up as Iso'Tolla led his men out. Zolon'Mora followed not to far away. No words where uttered as the elites crouched in the green, 5foot high weeds growing in the field they where dropped into. The complex was ahead of them, and it was up on a hill. The doors where shut, all windows had automatically sealed as the drop-ship flew over.
" That jackal of yours just blew our cover by flying over the building!" Zuakov said, with a hint of amusement.
"Shut up Zukaov, I ordered him to do it. Look!" Iso'tolla ordered.
Plasma fire erupted hitting the gray building and melting the steel door to the front entrance. The elites silently watched, while Zolon'Mora readied her needler. A flash of white light was seen overhead, followed by a loud explosion and the noise of a jet screaming over their heads. A pf fighter had destroyed their drop ship, and Drog's lifeless body could be seen dangling from the crashed ship on the roof of the human building.
Iso'tolla broke the silence, " Zolon'Mora, report on enemy strength."
"Your excellency, we bombarded a bunker not to far from here. Banshee patrols claim that they have the wounded in here." she stated with a hint of pride at her intellect.
"What of this building, than? Special ops put this on high priority." Iso'tolla questioned.
Zolon'Mora shrugged, and Zukaov quickly answered, " The bunker was where the disc you found was made. It was bombarded with plasma, special ops had no idea about it." The black elite hung his head in embarrassment at destroying such valuable intelligence. But we picked up reports of a human with leadership authority. We need to bag him and get out.."
Zukaov barked as he had his men fan out, crawling through the grass towards the base. "Engage active camouflage." Zuakov ordered.
Iso'tolla was angered and spat into his com, " I did not give you the orders, now you come back here!"
Zukaov's voice chirped through the com, " Not anymore. Prophet Mercy wants me to gather a present for him." Zukaov was no where to be found, his camouflage made him invisible.
Iso'tolla than had Zolon'Mora radio for a platoon sized force to rally at their position. Iso'tolla smirked, " Time to take matters into my own hands. One more thing Zolon'Mora, make sure they bring some banshees, enough to blow this complex off the planet."
Zolon'Mora nodded, " Yes your excellency."
Thomas had his fill from his mother's bosom, and gurgled, as if to say,
" What the hell?"
Thousands of explosions kept the baby alert, and now it was dead quite. They where all crouched down in the blown out shell of a underground bunker of sorts.
"Shit!" The soldier exclaimed, as he wandered through the shadows of the burned out complex. "No survivors, this mission is FUBAR!" He looked around and stared at Harry. " What the hell are you looking at?"
Harry sensed the desperation in the men's voices, and he went off, grabbing his wife by the hand, and leading her up into a quiet, black room. Chairs where knocked over, papers everywhere, but no signs otherwise that anything had happened. He rested the gun down, and looked about.
Signs, paper signs, hanging from the charred walls. They read,
"ONI, keeping the galaxy together under one lid." another one read, " Leaking information gets a beating." The last sign was one that hung down off the center of the room, "Lobby."
He sighed and pulled up a chair his wife. She shook her head,
"I want to sit on the floor." She leaned up against the wall and began talking to her baby, Thomas, " I am sorry you had to go threw this. But do not worry sweety, mommy and daddy will make it better." The odd thing was this comforted Harry more than it comforted the baby. The Nuclear family still survived long into the 25th century.
He could hear the distant echoes of the soldiers yelling "Clear!" as they checked each room in the hallway. Sarah pondered her situation, and looked to Harry for reassurance.
" Honey, do you think we will get out of here?"
Harry sighed, " Ah yeah. ONI gets help when everyone else parishes. They will come to remove their technology, and we will get a ride with them."
Sarah let out a long breath, " I am tired Harry, all the stress, I..." she started snoring.
He smiled, " Sleep tight."
Just than a soldier ran up, yelling at the top of his lungs, " I want to get away! AWAY FROM HERE!"
Harry grabbed the man by his armored shoulders, " Shut up you will scare my wife and my son. Where are the other soldiers?"
"Dead, dropped down, dead, cut in two." He started shaking.
"Get a hold of yourself!" Harry said as he shook him. "Nothing can just appear and kill off everyone."
"Not appear, but cloaked, almost invisible."
"That is impossible..." Harry ducked as the soldier fired his gun over into a slight distorted shadow.
" What are you doing?" Harry yelled.
Just than a cyan colored elite fell to the ground, blood pouring out of his headless body.
The marine cradled his gun and muttered, "Told you. I am gettin the hell out of doge mister." The soldier picked up his gun. " You should do the same."
Harry shook his wife and she awoke, " I had the most horrible nightmare... Oh shit! I am still dreaming." She said groggily.
" We got to go honey." Harry whispered in her ear.
He had the shotgun slung on his shoulder as he carried the baby in one arm and held his wife's small hand in his work worn hand. They climbed up the stairs, which at one time led to another part of the building, now though, there was a huge black charred hole that separated the stairs. Sarah gasped, and looked down through the hole, it went all the way down into the bowels of the building. A huge atrium was under them, it was filled with dead bodies, piled one on top of the other. Than the slight glow of a energy sword was seen. Harry pulled Sarah back.
"The landing of the stairs is right above our heads. Do not look down, just climb." Harry said in a urgent tone.
The soldier had already hurried along and jumped the gap in the stairs, but he lost his footing and grasped the edge of the stairs. His rifle fell from his grasp, echoing as it hit the floor below. He pulled himself up, and hurried along up the stairs. His weight had over-stressed the shaky stairs already, and another huge chunk fell, making the six foot gap a twelve foot gap.
" Hey slick, give us a hand." Harry yelled to the soldier. The soldier just looked down at them and kept running, through the door on the landing above them.
Sarah sobbed, tired and emotionally drained. "He left us. He left us!"
"Sssh honey, you hold the baby. I am going to climb up and see if there is something I can throw down to you." Harry then walked over to the ledge and put his back to the hole. He closed his eyes tight in fear, and jumped. He felt his hands grip slippery cement. He opened his eyes and desperately clawed his way up onto the landing. He shouldered his shot gun and turned the tactical light on. A long, fire hose hung in a glass cabinet. Perfect for climbing.
He tied the hose around his waist and threw it down to Sarah. " Tie it around you waist, than hold the baby."
Sarah propped the baby up against her shoulder, and tied it around her waist, then grasped the baby. Harry then started looking for a hand-hold.
"What is the hold up. Hurry Harry. I am scared." Sarah pleaded.
" Don't worry sweetheart. I am just looking for a handhold..." He saw the door about six feet away from him. It would have to do.
" Something is coming up the stairs, Harry hurry."
Harry saw the glowing of the sword and quickly sprinted, adrenalin pumping through his veins. He raced towards the door and grabbed the handle, as he felt the tension of Sarah's weight disappear. They quickly un-tied the fire-hose from their waists. Sarah darted through the door, and Harry went back to get his gun. Harry was startled to see a cyan colored elite with a glowing sword. Harry's shotgun was right at the elite's feet.
Harry ran at the elite, and kneed the elite in the chest in an attempt to knock the creature off the stairs. The elite laughed, then spoke in excellent English, "You can not hurt me." The elite's shields flickered, and the elite slipped, his shielding causing him to slip on the damp cement. The elite fell silently to his death, only a distant thud was heard. Harry grabbed the shotgun and ran outside. His wife stood, gaping into the distance.
Covenant swarmed a distant complex, as banshees screamed over head, firing green bolts through the evening sky. Explosions rippled the ground. Herron drop ships went down by the thousands as they tried in vain to evacuate the survivors. One stalled and was barreling straight towards Harry and his family. Harry grabbed his wife and shoved her out of the way. The Herron stopped, with the nose of the ship just stopping short of three inches away from Harry's nose. Two soldiers came out of the back of the ship and asked,
" Anyone alive down there?"
Harry shook his head, "No, none, all dead."
They rushed Sarah and Harry into the vessel as the retractable doors folded up, muffling all the sounds of the rumbling of the Covenant Juggernaut. Harry sighed, and kissed his baby on the head, than open mouth kissed his wife. She laughed and spat,
"How does my tongue taste?"
Harry laughed, " Better than ever."
It was over. They survived.