Chapter 6: Round 'em and Move 'em Out

de Blanc left and they were taken to the real military barracks not the training ones they had been staying in for the last month. Boot had changed many of the trainees. All had lost fat and gained muscle but their were more obvious changes. All of the trainees were mentally sharper as well and they all could work as a team with any one in Platoon A-1. Herzog had taught them more than how to drop the f-bomb 52 times in a sentence, he had taught them how to work as a team. That skill would help them more than all of the brute force in the universe.

At the new barracks they were bunked with their patrol members to let them get to know each other better so that they could function as a team in the future. The days at the new barracks were much more laid back than the ones in boot. Their days consisted of running, weightlifting, and shooting in the morning, fortifying the Alamo in the afternoon until about five and then free time until nine which was lights out. It was much easier and less stressful than boot.

Frank O'Neal, the first new person in their squad, was an easy to talk to person that meshed with the rest of the squad seamlessly. He was 6'9" tall, weighed 350 pounds and was very muscular. He had a particular build, his back, arm, and chest muscles were much larger than his leg muscles. Not to say that his legs were small they were just smaller than his chest. This build helped him do many things that other solders couldn't. He beat everyone in the pushup contest where he did 1000 push-ups before Herzog told him to f-ing stop. One other thing that this helped him do was archery. Frank owned a 200 pound pull bow that he practiced with every day. With all of the power its arrows had it could puncture one inch of battle plate. Frank was also very accurate with his arrows and could hit a bull's eye at 200 yards. He wanted to use it in combat but regulations forbade him. Instead he was placed on the heavy weapons duty which consisted of operating rocket launchers. His strength helped him carry the 20 or so 102mm rockets in a massive backpack and fire the rockets with complete accuracy. During the four hour down time at the end of the day Frank was often seen fletching and repairing arrows or shooting his bow.

Greg Cambell was a hunter in every way. He was very good at being silent and sneaky. He could use any weapon at any range he could also drive any vehicle on any surface. However his passion was music. He would always be playing some type of old Slam-Bam music. He had very particular tastes. His weapon of choice is the old M-4 from the brushfire wars. He used his ancient weapon very efficiently and accurately.

Dexter was also busy in his free time. He is currently restoring some classic vehicles for the brass, fixing warthogs, and militarizing some ATVs from home. By far the most interesting to the soldiers were the ATVs. Dex had removed the flimsy plastic mud flaps and body panels with an inch of high carbon steel. He coated the body panels and mud flaps with plasma reflective tape that had a digitized urban camo patterns. He replaced their 150 hp electric motors with 300 hp motors. He took off the old racing tires that used to be on them and put on high grade military tires. He also added all of the bells and whistles of a normal military vehicle such as gun racks, wenches, communication systems, high powered halogen lights, a spare tire on the back, and room for a second passenger/gunner. Some of the ATVs had special features. One of the ATVs had an electric supercharger, one had a bow case mounted on the side, and the third has a 30 mm chain gun on the back. Dex stored these vehicles in the garage where he was restoring the classic cars for the brass.

For one week their life style was relaxed and peaceful and they had good times, but all of that was about to change. On November 5th 2815 the Covenant closed in on Jerico VII. De Blanc was currently on Jercio's flagship the Colorado. He was commanding the whole fleet from the bridge of the massive cruiser. He had the ships in a phalanx to defend their 5 precious O'MACs. The 20 Covenant ships were coming in at a similar formation. De Blanc gave the order to fire all MAC cannons. 29 white hot massive projectiles flew through the air at the Covenant formation like a volley of flaming arrows. Unfortunately the MAC rounds only weakened the enemy ships only 5 enemy ships were destroyed because those had been hit by the massive O'MAC rounds.

The Covenant returned fire just after the first volley of MAC rounds left. A wave of fluorescent plasma burned towards them. The destroyers were told by de Blanc to make a shield in front of the O'MACs. The shield was successful but destroyed all participants in it. A total of 15 ships destroyed. The second volley of MAC rounds was placed better. The human cruisers concentrated fire on just a few ships and not all of them at once. They disabled only 3 ships this time because the Covenant ships had charged their shields to full capacity after the jump from slip space. The second Covenant folly came even more powerful this time and destroyed the remaining destroyers that were defending the O'MAC cannons. De Blanc took a pelican from the Colorado to the Alamo to coordinate the ground defense. The O'MAC cannons and the Colorado were destroyed shortly after de Blanc had left. The entire battle had taken 10 minutes. Human causalities 100 Covenant causalities 35.

Juan, Jack, Greg, Keith, Dexter, and Frank woke up in the middle of the night to a loud screeching alarm. It was a call to arms bell. Jack ripped his Eagle from under his bunk and striped the tape from it that had been holding it to the bed. Then he racked the slide, punched the safety, and slipped it under his belt in the small of his back. Jack had worn combat cloths to bed for this reason. He knew they would not have worked them hard right before a serious battle so the Covenant had to be coming. The rest of his squad had to change quickly. Jack put on his holster that contained three more clips for the Eagle.

By the time all six solders had gathered their weapons and started hoofing to HQ. Jack noticed something while he was running; Dexter was not with them. Jack took little notice of this fact because five other patrols had come up behind them. They kept pace for a few minutes until Jack noticed something else that was strange; the sound of an electric motor. Jack turned his head and saw Dexter on an ATV that was pulling two others.

"Hey, I've got a present for you" said Dexter

"Patrol Double One get your asses over to Dex" said Jack

"I love presents" said Greg after he got to Dexter

"Okay Jack your driving mine, Juan and Keith you're on this one but Juan is driving, and Greg and Frank you're on this one but Frank is driving."

"Why do we have to listen to you" said Keith to Dexter

"Because this is the best way to utilize all of your combat skills" said Dexter

"Why am I on the back" said Keith

"You are a sniper and you cannot snipe and drive at the same time" said Dexter

"Okay" said Keith

"What to we call these things" said Frank

"Mongooses" said Dexter

"Why Mongoose sir?" said Juan

"Because All Terrain Vehicle is to hard to say in conversion, son" said Dexter

"But why Mongoose, It doesn't look like a Mongoose" said Juan

"Just shut your trap and drive" said Dexter.

The whole patrol hopped on his respective Mongoose, stored their weapons on the gun racks, started with minimal searching for controls, and floored it to HQ. The six of them got envious looks on the way to HQ from the other soldiers hoofing it. Juan had obviously got the hang of his Mongoose because he pulled a power slide parallel parking job at HQ.

"Stop showing off" said Keith "you're making me sick"

The rest of the patrol got of their Mongooses and walked over to the HQ entrance.

"Patrol Sergeants only" grunted the HQ guard.

"Am I the patrol Sergeant" said Jack

"I guess so" said Dexter.

Jack walked in to the HQ and was met with only about four other Sergeants talking to Sergeant Herzog.

"Jack just the man I wanted to see" said Herzog.

"Hello" said Jack

"What are you forgetting" said Herzog.

"Sir, Hello, sir" barked Jack

"That's better" said Herzog "I have a special assignment for you; we are running low on defense vehicles for the troop carriers that are evacuating the civilians from the nearby area and I just happen to know your patrol has three unregulation vehicles"

"About that sir" said Jack

"You aren't in trouble Jack, I need you to use those vehicles to defend three of the troop carriers" said Herzog.

"Yes Sir" said Jack

"I need you to defend troop carriers three, eight, and five" said Herzog

"Where are they sir" said Jack

"Ask Dexter, he should know, he worked on them." said Herzog

"It'till be done sir" said Jack

"Good luck soldier" said Herzog

"Thank you sir" said Jack

Jack left the HQ and walked over to his Patrol.

"Hey Guys we have a mission" said Jack "We have to defend troop carriers three, eight, and five as they pick up civilians from the county."

"Hey I worked on three, eight, and five. They were bad, I almost had to replace their engines." said Dexter

"Well do they work now" said Keith.

"I was in the middle of fixing them, I did most of it but some things I just didn't have the time for." said Dexter

"Okay, where are they Dex" asked Jack

"Garage 8 on the other side of the Alamo" said Dex

"We better get a move on then" said Jack

Patrol 11 jumped on their rides and floored it to garage 8. With in a few minutes they had covered the distance to garage 8.

"The cavalry has arrived" said one driver.

"When are we leaving" said Jack.

"Now, we were waiting for you" the driver told Jack.

"Let's go" said Juan.

The three troop transport trucks started up and rolled out of the garage. The Mongooses started up and quickly moved in front of the transport.

"Pick a transport and stick with it" Jack said over the radio.

Jack heard two double clicks of acknowledgement over the radio.

"Hey Sarge, go left at the next intersection." the driver said to Jack

"Got it" said Jack

The three transports split off in opposite directions to pick up the civilians of Alamo city. Jack and Dexter's Mongoose caught up with another troop transport being lead by a Warthog with 3 people in it; one driver, one gunner, and one rocketeer in the side seat holding a M19 SSM Rocket Launcher.

"Hey lets work together" said the driver of the Warthog over the radio.

"Okay. Transports line up in single file. Warthog take the rear we got the front" said Jack over the radio. Jack heard three double clicks of acknowledgement and the vehicles moved into formation.

"Where are we going" asked Jack.

"To St. Vincent High School" answered one of the drivers

"Why are we going their" questioned Dexter.

"All of the people have been ordered to go to the nearest school to their homes so we just pick them up their" explained the Warthog driver "Make a right at this light."

The caravan was nearing the school when they saw a U shaped ship drop from the sky flanked by two alien fighter craft. A Longsword human fighter jet came and distracted the two smaller fighter crafts. The Warthog had pulled up front and the side gunner lunched two rockets at the landing craft. The rockets spiraled through the air and impacted on the landing craft but did not inflict much damage because a transparent shield blocked the missiles.

"Shit" swore the rocketeer.

"We'll just have to kill them when they land" said the warthog driver.

"Hey, come with me the transports better be able to handle their self's for a while" said Jack

"We'll circle them counter-clockwise until we get them all." said Dexter.

"Roger that" said the warthog driver

"I'll keep my thrower on the left side so I don't burn you, so you have to always keep our enemies on the left" said Dexter to Jack

"Got it"

The transport opened its twin hulls and dropped eight enemies on the ground in the parking lot of the school; two elites, two jackals, and four grunts. They started sprinting toward the school. Jack punched the accelerator and activated the electric super charger to get to the school. Jack transformed one of the grunts into a living speed bump until the rear tire broke his spine and he died. Dexter opened up his flamethrower and lit up a blue elite like a Christmas tree. Seconds after the elite flung himself on the ground to try to put out the flames the Warthog charged in with the M41 LAAG blazing. They immediately took out the two jackals and charged through the middle of the Covenant formation and took out two grunts. Jack put the Mongoose into a slide and took out the remaining grunt. The grunt smacked against the Mongoose's side and sprayed blue blood all over Jack and Dexter. The Warthog and the Mongoose worked together with flame and lead to kill the red elite. Two jocks from the school snuck out from behind a car and killed the burning elite with a titanium baseball bat and a shot put to the head.

"Hostiles eliminated, transports it's clear" said the Warthog driver.

"Hey kids get back to the school" ordered Jack

"Yes sir" said the one with the bat that was now soaked with blue blood.

Then overhead the Longsword destroyed the two Banshees with a combination of Archer Missiles and 50 cal machinegun fire. The burning carcasses of the covenant fighter crafts fell into the school's football stadium.

"Shit, not our field" said the Jock with the shot put as he ran to the school.

The transports drove up to the High School's entrance and lowered the personnel loading ramps. Jack, Dexter, and the Warthog crew got off their rides and helped everyone get on the transport.

"Bless you child, you saved us" said an old woman.

"Any time mam" said Dexter

"Okay round 'em up and move 'em out" said the warthog driver.

While Dexter and Jack were saving the day at St. Vincent Keith and Juan were collecting citizens from Ironwood High School. They were just coming up to the High School a purple sea shell shaped craft descended from the sky and dropped two 12' feet tall organisms fell from it. Juan ordered the troop transports to go to a safe location. The organism was dressed in blue armor and had a massive shield attached to its right arm and huge cannon attached to its right. Immediately after they landed they turned on the school and a green light emitted from their cannons. They both fired as the Mongoose screamed toward them. Massive twin balls of energy hurtled toward the school and impacted upon the side of the school. They melted the surrounding stone bricks into lava and left two massive holes in the school. Juan stopped the Mongoose about 100 yards from them. Keith raised his S2 AM Sniper Rifle and fired four shots at the first creatures head and reloaded.

"Shit, why the hell isn't he dead?" Keith exclaimed

"That might not be their weak spot" speculated Juan

"Then where do I shoot?" asked Keith

"I donno" said Juan as two more balls of energy accelerated towards them.

"JUAN GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE" yelled Keith

Juan punched the accelerator lurched from under the twin balls of plasma and they impacted only 6 feet behind them, it was a wonder that the Mongooses tires did not melt. Then Juan went on offence and floored it too the blue warriors.

"What are you doing?" questioned Keith

"Get on the gun in the back" ordered Juan

Juan got on the 30 cal M23 LAAG and put his S2 in its gun rack as Juan slid in front of the blue clad warriors with the tail end of the Mongoose facing them. Keith opened up the M23 and peppered them with armor piercing rounds close range. They brought up their shields to block the rounds and slowly backed up as Keith concentrated fire on each one in turn.

"GET BEHIND THEM" yelled Keith over the noise of the M23

Juan slid the Mongoose around and Keith opened fire on their bare orange backs. The blue combatants screamed in agony and fell in pools of their own orange blood.

"HA, you were owned covy!" bragged Juan

"Hey guys you can come out now, we killed the scary aliens for you" said Keith over the radio. Juan and Keith got off the Mongoose, collected their weapons from various places on their ride, and went to check for survivors. They entered the commons of Ironwood but their was no one to be found.

"Maybe they hid in the bomb shelter" said Juan

"Where is the bomb shelter? Wait, I can find it. Command I need an inferred satellite photograph to located civilians in Ironwood High School" said Keith over the radio

"Submitting Request" said an artificial female voice. A moment later another non-artificial voice came over the radio

"Okay Private Pounds, I will have your picture in approximately 30 seconds" said the Vic the command operator.

29 seconds later Vic came back and said "take a right from your current position and walk down the hallway about 50 feet and go down a stairwell on your left. At the bottom on the right there is a hatch. Open the hatch and there are approximately 30 people in the bomb shelter."

"Thanks Vic" said Keith

"I'll tell you if you go the wrong way" said Vic

"How?" said Keith

"This is a live feed I can see exactly where you are" said Vic

"Well that's comforting" said Juan as they started following Vic's instructions.

After a few minutes they had descended the stairway and were at the hatch.

"Anybody down there?" yelled Juan

"We're down here" replied several people in muffled voices.

Keith opened the hatch and started helping people up the ladder that led down into the bomb shelter.

"Okay we are going out, if you want to live you will do exactly what we say" ordered Keith

"Keith I'll take point, you pull up the rear" said Juan

"Got it, lets go" said Keith

Juan led the group through the hallways and to the front doors with out incident.

"Keith get up here and check for snipers" said Juan

Keith walked up to the doors but did not open them for the fear of alerting Covenant snipers to their presents. Keith looked through the glass through the reflection of his boot knife and saw that the soldiers piloting the troop carriers were dead. Keith aimed through the window and saw two jackals armed with strange looking rifles. As Keith zoomed in on the first jackals the crosshairs on his computerized scope compensated for going through glass and the wind outside by the laser sensory device on his scope.

"The drivers are dead and there are two Jackals on the surrounding roof tops, move the civilians into some cover, I'm taking them out" said Keith.

"Get back" whispered Juan to the civilians

Keith made his final adjustments and fired on the first Jackal. The glass exploded into pieces and the 114mm APFSDS Anti-materiel round put a quarter sized hole in the Jackals head. The Jackal absorbed the impact of the round and did a back flip and landed face down with a wet smack. Keith quickly aimed at the second Jackal and fired. This round hit the Jackal in the neck and disconnected his head from his body. Then Keith ducked behind a brick wall with Juan.

"Vic, can you use your fancy computer to locate more snipers" asked Keith

"Sorry Pounds, the covenant found my satellite and destroyed it" said Vic

"Shit" swore Keith

"Did you get them?" asked Juan

"Yes but I don't know if there are more" replied Keith

"Ask Vic" suggested Juan

"They destroyed our satellite" explained Keith

"Shit" repeated Juan

"I'm going to look for more, help me spot them" said Keith

Juan and Keith slowly walked out of the school doors.

"Roof 3 O-clock" pointed Juan

Keith fired a single round at the Jackals head.

"Eliminated" concluded Keith

Juan fired a short burst and took out another Jackal.

"Hostile at 1 O-clock eliminated" reported Juan

Finally the pair got to the truck and Juan reached in to get their dog tags and pulled them out of the transport and laid them on the ground.

"Vic we need to reach the civilians, how can we do that, they don't have radios?" asked Juan

"I got it" said Vic as 15 cell phones rung "you can talk now"

"Can anyone down their drive a stick" asked Juan

"Yes" replied a female voice

"Okay I'll come up and get you, the rest of you stay put" ordered Juan "Keith cover me"

Keith moved from behind the transport and shot one Jackal on a roof top as Juan ran back to the school. Keith aimed at another Jackal that had sighted in Juan. Just as the Jackal was about to pull the trigger Keith pulled his and shot off his right arm. The Jackals arm reflexively contracted and a bolt of energy missed Juan by 6 feet. Juan ran even faster when he heard the bolt impact near him and Juan jumped through the hole that Keith had made with his first shot. Juan rolled on the linoleum floor of the high school and ducked behind a brick wall. Then he just sat and caught his breath.

"Who was it that said they could drive" asked Juan

"It was me" said a 16 year old girl with brown hair and a petite form.

"You must have just gotten your license" exclaimed Juan

"Nope, I've had mine for 4 years" said the girl

"How?" asked Juan

"I live on a farm; you can get your license much earlier when you live on a farm" said the girl

"Well let me see it" asked Juan

The girl gave her wallet to Juan from her back pocket. "What no purse" Juan thought but sure enough the license was real and her name was Candice McKenzie.

"Come on Candice, we need to get out of here." ordered Juan

"Okay" replied Candice.

"Keith are there any more snipers out there" asked Juan over the radio

"As far as I can tell" replied Keith

"Let's go" ordered Juan

Juan and Candice ran to the transport with Keith covering them the whole way there.

"So this is your driver?" asked Keith

"She said she could drive" defended Juan

"Okay, these snipers will kill all of the civilians in this place if we" said Keith as a beam of energy grazed Keith's calf. Keith aimed his sniper and put a hole in the Jackals head. Juan took the bandana of his head and tied it around his calf. Keith cursed under his breath. "As I was saying, we need to get the truck up to the entrance if we are to get them out alive."

"When I am driving won't I be exposed to the snipers" asked Candice.

"I will kill all of the snipers before they can kill you" said Keith.

"Are you sure you can do that, you did just get hit?" questioned Candice.

Keith brought up his gun, swiveled, and fired at a Jackal. The Jackal did a back flip and landed in a puddle of his own blood and entrails.

"I'm sure" reassured Keith "get in the transport"

Candice got in the transport and Juan helped Keith up and then got in the roofless troop carrying section to kill snipers. Keith fired twice and two Jackals fell and Juan released a 3 round burst to take down another one. Then Candice rolled the transport up the steps to the school and parallel parked it next to the door.

"Good job Candice" said Keith as he sniped another Jackal "Juan you help the civilians up on the transport"

"Got it" replied Juan as he started lifting civilians into the transport. After about two minutes Juan had loaded all of the civilians.

"Keith, I think its time to leave" said Juan as he looked at the roof tops one last time before he jumped from the transport to the tarmac and threw his leg over the Mongoose. Juan started the Mongoose and drove it over to the side of the transport.

"Keith get in" yelled Juan

Keith sniped a Jackal and then lowered him self from the transport, nursing his wounded leg, he hopped from the foot of the transport to the Mongoose. Juan helped him on the back.

"Lets go" Juan ordered Candice over the cell phone radio hybrid.

Candice backed the transport off the stairway and rolled into the street.

A wounded Kig-yar in the past minute had crawled to where his dismembered limb lay with its icy claws still gripping the handle of his "Beam Rifle" as the humans called it. They had no right to name their sacred gifts of the Gods with their barbaric tongue. He had even heard stories that they had also named his species Jackal after the primitive four legged beasts on their filthy planet. The wounded Kig-yar pried his own dead fingers off his weapon and crawled over to the edge of the roof. The Kig-yar prayed to the gods for accuracy and hit the firing stud. He missed and hit the spare tire on the back. The filthy human took his primitive projectile weapon and fired it directly at the Kig-yar and added another wound to his collection; a quarter unit diameter hole it his neck. The Kig-yar said his last prayer through his leaking gullet and transcended the physical.

While Juan and Keith were killing Jackals at Ironwood High School, Greg and Frank were defending two troop transport carriers with the help of a warthog team. They were headed to Jefferson Technical University. JTU was a massive university with a total of 20 buildings and 10 acres of land. This presented them with a problem, Where were the civilians, they were not briefed on the subject and it was expected that they would search all of the buildings.

"Frank, we don't have time to search all of the buildings, what the hell are we going to do" asked Greg.

"I don't know but those eggheads at command might know" suggested Frank.

"Okay then call command" said Greg.

"Command, does anyone copy, we need assistance locating civilians in JTU" Frank said over the radio.

"Processing Request" an artificial female voice over the radio.

"Great just what we need, chicks giving us orders" complained Greg

"Okay Private Frank I can do just what you need but it will take a second, I'm doing the same thing for the people at Ironwood High" explained Vic.

"Okay just make it quick" said Frank.

Ten seconds later Vic came over the radio "Okay the civilians are not scattered over to much of the university. They are all in the cafeteria and the J .A .McCoy gymnasium. The other buildings are empty or the civilians are dead"

"Thanks Vic, if we have any more problems we'll call you" said Frank

"Got it, Vic out"

The transport caravan arrived at JTU in another five minutes. Frank and Greg, who were handling point, did not see any enemy forces on the north side of campus. They followed the road signs to the cafeteria first. Frank saw two teenagers spray painting obscene words and gang symbols on one of the dormitories. Frank asked Greg to stop the Mongoose. Frank put his rocket launcher in its rack beside him and opened his bow rack. Frank put an arrow with a field point and ratty fletchings on the string, attached his magnetic mechanical release to a steel bead on the string, drew the string back, and hit the release trigger. The ratty arrow flew true and pierced the spray paint can of one of the hoodlums and slammed it in to the brick wall behind it. The paint can sprayed red paint all over the place but mostly on the two delinquents.

"What the fuck, dog?" exclaimed one wigger with his hat on sideways before he turned around to face the archer who had destroyed his can. When he turned around he saw two soldiers fully armed and one of them happened to be almost 7 feet tall. "Sorry dog, my bad, I'll just leave now"

"Get on the transport" ordered Frank

The kids climbed in the transport.

"Well I showed them" commented Frank

"You just shot an arrow into a group of civilians, if they report this you are screwed" warned Greg as he fired up the engine and put it in drive

"Don't worry about it, I just did a act if public service, and do you think they will take the side of a member of the armed forces of Jerico or that punk kid" defended Frank.

"Good point" agreed Greg as he turned a corner into the street that the cafeteria was on. A few minutes after that the caravan pulled into the cafeteria. Frank, Greg, and the people in the warthog hopped off their rides. Frank quickly swept his rifle around the campus to check for hostiles. He found none.

"Area secured, move into the building" reported Greg.

The evacuation crew moved into the building.

"Vic exactly where are the Civilians" said Greg over the radio

"I have located human life signs in the basement of the cafeteria, and by the way the first transport still has its lights on, you might want to turn them off." Vic explained

"Thanks Vic" replied Greg.

The evac team moved towards the basement and walked down the steps. A knife flew from somewhere in the basement and missed Greg by mere centimeters and hit the concrete wall with a clang. Greg jumped back, flipped off the safety of his weapon, and flicked the switch blade bayonet on his M-4 to the extended position. Then Greg jumped down the steps with Frank, who was wielding his bow with a hunting arrow on the string. They checked the area and only found a 16 year old boy with a butcher's knife in one fist and three steak knives in his other.

"Were on the same team, kid" explained Greg.

The boy lowered his knives "Sorry"

"Where are the rest of you" asked Frank.

"In the next room" replied the kid.

The kid led them to the other civilians

"Okay, we've come to transport you to the Alamo, Just come up to the transport" explained Greg.

Frank led the way with his massive bow and Greg took up the rear with his M-4. Frank led them into the transport and then made his way to the Mongoose. Greg was already their and he started the Mongoose and it purred like a cat.

"Lets move, next stop the J.A. McCoy Gymnasium" said Greg

The caravan moved out to and quickly made it to the gym and with a little help from Vic they found the civilians and escorted them to the transport.

"Hey Greg, I think this is too easy, it doesn't feel right" said Frank

"I know, just hope it says that way" assured Greg

The procession of vehicles drove back the way it came and out the entrance of JTU. Then Frank saw what would shatter his conception that this mission was easy. Their were a squadron of 8 ghosts waiting for them just out side the gateway of JTU. Frank let loose his arrow, it flue true and pierced the head of a red armored elite. The elite would have fallen off his ride but the ghost's restraints kept him in place and his foot did not yield from the gas petal.

"Transports get the hell out of here" ordered Greg as Frank put his bow away and got out his M19 Rocket Launcher. The transports put it in reverse and moved behind a nearby building. Frank flipped off the many safeties on the M19 and loaded two 102mm rockets in their tubes as the warthog open up the tri barrel M41 LAAG. The LAAG destroyed the ghost with the incapacitated driver in a ball of plasma fuel. Frank put the Launcher in firing position, put his eye up to the digital sites, and fired. Just as his arrows went true so the rocket did. The shaped charged detonated on the ghost and exploded. The ghost was a momentary sun with its own orbiting debris until gravity took hold and stopped the amazing spectacle. 2 down 6 to go. Four sniper shots rang out but none of them hit their marks and just stopped dead on the ghost's armor. 5 of the ghosts ganged up on the warthog while they sent one to keep the Mongoose busy. As the solitary ghost came with in the range that rockets would hurt them just as much as the ghost. Frank took the spare tire off of the back of the Mongoose and threw it at the ghost as Greg preformed evasive maneuvers to avoid the ghost's twin plasma cannons. The tire hit the elite but it had no effect but to make him blink because of his armor. Greg spun the Mongoose 90° with a skillful drift move that put them out of the way of the enemy cannons yet again. Frank had an idea and reached around Greg and let out 30 feet of wench cable that slid under the Mongoose between the tires. Greg put the Mongoose into another drift as frank switched directions on the Mongoose so his back was to Greg's. Then Frank leaned over the back of the Mongoose as a stream of plasma pulverized the thin air where Frank had just vacated. Frank grabbed the wench cable and pulled it up with him back into the Mongoose seat. Then Frank used the magnetic clamp to make a sliding loop in the rope. Then Frank took the rope and swung it around a few times and let it go. It encircled the solitary elite and the Mongoose to which the cable was attached pulled the loop taut around the elite's waist pinning his arms to his body. The poor elite looked down, horrified.

"HIT IT" yelled Frank

Greg replied with a punch to the accelerator.

"Swing him" ordered Frank

Greg twisted the steering bar and the Mongoose swung the elite in a wide horizontal arc until the cable hit a telephone pole. The cable began to wrap its self around the pole on the incapacitated elites second pass another mounted elite passed to close to his circle of death and was decapitated by the spinning wire. After about 10 passes that were getting increasingly faster the helpless elite slammed into the telephone pole and his mount exploded and killed him instantly after so many minutes of embarrassment. One plus side of having the ghost explode was that it melted the wench wire and freed the Mongoose from the trap it had set on its self. The Mongoose ceased to burn its rubber in one place and left two black smears on the grey concrete as it bolted to help the 'hog. Unfortunately the 5 ghosts who were now only 3 had already had their way with the doomed 'hog. The allied warthog was in ruins. Its main power supply had exploded and killed all of the occupants. Frank picked up his rocket launcher and quickly fired both tubes at the first two ghosts and they exploded into flaming wrecks. While Frank was reloading the launcher Greg had flipped on the emergency break. As the Mongoose was sliding to a stop Greg lifted his M-4 and fired a single 3 round burst at the head of the elite in the final ghost. The three armor piercing rounds penetrated his shields and blew through his alien skull, killing him.

"Nice shot" commented Frank

"Thanks"

"Hostiles eliminated, you can come out now" reported Frank over the radio as Greg got off the Mongoose to gather his fallen comrades dog tags.

Two troop transports filed out of behind a building and rolled towards the surviving combatants. The drivers of the transports looked upon the destroyed warthog with sorrow but quickly hid it. Their sacrifices would be a drop in a sea of blood that this war would create.

After ten minutes all transports that were guarded by patrol 11 had made their way back to the Alamo. Patrol Double One alone had saved 150 people from the bloody hands of the Covenant. But five lives were lost. Is this fair? It was not for them to know. Their job was just to complete missions not to question.