Author's note: Yeah. Sorry for being a little late for the update. College classes and all. Still, not sure if anyone is actually waiting for next update. Please people. Just a simple : ) will work. Either way, this is the second half of the series and things are starting to go down. Who will live? Who will die? No one(except me) knows! Read, enjoy, and review!

Bray Road

Mystery

-PFC Leon Brown-

-Fireteam Echo 12-

-Location: Elkhorn, Wisconsin, United Republic of North America: November 15, 2552-

-Time: 1800-

Leon leaned back in the hull of the crashed phantom. After he and Richard had packed the weapons in the working warthog, he and Richard decided to wait in the hull and relax. Of course, Richard with his restless nature, decided to go check on the warthog, leaving Leon to relax by the fire. The fire was made by using some of the wood that was around the edge of the forest, and the fire already on the phantom.

However, it was taking a little long for a simple checking the warthog. Maybe he was going to the bathroom too. But Richard usually told them when he did that.

Leon sighed as he stood up with his rifle and stepped out of his temporary shelter.

"Hey Rich. Where are you?"

He called out.

…

No answer.

"Richard?"

Leon called as he turned on the flashlight on his rifle. He walked towards the warthog, rifle at the ready.

"Come on Rich. This is not the time to be playing around. We can get a call from Gunny at any time."

He move around the warthog and froze. In front of him was the mangled and ravaged corpse of Richard.

"Wha!"

He gasped and took a step back in horror.

There was the snap of a twig behind him and Leon whipped around.

There was a mass of black and everything went dark.

-PFC Thomas Bortels-

-Fireteam Echo 12-

-Location: Elkhorn, Wisconsin, United Republic of North America: November 15, 2552-

-Time: 1800-

Thomas sat on one of the bunks in the cabin, Gabriel's head on his lap. She had fallen asleep about half an hour ago and Thomas moved her so that she would be more comfortable. Specifically, off his armor-padded shoulder.

Elise was asleep on a nearby bunk as well. Well, it was more of fainting after she saw the bodies in such a horrific fashion. It only made Thomas remember how people like her weren't ready. She was just a kid after all.

Ray and Mitch had decided to man the turrets on the perimeter. Wade and Ginny were patrolling, however, Gunny called for them to stay inside the clearing. Now, the two of them were waiting behind the barricade. They had collected all the weapons in the clearing and stocked them around the base. It became quite the weapons cache. The covenant weapons were alongside the human ones, sorted into rifles, grenades, snipers, and so on. Thomas had to admit that some of them were pretty impressive. Specifically he liked the brute shot, however, it was very difficult for regular people to carry. Thinking about it, Thomas wouldn't dismiss Mitch of being able to carry one. He was surprisingly strong.

Gunny moved, drawing Thomas's attention. He took off his helmet and rubbed his brow line. He unplugged the wire that was attached to the data pad and put his helmet back on.

"This is getting worse and worse." He muttered. "Bortels. I need your help with this."

Thomas sighed and gently lifted Gabriel's head and shifted out from under her before he walked over, rifle in hand.

"Yes Gunny?"

"I need something to help me pry off a floorboard."

Thomas nodded before looking around. He noticed an axe in the corner for chopping wood and brought it over. The Gunnery Sergeant took the axe and brought it down on a floorboard that he had selected. Thomas noticed that he hadn't used his full strength. Gunny then started wiggling the axe around before using it to pry off part of the board. He then did the same with the other half. He proceeded to start to do the same for a few of the other ones.

Thomas was a little amazed that Elise and Gabriel hadn't woken up, but he labeled it as the two not sleeping for a long time. Gunny spoke up, drawing his attention.

"The CO that was in charge here used his knife to pry up the nails and then his rifle to hammer them back in. He didn't want the enemy to find this."

He said, holding up a case.

"It holds something that is supposed to help us in the war. Launch codes or codes to hidden defense cannons. I don't know. This is our real objective though."

"What about the men stationed here?"

Thomas questioned.

"They were a secondary objective. The higher ups have deemed any amount of sacrifice is worth getting this back."

Gunny said as he climbed out of the hole. He called through the radio.

/Michaels. Brown. We need extraction. I repeat, we need extraction./

There was silence.

/Come in. Michaels. Brown. Do you read./

Still nothing. Gunny let out a curse.

/Everyone. I want you prepared go in five./

He turned to Thomas.

"Wake them. I'll tell command we have the package and to be ready for us."

With that, Gunny walked off and Thomas turned towards his sleeping squadmates. He walked over to Gabriel and looked down at her. He took in how peaceful her face looked as it slept. She was in the world of dreams. A world away from the mission. A world away from the Covenant. A world away from the war.

Thomas sighed. He hated to take that away from her. He reached over and gently shook the blonde haired girl's shoulder. She blinked sleepily as she woke up, the dark circles under her eyes apparent.

"Tom?"

"Hey Gabs. You have to get up. We're moving out."

She yawns as she started to get up as Thomas moved over to Elise. He woke her up in a similar manner, shaking her shoulder.

"Celeste. Gunny says it's time to move out."

She also let out a yawn as she woke up.

Thomas handed her her rifle and walked back over to Gabriel. She was just starting to stand up and straighten out her armor. Thomas waited for her before handing her her own rifle. When both her and Elise were ready, Thomas lead them to the others. Gunny was standing in front of the other four, the case slung on his back.

"All ready Gunny. Still nothing from Michaels or Leon?"

Gunny shook his head.

"Nothing. I have the objective. Bortels. Poésy. Celeste. I want you three with me. Bortels take point and keep your eyes ahead. Poésy and Celeste. You are behind me and keep an eye open on the flanks. I've got center and will keep a general eye open. Bandley and Hudson. I want you two to be on the right flank. Shawcross. Kruz. You will take our left. We need to get to the extraction point but be careful. Something happened to Brown and Michaels. It could have been a faulty radio or it could have been something else. I do not want to take chances. Let's do this marines."

"""Sir, yes sir!"""

The group chorused as they moved in formation.

They soon left the clearing filled with the dead and towards their destination. Thomas could only hope that whatever happened to Brown and Michaels wouldn't happen to them next.