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Private First-Class Sullivan scooted up next to her and stole a quick peek over the wall ―This shit happened ages ago--oulda heard those sixty-eights goin‘ off even down the pipes," he muttered

Private Emerson tossed John a spare canteen and he rinsed the blood from his arm Behind him, half a dozen meters deeper into the tunnel, one of the Marines was busily constructing what looked to be a ht with," John said before stepping out into the culvert He glanced over at the line of Warthogs and opened a private channel with Corporal Palmer ―Sitrep, over"

Palmer looked over her shoulder at the Spartan--a ht over here"

John tapped his throat and pointed past her at the ene, but they are very sensitive"

―Oh all right," she grumbled, put her eye back to the scope, and continued, ―Looks like a detachot sent in to evac soift shop or whatever the hell that is--that being the structure that looks sorta like a giant concrete intake manifold There‘s a fountain about twenty meters northeast of the structure in thearea But the fountain is busted all to hell and the entire parking area is under about four inches of water I count abouteighteen civilians andtwenty ewe en es sea personnel--all dead--and half a dozen ‘hogs The ‘hogs are strung out in a line from the center of the northeast wall of the structure to just past what‘s left of that busted fountain All but two of the

‘hogs are out of coees but its generator is holed--I wouldn‘t trust it Looks like the Covies‘ve got a tee forty two set up on the roof at the eastern corner of the structure--the Grunt on it looks like it‘s snoozing, though So, along with the gunner, I‘ht Jackals; four Grunts That ain‘t counting the one Grunt bleeding out They‘ve got elevation on us so don‘t take that nuuarantee; it‘d take a lot rease twenty-odd shooters--even if they were only Ars" John looked at the eight Marines squatting in the culvert and sighed ―Proximity to each other? Over"

Pal a wide arc ―The one e or otherwise busted all to hell is right near the ood fifteen meters east-northeast of that, over by the fountain Chief, if you‘re planning on going for that e into their field of fire--you‘ll be running across it like a duck in a shooting gallery Over"

The Spartan looked over the loall at the M12G; it was aacross the hood in tiny cubes, the seats were burnt down to their frames, the winch was a fused wad of metal, and most of the bodyas distorted, pitted, and scorched But it wasn‘t burning, s fluid and it had all four wheels ―You, Sullivan, and I will secure the e we‘ll suppress what‘s left of the local Covenant group until the eht three won is secured Over"

Palmer‘s heart seemed to skip a beat and she reflexively licked her lips ―Chief, I believe I can honestly say that even though you are an honest-to-Buddha one-ive upout your babies as fast as you could put theoddamn meters of open terrain covered by three Jackal snipers that I can see just to juoddarenade makes more sense than that Out"

The Spartan was at Corporal Palmer‘s elbow so quickly and so quietly that only those Marines who had been looking directly at him noticed that he had even roup as a whole ―Palet to the el ay ay vee --then mount up as fast as you can Corporal, I want you on that sixty-eight

The rest of you will cover us until the el ay ay vee starts --ill then lay down suppression fire until you secure the eht three won by that structure‘s et more complicated once we are under way, so stay on your toes"

The assembled Marines looked at one another nervously and then out at the open field that lay between thes--nu the objectives in their HUDs reinforced their reear in grilances that passed between them, however, spoke voluroup whose exact composition they were unsure of, that was established in a defensive position with superior elevation, and that was clearly capable of annihilating a unit more than twice their number even if it had been equipped with vehicles and support weapons They did have one advantage, though: they had a Spartan with them But how much could one more man, no matter hoell trained or equipped, possibly affect the outcoazines into both of his weapons, replaced the azines, and then nodded toward their destination Without looking back he roup to move up

―Pine Tar," Palet your narrow ass up here--we‘re leaving Over"

―Wilco, out" Lance Corporal Pineada called frolance at the group in the culvert before putting the final touches on the lethal contraption he had been hiding beneath a sodden shipping pallet He circled his handiwork gingerly, then nodded to hirenade, and mess kit that he had fashioned into a deterrent for their pursuers was nearly iainst the tunnel wall by his iroup

―Couldn‘t we just try sneaking around thenored Eet the Grunts--concentrate on the rooftops and any

Jackals you see--the DESW at the eastern corner is a priority-one target" He slung his battle rifle across his back

Corporal Pal area ―Chief, that Jackal isn‘t just poking at our boy--it looks like it‘s biting hio in five, four" He tucked his fingers in as he counted

―I think it‘s eating him, man," Palmer choked

―One--then it dies first--no your weapon and move out" John pointed at their intended destination and then he was gone

The concrete beneath the Spartan had turned to dust and gravel as he launched forward Barely half a second had passed and he was already tenher weapon and tore off after hi for all he orth

Pal to control her breath as she trailed behind the Spartan

She looked up froer eht hand now held a azine was in his left Eight thunderclaps rang out so fast that they bled together into a single long roar At that same moment a terrible cacophony erupted behind the--its facade disappearing behind a cloud of pulverized concrete and shattered glass Two of the Jackals that had been covering their approach had already fallen--bright purple blood fountaining out of huge ragged holes that she could pick out even at this distance With one hand at thirty meters and a dead run, two shots apiece, each a hit to the head or neck, what the holy hell areat back there--shit The Corporal‘s un to slack off She saw another Jackal appear at the roof‘s edge and there was a flash of purple light

And then her vieas blocked by a wall of green arht The Spartan had spun to face her; she saw her own reflection in his visor for a fraction of a second, then he dipped slightly before popping into the air, sailing backward three and a halffroht arm Four azine dropped out of the Spartan‘s M6D, his left hand sla to catch the eht thigh, the eazine stowed, and his knees tucked up to his chest as he continued through the air over the Warthog Three fingers hooked the crossbar and the vehicle rocked as the Spartan swung down into the charred remains of the driver‘s seat; the M12G roared to life as Palmer scrambled up into the rear of the vehicle and behind the controls of the gauss cannon in a near daze; Sullivan practically leapt into the sooty pan of the passenger seat and disengaged the safety on his MA5, bellowing, ―C‘ the surface of the parking area and throwing up four giant rooster tails of water and grit Palmer keyed in the startup sequence on the M68 ALIM--your basic ets--and did a double take when prioritized targeting tabs began appearing on theelse shows up, I‘ll add it to the list, Corporal," the Spartan spoke over a private channel ―No vehicles yet--just infantry Don‘t take any shots you don‘t have to--just concentrate on staying alive for the moment"

―What the hell‘s that supposed to h her headset Just then the

Spartan threw the ‘hog into a four-wheel drift, creating a momentary wall of spray andacross the open ground between the culvert and the vehicles Sullivan was hooting and hollering above the sound of the engine as he fired his assault rifle at anything that poked its head out

John gave Sullivan a sideways glance and said, ―Re to hit solimpsed just a hint ofto a heavy un in the Covenant arsenal It could have just been the corpse of the weapon‘s operator shifting, but she wasn‘t taking any chances There was a flash of light, a teeth-rattling snap, and then the heavy plasma weapon on the roof exploded--transfor cera had been crawling up to the weapon, it was now either part of that cloud or had been consu secured--we‘re in, Chief," Private Eie!"

―Followthe M12G around the eastern corner of the Cultural Center, just barely dodging the bulbous purple cowling of a Covenant Ghost half-hidden in a stand of elephant grass One of the Ghost‘s stabilizing wings and a fair ans it had been raked with heavy s roared past it, and the park‘s enormous outdoor amphitheater loomed ahead

The park‘s ht where Cortana indicated it would be But as the gate caroup of Elites, two in blue ar astride a pair of Ghosts, and a third in red ars and raised its weapon The ‘hogs bore right down on the trio

Sullivan fired several bursts across the hood at the Elites until he noticed the barrel of the ALIM swivel into place directly above his head, then he quickly dropped down into the scorched seat and braced hi from the M68 left the muzzle at just under mach forty and penetrated the lead Ghost‘s plash the red Elite‘s lower abdomen The vehicle detonated and spiraled into the air, five-thousand-degree plash its shattered armor The Elite rider was alht are of the vehicle The other rider boosted out through the bluish flames and roared in pain as the flexible material of its armored suit bubbled and cracked A second shot fro a basketball-sized hole through the park‘s entrance archway Pal the turret farther to take a third shot

―It‘s B Team‘s problem now," John said to her over the private channel ―We need your eyes forward to keep the path clear"

―But I can--" Palmer spat

―Now, Corporal," the Spartan adh to handle one Ghost with a wounded rider"

As the turret swung back around John heard Corporal Palrunt He could picture the look on her face It would be the saer and frustration he had seen on innumerable humans when they were reminded of what they were and weren‘t capable of--or where their real responsibilities lay

Huht of hi other than huht of hi been human, perhaps even that he was still huet that he was a Spartan That was definitely true

―Chief, I believe that I‘ve located our errant Scarab--there are two of them in the city proper, another three in Old Mombasa across Kilindini Harbor to the south--but only one of them is in the iuess is that it‘s looking for a clear shot at the tether," Cortana rattled off into John‘s ear

―When you say ours ," John whispered, ―am I to understand that you want me to capture it?"

―Don‘t be silly, Chief I said ours because it figures into our plan to get us onto that ship--so we can get our hands onto the Hierarch And before you ask any other silly questions-- our plans areslid sideways through the sate and into the Mwatate Street Transit Center It was abandoned: no taxis or buses and no private vehicles of any kind They had all fled or were pressed into service to aid the evacuation efforts hours ago, but they had not escaped The bridge connecting the island to the utted carcasses of all those vehicles

Chunks of concrete and sputtering blobs of alu down from above as two Ghosts sailed off of the elevated roadway above the transit center--their riders bracing in anticipation of the iround far below Pal craft and its starboard wing tore away in a shower of sparks The Ghost tumbled violently and the rider was thrown as the two vehicles collided in the air The Spartan spun the steering wheel all the way to lock, atte to keep clear of the Ghosts‘ most likely point of impact The intact Ghost landed upside down, its carapace splintering on contact--the Elite rider still astride the vehicle The Ghost that Pale of the other Ghost and its rider--both vehicles erupting into a ind of bluish flames

―For the love o‘ Mike," wailed Sullivan as the Elite fro Just as it began to slide off, it ht arc, s into the side of the vehicle

―Shit shit shit," Sullivan began screae alien, which was scraet its feet inside the door frame Charred plastic and splinters of sheet metal exploded from the dashboard as Sullivan desperately tried to maneuver his weapon within the cabin of the vehicle

―Duck," Pal the M68 directly over

Sullivan‘s head

The Elite stripped the rifle fro just as the auss cannon calanced up and cried out, ―Ah no!"

With a flash and a bone-jarring snap, the Elite‘s head, neck, and shoulder area transfor torus of meat, bone, and metal raised to near incandescence by terrific acceleration

The remainder of the corpse fell to the roadway beloith a scraping clatter, a ruined eight-foot-tall tuas pedal and ad wheel before accelerating straight toward Shihway that split the industrial district in two

―We‘re less than a click fro catastrophe I‘ll have you back with them in under five minutes"

―And then what?" Palmer asked

He indicated thethe sky with a flick of his head ―I‘ on it, , that‘s up to your sea oh "

―Sure; so who‘s the lucky es oh bee ?" she chuckled

―You wouldn‘t know him," John said, with an air of finality

―Hey, Palmer," Sullivan shouted as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, ―I think that last shot popped my eardrums" The rest of the drive was coh the architects and city planners had tried their best to hide it, antic jigsaw puzzle of a city--rigorously sectioned off into recognizable, repeating parcels It was a grim necessity for every tether city If the unthinkable were to happen--well, another unthinkable, as at least one unthinkable thing was already happening--and catastrophe were to befall the Mombasa Tether, the expectation was that this compartmentalization of the city would keep the death toll and property dae to a minimum It also made Beria Plaza a natural funnel A trap And it seemed that the CO of First Platoon, Kilo Coht so too

―Chief, I‘ve allocatedit to a location more convenient for our purposes--closer to our current destination" Cortana‘s words rang out in the staccato rhyth one too many tasks ―I hope the five air assets I have en route will be enough--I‘ve got two orbital assets on standby, but I would rather not use theive you plenty of warning if I do"

―Any ht, and they always are, our Scarab will arrive eight minutes after the Wraiths from the underpass--that should be plenty of time for you to deal with the into the cabstand of what less than three hours ago had been the rather elegant Palace Hotel, although now it looked a bit like a gigantic curio cabinet with its doors kicked off Pal in the view from the bed of the LAAV

When the second vehicle from their party arrived, seconds later, Palet that truck out of sight around the back of the hotel"

Sullivan hopped down onto the sidewalk and shouted over his shoulder, ―It‘s been a real slice fightin‘ with you, Spartan, but I swear one bust--I can‘t hear shit Gonna find aout of his seat and onto the pavement, nodded to the Marine, and turned to face the hotel

―See ya ‘round, big guy," Pal her lip

The Spartan nodded once more and continued toward the hotel‘sat the side of his hel near his ear

As he h the rubble-strewn lobby of the Palace Hotel, soldiers busied the lines of access between firing positions The Marines John had arrived with spread out to help reinforce and caed up to the Spartan, tapping his throat ave the Marine a thu to one of his co the Spartan upstairs ―Our ell tee ‘s up on the mezz--I‘ll take you to her"

―That‘s not a local accent, Morton--this your first time on Earth?"

―Nah," Morton smiled, ―I was born here, sir--my Dad moved us to Eridanus Then I was a year and a half--and then to Mirideht? But this is the first ti staircase that led to the naled security that they were coot redeployed to Earth after Reach, sir," Morton nodded toward a set of double doors that led out to a huge open-air dining area, ―to beef up defense in the tether cities--I guess She‘s right in there, sir" Morton spun around and headed back toward the stairs ―I hope nobody called dibs on that gauss--I‘"

As John passed through the double doors, he could see the lieutenant ly satisfied with the results, she crouched down and withdrew so from her combat vest

―There are four Wraiths supported by fifty light infantry traveling southeast through the Kilindini Underpass The outer e to hold theency barricadethrough calculations in his head, ―they‘ll be right out front in approximately ten ht through here on its way to the quays--looking for a clear shot at the tether"

It wasn‘t a sector sketch she was pinning to the screen of the tablet with her thue, to be more precise With a subtle shake of his head, John adht in his throat when the contents of the photograph registered in his eyes

It was a photograph of hiirl on the beach at Lake Gusev He re hysterically at his father‘s antics as her father tried to take their picture Teeks later he would receive an antique coin fro as a Spartan would begin The memories seeraph had taken place onlyabout his childhood, his life before he was conscripted, was a luxury he had not allowed himself in thirty years

―Chief" Her face flushed red when she saw that he was staring at her photo ―SorryI shouldn‘t have brought this with me" She rapidly collected herself and opened a private channel to the Spartan while shoving the photo back into her vest