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Seven otheroff the effects of the flash-bangs They stood with their sidearms halfway out of their holsters
John cal moved
Kelly dropped outside the door, rolled inside, her weapon leveled
"Security system," John whispered to her and Kurt
Fred and Linda appeared a ed the heavy door back into its twisted fraood outside," Fred told them
Kelly sat before the bank ofthe ONI coe
Kurt tapped on the keyboard, nodding to the sticky note under onehis head
"Okay," Kellyet a clean path to the target"
Kurt les and subsystems on the displays
"No alaruards unloading a Oneits side was stenciled: MUTA-AP-09334
John hadn't ordered a subsysteh he hadn't specifically forbidden it, either Kurt's actions could trigger a red flag at the base's cos about using SPARTAN-051, Kurt, as Sam's replacement on Blue Team On the one hand, he was an extreiven hi exercises, and Kurt had often hen facing John's Blue Team But on the other hand, he was, for a Spartan, undisciplined He took time to talk with every Spartan, and even the non-Spartan personnel that trained and supplied them As a professional soldier in thean entrenched rebellion, the other taking on a technologically superior xenophobic alien race--Kurt spent a considerable a friends
"Camera system and detectors looped," Kelly announced and er "We have fifteen s and drones are rotated and refueled So just guards to deal with"
"Move," John told his team
Kurt hesitated, eyes still fixed on the monitors
"What?" John asked
"A funny feeling," Kurt whispered
This worried John Everyone had perforns the enemy had reacted to their presence But Kurt had a reputation for sniffing out a end of Kurt's intuition several ti
John nodded at thebut nor that Warthog," Kurt said "They look like… they're getting ready for so Security systeed to fool," he stated "People? They're not so easy"
"I understand," John said "We'll stay sharp, but we have to stick to the schedule Let's lance back at the atehouse
The Spartansaround a warehouse, under officers' barracks, and finally, at the center of the base, they approached the edge of a warehouse The building was surrounded by three fences posted arnings that the gravel yard beyond was uards patrolled the peri; it had been cut in half and a new midsection had been welded in place that looked like it could carry ten men into battle It would suffice
John withdrew a tiny rod and pointed it at the building The radiation counter flickered to a hundred tiround level for this planet
That confiret was inside: three FENRIS nuclear warheads
Recent battles with the Covenant had depleted UNSC stockpiles of fissile ents had heard of this (which indicated they also had a considerable intelligence capability), and they had contacted the regional CENTCOM to boldly offer a trade They said they had stolen warheads They claimed to have people with Borren's Syndrome, and wanted the expertise and medicines only UNSC doctors could provide
CENTCOM said they'd consider the matter
They had considered it, and sent in Blue Teaet those warheads, and if presented with the opportunity, they were to target any rebel leaders
John signaled his team to move out, disperse around the bunker, and take up positions to snipe the guards
Green acknowledghts winked on Kurt's was last, with a palpable hesitation
John gave Kurt a short hand wave, and then pointed at the Warthog, indicating that he get the vehicle ready to " that soious John didn't like it He pushed his uncertainties aside Blue Tea his sniper rifle and sighted He gave the "go" signal and watched as one guard and then another silently fell over Linda had been quick and efficient as usual
John gave the go-ahead tothe dark corners of the building
The place was es John's radiation counter ju that they did not hold conventional explosives
He pointed at Kelly and Fred, to the rack, then to the Warthog outside They nodded
Kurt's acknowledght winked red
No Spartan flashed a red light on a ood reason
"Abort," John said "Back out Now"
Dizziness washed over him
John saw Linda, Fred, and Kelly sink to their knees
Then blackness sed him
John aith a start Every muscle burned and it felt like son: it ainst an unyielding pressure
He blinked to clear his hazy vision and saw he sat propped against a wall, still in the high-security bunker
The warheads were also still there
Then John saw a dozen co hiun, favored by rebel forces Nicknarossly inaccurate, but at point-blank range, it would hardly be a concern
The rest of Blue Team lay face-first on the concrete floor Technicians in lab coats crouched over theital video
John jerked against his inert aret to his teale," a voice said
A ray hair stepped in front of John's faceplate "Or struggle if you want
We've installed neural-inhibitor collars on you and your coerous felons" He ser without one you could, and would, rip me in half in that miraculous power armor"
John kept his mouth shut
"Relax," the nized the name Howard Graves was one of the three e of the united rebel front It was no coincidence he was here
"You're suffering from rapid decorav plate, old technology that never panned out, but for our purposes, it worked just fine
A focused bea you were in a ten-gee environment It increased internal pressure to save your lives, ineered this all for us," John said, his voice hoarse
"You 'Spartans' have put quite a dent in our efforts to liberate the frontier worlds,"