Page 23 (1/2)

Yet, even if he had rehearsed it, Saze She‘d had relatives on Reach Close ones No longer Had seen in Srief, and bitterness that had driven her to take her coive up her life to UNSC The saainst the prisoners That left a sour taste in her mouth Leave none alive

Did he really think she was going to let down her guard? She hadn‘t let down her guard in

twenty-seven years ―Tell me about the Covenant prisoners, Sence Research and development Know your enemy It‘s a war

You know that--you‘re a soldier, right? I don’t know , I‘ers flexed The memory of John Doe‘s hand ―Research and development, huh?"

He held his hands out as if he had a peace offering for her, but there was only air ―I‘m just the medical officer" An echo A shield

―What‘s the Mona Lisa doing here?"

Frustration on Smith‘s face ―Where‘s here? I‘ve been in this roo in or out I have no idea where we are Where are we?"

―Why don‘t you tell me the last place you were, then, and I‘ll tell you if you‘re still there?"

That got Mahave Smith pause

―In chess, they call that ‗check,‘ " Mah in Smith‘s head Lopez could see them

―Didn‘t you come here to rescue us?" Sone co to play it that way Well, she had tie

Countered with: ―You would have access codes to the bridge, right?"

Smith nodded reluctantly

And, finally, she did relent She ht not like him, but that didn‘t make him the eneot Covenant loose on a ship capable ofthe Cole Protocol We need to get to the bridge and take out the nav systee isn‘t locked down, but if it is"

Smith had blanched as soon as she said Cole Protocol ―No No, no, we need to get off the ship

You caet off the ship"

Knew instinctively Burgundy would hate this guy as much as she did ―Sorry, but that‘s not an option You‘re co with us"

―No, no--"

― Please," she added, with another dazzling sundy 1445 hours

At least Marines got to go out and do so into trouble

Not long after the last communication with the Red Horse , Lopez and her crew had dropped off the radio, their cliched bravado and lame jokes sloed by static and interference She thought she‘d heard a crackle of contact from Benti, but that‘d been snuffed out ih a pack of gu fierce A book lay

unattended on her lap She‘d tried reading, but couldn‘t stop checking the caraph for twentyto see Just the barricades in the shadows Once, she thought she‘d glimpsed a silhouette with two heads, one head pale and veiny, which was a pretty ridiculous thing to think you‘d seen Nothing calimpse, so she‘d put it down to nerves

Her aft running lights were still on, so with the cameras she could still see about tenthe lights off, but nixed that idea If so out a flashing holographic sign that read ―Burgundy‘s

Hoht In"

So she waited

And she waited

And she waited

She took the latest wad of gum froures lurched into the light on the feed Her thuripped her pistol Don’t you lay a hand on my bird, Covie scum I’ll hole you, I’ll hole you a hundred times over

Then she looked closer It was Cranker and Maller They were stu, injured Head wounds, it looked like, dark patches running down their faces, torn clothing, and they were leaning into each other, but they alkingAlive!

The relief that washed over Burgundy was so intense she almost cried

―Oh thank Christ"

They clearly needed help She‘d not thought much of them--loud and rowdy and pushy in the mess line--but here, now, it didn‘t s in the universe

She wouldn‘t be alone now

She slapped the controls for the gangplank and vaulted out of the cockpit, snatching up an assault rifle from the locker as she passed The ramp opened too da the nearby barricades and containers for any other movement

―Guys!" she hissed ―Get on in here! Now!"

Up close they orse than they looked on the ca toward the sound of her voice, the ra

―You‘re--"

Much worse Much, much worse

Skin h with dark tendrils Eyes white and unseeing

Sorowth fastened to Cranker‘s neck, an enormous pustule that shivered and twitched Maller, what had been Maller, opened his mouth, and howled, a sound no huundy scrambled back, opened fire

But it was too late

>Benti 1450 hours

When they found that the hatch to the lower deck was also locked, Benti let loose with a stunning strea at her like they didn‘t know her anyot a Plan B?" is all Orlav asked

This being-in-charge thing earing thin Benti wished, not for the first ti a nice bath

―This was Plan B," Benti said And Plan C, if you wanted to be precise They‘d lost contact with Lopez, and Benti wasn‘t sure they‘d get it back any ti the Pelican had becoles Didn‘t know if she really found it funny or was just beco hysterical Hellooo Pelican, come in, come in? No? Okay You just be that way, you petulant bird

Clarence shrugged and started back down the corridor

―Hang on, just wait, I‘ll find another way" Orlav‘s frown deepened, clearly sick of peering at the tiny screen

Benti shouldered her rifle and knelt by the hatch The access panel wasn‘t secured She flipped the panel open, gave it a once-over, and pulled a knife froood at

―Shine your light down here Thanks" It wasn‘t so co she hadn‘t done before Just expose this wire, strip back this one and put a bridge here, and--

The hatchway unlocked with a sharp clack and she hauled it open Triumphant

But only for a second

―Pheeeoooow!" They cringed away fro out, the air thicker and es They‘re the same in every ship"

―Foucault would be pissed to hear you say that about the Red Horse "

―Yeah, well, he ain‘t here," Gersten said, and swung hi into the hatchway to provide cover

―See anything?"

―Yep Looks like bilges, ses!"

Benti hadn‘t expected Gersten to turn into a comedian She rolled her eyes and dropped down after Gersten ―No shit"

―Oh, we got shit a-plenty here Special price for you"

Wow It wasn‘t going to stop

The space was tight and crae, and yetas it was all recycled and ain Moisture beaded across the ceiling and dripped onto the oily marks on the walls and residue across every surface

―It‘s in this direction" Orlav gestured at a passage leading through the tanks

―Lots of spaces to hide in there," Benti said

Clarence gave her a look like Who would want to?

―Lots" Orlav agreed ―So we‘ll do it real careful-like"

Moving in stages, creeping, darting into new territory, their backs only to each other, they moved deeper into the bowels of the ship