Halo_ Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe - Eric Nylund [59]
A small idea had occurred to me.
I CLUMSILY landed the Pelican heavily and awkwardly in the middle of the chaos that was the ODST retreat back up the river toward the city.
The first ODST who clambered in looked around. “There’s no space!” he shouted.
I leaned back. “Where are the artifacts? Get them loaded in here, now! We need to get them clear and back up to orbit.”
He left and shouted, and soon a set of boxes were being taken off the back of a mongoose quad bike and loaded in.
“What about the Shiva?” he asked.
“The nuke?”
“We didn’t need to set it off, but we’re not sure where we should leave it if they’re coming after us.”
I nodded. “Stick it in here, I’ll save you from hefting it about.”
“Yes, sir. Be careful up there, there’ll be Covenant aircraft support on the way now that they were attacked.” The ODST trooped up toward the cockpit. “You sure we can’t just shove this ammo out and get some of our guys back out?”
He leaned forward, and then looked at the blood on my armor. “Sir, you’re shot?”
Then he frowned. “I need to check . . .” But he stopped when I pushed the M6 against his neck.
“There are thirty or so kids in the bottom of the bank in the middle of the city,” I rasped. “If I take whatever’s in those boxes the Covenant’s so hot for and are tracking, I can make a run for it, away from the city. The Covenant forces will chase me, and maybe I can buy you guys some time to help the children. You understand what I’m saying?”
The ODST nodded, and as he backed slowly out, I pointed at the ammo crates. “Open it.”
He did so, and his jaw dropped. “Now shove that out the back onto the ground. Take a bar each, and next time you’re on leave, have a drink for Gage Yevgenny.”
The moment he hopped off I struggled back into the air.
I couldn’t see any Covenant forces, but I didn’t understand half of what the readouts were I was looking at. I banked left, skirting the river only for a few moments, before I headed for the mountains.
My goal was to get over them, but the Pelican could barely climb. A Banshee suddenly swooped in, firing just ahead of my nose. I focused on the mountains, ignoring it, hoping that the artifacts were too precious for the Covenant to risk blowing me up.
Rockets slammed into the Banshee from the direction of the city. Before the debris even began to fall, another rocket slammed into the rear of the Pelican. Charleston, Amey, or maybe even Eric: They’d claim they were trying to hit the Banshee.
The craft bucked and spiraled as I struggled to control it, but with all the gold and my own ineptitude, I could barely keep it in the air.
I flew as long as I could, but the Pelican was shaking herself apart.
I remember the world spinning, slamming into the ridge, bouncing. I remember seeing the mountain pitch toward me. I know I made it over the ridge, because I hit the top of it and bounced.
And then it was like the bomb in the club again. A tremendous blow, my senses reeling, and I woke up on the ground, my armor on fire.
Since then, I’ve been waiting.
______
THE ROOK had sat next to the ODST, scanning the horizon for threats, listening to his tale. Any attempt to leave or call for help had been thwarted by the dying man.
But now he understood, at least, why he’d been sent down with a second wave of ODSTs by SOEIV, and why extra Pelicans were on their way.
It was all due to this man. Gage Yevgenny.
Who was most certainly going to die here.
The sound of an approaching Pelican began to rise in volume.
“There’s a reason I’ve been keeping you here, talking,” Gage said. “Not just to comfort my dying self. They’re almost here. The Covenant, and Eric with his friends. I’m surprised you got here before them all. They’re going to want to salvage the gold they can from the wreck. What I want you to do is head up the mountain now. All out. Drop your pack, everything but comms and your weapon.
“Get through the cut there