“Michael,” Halo interrupted, “two of your soldiers’ vital signs just bottomed out.”
“Who?” He felt the situation slipping out of control.
“Roberts and Gythrun. They flat-lined within seconds of each other.”
Vance hastily motioned Decker and Dallis to join him. “Who has eyes on our point men?”
“I did,” Decker admitted, “but we were receiving interference from the buildings in the business district. I can’t pinpoint their exact location.”
Dallis shook his head.
“Halo,” Vance said, switching channels, “do you have eyes on either of them?”
“I’m sorry, Michael, but I lost them once they went inside the building. I’m working off satellite imagery, so I can track you only when you’re visible from space. Once you’re inside, you’re on your own.”
Vance pulled his mike away from his ear and stormed away from the others. “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
Regaining his composure, he returned to the group and readjusted his microphone. “Platoons Two and Three, hold your position. We have a situation.”
“Anything we can help with?” Onclav asked, his gravelly Lithid voice carrying clearly over the radio.
“No. Just hold tight right now.” Vance’s voice calmed, and a hard look came to his eyes. “We’re going in to the area directly ahead, then rendezvous at the outpost on the far side of the city.”
“Roger that,” both warrants replied.
Vance scanned the collection of soldiers and team members holding their positions on both sides of the street. Rubbing his black beard absently, he looked at the behemoth buildings looming nearby.
“What are you thinking, Sir?” Decker asked.
“I’m thinking that an intelligent man doesn’t march forty healthy soldiers into an area where two have mysteriously died. An intelligent man turns around, gets back on the ship, and blows the whole city straight to hell.”
“But we aren’t going to do that, are we?”
“I wish we could, but we have our orders.” He felt slightly dejected. “Whatever information is in the military outpost, we need it. If we hadn’t been ordered to scan the city, I would’ve just landed near the outpost, taken what we need, and left.”
“No one ever accused the infantry of being smart, Sir,” Decker joked.
Vance caught himself smiling. “Get the men ready to move. Something’s in the business district, and we’re going to find it. Then we’re going to kill it.”
The infantry and Vance’s team broke from concealment and moved carefully down the road, scanning for any signs of movement from the buildings. As the long shadows of the skyscrapers began to fall over them, the group slowed, taking time to search every potential ambush location thoroughly.
Searching the next three blocks was arduous and took nearly an hour-and-a-half before Vance was confident whatever was in the city was still ahead, not flanking them to come around behind. Raising his hand in a fist, he halted the group. Soldiers melted into the shadows, finding defensive positions until given further orders.
Dallis and Decker joined Vance, who stood defiantly in the middle of the street.
“Our time of stealth and subtlety are over,” Vance said bluntly. “Decker, split your men into groups of four. I want sweeps conducted of all buildings, floor by floor. Either find me something to shoot or the bodies of our fallen soldiers. I also need one soldier to act as spotter for my sniper. Normally, I’d have one of my own pulling that duty, but I need Yen on the ground with me this time.”
“No problem, Sir,” Decker replied. “I’ve got just the guy.” Pulling his microphone away from his mouth, he called for one of his men.
An Uligart broke from cover and hurried toward them. Vance, meanwhile, motioned Ainj to join them, too.
“Ainj, this is….”
“Topher Reese,” the Uligart responded, a look of stern consternation on his face.
“Reese will be your spotter and cover your six,” Vance said. “I want you on top of one of these buildings, ready to cover us on the ground. You need anything from us before you take off?”
“No, Sir.” Ainj adjusted the straps on his mesh vest, having forgone the heavy body armor the others wore. Aside from being constrictive when he tried to fire, the body armor weighed him down to the point that his hollow bone structure couldn't support the weight when he tried to fly.
“Good. Move out, and be ready for anything.”
As Decker called out commands to his men, splitting them up and supervising their entry into nearby buildings, Vance switched his microphone to the team’s internal communications channel. “Rally on me.”
The other five team members broke from their positions and hustled to Vance. All saw his concerned expression, which seemed drastically out of place.
“Bad juju, Boss?” Tusque asked.
“Yeah.” His eyes never left the towers looming over him. “Bad juju.”
“Where do you need us?” Eza idly spun his ax with one hand.
“Here, on the ground.” Looking around, Vance pulled them closer, so the infantry couldn’t overhear them. “Nothing against our brethren here, but, if things start to go bad, I want you all on the ground, so we can beat feet to the outpost.”
“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” Nova asked.
“Maybe.” He couldn’t shake the memories of the lost teammates over the past seven years. The sense of dread burrowing deep into his gut made him want to ensure his current group didn’t meet the same fate. “Nova and Yen, you two take north. Tusque and Eza, head south. Ixibas, you’re with me as reserve. Any questions?”
They shook their heads and adjusted their weapons.
“Then move out.”
Vance stood in the middle of the street, savoring the ambient light filtering between the buildings. Decker and Dallis, having established a search cordon, joined him and Ixibas on the road. Minutes dragged painfully by, as infantry soldiers searched each of the twenty-story or taller buildings floor by floor. Minute after minute, Vance asked for updates and received the same reply-no sign of the missing men or any enemies.
Chewing his bottom lip, Vance grew increasingly impatient.
“Anything up top?” he asked for the tenth time.
“Still nothing, Sir.” Ainj’s irritation was apparent even in his singing Avalon voice. “Nothing on the scope, nothing on thermals. There’s nothing out here, Sir.”
“Belay that,” Halo said. “I’ve got movement on the satellite sensors.”
Vance stood straighter, shedding the monotonous boredom that crept into his body. “Where?”
“Due north of your location, approximately a block and a half. Left side of the road.”
“Nova, Yen, you copy that?”
“Yes, Sir.” Nova pulled the spear from the holder on her back. “We’re moving toward it now.”
“Ixibas and I are heading your way, too,” Vance said. “Ainj, are you tracking?”
“I’ve got something on thermals, but it’s behind cover. I can’t make it out from here,” Ainj replied.
Nova and Yen hurried up the road, quickly covering the distance. They slowed, as they approached the area, pulling out flashlights to search dark corners. With the sun setting, the shadows grew deeper, blurring details. Their flashlights panned across the side of the street, searching for the signal Halo saw.
“There,” Yen hissed, his heart like a lump in his throat.
Nova followed the flashlight beam and saw it. Behind a dumpster, partially hidden from view, a gray-skinned creature huddled as if hiding.
Nova moved around the street for a better view. Slowly, the creature came into better perspective. Splayed out on the sidewalk, partially concealed by the alley behind it, lay a Seque. Seemingly unharmed, it had its two elongated arms tucked firmly under its long, narrow jaw. The squat back legs, which gave it a Seque an unnatural gait when it ran on its legs and the knuckles of its long arms, were spread out behind it.
Its thick, gray skin glistened in the setting sunlight. That light also captured its saucer-like eyes. Exceptionally broad and overdeveloped cheekbones extended from its broad nose to its disproportionately small ears. It looked at her in fear, mewling softly.
