- Wolverfrog
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Part 2 - Mugged
"So how's the war going?"
Not exactly the perfect icebreaker at dinner. Still, if one word could be used to describe Collin Hale, it would be blunt. I frowned.
"I won't butter it up; badly. Ignore what the tabloids and news stations tell you, they're all edited to make it look like we're winning," I informed Rook's father, who's eyes went wide.
"You mean we're not?"
The ignorance of civilians in the inner colonies was astounding. ONI had evidently created a huge blanket of lies; according to them, the Covenant bastards were being beaten back by us 'fine boys' in the corps.
"Small victories, here and there. But to be frank, I don't expect humanity to survive another ten years," Rook chipped in, shaking his head grimly. There was silence for a few moments, before I, seeing the horrified looks on Susan and Collin's faces, decided to be an optimist.
"Don't be so certain Rook, the Covenant have no idea where Earth and most of the colonies are, and we're reverse engineering their tech all the time. I won't be surprised if we're ready to launch a counter attack soon," I lied slightly, knowing that the speed at which the scientists were discovering how Covenant technology worked was far too slow. Still, it eased the tense mood at the dinner table, and conversation turned to other, slightly related matters.
"So what are the Covenant like to fight then?" Rook's mom questioned to us, and Switch answered honestly, going into quite gory details at times. I cut him off with some cheerier tales of small success as I realised he was about to relay the anecdote about the time our squad had found a pile of dead young children all heaped up in a house, with two Jackals inside feasting on a few. We'd decided to give the Jackals a taste of their own medicine, and had fed them to some stray dogs whilst they were still alive. Monsters.
Susan and Collin Hale had to be two of the nicest people I had ever met. Despite never even seeing me or Mains in the past, we were immediately welcomed with open arms, and introduced quite thoroughly. Susan had been quite upset when I told them about Blade and Det's demise, apparently Rook hadn't got around to telling his parents about them. Collin had also showed sympathy; apparently he and Blade had hit it off the last time the squad had visited, -- before I joined -- and the two had played Chess every night. I'd been surprised to hear Blade had played Chess. Collin seemed quite reserved though, as if he were unhappy underneath his smiling exterior.
After the usual welcomes and hellos, we'd all sat down at the table, where all of us had been ladled out far too generous servings of a Chicken Dinner. I ate ravenously; the food we ate whilst on duty was terrible and scarce.
Before speaking about myself, I'd asked Susan and Collin what they did for a living. She was a social worker in the city, which was apparently how she and Collin had come across a young, parent-less Rook, and he was a rather successful lawyer who owned his own firm.
"How's business been lately?" I had asked Collin, who'd shrugged.
"None too good. With the threat of an alien genocide on the horizon, people are suddenly a lot less concerned about suing the guy who caused them to break their leg. I've been getting a lot of will work lately."
I nodded, empathetic, whilst at the same time stuffing my face with a roast potato; marvellous.
Later in the night, after Susan had decided to retire to bed, and after everyone had had a few drinks, the atmosphere took a turn for the worse, when Collin decided to try and persuade his son to leave the corps.
"This war is dangerous Drew, and I don't want to have to see you come home in a casket. Please, come work for me at my firm, leave the fighting to others," Collin said to Rook, and I winced. Whilst we were off duty, I hated it when someone called a squad member by their real name. Evidently, Collin had either forgotten we were at the table or simply didn't care in his drunken state. Rook's gaze darkened.
"Not now Dad." the ODST's tone was crisp and cautioning. Collin ignored Rook, still going on.
"Then when son? When are you going to wake up and smell the music? You know I hate you being in the UNSC, you know me and your mother want you home. Where it's safe." The lawyer's tone had become desperate, and I grimaced slightly, looking at Switch and Mains uneasily. Rook caught my expression and scowled.
"For Christ's sake, you think you're safe here Dad? No where is safe! The Covenant will come here eventually, and will burn it to the ground!" he'd risen to his feet now, as had Collin. The two exchanged heated words for around a minute, before Rook decided he'd had enough.
"You never change do you? Always the same, even around my friends! I knew coming here was a mistake..." As Rook marched out of the room, and practically ripped his coat off the hanger, I placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Rook, you're drunk, and so's your Dad. You're both saying things you don't mean, just go to sleep and you'll--" before I could finish, Rook had shrugged me off and had gone out of the door into the street outside, slamming the door behind him. I look back over my shoulder, and saw Switch and Mains standing in the dining room doorway awkwardly. I could hear the faint sobbing sound of Collin at the table.
"Listen, I'm gonna go find him. Stay here," I told Switch and Mains, grabbing my own coat. A few seconds later, I was out on the street, cursing as I had no idea of which way Rook had gone.
Instinctively, I turned right, hurrying down the near black street. A few moments later, it began to rain; a heavy, constant stream drumming heavily on the back of my coat.
"Rook? Rook!" I called out when I reached an intersection. A gang of teenagers nearby gave me an odd look, but I ignored them.
Spurred on by some unknown force, I decided to head down an alleyway. I realised that now, not only had I lost Rook -- I was also lost in the pitch black sprawling metropolis. Crap.
Ahead, further down the alley I heard voices whispering, as well as movement. Could it be Rook? Frowning, I moved forward, reaching down for my gun as I did so. I nearly swore when I realised I'd left it back at the house.
"Rook?" I whispered harshly. Instantly, the voices stopped, and all was still. Slightly nervous, I moved around the corner of the alleyway building...
...and something heavy hit me on the back of the head. Shouting out in pain, I stumbled forward, crashing face first into the wall. I reached up with a hand, gingerly feeling my nose. Bloodied and crooked. My eyesight was blurred.
Before I could right myself, I felt two pairs of arms grab my by either shoulder, and throw me to the ground. Looking around, I saw an old man cowering against the wall; a knife held to his throat. Three other men stood, garbed in balaclavas. Two held me pinned down. Muggers.
"You move, we cut the old man's throat," one of the muggers threatened. I got the message, and nodded mutely, terrified. Not terrified of dying, but terrified by the thought that I would no longer be able to fight the Covenant if I was dead. Terrified that I wouldn't be able to make a difference.
"Listen, just calm down all right?" I attempted to placate as I was roughly pulled up to my feet, and pushed against the wall. The same mugger who had spoken before -- I assumed he was the leader-- screamed aggressively in my face.
"Shut up! We call the shots here. Search him."
I tried to remain still as one of the muggers -- slightly shorter than the others -- expertly began to turn my pockets and anywhere I could conceal something of worth inside out. It wasn't long before he found my wallet, tossing it to the leader, who brought out a torch, flicking quickly through the black leather pouch and its compartments.
"Well well, Master Sergeant eh? Keep an eye on him lads, he's probably got training." The leader had evidently found my UNSC Identification card.
A few moments later, he had taken the $115 cash I had on me, and held my debit card in the light too. After a second or so of squinting at it, he tossed it to one of his lackeys. Then, a pistol was aimed at my face.
"What's your pin?"
I remained silent, managing to meet the masked face in the eyes with a defiant stare. The mugger fired a warning shot above my head; I felt the heat from the bullet as it passed.
"5225!" I blurted out, giving false information. The leader narrowed his eyes, before turning to one of his subordinates.
"Go find the nearest ATM and check it out. If it ain't right, come back and I'll chop this soldier boy's thumb off. That'll make him talk."
My eyes grew wide. It would be awfully hard to hold a sniper without a thumb. The mugger holding my card took his balaclava off; showing he wasn't a complete professional. A smart person would never show his face to the victim. I took a look at his face. A scar above his right eyebrow, dirty blonde, long hair, a rough beard. About 30 years old, maybe a bit older.
He'd find out that the pin wasn't correct. And then he'd come back, and I'd lose a digit. Not good. If I was going to act, it would have to be before he came back.
"You won't get away with this! I called the police as soon as I saw you come towards me! They'll be here any minute..." the old man crumpled in the corner wheezed out, before coughing. The leader of the muggers stared down at him in surprise, as if he had forgotten about his previous victim. The mugger looked uncertain.
"You're lying..." the leader accused, biting his low lip. The old man gave a grim, painful smile.
"Willin' to take that chance?"
Then, the moment I had been waiting for arrived. The leader wasn't looking at me, and the lackey pinning me had loosened his grip slightly, nervous.