The Wilted Planet

Chapter Eleven: Distress Call

"Guys now would be a good time to wake up!" Dean shouted causing Caleb to stir from his dream. The hissing of plasma fire hitting the other side of the waurthog making him understand the situation quite quickly. "Like..now!" Dean screamed. Caleb shot up and grabbed the still drowsy Rose and lifted her into the back of the hog. Her eyes opened, full of panic.

Caleb grabbed his helmet slamming it on and leapt up, throwing himself into the waurthog too. Seeing him in the hog, Dean pressed the gas shooting the vehicle forward towards the oncoming Covenant fire. "What are you doing?" Caleb shouted helplessly as he sat up. Dean glanced at him for a moment and swerved to avoid a concrete curb.

"Getting us out of here!" He replied and pressed the gas pedal to the floor. The waurthog zoomed forward rapidly towards the Covenant forces. The grunts in the front didn't even have time to call out a warning as the heavy metal car plowed through them. Sickening crunches of bone and armor beneath them made Caleb cringe slightly.

Dean swerved as he drove trying to hit as many aliens as he could. Caleb checked behind them and grinned seeing none of the Covenant appearing to have larger firepower with them. Rose peeked up seeming to have woken up fully. Her blonde hair blowing wildly behind her. "Where are we going?" She asked loudly enough to be heard over the roaring wind.

Caleb glanced at Dean who didn't reply. Probably cause he didn't know himself. Remembering what Serge had said he turned to Dean. "Head to the post's center. That's where Serge went." Dean grunted and swerved around a heap of debris. "How am I supposed to know how to get there?" He asked in a panicked voice.

Caleb looked behind them seeing the Covenant soldiers in pursuit. "Just wing it!" He shouted and moved into the back of the hog beside Rose. She looked at him curiously making him grin a little as he leveled his rifle at the Covenant troops trying to follow them. Caleb fired a round into the grunts seeing a satisfying amount drop dead immediately.

He aimed down the sights taking his time to try and pick off any jackals he could as well. Feeling a hand dig into his pocket he glanced at Rose who was pulling something out. "What are you doing?" Caleb asked concerned and then saw her hold up the frag grenade. Rose smiled and pulled the pin before he could stop her. "Helping." She replied and tossed the grenade.

The grenade bounced off the ground once then rolled to a stop in a group of shielded jackals. One gave off a screech as the thing exploded. A fireball engulfed the whole group. They're bodies fell in a gruesome heap of alien limbs and gore. Caleb stared in disbelief at the result and finally looked at Rose. "Nice throw." He said giving her a bright grin.

Rose blushed a little and ducked back down without another word. Dean looked at Caleb in the mirror eyes wild. "Cal I think I like your girlfriend." He called back. Caleb blanched. "She's not my girlfriend!" He shouted before more plasma shots made him start to fire at their pursuers again. "Whatever you say buddy!" Dean said gleefully.

Caleb rolled his eyes and fired the rest of his current clip into a group of jackals that had appeared around a building. The bullets putting down a few. Caleb ducked down slapping another clip hone into his gun. Rose reached over and searched his pocket for another grenade. Caleb laughed softly and shook his head. "Sorry don't have any more extras for you to throw." He said making her frown.

"Guys hold onto something!" Dean shouted from the front. Caleb grabbed the side of the hog and Rose decided to cling to him. Dean slammed on the brakes making the waurthog tilt dangerously on it's side before coming to rest all four wheels again. Dean pressed the gas again shooting the hog forward again at full speed. He turned the vehicle around to avoid the fallen debris in the trail.

Caleb let the side of the hog go and smiled a little realizing Rose didn't let him go. Her grip on him tight as her weakened body could manage. Plasma scorched the air above him bringing him back to reality. He grabbed his rifle again. "Stay down Rose." He whispered in her ear and got up spraying everything behind them with bullets.