Free Rain Saga by Riley Barton Page B

were still securely fastened in their seats. He tried to access the team comm, but all he got in return was an earful of static followed by silence and a depolarized faceplate.
    Keith swore under his breath, reached up to the side of his helmet, and flicked the external reset button. A moment later his heads-up display flickered and powered up, filling the inside of his helmet with his team’s vital signs. They were battered, but alive.
    Keith reached one hand down to his harness release while firmly grasping his chair with the other. His fingers pressed the red button and the seat restraints disengaged with a loud click. He quickly grabbed onto the chair with both hands and swung himself down onto the chopper’s inverted ceiling, wincing as he steadied himself.  
    “Perkins, Rush,   Everybody; sound off.”  
    Each of the Agents gave their respective replies—accompanied by moans and curses—and slowly lowered themselves to the floor, one after the other.  
    “That is the last time I let Alex fly!” Agent Fox wheezed, limping into the passenger hold with one leg dragging awkwardly behind him.  
    Keith looked him over and winced. His HUD registered that Terence’s leg was shattered in several places.  
    “Take it easy, Fox,” Keith said, moving to support his friend before the shock of his injuries began to set in, “You’re banged up pretty bad there.”
    “Tell me something I don’t know,” Terence replied through clenched teeth, draping his arm over Keith’s shoulder. “That idiot computer flew us right into the ground! If I ever get my hands on his programming … I’ll delete every last terabyte of it!”
    Keith helped Terence into a sitting position and removed the armor plates fastened to his broken leg. He examined the suit for any ruptures. Finding none, he set about throwing together a makeshift splint from the twisted debris strewn around the crash site.
    “Well, the good news is your suit’s intact,” he said strapping the hastily assembled splint to Terence’s leg, “The bad news is, you’re not going to be going anywhere for a long time.”
    “I hear you there,” Terence replied, with a groan. “I never liked the swamp anyway. Not enough space for flying. But never mind what I like. Just find the girl and get back here quick. I doubt I can keep the scavengers away for very long.”
    “I appreciate the offer, Fox. But there’s no way I’m not leaving you here alone.” Keith said then turned and beckoned to Perkins who was helping Rush and Patterson salvage munitions from the twisted remains of the Stratocruiser’s weapons lockers.
    “Yes, sir? What do you need?”
    “Perkins, I want you to stay here with Fox and try to get a signal to the chief. He probably picked up our auto-distress call when we went down. But I want you to keep trying to raise him, just in case.”
    “Yes, sir.” Perkins replied, seating himself on a badly dented supply crate near the hole in the chopper’s stern.
    Keith walked toward what was left of the aircraft’s weapon lockers, stooped, and picked up a handful of magazines from where they lay strewn across the deck, tucking them into his ammo harness. “I want you to send a signal to Unitech every fifteen minutes or so and check in with us via the team comm every half hour. If you get through to anyone, let us know ASAP. We’ll start heading back as soon as we find Miss McKelly.”
    “Will do, sir,” Perkins replied, laying his weapon across his lap, “Hey listen … you guys be careful out there. Don’t do anything stupid unless you have to.”  
    Keith nodded and waved to the two remaining agents crouched just outside the chopper. “All right. Paterson, Rush, you’re with me. Miss McKelly fell out about ten to fifteen miles back, so the sooner we get moving the better.”
    “Sounds to me like we’ve got a long trip ahead of us.” Agent Rush commented, falling in behind Keith.  
    Keith nodded. “I’m guessing a good twelve hours