HaloCell

HaloCell 7: One Less

Sam opened his eyes slowly, the light bothered him. He felt a little dizzy and his eyesight was blurred, suddenly he felt someone touching him. More like patting him down, searching through all his pockets for something. He made out a silhouette of someone kneeling next to him. The sun made it hard to tell who it was. The stranger realized he was awake and let out a breath of relief. A hand then rested on Sam’s forehead, gently brushing the hair away from his face. The hand slowly caressed his features, lingering when it got to his lips. His eyesight started returning, and he made out Tara’s face. She had skin dark as night sky; it shimmered in the sunlight quite beautifully. Her eyes were honey colored and light. Her hair cut was army style, shorter on the sides and curly. She smiled at him as she continued to search him. She slid her arm under him, patting the ground beneath him. Tara looked disappointed when she didn’t find anything. Sam tried to stand but she held him down.
“What are you doing?” he asked, rather feebly.
“Oh! …. Oh well nothing, really” she smiled at him again “Where’s the Opsat Sam?”
He didn’t answer. He was still confused as it was. He couldn’t remember quite well what had happened and didn’t know what to make of the current situation.
“It’s very important that you tell me” she said softly “It could fall on the wrong hands, you know”
“Well, I…I don’t know.” He really didn’t know, although what she said was true and it made him worry.
“Don’t lie to me Sam” she whispered to him “It’s not good for you”
He was now confused, had that been a threat? No it couldn’t have.

All this time he had been looking at her face, her perfect complexion staring back at him. He looked down a bit and was encountered by her chest, he couldn’t help but stare; he was a man after all. Then something struck him, she wasn’t wearing her armor. He leaned up a bit and saw she was wearing a black suit similar to that of the Romans. He couldn’t help but gasp in surprise. As if possessed he quickly tried to push her aside and get up. She swiftly grabbed the closest part of him; his hair and pulled him back down. She immediately sat on him pinning him to the ground. As erotic as that might have been for him earlier, now it was just plain dangerous. She leaned closer and smiled at him again.
“You are one of them!?” he asked in disbelief
“Wow you are so sharp Sam!” she laughed again this time louder.
He looked around, but the rest of the Spartans weren’t there. Could she have killed them?
“That’s how they found us all the time! It was you!” he said
“Like I said, so smart!” she smiled again, it bothered him so much now “Where’s the Opsat?”
“Your Master Chief can do better interrogations” he grunted out, his sarcasm finally returning to him. It felt good.
“Sadly I don’t have the necessary equipment for that” she said as she stroked his thigh.
Sam was shocked and embarrassed at the same time. She knew about that. He was silent. Check mate and it was so quick too. He tried to regain composure.
“Touché!” he said

They heard a loud thump of something heavy meeting the ground. Suddenly Tara had a rifle pointed at her head. It was the Master Chief, and not a minute too late. Sam used this chance to get up and get away from her. She however, had other plans. Tara grabbed his belt and whirled him around towards her. Before he knew it he was being used as a human shield. Somehow it felt wrong; this is how he always held his unfortunate victims to interrogate them. ‘Me? A human shield? Hell no!!’ he said to himself. He grabbed Tara’s wrist and punched her in the stomach with his elbow, it hurt her because she loosened her grip on him. He then grabbed her by the belt, pulled on her shoulder and in one single swift motion, threw her forward. She landed several feet away, yet being augmented as she was, she got up quickly. She tried to make a run for it, and Sam chased her, the Spartan behind him. He caught up with her and instinctively positioned himself next to her, took her by the arm and stopped pulling her back. It brought her to an abrupt halt, and she fell backwards. She sat on the ground looking at him in disbelief; her eyes were big and her jaw dropped. Master Chief was surprised as well, but he knew better than to let his guard down.
“How did you do that?” she asked still astonished
“No clue” he said, no sarcasm or doubt in his voice.
“Must have been that blood I put on your wounds” said the Chief “It must have mixed with yours somehow”
“Oh really?” said Tara, no longer surprised as she now saw an opportunity. “How interesting indeed, how do you feel Sam?”
“Shut up” he shouted as he punched her in the face.
“A little too much don’t you think Sam?” said the Chief
“Being overly aggressive is part of it” said Tara as she wiped blood from her mouth and smiled at them. “You are one of us now Sam!”
He stood still contemplating what she’d just said. One of them… one of those Romans, an augmented soldier, an experiment. He stepped back staring past her, remembering what had happened. He remembered feeling his wound heal, and slipping into the darkness of unconsciousness. Tara saw that he was clearly distracted. In a snake like motion she took the helmet hanging from her belt and put it on Sam’s head. She held him as he tried to get it off. The Master Chief aimed his rifle at her, but she placed the spy between them. Sam jerked in her arms one last time, and was still. She stepped back, gave him a knife and wrapped her arms around him.
“Men belong to women, John” Tara looked at the Chief, who stood on the defense.
“You know he’ll be pissed at you for this” said the Chief calmly.” You’d be better pray I don’t get that thing off him, cause I’ll let him kill you”
“KILL HIM SAM!!” yelled Tara.
At this command Fisher launched at the Spartan, knife in hand. Not wanting to harm him, the Chief dodged him and pushed him against a tree. He moved to take off the helmet, but Tara kicked him out of the way. He tried several times, but it was always the same result. Sam would attack him viciously and Tara would cover him, preventing the Chief from getting to the helmet. The situation was becoming annoying. Finally, the rest of the Spartans had arrived. He had sent them a message earlier. They had been shocked when they found out Tara was a traitor, but what they saw here was beyond shocking.
“Take care of her” ordered the Chief.
As if on cue they all started shooting at her. She found herself dodging bullets and getting hit by some as well.

Master Chief did his best to fight, but he just couldn’t get that helmet off. Sam was getting faster and undoubtedly stronger, and he was smart as hell already. Thus, fighting him wasn’t a picnic.
“Damn it, I don’t want to hurt you” he yelled in his frustration.
“Well you are gonna hafta!!” shouted Jimmy, as he turned to shoot Sam.
“NO!” cried Master Chief
Sam dodged all of Jimmy’s bullets, ran to him a disarmed him. Jimmy fought him arduously, every time looking for that magic opening in his movements; he was ready to kill him. He got close enough to land a punch on Sam. He hit him hard on the solar plexus; Sam bends over and the Spartan kicked him, he landed several feet away, and struggled to get up. The Master Chief held Jimmy by the arm; he didn’t say anything but he was concerned.
“Don’t you see? He won’t hesitate to kill us! To kill you” shouted Jimmy “so I won’t either”

Tara lay on the ground listening, she was wounded and healing but everyone’s attention was on Fisher. Reinforcements were already at the spot, and no one had noticed, what a lucky break. Apparently Sam was more useful alive than dead. She knew Master Chief will always hesitate when fighting him; he wouldn’t be objective; because he’ll be afraid to hurt him.