Though, frankly, they reminded him more of civilians than the military that he’d assumed they were from their weapons and uniforms.

“Stay down,” he ordered them, hoping that the translator wouldn’t give him any problems. Then he popped up with the MX-112 leveled at the drone.

The Drasin drone was firing at Curtis as the former ranger dove across the roof, the beam scorching her side. She fell and rolled to a stop some distance away as Russell and Bermont both opened fire.

They moved forward, weapons blazing as they did, and walked the fire right into the single drone in their sights with short bursts that ripped its carapace apart.

As it tumbled, Bermont waved Russell to Curtis’s side, then turned back to the locals.

Corporal Samms, formerly of the US Army Rangers, crossed the distance between himself and his wounded team-mate in a fraction of a second, sliding along the smoothly fused surface of the rooftop as he dropped to his knees beside the tough lady who had taken enemy fire.

“Jaime!” he muttered. “Come on, girl. You okay?”

When there wasn’t a response, he flicked his HUD over to the tactical menu and then called up her medical stats.

The alien weapon had done one hell of a job along her side, either melting or maybe vaporizing away a large chunk of her armor and ravaging the flesh underneath.

Russell had to rely on what her armor sensors were telling him, though, because the military armor had automatically sprayed hardening foam over the breach to plug the gap and apply a coagulant to the wound. Her heart was still beating, which was a relief, but she wasn’t responding.

“Got a problem, L.T.,” he muttered as he linked into her suit pharmacy. “Curtis is out like a light. Heartbeat is strong. You want me to wake her?”

Lieutenant Bermont frowned, glancing over his shoulder for a brief moment. “Negative. Leave her as is for now. Recon and secure the area. I want to talk to the locals first. Then we’ll see what to do about Jaime.”

“Whatever you say, L.T.” Russell nodded, rising to his feet, more than a little relieved.

Her injury wasn’t going to be pleasant, and waking her from it was going to hurt the tough lady—a lot. The suit wouldn’t dispense painkillers or tranquilizers without either her or a corpsman’s authorization, either, so she was going to be in a lot of pain until she woke up enough to order a couple aspirin.

He hefted his rifle and glanced around, deciding on a rectangular block that looked like it was probably an access door to the skyscraper. He easily hopped the thirty-meter distance, landing on the block, and dropped almost instantly to his knees as the suit’s sensors reached out and began identifying everything in range.

Behind him, Bermont had turned back to the trio of local soldiers who had been pinned down by the drone.

“You guys understand me?” he asked, eyeing them carefully.