But Avery had already changed gears, and now the vehicle surged forward, hitting the gold-armored alien in the chest and driving it backwards through the swarm.
The Warthog came to another abrupt halt—an impact that was so violent it snapped Avery's chin to his chest and loosed the insect from the shattered windshield. But the crash was intentional; Ave-
ry had driven the Warthog right into the sedan, pinning the goldarmored alien in between. The creature roared with pain. It had dropped its hammer, and now its only weapons were its gauntleted paws, which it proceeded to clang against the Warthog's crumpled hood like clappers in a pair of church bells.
"What are you waiting for?" Byrne shouted as Avery upholstered his M6 and leveled the pistol at the alien's face. “Kill the bastard!" But Avery didn't pull the trigger. Instead he glared up at the
dropship's cabin: "You shoot me? I shoot you-know-damn-well-who."
The armored alien stopped pounding. It put its paws against the Warthog's exposed engine block and tried to push the vehicle back. Avery gave the Warthog some gas, spinning its rear tires in
the vineyard dirt and applying additional pressure. "Do it!” Avery shouted. The alien stopped pushing and howled in agony.
"I'm in," Byrne said, settling back into his turret. “Now what?" Avery stared into the pinned alien's yellow eyes. "Soon as I hit gas, you pop golden boy in the chin." Byrne grunted. "Deal.”
Avery drove his boot against the floorboard. The Warthog jumped backwards, and the gold-armored alien howled anew. Avery only caught a glimpse of the creature's injury before he twisted in
his seat to see where he was driving. The alien's right thigh was shattered. The armored plate on its leg had sheared away, and two of bone jutted through its bloodied skin. spurs
As bad as the injury was, it saved the alien's life. Right as Byrne opened fire, the alien's leg collapsed and it toppled to the ground.
Byrne didn't have time to adjust his aim before Avery yanked the Warthog's wheel, spinning it back between the warehouses.-Chpt.17
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