Moving as quickly as he could, Roland finished planting his charge on the third of the four reactors and turned toward his final target, when he saw a squad of five Elites and four Grunts heading up the low brim that led to the barracks. Certain that Jonah was able to handle himself, but not wanting his partner caught unaware by the Covenant making a beeline directly for him, Roland altered his course to engage this new threat, tossing a frag grenade into their midst to soften them up. The small, round explosive bounced and ignited directly between two of the Elites; their shields flared and died.
The other Elites lost their shields, but only temporarily, and of the four Grunts, three were killed in the blast, the other falling in a heap,
mortally wounded. Roland threw his second grenade. The two shieldless Elites went down, not dead, but out of the fight--one missing its legs at the knees and the other with a gaping wound in its stomach, intestines and fluid pouring forth onto the matted grass. The remaining Elites once again lost their shields, this time for good. They wheeled around, trying to spot their attacker. Roland's camo flickered, momentarily giving away his position,
as he emptied his clip into the disoriented Elites.-Chpt.7 pgs.176-177
