We Who Serve

Chapter Thirty-Five

Grimes did quick work of the AQ she found, killing them instantly with her blade or hands. Some were lucky with a quick death. Others were used as bait. 

"Grimes." Will's voice sounded over the comms.

"Go for Grimes." 

"We have a problem. Luca is in the build." Will muttered over the comms. But Grimes could understand how. Several days ago, she wounded him pretty severely. He should be able to move. 

"How the hell is he able to move?" Grimes asked as she moved around a corner and stopped.

"Not sure, but I'm trying to pinpoint his location," Will told her.

"Don't bother. I've found him." Grimes told him as she stared at Luca, standing in front of her only ten feet away.

"What? Shit, I have sent marines to your location." Will panicked down the comms at her.

"Don't; they will only get themselves killed." 

"Grimes, wait for backup." Ghost's voice called out in a deep tone. Almost as if he was threatening her. 

"Grimes, I'm ten mikes out!" Will yelled down the comms; she could only guess he was on a bit of bird heading to the building. 

"Grimes, you wait for Will; that's an order!" Price's voice yelled at her down the comms; she could hear that he was still in pain from the shot wound. Grimes didn't say a word as she reached up and pulled the earpiece out. She couldn't concentrate if she had the team, and Will yelled at her. She needed all her focus to be on Luca if she could even stand a chance against him. 

Luca just stood under a light causing his face to be dark with the shadow of his hood. He never said a word as they stood staring at each other. No one wants to make the first move; that was clear by how they sized each other up. They both had a disadvantage in this fight. Grimes had her wound from the bullet, while Luca had the wound she had caused by stabbing him in the chest. 

The sprinkler system kicked in without warning, sending thousands of water droplets raining down on them. Soap must have used one of the explosives he made. But they still did not move as they continued to wait for the other to move. 

It was when the lights above started to flicker that Luca took his chance. He ran towards Grimes, who placed her right foot back to balance herself. Pulling her last dagger from her right thigh, she brought it up just in time to connect with Luca's small sword. The metal ching echoed through the hallway as tiny sparks flew. 

Grimes pushed forward, pushing Luca back slightly. She held the dagger in her right hand and sliced towards his face. Luca Pushed his head back with his body, following him a moment after and repeating the move when Grimes slashed at his face again. Droplets of water hit his face as they flew off her dagger's point, inches away from his face. But this time, Luca pushed her arm, causing Grimes to spin around, opening her back to him. 

Luca kicked Grime's right knee causing is to collapse and hit the ground. But as soon as it did, Grimes spun herself to slice at her abdomen. Luca blocked it and sent his attack at her. Grimes stood to her feet while blocking the attack, but this caused her to back up. Luca laughed when Grimes's back hit the wall, thinking he had caught her. 

But Grimes is waiting for him to strike. He swung his blade from above her head, intending to drive his small sword into her shoulder and neck, but Grimes caught his wrist. She lifted her leg to push as much power into her kick and pushed him away from her. 

She moved forward and pushed her dagger at Luca in a stabbing motion, only for him to wrap his arm around hers and push her elbow upwards. She let out a small yell as he pushed against her joint. He moved to drive his sword into her neck, but Grimes brought up her free arm and grabbed his wrist to stop him. She looked at Luca and pushed her face forward, connecting her forehead to his nose. Luca stumbled back from the sudden burst of eye-watering pain, letting Grimes go. 

"Usando ancora trucchi sporchi, vedo." (Still using dirty tricks, I see) Luca growled at her, clearly pissed off at her move. 

"I trucchi sporchi non esistono quando si combatte per la sopravvivenza!" (Dirty tricks don't exist when you fight for survival.) Grimes yelled as she ran at him again, sliding along the wet flooring to take his legs from under him. But Luca jumped over her as she brought the slide to a stop and turned around to face him again. 

Pushing herself at Luca, she lifted her leg for a roundhouse kick. But Luca caught it and lifted her upwards before slamming her back into the ground. Grimes felt the air rush from her lungs as they froze from the impact. The pain from her wound shocked her body, causing her vision to blur for a moment. This gave Luca his chance to drop down and land several punches to her face. Grimes tasted the metallic blood coating her mouth as each hit. 

Her body moved instinctively and brought an arm up to stop the next oncoming punch. She grabbed onto his right wrist and pulled it to her left shoulder, locking it there before forcing her hips upward and causing Luca to fall over her left shoulder. She then lifted her right leg up to move around his body and pin him down instead, sending a few punches to his face. But he took jerked her off him to the side. 

Grimes rolled away and onto her knees as Luca pushed her. He slides on his knees before grabbing her neck in his arm, locking it in place, and pulling. She was locked in. No way she could manoeuvre out of this hold. Grimes tried to breathe, but Luca had completely closed her airways. It wasn't long before she could feel her head going light from lack of oxygen. Her hands clawed at Luca's arms as she struggled against him. Her vision blurred for a moment as a voice echoed in her ears. 

'I can't lose you, Grimes.'

'I can't lose you again.'