We Who Serve

Chapter Thirty-Six

Those words echo Grimes's head, almost like they were taunting her for not being strong enough. Luca squeezed his arm tighter as Grimes could feel the strain on her neck muscles, trying to keep her neck from snapping. Her vision began to spot black dots as she tried to breathe a desperate breath of air. 

'I can't lose you, Grimes.'

Simon's voice sounded so desperate. She could hear every fear in each wave of sound. He had lost too many people, as had Grimes. Part of her regrets not returning to them when she had the chance. Not going back to Simon. She had missed him all those years. She missed the subtle ways he would show affection. How they're eyes would meet whenever he would take off his mask. It was different to how they would typically look at each other. Almost like being caught nude, but with the person you trust completely. 

'I can't lose you again.'

Those words. His voice. Gave Grimes a newfound burst of energy. She couldn't leave him again. She could put him through that heartache. Grimes reached down to find a blade tucked into Luca's boot. He taught her always to carry a spare in her boot. Without thinking, she pulled it out and stabbed his upper arm to her right side. 

This broke the choke hold, but even as she breathed air in, Grimes knew she had to act. She spun around on her knees and drove the blade into the side of Luca's neck. Her face was inches away as blood foamed up from his throat. Luca's hand reached up and grabbed her wrist weakly in an attempt to stop her from pushing the blade further in. But it was too late; the damage was done. 

As Luca attempted to breathe, blood splattered onto Grimes's face as she stared into his eyes. She could see a hint of fear before it disappeared into an emotion she didn't recognise. A moment later, Luca's hand dropped from her wrist, and Grimes watched his pupils dilate. She stared as the life left his eyes; sure, he was gone this time. Grimes let go of the blade, and both fell to the ground heavily. 

"Fuck," Grimes muttered as she pulled in welcome breaths. Her neck raw from the pressure that was there. Grimes reached up and grabbed her earpiece to place it back in. She was hoping that the boys had a better time than she did. 

"I don't have eyes on Soap!" Ghost yelled down the comms. Grimes tried to answer him, but her vocal cords wouldn't work. Grimes let out a frustrated grumble, and she turned over weakly onto her front. She pushed herself up onto her knees and then onto her feet. Steadying herself, she reached over, pulled the blade from Luca's neck, and slowly walked over to the wall. Her vision blurs out now and then, still trying to recover after being starved of oxygen for so long. 

"I told you your nation would see fire. You think you can stop me?" Hassan's voice called out. She could hear him but not see him. Grimes continued to use the wall to support her way towards the voice. Hassan had to be talking to someone; logically, there was only one other person apart from her.

"Ghost." Soap's voice sounded weak over the comms, calling out for help.

"Soap!" Ghost replied, showing him he was there. 

"Watch the window," Soap called just as there was an explosion. That was enough for Grimes to pin down their location.

"We are not attacking," Hassan spoke to Soap as Grimes rounded the corner to watch him pick Soap up by the vest. "We are invading," Hassan said as he turned Soap to the window. Grimes had to move, she knew Hassan was going to throw Soap, and she didn't know where Ghost was. 

She pulled in a deep breath and launched the blade through the air; it landed on Hassan's back, causing him to let go of Soap, who dropped to his knees. Ghost must have fired a shot from overwatch as Hassan hit the ground with a bullet wound to the head. 

It was over.

Soap moved to look behind him at where Ghost would be before reaching for his comms. 

"Perfect shot, L.T."

"You called it, Sergeant." Ghost called out over the comms. There was a moment of relief that flooded over Grimes as she realised that it was over. Hassan, Luca and Graves. Were dead. "All stations, Hassan's down. Enemy KIA." Soap stared at Hassan's dead body long and hard. As if he was killing him over and over in his mind. 

"Anyone eyes on Grimes?" Ghost asked as Grimes reached for her comms; still unable to speak, she couldn't answer him.

"I've found Luca; he's definitely dead," Will called over to answer Ghost. Grimes's vision began to leave her again, but it wasn't coming back this time. She stumbled forward onto a serve trolly, causing it to fall over with her on top of it. Soap's eyes snapped up to look and watched Grimes roll off the side of it. 

"Grimes!" Soap yelled as he scrambled to his feet. He was over by her side in a flash as he lifted her onto his lap as held her face. 

"Ghost, I've got Grimes," Soap called out to him as he grabbed her shin and shook her head softly, trying to get her to open her eyes. 

"What's her status?" Ghost called out with worry laced in his voice. The large, deepening red mark covering her neck caught his eye, and his heart sank slightly. 

"Come on, Grimes, open your eyes." Soap called as he shook her softly again. "Come on." Soap hissed just as Grimes's eyes fluttered open to see Soap's worried face. But that worried face flushed with relief when he saw her eyes. 

"There she is," He muttered as his shoulders visibly relaxed, and his hand dropped from her chin to her upper chest. "Gave me quite a scare," Soap smirked at her before raising his eyebrow. "Again... " Grimes could only smile back at him as she closed her eyes briefly. 

"Grimes is alive." Soap muttered as he looked back at her again with a smile, "She's alive." He said just as Will and more marines rushed into the room.