Church's Crusade #4: Loss
As he neared the crumbling structure, Church began to think, "I'm charging into a battle against god knows how many people and I have no clue whether help is coming. I might die here,' he thought before the sarcastic voice at the back of his mind added, 'Again." Then he was through the wall and into the battle.
He took a quick
look around, ducked as a rocket flew over his head then turned and
ran at the advancing enemy, jumping into the midst of them, firing
his shotgun as he went. Two soldiers went down in a moment and then
he hit the group drawing his knife as he struck. One man went down as
Church slashed his throat, another fell with the blade through his
eye and a third died when Church wheeled and fired his weapon into
his face. Then yanking the blade free, he turned on the last two,
only to see them go down from shots to the back of the head and
looked at the injured Private Rourke, leaning against a slab of
broken concrete with a pistol hanging from his hand. Church was about
to congratulate him when he heard a shot ring out behind him and spun
round to see one of the soldiers he had thought dead falling forward
to reveal Anna holding a smoking pistol in one hand. She smiled at
him, "Couldn't let the hero of the hour go down before we had a
chance to congratulate him."
She nodded off to where Church
could see the remaining enemy soldiers running for their lives.
"They'll be back. And most of us have too many injuries to move
on. We should find a defensible position and fort up."
Church thought for a moment then shook his head, "No we aren't fit to hold off another attack." Anna raised an eyebrow quizzically, "Then what do you suggest we do." Church smiled grimly "You will go fort up,' He leaned down and picked up a battle rifle, 'Me. I'm goin to do some hunting..."
It was well past dusk by the time Church returned to where his squad was camped, radioing ahead to alert the sentry. He strode through the perimeter and dumped the bundle of scavenged supplies, weapons and ammunitions within the ring of fire-light. He looked around the faces, noted the absences, then turned to Anna. "We should be safe for a few days now. So what are we looking at Corporal.
If she was surprised at the field promotion she didn't show it. "Eddie was killed in the first assault. Rocky managed to hold them off for a while, but he took a shot to the stomach and bled out. Frank Stevens was shot through the head, and they almost got his brother Paul as well but Rourke was prepared. I took a shot to my right arm,' she looked at him, 'And you don't look so good yourself sir." She leaned in to take a closer look and gasped. "What happened to your arm?"
Church glanced in surprise at his left arm. The armour was cracked and oil leaked from the holes. Church groaned in exasperation. "Must have taken a shotgun blast there at some point." He was about to pull away the piece when Rourke said, "Sir. I may not be a doctor but I'm pretty sure that people don't usually leak black oil when they are wounded."
Church stared at him for a moment then sighed, "Anna could you get Paul in here for a moment. I think there are some things about my past you all need to know..."
The characters Church, Caboose, Tucker, Simmons, Sarge, Grif, Sister, Donut and Doc are owned by Rooster Teeth Productions.