Chapter 7 – Faith in the Face of Death

Give ear to my words, O LORD,

Consider my groaning.

Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,

For to You I pray.

Psalm 5:1-2

Attrition

The rhythmic thud of pulse fire faded into the distance as Wade’s battered squad took a momentary respite in the bombed out remains of a formerly palatial mansion obviously once owned by the wealthy. Streaks of azure residue arced across the cracked concrete walls, grim testaments to the ferocity of the latest engagement.

As the adrenaline ebb allowed fatigue to seep back into his muscles, Wade slumped against the wall beside Alex. Across the room, Briggs muttered a hushed prayer before rejoining them, his expression haggard yet resolute. The three had traded the squad leader’s position many times over the last 96 hours and the emotional weight was beginning to register.

“How you holdin’ up, brothers?” Briggs asked, struggling to catch his breath.

Wade managed a wan smile, shrugging off the streaks of ichor clinging to his scarred armor. “Honestly? I’m holding it together by a thread.”

A brooding silence stretched between them, the unspoken realities of their ordeal looming large. Four days into their crucible within the Zoo, their six-person squad had been whittled to a mere three survivors. Food and ammo dwindled critically low, fraying their mental state as the relentless engagements exacted a brutal toll.

Torry had been the first to fall, blown apart by his own plasma grenade that bounced back into his position after hitting the light pole in front of him during a vicious street battle. Klingston lingered for two agonizing hours after a Skravak bite eviscerated him. They called for a medevac but the corpsmen were powerless to halt the spread of infection. He was dead before the hovercraft lifted from their sight. And just hours ago, Smith had been snatched away, dragged into the ravenous maw of a towering Skravak Hunter before they could react.

“I keep seeing their faces,” Wade murmured, his voice edged with a tremor. “Every time I try to sleep, I see Torry’s body exploding…Klingston screaming as the infection ate him alive…” He trailed off, swallowing hard against the lump forming in his throat.

Wade felt a profound ache resonate within him, the echoes of Mike’s own demise adding a dissonant chord to their mounting grief.

Briggs reached out, gripping Wade’s shoulder in a steadying embrace. “We can’t lose ourselves in this,” he said, his voice rasping with the dryness clawing at his throat. “They knew the risks, same as us. We’ve gotta keep our eyes forward, focused on getting through this.” His expression hardened, a glimmer of the old tormentor surfacing briefly.

“How, Briggs? How can I just… move past watching our brothers get butchered?” He shook his head, anguish burning in his eyes. “I’m trying, man. I’m trying to be strong, to stay in the fight. But it’s like…a piece of me fractures more with every loss.”

There was no rebuke, no placating reassurance Briggs could offer. Only a weary nod of commiseration as the weight of their shared trauma bore down upon them with crushing inevitability.

Briggs’ Transformation

A heavy pause lingered before Wade found the words to pierce the veil once more. “You’re different,” he said, a glimmer of wonderment creeping into his tone despite the oppressive pall. “I don’t know how else to say it, but…you’re not the same guy you used to be.” He gestured to the battered New Testament tucked into Briggs’ chest armor, the cover stained and scuffed yet somehow enduring. “What changed?”

For a long moment, Briggs seemed adrift, his gaze distant as the burdens temporarily slipped from his shoulders. When he finally spoke, it was with a measured cadence, his words laced with a conviction that cut through the bleakness like a beacon.

“It was Mike,” Briggs said simply. “After his…after my failure, I was lost in this haze of anger and guilt. But Chaplain Bronson understood, he saw something in me that needed tending.” A rueful chuckle escaped him. “Crazy old Padre wouldn’t give up, kept talking to me about forgiveness, about letting go.”

Wade listened in reverent silence, aware that this was a reckoning long in the making for his brother-in-arms.

“I didn’t want to hear it at first,” Briggs continued. “I was so wrapped up in my own pain, my own twisted notion that I deserved to suffer for what happened to Mike.” He exhaled slowly, the memories seeming to weigh upon him like a physical burden. “But Bronson, he had this…this light about him, you know? Even in the darkest hour, he kept talking about the peace and forgiveness God offers through His Son, Jesus Christ. The more I believed, the more I had this sense of peace that just didn’t make sense.”

Alex regarded them both with somber understanding, his obsidian eyes glittering in the half-light.

“It was Mike’s faith,” Briggs said, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I saw Mike’s commitment to Jesus and the Chaplain connected the dots for me. Bronson helped me realize that despite all my sins, despite the horrible person I’d been…”

Reverential quiet cloaked the trio as Briggs gathered his thoughts once more.

“So I started reading the Bible the Chaplain gave me, just…trying to understand what drove Mike to such unshakable faith in the face of everything we were going through. And somewhere along the way, it started making sense.” He fixed Wade with an intense stare, his expression equal parts haunted and serene. “I realized that Mike’s sacrifice didn’t have to be in vain. Mike never stopped believing in Jesus and even in me. I surrendered myself to God’s plan for my life and took on the same faith Mike had. I believe that not only did Mike die for me, he was just doing what Jesus has done for me already…for all of us. I’m like a new man…reborn. I can’t think of a better way to honor Mike. “

Raw emotion swelled in Wade’s chest as the implications washed over him. In that moment, he saw his brother shed the final vestiges of the tormentor who had once made their lives a living hell. What emerged was a warrior reconstructed from the ashes, hardened by tribulation yet burnished by a newfound faith.

“I’m not the same person I was,” Briggs said, his voice catching with a ragged edge. “I can’t be. Not after…not after everything we’ve been through together.” He clasped Wade’s hand with a bone-crushing intensity, eyes glistening yet burning with a renewed conviction. “But I’m going to keep fighting. I’m going to survive this trial, for Mike’s sake. So that his sacrifice meant something, lit a path for someone as lost and broken as me.”

David vs. Goliath

The respite ended abruptly as the distant whump of ordnance detonating sent tremors rippling through the structure. Instinctively, Wade and Briggs rose, weapons snapping up as they oriented on the threat.

“Sounds like another squad caught a bad beat two blocks east,” Alex rumbled, already scanning for potential ingress points. “Won’t be long before those Skravak freaks come slithering this way looking for easy prey.”

A grim nod passed between them as their burdens were temporarily overshadowed by the drive to survive, to endure no matter the cost. There could be no more doubts, no indulgence of weakness as their path became clear once more.

“Faith or not,” Wade growled, sighting down the scope of his pulse rifle. “We’re not leaving this forsaken wasteland without a few more trophies to bring back to the DIs.”

Briggs’ laughter rang with the freedom of a man newly unshackled from the weight of his demons. “You’ve got that right, brother. Better make sure we save some for the Gunny – I hear she gets cranky if her war trophies run low.”

For a fleeting breath, their masks of hardened warriors slipped, allowing the forging brotherhood to shine through untarnished. Then the moment was gone, usurped by the clarion call of imminent battle raging ever closer.

Alex clapped them both on the shoulder as the screams of the insectoids echoed through the twilight din. “No more speeches, comprehende? Lock and load, you two – we’ve still got work to do.”

The Last Hunter

Wade crouched low, as he flanked the ruined facade of a burned-out storefront. Beside him, Alex moved with the grace of a seasoned predator, his eyes scanning the shadows for any hint of movement.

“See anything?” Wade hissed, the grip on his rifle slick with perspiration.

Alex shook his head almost imperceptibly. “Not ye-“

The words died in his throat as a thunderous crash resounded from a side alley to their left. Both Marines snapped their weapons in that direction, fingers tightening on the triggers in grim anticipation.

A deafening roar shook the air, the haunting bellow of something truly primordial. Wade felt the chill of dread lance down his spine as a towering silhouette emerged from the shadows, blotting out the dim light filtering through the wreckage.

It stood nearly ten feet tall, a grotesque mass of bulging muscles sheathed in jagged black greenish armor. Despite the myriad gouges and rents scoring its chitinous hide, the sheer lethality radiating from the beast was undeniable. Beady crimson eyes burned with malevolence as row upon row of serrated fangs parted, viscous drool spattering the pavement.

The Skravak Hunter let loose another ear-splitting bellow, flexing its wickedly hooked talons and rearing back on its powerful haunches. Wade’s mind raced, every scrap of training and battlefield experience coalescing into a singular, combat focus.

“Briggs…” he murmured into the squad comm, unwavering dread seeping into his voice. “We’ve got a big problem here.”

Seconds later, Briggs appeared on their six, his breath ragged yet his rifle trained steadily on the behemoth emerging from the gloom. “You were spot on when you said…BIG!.”

Wade appraised their predicament with ruthless pragmatism. Three Marines with dwindling ammunition against what could only be described as a Skravak Juggernaut, the apex predator of its twisted brood. He grimaced as another roar ripped through the still air, shaking debris loose from the shattered structures around them.

“Buy me ten seconds,” he growled into the comm. “I have a shot lined up, but I’ll need you to draw it in closer.”

Briggs met his gaze with a solemn nod, undaunted despite the surmounting odds. “You got it, brother. Alex and I will make some noise, get that ugly freakshow to focus on us.” His jaw set in a grim line. “Just make it count when you take the shot.”

Alex was already on the move, scooping up a jagged chunk of ferrocrete and hurling it squarely at the Hunter’s domed skull with a savage grunt. “Come get some, Insecto!” he bellowed with a feral grin, reckless bravado belying the direness of the situation.

With a speed that defied its monstrous bulk, the Hunter pivoted towards the sound of Alex’s taunts, unfurling to its full height as it zeroed in on the two Marines. Another deafening roar split the air as it charged with earth-shaking strides, opening its cavernous maw and revealing a horrifying array of fangs glistening with ropes of drool.

Wade steadied his breathing, the world around him receding into a hyper-focused tunnel as he tracked the behemoth’s movements with the reticule of his scope. He was dimly aware of Briggs and Alex blanketing a hail of covering fire at near-point-blank range, the azure lances of their pulse rifles glancing harmlessly off the Hunter’s thick armor.

A bone-rattling impact shook the ground as the creature slammed into their position with the fury of an out-of-control freight train. Wade saw Alex fly backward, his body ragdolling over a heap of rubble with sickening force. Briggs somersaulted to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed beneath the Hunter’s stamping talons.

Every second seemed to stretch into an eternity as the beast wheeled about, its immense bulk thudding against the scorched buildings. Wade braced for the shot, compensating for the minor tremors rippling through his frame. The Hunter’s skull filled his crosshairs, the pulsing crimson glow of its eyes boring through his soul.

He squeezed the trigger and the rifle bucked in his grip, the thunderous report joining the cacophony engulfing the ruined street. Shards of chitin exploded outward as the plasma bolt found its mark, punching through one of the creature’s eyes in a gout of viscous yellow ichor.

Despite the devastating impact, the Hunter just seemed to grow more enraged, whipping its massive head back and forth as its remaining eye blazed with primal hate. Wade cursed as he realized his shot had only managed to graze the reinforced cranium, rather than severing the cerebral node controlling its body functions.

“No!” he roared, frustration and weariness fracturing his composure. That was the last round any of them had in their rifles. They gambled the entire ordnance on the one shot.

Wade was incensed and shouted – “I need to get on top of it, draw it down that alley!”

Briggs was already moving, abandoning cover as he sprinted towards the maddened juggernaut with his rifle bayonet-fixed. Alex recovered in time to join the fray, drawing his combat blade as he launched himself onto the creature’s flank in a blur of motion.

“Wade, now!” Briggs bellowed, driving the bayonet deep into the Hunter’s haunch as it reared up in agony. “Get up top!”

With a feral roar of his own, Wade charged forward with his K-bar clutched in a reverse grip. He vaulted off an outcropping of wreckage, up on a wall leading to the roofline of the buildings along the alley. His pre-Marine obsession with parkour training came into play instinctively as muscle memory took over. He launched himself onto the towering beast’s back. Punishing blows from its flailing limbs pounded against his armor as he scrambled for footing amidst the jagged plates erupting from its armored hide.

Bracing himself against the jarring impacts, he raised his combat knife high, then drove it down with every ounce of strength he could muster. The razor-edged blade found its mark, punching through the nape of the creature’s neck and sheering deep into its spinal cord.

A shudder rippled through its immense frame, quickly giving way to violent spasms as the cerebral node was severed. With a final, gurgling roar, the Hunter toppled forward in a thunderous crash.

Wade rolled clear, his limbs thrumming with the exhilaration of victory even as his muscles threatened to give out. He lay there, chest heaving, as Briggs and Alex approached with wide grins.

“That is one big ugly bug,” Alex rumbled as he sheathed his blade, extending a hand to haul Wade upright.

“You’re telling me,” Wade growled through his clenched teeth, covered in bug blood.

The massive Skravak Hunter carcass lay twitching amid the rubble. Wade regained his feet, legs wobbling from the adrenaline rush. A grin spread across his dirt-streaked face as he raised the butt of his K-Bar to his lips like a microphone. Then broke into an impromptu victory rap. Alex and Briggs joined in, adding their own verses as they danced with triumphant glee.

Yo, yo, listen up y’all

We ’bout to drop some rhymes, stand tall

This is the story of some Marine bros

Who went buck wild and smashed their foes

Alex chimed in;

We rolled up in the Zoo, suited and snooty

Skravak freaks, we kicked ’em in da bootie

Chitterin’ and hissin’, these bugs was wack

But we shut ’em down with a massive attack

Bullets blastin’, grenades erupted

Left their nasty hides disruptin’

Briggs throws down;

We cold, we hard, we mean

We a bunch of Lean, mean fightin’ machine

Took down that big Hunter, the big ol’ boss

Left it slain, and twitchin’ by Wade our hoss

As their rap concluded, the three Marines stood victorious, laughing amid the carnage.

Charlie Mike

Briggs slapped Wade on the shoulder. “Hey, just means we’ve got one more trophy for Reyes’ trophy case. Did you see the size of those fangs? I’ll bet the Sarge has been missing out on all the…”

His words died on his lips as their comm radios crackled to life. “Charlie One One, this is Mongoose 7. What’s your status, over?”

Wade shot his squadmates a bemused glance before keying his mic. “Mongoose 7, this is Charlie One One Actual. We’re beat up, out of ammo but still breathing.”

There was an inscrutable pause before Reyes’ gruff voice responded. “Roger that, Charlie One One. You dirtbags ain’t done yet! Move to Rally Point Snake-Nest for resupply.”

Wade frowned, exchanging puzzled looks with Briggs and Alex as jubilation ebbed into uncertainty once more. “Say again, Mongoose? We just took down a ten footer, are we prepping for extraction?”

Another terse pause stretched between them before Reyes’ crackling response shattered the night.

“Charlie One One, I repeat – new mission, move to Rally Point Snake-Nest! It ain’t over until every last one of you dirt-bags makes it back to Ramsey Station. Private Torres, you’re squad leader. Out.”

Wade stared at the radio in disbelief as the transmission clicked off, leaving them enveloped in the eerie silence once more. Around them, the mangled remains of their most formidable foe lay in twisted repose, its viscous lifeblood slowly congealing onto the pavement.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Briggs growled, looking at his empty magazines. “We just took down the biggest, nastiest thing this planet could throw at us! What else we gotta do?” The squad had no idea that they had just exterminated the last bug in the Zoo.

Alex regarded the dismembered hunter with an inscrutable expression, features taut. “Does not matter what we want, hermano. Rules of the dance have changed again.” He spat a thick gob onto the scorched Skrav, his flint-dark eyes glittering with a newfound intensity. “It’s time, let’s move out.”

Wade could only manage a grim nod, too weary to even indulge in the hollow bravado of their continued trials. This was a cadence burned into their very souls now – the pivot from elation to the somber reality that the crucible was not yet complete.

As they fell into vee formation and began moving towards the new rally point, Wade couldn’t help but feel a pang of pride and camaraderie amidst the bone-deep fatigue. Though battered and pushed to the ragged edge of their limits, they had endured where others faltered. For the first time, Wade allowed himself to envision a future beyond these harrowing trials – a life as a full-fledged Ranger.