This is just the product of a VERY bored mind. I am sitting in the dark, and in hopes of passing the time I am going to sit here listening to music until a single image enters my mind; when I get that image I am going to see what I can make of it.
This should be... something.
The cathedral stood abandoned before us, the stonework reaching up towards the thundering skies like the desecrated bones of a long slain dragon - an open wound upon this pristine land. I understood much of the structural damage was caused by an earthquake that had driven the original inhabitants from this area, leaving this structure in its present state and free to be set upon as a base of operations for the Host, as they called themselves - lunatics.
I locked back the hammer on my gun, clicking the safety off as we neared our destination. It was thankfully dark, provided we could avoid being caught in the open during a lightening flash. Bracing myself against an embankment I activated the thermal imager for my helmet's HUD and took stock of the situation; three men near the old doors of the church and a fourth peering through a shattered window on the second floor instantly lit up against the colder background of the stone wall.
I quickly relaid this information to the other two members of my squad, before clicking over to our personal comm channels and sending the Go code to the second squad flanking around the back. With that I drew my suppressed Beretta and ordered my squad to advance. We rushed their position quick and quiet, getting with in just a few feet in the dark overcast night before I opened fire with my pistol - three quick rounds sent towards the second floor window to eliminate the hostile. The first round hit just to one side and embedded in the wall, while the next two found their mark. I immediately dropped the sights of my weapon aiming for the furthest member of the group on the ground, squeezing the trigger twice more and dropping him as well.
Before the two remaining could react to their comrade being dispatched, Bryce finished closing distance with them - I watched as my squad mate, standing almost six feet tall at the shoulder, slammed his beloved hatchet in the face of the man closest to him while shoving the barrel of his own suppressed sidearm roughly center mass with the second's face and unloading several rounds at point blank range. It was moments like this that I had to question if Bryce just secretly liked all the violence we so often found ourselves in.
I closed the distance with Bryce, shaking my head as a flash of lightening illuminated his gruff blood covered face. "Stay out here; Maria and I will enter from the second floor window - if anyone tries to exit through this door, you are to eliminate them." I motioned for Maria to secure the grappling hook and climbing gear to the second floor window while I spoke.
Bryce hooked his hatchet to a loop on his belt, before sliding his M240 off his shoulder and gave it a quick once over; likely making sure it was as ready to up the current body count as he was. The fact he fired it from the hip I imagined was only testament to his love of all things destructive. I pushed the thoughts out of my mind for now, figuring that when going up against the Host, those particular traits were likely to be advantageous.
With that I slung my weapon over one shoulder, grabbed the newly secured grappling line and began making my way up the church's outer wall. Once reaching the top of the line, I pulled myself into the long shattered window and hit the ground with a soft thud - having managed to trip on the guard I'd shot just moment before. "crap..." I cursed under my breath, glad that his corpse muffled most of the sound, and even more thankful Maria hadn't seen that or so I thought - a quiet snicker behind me told me that she had seen everything.
I rose to my feet, pushing this out of my mind and moved to the edge of the balcony we were on. Below me were maybe a half dozen armed mercenaries and more importantly twelve men in black robes, standing in a semi circle around the old alter with a thirteenth in blood red robes standing before a bound and naked woman - a black cross drawn upside down on her flesh. I could tell she was talking, and while I couldn't hear what she was saying I could only imagine she was begging for her life.
I glanced over at Maria, who had already setup her Barret Light .50 on the stone ledge of our overlook. I gave her a slight nod, as I quickly secured my rappel gear in place and swung myself over the ledge. My leather glove made a light crackle as I gripped the stone with it, testing my weight to ensure the support I anchored myself to would hold up. I gripped the belay device tightly in my hand, and gave a quick wave to Maria - she replied with a quick glance; her green eyes reflecting the light from below as her brilliant red hair framed her otherwise porcelain features, all of which peered out from the white and red trimmed priestess robes she donned.
She shouldered her rifle again, the simple act snapped me back to reality as I began my descent to the ground floor. I was on a timer now with the second squad getting ready to hit the rear entrance, I needed to get into position and fast or we'd risk losing the target a second time. I moved quickly off to one side of the church, sticking to the shadows as best I could. I was almost in position to the left side of the alter when one of the mercenaries became alerted to my position.
He stood up from the pew he was sitting on, motioning for the other soldier he had been talking to. I was just close enough to catch that he thought he saw something moving in the shadows. They approached slowly as the panic bells began to ring out in my head; I started to raise my weapon when there was a sudden explosion off the other side of the room, which by the sound of it were breaching charges - Bravo Team was right on schedule.
Before anyone else could react there was a second distinct sound, as one of the men in the black robes took a round square in the chest from above - he gurgled a moment as he stumbled back hard before dropping dead on the ground from Maria's shot. I sprinted now along the wall heading around towards the alter, scanning the other side of the room.
Spencer was the first member of Bravo Team I saw enter the room, and his trademark sly grin and unkempt black hair was likely the last thing some poor merc saw before the end. Either that or the brilliant muzzle flash from his .44 Magnum revolver as it bore a hole clean through his left eye socket - I wasn't sure which, and I'm fairly certain I honestly don't want to know.
At this time several of the men in black robes had already began making a dash for the main entrance, and the sudden sound of fully automatic weapon's fire made it a fairly safe bet that at least some of them had made it to the door only to find Bryce's all to eager to see them. I again pushed all other thoughts out of my head as I made my way straight for the man in the red robe - he had to be eliminated, we couldn't let him escape this time. I squeezed off a few rounds from my SMG, shredding an unknown mercenary that made the mistake of moving between me and my target as he tried to seek cover from Spencer and the rest of Bravo Team.
I threw my SMG away as I closed the final few feet towards my target, he stood there still and emotionless before his face was split in half by a single round from Maria's sniper rifle. The blood gushed out thick and black as the remains of his brain splattered on the wall behind him. It was then that their was a blood curdling shriek as a thick, vaguely, humanoid black cloud rose up from what remained of his open mouth. Its eyes flashed a beady yellow as it swirled around itself a moment and gave an unearthly hiss. I hopped up onto the alter, narrowly missing stepping on their intended sacrifice and leaped at the unholy aberration - drawing my silver edged survival knife and plunging it hard into the creatures semi-corporeal chest. It shrieked as the blade pierced into it, and in a brilliant flash of light it was pulled into a hollow crystal set inside the cap where a compass usually would be.
The crystal filled with its black, swirling form, as I ran my thumb over its surface - just my little way of saying, "bleep you boy; we won." I panted a bit, thankful we finally managed to catch it here - in the south of France, especially seeing how it escaped us prior in Chicago. I turned towards the woman bound on the table whom had passed out at some point during the fight, which is likely something she should be thankful for, and set about cutting her restraints with a separate knife then the one that contained our quarry.
With that I called back into command to get us an extraction and the poor girl medical assistance. Unfortunately for us this was just one sect of The Host, but we could at least celebrate our victory this day over their desire to bring about the end of the world and send us all straight to hell. As I said before - flippin' lunatics.
