The Bullet's Mark (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Fanfiction)

Chapter 19

    I stumbled up against a wall, waiting for Yuri and Price to get a decent start on the room littered with Russians. When they pushed through, I raised my pistol and fired the best I could.
    "We need to clear the store!" Price commanded Yuri as we moved through it.
    From where Soap held Roach, I noticed the younger soldier had raised his secondary. He fired practically blindly at the enemies to our right as we exited the store. I ducked behind the concrete statue Soap set Roach down at. My fingers worked to quickly rip a piece of my sleeve off. I tied my leg off the best I could without sacrificing it's use; the blood was now put at ease by the wrap, soaking a little more slowly.
    "You're gonna be all right," I found an inner strength as I looked to Roach.
    The younger soldier looked at me, a painful smile finding the corners of his blood-stained lips. "Sam...you must know..."
    "Watch the roof, right side!" Soap communicated, pointing out the helicopter and foot mobiles.
    "We can't stay here," Price commented, taking his turn at supporting Roach. 
    The puddle of blood left behind by Roach made my own turn cold. He didn't have much longer...we had to move faster. I followed last, heading into the short-term cover of another building. Yuri led the way through it, entering a more enclosed alley and pushing to the left. 
    "Keep moving," I ushered, firing at the Russians at the end of the alley after picking up a fallen rifle. 
    SUVs pulled up, blocking our path. Yuri launched a grenade from his under-barrel, timing it as the doors opened. The Russians inside didn't have a chance as both vehicles exploded in response. 
    "Cut through the office," Soap led the way to the left, firing at the pressuring Russians. "Come on!" 
    "They w-won't stop," Roach spat out, looking ahead. 
    Soap took over supporting Roach, allowing Price and Yuri to take point as we pushed out of the office and into a huge open area, a courtyard centered between the streets. I paused, picking up another weapon in haste and looked to Roach. The young man gripped Soap's chest in a plead. 
    "Just leave me Soap." 
    "Fuck no! We're getting you out of this," Soap pushed to the front of the team, continuing through it all. "There's a building northwest."
    "Enemies on our six," Price pointed out and I turned, shooting at the soldiers in anger. "Cover them!" 
    We cut across the way, entering a basketball court in a hustle to get out of the open. I fired the best I could, ignoring my right thigh—which had just become a dull throb that continued to bleed slowly. Yuri placed a supportive hand on my back as I raced to catch up to Roach and Soap. He brought up the rear as Price passed him too. 
    "Soap..."
    "We're making it Roach, just hold on," Soap set the bleeding soldier out in a hurry, trying to fire at the driven Russian forces. 
    We were in the corner of the big courtyard now, defending it for our lives. Foot infantry and wheeled forces showed up for the Russians, pushing us to our limits. I paused as the rifle I borrowed ran out of ammo, looking out across the chaos. 
    Behind it all was smug Russian with lifeless eyes and the face of a rat. It was him who had injured Roach and myself, almost killing the rest of them too. It was also him who was going to die one way or another. 
    Extra rounds of bullets started firing from behind us. I spun around from where I crouched, seeing multiple soldiers appear from the safety of a gated back alley. Price faced the soldiers. 
    "It's the Resistance," Price mentioned, motioning for Soap to grab Roach again. "Hold them back, Yuri!"
    "We need to move Roach quickly," Soap was glancing at the bloody body of the quiet soldier.
    "We'll get him," two of the Resistance soldiers moved to help Soap and the male glowered. 
    "I got it!" 
    Soap carried Roach in, supporting him in the same position he had been the whole time. Roach was mumbling under his breath and glanced over his shoulder to make sure Yuri and I were following. I caught his gaze, glossy from tears of pain and frustration. 
    "Get out of the way, we have wounded," Price was in front, ordering others out of the way as Soap rushed through with Roach. 
    Before Soap could rush Roach to a flat place, the younger soldier stumbled forward onto a dark blue couch. He panted, holding his abdomen and left side like his life depended on it. Roach looked around the room, likely spinning, and then found my face, twisted in concern and horror. 
    "Maybe my dream wasn't far off." 
    "No, no, no," I whined, rushing to his side. "WE NEED A MEDIC! Stay with me Roach." 
    The young man lifted his hand from his stomach, examining the bright blood soaking and dripping from his fingers. He shook his head once and then used his other hand to peel an object off his wrist. 
    Yuri appeared with a med kit and I tore through it, trying to find anything to help. I pressed a pad to try and stop the blood, only gaping in shock when the cloth was quickly the same color as the blood coming out. 
    "No use," Roach panted, setting a hand on top of mine to stop me. "Stop S-Sam." 
    "Look at me Roach," I demanded, grabbing his chin as I paused in my franticness. "Stay with me...please." 
    His hazel eyes slid open to reveal glossy orbs. The pang in my chest was enough to release him and make me grip his gloved hands instead. Roach gripped with a surprising firmness back.
    "Yuri...Makarov..."
    "Roach, you hang on," Soap pleaded, crouching next to me. "Yuri and Sam are going to help you."
    "It's too late," I blurted, looking at the stain growing on the couch beneath him, dread hitting me like a train. "Roach..."
    "Take this," Roach turned his hand over in mine, dropping an object into my bare palm. "It's y-yours now." 
    "Roach," I felt the sting of tears as I recognized Ghost's watch and bit my lower lip harshly. "Please."
    "T-There's another thing." Roach was breathing heavily, blood pooling out over his lower lip more than it ever had. "Yuri and Makarov...t-they know each other."
    Anguish trumped dread as Roach's grip on my hand went limp. His head cocked sideways as the last breath left his body. Price paced back and forth, shouting out curses for all to hear. Yuri's face twisted in pain and Soap...he started shaking Roach.
    "NO! NO ROACH! No!"
    "Soap," I slowly released Roach's limp limb and stood, shaking. "He's gone."
    He looked like he wanted to punch something, but instead he only spun around and paced. I looked to Roach, tears streaming from my eyes from the sight of his bled-out body. My heart was pounding in my ears, my hands shaking. I could feel the throb of my thigh in my gut, feel the anger rising in me so violent and uncontrollable.
    "I'm sorry Roach," Price placed his hands on the man's lap, bowing his head. "You didn't deserve this son."
    "FUCKING MAKAROV!" I screeched, kicking a chair over...losing my shit.
    Arms came around me in a supportive way and I found my legs giving out. I plopped onto the wooden floor of the building, crying until I couldn't anymore. Yuri held me tightly to him, arms wrapped around my waist to keep me from falling completely down.
    "You need to go now!" a Resistance leader touched Soap and the huffing, sobbing man pushed him away with a glare.
    "Get off!"
    "He's right," I shoved up and away from Yuri. "We need to move now before Makarov's men take this whole building down."
    "Yuri, lead the way," Price ordered.
    I followed behind Price, my pistol back at the ready. Soap stayed close to me, his face twisted in rage. I knew what he wanted to do without him saying a word; Price did too. My glare centered on the back of Yuri's head, all of my boiling rage doing the same.
    "Open the door," Price jerked his head at Yuri.
    As Yuri opened it, he turned to motion that the stairwell into the basement was clear. I pushed past Price, raising my good leg to kick Yuri square in the abdomen. In a flurry of coughing and tumbling, Yuri launched down the stairs in grunts of pain.
    "Good thinking," Price growled and pushed past me before I could reach Yuri.
    Pulling up his pistol, Price aimed it at the Russian. Soap moved past me as well, clutching the collar of Yuri's uniform. He held his pistol right between the eyes, his finger twitching to shoot.
    "Roach trusted you! We all did!" Soap gritted in his face.
    Price moved closer, glaring downwards. "How in the bloody hell do you know Makarov?"
    Yuri was still coming to from his sense-stirring fall and I moved forwards to kick him in the gut again. "Answer him!"
    Yuri opened his mouth as he began to explain himself.