I watched the blood flow like a river down the hill.

"I.... I'm at a loss for words," I said to Todd.

The radio squawked to life.
"Lieutenant Rollins! Rally Point Alpha has been overrun and we have been suppressing fire from the enemy! You are surrounded again!"

"Men.... We are surrounded. Stay strong, remember... The Joy of the Lord is our strength! Do not give up!"

The first wave of attackers hit the town and counterattacked strong. As we got into cover I could feel God speaking to my heart:

"Be strong and courageous, for I am with you wherever you go. When you are in the trenches, I am there. When you are in the valley, I am there with you. When you are on the mountains, I am there with you. Do not be discouraged or afraid. I love you, Nathan. Do not be in fear. Many things will happen to you this day, but do not forget that I, the Lord, am with you."

The wave of attackers were eliminated and we counterattacked.

"Reaper 2, are you still in position?" I asked the sniper team.

"Yes sir, Lieutenant. We have eyes on the beach below and the city above."

"How many enemy soldiers are in both spots? Are we pinned down or are we ok to move back?"

"Beta Company just pushed onto the beachhead, and they just retook the beach. The enemy soldiers took the wounded with them before they retreated."

I looked at Todd. "Dude... They took Sarah and the wounded. I have to go after them. Can you take over, Sargent?"

"Yes sir, Lieutenant." Todd said.

"Good." I got on the radio. "Reaper 2, I'm leaving command in the hands of Sargent Todd Gresham. Follow orders."

"Yes sir, we are supressing fire."

I got off of the radio and looked at Todd.

"Todd, if I'm not reporting back to you in two hours, come look for me. I'm going hunting for Sarah." I picked up the Renald 22 Sniper Rifle and ran past the burned field and towards the enemy position.

Luckily, they had set up a camp in the valley below. I set up My rifle in between two Acacia trees and scouted them out. The valley below was filled with enemy soldiers, and I saw where they were holding Sarah.

"God, I pray for guidance. Should I go down into that vallet or stay up here?"

"Nathan, remember, I am with you wherever you go."

That was the answer I needed. I picked up the sniper and sprinted to the pillbox at the bottom of the hill.

"I'm just saying," a soldier said, "we should just cut their heads off. It would be better than using them as bait."

I was walking into a trap. But I had to go save Sarah. I made her a promise back in boot camp, and couldn't leave her behind.

"No. Someone will eventually come for her and the others. Until then, torture them. Leave this place."

I heard the other man leave the room. I snuck inside and held a knife to the man's neck.

"Now you," I whispered, "tell me where you hid her. If you don't tell me, so help me I'll-"

"You'll what? Pray over me? You Christians are weak. You all are powerless. You serve a powerless God."

I punched him in the nose. "You listen to me. The God of David and Jacob and The Son of God are not powerless. And you... You call this Xerxna figure God... I'm going to tell you this: God doesn't want you murdering His kids. I'm going to spare you... So go and hear and see the Truth. Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God." I knocked him out and snuck back outside.

Somehow, the guards figured out and an alarm sounded. I had to sneak around them and go to the barracks where I found the other man torturing Sarah. I heard her scream.

God, what should I do with this man?

"Do to him as you wish."

I snuck into the door and lunged into his leg and stabbed him with my knife. He fell to the ground.

"You..." he croaked.

I picked him up and pinned him to the wall with tomahawks and stabbed him in the stomach.

"You are going to pay with your life. I swear by Xerxna's altar..."

I turned around to him. "Xerxna doesn't exist. You and all of your friends and everyone are being deceived by Satan himself. Wake up!"

I ran over to Sarah. The other guys were either dead or bloody.

"Sarah, Sarah wake up!"

Her chest was moving. Good, she's still breathing, I thought. I picked her up and carried her out of the building.

"Freeze!" 20 soldiers surrounded me. The commandant, suprisingly, came out with a pistol.

"Before I kill you, infidel," he said that word with evil bitterness behind it, "I'm going to make you suffer. I'm going to make you pay with shooting you and cutting you."

A knife pierced my back and I fell to the ground, covering Sarah.

"Don't worry about your girlfriend," he said, "she'll witness your death firsthand."

"She's not... She's not my girlfriend..."
A boot went into my side as the word girlfriend left my mouth.

"You care a lot about her. And she, evidently, cares a lot about you, since she kept screaming for us 'not to kill you when you came.' She knew you cared and that you'd come."

A boot hit my face and I blacked out.