Ghost Ops: Freefall

A good friend once said that a hunter knows how to work their environment, how to read it to be able to determine how to best launch a defense or an attack. A hunter knows how to react to changes in a plan and make adjustments accordingly. It is not that much different from what is expected of ODA teams, from a team like the Ghosts. It can make the difference between living and dying and the success of the mission.

We got our hunter back after almost a year and things started looking up, especially rumors of a ghost that brought death. We still had a war to fight after everything with the Federation but there were memories that haunted us. The kind that we were almost too late to see…

Chapter 1

The heat and humidity was unbearable. Lt. Carter Reed took his bandana and wiped his brow. He hated the fucking jungle. He hated it with a passion but being that he was a soldier, he went where he was ordered to. The chain of command was simple. When the CO tells you to jump, you ask how high. Even if you were a spec ops team.

He sighed as he looked at the driver he was sitting next to. He rolled his eyes slightly as he adjusted his weapon and peered out his side of the vehicle. He was called to whatever they needed him to do and in this case… He was a fucking babysitter.

In most respects being a guard escort was a cushy assignment. It was a welcome break from in between scouting the wall and going deep behind enemy lines. This wasn't entirely cushy because they were behind enemy lines and they were transporting some highly valuable cargo. So there was some importance there. It was just that he was in the fucking jungle.

The last time he was in the jungle it was because he was on a recovery mission and that turned into a pissing match with a team that had a reputation for being badass. And it was over the little shit that he had a rivalry with since they first met. Echo bitch. He made a low sound in his throat.

In the end, she went willingly with him since he had been ordered to bring her in. He hated that she did that but there was good reason. The entire Ghost team was ready to fight to the death for her and he stood chance to lose a limb and his reproducing assets to the mutt that was with them. He knew of Riley's reputation and with Viking Six. Plus it paid to remember that the MWDs were not pets but trained working dogs.

He brought her in and gave his report. He found out later that she was reassigned and back out in the field. So it really wasn't a punishment in his mind especially when he heard that she had command of a group. Even the military gave special treatment though to be fair they needed every hand they could get considering now that they were pushing back the Federation. Still…

Charlie 6-4, Romeo 6-4 report.

Reed rolled his eyes slightly and responded, "Charlie 6-4. All clear. No signs of Fed activity."

Be advised that PC is under your purview 6-4.

"Roger that. All eyes on alert. ETA thirty mikes out from handoff." Reed looked out his window at the jungle, his hand never leaving the rifle he held. He knew that his men in the truck bed were with the precious cargo would guard it. Command made it very clear that it needed to get back in one piece to the handoff.

Reed had been on enough missions to know that you never asked about what you were transporting unless you wanted to spend your career being busted down to grunt work. All he knew was that it was valuable for a mission that Command wanted done and that mission was none of his business and that was fine with him. If you didn't ask questions, it built up the rep that you were trustworthy and eventually you got a mission like that.

Apart from his men, there was the driver and one other soldier who implied that the crate they were guarding was some highly valuable equipment. It caused a few of his men to snicker that he was a geek freak since the guy did look a little wiry and didn't even make army regs to join up. Didn't matter and Reed didn't care. He told his men to stow it and to keep their guard up.

Reed finished his report and put the com mike back. He looked at the driver who was looking all around while staying on the road. He joked with him, "Can you drive this thing any better?"

The driver looked at Reed with a slight look that had the man raise his hand in surrender. Whatever. To Reed this was a babysitting job and in about thirty minutes he would be done and onto his next mission. Which was probably another babysitting delivery job. No doubt that Echo bitch's doing since she had always made it clear that he was incompetent from her view. And it was the type of mission they had been doing lately with an occasional covert extract but mostly this shit.

Looking clear from our end LT though the tech geek looks ready to piss his pants.

That made Reed want to laugh. He didn't get how the military would even deign to recruit these kind of people that were essentially all brain and no brawn, no backbone. What good were they if they couldn't hack it? It even had him wonder how they made it past boot. Most would complain that it was the lowered standard or some shit like that. Maybe it was but Reed wasn't going to argue with that one. He replied, "Alright Hackett, leave the kid alone. Eyes sharp."

There was some static on the com and the affirmative from his team. Reed smirked and turned to look out through the windshield. What he wouldn't give to be back patrolling the wall. At least that was a challenge every day out in the field and those that patrolled deserved their ranking. Maybe they would get another sweep of the wall. It was quiet until they pulled to the handoff and that was when things started to go wrong.

Reed noticed that the area looked like there had been a unit there waiting but there was no one there. There were some scattered debris that was not part of the jungle. It had him be on alert as the driver pulled the truck to a stop. He didn't like this. Not one bit. He keyed, "Romeo 6-4 this is Charlie 6-4 do you read me, over."

There was nothing on the coms. That had Reed look around. He relayed, "Boys, high alert, watch all sides." He then tried again, "Romeo 6-4 come in, over."

There was some static but no response. Reed didn't like it. He gave it one more go, "Romeo 6-4, this is Charlie. Do you read me, over?"

The static continued. Reed wasn't going to have any more of this. They would push on. He looked at the driver and asked, "Do you know where you're supposed to go once we hand off?"

"Yes. To the FOB checkpoint."

"Then that's where we're going. Get this thing in gear and drive." Reed gestured at the gears while glancing out the windshield. "Alright boys. Look alive. Change in plans."

As soon as he said that there was a rustling sound and Reed heard one of his men shouting for whoever it was to show their hands. Reed moved to get out of the truck and stand on the step to get a good look. He could see someone starting to stumble out of the brush and he recognized one of their uniforms. He watched them stumble about and holding their hands up to show that they were unarmed. "Hold your fire. Friendly."

Directing one of his men to go check it out, Reed and his team held their weapons on the soldier that stumbled out. Reed narrowed his eyes and called out, "What happened to the rest of Romeo?"

The soldier stumbled a bit and his men held their weapons fast. Reed asked once more only to find his man being shot down. Soon the air was filled with Spanish being shouted and an RPG striking close to their vehicle. Reed held on and shouted, "Drive, drive, drive!"

The truck sped down the road as Federation soldiers popped out of the jungle and open fired on the vehicle. Reed returned fire before reaching for his com and called it in, "Command this Charlie Alpha. We've been ambushed and we're taking fire!"

Copy that Charlie Alpha. Proceed to FOB Checkpoint Kranz. Over.

"Roger that," Reed replied as he got back into his side of the truck. He looked at the side view mirror and noted that they were being followed by Federation vehicles. That was just perfect. He then noticed one was getting an RPG ready and called, "Kowalski, I got RPG at our six. Take him out."

Roger.

Reed heard the shot and the chaos that followed afterwards. His sniper expert was something to be feared and if he wanted to be honest was fair competition for Ghost team's sniper Keegan. That was moot but he was grateful he had a great shot on his team. "Take your shots as you see them Kowalski."

Got a man down.

"Fuck," Reed muttered. He looked forward and at the road ahead. He saw Federation coming out with guns firing at them. "Blow through," he told the driver. "Don't stop no matter what."

The driver didn't have to say anything. He drove like a crazy person, swerving to avoid damage from the natural environment and to make them a harder target to hit. It wasn't easy since it was a rather large truck to be doing that with but he managed to make it work. He managed to keep the gas pedal almost to the metal since the conditions were not ideal to be doing that.

Reed appreciated that the driver understood the situation and was trying to do his part to make sure that they got to the FOB in more or less one piece. He had called in to Command to request aerial support but it was a no go since the foliage was too thick. That just made his fucking day but he kept giving support fire to prevent his driver from being shot at. "Command, we've got Fed all over this road!"

Negative on the air strike. We can't see you.

Reed grunted in frustration. And it didn't help that one of his men said that they had another man hit and they were running low on ammo. At this rate they were going to have to have a lot of luck getting to the FOB. He told his men to dig in and to shoot at what they could see. That was the best they could do.

At that moment an RPG rocket hit in front of the truck causing it to be lifted. The driver tried to correct to keep all the wheels on the ground. It didn't work and the truck tipped over on its side and rolled. Reed felt himself falling forward and smacking his head on the dash or the windshield. Either way he found himself being knocked out.

It was the sound of rapid Spanish being spoken that brought awareness back to Reed. He started to slowly open his eyes and found himself being blinded and a sharp poke hit his lower back. He closed his eyes and made a slight sound. The sound of gravel told him that he was being dragged and from the look of things by his leg. He opened his eyes and twisted and waved his arms to try and gain some leverage but that only earned him a kick in the guts.

If there was one thing to say about military gear it was that even though you could get hurt, it hurt less when wearing fifty pounds worth of gear. It cushioned the blow. Reed was grateful that he was still wearing his tactical vest but it did nothing to help him get free as he was yanked painfully across the gravel and flung to land next to a body. Only then was he able to push himself to an upright position and get a good look at what was going on.

Once he was on his knees, Reed found his arms tied behind his back and he cursed out the Feds that were tying him up. He looked around to find the tech geek and the driver with him and his team daddy Garrison tied up. He looked around for the other members of his team and found them with their hands on the backs of their heads looking down and a bunch of armed Feds pointing guns at them. He looked around until he found who the leader was and demanded, "What the fuck do you want?"

The leader had been looking down at something that was in his hand. Reed couldn't tell what it was since his back was to him but the man replied, "What escaped from me."

Reed would have said something but a gag was put into his mouth. It was a good thing too since the leader turned around and the sight made his eyes widened. It couldn't be. No… the reports… He tensed up as the man came close and looked at him and said, "And you'll help me find it as well as tell me which one is the traitor."

Reed felt the scream but it was muffled when the crack of shots occurred. He watched as his team went down. Their bodies jerked from the force of the bullets. Gritting his teeth, Reed growled and lunged at the leader and immediately felt something hit across his shoulders and he was down.

"She'll come for you. It's what she does."


"Bear, out!"

The Belgian Malinois twitched its ear and released the arm of the training suit and moved back towards his handler. He didn't relax completely as he kept his eye on the downed target. His ears were poised and his tail alert. His posture clearly said that if anyone tried anything on his handler, he'd be there and they would lose a limb.

"Good boy."

"Nice one Hawk," the suited man said as he got up. "Seems like the stories are true."

Lt. Sequoia "White Hawk" Williams gave a slight smile as she rubbed Bear's ears at the base. She replied, "Well Mac, this is the only man in my life that lives up to the standard of men every girl dreams of."

Mackenzie, or Mac as his friends called him, grinned as he removed the headgear. He put it under his arm and said, "Maybe so but after the rumors I heard about how some general heard how you were with Viking Six's MWD, well let's just say that I believe that you can handle even a dog not yours."

Sequoia made a slight sound at that as she gave a slight smile. She really didn't like that she was a 'celebrity' on base. It brought unwanted attention and while she could handle it, it drove her teammates crazy and they turned into the MWDs that had been instrumental for the military and every bit the soldier that their human counterparts were. The worst of it was her boyfriend and that started long before they were even an item though it was more like pissing each other off and that extended to his little brother who was loyal and steadfast; her Sungmanitu was her best friend.

The upside was that it hid the real reason she had been assigned to the Ghosts again but under a different call sign. She had to thank Colonel Slayton and Dr. Ashford for that since Command wanted her to serve elsewhere after she had been evaluated and cleared after her time as a POW. Ashford cleared her and Slayton pulled the strings. The idea was that the Ghosts would be the trial unit with a trained interrogator and intelligence operative since Freefall was still operating. Sequoia didn't know the details but whatever the colonel said, it worked and she was back on the Ghosts. The new call sign was to satisfy Command and the team took care to use it when meeting with those outside their base.

There was also a stipulation and it was standing at her feet, panting. Colonel Slayton had made it clear that she was to have the MWD with her at all times both as a personal bodyguard and she use him in the field. She had pointed out that the Ghosts had Riley from Viking Six but that made little difference to the colonel. So she was stuck with Bear whom she was introduced to and trained with for seventeen weeks.

It turned out okay since Bear took to her like that, the same as Riley. Sequoia though suspected that he sensed she was down because Ash, the mutt she took in caught kennel cough and had to be put down. Either way, Bear was like a bodyguard to her and shadowed her no matter where she went and refused to stay in the kennel. He wouldn't let even her team near her unless she gave him the command to relax at first. Now he did but he wouldn't let them get too close with one exception.

Looking at Mac, she replied, "Must be my animal magnetism." She chuckled at that. "Thanks for volunteering for this training session."

"You kidding me? To see Bear in action… Plus it gives a bigger respect on what MWDs do for us." Mac approached Sequoia while looking at Bear. He had heard about the dog's protective nature but he was relaxed as he held out his hand palm up. He watched as the dog nosed it and allowed him to step within the personal space. "You're doing great Hawk."

Sequoia smiled, "Thanks," and held out her hand. She shook Mac's hand before calling Bear to heel. She snapped on the dog's lead and headed to where the last part of training was for the day.

Sequoia had pointed out to Colonel Slayton and anyone within the training dog unit that the Ghosts already had a MWD and he was a damned good one. Riley's service record said it all. That didn't sway opinions especially the colonel's. He was insistent that she become a handler and it wasn't until he called her in private to explain the reason why. In the end, she accepted it and became Bear's handler and learned to work with him.

Her biggest concern was Riley. She knew that they were working dogs but you couldn't ignore their instincts especially if they had alpha material in them. It was nothing to worry about since they met and they got along well despite the jokes about twice the smell and other things related to dogs. Since it wasn't a problem, she came up with an idea and ran it by Merrick and that man saw right through her but allowed it anyway.

"You're late."

Sequoia looked up to see that her training partner was already there with his dog sitting beside him and panting in agreement. She smiled as she approached, "You're early. And Riley doesn't even look warmed up, Hesh."

Hesh chuckled at Sequoia's teasing as he shifted on his feet. He looked at Riley and gave a command. He watched as Riley began running around the perimeter of the training area in a controlled pace. He looked at Sequoia with a smug look as Riley finished and came trotting up panting with the eager look to work. "Seems like it to me."

Sequoia smirked back as she entered the training area. She chuckled as Bear stood at attention with a look that clearly said that he was better than you mostly at Hesh. She couldn't help but laugh as Hesh returned the look at the dog clearly stating that he was tolerating the mutt and that he was her man. It was a continuous thing since the beginning with the two challenging each other. It had her worried since Bear was loyal to her and wouldn't hesitate to defend her to the death but when she noticed Riley's reaction it became moot.

She kneeled by Bear and unclipped his lead and rubbed his head. "Well… at least this man of mine loves me." She grinned at Hesh as she gave the command for Bear to take a warm up run.

"He's not the only one," Hesh protested as she rose to a standing position. His expression changed as he stared at her intently. "At least this one is the same species."

Sequoia made a sound in her throat as she returned Hesh's stare. Neither of them blinked as they looked at each other for about three minutes. By then Bear had returned and Sequoia said, "Well we should get started. We got to get this right."

"Running away?"

Sequoia looked at Hesh with a smirk and a raised brow, "I don't run away."

Hesh hummed at that as he followed her to get into place. He glanced at her and teased, "Sure you don't."

Nothing more was said as they went to work on the skill that they were working on with their dogs. It was how it was when out in public; they had to be circumspect about their relationship. Hesh was extreme in keeping this. He feared that if it were found out that they were in a relationship, she would be reassigned and possibly would never see each other again. He was hardly convinced when Sequoia told him that her boss was adamant she stay with the Ghosts but he tried for her sake.

Sequoia knew that Hesh was worried about them being found out and didn't blame him. She had been reassured by the colonel that her personal relationship had nothing to do with it but she wasn't going to be reckless about it. She kept the more intimate conversations in private and out in the open, she used her teasing and occasional warnings of being on her bad side. It wasn't ideal but it worked for now and Hesh had relaxed more once it became clear with the tone she was setting and he followed through.

As they headed towards the barracks to freshen up to report in to Merrick, Hesh couldn't help but give a gentle bump with his elbow. It was his way of grabbing her hand and squeezing it. It was hers too as she returned it with a smile. To anyone watching, they looked like two teammates joking with each other but the actions held more meaning between them. In fact, the year since she had been returned to them had been spent understanding that and learning how to say what they meant in different ways.

It was different when they grabbed chow for the evening meal and things were a little more relaxed between the team. Sequoia was sitting at a table and Hesh was sitting across from her. Both their dogs were at their feet. It was a chat about nothing with the occasional footsie going on when Logan joined them.

"Sorry to interrupt but you know I have to keep this bonehead in line," Logan said with a cheery expression as he sat next to Sequoia, taking heed of the spacing requirements set by Bear under the table.

"Pain in my ass," Hesh muttered as he shoved the forkful of food into his mouth. "Fuck you."

"That's gross man," Logan countered smoothly as he dug into his meal. He looked at Sequoia and asked in a near innocent tone, "Isn't that like incest or something, Hawk?"

"Not going there Sungmanitu," Sequoia replied with a chuckle. "And you're being an errant pup. Know what that means?"

Logan held up his hand in surrender, "No not that. You're mean you know that?"

Sequoia chuckled at Logan's pout as she took another bite of her food. She knew that it was nothing but teasing and it helped. Logan was willing to help his brother out if it meant to keep her with the Ghosts one way or another and was just being his cheerful stuff, proof that he wasn't letting what happened nearly a year ago get to him. She replied, "Just making sure you know whose boss."

"Yeah. The four legged man under the table," Hesh teased.

That started laughter between them since it was well known that in public Sequoia referred to Bear as her number one man when in truth it was the one sitting across from her. Everyone on base knew about her relationship with her MWD and didn't disagree with it especially since they knew by now that he was the one that determined what her personal space was. It was something that Logan found amusing since he had seen his brother and Bear stare at each other, a stupid thing, but it was their thing.

"I hope you are laughing because you're ready to work," Keegan's voice entered as he passed by them. He paused to look at them and continued, "Debrief in twenty."


A/N: And here we are with another mission from the Ghosts and a new series sort of. So Reed is ambushed and it looks like Hawk has a new man in the house. Stay tuned for more...