A/N: Sorry guys! I meant to get this up yesterday but I got busy and forgot. There will be no translations at the end for this chapter since it's included in the text right after. Quick shout out to Baffled Queen, Little Yellow Sunflower, and slyfox212 before we get started: Thanks so much for taking the time to review, especially since it was just a short prologue. I'm so glad that you guys are excited for this because honestly so am I.
Again, I don't own COD: Ghosts or COD: Ghosts - Devil's Breath or their characters etc. I do however claim responsibility for Charlie's snark and awkwardness, along with Ryder. As always, reviews are welcome.
JULY 5, 2027
GABRIEL T. RORKE
It took longer to get LOKI on line and destroy the American carrier fleet than I thought it would, hell than I thought it should. And now we're paying for it. Most of their assault force was up in the air and on its way long before LOKI ever fired a shot. Now the base is being swarmed and someone just launched a missile, probably an American since I never gave any of my men the order to. Better not've been one of my men. Won't do us a lick of good so if it was I may just have to gut the dumb bastard. If it's the Americans though then it's safe to assume they've updated the trajectory. Probably trying to take out the Ground Array, blind us so we can't see them coming for LOKI. And they've got to be coming for LOKI, it's the only chance they have of surviving this damn war. If they're going to take out the Ground Array though they're going to have to clear out our AA system which means Ground Array's got incoming. We won't be able to hold this base, don't have the numbers to, but maybe we can keep them from destroying our AA system and Ground Array. That in mind, I get on the radio and direct my troops. I go ahead and send primary teams to cover the entrances here and face the Americans head on while I send secondary teams to support the forces at the Ground Array in an attempt to stop the Americans from taking out their defenses. I order everyone else to fall back. We're evacuating on the train. Feed them some shit about fighting hard and proud for the Federation and board the train.
We're finally leaving by the time I manage to get in touch with the men stationed on LOKI. Tell them to be prepared, that they're probably going to lose their eyes on the ground and that when they do they'll probably have a shuttle full of angry Americans to contend with. Give them the order to hold LOKI at all costs. If Elias' brats and the other Ghosts are involved I'm probably just wasting my breath though.
Once we clear the tunnel and head into the canyon we get a panicked distress call on our radio. One of the men tells us that there're Americans onboard. He goes suddenly silent before being able to disclose any more information. Well, shit. If I had to put money on it I'd say it's the Ghosts, or at least a couple of them. Can't say I'm surprised. Their world's on the verge of destruction and the dipshits are still gunning for me.
"Capitán," one of the Feds in the control room with me says, "¿Cuáles son sus órdenes?"
"How many fucking times do I have to tell you? English. I fucking hate Spanish."
"Sorry sir. What are your orders, Captain?" he asks again, in English and far more submissive this time.
I have him initiate Emergency protocol C. We need to make sure our shit's locked down anyways, may as well do it while hunting down the Americans stupid enough to set foot on a Federation train. The man starts chattering over the radio in Spanish, giving the order just as he was told. He's interrupted by a gratingly familiar voice.
"Tell Rorke we're coming for him."
Junior. Of fucking course.
"Dude!"
It's in the background and nearly drowned out by the racket the train makes but sure enough that's Charlie's voice, full of exasperation. She's here. The realization brings a smile to my face. Good, won't have to worry about hunting her down then. My radioman looks at me uncertainly, he doesn't know how to go about doing his job now that Junior's on the line. I just shove the skittish bastard out of the way and takeover.
"Why don't you just tell me yourself, Junior."
"You're done, Rorke," Junior says.
Honestly, if he had even half the fire his sister does I might actually be worried. Junior's all bark and no bite though so I can't help but laugh.
"Oh kid," I say with a sigh, "I'm just getting started."
He doesn't respond. If he's as much like his old man as I think he is then the fucker probably got pissed and chucked the damn thing. Whatever happened, I don't hear anymore from either of the brats. Usually before something like this there's a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, nerves I guess, even after all these years. This time there's nothing but excitement coursing through me. And it only continues to grow with every radio transmission that tells us the brats are moving closer. Dispatch a couple of helos to deal with them, hell mostly to deal with Junior, but if their past performance is any indication all it's going to do is slow the brats down. That's fine though. Let 'em come for me. Then Junior'll be dead and Charlie'll be mine.
The nerves don't hit until the train rocks uneasily and alarms start to blare. One of the cars about a quarter length back has been compromised, half the damn thing coming uncoupled. How the fuck did they manage that? Part of me's worried they won't even drop in here. That they'll just do whatever they just did to that car to this one and derail the damn train. Send a few men to the roof to stop them and one of them radios back that it was one of our own damn birds that took out the coupling. I breathe a little easier once I hear that. And once the radios go silent once more I know they're nearly here.
Sure enough gunfire erupts a few minutes later and has me spinning toward the door, ready to drop Junior the second he walks in. Probably have to shoot Charlie again too. That's OK, I'll be careful. I'll have to do just enough damage to keep the kid under control. The familiar sound of an RPG being fired pulls me from my thoughts and drops my stomach. Shit! The engines blow and I'm hit by something solid as the train's knocked off track, grinding to a halt. My revolver goes off near my face. Once. Twice. As it's being turned on me I'm finally able to regain my bearings and realize that it's Charlie trying to blow my brains out while her brother finishes clearing the car. Sorry, darlin', it's not gonna happen.
Whip my head forward before she can finish turning my weapon on me and crack my forehead against hers. My eyes are fucking watering and my head fucking aches, but I'm nowhere near as dazed by the hit as Charlie is. She staggers back but I don't let her get far. I've still got ahold of her, my hand gripping hers tight over the stock of my revolver, and use it to my advantage. I jerk her back toward me and drive my free fist into her face. The hit knocks her to the floor. Kid nearly falls flat on her face; she just barely manages to catch herself in time. She's still on her hands and knees, stunned by the blow, when I readjust my grip on my weapon. The second I've got a better handle on it I wrench her to her feet and wrap an arm around her throat. Just in the nick of time too because Junior finishes his man and turns his pistol on me about the same time I get his sister up where I want her.
You'd think being on the business end of her brother's pistol would make the kid nervous, but it doesn't. I can actually feel the tension leave her as Junior aims at us. You're kinda twisted, sweetheart. It comes right back though the second I level my revolver at him, her fingers digging into the arm I've got around her neck.
"Drop it!"
The bastard doesn't. Keeps his pistol trained on me in spite of the fact that his baby sister's in the line of fire. The same baby sister he tried to hide from me in Caracas. That he didn't want me anywhere near in Vegas. I turn my weapon on Charlie, putting the barrel flush against her temple, and watching the conflict that sparks in Junior's eyes. Can't quite decide what's more important: protecting Charlie or staying armed so he can fire on me the second he gets the chance. I know he'll do what he has to to protect the kid, even if he hasn't quite reached the same conclusion yet. Guess I'll just have to give him a little nudge in the right direction.
"Now!" I order as I cock my revolver.
I'm not going to shoot her, but he doesn't know that. Doesn't need to. It takes a little longer than I expected it to, but sure enough the resolve in Junior's eyes starts to fade and the bastard starts to lower his weapon. The second he does though Charlie gets pissed.
"Damn it, Hesh! Don't you fucking dare! Just shoot him! Shoot me if you have to, just kill this son of a bitch! We agreed, he dies! No matter what!"
Fucking hell, this kid. I don't know if she's got a deathwish or what but I'm not about to let her talk her brother into shooting us.
"Shut up, Charlie. The 'grown ups' are talking," I say firmly, mouth to her ear and voice low enough that her brother can't quite hear; my lips graze her skin with every word and I feel her flinch in response.
Oh-ho, she doesn't like that, not one fucking bit. I'll have to remember that for later. Despite my words I'm damn well aware that I've got the maturer of the two trapped in my arms, it's just a jab at her. A reminder just how fucking far out of her depth she is, regardless of how talented she might be. Don't know that it does much good because the kid gets ready to go off again. By the anger flushing her face her next outburst might be directed at me instead of her brother but I don't know. Honestly at this point I'm not sure if she even knows, but neither of us get the chance to figure it out. I'm not willing to risk her goading her brother into pulling that trigger so I tighten my grip on her. Whatever she was going to say comes out in a strangled, little choke that I can't help but chuckle at, so I smother my laughter against her disheveled locks. Junior looks sick at the sight of us but there's no repeat of his Vegas outburst. Charlie, tenacious little shit that she is, doesn't let the arm I've got hooked around her delicate throat faze her. She's trying to pry it off and squirming to get out of my grasp. It doesn't work. All it does is make me hold her closer and think of the way I'd rather have her writhing in my arms. Thinking of her like that brings a small smile to my face and Junior's faltering resolve just makes it bigger.
"Last time I'm gonna say it, Junior," I warn, "Drop it! You've got ten seconds or I'll blow your baby sister's brains out."
Start counting down but I don't get very far before Junior shoots his sister a penitent look. I know I've won even before he lowers the damn thing. Once he tosses it to the ground I loosen my hold on Charlie just enough for her to breathe easily. The second I do she's opening her mouth again.
"Hesh."
The only word out of her mouth is her brother's name but her tone says so much more. Her voice is hoarse as hell, but the crestfallen notes drive a dagger into her brother. Pain fills his eyes and he quickly looks to me instead, settling for staring past his sister rather than having to look her in the eye knowing what a fucking disappointment he is.
"You can't win, Rorke. It's over."
Junior sounds miserable. Exhausted and beaten. Just like Elias before I put that bullet in his brain. Don't worry, Junior. I'll put you out of your misery soon enough. I decide to get started and turn my weapon on Junior once more, pulling the trigger as soon as my shot's lined up. Hit him in the gut and his legs give out, sending him careening to the floor where he lands hard on his knees.
"NO!"
Charlie's cry is shrill and she just keeps on with it, screaming and cursing as she thrashes in my hold. Kid's literally kicking and screaming. Her boots are flying every which way and she keeps kicking both her feet out, dropping all her weight on my one arm in an attempt to get free. If this is how you're acting now, I can't wait to see how you react when I put him down. I have a feeling all hell's gonna break loose but I'm still looking forward to it. Can't help laughing, the excitement and anticipation getting to me, as I kick her brother hard in the chest and send him crashing backward against one of the control consoles. Junior hauls himself up as I haul Charlie forward with me. He doesn't even flinch when I press my revolver to his temple, but Charlie's going batshit. She's whirling like a dervish as she tries everything she can to get loose or to grab my weapon so she can try wrestling it away. I'm about ready to pull the trigger when all of a sudden the bastard smirks. The second he does Charlie stops and a grin spreads across her face too. What in the fucking fuck?
"Checkmate."
"Checkmate confirmed."
At the sound of Merrick's voice Charlie bursts into laughter and not the hysterical kind I expect in this situation. She's happy. Fuck, she is downright giddy and that makes me nervous as hell. Something's wrong. I take a step back, taking Charlie with me, to put some distance between us and Junior. My weapon never leaves him though.
"What was that? What did you do?" I demand.
Charlie just lets out another heartfelt laugh before tilting her head up so she can look me in the eye, a pretty little smirk playing on her lips.
"You lost, Rorke," she tells me, a victorious lilt in her voice.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean? She looks back to her brother after that and the son of a bitch is still smirking. When I hear the LOKI rod hit up the track it all suddenly makes sense.
"It's over," Junior says with obvious relief.
These fuckers just killed themselves to kill me. My grip on Charlie loosens as the wall of debris comes roaring toward us.
"Shit, son-"
I don't even have time to finish cursing before the train's ripped from the tracks and we're sent plummeting to the ocean. The violence of the impact tears Charlie from me and I can see her reaching for her brother as we all tumble through the air. This is it. Done in by a couple of fucking children. What a fucking way to-