Chapter 2

"Hey we just saved your asses!"

"We didn't need your help!"

Sequoia looked at Hesh who was arguing with the one that was more of a hot head than she was when pissed and at the other who was calmer and watching the scene unfold. She turned her attention towards Logan and started looking at the injury on his chest. He had been stabbed in the chest by the Fed that ambushed him.

Hesh had tried to get to his brother after the Fed knocked away Riley. Sequoia had done the automatic thing and leapt forward while giving a war whoop. She landed on the back of the Fed and had her knife out and had jammed it into the neck, severing the artery. The arterial spray hit her in the face and mingled with the blackened dirt on her face in an interesting pattern that made her look fierce. She used that to react when the ceiling collapsed and several armed men rappelling down. Thinking they were the enemy, she flipped her rifle that was slung over her shoulder up and swung it like a bat and hit one across the face. She would have turned on the others but she had been grabbed in a bear hug and hauled up.

She struggled on the way up and she managed to head butt her captive with the back of her head and had him grunt but he held fast. She was set into the chopper and she glared at them but her first attention went to Logan when he was brought in. He was still bleeding and he was a man down. Now she would be pleasant since it was their chopper and their rules. She pulled out the med kit from a case nearby and started looking at the injury on Logan's chest with a practiced eye. "Your brother's right. It looks worse than it is. Just needs some stitches."

Logan winced slightly from the sting as she wiped away the grime and blood with an alcohol soaked cloth. It was a relief considering that he could've died but he didn't. Now he was on a chopper and his older brother was arguing with the Ghost called Merrick they had met in No Man's Land. The sergeant they had picked up seemed to be the only calm one there and it helped to slow things down. Maybe she needed it since… He looked at her and said in a slightly ragged voice, "Thanks."

"Hey, had a man hit," she replied with a slight twitch of her lips into a smile. She looked at Logan and noticed that he was vastly different in his appearance to his brother except for maybe the nose. It looked like the captain's but that was just her observation. "Hold that there," she indicated that Logan was to hold the cloth in place. She looked at the two men going at it and said after sighing, "Knock it off!"

Hesh dropped what he was doing and looked at Sequoia surprised that she was still being insubordinate. He wasn't going to complain since she was attending to his brother. The other thing was that he had been impressed with her despite the fact that she had actually hit one of their rescuers and was prepared to take on the whole group by herself. The other, Merrick though didn't see it that way. He walked over to her and replied, "And who do you think you are?"

Sequoia stood up and looked at Merrick with an impassioned look. The blood from the Fed she had knifed had sprayed across her face and it gave an almost grisly appearance that was almost not human at all. She replied, "Just a sergeant agreeing with the lieutenant. We didn't need help."

Merrick narrowed his eyes. He was already sporting the beginnings of a black eye from where he had been hit by the butt of her rifle. He pushed at both her and Hesh and got in their faces. She didn't flinch when he said with narrowed eyes, "The hell you didn't."

Sequoia couldn't help but mutter something loud enough for everyone to hear. It wasn't in English but the meaning was clear and it produced a silence that made everyone wonder if a fight was going to break out. She stared defiantly at Merrick as she turned towards Logan to make sure that it was okay before breaking out the needle and thread since it was going to be rough enough suturing up in a moving flying vehicle but she could do it. Her pose was so still she could have been a statue and had she known it, it was intimidating to the other men there as they watched the scene while their leader came forth and said, "Stow it! All of you!"

Hesh took the opportunity to speak, "We have to go back. Our dad's down there and we're not leaving without him!"

"That's real admirable of you," the leader said as he motioned for Hesh to sit back down next to his brother. He barely glanced at Sequoia while he was looking over the boys.

Sequoia was busy with the needle and thread. While Hesh had been busy trying to get them to go back, she went to work on Logan and stitched up what needed to be done. It would have surprised her men but she had to thank Carol for teaching her how to suture quickly and cleanly. She was finished by the time she realized that the leader was looking at her too. She was squatting and had tossed aside the left over thread and needle and applying the gauze patch when she looked over and it looked like they were in a staring match. She said calmly even though she longed to burst out like Hesh, "He is our captain. We need to know."

The leader stared at her and she got the feeling that this was awfully familiar. It certainly felt familiar and her gut was telling her that it was. She moved slightly back even though she was still squatting and it was almost involuntary. He said more to Hesh and Logan, "Your father's not there anymore."

Sequoia had enough heartache for the day. She had lost her best friend and now the boys lost their father. After a long stalemate and now death… it seemed bleak. It wasn't bleak for long though when the leader removed his mask. Sequoia felt her eyes widen slightly as she looked at the man that was her captain. It was baffling to her as she listened to Hesh go on about being a Ghost. She had no idea that was who they were when they came in from the roof of the building. She just stared to process everything in silence and not sure of what to think.

There had been stories of fierce soldiers who struck fear into the hearts of the Federation but she never believed them. In her mind there was no room for ghost stories. What good was a story when you had the harsh realities surrounding you with bloodshed and death? When they descended from the roof, she thought they were the enemy and reacted accordingly. The Walker boys were not part of her team but they were soldiers for the same cause and that meant you watched each other's backs. It was a relief though to see that Captain Elias Walker was still alive. That meant at least some hope in the fight.

Silently she moved away to leave the boys with their father. It wasn't any of her business anyway. More likely they'll drop her off at a base and she would be reassigned and probably would be a general dogsbody again. She felt something wet touch her shoulder and she looked to see Riley looking at her and her lip twitched into a smile as she reached out and rubbed his ears. "Good boy," she murmured.

"Sergeant."

Sequoia looked up to see that Elias was looking at her. Apparently he was confused as to why she was not there even though she thought it was clear. She glanced at the others looking at her like she was the odd one. Well she was… at least that was what she thought. She had no place here; she was along for the ride and awaiting new orders; that she was certain of since the others there were men. It had hit that Elias would no longer be her captain so she resigned herself to being excluded but it seemed that wasn't to be the case.

She stood up and took a couple cautious steps forward towards Elias. "Sir?"

Elias looked at the sergeant before looking at his sons. "This has been difficult but once I make a choice, there's no turning back. Hesh, you and your brother still have a lot to learn." He looked at Sequoia and addressed her, "The same to you Hawk and I have a feeling you'll be teaching each other a few things but all three of you have passed all of your tests. Welcome to the Ghosts."

"We're ready. We won't let you down," Hesh replied. He glanced over at his brother who nodded and then at Sequoia and her expression baffled him. There was nothing expressive on her face but he thought he detected confusion but it was not easily seen even though the grime and blood on her face made her look intimidating. It was curious since in the trenches she was nothing but a soldier and quick to give sass if the occasion called for it. Now it was like this was a new person entirely who clearly expected something else and had gotten this opportunity instead.

He waited until Elias went to take care of something before taking a seat next to Logan and inspected the wound. He commented, "Not a bad job. You all right little brother?"

Logan pushed his brother's hand away, "I'm fine." He really was fine now. The sergeant they picked up did a good job on patching him up but he had been more impressed at the cool manner in which she took everything. "Like you said, looks worse than it is."

Hesh still checked his brother. He was going to snap his finger to have Riley come over since that Fed knocked Riley away hard but stopped. She was sitting by the dog and running her fingers through the dog's fur while muttering something inaudible. It was like she had isolated herself from the group and in his experience that wasn't a good thing since they were supposed to be a team.

"Dude, leave her alone," Logan said to get his brother's attention.

Hesh looked at Logan, "What are you talking about?"

"I know what you're thinking and I'm just saying to leave her alone for a bit," Logan said. He was certain that she could hear them even though they were talking loud enough for only each other to hear and they had trained long enough to communicate without words. At his brother's silent query he said, "She lost her friend back there."

Hesh listened to his brother's words and then glanced over at Sequoia. She was petted Riley and moving her hands along his body. The dog had taken a hard hit and it looked like she was going over him and making sure he was okay. "The medic?"

"Are you blind, Hesh?" Logan shook his head. Hesh may be a good leader when it came to their jobs on the frontlines and missions but sometimes he missed the painfully obvious. He tended to get caught up on other things. It was the same when they were in school. "Yeah the medic was her friend."

"They were friends?"

It was hard to comprehend since they both heard about Echo Three and what a hard ass she was. She was tough but her guys defended her and she was not known for sentimentality. The idea that she was coping was strange to Hesh and as usual his little brother picked up on it quicker than he did. He looked at his brother while Logan adjusted his position to get more comfortable since they still had a couple of hours till they reached base.

Logan watched the processing going on in his brother's mind. He knew that Hesh was still going to consider going over and talking to Sequoia. He had been through this before and had given his advice but Hesh was a stubborn ass just like he was. It didn't always work out well for Hesh. He remembered the last time and that was two years ago. "Hesh, just leave her alone. When she's ready…"

"Do you know her?"

"Just only what we've both heard and I for one would like to not be on her bad side."

"You're not on my bad side, Logan."

Both brothers looked up to see that Sequoia was looking at them and she was deliberately and gently stroking the fur on Riley's side. They had only been talking between themselves and certainly not shouting it for everyone else to hear. It was a tense moment though since she was staring at them and her face was still covered with grime and blood and it looked intimidating. Logan replied, "That's good since…" He tapped his chest.

Sequoia smiled and just went back to petting Riley. She ran her hands along his midsection in a gentle and controlled manner. She only paused when Riley lifted his head and gave an inquisitive whine. Smiling she petted him on the head and rubbed his ears. Her reward was a lick to the underside of her wrist and he put his head down in her lap.

"He likes you," Logan said noting that his brother was being unusually quiet.

"Nah," Sequoia replied, "I just soothed a hurt." She looked at Hesh and said, "He's fine by the way. It's just a sore spot." She demonstrated by indicating that Riley should get up and the dog did. She gave a slight nod of her head and Riley marched up to Hesh.

Logan watched as Riley obeyed her. Hesh was Riley's primary handler but they both had trained and raised the dog since he was a pup. To obey commands from a relative stranger so readily… that was something. He was impressed and he was curious to know more about her as a person. He chuckled as he watched Hesh give Riley a pat and said he was a good boy and then looked to see Sequoia sitting curled up in a tight ball. He sat back and observed her well aware that Hesh was doing the same while paying attention to Riley.

Sequoia knew she was being looked at by the Walker boys. It was a rather strange 'arrangement'. She glanced over in the direction of the other Ghosts. The one named Merrick gave her rather an evil eye and the other, quieter one was looking at her like she was an oddity. She looked back at the Walker boys and rested her arms on her drawn up knees and rested her chin on them. There were some questions that she had wanted answered.

"Sir, can I have a word please?"

Elias looked at Sequoia. She had cleaned up a little but the blood was still over her face. It was hard to do in a chopper but the calm manner still had a way of commanding attention. He noticed that Merrick scowled at her and suppressed a chuckle since the shiner he was sporting was a sign of interesting times ahead. He replied, "Alright." He nodded for Merrick to leave. "Have a seat."

Sequoia waited until Merrick had passed before Standing next to Elias. She put her hands behind her back as she stood there with her captain. It was an interesting exercise in balance but it worked. Mentally she thought about what she was going to say as she took the time to observe the Ghosts and the Walker boys. It was a new environment but one she could work with.

"What do you want to talk about Hawk?" Elias' words brought her to the present since it was clear that he had been expecting her to speak first.

Sequoia sighed, not at all put out by the fact that Elias had used her warrior name. She replied, "I just have a question… why?"

Elias had been wondering when she was going to ask that question. The length of time was an indicator that she had either improved on her patience or had time to think about things. Or she would rather have this conversation in private than in front of the others. Either way, it indicated to him that she was going to do well as a Ghost. Glancing at her, Elias continued walking and replied, "Because I thought you would do well as a Ghost."

"Sir."

Elias stopped walking and turned to see that Sequoia was looking at him with a silent demand to tell the truth. He had kept this secret a long time from his boys and finally told them the truth. He could do the same for her. "Do you remember the story of how you received your warrior name?"

"Before I was born, my father had a dream. He saw a white hawk swooping down upon its enemies visible only for a moment and gone the next. He saw men tremble in fear at the sight of it," Sequoia replied as she recalled the story. "He told you that story when you visited before the war."

"That is only partially true, Hawk," Elias said. He took in Sequoia's parade rest stance. There was never such a thing as a relaxed state with her, at least when business was concerned. Seeing her puzzled look, he explained, "He told me yes only after I confirmed along with your people's shaman that we had the same dream. You were only the baby then."

"You had the same dream?"

"It was strange to the shaman as well but I did." Elias looked at her and then turned to look at the landscape of their base. "We were there for your naming ceremony. Hesh was almost a year and you were six months at the time."

"My father respected you greatly," Sequoia offered more out of politeness. She knew that they knew each other. "He said that you saved his life."

"It was the other way around. Charles was always modest," Elias corrected. He sighed at the memories before he continued, "Your father gave you a warrior's name much to the displeasure and surprise of your people. They didn't say much because the shaman was in agreement with him. Later he told me that it was rare to have a woman be born a warrior."

"That doesn't really explain why," Sequoia pointed out. She knew that her people eyed her warily when she was a girl. Women were not warriors. Men were and that was the way of things. It sort of set her on the path she was on now. "My father said that I was to be a different breed of warrior. I would still be Lakota Sioux but I would not be of my people. I guess he was right since I thought it meant that it would be a different battlefield I would fight on. I went on to try and become an artist and fight for my people by painting our history."

Elias was well aware of that. The day ODIN had been turned against them, he had learned that she had arrived in San Diego with a collection of her painting and charcoal works. An exhibit was to be put up and he had intended to take a look. Things didn't end up that way. He wondered if that was what his old friend had seen when they had last spoken.

"I guess it didn't work out that way, sir. After ODIN, I joined and I became a soldier so I did become a warrior," she was saying.

"That is not entirely true, Hawk."

"What do you mean?"

Elias took a breath and replied, "Before ODIN, your father came by to speak with me. He was on his way to New Mexico with your mother." He noticed the look that passed on her face. She was putting something together in her mind. He continued, "He came to speak to me about you. He told me that he had the dream he had twice before again."

"Was he well?"

"He was," Elias answered, noting the concern. "He told me that another war was on the horizon and one that he would not live to see."

"He knew," Sequoia whispered trying to keep the tears in. She hadn't cried since the day ODIN attacked and she realized that her parents were gone.

"I always wondered about that," Elias admitted, "And he wouldn't say anything about how he knew. Maybe there was more to Charles Thundering Bear Williams than people knew." He cleared his throat slightly before continuing, "Anyway he told me that there was a war coming that he wouldn't be able to fight because he wouldn't live to see. He said that I would live to see it and that you would be there; that it was a war you would fight and become the White Hawk of his dream. You would be the warrior of a different kind."

"But I'm a soldier, sir."

"And now you are a Ghost," Elias said with a determined air. "You passed your tests as they came. You have no idea how hard it was to watch for five years as you fought, led and survived."

"You requested that I be transferred under your command," Sequoia replied more of a statement than a query.

Elias nodded, "Yes. It was time to see how you would do where I had a better eye on you. I gave you Echo Squad and while hard because you are my goddaughter so to speak, I had to give you the chance like I did with my boys."

"Yet it seemed different that they went to No Man's Land on recon and I was on Wall patrol and then assigned to the trenches," Sequoia pointed out. "I hardly see how it could be a test unless it was one on how well I follow orders."

"Partially but also because I needed you there. Your presence in the trenches made all the difference especially when the Federation attacked the beach. Your fighting and ingenuity with the explosives… it only shows how well you can act in the field." He studied her expression. She seemed to accept her fate in terms of what happened but Elias sensed that there was more to it than what she was showing. "Then the way you defended my sons… It was further proof that you were a Ghost."

"I don't know." As much as it was relief to hear the truth from Elias, Sequoia still wasn't sure about her position here. Most would have considered it an honor but… She didn't know if she would truly belong. She only did what she did for Hesh and Logan because they were fellow soldiers and you looked out for each other. "Elias, I signed up to fight the Federation. I am not seeking glory or anything. That was stamped out of me before I was assigned to you and I never had any illusions to such anyway. I lost my whole unit at Santa Monica and I just don't think I am the one you want."

Elias noted that she called him by name. It was a first since she always called him 'sir'. It made him feel old at times but he understood she was giving him respect not only as a soldier but as the way warriors deferred respect to the elder warriors as was the way of the Lakota Sioux. He could understand why she was having doubts. "Hawk, I know how you feel. I have lost men too and it has taken a toll. The choices made, sometimes they haunt but if they were the best at the time made…"

"Hardly comfort but I understand," Sequoia interrupted but with understanding. "Still… I don't know what you want with me."

"I could tell you that it is because of a personal promise to your father that I would look after you but that would only be a partial truth." Elias knew he caught her attention when she looked at him with a slightly sharp look. She was curious about what his motives were. He continued, "The other part is that maybe I believe that you were meant for more than a soldier in the trenches; that I believed in that dream."

Sequoia didn't say anything and Elias noted that. She wasn't sure what to make of it. He did believe that she was meant to be someone other than a soldier. Her silence signaled to him that he could tell her more, "I believe that you are a warrior of your people but not of them; that you would cleanse the land of those that oppress us… like the dancers once showed."

Sequoia said nothing but she knew what Elias meant. She looked up at him and they shared a look. The silence was only punctuated by Elias saying, "Ghosts do dance."

"Maybe you're right," she said after a pause.

A/N: So Sequoia, Hesh and Logan join the Ghosts and looks like Elias knows more than he lets on. Stay tuned for next time on There Are No Coincidences...