"Where the hell are you guys?" I screamed into my comm. I was starting to freak out.
"ETA is 5 minutes my friend," I heard Nikolai say.
"Can't you fly any faster?" Soap and I asked at the same time.
"No, I am sorry my friend. This is as fast as my helicopter goes," Nikolai said apologetically.
I tried taking out some more hostiles when I heard sniper fire. I didn't feel any bullets whistle past me, so I kept firing until my mag ran out.
"Spread out," I heard Captain Price say over the comms. "We need to find A.J. alive."
That's when they pain started. I cried out and went backstage again. My shoulder was throbbing, and I could feel the blood gushing out of the wound.
"A.J., what's your status?" Price asked.
"I'm hit," I managed to get out in between gasps of pain.
"Can you still fight?" Price asked. He didn't want me to get overwhelmed with hostiles.
"I'm not sure. I was hit in the shoulder," I said as I tried moving my shoulder. I barely moved it an inch, and gasped in pain again.
"Crap, no I can't."
"Hurry up and secure the building," I heard Price say. I heard more people running through the Hall. I peeked around the corner, and saw the rest of my team running in and taking down hostiles.
"A.J., where are you?" Soap asked.
"I'm coming from back stage, do NOT shoot me." I said emphasizing the not part. I walked out from back stage with my gun in the air so they knew I wasn't trying to shoot them. I tried to hide my shoulder injury, but Ghost was quick to spot the blood.
"A.J., that looks pretty bad. We should get you back to base to examine it," he said concerned.
"I'll be fine," I said trying to shrug it off, but that just made the pain worse.
I looked around the Hall. There seemed to be at least 50 dead bodies, but none of them looked like they belonged to anyone from the team so I wasn't worried.
"Does anyone besides me wonder why there were this many…" I looked at the uniforms. "Russians sent to my school with the intent to kill me?"
"We'll figure this out at base. Get to the helicopter A.J.," Price said.
I turned for the door and went to the helicopter. It would be a relief to get off of my feet. When I got into the heli, Nikolai was sitting in the pilot seat. He took one look at me and said, "It must be hard for you to be 14 and be in the Task Force."
"Very hard," I said sitting down and leaning my head against the side of the heli.
"I feel bad and wish there was something I could do, but I do not know what," Nikolai said.
"Don't worry Nikolai. I'll be fine," I said as the rest of my team got into the heli. Ghost sat next to me and started to pay some attention to my shoulder.
"It looks pretty bad. You need to take your vest off so I can look at it," Ghost said.
I tried to take my vest off over my head, but it hurt my shoulder too much.
"I can't get it off," I told Ghost.
"Do you want me to cut it off?" Ghost asked.
This was my only bullet proof vest. They didn't have many that fit me.
"No thanks," I said trying to squirm out of my vest again. Ghost helped me get it over my head. I nearly yelled in pain, but I managed to hold it in.
"You alright?" Ghost asked me.
"Do I look alright? I have a hole in my shoulder!" I exclaimed.
Ghost didn't say anything. He just slipped my shirt over my shoulder and got out some gauze to clean the blood off of my shoulder. He took out his knife, sanitized it, and cut the skin around the bullet a little wider so he could pull it out. Ghost tried once to get the bullet out, and that's when I blacked out.
