Chapter 6

I wonder who you are…

Sequoia looked up in the mirror as she finished washing the paint off her face. She stared at her face and studied her features. She wasn't a classic beauty in the sense she wasn't like those beauties in the magazines. Her face was more angular and reflected the angles common to people of Native American or Asian descent. Her father said that she had the beauty of her people, whatever the hell that meant. To her it meant that she had features that made her look like a man.

It certainly lends to the fact that I was 'born a warrior'.

Sequoia sighed since that wasn't what really bothered her. She had known that she was no beauty for a long time and accepted it. The only thing beautiful about her was her hair. It was raven black and a full head that trailed to just the bottom of her shoulder blades. It was definitely too long in terms of being a soldier and in combat but she couldn't bring herself to cut it. It was like her mother's hair and keeping it the length it was reminded her of her mother.

No, what bothered her was the meeting with Rorke. She long knew that her father and Elias knew each other and accepted that. The way how Rorke mentioned her father in that personal way… it just didn't sit right. It was made worse by the way he speculated about her. There were a lot of things her father didn't tell and probably because he couldn't because of what he did for the military.

It was probably not the best thing to do but she wanted to know and the best source was her godfather. She walked swiftly and silently to where Elias would be in terms of making plans and whatever a commanding officer would do. She saw that the door was closed. As she approached, the door opened to let out Keegan and Merrick. Both passed her and shot her a look which she ignored for the most part and kept her attention on Elias.

"Hawk. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to speak with you sir."

Elias looked at Sequoia and noted her stance and expression. Something was going on in that mind of hers. "What about?"

"Can we speak in private?"

Elias ushered her into his office. She didn't take a seat but preferred to stand. He could tell by that she was in a serious mood. "What's on your mind Hawk?"

Sequoia took a breath. She had thought about how to approach this on the way down. Finally she said, "Honored brother of Thundering Bear, I come to you with a question that I want to know the answer to."

It was formal but Elias knew that she was appealing to him and using the relationship he had with her father for grounding. He had to commend her for using that since the manner of her request dictated that he respect her request. He replied," And what do you wish to know?"

"Was my father a Ghost?"

Elias looked at Sequoia with a raised brow. "No. Why do you ask?"

"Elias." Sequoia gave a firm look at the man. She was well aware that she could be cited for insubordination. Merrick wouldn't have any trouble taking that out on her and she probably would make things worse. Still she didn't want to play games like she did before when she would visit Elias to give reports. She looked at him, her brown eyes flickering to reflect the fact that she was there to get an answer and she wasn't going to leave without getting one.

Elias took in her expression with calm pride. She was like her father in many ways including when she was demanding not to be toyed with though she was more like her mother in the manner in which she did that. Keegan had filled him in on what happened and what had gone on so he knew what it was about. Sighing he replied, "He wasn't Hawk. He would have made a hell of a Ghost but he declined the offer."

Sequoia paused a moment before asking, "If he wasn't a Ghost then, how did the hell Rorke know about him?"

"Because Charles was there the day I made that decision." Elias knew he had her attention. She had only been a little girl then but she knew that her father was working then as it had been put to her. There were some things that Charles had kept from her and it was in line with the nature of his work. Still she was an adult and it was no secret that Rorke knew about his sons. "Charles was there when we went after Almagro as a specialist. Your father was good at his job Hawk but it was the kind of thing that most didn't like to think about."

"What was he going to do?" Sequoia had a feeling about the answer but she wanted the truth from Elias. "Why was he there?"

Elias sighed and then looked at her in the eye, "Charles was to interrogate Almagro. He may have been the one in charge but we had to make sure that there was no one else; we needed to take him out completely. Charles knew… techniques."

Sequoia knew what Elias meant by that. "So Rorke knew my father because he was with you all?"

Elias gave a nod, "Charles was placed with us and had already acquired a reputation. Rorke… admired him for it and it bothered your father." Elias turned to look out at nothing in particular. It just gave him time to think about what he was telling his friend's daughter. "He would often question him about his tomahawk. I understand that you had a way of getting Ramos to talk."

"I missed," Sequoia replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. She looked downward to think about what she wanted to say next. "Rorke sounded like he really knew him. He called him Charlie and… as far as I know you were the only one allowed to call him that." She looked at Elias with the question in her eyes.

Elias had turned to look back at Sequoia. He knew she would brush off what she did to Ramos since her main concern was this. Once she got ahold of something, she never let go. "It wasn't the first time we worked together, Hawk. There was a reason why Charles told you things the way he did."

Sequoia absorbed the information. She knew there was a reason why and she had been happy with the answers her father had given. She hadn't wanted to know and he hadn't told her. Now though it seemed that there was a reason why things were as they were. She looked up and asked, "Does Rorke know about me?"

"Does it matter now?"

"No but… I know he couldn't see me properly but I got the feeling that he could. It was like he knew."

"That was part of how he made the Ghosts feared, Hawk," Elias said as he turned to look at her. "Rorke could make someone be guilty just by the way he suggested it. He knew that Charles, like you, was the only one to know how to use the tomahawk like you could."

Sequoia heard it but she still didn't buy it, "I don't think so Elias. I was there and… It was a feeling that I got and for the most part it is never wrong. I didn't like it."

Elias was well aware of the gut instinct. It had saved her life and her team's countless times over the past five years. That along with her skills of tracking and listening… he could understand why she wanted to know and he wanted to tell her. Rorke never knew about her; that he was certain. Charles never talked about his family except to him when they talked about the boys. Other than that, Charles never said a word about it to anyone. He looked at Sequoia, "We know the risks of this job."

"I know," Sequoia replied. "It's just... I want to know if it will compromise my ability to do my job," Sequoia replied, not willing to press it further. She could only do so much in terms of pushing the gut feeling and where did feelings matter? She straightened up and assumed an almost formal position. She wasn't going to push.

Elias noticed the change in her posture. He knew that she wasn't satisfied but she wasn't going to press either. For as long as he knew her, he knew that the idea of admitting to anyone that she might be scared or needed help was laughable to other people. It was one of the things that he was sort of saddened to see because she never would say anything. At least she was aware that the Ghosts were a team and they had her back for anything. He replied, "You are safe in the sense that you are just another Ghost and not also my goddaughter."

"So you know this is personal."

"Yes. Keegan said as much when he reported in." Elias looked at Sequoia and put his hands on her shoulders. "It will be okay Hawk."

Sequoia would have liked to have said more but she didn't. Instead she took comfort in Elias' words even though she knew that things may be far from okay. She still couldn't shake the unease that Rorke gave her and the fact that the man was going to hit the man who was like a second father to her in the hardest way possible. He wouldn't hesitate to harm Logan or Hesh and she found that she didn't want that to happen.

Satisfied to some degree, she nodded, "I understand sir."

"Anything else?"

"No sir."

"Dismissed then." Elias watched as Sequoia began to take her leave. She was concerned about her being used to hurt him but she also wanted to know the truth about her father. He had given her what he thought was best and it was the truth but not all the details. If the time came and she needed to know he would tell her. Now she understood the relationships that were in existence. He let her go, knowing that she would still think about things; the reality of what she had done hadn't quite set in yet. He repeated, "It will be okay."

"I know, sir." Sequoia gave a slight smile as she turned to leave Elias to turn in for the night… or what was left of it.

The thing about waiting for news on data was that it was time consuming. When you had the adrenaline going, you were ready to go and you wanted to get moving and take care of it. Yet the respite is necessary. Human bodies were not the well-oiled machines that could run without a break. Time was needed to rest and to heal both physically and mentally. It was what enabled a person to rally and go back out and do the same shit they did the last time but it was a new day.

Hesh was certainly glad for the respite as he wandered the hall with Riley at his heels. He rotated his sore left shoulder grunting slightly at the throbbing pain. It wasn't too bad but it still hurt like hell. It wasn't fun getting shot and it certainly wasn't fun getting scratches cleaned out by medics that seemed hell bent on making you suffer for doing your job; like it was your fault you got hit in the first place.

The injury was in the shoulder and he was ordered to go easy on it for the next couple of days. The same went for Logan only it was on his right. Keegan made a joke about not having one without the other. It produced some laughter even though it hurt like a bitch and Logan actually told the man to go fuck himself, which made more laughter. It certainly made Hesh laugh since Logan was always the more mild-mannered one but in a fight, that was a deception.

Elias always said that Hesh and Logan were polar opposites in temperament but when put together they made a formidable team. As kids whenever Logan perceived his older brother at a disadvantage it was like releasing hell's fury. Hesh would do the same for Logan but the fun part was that people assumed Logan wasn't going to fight back. That wasn't how the Walker boys were raised though. They fought back.

Riley's whine caught Hesh's attention and he looked at the dog. Riley had picked up a familiar scent and that whine was usually reserved for someone who was family. So that meant that it was either Logan, an unlikely thing since he was still asleep, or Elias and that man sometimes was up way before the crack of dawn if it was urgent enough or he wanted to put him and Logan through one of his tests that required they be in a semi awake state.

He found that he was outside wandering the deck of the safe house they rendezvoused at and it was facing the east with a nice view of the scenery and the sun rising. Before he could stop him, Riley gave the whine and trotted forward to the person sitting on the edge of the deck overhanging a small drop. Hesh paused since he recognized who it was.

Sequoia had been up since the early hours. She had always been an early riser and today was no different. It was more out of force of habit since she had been given the go ahead to sleep in by Elias even though she hadn't had any serious injury from the mission. The few scratches were nothing in her opinion and didn't warrant a lie abed moment. Besides she felt rested and she just wanted some quiet since she had time to think about things especially the new information about Rorke.

Elias was right in that it didn't matter if Rorke knew she was her father's daughter. Charles Williams was dead and had been dead for ten years and if Rorke was set on revenge, then there was no means of getting it. But if he knew about her relationship to Elias, that was one more thing to use against him. Hesh and Logan were his sons and a direct hit to Elias. She didn't like the feeling that she was somewhat 'safe' from this but she wouldn't do anything to hurt Elias so she wouldn't bring it up again but just do her job.

She took a breath of the morning air and gave a smile. It was a new day and it seemed to make things feel better. She checked her watch and noted that it was still early for breakfast, even for coffee. She stretched her limbs and continued to sit until she heard a whine. Turning she saw Riley approaching her with his tongue lolling out. She smiled and greeted the dog, "Hi Riley."

Riley gave a high pitched whine and came close enough for her to give a rub to his ears. He lolled his tongue out at her and gave a bark of approval. Sequoia couldn't help but chuckle at the dog. He wasn't a cute puppy since he was trained to be a killer but he was affectionate and very loyal. He was currently enjoying her attentions and he showed it by giving a gentle lick to her hand before sitting next her tightly. She couldn't help but say, "I guess it doesn't take much to win over you huh, boy?"

Riley gave a bark and then looked around. It had Sequoia look around. If Riley was up and about he usually was in the company of one of the Walker boys or Elias. She wouldn't mind company from Logan. He was fun to get along with and he was truly interested in getting to know her. He was the kind of brother she would have liked to have. Hesh was something else and she wasn't sure of what to make of him. He was a good brother looking after Logan but there was…

She was to find out who it was when Hesh stepped out and said, "Riley."

The dog didn't move but instead looked up at Hesh with a lolling tongue and a slight whine. Sequoia looked at Riley and said, "Go on."

Riley whined again clearly not wanting to go. Hesh sighed. Riley didn't disobey orders and he didn't want to cause a scene. "Come Riley. I'm sorry."

"No harm." Sequoia tried to help Hesh out. "Riley. Go on." She gave a firm look at the dog but he was holding his ground. "Is he usually like this?"

"No. I am curious what the hell you did," Hesh replied. His tone wasn't harsh but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

Sequoia looked up at Hesh with a raised brow. "He is your dog. I merely checked him out."

Hesh couldn't deny that. Her assessment had been correct and Riley was fine. Sighing he made a motion and asked, "You mind?"

"No." Sequoia then turned to look back out at the landscape. Riley pressed into her more and was panting happily.

If Hesh expected anything further, he was to be disappointed. Slowly he moved to sit by Sequoia on her left and dangled his legs over the edge like she was doing. He sat there with his hands folded in his lap and just looked around. Occasionally he glanced over at Sequoia and noted the calm air she exhibited as she stared out. Not a muscle was twitching until Riley laid down and put his head in her lap. Then she started petting him with her fingers smoothing the fur. The rest of her body was still allowing him to get a good look at her profile.

First thought was that she was the definition of strong and silent type since she never talked much at least to him. Her eyes were bright and alert and he noticed that she had fairly long hair. He was surprised by it since most of the women that enlisted cut their hair short. It looked like she didn't and he wondered how she was able to get by that. Now it was currently hanging in a single braid down her back and stopped just at the bottom of her shoulder blades.

The silence wasn't oppressive but Hesh got the feeling that if it had been Logan, the two of them would be talking up a storm. He decided to give it a try. He cleared his throat and said, "It's a nice morning."

"Agreed."

"Ever see anything like it when…"

"Sweeping the Wall never allowed me to see it." Sequoia didn't mean to sound so clipped but she wasn't sure how to act. He outranked her technically and she only spoke when necessary like during a mission. She glanced over at Hesh before turning back to looking out in the landscape. Her fingers continued to smooth out Riley's fur.

"Oh." Hesh cleared his throat. At least that was something but it was like pulling teeth. The interrogation of Ramos went much easier and that was because it was part of the mission. He cleared his throat again.

"How is your arm?"

Hesh rotated his shoulder. "Still sore but I'm alive. Logan is fine."

"I know. I spoke to him last night." Sequoia took a breath and looked at her left since her right was occupied with petting Riley. "He has good spirits. He doesn't let much get him down." She paused a moment before she added, "He holds his emotions well."

Hesh felt his lips twitch a little. It wasn't that hard to pick out the differences between him and his brother. The way she said it, it felt like he was six years old again and being scolded for not behaving even though she wasn't implying anything. A dry chuckle came out and looked down before looking over at Sequoia. "Yeah. Listen uh… thanks for… keeping it calm."

Sequoia glanced over at Hesh not sure of what to make of it. In her mind she was doing what she usually did. She looked outward and replied, "Old habit. Before I was Echo Three. Had a hotheaded lieutenant and I was the one that reminded him to keep it cool." She glanced over nervously since she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say. Combat or even art she was good at and she could talk to Logan about just anything. This was different… more different than when she spoke with Elias in terms of a superior officer. It part of those feelings that she wasn't sure what they meant.

Hesh took in her response with a nod. He couldn't get why she was so stiff with him except when they were on a mission. At least they were talking. Before the mission she hardly spoke to him unless she had to. "Still… thanks. I know I get a little…"

Sequoia nodded, "Sometimes a reminder is all that is needed." She lapsed into silence since that was more or less a safe thing.

Hesh responded by being silent as well. There was nothing wrong with it and they sat in companionable silence. It was almost like being kids again since their legs were dangling over the edge and just looking around. He found himself enjoying the silence even though he normally would be fidgeting unless he was on the mission; he had to have something to do. This time it was different.

They sat there until Hesh guessed correctly that the kitchen was open. He glanced over to see that Sequoia was still sitting still. She was no longer petting Riley but her hand was still on the dog and he looked like he was enjoying the attention. He turned to stare back out at the landscape and said, "Kitchen's open now. Do want a cup of coffee? Breakfast?"

Sequoia paused for a minute and then nodded, "Sounds good."

Hesh was on his feet first and had his hand extended out to give a hand. Sequoia looked up and took the proffered hand. He had a firm grip; she certainly felt it when they were making their exfil. She was sliding on the ground and had the laptop hooked onto her tomahawk after catching it when it fell to the ground and slid past her and was heading towards debris that meant certain death. Hesh had ended up grabbing her by the shoulder of her vest and pulling her towards him before they both slid down and out.

Without gloves on, the skin to skin contact was like when she purposely brushed his uniform with his. She didn't say anything as she got to her feet with his help. Riley was on his feet looking like he was going to get a treat. Actually he was going to get one since he usually did. He gave a happy bark making Sequoia's lips twitch and she said, "Look like someone knows it's time for chow."

"He knows food," Hesh offered with a shrug as he released her hand.

Sequoia gave a shrug of her shoulders in agreement. She reached down and gave Riley a scratch on the ears before straightening up. She waited until Hesh started walking and she followed with Riley close on their heels. They walked side by side in silence towards the kitchen. It was like a somber procession as they silently grabbed a plate of whatever it was that was available along with a cup of coffee.

They sat at a table and silent ate. Occasionally Sequoia fed bits to Riley even though Hesh gave her a scowl for that. It didn't help that he did the same too. It was that way until Logan joined them and teased his brother about learning patience. Hesh told Logan to shut up and noticed the slight smile that Sequoia was giving while she took a sip of her coffee before saying something about the hardest lessons going against a person's nature and said it in a tone that had Logan laughing as she cast a knowing look in his direction.

A/N: The first mission as a Ghost is done and it looks like some questions are being asked and answered and people getting to know each other. Something seems to be going on... This and more next time on There Are No Coincidences...