A/N: Quick shout out to slyfox212, Baffled Queen, Confused Student, and Little Yellow Sunflower: Thanks for taking the time to review guys. I'm glad you're still reading and enjoying. Little Yellow Sunflower, we'll definitely be meeting El Mozo. Can't say when exactly or how he'll compare to Rorke but he's coming up soon... ish.
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 6, 2027
CHARLIE S. WALKER
God, everything hurts. My pulse is ringing in my ears and while my eyes are working just fine it takes my brain a minute to catch up and process everything. Between the smell of gasoline and the seat belt across my lap I can tell l'm in a vehicle. When the hell did that happen? By the blood rushing to my head it's safe to assume that I'm upside down. Why the hell am I upside down? And by the groaning beside me I know I'm not alone, so I look to my left to see who it is. Shit! It's Rorke. Get the hell out of here Charlie! Now! I'm still groggy, my movements still a little unsure, but I go straight for the buckle of the seat belt holding me in place. It takes a minute or two of fumbling before I'm able to find it. I press the button and fortunately the buckle's not jammed. Unfortunately I fall straight to the ground, landing on my bad arm. A scream tears from my throat before I can even try to stop myself and my vision swims dangerously. No! You are not passing out! Pull your shit together Walker and get your ass in gear! The windows are both shattered and even though the frame of the one beside Rorke isn't quite as bent there's no way in hell I'm risking going under him, so I head for the other one. I drag myself out, ignoring the shallow cuts the broken glass makes in my skin as I pull myself over it.
"Charlie?"
My blood runs cold. It's dazed and confused, but that's Rorke's voice. He's alive and he's awake. Shit! Go! I finish pulling myself free and dare to look back. Rorke's eyes lock with mine and I can see the confusion clearing.
"Charlie…"
I can hear the warning in his voice clear as day, but there's no frickin' way I'm going to listen to this son of a bitch. There's a dead Fed nearby and I scramble over to him once I see the radio clipped to his vest. Please work. I spare a quick glance at the sky to see where the sun is then grab the radio and climb to my feet as I hear flames crackle and Rorke struggling with his own seatbelt. The second I'm vertical I take off like a shot into the jungle, running for the coast.
"CHARLIE!"
At least, I hope I'm running for the coast. I'm not entirely sure. I don't know where I am, how long I was out, or how far we've driven. But I know I've got to put as much distance as I can between myself and Rorke as fast as I can. Even if I'm lucky enough that Rorke's buckle jammed there's no way that'll stop him for long. While I run I fiddle with my pilfered radio. Rorke saw me take it, so staying on their channel won't do me any good. He's not dumb enough to let any survivors keep using it when I can listen in. It takes me a couple minutes, but eventually I remember the frequency Merrick gave me and tune to that.
"Merrick! Merrick!"
Please answer! Please, please answer!
"Charlie?" he finally responds, voice thick and full of disbelief, "Oh my god, baby girl! Where are you?"
"I-I don't know," I say and even though I try I'm not quite able to keep the quiver out of my voice, at least I manage not to cry, "We were wrong. Rorke's not dead. He hurt Hesh. Oh God, Hesh. Hesh is hurt, Merrick! He's hurt really bad! He needs help!"
"I know, I know," Merrick reassures me quickly, his voice sure and soothing, "He's OK. We got him. We're looking for you. I need to know where you are, baby girl."
"But I don't know! I don't know how long it's been or how far we drove. All I know is I woke up to a truck on fire and I'm pretty sure I'm running toward the coast."
"You're not anywhere near the coast, Char. You're not even in fucking Chile anymore," he tells me and I feel my stomach drop, "You've been out for a while. Did you head into the trees on the side closest to the wreck, or the far side?"
"Um… Far side."
"That's good! That's really good, baby girl. The guys are there. They planted some charges in the road and that's why you crashed. Can you find your way back to the crash?"
"I can't go back! He's there, Merrick! Rorke's still alive! He's there and he's pissed!" I reply as I continue my mad dash through the jungle, periodically checking the sun's position through the breaks in the foliage.
"OK, OK. Charlie, I need you to calm down baby girl. The guys were there. He's not. They checked," Merrick says before sighing. "Which means he's either after you or he's run off. Either way we need to find you fast kid."
"Well what the hell am I supposed to do?!"
"Charlie, stop. Stop running," Merrick says firmly and begrudgingly I slow down until I'm just standing still.
"OK."
"Now, can you hear anything? Any voices? Any footsteps? The fire? Anything baby girl."
Bugs are buzzing and animals are chittering all around me, but that's not going to be any help so I block it out. There's no crackle of flames, so I've managed to put some distance between me and the wreck. There's no angry footsteps. No frantic calls of my name. There's splashing. Splashing and trickling. Not loud. Not enough to be anything big like a river, but it's something.
"I hear water."
"Good! That's fucking great Charlie. I've got aerial surveillance of your area and there's a stream that runs right through it. Can you find it? I'll have the boys meet you there."
"OK."
A sense of relief washes over me. I knew I could count on them. As I start for the water I realize that crashing through the jungle hasn't exactly been subtle and take care not to leave any further trace. If Rorke's following me I'm not giving him anymore of a trail to follow than I already have. Even moving as carefully as I am it doesn't take too long for me to reach the water. It's really nothing more than a small stream cutting through the jungle. Once I'm there I let Merrick know and then I just wait and listen, glad to not be running anymore. The adrenaline that pushed me so hard and let me power through the pain racking my body is wearing off. I'm starting to crash and I want nothing more than to leave with my squad and pass out on the way back to base. They can't get here soon enough.
An arm pulls tight across my throat, choking me and cutting off my air. Oh God! I never even heard him. I'm struggling, kicking and hitting him as best I can, but Rorke doesn't let it faze him. He just snatches the radio from me and chucks it at a nearby tree. It shatters. Rorke starts to drag me away from the stream and back into the jungle. If I weren't being strangled I'd probably be hyperventilating, especially once I feel his breath hot on my neck again.
"Now what the hell am I going to do with you darlin'?" he growls lowly in my ear as I futilely try to pull his arm away from my neck, "Are you gonna make me break your fucking legs too just to keep you from running off again? Huh? I'll tell you what, I don't want to do that sweetheart, but if you keep fucking pushing me I swear to god I will."
When I can't pull his arm away after a couple tries I give up and swing my elbow back instead, aiming for bastard's GSW because I know it'll drop him. He reacts before I can connect, shoves me to ground and I land awkwardly to avoid falling on my broken arm. Doesn't make much of a difference though because Rorke is on me right after, shoving my face into the dirt and wrenching my busted arm up behind my back as a pained scream rips from my throat, leaving it sore, and something stings me.
"CHARLIE!" Ryder cries, an unfamiliar panic in his voice.
"You've gotta be fucking shitting me," Rorke grumbles.
"RY-!"
I don't even get Ry's full name out before Rorke clamps his hand over my mouth, his fingers curling under my jaw to hold it closed and forcing me to shut up. Doesn't stop me from screaming and trying to pry his fingers away. But it muffles me enough that I'm not sure my squad will be able to hear me. I'm twisting and thrashing violently, trying to wriggle free and out of Rorke's grasp again. Rorke just lets out an annoyed huff before dropping his full weight on me so I can't. No! No, no, no, no!
Ryder and Keegan come crashing into sight a few minutes later, Leo trailing behind them. I renew my struggles but nothing comes from it. I'm trapped. I can't scream. I can't fight. I can't do anything, but watch and pray that my team finds me. I'm over here! I'm here! Please, please, please! God. Ry, I'm right here!
"They're gonna leave you," Rorke says softly, so softly I know there's no way anyone heard it but me, "Just watch."
They search the stream and the area immediately surrounding it. They're so, so close. But they never come close enough.
"I'm telling you, she's here! I heard her!" Ryder shouts desperately when Leo suggests they move on.
"I know, we all did," Keegan reassures him, "But Merrick said she was at the stream. Do you see her? Hear her? Or anyone for that matter?"
"No," Ryder says reluctantly.
"So let's keep moving. She's gotta be close. We'll just follow the stream," Leo says.
Keegan agrees with him and eventually Ryder relents. My breathing picks up. No, no! I'm right here! Don't leave me! Please! They press forward and I start to hyperventilate.
"See? What did I tell you?"
They disappear into the jungle. Tears stream across my face and my shoulders shake as I start to sob. Rorke lets out a soft chuckle.
"Aw, don't cry darlin'. I'm here," he says, tone still quiet.
It's obvious the bastard's mocking me. That's enough to get me to stop crying, but I keep blinking. My eyelids are so frickin' heavy and I'm starting to have trouble keeping them open. What the hell? Then I remember getting stung when Rorke pinned me and I've got my answer. Bastard drugged me again! I start struggling again. Rorke just hushes me gently. The more I fight the harder it is to… The more I fight… harder… stay awake. Stay awake.