A.N. Hey guys. This is going to be one of about 2-3 more chapters before 'Loose Ends'. I could really use ideas for that chapter, because at this rate, it's going to turn out like most of the situations I've read, and I want to do something that's more original. So, with that in mind, I'll let you guys get to reading. And again, please review or PM me any ideas or opinions you have about the story. Also, I'm going to try something new. A Question of the Chapter. It'll be at the end of every chapter so that nothing is spoiled, but feel free to answer with a review.
Tracking… Found
PFC. Ava Blackwood
Task Force 141
Firebase Phoenix, Afghanistan
I didn't see him until I heard the scream of pain. One moment, I'm running the course, the next, there's a man in the corner getting shot.
"Bloody hell." He said, looking down at his torso
"Oh my god! Are you okay?" I asked
That was stupid. The man had just been shot; of course he wasn't okay.
"What the bloody hell do you think?" He asked
"What the hell are you doing up here?" I said
He didn't answer; he had fallen unconscious. He didn't have a plate carrier on, so I couldn't drag him out of here, so I'd just have to try and pick him up. I dropped my gun, and knelt down next to him, placing one of his arms over my shoulder. 'It's just like pushing up from a squat, except for the fact that he probably weighs more than you've ever squatted in your life.' I pushed up from the ground, my legs unsteady from all the extra weight. I carefully walked over to the stairs, and begun going down them when I saw my new CO, Captain MacTavish appear at the bottom.
"What the bloody hell happened?" He yelled, rushing forward, taking him from me
"I- He- The bullet-" I stuttered
"Spit it out, Blackwood." He ordered
I don't think I've been more scared in my life. I had just shot a man, and I now I had a very angry officer yelling at me with a murderous look in his eyes
"He was just sitting there in the corner. One moment he wasn't there, the next he was." I said
He just kept giving me that death glare, and it made me fear for my life. I had no doubt this man would make my life a living hell because of what I've done. We walked back through the starting gate, causing shouts to erupt from some of the senior men of the Task Force. I just stood back, unable to stop shaking. I mean, I'd shot men before, but just the thought of me shooting a teammate, possibly killing him, that I couldn't live with. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice Dunn until his hand was on my shoulder.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked
"No." I said quietly
"What happened? What the hell was he doing out there?"
"I don't know. He was just wasn't there one moment and then it was like he materialized out of thin air."
"Ava. You're not making sense. What the hell are you talking about?"
"I think I just killed one of our new teammates."
5 Minutes Earlier
MacTavish's POV
Shepard was going to be a bastard again. He never stuck around when there were new recruits. He always came in with them on the chopper, dropped them with me and left. Usually Ghost was here with me, but nobody had been able to find him all morning. Strange. Ghost usually found it fun to scare the shit out of the newbies. All the same, five soldiers came out of the CH-47 Chinook. All of them were wearing U.S. Army fatigues.
"Captain MacTavish. Let me introduce you to Hunter 2-1. This squad is single-handedly responsible for saving the White House during the Russian invasion this week." Shepard said
Well that saves me from asking them what got Shepard's attention. Figures that he would go after them. He searched for the men that were the most battle-hardened, toughest sons of bitches out there.
"I have other matters to attend to. I trust you'll get them situated, Captain?"
"Yes, sir." I said
With that, the General turned and got back onto the chopper. I watched as it took off, moving in the opposite direction of the hot Afghan sun. After the chopper had faded from my eyesight, I took a look at the new FNGs. I remembered seeing a couple of them around the base. We didn't own the base; we shared it with other U.S. Military units.
"Welcome to the 141. We're the best handpicked group of soldiers on the planet. If you are here, you're here for a reason, so show it. You are here because you are the best of the best. This is an honor; you don't get in here for just anything. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, so treat it like one." I said
I was lost mostly because Ghost wasn't here. Usually he would've taken over by now, yelling at them that the 141 was the most elite outfit in the universe. We didn't have time for slackers. I figured I'd go easy on them. The Rangers lost a lot of men in the siege of the U.S.
"Thank you, sir. When do we meet the rest of the team?" one of them asked
He had a Southern U.S. accent, and had a corporal's badge on his sleeve.
"Later." I said. Then I thought of something Shepard had told me. "Private Allen had said the same thing."
"What?" this time it was the girl "I thought that Allen was being moved up to the ranks of Delta, not here. Where is he?"
Damn. She apparently not familiar with the word formalities.
"Arlington."
"He's dead?" their former CO asked
"Aye. Killed by Makarov."
They all looked devastated except for the one in the back of the group. He must've been Allen's replacement after coming here.
"Let's get to the Pit. Time to see what you're made of."
We made the short walk from the helipad to the Pit and got situated. Price and Spirit were there waiting for us. Price looked at them the way he looked at me when he first laid eyes on me. Arms crossed across his chest, wearing his signature boonie hat. I knew this process all too well.
"Soap, I trust that you've already briefed them about what it means to be in the 141?" Price asked
"Yes, sir. Men," I said, then I eyed the girl "and woman, meet Captain Price. Although I'm field commander and we're equal rank, he is to be seen as a higher up than me. Never contradict anything that he says, never question an order. Understood?"
A chorus of 'Yes sir's went up from everybody.
"Now, introduce yourselves. Name, rank, and specialty." Price said
They all went around. Sergeant Foley, who was well-rounded. Cpl. Dunn, who was a medic. Pvt. James Ramirez, Demo Expert. Finally, Ava Blackwood, CQC. I think that Foley was going to be my favorite of the bunch. He seems that he can be serious enough when he needs to be, but can joke around when he wants.
"Alright, Blackwood, since you're CQC, you'll go first. The targets will pop once you're inside the gate. Make every second count. Ghost holds the record at 18.28 seconds." I said
I headed up to observation, where I had a bird's eye view of the course. Normally, I'd just watch their progress through the cameras, but they were down for maintenance. She walked over to the starting gate with an MP5, and an M9. Let's see how this goes. I hit the button for the gate to open. She walked through, tripping the motion sensor, causing the targets to pop up. She hit them all with quick precision. Gotta hand it to her. She knows how to take out hostiles quickly and efficiently. The only question is, how will she perform when its live combat and the targets will shoot back? She made her way into the building, and that's where I lost sight of her. I watched the roof, and saw that one target went down, then another, but then the gunfire stopped. What the hell is she doing up there? Annoyed, I left observation, and went out onto the course. Probably not the best idea on my part, but I didn't hear any bullets flying and I hadn't for the past minute and a half. I walked into the building, and turned to the stairs when I saw Ghost on her shoulders, bleeding.
""What the bloody hell happened?" I yelled, rushing forward, taking him from her
"I- He- The bullet-" She stuttered
"Spit it out, Blackwood." I ordered her, anger showing in my words
I looked her in the eyes and I don't think I've ever seen anyone more scared in their life. And she should have every right to be scared, if not downright terrified. She just shot my best friend and one of the only people I confide in.
"He was just sitting there in the corner. One moment he wasn't there, the next he was." She said
I thought that was a load of bullshit, but I'd find out what the hell happened later when everything calmed down. Right now, my only thoughts were to get Ghost to the infirmary as fast as possible.
"Move! Get out of the way!" I yelled
Everybody turned towards me, eyes growing wide at the sight before them. One moment, the FNGs were laughing and smiling, the next they looked fearful and confused. The members of the Task Force that were there that had introduced themselves started shouting, asking questions. I saw their lips moving but all I heard was gibberish. I was moving as fast as I could, but I was scared that it wasn't fast enough. From the looks of it, he'd already lost a lot of blood. Just hang in there Ghost. I burst through the doors to the infirmary, all but throwing Ghost down onto a gurney. Oz, the team medic ran over to us.
"What the hell happened?" He yelled
"Accident in the Pit." I said breathlessly. His blood had soaked my entire shirt.
"We need to get him to the OR." Oz said "MacTavish, I need your help. Push the gurney to the OR while I keep applying pressure to this wound."
Barely able to form a coherent thought, I moved over to the end of the gurney and pushed them all the way down to the OR. Once Ghost was inside, they made me stay in the waiting room. I waited for six agonizing hours, waiting to see if Oz could work his magic and save Ghost. I had just started to believe that I had failed; that I had gotten here too late. That's when Oz came through the doors. He was still wearing his scrub cap from surgery, but other than that, he looked like ordinary old Oz.
"How is he?" I asked
"He's going to make a full recovery, but it's going to take a little while. The bullet went through his small intestine and lodged itself into his internal oblique muscle." He said
"How long will he be out of it?"
"About a week and a half to two weeks."
"With how serious the injury was?"
"It was minor damage. All just barley clipped pieces of the intestine. The only problem will be rebuilding the muscle tissue lost."
"Thanks, doc."
Feeling like an enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I walked out of the infirmary and over to the mess hall. By now, it was dinner time, and I was starving. Plus, Taco was making his famous tacos. [If you couldn't guess already, that's how he got his callsign.] When I walked into the mess hall, it was solemn and quiet. Everybody perked up at the sight of me.
"Any news on Ghost?" Hazard asked
"He'll make a full recovery in a couple weeks." I said
Relief was visible on many faces, especially on the face of Blackwood. Her entire composure had changed from this morning when she got off the chopper. Then, she had been laid back and easygoing. Now, she looked wound up and uptight.
"Blackwood, a word." I said
She looked at me and gave me a small nod. As she got up, Dunn gave her a pat on the back. I wonder if there's something going on between them. Ah, I had other things to worry about right now. Like how the hell Blackwood would explain herself. We stepped outside and I could feel my anger from earlier begin to seep its way into my veins like a venom that could never be removed.
"What the bloody hell happened out there? And I don't want the same excuse as earlier. Tell me everything that happened when you got onto that rooftop."
"O- Okay." She swallowed "I had just knifed the target at the top of the stairs, so I continued onto the roof. I aimed down my sights at the targets that were to my front, and fired two bullets, taking them both out. Then I aimed at the target in the corner next to the targets I'd just dealt with, and fired a single bullet. That's when I noticed that somebody was up there. All I saw was the spark of the bullet hitting the target, and the blood splatter as it ricocheted of the target and hit him in the abdomen."
I listened to her story and tried to piece it together. It did seem likely. If she had hit it at just the right angle, which she obviously did, the bullet could've bounced off the target and hit Ghost.
"You're lucky I'm not punishing you for this. If this ever happens again, and I mean ever, you will be kicked off of this Task Force. Are we clear?"
"C-C-C-Crystal, s-sir." She said, visibly shaking
"As you were, Private."
She quickly turned and went back inside. I walked back in just as she was sitting down next to Dunn, hands covering her face. I almost felt sorry for the lass. Almost.
Hazard's POV
After I heard that Ghost was going to make it, it felt like I had let out a breath I'd been holding in all day. If only I had gone after him last night. If I had, he might not have been in the Pit this morning, and he may not have gotten shot. I couldn't help but feel that it was my fault that he had gotten injured. After I had finished eating, I went over to the infirmary to see him. I walked over to the small building, hoping that Ghost was awake so that I could talk to him. When I walked in, I saw Oz doing paperwork at the counter.
"Hey, Hazard. What can I do for you?" He asked
"Is Ghost awake?" I asked
"No, I'm afraid not. I don't think he's going to wake up until tomorrow. You can still go in and see him though."
"Thanks Oz."
"Third door on your left." He called after me
I didn't know how I felt about being in the same room as Ghost when he wasn't awake and able to talk. It just felt weird, like an invasion of privacy. But I went in anyways, because I felt like I needed to see him. The first thing I noticed about him was how pale he looked. For some reason, Oz had left his mask on, but it was pulled up so Ghost could breathe better. His glasses were on the side table next to his bed. He had a light stubble, but it stood out so much on his skin. I could barely stand the sight of him like this. Why do you care so much that he's like this? You don't have feelings for him. Or do I? I'm so confused right now. On one side, it seems like I care for Ghost so much, but then there's the professional side of me that tells me that you can't date him, he's your superior. But then again, Roach and Desert recently became an item and she outranks him. Then I made the mistake of looking down at his torso. It was wrapped in bandages, with one bloody spot right around his upper abdominals. Just the sight of it made me tear up. I took his hand and a seat next to him. I couldn't stand the sight of people I cared about be in pain. This felt like Percy all over again- No. Lily, you told yourself you would get over that. Ghost isn't Percy. He's a hard bastard. He'll make it.
"What are you doin' here?" I heard
My head perked up at the sound of that Cockney accent. For the first time, I had seen Ghost's eyes. My God. They were probably the most beautiful eyes ever. They were like a kaleidoscope. They were mostly blue, with hints of green and flecks of brown. They just made me want to sit there and stare at them all day long.
"Visiting you." I said
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to see you and see how you were feeling."
"Well right now, I'm hopped up on enough painkillers that I barely feel anything so there's that."
"Yeah." I said, looking down and letting go of his hand
"What's wrong?"
"I guess- I guess that I feel kind of responsible for you getting hurt. If I had gone after you last night, you wouldn't have been in the Pit this morning, and you wouldn't have gotten shot."
"Hey, don't blame yourself. It was my stupid fault. I could've gotten up and left the Pit, but I didn't. I decided to fall asleep because I didn't care about what would've happened. Whether I got shot or not, it wouldn't make a difference. Nobody would've missed me."
"I would've. So would MacTavish. He didn't leave the waiting room until he knew you were out of surgery. He wouldn't leave. We tried to get him food, sleep, but he wouldn't move. Not until he knew that you had survived and that you were going to be okay. Ghost, you think that you are worthless, that nobody would bat an eye if you ceased to exist in this world. It would kill me if I knew that you had died. You are the one person that I have allowed myself to care about in a long time. If you had died, I don't know what I would've done. I didn't want a repeat of…" I stopped myself because the memory was too painful
"Didn't want a repeat of what?"
"My best friend in the whole world, Percy, died last year in Iraq. We were part of a QRF extracting a friendly squad that had been pinned down by Taliban Insurgents. We got there, and we went to work. We cleared out the hostiles fairly quickly, so we started to load up. Percy held the door open for me so I could get in. I was about ten feet from the Humvee when a RPG was fired from a rooftop. It spiraled right into the hood of the truck, killing my CO and squad that were inside. Percy and I had been thrown from the blast. I walked away from it virtually unscathed, but Percy, he hadn't been so lucky. The blast had blown off his lower right arm and leg."
I had to pause because it was like I was reliving that day. I could still smell the burning metal and bodies of the men inside the Humvee, the charred remains of Percy's body. I could still feel the soot and dirt that had settled on my face. I felt my sweat and tears mix with the dirt on my face as the person that I loved most in the world lay dying feet away from me and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
"Lily?" It was Ghost's voice that brought me back to reality
I wasn't in Iraq. I was in Afghanistan, sitting next to Ghost in the infirmary.
"Sorry. It's just that, it still feels so fresh. I still remember the smell, what it was like to feel his body in my arms, the stinging of dirt and sweat in my eyes. It just feels like it was yesterday."
"Don't be sorry. What happened to him?"
"I crawled to him after the explosion and held him in my arms as the life drained out of him like a broken dam. It was the worst feeling in the world, having the person that means the world to you die in your arms, and you're powerless to control it."
"I'm sorry. I know what that feeling's like all too well."
"We're both broken inside aren't we?"
"Yeah, but it's nothing that won't heal over time."
"But isn't the pain so strong that you just want to give up sometimes?"
"Yeah. Especially at first. When I found my family dead, there was hardly anything stopping me from shoving a bullet down my throat. But sometimes when the pain is strong, I remember one of my favorite lyrics. 'I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all.' I'd rather feel pain because it shows that there's still humanity left inside me. If I didn't feel pain, then I would know that there's nothing to live for."
"Three Days Grace. They really have some good songs for dealing with this stuff, huh?"
"Breaking Benjamin too."
"Yeah." I said smiling "It's funny, I was just feeling extremely depressed, but now I can't help but feeling an insurmountable amount of happiness."
"It's because you've been spending time with me." Ghost said, matter-of-factly
"Suuuuure. All you."
"Of course. Don't you believe me?" He asked, faking mock surprise
"Noooooo. Of course I believe you Ghost. Totally." My voice was dripping with sarcasm
"Ah. Whatever. You know I'm right."
"Yeah probably."
I looked at him with a thoughtful glare, and I could tell that he was confused as to what I was thinking. Without saying a word, I just leaned in kissed him on the lips. At first he was surprised and did nothing, but then he melted into the kiss and kissed back. Eventually, we had to come up for air, so we pulled apart. After that, I got up and started walking out.
"See you later Ghost." I said seductively
I could tell that that sentence was going to drive him crazy all day long. But at this point, I really didn't care.
QoC: If there were two people in this story you would like to see together, who would it be?
