Chapter 7

"Your move."

Price looked at the board, studying it with the same intensity he did for a mission. He glanced at his opponent before putting a hand on a piece. At the sound he looked up sharply. He moved his hand to another and heard a similar sound. He put his hand down on the table and glared at his opponent. "You are the most annoying thing here. Worse than bloody Nico."

"Only because I know I can get a reaction out of you, Captain Price," Addy replied as she gave an innocent girl expression.

"Only try that with someone who will fall for that poppet. Like Soap."

Addy sighed at that as she looked off to the side. "Captain MacTavish ripped his stitches again. Terrible commotion."

Price sighed at that. It was the second time that week and all because the hard bastard was a stubborn ass too. He had to deal with the doctor that was ten times worse than Jolly. When she got pissed you might as well run for cover in a bomb shelter. He rather liked that and especially in a country were social norms were that women be submissive. "How bad?"

Addy looked to the side. That was Price's indicator that the AI was processing the information she was absorbing. He had learned that she had access throughout the whole building and could essentially see and hear almost everything. She was still looking to the side as she spoke, "Vitals are stable. Just ripped stitches."

"Is that all?"

"You don't want to know what the doctor is saying." Addy looked at Price indicating that it would be folly to even try to listen in on that conversation. "Captain MacTavish is being pretty vocal about it though."

"He's a hard bastard, poppet. You can expect that.'

"I've heard quite a bit." Addy paused for a moment as she watched as Price made his move on the chess board. She looked at it to study what she would do. "He misses her. The whole thing with Georgia and Afghanistan…"

"Tell me something, poppet: how long has this been going on?"

"For a year." Addy eyed the captain suspiciously. "If you must know S64 was very resistant. She left for three months to build this."

"I know that. Nico explained a few things before deciding to take off again."

"It was to gather intel. Is it not the objective to capture Makarov?" Addy glanced at Price before giving her move.

Price moved her piece for her and looked at the AI. "Don't play coy with me. And yes we're going after Makarov but the bastard went underground."

"Then it is only logical that S64 uses what she has to gather information. This side of the world is her territory, particularly Russia and the Far East. According to records from Langley and Shadow Protocol, S64 has been tracking the economic development of the ultranationalist party and was able to predict a possible course of action. She was sent in to infiltrate to gather intel and made contact with Viktor Zakhaev. Known associates included Makarov."

"I know this." Price sat back. The game was going the AI's way and he wasn't sure if it was worth it to continue playing. He was just using it as a means of passing the time until Nicolette got back from Russia.

He had been against the idea of her going since it was like walking into a lion's den. With any potential allies gone because they were declared criminals, it was risky. It was risky to set foot in sort of neutral territory and it was more near suicidal in hot spots like Russia. Yet she made a compelling argument. She was right in that the war criminal was under the name Nicole Price. No one would be looking for Nicolette Walker or any one of the dozen alias she had that were… off the books.

"Then you know that she is only going because there is no one else."

"Don't lecture me about that.

"Of course." Addy was quiet and looked off to the side. She started to smile when she processed her data. "Well if you want to scold someone, S64 is entering the village's airspace." She chuckled, "It seems that Nikolai's lessons have been paying off. Both are well and secure. ETA 3 minutes." She looked at Price as if he were going to challenge that.

Price didn't doubt the AI. The security measures that had been put in place were fairly effective. Then there were the underground bunkers. All he had to say was that it seemed that Nicolette thought of most things and the AI did the rest along with the cooperation of the people. "So the bloody muppet is back."

"Yes. And Yuri."

The one thing that had Price be agreeable to Nicolette going to Russia was that she was to be accompanied by one of their own and that fell to Yuri. He thought that she was going to argue but she agreed to it. Price had nothing against the ex-Spetsnaz since he had proven himself in helping to get MacTavish out of India.

Looking at Addy, Price said, "Alright. You know the drill."

"Already on it Captain."

Price stood up and started walking to greet Nicolette. He walked through the halls of their safe house marveling silently about what was available. It was pretty good equipment but even they knew that it would only go so far. He didn't have to go far when he was greeted by Nicolette looking a little pleased at something and Yuri almost wanting to scowl. "I take it things went well?"

"If you consider having a friend in the FSO as well as a couple of ex-spooks for mother Russia, going well, then yes." Nicolette grinned while rubbing the spot above her right eye. She had a small scar from where she had been hit in the face and it seemed to add to her eyebrow. She was not vain about her looks but the scar was a reminder to her.

"Considering you like walking in and getting a gun pointed at you," Yuri shook his head.

"Please, Isaj wouldn't have hurt me. He was just being cautious." Nicolette made a slight face before turning back towards Price. "I did get some useful leads and we won't have to go far." She held up a slip of paper.

Price wasn't going to try and scold Nicolette. He remembered how she was when his SAS team first encountered her. If she saw an opening, she took it and while the more foolish, it ended up working out one way or another. She did learn a few things though and he figured it was through her cover with the 141. But there were still aspects of her that were distinctly her and in his mind it was how one separated those that were capable of going beyond the call of duty.

Yuri was muttering in Russian but there was no heat in it. Nicolette was grinned but sobered as she told Price, "Our window is going to be limited so I suggest we get into planning."

"Meet in the usual in ten."

Nicolette nodded and turned to head down there leaving Price with Yuri. Once she was gone, Price turned to the Russian and asked, "So there was no trouble?"

"None but there were a few moments. The name Anya is still mentioned." Yuri knew that this was the equivalent of tattling on Nicolette but he could understand the feeling. He liked her himself and she was a bright light even though she was in the same position they were. She was cynical but cheerful at times even if it was not the best. "Her contacts are good though. If they find out about Makarov then they will tell us."

Price was satisfied with that. They needed intel as much as they needed weapons. He was reluctant to ask Nicolette to get in touch with her arms dealer connections since she made a face every time the need for guns was mentioned. He got the impression that whoever it was didn't sit well with her and Nicolette would rather it be the last possible thing.

Price and Yuri found Nicolette staring at the wall that was strung with string and every bit of information that they had so far. She was tracing a line and then putting up a couple of names she had collected. "So what do you have Nico?"

"A couple of names to make contact with," she replied as she finished what she was doing. She went to the computer console. "Addy, secure."

Copy. Done.

Nicolette pulled up information on the computer. She checked something and her lip twitched. She knew that Price would be patient until she was finished. It wasn't a log wait. She turned and said, "My contacts in Russia informed me that there had been an major recruitment going on her in Africa. Big hiring by a company called Fregata Industries."

"And what does this have to do with Makarov?"

"Over a year ago the 141 was assigned to track down two scientists that were kidnapped to weaponize a viral agent. The scientists were recovered but there appeared to be some complications. There was something missing when a sweep was done and MI6 as well as a few other agencies have been trying to locate what was missing. Fregata has been hiring more than needed but nothing substantial. There are leads to getting information."

Price knew what that meant. "And when do you plan to leave?"

"Not for a week. The next round of hiring will begin then."

Price thought about it for a moment. He knew that MacTavish would not take to her leaving again. Yet he couldn't deny that this was an opportunity. He glanced at Yuri who was studying everything and listening. "Yuri?"

"It is reasonable. It will be some time before we have anything on Makarov. The more we find out…" He shrugged his shoulders. He was busy thinking about what Nicolette revealed. He remembered that day. He had no idea that she had been there. This would make things difficult especially considering that he had yet to reveal that he knew her.

The rest of the time was spent in discussion. Plans were made and Price was even surprised that Nicolette stated that she would be reaching out to a gunrunner she knew. He told her that she didn't have to bother and that they would find weapons another way. She merely said, "Certain luxuries are now nonexistent."


It was quiet for the night as Nicolette looked out the windows of the safe house. It was late but she was not tired. She was thinking about what she was going to do and what she had to do in terms of gathering intel and analyzing it and trying to figure out Makarov's next move. From what she knew of the man and from her experiences… He was a meticulous planner and made contingency for just about everything. He liked to cover his bases. It was no wonder he had always been a step ahead of them. Of course he had a little help in that area.

She would always blame herself in part for Pvt. Allen's death. It was illogical since she knew as well as anyone else in her line of work the perils of undercover work. The risk of death was always high especially when it came to compromised covers. In this case though, the blame lay with the now dead General Shepherd. That bastard risked the well being of one man to start a war for the damage wrought by the Ultranationalists five years ago.

Nicolette was well aware of the need to make someone pay. She was no stranger to it. Growing up in the foster care system left a lot of room to develop a thick skin and tough girl attitude. She needed that when the younger ones passed through Karen's home. It paid off in terms of the usual schoolyard fights and Kyle ended up taking most of the blame those times. There was one incident that nearly had her kicked out of school.

The newest kid in Karen's home was Henry. He was a nice, sweet boy and no one could believe that his mom was a prostitute and drug dealer. Nicolette was a year older than he was and was responsible for getting him to and from school. Kyle was on his way to prepping for boot camp at the time. Henry hadn't done anything wrong but had attracted the attention of a well-known bully. Nicolette never attracted his attention but it rankled when Henry was the target of stealing lunch money. So she taught him how to defend himself but that backfired. When Henry came home with a fat lip and a black eye… She took matters into her own hands.

She had been lucky not to have been charged with assault charges and sent to juvenile detention. It turned out that one of the teachers vouched for her since she wasn't the one that threw the first punch. She did deliver a good ass kicking though and she was considered a bit of a hero with the other kids that had been tormented. Henry certainly appreciated it and now… The last she heard he was a successful businessman with his own company. He found his true self and calling and grew into a man. That was one good thing that came out of her meddling.

Actually there were a few good things that came out of it in terms of what she did for a living. There were some things she wasn't too thrilled about… like what she had to do about her next trip. Price had given the okay albeit reluctantly but he made sure that she took Yuri with her. It was pretty much standard and no matter what she said about her getting along fine flying solo before meeting his old team… what the captain said, it went. And in truth she didn't blame him since they were pretty much on their own. The world thought they were criminals and allies were few and far between.

Nicolette checked her watch. Enough time had passed and she wasn't going to run the risk of tempting the wrath of Sanaa' or hear about what happened with MacTavish. Actually she had and she had a few choice words but she was giving the man a bit of mercy. He was already going through enough in terms of trying to recover from a knife wound that should have killed him but like Price said, he was a hard bastard. She knew that from day one when she pretty much kicked his ass when she dropped in and Price ordered him to babysit her.

Sighing, she turned and started walking the length of the balcony towards the medical wing. She looked over at the village that had agreed to protect them. She had just helped them with trouble with raiders and they considered this returning the favor and then some. It never ceased to amaze her how generous people could be even with all the fighting and everything. Ibrahim assured her that she and her companions would not be given up. It said a lot and she prayed that she would prove worthy of that loyalty and kindness. They were going to need it.

The room was the equivalent of a private room in English hospitals but it was welcome since the occupant could get easily irritated by the attention he had to get due to his injuries. In short, he was being a Scottish bastard and it looked like he had been bottling his irritation and waiting for her. She didn't blame him really but she could see the point of view of his doctor who was determined to get him to a hundred percent.

"There you are, you bloody muppet."

"Nice to see you too, domkoff," Nicolette replied with a wry smile as she leaned against the doorframe of the room. She took a couple of tentative steps into the room. "I hear you tempted wrath today."

"Blow it out your arse," MacTavish countered while trying to cross his arms and failing because his stiches pulled. He ended up cursing but it came out as a mutter and he looked ready to rip out the IV that Sanaa' insisted he keep on him.

Nicolette hummed and gave a little smile as she walked to the side of the bed that didn't have the IV and was away from his injured side. She sat and worked to readjust the lines. "I already did because Price insisted I take Yuri almost everywhere I go."

"Considering all the trouble you get into."

"Believe it or not Soap, I actually flew solo when on ops." Nicolette was smiling like everything was fine as she finished the last of the line untangling. "Sometimes I think you get these lines tangled on purpose just so I can fix them."

MacTavish gave a slight grin, "How else am I gonna get your attention love? You've been busy."

"Well excuse me for making sure that Makarov didn't know where we were," Nicolette countered with a playful glare. She leaned over and ran her fingers through his hair. She gave a small smirk as she remembered when she used to tease him horribly about his Mohawk going so far to call him a strutting rooster. He paid her back though and hard. "Not to mention securing supplies. I know you can't live without your big guns."

"Just kick a man when he's down," MacTavish teased while pretending to pout.

"Nope. I'll just hit him upside the head with a pillow and maybe yank his add out of bed." Nicolette leaned over to stare with a grin. "Only because he decided to cause trouble and rip his stitches… again."

MacTavish growled a little at that but he really couldn't keep an angry face with the way Nicolette was staring at him. It was like she was daring him to laugh and he would. "So that meddling woman told you?"

"I heard it the moment I walked through the front door." Nicolette paused and gave a slight shrug. "That and Price filled me in. He seems to think I can get you to do anything."

Nicolette watched as MacTavish bristled a little at that. She chuckled knowing she was playing with fire because he was being forced into confinement as he called it. Sanaa' may call it bed rest but to a man who had always been active and on the move… it was sheer torture. She hadn't forgotten Russia and then Birmingham and never hesitated to remind him of it. "At least it's not like Birmingham."

"Ya had to bring that up."

"Seems like I have to when you deny being a Scottish bastard." Nicolette sighed slightly and continued, "That being said, how are you really? Sanaa' more or less shouted at me and waved paperwork of a sort."

"Bloody stitches ripped and I wasn't even trying to be a pain. Pissed Doc off and nothing I said would change her mind." MacTavish peered at Nicolette and noticed the tired expression that more from being tired than weary of his antics. "She is completely convinced that I am the devil's spawn. At least that's what I think she said."

Nicolette hummed as she put her head gently on his shoulder. She had heard from Sanaa'. She even tried to convince that woman that MacTavish wasn't trying to make her life miserable. It didn't work and it didn't help because Sanaa' noticed a scratch on her arm that wasn't deep but looked nasty and she was treated to a lecture there. She knew though that Sanaa' was putting on a brave face because she cared and she was adamant about doing the best for her patients. "You don't want to know what she said. Not very pretty."

MacTavish shifted his head to rest against hers. "I don't think I want to know if it's that bad." He listened to her hum and breathe softly; it sounded like she was going to fall asleep. He had been worried that she had gone off and to Russia of all places. It wasn't that he doubted her; he wasn't there to protect her. He knew better than anyone that Makarov had his eyes out for Anya and he knew what he tried to do to her.

"Yuri is pretty good. I think he doesn't like me too much."

"Didn't say anything."

"But you're thinking it." Nicolette shifted so she could look at MacTavish. Had he been a hundred percent she would have propped her elbows on his chest and occasionally poke them into him if he happened to tease her. Now she was leaning on the edge and was well aware she appeared sleepy about it. "Soap, there's nothing more that I would like than to have you follow me like a dog on a leash. You know why more than anyone including Price…" She paused when she heard MacTavish snort at being referred to as a dog. She knew he didn't like dogs but he made exceptions to a few and she teased him about it. "But I'm not the one who literally took one for the team and then pulled the knife out and gave a pretty nice headshot." She looked at him in the eye. "I almost you."

"I thought I lost you when I couldn't get a hold of you. I didn't want to believe it and then when the Kid said what he did…"

"For that I am sorry." Nicolette sighed as she pulled back and leaned in the chair she had occupied. "I am sorry that I didn't say anything beforehand. When Allen died… He had my best mate killed." She looked at MacTavish. "You know the last time that happened was when I was captured. I watched as the gun was put to his head and the trigger pulled. If the enemy ever knew what we were doing then we failed."

MacTavish watched as she started getting up and pacing back and forth. He knew she would beat herself up for not warning them about Shepherd. The more he thought about it, the more he understood her reasoning. The question would come down to what proof she had that Shepherd would betray them? He saw her point and he really couldn't be upset with her over it. "You don't have to be sorry, lass. If anything… I should have picked up on it."

Nicolette stopped her pacing and looked at MacTavish. He knew what to say to bring her out of her mindset. "I suppose both are to blame."

"Don't torture yourself Nico."

"Can't help it. I look after my own Soap. I just… didn't do a good job this time around." She looked to the side and stared deep in thought.

"I don't think Ghost would say that if he could." MacTavish waited until he had her attention before giving her a smile. "You were the only one who could make him smile and that was scary." He took in the smile that threatened and was encouraged, "Remember our first night lass, what I said?"

"Aye, you Scottish bastard," she replied with a smile. "And here I was supposed to be scolding you to please Sanaa'."

"I can pretend to look sorry and not tell."

Nicolette couldn't help it and placed a kiss to the Scot's forehead and ran her fingers through his hair. She looked at him, taking in the blue eyes that always captured her interest. "You do that and I'll say that you learned your lesson. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Nicolette gave another kiss and started to pull away but she was stopped. Looking down, she found that MacTavish was holding her wrist gently. He always did that and he tried not to be so hard; he felt bad for leaving bruises on her the last couple of times. She turned her gaze towards him and at his tug, she understood what he wanted.

With a silent nod, she sat on the edge of the bed to MacTavish's left. She was probably going to hear it from Sanaa' but it wasn't like they were going to get rough or anything. Besides it was more of a reassurance for both sides. They nearly lost each other and just being able to touch helped with their current reality. Nicolette settled in beside MacTavish and felt his arm wrap around her. For now things were content.


A/N: Nico is back to base and looks like Price and Addy have bonded a little and some Nico/Soap fluff. Still here and stay tuned for next time on Tides of War...