Take a look to the sky just before you die
It is the last time you will
Blackened roar massive roar fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery
He hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they will see what will be, blinded eyes to see
For whom the bell tolls

Metallica

9

Georgian- Russian Border in the Caucasus Mountains

"Tango down" Emilia whispers into her com as she watches one of Makarov's soldiers drop with a spray of blood into the moist foliage below him, a man she had recognized but heavily disliked.

Her, Ghost and Roach are hiding in a small boat house, down the hill from the target building, the log house cabin she's never seen before.

"On the count of three we move out" Ghost whispers back, and counts down silently with his fingers.

Their moving, hearts beating heavily in their chests as they quickly make they're way up the hill amongst the trees and dense bushes, the house looming closer and closer till Ghost thrusts a fist in the air and his companions stop in they're tracks. Emilia immediately searching the area through the scope on her Draganov, its hard to see much with the way the sun filters glowing beams through the leafy canopy of trees; its sad really, this would be such a beautiful place if it wasn't tainted with evil.

Ghosts moving again, closer still, they're almost there, a few more tango's fall without a sound, save the soft gurgling as they choke on their own blood.

"On my heals" the masked man says and they make a break for it, lining up against the hard wooden outer walls, Ghost peaking in to find the coast clear.

The 1st floor seems clear, room after room, even finding a small armoury of sorts, but still nothing until they approach the stairs were voices can be heard, muffled, but it sounds like there's a few of them up there.

There is always a trick to situations like this, a certain way it has to be played out in order for you to live and the other guys to die quickly, Emilia's trying to strategize this when Ghost pulls a flash bang from his vest the same time Roach pulls a grenade, and she knows what they're doing; the element of surprise is always the greatest trick.

She lays down awkwardly on the stairs, slinging her riffle for the trusty ACR and creeps slowly to the last few steps, oh so careful not be seen to soon, and nods to her companions when she's in position.

Ghost throws his first, a nice toss in the direction of the voices then moves behind Emilia just as Roach cooks and tosses the frag.

One deafening explosion after another has the Russians above them reeling, deaf and blind they are easy to take down, and 10 in all are shot dead, warm blood staining the hard wood floor.

"Go go!" Ghost yells and they run, cover blown, as fast as they can into the large room, a set of fancy computers sits at a desk and Ghost immediately heads for this and pulls out a piece of equipment Emilia can only assume is fro downloading the computers hard drive. She takes point at the large open window, crouching low in attempt to hide her self, Roach laying prone at the top of the stairs now, "Oi! We have company mates" he yells back and aims down his sights.

Emilia hears him fire and she leans over the table a little getting a better angle and begins firing on the soldiers that are converging fast on their position from the trees below. Quick short burst she constantly reminds herself, as her heart thunders and sweat begins to pool.

"Almost done" Ghost says more to himself then anyone, but they all here it and Emilia thinks just a little longer and they can get the fuck out of here. Piece of bloody cake right?

She abandons her position and runs over to Roach, angling herself at the corner of the wall for cover and tosses a grenade down the stair well, bouncing it off the wall at the bottom so the little thing rolls out into the open of the first floor. Another loud boom and she smiles with satisfaction when she hears screams of pain. Contact.

One after another, the soldiers drop till there is a bloody mess of entangled bodies below them.

"OK lets move out" Ghost says coming up behind them but there's no relief in his voice, its over when its over.

The three off them make they're back down to the first floor, and Emilia's almost deaf with Roach's riffle firing next to her head, but she ignores it, all her attention bent on not missing anything, check your corners, leave no one alive.

Outside now and its become a war zone, the enemy is everywhere. Running of the right of the log cabin and into thicker trees, trying separately for cover.

"Just down that hill, I can see shadow company, means the heilo's here, lets go" Ghost says and they move as one.

"ARGH… FUCK: Roach cries out and Emilia spins in a panic, Roach is hit, blood gushing for between the fingers he has clamped on his thigh.

"Shit, Rabbit stay here and provide cover fire, Ill give you a signal when to come down, I'm going to get him to the heilo" Ghost orders then grabs Roaches jacket collar and starts dragging the wounded soldier out into the open, firing his pistol as Roach shoots from the ground.

Emilia is nearly in a panic, firing on anything that moves to keep her comrades safe. Almost there, and Roach is hit again in his shoulder, she can here him cry out from here.

Fuck, come on, come on, she whispers, praying to a god she's never believed in.

She' switches her attention back to her friends as the last Russian falls, watching them through the scope of her sniper riffle as Ghost stands Roach up. General Shepard is here? Why is he hear? The panic boils again as the General takes the Intel from Ghost, and is talking to them, its not right, not right" what the fuck" Ghost hasn't called for her yet, and that sets off another red flag. From Emilia's position up in the trees, she doesn't see Shepard unholsters his side arm till its to late.

Crack, and he falls, and its like a dream, the world around her winding down into slow motion as her brain refuses to believe what its seeing, shock has its grip on her as Roach reaches for his friend and stumbles, then falls when a bullet explodes into his already broken body, and suddenly a sob choked scream wretches itself out of her throat and Emilia tries to fire her riffle, but its clip is empty. In the time it takes her to reload the thing, Roach is covered in gasoline and blood, and she brings the scope back up to her eye just in time to see Shepard flick his half smoked cigar down at her friend, and the world sets a light.

Crack, Emilia fires, again and again, through wrenching sobs till the clip runs dry again. Shepard jumps into the plane as soon as the 1shot is fired.

"After her you two" he orders, angered that she's actually alive, damned Riley was convincing when he said she's KIA.

The plane takes off as two shadow company soldiers run off into the trees, closer and closer.

Emilia's hands are shaking so violently that she just drops her weapons, and unsheathes the combat knife Soap was so instant in her carrying.. Soap, where is he, "FUCK" she yells as the first of the soldiers reach her, ducking quickly out of the line of fire and behind a tree, she flanks them, jumping on the man closest to her, driving the knife to the hilt in his throat and she can feel the cartilage break and sever. The next man is stupidly trying to reload, and panic flares in his eyes when he sees her leap on his squad mate, then the girls on him, his life blinking out hatefully, blood spraying her pale face and hands.

Emilia drops the knife, and a second later is barrelling down the hillside so fast her legs can hardly keep her up. Black smoke and it reeks of death. The burning hole that's growing closer smells of burnt flesh, her stomach churns and but she ignores it, sliding to her knees as she reaches for her friends, more desperate then ever as Emilia pulls on Roach's boot, trying to drag the dead weight from the flames.

But she can't do it, he's to heavy and she's to weak, her arms simply wont work, her left hand burns but she cant feel it when her attention snaps to Ghost, rolled on his side, if it wasn't for the gaping hole through his head you wouldn't even know he's dead.

"No! no no no no" Emilia cries, sliding down beside him, she pulls his mask free and illogically checks his neck for a pulse. All she finds there are his dog tags.

'No!" she cry's bloody hands press to her face for a moment before standing on shaky knees, takes off her coat and starts filling it with dirt before tossing it over Roach in an attempt to extinguish the fire.

Over and over again Emilia does this till she's nearly collapsing from the effort, but it works, she almost wished it hadn't though. The sight before her finally empties her stomach and she heaves.

Its quiet now, so quiet, the sun is setting and it would be beautiful, but Emalia isn't looking at the sky, or the trees. No, she's sitting, legs splayed beneath her were she fell. Death all around her but she cant leave them, not yet. Its to much, and it doesn't feel real as silent tears continuously fall down her cheeks, a leak that wont stop because its over now, all over, betrayed and left to rot, behind enemy lines.

Ghost, and Roach. They'll never leave here, this is to be their final resting place. When the thought hits her, her heart breaks all over again, that no one will know, not a soul will know or care about them. About all that these men had sacrificed for everyone else's freedom. No one will say thank you, or come to lay flowers on their graves on Sundays. They are hero's, true hero's, abandoned in a cruel and unforgiving place that has no God to care for them, and that, that seems more horrible and more cruel than anything else.

"Ghost come in"

"Ghost.. Come in"

Emilia's eyes snap open, but her brain doesn't compute what her ears are hearing.

"Roach come in"

"Roach.. Ghost"

"Rabbit… anyone come in!"

Soap… Soap's alive. And all at once sound and grief come crashing down on her and she shoots to her knees, trying to reach him through her com but its transmitter wont work and Emilia nearly rips the wires from her ear till she realizes that she's forgotten to push that fucking little button.

"Soap.." the voice that comes out is barely a whisper, cracking with emotion.

"Rabbit, what the fuck is going on, I cant reach anyone"

Emilia's lays down on her back, a fist pressing painfully into her eyes and can't control what comes up next.

"They're, they're all d-d-dead, fucking dead, Shepard.. FUCK!" and its nearly a wail, but the stunned silence after words is testament that he had understood her.

"were coming to get you Rabbit, hold tight ok lass" Soaps voice is deeper and strained, more than she's ever heard before. Ya he understands.

Time stills again when the com goes quiet and Emilia waits for Soap because thats really all she can do. Nothing expect lay there, not moving from her vigil beside her fallen friends. The surrounding world has become a constant hum in her ringing ears, like someone switched the settings wrong on the television set. Emilia is watching ants marching through the dirt next to Ghost. Her red rimmed hazel eyes trail bitterly after the little insects, so small and so unaware of the horrors that passed above them in the realm of the giants. She's jealous of the ants, of their absolute incapacity to be aware of anything more then primal need, and in a bitter twist of fate, Emilia squashes the offending and innocent creatures one by one with her blood stained thumb, receiving no consolation from this minuscule act of violence.

Emilia doesn't know, nor care how much time has passed now, in the same spot as before, unwilling to move.

At least not until her ears pick out an irritating whirring, whooping noise amid the silent static. Its getting louder and more irritating, till it clicks, and she turns her head a little to glance over her shoulder, her tired eyes coming into contact with Nicoli's plane as it lands, the Russian jumps off and runs toward her through the dirt and dust that kicks up around them.

When he reaches her his face does this little strange spasm, as he takes in the scene before him, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"Rabbit.." he says softly, but she doesn't move, just turns her gaze back in front of her.

"Rabbit… Emilia, when need to go"

Nothing still, and he worries suddenly if she's hurt, seeing the blood soaking her cloths.

Nicoli wraps a hand around her arm and try's to gently lift her up, but the sudden movement jars her from her minds false calm and Emilia wrenches free of him.

"No!.. I can't leave them, I-I cant" she cries out and tries to run back but Nicoli wont let go as he drags her back to the waiting plane, he doesn't speak, doesn't trust the words to come out right, so he just makes her go, Emilia struggling the whole way back, not till she's strapped into a seat that she calms somewhat. Her breath comes in heaving gasps as the plane takes off, leaving behind forever Roach and Ghost, who had so briefly made life a little more bearable.

The plane rumbled around Emilia as she leaned her head back in the seat. Not questioning where they were going, praying that Soap and Price where ok. Now that her mind has calmed a bit, the fact that neither man had been with Nicoli when he came was distressing, Shepard had sent them on their mission to and if one did the math it only made sense to think the worse; but would fate really do that to her, leave her the last one standing as the only people she's ever grown to care about die around her all in the same day.

Emilia can't keep their faces off the back of her eye lids. Their smiles and laughter ringing off her skull, as the guilt sneaks in, slyly taking up residence next to the grief. Guilt that Emilia should have, was capable of preventing this. If she's been more on the ball, or simply had her fucking weapon loaded, she could have saved them.

"Where here" Nicoli yells to her, and the plane descends into unknown territory.

He leads her out into the bright hot sun light, and towards a ram shackle building, Emilia's ears almost don't register the distant sound of gun fire.

A hospital. She doesn't need a hospital, she needs to find General Shepard, not be poked and prodded by good intentioned Doctors. But she doesn't say anything, just follows the fellow Russian down a poorly lit hallway, pushing past other Russians.. Resistance fighters it looks like.

Nicoli stops outside of a closed door and pokes his head in, saying something that doesn't reach her ears, Emilia isn't paying attention anyway, not until the door opens wider and she's ushered inside.

"Price… you- your alive" she breaths out, standing still, not sure where to put her hands.

"Hey lass" the old Captain says sadly and all at once she knows that he knows, that, and Emilia sees the state he's in, black eyes, spilt lip, the man is hunched over in his chair one arm gripping his stomach.

Price sees her looking at his broken body and lets out a strange sort of misplaced chuckle.

"You think this is bad, you should see Soap, poor bugger" at the mention of the Scott's name Emilia's eyes perk up, worry and fear pinching her face.

"Down the hall love, I think he might be out of surgery now, though I don't think he'll say much"

She's gone so fast that Nicoli jumps back in surprise, but runs after her, the girl needs her own wounds looked after.

After asking around to a few of the Russian men she walks by, Emilia is able to locate Soap's recovery room, one hand shakes as she grips the door handle, one deep breath later, opens it. 'Oh Soap' she thinks and her throat clenches back up again, fresh tears ready to spill and Emilia walks slowly, quietly to his bedside, her eyes taking in the wires tapped to his bare chest, the breathing tube under his nose. She takes in how pale his usually tanned skin is, but it's the mass of bandages wrapped around his torso, securing a large white pad to his left side that really have her awake.

"He killed him "Nicoli says from behind her and she turns to look at him, "killed that General, after being stabbed by him… Soap, he's one tough fucker"

Emilia nods and turns her attention back to the man asleep before her, and thanks whoever the fuck for bloody fucking miracles. After a moment she moves, walking over to a small chair sitting in the corner of the room, quietly picks up the object and brings it to Soaps bedside.

"Not yet little lady, first you need that hand looked at" Nicoli says pointing and it's the first time Emilia really notices it, the burnt flesh that claims the side of her right hand, and little ways up the side of her for arm, its not a big wound, but its ugly.

Nodding again in submission she follows him out of the room, and is led to what she supposes is the resident Doctors room, the man in there is older, wearing stained blue scrubs and a face mask. He turns when she enters and Emilia can see that he's smiling at her, but she cant find the energy to return the gesture.

"Присаживайтесь мисс'' (Have a seat miss) he says and waves a gloved hand to the table beside her, and Emilia sits obediently.

The Dr. stretches a hand out, palm up before her. He wants to look at her hand.

"О, хм. не проблема, да быстро исправить'' (Oh, hmm, no problem, a quick fix yes) he tells her with that hidden smile again and returns her hand to her lap as the man starts putting different items on the metal tray next to him, once he's done he wheals it over beside his young patient and begins to clean the wound, Emilia hisses and tries to still the tremors that shake her as the pain becomes almost unbearable to quickly.

The doctor is now rubbing cream and soothing ointments onto the burn, lastly, he wraps her hand in a generous layering of gaze and tells her to come back in a day or two to have it changed.

Emilia says thank you, and immediately heads back for the Scott's room, exhausted so thoroughly inside and out, her hand throbbing relentlessly.

The door closing behind her shuts out the busy sounds of the hospital around her, the quiet is soothing, all but the steady in and out breath of the only other occupant, and the steady beep, beep, that lulls Emilia to sleep, sitting in the chair her head resting on Soaps beside.