Chapter 13

"How's he check out Jolly?"

"He'll live," the medic said.

"Good," Nicolette said before looking at the patient and giving a smack on the shoulder. She narrowed her eyes at the patient and was well aware that if anyone else was around they would have gasped.

"I suppose I deserved that," Price said rubbing where she slapped him. "Though you were supposed to follow orders."

"And I did old man," Nicolette replied. Her expression was firm but it was laced with relief that there was one unanswered question that was finally answered. She couldn't help but give a slight smile, "And I told you that I could get us both out." She pulled out a cigar that she had been holding onto and held it out, "So… celebrate?"

"You better not be smoking those stink sticks of yours."

Price looked in the direction the voice came from and then at Nicolette who was chuckling silently. He noticed that some of the members of the unit were chuckling the moment he was told to report to the infirmary at the safe house. He didn't know why until he met the medic who was rather formidable as she ordered him about for a checkup.

Nicolette replied, "You never said anything about smelling them."

There was a smattering of Dutch and something about a cheeky bastard or something that had Nicolette nearly bursting with laughter. Price couldn't help but laugh with her and he asked, "Still being the bloody Muppet eh Nico? You haven't changed."

"It's nice that you think so," Nicolette replied softly. She sighed as she handed over the cigar. "You really haven't changed much either old man. Still the same old fart." She grinned as Price shot her a look as he jumped off the gurney.

"Cheeky bastard."

"Soap says the same thing."

"That's because it fits." Price put the cigar in his mouth and followed Nicolette out. He was surprised and yet not surprised to see her with Soap on the same unit again. Even though they insulted each other and perhaps he had been hankering for entertainment in the beginning from his then FNG, he liked to think that he was a good judge of character. He saw that in her when she fought for them beyond thought of her survival and being given orders.

"Well most of the unit seems to think so too," Nicolette replied as she walked with Price. "I bring my obnoxious self to the field and we go from there." She pulled out another cigar and a lighter and started walking out. She indicated to Price he was to follow.

Price raised his brow and would have said something when he heard, "If you must have those bloody stink sticks take them outside."

"You know you like the blend, Jolly. It's the cigarettes Toad and Worm smoke that you can't stand," Nicolette shot back as she put the cigar in her mouth. She muttered to Price, "And yours and Soap's fault I have such a bad habit."

"My fault?"

Nicolette grinned as she led the way out. Once they were outside the actual infirmary, she lit up the cigar for Price and then lit hers. "Of course it's your fault. I never used to smoke until I met you British bastards."

"And I didn't start growing old until you fell in Muppet."

They both shared a chuckle as they took a long pull on their cigars. Nicolette held her cigar while Price took another puff and said, "It is good to see you Price. I thought you were dead… Soap too."

"I was dead, Nico," Price corrected as they walked. "I was dead the moment they sent me to that gulag."

"But you're still alive."

"Call it whatever you bloody like," Price replied, "but every day I was in that hell hole…"

"I can only imagine," Nicolette offered quietly. She took a pull on her cigar and breathed out a cloud of smoked expertly. Her experience being a prisoner ended up with her in chair and almost at the mercy of the madman she was chasing and he wanted to rape her and probably kill her afterwards. Now she was being hunted and the guy probably just wanted her dead now. "It gets old with me getting into near death situations and walking away without a scratch," she added with a slight snort as she walked.

"Seems that changed when you dropped in," Price commented. "Me and Soap are still around… and I heard about what you did. The bastard is stubborn when it comes to getting him to do something. And I had a good feeling about you."

"Flattery isn't becoming of you Price," Nicolette replied with a slight smile. She really didn't like the fact that she was still considered on point with regards to being Shepherd's intelligence lackey. She mentally told the general to fuck himself since she wanted to catch up with Price and she knew that MacTavish was going to want to as well. So she might as well make the most of it. "I'm obnoxious and a bloody Yank who happens to be a spook."

"Who also knows how to be a soldier meaning picking up your weapon and fighting; knowing what it means to be a soldier," Price pointed out. "I saw what you did for Roach and OP Kingfish was no different."

"That felt like a failure Price. I left a man behind and I never do that," Nicolette replied as she stopped to look at Price with a look. "I take care of my own. I always have and when you told me to leave… that was the hardest thing I ever had to do and I've hated myself for that. I have since that day." She turned to look away and stare at nothing in particular. She had told MacTavish that when they first met at the 141 base when she entered this assignment and that man really had a way of…

"And I wondered if you made it out at all. They told me you were dead when they took me and I didn't want to believe them."

"I almost did," Nicolette replied as she rubbed the spot between her breasts as she looked downward in a thoughtful manner. Whenever she thought about that mission, she rubbed her chest in the spot where her scar was. It wasn't overly big but it held memory in it and it felt big. "But I walked away again." She clicked her tongue on her teeth as she looked up at Price. "I guess we both had our share of people telling us things."

Price nodded as he finished his cigar. He looked at the butt and flicked it away. It was followed by Nicolette's butt. He liked the fact that she could appreciate a good blend of a cigar. He was surprised that she liked smoking them since he always thought she was more of a cigarette girl. She looked sophisticated even when dressed in full gear for an op. It was good to see her again and he was right and wrong about her. She had changed but it wasn't in the bad sort of way and it had him curious. He figured it was best to get straight to it. "So are you going to tell me what you've been doing since… we last saw each other?"

They had started walking again and Nicolette had folded her hands behind her back like it was a stroll. She felt her lip twitch in a slight smile but she sobered. "You know that it was me on that wall with the rest of Bravo Team. I hid… like a coward."

"Now I have a hard time believing that. The Nico I know is no coward." Price glanced at her as they walked. "She would have taken the fight to the bastard but with her usual planning."

"And it was planning that got us in trouble during Kingfish."

"And yet we're here still you bloody Muppet." Price couldn't help but smile when she chuckled. He then asked, "So what are you doing here now? I hardly think your boys on your side of the pond were going to extend you being on loan."

"Actually it was a renewal contract," Nicolette replied. She gave a slight smile at what she said before continuing, "Makarov was the big threat and the Company wanted someone in there… and there was still concern about the fact that… I'm still wanted. More of a security measure even though I was fine with other things."

Price looked at her. "You were doing ops?"

"Someone still has to gather intel and I know more about the ultranationalists than anyone else that may be working here." Nicolette shrugged her shoulders at that. She sighed, "Listen, while I'm here I am a lieutenant that works with military intelligence. Shepherd has been using my expertise to draw out Makarov and planning the ops and basically I have free reign with using the resources at my disposal."

"You haven't done anything…"

"What do you take me for old man? I'm not like that… Soap said as much before he kicked the crap out of some wankers." She looked around and to the side a little. She looked at him and said, "There is a reason I was assigned to the 141. Apart from being the intelligence officer…"

"You're doing your spook thing."

Nicolette looked at Price and then around. "There are concerns about certain things…"

"You don't trust Shepherd either," Price interrupted. He looked at her in the eye and knew he had her full attention. She wasn't even attempting to hide it either. He offered, "I didn't since the fact he didn't do shite with the gulag op."

"Well my people are pissed at the Russians for attacking us," Nicolette offered. She shrugged a bit. "I am technically supposed to give you a debrief on everything. Me being the librarian again."

"Far as I know you're doing fine. Keep going or I'll give you something to be a librarian about."

It was ridiculous the way it came out but it proved its point. Nicolette couldn't help but chuckle though. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders once she realized that Price was alive and he didn't blame her in the least. In fact he was more concerned about her making it out. So they both could move forward now. Smiling she said, "Well after OP Kingfish, I went dark officially but I was still working on tracking down Makarov. They were looking for the obvious and I went with the not so obvious. That was when it was decided that I… go back on the grid."

"And they know your cover is the most wanted by the bastard?" Price looked at her with a raised brow.

"I am not arguing logic. I tried when they tracked me to Hereford." Nicolette shrugged her shoulders in an 'oh well' gesture. "Anyway I was assigned to the 141 to assist in tracking down Makarov as an intelligence officer. So I've been doing that and going after the bastard but doing what I do best and that is chase a lead where there are none."

"I heard. Something about the Black Fox screwing with a cartel in Bogota, taking down gunrunners… what the bloody hell have you been doing?" Price looked at Nicolette like he couldn't believe at what she had been doing.

"Doing my job old man," Nicolette replied. "I followed the money and took into account the type of person Makarov is. Took out a few bad guys in the process…"

"And been making life hell by using your old cover."

"Shepherd endorsed it. Technically he wants me to find the Fox but he gets it that the Fox is a spook and not easily found. He doesn't know it's me though." Nicolette paused and she looked at Price. "And Shepherd knows that someone named Anya exists. He wants me to find her too but actually find her."

Price was starting to see where this was going. He didn't trust the general by a long shot and it was clear that Nicolette didn't either. She had been around the man more than he had and he trusted her judgment. He didn't like it one bit. "Well that's going to have to be the back burner now," he said. He looked at her and added, "That is off limits. You're gonna have to get creative."

"You make it sound so easy," Nicolette drawled in sarcasm. "Because as a spook my job is to sell the lie."

"Well I'm not about to force a friend to be put into a compromising position. Though you knew that you bloody Muppet."

"I do old man." Nicolette couldn't help but smile her thanks at Price. "It's good to have you back."

"Likewise, Nico." Price paused a moment and studied her as she held a parade rest stance. She was waiting for something like a question to be asked. He decided on, "So what the bloody hell were you thinking when you picked the name Price for a cover?"

Nicolette grinned in response. MacTavish knew the truth about that. She replied with a question, "Do you really want to know?"

The communications room in the safe house was not really state of the art but it served its purpose. Plus there was the fact that Nicolette knew what she was doing and made a few adjustments. It certainly had Price look on impressed. As far as he knew she was good with the spook thing of selling the lie and then turning around and fighting like a soldier. He took a moment to look at the others there.

Ghost he remembered from OP Kingfish. It seemed that the man was still around and kicking and he seemed to have fallen in the same trap as everyone else regarding Nicolette. He liked her as a friend for occasionally she would mutter for him to shut up and called him whatever it was she called him and they seemed to enjoy it. MacTavish though was another matter and Price spent a majority of the wait time observing his former sergeant.

He really had no idea why he had his then FNG keep an eye on Nicolette that fateful night five years ago. The only reason he knew at the time was to just make MacTavish's life miserable as was the usual case when it came to FNGs. He certainly got a few laughs out of the whole thing since the two of them seemed to do nothing but argue and in the middle of a bloody firefight. No one faltered though and they both did their jobs. It was pure comedy.

The more Price thought about it, he figured it was something else but it was so farfetched he would have been daft to think that. As he watched his former sergeant watch her, a few things came to mind. He noted how while MacTavish appeared to have a professional front, he and Nicolette always seemed to look at each other like they were keeping a secret. He expected that they had grown into a comfortable friendship. OP Kingfish convinced him of that and in fact they all had a good laugh.

The year that they spent together they both admitted in a more clinical fashion that it was nothing more than training. Price never asked how she managed to get that done and in truth didn't want to know. Some things were best kept a secret. Looking at everything now… he suspected a few things; it would be something to ask MacTavish later.

"Uplink complete," Nicolette said as she tapped the keys. The screen on the small computer pulled up a small window for the transmission. "You're good to go, sir," she addressed Price. To the image of Shepherd she said, "General Shepherd you're online with Captain Price." She stood back respectfully with her hands folded behind her back.

Shepherd's face looked at the group and found the person that he wanted to speak to. "Back from the brink, Captain."

"Out of the frying pan is more like it," Price replied with a serious expression. It didn't tell anyone what he was truly thinking and most people wouldn't be sure if they wanted to know in the first place. "This world looks more like hell than the one I just left."

Shepherd nodded in agreement to that, "We thought we'd recover the ACS before the Russians could crack it. We were wrong."

Price didn't say anything about that. From what he had been able to get from the briefing that Nicolette handed him along with her answering questions, she was the one that wasn't wrong. She even relayed her concerns about the thing being tampered with when MacTavish and Roach did their mission. So if anything Shepherd was wrong but who was going to argue? Not now at least.

"Then Makarov turned the US into his scapegoat. Next thing you know, there's flames everywhere," Shepherd continued apparently not aware of the thoughts that were going through Price's mind.

Price nodded and then plugged in the module that Nicolette had given him. It was what he had requested and he was surprised she was able to come up with it that fast. It was then he learned about a friend of hers that knew how to find information. He still was trying to wrap his mind around it. He started uploading the information.

Shepherd's image frowned a bit as he looked down to look at the transmission. "What's this image you're sending me?"

You should know. Hell even I know and I'm not a damn soldier. Nicolette stared ahead blankly not giving away her thoughts. It was rhetorical the question but she never could help but respond.

Price was the one that spoke, "You wanna put out an oil fire sir, you set off a bigger explosion right next to it. Sucks away the oxygen. Snuffs the flame."

Nicolette knew what Price meant. When she fulfilled his request for information, it started to click for her. The fact that it was something that usually set people on edge the minute the firepower was announced… it was enough to have anyone do a double take. She certainly did the first time around and Addy actually said something about it. The AI also went into the technical aspects of it and she posed a question to the AI and the response was astounding.

Shepherd's expression turned stern. It appeared that he knew what was going on. Even though it wasn't spoken, it sounded a bit outrageous to him. "Price, you've been locked away too long. Better get your mind right son."

And if you had any idea what the fuck I'd been up to… Nicolette made a slight movement that could have been interpreted as being uncomfortable with the situation. She felt MacTavish's hand grasp hers gently and hadn't realized that he had sidled up beside her until then. He really was good with stealth when he wanted to be and he always seemed to know when she needed reassurance of some kind even when she didn't indicate she needed it. It made her love him more as it did now as his fingers stroked her hand. She looked forward with a firm expression that didn't betray her current feelings. She knew what was coming next.

Price blinked slowly. This was going to be a tough sell to everyone. He knew Nicolette knew what he had in mind. She wasn't stupid even though she was surprised at it initially. He knew she changed from the last time he saw her. She had that look in her eye that said she would do what it took and if the extremes, it was only last resort. He looked at the image of Shepherd and asked, "Shepherd, are you willing to do what is necessary to win?"

"Always," came the answer in a drawl.

Price nodded, "We got ourselves a pretty big fire. Gonna need a huge bang." He watched as the same images that were showing on their screen was showing up on Shepherd's end.

"You've been in the gulag too long. Focus on taking out Makarov." Shepherd looked over towards Nicolette as if to ask her to step in.

Nicolette knew that look. It was the one that Shepherd always shot her when she was needed to make sense of things and to get skeptical troops into line. He was silently asking her to get Price into line. Like the hell she was able to do that. The man had his own way of thinking and in this case she happened to agree with him. Still she wasn't going to risk casting suspicions on her even though she was certain that there were plenty.

Silently she stepped forward and looked for the words that always seemed to convince the others to follow, "Sir, in all actuality we have to start thinking differently. We like to think that we are better and try being noble but we have to be realistic. The Russians are well known for putting everything on the line. They play to win. We have to do the same." She paused to glance at Price who was looking at her with a raised brow. She then continued, "Sir, we have no time. We need to end this war today."

Shepherd looked at her and his gaze seemed to pierce right through her as if to see whether or not she was being corrupted. She had spoken as always and given the logical argument. He finally said, "I'm not asking you Price."

"Please consider," Nicolette replied firmly and not breaking eye contact. She had a couple of situations like this before. Hell she had stood up to warlords, drug dealers and still had to deal with Alexi Yeltsin on occasion and she did it with a gun pointed at her. She could handle this. "Russians are known to hit with brute strength in sheer numbers. We are losing at this point…"

"That is an order Price. You are to…"

Price had leaned over and abruptly cut off the transmission. "Looks like we lost our connection," he said as he stood up straight.

"And pissed him off," Nicolette muttered as she sighed. Oh well then. There was still a job to do and she aimed to do it. She tapped her earpiece to switch it on. She walked away and started talking, "Addy, do you have logistics ready?"

Price watched as Nicolette walked away and he was standing alone with MacTavish. Ghost had wandered off as if trying to understand what was going on but he also seemed to take a protective stance over Nicolette. It gave some measure of privacy as Price said to MacTavish, "Soap, you know Nico is right in her assessment."

"I do Price. She's never let me down about it," MacTavish replied. He figured that there was more to it and it was a ballsy move. He trusted Price though. "I'll stand by ya old man."

"All I can ask." Price paused a moment and then asked, "About Nico… something going on I don't know about?"

"Just a rough year. One mission… bad injuries," MacTavish offered. It wasn't a lie per se since it was the truth. And she occasionally had a nightmare especially if she had been working too hard. He just wasn't ready to hear it from Price if he even hinted at their relationship and he knew the song and verse. "She's a stubborn arse like before."

Price had to admit that MacTavish was good. He never would have thought that his ex-sergeant would be capable of telling but not telling. Then again they had a couple of years to come up with something when they were forced to explain something. Still he could see that MacTavish was hiding something and said, "And I'm sure you know who she works for."

"You don't have to remind me old man," MacTavish replied with a firm look. He didn't want to appear snappish but he would if he had to. He had the same argument with her. She had pointed out that she was a spy and he was a soldier and a recipe for disaster. He was willing to chance it and so was she and it was working out so far with a couple bumps. The point was that they were trying.

Price merely nodded, "Alright Soap. Not gonna say anything. Just remember I'll shoot you if something goes wrong." He gave a grin.

A/N: Looks like Price is back and we are onward to the next mission. Stay tuned for more Cry Havoc...