Acid Rain
Don't hide your mistakes,
cause they'll find you, burn you.
We walked silently through the corridor I'd blown up as the sprinklers drenched us both. It was obvious I was involved by the black charred marks on my face and clothing. My whole body ached with every step but I couldn't give up, I promised John I'd keep Sam safe and I meant to keep it. The water felt like acid against my face from the many cuts and bruises i'd sustained. I knew he wouldn't come back but in the back of my mind I hoped he would.
"Sin?" Sam asked quietly. I was barely keeping my eyes open.
"Yes" I responded and kept my head up to look ahead.
"Thank you" She said firmly and squeezed my free hand.
"For what?" I asked in confusion and looked over my shoulder to her.
"For not giving up on John" She responded and looked around the debris filled corridor.
"I owed him, for not giving up on me" I replied cautiously and kept my eyes peeled for any creepers.
"You bring out the better in him, you know?" Sam said and I smiled sadly.
"Yeah, his 'better' is being a sadistic asshole?" I responded and she gave me a knowing look.
"I'm sorry he didn't tell you" She withheld a small smirk and looked toward the ground.
"Tell me what?" I asked distractedly as I peeked around a corner.
"That he's completely in love with you" I stopped for a second, wondering how to reply.
"...I know", My response seemed to surprise her.
"How long have you known?" Sam asked quietly.
"Five years" I spoke in a hushed tone and continued ahead. For all I knew he was dead.
"...Do you love him?", The blonde haired woman pried.
"I used to..." I replied with hesitance.
"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't" Sam replied, my eyes met hers and I breathed out heavily.
"It's not that black and white Sam, we have a history" I spoke softly in disbelief. My eyebrows furrowed in frustration and I shook the thought out of my mind.
"Sin...is the rumor true?...", Her question made me snap my head to her in disbelief, that goddamn rumor was still going around after I was dead. I assumed half the world now knew that John and I had sex.
"That's not why he's pissed", The words seemed to escape my mouth before I could stop them.
"What do you mean?", Sam asked with squinted eyes as we rounded a corner.
"...The night before we left for our Afghanistan mission Sarge had been called away on other business, he was going to meet us there. John was second in charge. I had to debrief him on the mission and the objective while Sarge was away, which of course led to a fight...", The memory still seemed to fresh in my mind.
"You two hooked up the night before you 'died'?", Sam spoke quietly.
Mashhad, Iran, 2043
Hotel Lux
Valkery Syn knocked heavily on the sturdy wooden door, waiting for a response. The dry air caught in her throat, making her cough against the swift wind that came from the air conditioning duct above her. It was snowing outside, she could see it falling from the window at the end of the hall. Yet inside felt dry and humid. After 30 seconds of standing outside of the door she was met with someone she didn't expect.
"Where is Asher?", She asked impatiently as John stood in front of her with his arms crossed.
"He got called away", John replied with a bitter smile.
"I imagine he left you in charge", Valkery spoke with raised eyebrows.
"What do you want Valkery?", John hissed with annoyance, giving her a plain stare. His room was dark apart from the one light in the kitchen.
"I have a mission that needs to be debriefed so you don't get your asses caught or killed. Since Asher is gone, you're up", The commander spoke with a smile, seeing the dreading look in his eyes. She stepped past him and found a seat around the table under the kitchen light.
Mashhad Iran 2043
Room 225, Hotel Lux
"I will hit the east base, Brian will get the far off shack just in front of the river passage, Athena and Ghost stay behind to cover our asses. RRTS 6 will get the western base and serve as back up if needed, vice versa". Valkery spoke firmly, occasionally pointing the map she projected onto the darkened hotel room wall.
"No", John spoke with venom, folding his arms.
"No?", The commander rolled her eyes at his stubbornness, setting her elbow on the table they sat around. The projection of the map lit up his face well enough to see that he had no intention of agreeing with her.
"You're not sending Brian in alone", John spoke as if it was only obvious.
"You and Brian hit the east base, Ghost and Athena can get the other side.", He pointed out bluntly, turning off the projection, leaving them in the dark. Valkery stood from her seat with a deep breath as John moved to turn on the light.
"Your 'plan' will take at least an hour longer than what Asher and I discussed.", Her voice was calm but she was losing her patience.
"Your plan will get us all killed", John snapped back while illuminating the room with a dim light.
"Don't be stupid, you're just pissed off because I have Brian on my team". It was a low blow on her behalf, she saw the anger rise in his eyes as he walked back to her threateningly.
"Your group of criminals do not deserve to be a team", He towered over her but she held her ground.
"What I say goes, John. Tell Asher we are agreed on what WE had settled on". Valkery shifted her leather jacket, her eyes bore down on him in a scrutinizing glare, something was off about him, he was quiet, too quiet...He was dressed in the same faded black jeans and dark grey v neck shirt she had seen him in the night before. She met his eyes and she saw it, a red cut in his lip and purple bruise on his cheek that she missed upon first glance. The look in her eye softened at his hurt state.
"Don't do that", John spoke with disbelief, watching her eyes examine his face.
"Who hit you?", She asked, ignoring his statement. His eyes skimmed past her blue jeans and heavy boots, scoffing with amusement.
"Does it matter?", He replied bitterly, diverting his sight to the snow outside.
"Who hit you?", Valkery pressed on, grabbing his arm as he tried to shoulder past her.
"Everyone is out enjoying the snow, no one will hear your screams for help", She threatened, making a smirk form on his lips.
"Why don't you go join them?", He avoided her question with his own and swatted away her arm but she was quick to grab it again, it made him irrationally angry as he nudged her thin fingers off his arm.
"Damn it, soldier, who hit you?!", The voice that came from her mouth surprised him, it was low and forceful. It showed emotion.
"I'm not your soldier", He hissed, towering above her. She looked into his eyes with a clenched jaw.
"When Sarge is away, you're my soldier", Valkery corrected slyly, her hair flowing in the gust of cold wind that came through the open window.
"It's lies like that, that got you your position", John replied pettily. The commander smirked, lunging at him, knocking him to the floor, pinning him under her weight. He reversed the situation and pinned her arms above her head.
"Valkery...calm down", He spoke with disbelief, wondering why his statement left her so angry. She breathed heavily under his weight, ready to jam her knee any place that would get him to free her arms. She met his eyes and he slowly released her arms while hovering above her, the tension was thick between them, waiting for one another to make a move. Suddenly her lips where on his and they were brought back to what they had started two years prior. The commander shuddered in surprise as he returned her kiss, snaking an arm around her waist on the fur carpet.
Present Day:
I ran a hand through my soaked hair in frustration and slowly pulled out the loose hair tie so my waist length hair fell down my back. I still smelt like a sewer but my hair had taken the most beating from the blood that stuck in it and the debris pieces that coated my black hair in white.
We approached the doors to the atrium and I kept my ears peeled for a single sound out of place. Sam pushed open the door and I crept through slowly. I looked around the large hall that appeared to be empty and motioned for Sam to follow.
"Hello ladies" A familiar voice caused me to redirect my aim.
"Sarge" I acknowledged his presence, he leaned against one of the stair cases that led to and from the Ark.
"I had hoped you died" I hissed and kept my rifle aimed at him as he approached us.
"And I, you" He retorted with a sly smirk.
"Sam, the door on your right" I motioned toward a thick steel door and unsheathed my eagle before handing it to her. I saw her wide eyed stare and her hesitation in accepting the gun.
"I'll be right behind you" I consoled her.
"On my three" I whispered.
"One—two—three!" I yelled and we both ran toward the door. I made sure Sam entered before shutting the door and locking it from the outside.
"Sin!?" She yelled desperately into the comms and banged against the door.
"I'm sorry Sam you're going home alone, follow the corridors to the elevator and get the hell out of here" I called into the comms.