Chapter 15

"Are you sure that was what she said?"

"Si. She said that you were to be hunted." The captain looked at his superior wary of what might happen. He knew that the boss' temperament was not as predictable. He had heard the rumors.

They said that the boss was once part of the best teams that their enemy to the north had; he was a Ghost. Then they broke him and while he was on their side… he wasn't completely there. That was what some of them said in the least. What the captain knew was that the boss had a streak about him that was best to be wary about. He had seen men die for mere infractions. He had heard about the one soldier that was killed for pointing a gun at his prize pet.

Rorke paced as he thought about what he had been told. It had been nearly two to three weeks since he 'lost' his little Charlie. She was willing to die. In fact he was sure that she was dead. They couldn't find the body but he assumed that she was dead. He thought he had an advantage since he had video recordings of her interactions with their men. Yet there were something wrong each and every time. True that they were fearful of him but… something was missing.

Then the raids that started in the villages in the damned jungle. The peasants were revolting and it just added to the trouble that was going on in the cities. There was one movement called El Libertad that was causing problems. The trouble was that they knew military strategy and they could blend in with the Federation troops and they were the most successful in sabotaging the various shipments or other orders given.

It was one of the reasons why he set up that trap with Little Charlie. The rumor had it that there was going to be a sort of attack on the port. So to keep up pretenses they made it seem like the shipment was going down and the cargo would be their men and they would capture the rebels. It certainly was a big surprise when it turned out to be the Ghosts. Then the disappointments began with Little Charlie and then she escaped.

Now he was hearing about his biggest outpost being overtaken and by none other than a fucking ghost story. He looked at the captain and asked, "Are you sure it was a woman that you saw telling you this?"

"Si," the captain replied, "But she was not really a woman."

"What do you mean by that?" Rorke was willing to have a little patience and listen to this nonsense. He had nothing better to do.

"It was a woman but… she was not… human. It was like she was… a ghost."

Had it been any other situation, it would have been hilarious. As of now it was a matter of life and death for the captain. He may have just signed his own death warrant and he looked very nervous about the whole thing. Rorke on the other hand was curious, amused and fucking pissed off. He replied, "There are no such things as ghosts. There haven't been for a long time."

"Sir," one of the aides by the name of Mateo interjected. He was risking his own head getting blown off but he felt that this was a risk well worth taking. "There have been rumors about this same woman leading the locals against us."

"A ghost story? You too Mateo?"

"Sir," the captain interceded, "She was real. It was that her face was not real because it was. It was that it was not real."

"So what the hell did it look like?" Rorke was getting a little impatient. He was curious since he had seen her face painted before but it looked like it was dirty. The paint had washed off and left streaks.

"Like she was a ghost. It was black and white and there were streaks of red. It was like she craved the blood of men." The captain was well aware he was sounding like a madman but how else was he to describe what he had seen. "She would appear in one place and then she would be gone and appear in another."

Rorke listened to the rambling. With no doubt about it the man was talking about her, his Little Charlie. He listened to more rambling and he almost wanted to laugh since his captain and apparently most of his men were afraid of her. What was it about her that… He was going to have to hunt her down and either kill her or bring her back. The former was the easiest since it would be done and over with but the latter would bring him the other one that he wanted.

Now that he had time to think about it, Little Charlie interfered in him taking the kid. She distracted him and put herself in the spotlight. It was so familiar… just like Charlie would have done. The bastard should have done it the day that Elias let him go. He should have done more than hang back but Elias stopped him. That bastard Elias stopped him from doing what he did best and for what? Well Charlie was good at his job and he would have trained Little Charlie.

They wanted him to destroy the Ghosts and he would. He would do that but first he needed to get her back. He needed to hunt down and capture his Little Charlie and then turn it up and break her but still have her say yes of her own free will. Then they will hunt the Ghosts and destroy their very soul. Satisfied that he knew what to do, he said in a whisper to Mateo, "Take this idiot out and shoot him."

Mateo nodded and issued an order in Spanish to one of his men. They operated in code and he looked at the captain with slight pity that was hidden under a bland mask. He wasn't going to argue with the boss since the man knew a few ways that terrified the regulars. He started walking with Rorke since it was evident that he wasn't completely free from any further instructions. He put his hands behind his back and said, "There is credence to what he was saying, sir."

"I know."

"Then why kill him. He could lead us to the escaped prisoner." Mateo knew that he was risking much by pointing out the obvious. No doubt that Rorke had considered this. So really he was just wasting his breath on this but still… "If you want the prisoner back, it would be a stepping point to coordinate where she will strike next."

"True," Rorke admitted as he walked. He was amused at Mateo reminding him the obvious. The man was doing his job but he noticed how wary he was. He liked Mateo since the looks meant that the man was observant. He may be able to do a few things that he missed. "But I have the initial reports. What do I need him for anyway? It's not like he's top notch."

Mateo had to concede on that point. Most of the commanding officers in charge of the outposts were not the sharpest tools in the shed though a few did have enough sense to take charge when it was called for. It seemed though that the current arrangement was what was biting them in the ass. He replied, "Indeed since his was not the only one. It may have been the first but…"

"Little Charlie is going to make life a living hell. She has a vague idea of Operation Wolfsbane." Rorke shook his head in trying to figure out what her next move would be. "She will try to interfere and learn more."

"How about set a trap with the lure of information?"

It was a valid suggestion but one that would probably fail. Rorke countered, "It could work if she weren't stupid. No, she would come up with something else."

To Mateo it sounded like Rorke was paranoid over the escaped prisoner who caught a lucky break. Then again she escaped by hoarding things. So maybe the boss wasn't too far off on this one. He replied, "Then perhaps someone should be hunting her."

Rorke nodded, "That is the plan though I think the most effective would be to go after what would get her to come." He stopped to look at Mateo who was giving him a questioning look. He explained, "There is one thing I learned from Charlie and while I am sure that Little Charlie knows it too, it is first reaction. In order to draw out someone you want, your prey out, you lure them. You find the right kind of bait and you dangle it out there."

Mateo was well aware of that concept. They tried that with El Libertad and ended up with… "We did try that and got them."

"True but it was an unexpected thing yet I figured they would be looking for her. They need her." At the look that Mateo was giving him Rorke looked around before explaining, "What she knows is valuable and they will do anything to get her back. Though I think that is screwed since they have evidence of her shooting at them."

"They will be sending in a team to capture her," Mateo replied nodding. "We can use that…"

"But it is better that we have more on our end. It will cause her to make a mistake."

Mateo thought about it and saw that it was a good plan. He nodded in agreement. The prisoner had been causing problems and he was well aware of the reports that had been coming in. It was his job and sometimes he wondered why he was kept around since the boss seemed to know everything and did what he had to do. "So we conduct a manhunt and put pressure. What about the rebels? As far as we can tell, El Libertad and the riff raff have not united. It seems like they are unaware the other exists. It wouldn't be wise to let them unite."

"Of course not so figure out a way Mateo. Also since we are dealing with Little Charlie, we're gonna need something or someone to draw her out."

"Any idea who?" It was a legitimate question. Who could they use to lure out their target? One or the people that rallied under her? Would that be enough?

Rorke thought about it, "Junior and the kid. They are the only ones that she will respond to. The kid was at the docks so Junior will be around too."

"It won't be easy."

"Oh it is." Rorke turned to explain a little, "You see, we don't have to work too hard. We could just make it so that others would do the work for us."

Mateo nodded in understanding. "Then I will do what I can to have it so they are chased into our hands. How certain are you that they will come?"

"Like I said: they want her back."

Mateo nodded, "I will have your orders carried out. Anything else with regards to Wolfsbane?"

Rorke shook his head, "No but I need you to make sure the pressure is kept up. The more these rebels think she is there to save them, the more pressure we put on her. It will force her out."

"It will be done." Mateo saluted and left when he was given leave to follow his orders.

Rorke stayed where he was and looked into the jungle. It wasn't anything exciting since it was the most boring thing imaginable. Still it was a distraction as he thought about what he was going to do. His main mission was to target the Ghosts and eliminate them; hunt them down and destroy them. Anything else was secondary and he would be in charge of what he did for the Federation. So his focus would be on getting her back.

We are to know and yet we don't know Otaktay.

He felt his lip twitch as he remembered one of her bits of nonsense. She never responded the way he wanted her too. Perhaps by getting Elias' sons and giving them special treatment as before, he would get what he wanted from her. What he did to them would break her down. She would come out of hiding. Then he would show these pansies that there was no such thing as ghost stories. He would have defeated the fantasma muerta.

Before this is over I will kill you. Tell your men to be afraid of what should be dead.

No Little Charlie. You'll find that there are worse things than you. Let's see if you're willing to risk everything.

Taking a mission into a fucking jungle was not a step up from sweeping the wall. It never was. Sweeping the wall, while boring, had its perks since occasionally you got to venture into No Man's Land. His team actually had to go in and retrieve missing personnel and they brought back intel. It certainly earned some praises back at Command. He couldn't say much for the competition.

He was good at his job. He had been told so by his superiors and he wouldn't have been placed in charge if he couldn't handle it. Up until then Charlie Squad was the best around. They even were the first ones on the ground when it came to big ops. Then came the competition.

It was a logical and tactically sound decision when he left Charlie Five behind with the wounded man. They needed to push forward and they couldn't do it while lugging a wounded man and an otherwise occupied medic. He told them to stay behind and that they would be back and he gave the order to move out. It was good tactics. Even the older officers knew it; a commendation came from one of the highly thought of Captain Elias Walker.

When he received the orders, he was surprised at what he had seen. It was like any other mission when it came to retrieving missing personnel but this time it was different. He checked to make sure the name was correct and it was verified. It was almost a perverse pleasure to be sent in for this one and it made the fact that he was going into the fucking jungle seem less of a chore. He was looking forward to this and it gave him a certain satisfaction.

Things changed the day that Echo Squad came into the picture and the last five years of building his reputation fell. This was going to be a pleasure. He relished the fact that he was bringing in someone he had loathed from day one and it looked like the tables were going to be turned. He adjusted his rifle and signaled to his team before starting forward. They had been dropped in on the last known sighting and were now making their way forward.

He was aware that there was another team doing the same thing but their prerogative was different and pretty much off the books. They were looking to bring back a lost friend. He was looking to bring back a prisoner and he would gladly do it. He looked ahead as he fingered the scar on the back of his hand. Seems the tables have turned Echo Bitch. The pet has become the scourge and I will find you before your friends do.

"Ever get the feeling that you're going in circles?"

Logan looked at Skye as she gave him a slight grin and couldn't help but return it with one of his own. He sobered though and replied softly, "Not before this."

Skye studied his expression and nodded, "Meaning that you've never been put in a leadership position before."

"Something like that," Logan replied. He didn't quite know how to explain it and he wondered if Skye would. True he learned from his best friend that her people lived together, played together and studied together since from the time they were kids but it seemed different. Finally he said, "Just that most of my confidence came from Hesh. Yeah he led and I followed but it was different… It's hard to voice. All I know is that ever since that day, it's like Hesh is either afraid or unsure and I don't know what to do about it."

Skye thought about it for a moment as they walked through the jungle. They were pretty much lost but knew that there was a village around somewhere. They had gotten turned around since El Libertad and the Federation was going at each other like crazy. Hesh and Harris were up ahead, scouting to make sure the way was clear.

It had been quiet for the most part since it was the jungle and more likely you can pass within ten feet of someone you were looking for and end up not seeing them. There was also a village out in this direction that had a sighting of the fantasma muerta. Skye often went down memory lane and remembering the camping trips that she had been on where she learned basic survival from her family. Her brothers took to it but she remembered, and she still was, being annoyed because she got dirty. It was ironic because she didn't mind when she played grease monkey on the cars or her chopper. She chuckled and elicited a look from Logan.

"What's so funny?" Logan raised his brow and wondered if this was a Hawk moment or a Skye moment. He could get Hawk switching from one mood to another instantly simply to be funny or annoying if it suited her. He had yet to discover what made Skye tick since it was clear that while the two were similar they were also very different.

"Just laughing at irony," Skye admitted. She sighed and explained, "I don't like to get dirty. I didn't like camping overmuch but I would willingly jump in to fix a bad carburetor or fine tune my baby." She looked at Logan and added, "Much like you can lead but from behind the scenes."

"It's not like that at all," Logan replied feeling a little put out at that suggestion. "Hesh did come up with crazy ideas when we were kids but so did I and when things went wrong… he always took the blame. Even when I owned up to my part he did." He was aware his voice got a little terse and looked away to calm himself down. "He's always bounced back when something failed and he learned from it. This is different."

"And you're doing the best you can. You know your brother better than anyone except for maybe Tahatanskah. I could imagine it being the same if it had been you instead of her."

"No way," Logan dismissed the idea quickly. "He'd be like a worried bastard. He always was even when I scrapped my knee learning to ride a bike."

Skye shot Logan a look. She didn't believe it for a moment. True she got to know Hesh during his worst but she could tell he was quick to defend and protect his little brother. One of his citations that didn't make it into Carol's notes was when he punched an aide in the nose for saying something about Logan and what happened there. "You honestly think that shit will fly? I thought you were more observant than that Sungmanitu."

Logan stopped and stared at Skye. The fact that she was calling him by the Sioux name her cousin had given him meant that he annoyed her. He was annoyed too and replied, "Yeah I do. I'm his brother. Hawk is… his." He ended up spluttering slightly. "It's different."

"Bullshit," Skye countered. She knew it was going below the belt but she had to get her point across. She continued, "What did Hesh do when he saw you being dragged away?"

Logan glared at Skye. He gritted his teeth and looked away. A small growl escaped because he knew what she was getting at. He heard Hesh's cries that day for him and for her. He knew Hesh had been freaked out of his mind when he had been stabbed when they learned their dad was a Ghost. He had been hysterical when he came back from his mission with Keegan. He pointed at her and groused, "That was a low blow."

"And it's the truth. You know that. Why do you insist that you're not important to him?" Skye felt her voice rise slightly and her eyes narrowed into a dangerous look.

"Because it is my fault as much as it is his and stubborn bastard doesn't see that," Logan spat out gesturing wildly into the jungle. "I agreed to it and warned him and went through it. It hurts me as much as him." He paused to take a couple of breaths since he had been talking pretty fast. He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't you dare apologize, Sungmanitu," Skye replied with a firm look. "You have nothing to be sorry about." She released the breath she had been holding and sighed. "Perhaps he sees it and it feels like the worst failure possible because he loves you both."

"Stupid bonehead," Logan muttered after a pregnant pause. He looked up to see Skye looking at him with a clear gaze. "He's always tried to protect me since we were kids. It took him until high school to finally stop babying me like a little kid. It's why I enjoyed it when Hawk kicked my ass thoroughly even though she was going crazy on the sub."

Skye looked at the younger Walker. She came to the conclusion that both brothers had a lot they wanted to say to each other but couldn't find the words or wouldn't. She couldn't resist chuckling at the fact that Logan liked getting his ass kicked by her cousin and when she was in an agitated state. She replied, "I suppose the bruises were impressive?"

Logan broke into a chuckle. He was partially forgiven if not entirely. He replied, "Never been prouder. Medic said it was a wonder I didn't have something broken." He looked down and then back up, his gaze softened, "I do want to apologize Skye. I do feel guilty and yet Hesh… He doesn't blame me at all."

"It's something he has to work out," she offered with a shrug. She blew a puff of air out to move a lock of her hair out of her face. She was startled when Logan tentatively reached out and moved it to behind her ear.

"It was in the way," he offered with a shrug, "And you've been puffing it up the last five minutes." He cleared his throat and looked away and started forward. By now Hesh and Harris were probably half a city block ahead and Logan prayed they weren't killing each other. The death glares had been increasing since they began this trek.

Skye blinked at Logan's action. She didn't expect it and it thoroughly startled her. She noticed that Logan seemed a little embarrassed. She needed time to process it but her immediate reaction was that she liked it. Maybe she should get him annoyed more often; she had been trying to draw him out but being circumspect out of respect for what was going on. She was willing to go with being a friend to him like she was to his brother.

She trotted to catch up and immediately heard Riley barking and shouts. She heard Logan demanding someone stop what they were doing followed by grunts and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. She brushed aside brush to find Harris showering blows onto Hesh and in the worst location possible.

Logan was on the ground having gotten an elbow to the face and he was shouting at Harris to stop. Hesh was trying to defend himself from the last of the blows. Skye did the only thing she thought would help and that was actually march up and shove them both apart while giving more of a slap than a punch to Harris and glaring at him.

"Hesh?"

Skye turned to see Hesh walking away in an almost jerking movement. Logan was trying to follow along with Riley. She gave a glare at Harris before following. She had Logan in sight when an explosion hit nearby and the sounds of Spanish filled the air.

A/N: Looks like Rorke is setting things up to get his Little Charlie and we get a glimpse of who else is looking for Hawk. Sounds like trouble meets Hesh and Logan. Keep watching for more of The Hunt...