Chapter 21

"So you are the ghost story that we heard?" Logan looked at his best friend while their group sat around the campfire. He gave a slight grin as he watched her lean into Hesh automatically.

They had made it back to the campsite where the men that Sequoia had been helping with were setting up and picking through what they managed to salvage. Tomas had brought in his men and didn't even flinch when they were fiercely interrogated. He seemed agreeable and willing to do anything in order to gain the trust of his friend. That was going to be a feat in of itself considering she had a wary streak a mile wide.

Sequoia was walking through the camp when Logan caught up with her. The others were sitting around the campfire. Skye was anxious to know about Hesh since she had been worried and Harris was… She saw it as a macho guy thing that needed to be worked out. She turned to look at Logan and was rather pleased at his being forward but noted he was a bit nervous about it. She replied, "That is what I hear the boys tell about me."

Logan gave a slight roll of his eyes, "Come on Hawk. There is only one person I know of that can scare Feds and pretty much be like a modern folk hero."

"And you know that because of what I told you," Sequoia pointed out. At the look Logan was giving her she sighed and relented, "Fine. Yes I am the ghost story you hear… and it wasn't my idea."

"Never thought it was," Logan countered. He shuffled on his feet and looked at his best friend, "Me and Hesh thought it might be you because of the way it described you."

"You know me," Sequoia replied with a smile.

"Hesh was the most adamant… and the most… broken about everything." Logan knew it was hardly the time or the place but even if his brother and best friend talked… his brother would skirt around it a little. "And I thought he was going to hate me."

"For what?" Sequoia frowned at that since she found that hard to believe. "Why would Hesh hate you?"

"Because I was awake and could have done something and I didn't." Logan hoped that she wouldn't ask him to elaborate because he wasn't sure if he could.

"And that is why you are still a pup to me," Sequoia teased gently while reaching out to give Logan a hair ruffle. She smiled and added, "I know Shappa doesn't hate you; he's still pissed with himself and I am guessing you guys talked about it?"

"We did but… the truth is Hawk, we both weren't sure how you'd take it. I know you were spitting mad when we left you behind and I remembered something you said about resentment with Rorke and… We didn't know if you'd survive because you hate us." Logan looked down as he said it feeling like an ass but it was the truth. While he and Hesh never really voiced it, they were both concerned that she would resent everything that had happened.

Sequoia studied Logan and recalled when she talked to Hesh. It really had bothered them and they both acknowledged that they would deserve it but it was like they wanted to be on par with thoughts and feelings; nothing was left unsaid or undone and that it was what it was. She had told Hesh the truth and he was okay and now she needed to tell the youngest. She replied, "I was livid at how you tricked me but… I understood why you did it and… I wasn't angry at you. I was angry at Rorke and I chose to follow." She paused and sighed looking at nothing in particular and then back at Logan and said, "I chose to be there and it was for you and Hesh; call it looking out for you Logan. I wanted Rorke to leave you both alone."

"Even if that meant taking my place?"

"He was going to come back for you no matter what," Sequoia replied after a thought. She recalled when Rorke taunted her and how she would be the one to create her own company. She hadn't forgotten what happened in Vegas; she didn't think that any of the Ghosts would forget that. She hadn't meant to sound blunt but it was the truth. She tried to soften it a little and continued, "He wanted us both, Logan and… I think by taking me first…"

"I remember. Something about destroying the souls of the Ghosts," Logan replied. He looked at Sequoia. "They think that you turned."

"I know. Hesh told me and I figured that would be the case when I fired at you." Sequoia gave a slight shrug and sighed, "I guess Keegan's helmet cam caught everything huh?"

"To the point where they sent a team to capture you." Logan was certain she had heard this before from Hesh more likely since she found him in the jungle. "Hawk… we need to get you back and in our custody."

"And I can't do that."

"Why not?"

Sequoia gave Logan a look. He knew what she meant. He merely wanted her to say it. Finally he said, "Because you want to get Rorke. Hawk… while me and Hesh would like nothing more than to get that bastard along with everyone else on the team… I'd rather make it so that you aren't a criminal."

"I know. It is why I can't ask you to help me with what I intend to do," Sequoia replied with a slow blink. She gave a slight sigh, "I can't ask you, Hesh, Skye or Harris to help. To do so would give the impression that you collaborated with the prisoner and I would not have that on my conscience. You are my laughing pup and Hesh… I love you both."

Logan looked at his best friend and studied her. He wanted to know what happened to her and he wanted her to pick up and come home. Yet deep down, he knew she was right. He could see that even though she was limited because she was wanted, she was still free enough to go after Rorke. Sighing he said, "Well I know Hesh said he would help you. I don't have to witness it. I know how he feels about you."

"Are you certain of that?" Sequoia couldn't resist teasing Logan. Her mouth curled into a gentle smile, reflecting her happiness that both Walkers were alive and well and that the team hadn't given up on her.

"Please," Logan scoffed, "I'm the one that saw how much he liked you and that was way before the bonehead even realized that he did like you." He grinned at her but he added in a serious tone, "I do mean it Hawk. I know Hesh will help you and I'm not about to let him have all the fun and I know Skye will agree. What about Harris?"

"Choice is his as it is all of yours," Sequoia offered with a shrug. That was how it was. She preferred to give a choice if it was available. Of course she understood the necessity of orders and carried those out but… she believed that every man had a choice, even when he was ordered to do something that wasn't going to be understood as readily as anything else by those that didn't have to fight. It was what she was telling Logan.

"Okay then. Well I'll let him know but I get the feeling I know what it is," Logan replied with a nod. "I know Merrick will want to go for it and Kick and Keegan."

"I know you have to report in," Sequoia said with a nod, acknowledging the unofficial support of the Ghosts. They were a team after all. "In the morning, you can make a call."

Logan gave a slight smile and replied, "It'll be okay Hawk. We're Ghosts remember? We take care of our own."

Sequoia couldn't help but smile. It was one of the reasons why she teased Logan and called him her laughing pup. His enthusiasm was infectious and you really did think that you could succeed. It fit with his Lakota name Sungmanitu. While it was simple, it spoke a lot about his character. It was a characteristic of both Walkers; wolves were brothers. They hunted together and they defended their own ruthlessly from attack. They nursed the sick and injured and watched the pups; it was very much like a family.

Looking at Logan, she couldn't help but smile at him. She put a hand on his shoulder in understanding but was surprised when he pulled her into a hug. She couldn't recall either of them being that affectionate but… She understood and she wanted to as well. She returned the hug and replied, "Ghosts stick together, right?"

"Roger that," Logan said after breaking the hug.

They chatted a little bit more before heading back to the group and chatted. Sequoia was treated to everyone offering their support. It felt like it was before the whole business with Rorke and where they were now. That sense of comradeship eased tensions that had been built up over the past five or six months. Even Hesh and Harris seemed to get over whatever it was that had them looking at each other like they wanted to kill each other.

Sitting next to Hesh and leaning against his body, Sequoia said, "With the interrogation, we should be able to get something about what it going on. Since the Federation's plan to finish it with LOKI went to shit, they are on to something else."

"Don't you have a clue?" Harris asked the question in his blunt manner. "Forgive me but certainly you would have heard something."

"True and I got some things but not all," Sequoia allowed. She knew she kept Harris around for a reason when Echo Team was together. He wasn't a bootlicker and could tell it like it was. Sometimes it rankled but in the end it was appreciated. She continued after shifting slightly to silently let Hesh know that it was okay, "The op where you guys saw me was a trap but a cover for a shipment of goods. What it is I don't know but… Rorke had a way of telling but not telling. He mentioned that it was weak compared to what he was trying to do with me. I am assuming it is a weapon of sorts and from what I observed… it requires someone with scientific background."

"So we're looking at chemical warfare?"

It was an honest question. Sequoia looked at her listeners and replied, "It sounds like it. I just…" She shook her head and looked at nothing in particular, leaning into Hesh when he put his arm around her.

Logan mused on it for a bit before saying, "Well first thing is that we should report in."

Hesh was in agreement, "We should. Hawk, do you have…"

"Comm tent but I know where we can get a better signal," she replied with a slight smile. She was still looking at nothing and thinking about things but still managed to say, "We got a couple of days before Cezar wants to pull out. They'll probably head back to the village."

Logan acknowledged it and made a mental note. Merrick was probably wondering if they had been killed or captured but they all knew the risks going in with this. Still it wasn't fair to the older man to keep him worrying and Kick and Keegan were out there wondering too. He looked at the others and they seemed agreeable to the whole thing. He said, "Then I guess it's settled. First thing first is to inform Merrick of our status. We'll just be circumspect."

Sequoia was quiet as the others discussed things. She thought about things now that she was found. She even thought of things that had been plaguing her ever since she had made the choice to play with Rorke while she was his prisoner. She had wondered quite a bit and there were a few things that she hadn't said. Perhaps it was wrong but they were things that were tied into what she had to go through to get that much. It put her in such deep thought that she was quiet except to give a comment here and there.

The only one to have noticed was Hesh and he waited until they were in her tent to come out and say, "There is more isn't there?" He absently ran his fingers against her arm as she rested her head on his abdomen. His other arm was propped under his head as he looked at her. He sensed that there was more to what she had said and shrewdly guessed that it had something to do with what happened. If she said yes and elaborated, he would know and if it was where she didn't want to go in terms of conversation, he wouldn't press. He was relying though on her sense of compassion to inform the others what was going on.

Sequoia knew that someone would pick up on it. She knew that it would be Hesh though Logan was certain to pick up on it. She didn't expect anything less from him. Adjusting her arm that had been wrapped around his abdomen, she replied, "Yes… and it came at great cost."

The night was clear and the moon was out. Rorke was pacing with his arms crossed over his chest. He was pissed that the convoy ambush didn't go as planned. It had been set up to get his little Charlie back. After hearing everything that he had heard from the rumors, he knew that the 'dead ghost' was his little Charlie. Only she was able to pull off the insurrection in the jungle; he had seen how she got out of Vegas and what she had done since then.

Rorke couldn't help but grin as he thought about what he had seen. He knew what she was capable of and had witnessed it firsthand. Of course it occurred to him that she had been playing him while he had granted her freedom in his compound… but it was after she escaped. He had to hand it to her that she was clever but he knew that he had some effect on her. There was no way she would have been able to escape without a little bit of what he had given her.

So Little Charlie… How is your newfound freedom faring? Are you remembering what you had to go through?

Before this ends I will kill you.

"You may try my Little Charlie but will you have what it takes?" Rorke looked up at the night sky to study the sky. There was something about it that made him thoughtful especially about her.

His little Charlie was a fighter. He was certain of it the first time he saw her. He didn't know she was a woman at the time. Funny how camo paint worked. At any rate, when he first saw her standing there with the sons of Elias and Keegan, he knew there was something different about her. With her he noticed it right away but with Elias' youngest, he saw it a bit later. Either way, both were what he was looking for though he did have a preference for Little Charlie.

I'm here for a job and not to entertain you.

"Yeah sure, Charlie. You were hiding something the day you were assigned to us," Rorke mused as he paced the balcony. He rubbed his chest since occasionally it still ached. "You were good. Too good. You knew how to get what you wanted."

I just know how to ask.

"And you trained Little Charlie to be just like you. Infuriating woman but I like that fire in her."

When Rorke first met Charles Williams, he wasn't a colonel then but some green looking lieutenant. The man was hardly that though as it was proven when they went out to track and capture their man. It took a while but Charles managed to get leads when nothing else worked. Rorke always wondered how he was able to do it but the man never indulged and it frustrated him.

It certainly frustrated him when he noticed Charles and Elias chatting with each other like they knew each other from a ways back. Then again it seemed that the other members of the team developed rapport with the man far more easily than he did. And even when he gained the trust of Charles, Rorke sensed that they man held back. In some respects it was for good reason but to Rorke it felt like the man didn't trust him.

Rorke tried to dig up a few things on Charles after the whole incident and when he was finally freed by the Federation. He found the man had made it up the ranks to top brass and worked with those in charge of the tier one teams. It had Rorke thinking of means of getting even with that bastard that he admired. And then there came Little Charlie.

Ten years had come and gone and there she was. She was tall and magnificent. There was something in her posture that spoke of pride and fire. He liked the way that she looked at him in the eye without fear when he let himself get captured. True she knew how to push buttons but that was all because of Charlie's good work. In fact he was pissed when she called him weak but he also admired the fact that she was able to do that. In a twisted way, he reveled in the fact that he loved her for it.

It had been a process getting to her and actually having his hands on her. Vegas, he got to put her in the position for her to realize that there was a high chance of her being killed. Of course he wasn't going to do that since she was that valuable. Still it was fun to watch her reaction and how he blew away two of his men to make a point. And it certainly had an impact on Elias and his boys. Junior was spitting mad. The squirt was also mad but more reserved about it and Elias, he was just an irritant and the one who let go. He hated the man and gave him what he deserved.

Rorke turned to pace the balcony while looking at the jungle. He could say that he let her go on purpose but she drew her battle lines in the sand and she was determined to fight him. Well he would accept her challenge. After all she said he had to earn the right to hunt her.

"Boss, the convoy was attacked. El Libertad…"

Rorke turned to face the underling and said, "No. It was her."

"But Boss, we have the footage…"

"Try again you idiot. It is her." Rorke turned to look out at the jungle. He knew it was her. It may have El Libertad written on it but her hand was in it. She would find a way to put her hand in it. He knew she wanted to hunt him. She was drawn to him as he was to her.

He took a moment and put his gloved hands on the railing. He leaned with his hands for support. He grinned knowing that his Little Charlie was going to be hard put to do anything. He asked, "And the team?"

"They entered the jungle at the last known coordinates. You were right in that they would start where the feed came."

Rorke couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't failed to notice that Keegan and the younger Walker both had helmet cams. What they saw was going to be difficult to explain. He knew Merrick would want to get to her first but there had been no activity from the Ghosts. It seemed that they were going to abandon their comrade like they abandoned him. Then again if the younger Walker saw her, he probably went rogue and with his older brother. That was something they would do and would be the reason why they didn't find anything on the Ghosts.

"So are we still going through with it?"

Rorke turned to look at his man, "Of course Mateo. This is a hunt after all and she gave the challenge."

Mateo looked at Rorke with a wary expression. Ever since it had been revealed that the escaped prisoner was the dead ghost, the boss had been obsessed with hunting her. It wasn't a simple matter of capturing her. He got the impression that the man wanted to do more to the bitch; like it was part of the rebuilding process. "What do you intend to do?"

"Let's just say that we have a way of finding her," Rorke replied as he started pacing. A grin appeared on his face as he thought about what he had in mind. True that the Federation had their own plans and he did what he needed to do but he was going to play and they were going to let him.

He knew that little Charlie wasn't going to leave until she made good on her promise to try an kill him. He actually would love to see her try. It actually put a thrill into his spine and if he had to, he would play dirty just to get her to move and do what he needed her to do.

"You mean the mole? Won't she just kill him?"

"Nah. She's too much like Charlie. She'll interrogate him and she won't even know that we are tracking her as she does it." Rorke couldn't help but grin at the thought. "You have the tracker ready?"

Mateo cleared his throat. He knew the plan but really? It seemed like this was a game to the boss. It was like he wanted to toy with the target. He replied, "It's operational but you know there is a chance that they killed him and took a different one prisoner."

"Always a possibility which is why I made sure that there was one that would definitely get caught." Rorke looked at his man and noticed the look on his face. These simpletons just didn't get it. He sighed, "I know there is a risk but I know Little Charlie. She won't kill all of them especially if she wants information."

"So they all have it?"

"Now you're talking."

Mateo was willing to accept that but he still wasn't sure. "It sounds like you are playing a game with her.

"It is a game you idiot," Rorke retorted. He glared at his right hand man. Mateo was smarter than most but he was still an idiot. "It is more than a game. It is a hunt. She knows it and I know it. This is all about destroying those bastards."

"You mean the Ghosts."

"Them and every bastard they work for," Rorke replied. He turned to pace the balcony some more. Ever since he had his eyes on her and then later the pipsqueak, he had been developing a plan for the other side to realize that no one was safe from being broken. "It's not enough to destroy a man."

"What else is there?" Mateo couldn't help but ask as he checked his radio. He was hearing reports about things going as they were supposed to. "The men are ready to move out. Command actually gave you what you wanted."

"Good. We'll leave tonight. Get before I kill you."

Mateo left with a slight roll of his eyes. He had heard that threat before. Rorke used it on him every other day and it usually meant that he wanted some form of privacy. He left and went to give the order to be ready to pull out. He didn't doubt that the boss could get the job done but it just seemed too elaborate for him especially since it was one girl that just seemed to have a knack for resisting traditional means of interrogation.

Rorke watched his man leave. They wouldn't get it. The Walker boys seemed to get it but she did the most and that was because she was Charlie's protégé. He murmured to himself, "It is more than a game. It is a hunt and one I am to win and then I will show you Charlie that I would have been worth the time and effort." He chuckled as he looked up into the sky, "Elias, if you're up there, know that your little Charlie is making a fine Ghost. I'll have her soul yet and you'll see what it means to be a Ghost."

A/N: Well the reunion has been made and they have a prisoner. It looks like Rorke is up to something. Keep watching for more of The Hunt...