"Loose Ends"

Day 6 - 15:36:13

SSG. Mike 'Archer' Wallace

Task Force 141

Georgian-Russian Border

In the distance Archer heard the sound of miniguns spinning up, then the deafening roar as they fired. "we gotta hurry man" said Toad "Relax Ghost wont let Shepherd leave us" Archer replied. They made their way through the thick brush but the sound of helicopter blades spinning rapidly faded. "oh shit man, oh shit were gonna get left out here" Archer ignored his friend as he emerged from the forest into a clearing. "damn it Toad threw down his pack god damn it!" Archer turned a smell clung to the air, it brought back memories of him serving with the Royal Marines in Bosnia. They found a church full of burnt corpses…some children. He turned, smoke drifted up from a blackened patch of ground. He walked closer and realized the blackened patch had different colors gray and green. He saw a blackened UK flag. " oh shit " Toad stopped his swearing and turned. "Archer, what is it mate". Archer finally realizing what this was. He knelt down and removed the half melted sunglasses. A pair of bright blue eyes gazed up at him. "Jesus Christ…he brushed his fingertips over the eyes closing them". He looked past Ghost's burnt corpse and realized he wasn't alone, Roach lay next to him remaining more unburnt than Ghost. "Toad they got Roach and Ghost "he managed to get out. "It wasn't the reds mate". "what do you mean Archer turned. Toad walked over with two brass shell casings in his hand. He dumped them in Archers hand. He turned them over, imprinted on the back circling the primer read .44mag Remington "only one man packs a forty four to a fight" Said Archer. He turned to Toad who looked at him and nodded solemnly. "Shepherd" He finished Archers sentence.

Archer took a drink of water from his canteen. He had shed his ghillie jacket and took up an entrenching tool. Gingerly he lowered his two friends bodies into the shallow grave." They fought together they should go to the next life together too". Archer wiped some sweat from his brow. "You really tight with the Lt or what" Asked Toad.. Archer nodded finally remembering he had a life outside of Spec Ops. " he turned away from Ghost's corpse and smiled, " I named my son after him" Simon Riley Wallace Archer thought. It had been a long time since he had seen him, years wonder if his mother even regretted the divorce. Quickly he pushed the thoughts aside he had to stay in the present. Him and Toad quickly covered the grave with soil and added a thin layer of rocks on top to keep predators from digging up the bodies. Archer sat down on the ground and looked the sun was setting. Toad sat down beside him "think were gonna get out of this alive". Archer shook his head "don't know, I hope God willing" Toad took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to him. Archer took it and held it between his lips as Toad lit it for him. HE usually didn't smoke but tonight was an exception. Toad lit one for himself and they sat there beside the graves of their friends. "Do you…do you think god will forgive us for the things we have done " Asked Toad. Archer turned he had known Toad for a while but there conversations had been professional at most. He turned away looking at the fresh grave. "No" He turned to look him in the eyes. Toad nodded took a drag off his cigarette and stubbed it out in the dirt. "we should go" said Archer Shepherd must know some of the operatives are still alive.

"Then there was two"

Day 7 - 08:12:02

Gen. Tom Shepherd

U.S Army Black Ops

C-130 over Afghanistan airspace

Shepherd sat back in his seat preparing notes for his speech at the white house. He took a sip of his coffee while typing away on his laptop. A sound of boots against the floor made him turn. His operations planner (oplan) advisor sat down beside him. " Sir we have a problem". Shepherd turned and closed his laptop. He took a deep breath and composed himself. "what would this problem be Major" . " we are in the process of disposing of Mctavish and Price and their outfit, But back at Makarov's safe house". Yes Major Shepherd was growing impatient. "There's two left that didn't get hit or caught by our guys". Shepherd slammed his laptop against the back of the seat in front of him. " God Dammit were are they". "our satellite's have taken photos of them at the exfil point," He handed them Shepherd. He looked them over it showed two men in ghillie suits standing near the dead bodies of the me Shepherd personally took care of. "who are they major" Well according to our personnel data they are two snipers SSG. Mike Wallace and Cpl Tim Hasting. " I want them found major, you here me we don't need any more loose ends. Hire some mercs send some of our boys from the force I don't care find them…and make sure they cant spread a word of this." Shepherd calmly picked his laptop off the floor as the oplan Major left. They would find these men and out them to rest his plans rested on this minor flaw, if one mad escaped it would bring all hell down on his shoulders. He resumed typing. "and then there was two" he thought