WheresDaBeef, CaptainHall, and MasterDerp5885, you guys are still awesome! Guest, thanks for taking the time to review and being completely honest! I know it was in Shadow of a Ghost, an idea gets stuck in my head and I usually write along the lines of it or almost exactly it without realizing it… Sorry… You shouldn't have much of a problem with that anymore though ^_^ Anyway, on to chapter eight, here we go!
Thanks for Reading, Fly High Aim Higher
~Spitfire out
*Ghost's POV*
I don't mind the cold too much, but I can only take so much, this was a bit excessive though. For miles all I could see was snow. After that there was water, and a sub, our target. We had to disarm the nukes that the sub was carrying. I looked at the team that was assembled around me, noticing the absence of a certain bug.
"Where's Roach?" I asked rhetorically, knowing already that he must've been blown off course by the bone chilling wind.
Everyone shrugged. We waited a bit to see if he turned up, having been blown not far. No such luck.
Price called over the com-link later saying that he found Roach and that the bug was okay. The two of them were going to head towards the base and attack from the side where we would be attacking from the front.
It didn't take long to get to the town, a few run-ins with guards but we remained undetected. We got there and saw an explosion, a mobile SAM shot down our predator just before it was destroyed. The beginning assault was quick, then we ran into heavy resistance as our second drone made it to position and Roach took control of it, thinning out the enemy troops. We pressed further on and made it into the sub base without difficulty. Once there after clearing out most of the enemies, we took up over watch on the roof of a building near the sub while Price went in to disarm the nukes. It was over thirty minutes of constant firing and dodging until anything happened.
The silo doors started opening and that's when I got on the comms, yelling to Price, telling him that they were preparing to launch the nukes, when I finally got a response out of him all he said was 'good'.
Then all hell broke loose. A nuke started ascending into the air, higher and higher, it's engine was deafening. I called code black for nuclear missile launch.
"We got two trucks coming in from the south!" Dash called as the nuke disappeared, nothing we could do now.
Roach opened the predator control rig but before a missile could be fired. Archer took aim and fired off a single shot. The first truck swerved as about ten men jumped from the back. The driver was dead. I was pulling my rifle up when the Russians started shooting. I didn't have time to react, everything happened so fast it was a blur.
I see Archer take a hit to the shoulder, he drops his sniper, he can't shoot it with just one good arm, and pulls out a pistol. Toad covers him as he takes out any Russian that tries to get up the stairs. Dash and Roach are working as a team, Dash comes up and fires, when she as to reload, Roach takes her place.
I jump into action and begin returning fire at the enemies. I grab a grenade, cook it so that they can't throw it back, and launch it into the midst of a mob of Russians, killing at least five. We soon took them all out and Archer appears to be okay. We get Nikoli to get us back to base after Price exits the sub again.
No one could miss all the looks everyone was giving him. Even MacTavish appeared suspicious, if not pissed, and then there was Dash who couldn't stop pacing. I stopped her with a hand on her shoulder and forced her to sit down, giving her a look that I know she caught even past my glasses and mask. The ride back to base was full of tension and silence.
When we finally got back we got straight to tracking the missile. It detonated in space, above Washington D.C. The shockwave caused an EMP* that won saved the lives of several Americans. I could see Dash smiling at the fact that the Americans won their capital back. I was baffled as to how Price knew that the Americans needed help and how he knew how to help them. There was a shocked silence throughout the War Room as the feed ended. 'Tavish gave Price a pat on his back and life returned to normal, everyone went about their normal routines.
Archer was in med-bay getting his shoulder checked out, Toad was on the range practicing, Dash was running, Ozone was doing research, knowing him it was probably on pressure points and what they do to people, still can't believe that muppet beat me in hand-to-hand… Scarecrow was probably sleeping, so was Roach and the rest of the team. Save Price and MacTavish, they were talking to Sheppard in the War Room still.
I went out to the track to find Dash. I needed to be sure about the night before, about whether there really was an 'us'. I kissed her twice, what the hell was I thinking? I didn't even know if she liked me that way or not. She wasn't exactly scared of me like most of the team was, namely Roach… I found Dash finishing another lap around the track and ran to catch up to her.
"Dash," I said when I caught up; she looked back at me and smiled, "we need to talk."
"About what, LT?" she asked as she kept running.
"Us," I answered firmly.
She stopped and looked back with a confused look, "Last night…" I said, trailing off.
She smiled, "Maybe," she answered, somehow knowing my question, "I don't know."
She started running again, leaving me in a daze of bewilderment. 'Maybe?' Ugh… Where did I go wrong?
I walked slowly back to the barracks and saw 'Tavish on my way there but I ignored the confused look he gave me. I flopped down on my bunk with an aggravated sigh. I heard the door open and close but ignored it, it wasn't uncommon for 'Tavish to want to talk to me and he was my CO so he could just come in if he wanted to. I looked over to see the scot standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Ghost, what's with you?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked in return, sitting up and standing.
"You're distracted, mate, and you look depressed as hell," 'Tavish answered.
"How can you tell?"
"Because I know you, Riley," it wasn't often when he called me by my name, and when he did, it was serious.
"I'm fine, you're mistaken," I answered.
"Fine, care to spar?" he asked.
"Here?" I asked when he got into stance; I shrugged and got into stance as well.
He made the first move and when I tried to counter, ducked behind me, kicked the back of my knees to force me down and put me in a choke hold.
He started applying the pressure when I tried to break the hold. I tried to pry his arm away but he was holding it place with his other hand. I felt him place a knee across my legs to keep me from retaliating properly.
"Now, tell me what's bothering you and I'll let you go," he said, pulling the hold tighter.
"Nothing's wrong!" I shouted, trying, and failing, to elbow him in the gut to breath the hold.
'Tavish was standing and I was on my knees, I couldn't exactly throw my head back into his nose.
"You're lying," he said as he pulled even tighter.
I stayed silent, still trying to pry his arm away from my neck.
"I can keep this up all day, Riley," he said after a few seconds.
I couldn't breathe and I couldn't hold my breath much longer before I started struggling to try to get a breath. I knew he wouldn't accept a tap out, which I never did, why start now? A few seconds later I was struggling, my body begging for a breath. My chest felt like it was on fire.
'Tavish allowed me to get just enough breath to say one word.
"Dash!" I called, hoping that would explain everything.
I was relieved when MacTavish let me go. I fell to the ground coughing, trying to catch my breath.
"Dash? She's distracting you?" 'Tavish asked to confirm what I said.
I just nodded in response.
"Solve it, get over it, whatever, just don't let whatever it is distract you anymore. I can't have my lieutenant getting killed because he was distracted," 'Tavish said sternly.
I nodded again, still catching my breath.
"Get some rest, you need it after today," he added, helping me up and then walking out.
I sat back down on my bunk, completely dazed. 'What the fuck just happened…'
I lay back and fell asleep, I'd talk to Dash tomorrow; I was really tired.
