Dad taught us many things, but one lesson always stood out
Good men are defined by the choices they make
Logan and I made a choice, a promise
To the fallen Ghosts before us. To Dad.
We'd fight Rorke and we'd stop him
No matter the cost

By the time Alex, Keegan, and Kick got to Colorado, the attack on the carrier had already run its course. They had to take an alternate route to avoid some nasty weather which required them to stop for a refueling in Oklahoma. When they got to the safe house, Alex was surprised at its size. It was big, but not huge and was well-equipped with computer gadgets and an impressive armory. It was cold outside from the Colorado air, but the inside was warm. They were told Merrick and Neptune were on their way and that Hesh and Logan were on route to the facility in Chile. It would be at least another hour until everyone was where they needed to be so Alex, Keegan, and Kick were told to unpack and get settled.

They found their way to the living quarters and Alex went into the first room she saw. It was simple and plain with light grey walls and hardwood floors with a bed in the center and a dresser and closet. There was a small couch and desk as well as the one-person bathroom. Alex tossed her bag on the bed and put her clothes away and put all her pictures in the dresser for the time being. She changed into a different t-shirt and brushed her hair out before going back out to find Keegan and Kick.

The two were grabbing a quick bite for lunch in the kitchen since they haven't eaten since breakfast. Alex joined them and grabbed turkey sandwich with pepperjack cheese. "What's the word on the others?" she asked as she unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite.

"Merrick is forty minutes out and Hesh and Logan are a little over forty five minutes from the facility." Kick told the youngest Merrick as he ate a chip. "Everything's going according to plan."

"You think Hesh is going to handle everything alright?" Keegan asked.

"It's Hesh." Alex answered. "He's capable and Elias knew he's be a great leader. Let's have some faith."

Keegan took a sip of his cola before replying. "Well let's go get linked up to the assault team on the shuttle and get on with the Walker brothers." He said. He, Kick, and Alex all left the kitchen and headed back to the operations room.

OOOOO

It didn't take too long for the Ghosts to get linked up with the space shuttle and Hesh and Logan on the radio. The operations room had three large TVs that were showing them everything going on where Hesh and Logan were as well as feed from the space station. The room was large and had several technicians working on separate computers coordinating resources for the men on the ground and telling them what was happening that they couldn't see. There was a speaker system that hooked up to the radio frequency so everyone in the room could hear what was happening and all someone had to do was speak a bit louder than usual to talk to anyone on the other end.

The assault team that was headed to the federation space station was space bound and heading towards the station and Kick and Keegan would be handling them while Alex and Merrick dealt with Hesh and Logan when they got to the facility.

"Hesh can you hear me?" Alex asked as she fiddled with the frequency dial near the monitor.

"Loud and clear Alex." Hesh's familiar voice sounded. Alex smiled at the sound.

"Lieutenant," another voice sounded. Alex turned around and saw it was one of the technicians watching the screens. "Merrick and Neptune's helicopter is approaching the safe house."

"Alex, Logan and I are twenty minutes from the facility. Fed have defenses set up everyone which includes the sky." Hesh reported.

"Understood Hesh."

"Have them sent here as soon as he lands. It's show time." Alex told the technician.

"Yes ma'am he replied.

Five minutes later, Merrick walked into the room with Neptune. Merrick looked fine and unharmed, making Alex smiled at her brother. He was still here."Come on, Merrick." She said. "It's time to make history." Merrick smiled and walked over to his sister while looking at the screens. "Hesh do you read me?" Merrick asked.

"Affirmative Merrick." Hesh replied.

"Alright you know the plan. We strike two targets at the same time. An assault team has launched and are heading towards the Federation Space Station. They're mission is to take breach the station and take control of its orbital weapons. To make their approach possible, we have to destroy the space station's early warning array on the ground which is where you're heading. You'll lead a team to seize control of the Command Center and launch a missile at their ground array. Rorke could be in the area, but this is priority. An armored battalion will punch through the Fed's defenses. Expect the most intense resistance of the entire war. Succeed, and our space forces will have a fighting chance."

"Just another day at work."

In the operations room the team watched the screens as the tanks took out all of the Fed's defenses when they got intel confirming Rorke's presence at the facility. "Launch facility ahead!" Hesh informed the group.

"Hesh this is Alex. Latest intel confirms Rorke is at the facility but you have to get that missile launched first."

"Understood, Hesh out."

Alex looked at the intel on the screen that showed Rorke's photo and location. "He's going to do anything he can to get Rorke while he's in reaching distance." She told the others.

"We just have to trust that he does what needs to be done first. He knows his priorities." Merrick reassured his sister.

Merrick, Alex, Kick, Keegan, and Neptune all stood next to each other as they watched the screens while the attack was launched on the facility. There were helicopters falling from the sky and explosions going off left and right, tanks rolling around, and some Feds running around the ground.

"Merrick, we've entered the target building. Proceeding to launch room." Hesh reported in.

"Copy Actual." Merrick responded.

About a minute later they had the launch room secured. "Command trajectory updated, preparing launch warhead. Be advised the area is covered by multiple V75 Mantis Turrets." Hesh informed the Ghosts.

Alex walked over to the technicians and told them to send the Badger tanks to clear the way. "I don't want to see a single turret in use within five minutes." She said in a low voice as she looked back at the screen where they had the facility attack on. A few minutes later there was a missile in the air.

"Command payload is away, we have a successful launch." Hesh informed the team.

Everyone in the room let out a quiet cheer. Alex smiled at the other Ghosts before responding. "Command copies all. Good work, gentlemen."

"We got a lead on Rorke, we're going after him."

Alex's smile disappeared. "Negative Hesh. Return to rally point. We'll track him down together."

On the other end of the line, Hesh paused for a moment. This was the plan she didn't know about. They were going after Rorke one way or another. "Sorry Alex. Your mission's complete, ours isn't." he replied.

Alex looked at Merrick when she put the pieces together. "They knew he'd be there." She stated. The other Ghosts looked at each other. "How the hell would they have known that?" Keegan asked. "We only just got confirmation."

"I don't know." Merrick answered. "But right now we have those two moving in on Rorke's position and that's the priority as of now. We worry about the rest later."

"Fire teams suppressed in 3-1, advancing to loading bay." Hesh reported.

"Roger that." Merrick replied.

The Ghosts watched the feed as Hesh and Logan pushed through to the train, killing every Fed in their path. Alex couldn't stop wondering how they knew Rorke would be there. More importantly why didn't they tell them? They were a team. Either way what's done was done. With Rorke in the picture again, she remembered that he wanted her and Logan back at Vegas. She still hasn't told anyone, including Merrick and Logan didn't mention it to anyone either. Alex just prayed that whatever they had planned worked.

"Alex, Merrick, we're on the train. We're going after Rorke." Hesh's voice broke in.

"Solid copy." Alex responded.

OOOOO

There wasn't any live feed coming from the train itself, but they did have a visual on its route and movements through satellite feed. Alex watched as the small dots that were Logan and Hesh moved up the train and took out two helicopters as they advanced. They didn't come over the radio again for a while and Alex had a death grip on Keegan's arm as she watched the screens in fear. Keegan put an arm around her shoulders and watched the screen with her when Hesh's voice finally sounded again.

"Merrick, do you copy?"

"Copy Hesh."

"We're moving in on Rorke. If you hear the word 'Checkmate' you will fire on our position, confirm."

Alex's heart dropped to her feet. What the hell was he doing? If that train goes down, Hesh and Logan were going down with it. She knew Rorke was there and the brothers wanted their revenge, but this was crazy. It was suicidal.

"Say again. Repeat our last." Merrick replied.

"You heard me Merrick. On Checkmate, hit this train."

Alex looked at her brother. "He can't be serious." She said. "He's going to get himself and Logan killed."
"He sounded serious." Merrick said.

"We can't just order a launch on a train that has two of our own on it."

"Hesh and Logan know what they're risking-"

"They're fucking lives!"

"And they're willing to lose them to stop Rorke."

Alex looked back at the screen and just prayed that she didn't hear checkmate. "Merrick we can't do that." She argued. Merrick saw the desperation in her eyes. She knew how she felt about Hesh and what he was doing was insane, but he knew what the cost was at bringing down Rorke. The Walker brothers wanted their revenge and take him down once and for all. It was now or never.

"It's his call, Alex." Was all Merrick said. Then it happened.

"Checkmate." Hesh's rough voice sounded over the radio. Alex looked at the screen. "Checkmate confirmed." Merrick replied. Alex felt the world and time stop altogether. Suddenly she couldn't hear anything. She couldn't move. She was frozen to the ground where she stood. Looking at her brother, she watched as Merrick walked closer to the monitors.

"Icarus Actual, do you still have eyes on the southwest train?" Merrick asked through the comms. When he got a response, he told Icarus to delay the previous order and hit the train. "But sir there are Ghosts on that train." Icarus pointed out. Alex felt her body begin to give out, but Keegan supported her with an arm around her back.

"The order came from Ghosts. Delay previous order, you're confirmed. Repeat confirmed. Fire on that train!" Merrick ordered.

When Alex watched as the missile launched and hit the train, all she registered was a blur. In a split second she lost a person who brought her out of her shell and opened her up. When she first met Hesh Walker she was and cold and wanted nothing to do with him. To her he was just another Ghost, but he broke down every wall and defense she had set up and made her feel again. And Logan Walker was a friend. He was as good a friend to her as Kick and Neptune were and she couldn't help but think it was only a few weeks ago when she met Elias Walker's sons in No Man's Land where everything started. It seemed like she was just fixing up Logan in the infirmary after he got back from his mission with Keegan and drinking hot chocolate with Hesh on the couch of the rec room. Was it really just this morning that she woke up in Hesh's arms with a mile wide smile on her face?

"Alex." A voice sounded. Alex turned her head and saw Keegan looking at her. "Are you alright?" he asked. He's said her name twice and she was just staring a t the screen with an empty look on her face. "I'm fine." She said flatly. "I'm fine." But she wasn't fine. She never wanted to feel this again. Feeling the sadness that engulfed her when she lost someone she cared about. It was too much for her to bear again. All at once it felt like something in her world just crashed and broke into a thousand pieces. The train went down over two minutes ago and there was still no radio contact from Hesh or Logan. But then it happened.

"Merrick." Hesh's familiar voice sounded. Alex looked at the screen. "Merrick do you copy?" Suddenly, as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders, Alex stood up straight. "Hesh?" Merrick questioned. "Hesh is that you?"

"Yeah…I'm with Logan…we're okay."

"And Rorke?"

"Dead…he's dead."

All in a matter of seconds, the atmosphere of the room changed. Not only were Hesh and Logan alive, but Rorke was dead. Alex felt a smile appear on her face as her eyes filled with tears. She wiped her eyes and Keegan's arm disappeared from her.

"Copy that. The Federation is in full retreat. The rest of the payload's inbound to finish the job. Sit tight. Recon's coming for you."

OOOOO

It wasn't until the helicopter bringing Hesh and Logan back was on its way back that the rest of the Ghosts knew only one Walker was returning to them. Logan was taken by Rorke on the beach where the brothers were sitting and waiting for recon. When Alex found out she felt her heart drop to the floor all over again. Not only was Logan now MIA and Rorke was alive, but Hesh was also severely wounded. He was shot, had a dislocated shoulder as well a concussion, and suffered several bad blows from Rorke. He wasn't on death's doorstep, but he was pretty beat up. And according to the medics on the helicopter he was emotionally damaged after watching his brother dragged away from him. He hadn't said a word since they got him on the helicopter and has barely moved a muscle. One minute everything seemed too good to be true and now everything just crashed down all at once. What made it worse was that Alex knew Rorke wanted her and Logan and she never said anything. She didn't think something else would happen like in Vegas and figured she'd wait until after the missions today to say anything to prevent unneeded worry amongst the team. But Hesh and Logan weren't supposed to know Rorke was there and they weren't supposed to go after him. Now it was too late. Rorke had Logan.