The next day…

„She didn´t talk a single word since we´re back." Ozone reported to Price, as the Captain entered the observation room.

"Who was talking to her?" Price asked and looked through the one-way mirror.

"General MacMillian. He even tried it in Russian but she just looked at him and smiled." Ozone answered headshaking and watched Price leave the room again.

"Sir?" Ozone stuck his head out of the door and looked at Price confused.

"I´m gonna try." Price answered and entered the interrogation room.

Price sat down on the empty chair, looked in the eyes of his counterpart and smiled; not saying a single word. If she wanted to play that game he would play along. He could tell by her look that she was confused and didn´t know what he wanted from her. Even though she kept smiling at him and tried to hide her nervousness, Price noticed she started to fumble with her fingers. Price grinned and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. He knew it wouldn´t take any longer till she finally began to speak. After he studied her intensively for about two minutes, her smile faded away and she started to look angry at him.

"What do you want?" She finally asked him annoyed.

"Oh, so now you can speak?" Price asked her leaning back.

"I have only one question. Why spoke Andrew about Makarov? What´s with him?"

"You mean Vladimir?" Natasha asked back a mischievous sparkle in her eyes as Price nodded.

"You ask me? You should know it, shouldn´t you? I thought you were the one who killed him."

"You´re well-informed." Price told her less impressed.

"You know the procedure. Never let your enemies out of sight." She replied smiling.

"So did Andrew imagine he would get orders from him?" Price continued.

"Maybe, I don´t know." She stated.

"What do you need to remember?" Price knew he had to offer her a favor, or she wouldn´t tell him the whole story.

"You know I met an outstanding man not long ago. I´d like to spend some time with him." Natasha said and her smile grew wider.

"I see what I can do." Price told her as he stood up.

"That´s not all Captain." Natasha said as he opened the door, making him look back at her.

"I want this bitch to come here too." Natasha demanded.

"I said one favor." Price replied angry.

"That´s only one Captain. I only tell you what I know when them both are here." Natasha answered and looked up to the ceiling.


"Why did you do that John? We don´t do favors to our enemies." Mac furious asked Price as the named walked pass him, to head to the infirmary.

"It´s our only chance Mac." Price answered and kept on walking.

"For what? That she can tell us what we already know? That Makarov´s dead? That´s a useless treatment." Mac put a hand on Price´s shoulder and walked next to him.

"Are you sure? Who tells us that Makarov´s really dead? Look at the 141. I thought most of them are dead and they´re still alive. Who knows, maybe Makarov had a backup too." Price yelled at his friend.

"John don´t make a fool out of yourself. You were the one how hung him. You watched his lifeless body hanging from the ceiling."

"It was me too who held Soap´s dead body in my arms and he´s still alive. Do you still believe everything you saw or heard after all we´ve been through the last few days?" Price stopped in front of the infirmary door and stared at his friend.

Mac let the words sink in and slightly began to have doubts. If someone had told him only a week ago that Andrew was still alive, he would have laughed. If someone had told him months ago that Shepherd was a Betrayer, he would have laughed too. If someone had told him years ago he would fall in love with the wife of his former comrade, he would have laughed even more. But all this things happened and now he wasn´t sure of anything. He wasn´t sure what to believe and so he just shook his head.

"See? So let us take this chance, we´ll regret it someday if we don´t. I know it will be hard for both of them but at least we have to ask them." Price said and opened the door.

"You go and talk to MacTavish. I´ll go and talk to Julia." Mac ordered Price as they approached the infirmary. Price nodded to the General and they split apart.


Price knocked at the door to Soap´s treatment room and stepped in, seeing his friend standing by the window with a bottle of water in his hand. Price closed the door and watched MacTavish turn his head and smiling at him. Price returned the smile and let himself sink onto the bed, taking his hat off.

"You look better than yesterday." Price said as Soap sat down next to him.

"I´m feeling better too. The doctor just said I should conserve my voice as much as possible." Soap answered, his voice still croaky.

"That should be a problem." Price stated and stood up again.

"What do you mean?" Soap asked and took a sip from his bottle. Price rubbed his neck and turned around to face Soap again.

"You have to do me a favor. I tried to get some information out of Natasha but she only answered me one single question about Makarov. She only told me I´m to one how knows best that Makarov died but as I asked her if Andrew imagined to still get information from him she said she doesn´t know. I asked her what she needed to remember and she said she wanted to spend some time with you." Price explained and could see a disgusting impression on Soap´s face.

"I know what she was going to do with you but that´s our only chance to get more out of her. Would you go and talk to her?" Price waited for Soap´s response and could tell his friend was thinking deeply about what to do.

Price turned his gaze away from him, stepped up to the window and looked out. He only could imagine how Soap was feeling; after all this woman was ready to rape him. Price knew that Soap wouldn´t ever talk about it with him but the fact that Price knew what had happened to his friend made the situation difficult enough. Since Price knew him, Soap was a strong man, with a very rough appearance but deep inside Soap was a soft guy with a heart of gold. If Price would have been in his situation, he wouldn´t know what to do right now. Even if they were in their base, their home, where nothing bad would happen to him, it would be a big step to face the person who had made him feel like he was just a toy; only a piece of soulless flesh.

"Will I be alone with her?" Price heard Soap´s weak voice and snapped out of his thoughts. Price shook his head, walked over to the bed and leant against the cupboard, like he did yesterday.

"She wants Julia in there as well." Price explained and looked at him.

"Why´s that? Is she going?"

"I don´t know why she wants to see her. Mac is talking to her right now."

"Well." Soap said and stood up. "I´m going in."

Price smiled, pushed himself away from the cupboard and together both men left the room. Outside Julia and Mac were already waiting for them. Price exchanged a look with the General, both nodded and all four began to make their way back to the interrogation room. Mac and Price walked in the front and Julia and Soap followed them.

"You have any idea why she wants to see us?" Soap broke the silence in which they had been.

Julia just shook her head and avoided to look at him. Soap recognized she was looking down to her feet as she walked. He called her by her name twice but as she didn´t reply he grabbed her shoulder and forced her to stop walking. Price noticed that they had stopped and turned around, asking Soap what was going on. Soap told him they should keep on going and that they were coming soon after them. Price just nodded and he and the General kept moving. As they were out of sight Soap laid his other hand on Julia´s other shoulder and bend down, trying to look her in the eyes. Julia on her part turned her head every time he tried it to the other side. Soap sighted heavily, freed her from his touch and straightened up again.

"What´s wrong? Did I do anything to you?" He asked in a low voice and in an answer she just shook her head.

"Why do you avoid to look at me then?" He continued but she again just shook her head.

Soap raised his hands in frustration and rolled his eyes.

"Would you please talk to me and tell me what´s wrong? My prophesy skill isn´t the best." His comment made her smile a little. She took a deep breath and finally she turned her head and looked at him.

"It´s just I feel guilty. As I had the gun in my hands and Andrew asked me if I wanted to shoot you, I thought about it for a few seconds. I entered the room and couldn´t believe my eyes as he tried to kill you but to be honest I started too sympathetic with his offer to come with him. If he hasn´t mentioned Makarov´s name I´m sure I would have killed you." She said depressed and looked down to her feet again.

"You didn´t shoot me and I don´t blame you for your thoughts. If I had been in your situation I´m sure I´d have thought about shooting the man I barely know and rescue the one I love. In fact you saved my life twice and I don´t know if I´ll ever be able to thank you enough for that. Right now I just want you to know that I´m always there for you if you need someone to talk and now come on, we have a job to do." Soap gently put a hand on her shoulder again. Julia looked up to him, nodded and both continued to walk.


Soap stepped, followed by Julia into the interrogation room and both sat down. Julia kept staring at her hands and Soap needed all his courage to look Natasha in the eyes, who grinned at him and started to stroke a hand through her hair. All three sat in silence for a minute, before Natasha started to giggle. Soap stared at her confused and Julia raised her eyebrows, leering up to the woman. As Natasha recognized their puzzled looks she started to laugh louder and louder.

"What´s wrong? You look like I´m a crazy psycho. Never seen a person laugh?" Natasha asked still smiling. As Soap and Julia didn´t say anything Natasha let out a deep breath and got serious.

"Don´t you wonder why I wanted to see you two?" She asked and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Because you´re crazy." Soap answered angry.

"Oh poor Captain. You´re still not over our little romance? You regret that you stopped me? If you want to take your chance now I´m ready. Your croaky voice makes you even sexier." Natasha stated and licked her lips.

"No thanks." Soap told her in disgust and crossed his arms defensive.

"Well, your loss. I would show you things a woman could do that you never seen but when you refuse me can´t do anything against it." Natasha answered him playing offended and turned her gaze to Julia.

"What about you bitch? You want to know?" Natasha asked Julia snidely and Julia looked down to her hands again nodding. Natasha´s smile returned on her face and she leaned forward, resting her arms on the small table between them.

"Well, the Captain´s only here ´cause I wanted to see him once more but you´re here for a more important reason. Say, do your friends here know that you had sex with Andrew?" Natasha asked and smiled even wider as Julia lifted her head and looked at her with big eyes. Natasha was sure she hid her weak point and she enjoyed it. If she could she would make the life of that woman the living hell. If she would pull the strings in here she would make her suffer; suffer for what she did to Andrew.

"What? No answer? I think I take this as a no. Oh my god, it must be very embarrassing for you right now. I´m really sorry." Natasha said sarcastically and started to laugh loud and crazy.

Soap turned his head and turned to Julia, seeing her shocked face. He was about to say something to Natasha to shut the fuck up as Julia opened her mouth and began to speak.

"Well, thanks for saying it. It saves myself to explain what I did with the man who loved me." Soap first was shocked of the words coming out of Julia´s mouth but as he saw that Natasha lost her snobbish composure he knew she said it to make her guard drop. He watched somehow amused how tears built up in Natasha´s eyes.

"Andrew was a fool for loving you. He deserved much better. He deserved a real woman. He deserved me." Natasha yelled in anger.

"Really? Sure you´re beautiful but you have no brains." Julia said and crossed her arms.

"I have no brains? You have to talk. You shot the man who loved you. The man who talked about you every day since I met him. The one who would have done anything for you to be saved? The one who ignored orders from our leader only to spy on you. That´s pathetic, you´re pathetic." Natasha yelled and closed her eyes, tears running down her cheeks.

"You know what his biggest fear was? To die in a foreign country. To never see his home country again; to be forgotten by the ones he loved. Congratulation, you fulfilled his fears."


Soap looked at Julia and was sure she was going to cry but Julia just kept on staring at Natasha and didn´t show any emotion at all. He wondered if Natasha was telling the truth or if she was just lying to brake Julia. Soap closed his eyes and considered how he could bring the conversation to Makarov. They needed to know what she knew. They needed to find out if Makarov´s still alive. He took a breath and wanted to ask carefully as the door flung open wide and the General stepped in with a very pissed expression on his face. Soap and Julia watched him step up to Natasha and remove her handcuffs.

"What´s this all about?" Julia asked in disbelief and shot up from her chair. Soap did the same and looked confused at his superior.

"Her lawyer is here. He takes her back to Russia." Mac stated sour.

"Right now?" Soap asked confused. "Can´t you wait till the interrogation is over?"

"I´m sorry Captain. We have no choice. He has an extradition agreement which makes us let her go immediately." He General said as he dragged her to the door. Soap clenched his fists and wanted to say something more as Natasha turned around with a grin on her face.

"Vladimir´s not the only one." She stated and left the room amused.

"Are you ok?" Ghost asked Julia as she and Soap entered the observation room where he, Price, Roach and Ozone waited for them.

"Yes, I´m fine." Julia answered him and sat down next to him. Ghost nodded and watched Soap shaking his head.

"It didn´t went the way we planned it." Soap said in frustration and looked at Price who was leaning on the wall with closed eyes and crossed arms.

"I know. These Russian bastards couldn´t they have waited one more hour before they came here? It would´ve made things clearer." Price cursed and opened his eyes as he heard footsteps coming closer.

Mac entered the room and closed the door behind him. He gestured for all to take a seat and as they all sat he started to speak.

"Angela has called in Abu Dhabi. They say Makarov´s dead body is in their morgue, they even checked his identity once more. It´s definitely Makarov."

"It really was Andrew´s imagination then." Ghost said relieved, at least one good news.

"What if he didn´t meant that Makarov?" Julia asked and everyone looked at her.

"What? Do you think he has a family member who also is a terrorist?" Ozone asked surprised.

"Maybe, as Natasha left she said Vladimir is not the only one. It could be possible that Makarov had a family member who wants to continue his work." Julia answered and looked down.

"If anyone wants to continue his work, why would they wait? The war is over a few months. Wouldn´t it make more sense if they had worked together or continued his work immediately?" Roach asked and everyone was thinking about his words.

"It´s no harm if we check on Makarov´s family. I only wonder why Natasha has told us this. Either she just said it to confuse us or she thought we wouldn´t find out what she meant." Soap said and earned nods from the others in response.

"We shouldn´t think about her reasons now. We should start to gather every information we can get." Price said, got up from his chair and left the room.

"He´s right come on. We need to check everyone with the name Makarov." Soap told his soldiers and all of them left the room too. As Ghost was about to leave the room he looked at Julia and waited for her to join them.

"Are you coming?" He asked her standing in the door.

"Go on ahead. I´ll be right there. I have to talk to Mac." Julia answered him. Ghost nodded and closed the door behind him.

"What do you need?" Mac asked looking into her eyes. Julia sighted heavily and thought about the right words.

"I wanted to ask you what´s going to happen to Andrew?"

"The same that happens to every dead body. After the doctors have finished the autopsy they´re going to try and find any left family members and if they don´t find anyone he got cremated and buried on an anonymous cemetery. Why do you ask?" Mac explained calmly, unsure why she asked.

Julia looked at the General and smiled lightly. "I want to take him home."