Penstrat, Reford Republic
23:52

"Laswell? … Laswell?" Price let out a frustrated sigh as he flipped the comms off once again, hoping that doing so would make them come back online. Since they packed up and left the warehouse, he's only been met with static. "Jammer?"

"Probably set one up when they found our location," Ghost thought aloud, stepping over a tree root sticking up from the ground. He looked down at Zoe, who had her arms wrapped around herself as she stayed close to Price. "Or was given to us.…" He mumbled.

Soap glared at him, resisting the urge the elbow him as hard as he could in the ribs. Before they left the warehouse, Alejandro spent a good amount of time trying to calm her down and reassure her that what happened wasn't her fault. What was once considered a safe space for Zoe in his arms had been warped into confinement from her panic attack. Price also did what he could to help her; with the two of them, she eventually stopped hyperventilating and easing her out of whatever state of panic she had been in. They had made sure to keep her line of sight away from the bloody mess Soap and Ghost got stuck cleaning up. They didn't want to send her back into that spiral.

Alejandro rolled his eyes. Sure, he's worked with Ghost long enough at this point to understand how paranoid he was, but there had to be a line. Even with all the safety precautions they went through to make sure that getting tracked didn't happen, the fact of the matter is that it did. The situation was dealt with, and from what they could tell, nobody was following them in this dense forest. Even if somebody was, it was pitch black outside. They would have to have flashlights to navigate through, and there was no way Ghost wouldn't have noticed that. Ghost had to accept that Zoe had nothing to do with what was going on with them, and now that they technically had their target, they had to figure out what their next steps would be. They were in the dark on this one without Laswell being in the loop.

"Alright, kid," Price started to break the heavy silence between his team, "have any idea where we could lay low?"

Zoe silently shook her head, keeping her eyes on the ground. She already felt like she was in trouble, that they were going to either hurt her or turn her in to some sort of government. If it was the Reford Republic Government, they would surely hand her back over to her father immediately. No harm would directly come to her for running away, but he would make it almost impossible for her to find a way to escape again; more guards in her workspace, more alarms, and more locks.

"Ah, c'mon. You know this place better than us, yeah?" Price gently pushed.

A pair of eyes were staring into Zoe's back, and she could feel it burning into her. Peeking over her shoulder, she was met with Ghost's heavy glare, only making her more unlikely to speak up. She swallowed nervously, turning back around to continue staring at the ground.

Price let out another sigh, getting increasingly frustrated with the Lieutenant. Of course, Ghost had his own way of doing things; hell, that's why Price wanted him to be a part of the taskforce, though there were some things that Price wanted to question. It wasn't exactly Price's style to challenge others, especially those on his team, without good reason. Everyone had their own way of thinking, and Price wasn't one to judge anybody.

He put a hand on Zoe's back, who flinched in response to the gentle contact, recoiling and stopping in her tracks for a moment. Price put his hands up slightly to show that he wouldn't hurt her or have ill intentions. Zoe's eyes flickered around, ensuring there wasn't any danger. Of course, there wasn't, but the anxiety that now filled her chest began to quickly create fake scenarios.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya," Price repeated quietly.

Without saying anything, Zoe kept pressing forward with the team following her trail. Great, she's still not on speaking terms with them yet. The most she spoke was to Soap, so maybe Price could have him work his magic again later on once they were settled into a place to see if he could help her out.

From where Price was standing, he could see that Zoe was trembling; whether it was from the chilly temperatures or from the unexpected physical contact, he wasn't sure. As a sign of good faith, Price shrugged the jacket he threw on before they began hiking through the forest. He wasn't sure how he should announce to Zoe that he was going to put a coat on her without startling her, but he had to attempt to help her.

"Here, kiddo."

Zoe stopped in her tracks, giving Price time to wrap the jacket around her shoulders.

"Better?"

Zoe hummed, wrapping the jacket tighter around herself before Price attempted to put another hand on her back. He could feel her back muscles tense in response but eventually relaxed upon Price gently running his thumb in a circle to help calm her. Whether it was helping, Price couldn't tell. He had to play this correctly, as she was already in the process of shutting down and them out and Ghost wasn't helping that any.

"So… no ideas?" Price questioned again.

"We want her to tell us where to lay low?" Ghost questioned, knowing it was out of pocket for him to do so.

Price was a patient man, more patient than other captains would be towards this Lieutenant's attitude lately. He wasn't the type of captain to tell Ghost 'because I said so' or even use his rank against him. That wasn't the type of cards he played. Price led through example and respect; if he listened and treated his soldiers fairly, he would expect for them to do the same. Ghost knew his rank, so acting out like this towards Price was somewhat out of character for him.

"Okay…" Price mumbled, stopping in his tracks as he could feel his patients slowly slipping from him. "Simon, do you want to go up ahead and try to find something for us?"

Ghost's jaw tightened underneath his mask. He knew whenever Price used his name while his mask was still on, it meant he was getting impatient with him. Ghost was angry at himself and frustrated with Price for trusting the target so quickly, even after they were just ambushed. Why wasn't Price listening to him? Usually, Price would take his worries into concern.

"No, sir," Ghost replied.

While he sounded calm, Zoe could feel his anger and frustration. It wasn't like she's never been around someone with that energy; something about Ghost's was different. There was a dark aura about him that sent a chill through Zoe's spine and screamed that he's done horrible things in his past. It was a similar vibe that guards back at home had, ones that would hurt her for not doing what was asked of her.

With Price focused on Ghost and their passive-aggressive bickering, Zoe took that time to break away from him and bolted towards the forest. After three steps, Zoe's great escape was cut short by Ghost, who grabbed the back of her coat. Zoe screamed, attempting to wriggle out of his tight grasp. Ghost clamped a gloved hand over her mouth, not knowing who could be lurking around out here looking for them. He could feel Zoe attempting to bite at his hand, but thankfully his glove was thick enough for him not to feel anything.

"Stop it," Soap told Ghost, getting frustrated with him as he grabbed onto his arm. "We're not gonna get anywhere like this."

If anyone else told him this, Ghost would protest against it; but if Soap was telling him he was being too much, then there must be some truth to it.

Letting her go, Zoe immediately moved behind Price, grabbing tightly onto his hand for protection. She wasn't sure if it was because she genuinely felt safe around Price or because he had the power to tell Ghost what to do. Ghost could only roll his eyes at this. Whatever she was doing, it certainly was working. Having 141 wrapped around her fingers, it wouldn't ever work on him. Price gave her hand a reassuring squeeze to tell her that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, doing whatever he could to make her feel more at ease around them. Right now, it seemed that the Government knew of them and what they were doing here, so they needed her to trust them enough to get them to safety.

"I know where we can go…." Zoe said only to Price, looking up at him.

"Where to?"

"The cabin." She looked at Alejandro and Soap before back to Price. "They don't know about it. Technically outside of Penstrat." She lined her hands up side-by-side, leaving only an inch between them. "It's on the border, so they won't go out that far.

"Is this the cabin in your story?" Price asked them, remembering the absurd tale they had told him hours before. He couldn't help but laugh at how she had the upper hand on them at that moment. Something that Price could be proud of, honestly.

"That'd be the one," Soap confirmed.

"Lead the way."

The team wasn't far off from where the cabin was located. Apparently, they were already teetering on the border on their original route. To help keep his worries at a minimum, Ghost went on ahead and set up more traps around the cabin that would alert them if anyone was approaching. Who knew if it would work anyway? Apparently, the thugs at the warehouse were able to bypass them without them noticing. He would be sure to keep a better eye on her once they got settled, just to be sure she wasn't the one tipping them off. Reasonably, Ghost knew that she wasn't giving them their location. Still, he was too proud to admit that somebody was following them, and he didn't pick up on it. The best thing he could do was push the blame onto somebody else. Maybe he did need some time to step away to be by himself, as Price didn't put up a fight when Ghost announced he was proceeding before them. He couldn't care less if the rest of the team was irritated with him, but the way Soap was slowly turning against him was like a stab to the chest. Whatever; once he got all these traps set up and he would keep them secure, they should have time to cool off.

Zoe was sitting outside on the front porch steps of the cabin, trying to track Ghost in the darkness. Soap had apologised on his behalf once he was out and about, but Zoe didn't say anything. She understood the trust issues he was facing towards her; she was their target, and the weapons she had designed had been used in an illegal war against the people. How could they trust somebody like that? Zoe looked over her shoulder at the open front door; Alejandro and Soap were bickering about something. Based on the fact Captain Price asked if they were children, it must have been something insignificant.

Something caught Zoe's eye in the darkness, something that shined for a split second against the high moon. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the three men were still preoccupied with their debate, so Zoe took the time to slowly stand up and proceed with caution towards the tree lines.

She watched where she stepped carefully, ensuring she didn't break any sticks or step on any leaves since she wasn't sure what it was she was chasing after. Her ears kept perking up at noises she couldn't identify, but she kept pushing herself forward.

Zoe kept her hands on the trees the further she moved on; just in case she fell, she would be able to keep herself up. She scanned the darkness, only to find nothing in return. Maybe whatever she thought she saw was only her imagination.

Just as she was about to take another step forward, the familiar sound of something zipping past her was right next to her ear. Zoe froze in place, not daring to move, as a loud thunk came from the tree she had her hands pressed against.

"What're you doin'?" Ghost's deep voice came from the darkness, although Zoe couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from as it echoed around her. Zoe looked over her shoulder at the tree, seeing precisely what had initially caught her eye in the first place. One of Ghost's knives. Zoe pulled it out from the trunk just as Ghost emerged from the trees. "Give it here." He held his hand out to her.

"How'd you do that?" She asked quietly that Ghost had to strain to hear her. Even then, he wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly.

"Do what?"

"Throw your knives like that."

Ghost stared her down in silence, making Zoe regret asking him anything.

"Try it."

Zoe couldn't study his expression at all due to the mask, so she couldn't tell if he was testing her or actually wanted her to try it. She only knew about throwing knives was what she had seen on TV.

She grabbed it by the blade, and with Ghost staying silent, she assumed she was stepping in the correct direction. Zoe threw the blade towards a tree trunk, only for the knife to tumble to the ground. Letting out a huff, she looked up at Ghost, who only shook his head.

"Know what you did wrong?"

"No."

Ghost picked up the dulling knife.

"You were holding it too close." He pinch-gripped the middle of the knife. "Based on how far away your target is where you wanna hold it. Further down if they're close. Higher up if they're far. Make sense?" He twirled the knife in his hand, tossing it up in the air; once he caught it between his fingers, he threw it two metres perfectly centred in the bark.

"That's so cool!"

Were all children this easily impressed? Ghost wasn't sure how to feel about this. He knew he had a skill with knives, and people told him all the time what an amazing talent he had, but hearing it from her was different. Why would he care what she thought about him or what he could do?

"Kid?" Ghost glanced over where Price's voice came from in the forest as he approached them. His expression briefly went from relief to caution seeing Ghost and Zoe together. "Thought I lost ya for a minute."

"Sorry…." While Price's tone didn't hint at anger or frustration, Zoe assumed he was passive-aggressive.

Price put a hand on Zoe's head, ruffling her hair.

"Head on back to the cabin, yeah? We'll be there in a second."

Zoe nodded, silently moving past him to follow his orders. Price waited until she was out of earshot before looking back over to Ghost, who dropped his eyes from him.

"Find anything?" Price questioned, resting his hands by the shoulder straps of his vest.

"No. Seems to be safe enough for now, and probably not somewhere we want to stay for too long."

Price hummed. "It'll do for now." He nodded toward the cabin, slowly turning around, waiting for Ghost to follow his lead. "Did she try running off again?"

"No."

"Scaring her again?" Ghost couldn't tell if Price was joking or not; typically, he was easy to read, but since leaving the warehouse, he couldn't get a good read on him.

"She came to find me," Ghost corrected him.

"Uhhuh…" Price pulled a cigar from the case in his pocket, lighting it up. He took a long drag before continuing. "Playing with knives?"

"She wanted to know how to throw one."

Price couldn't help but chuckle, holding the cigar between his fingers. "Is she growin' on ya?"

"Wouldn't say that, sir."

"Right…. You show anyone who asks how to throw a knife?"

Opening the cabin door, Zoe was sitting on the kitchen counter eating some bread while watching Soap and Alejandro still bickering about god knows what. Price was hoping it was a different argument than it was before he sneaked out to find Zoe. Something about who was going to sleep in the master bedroom upstairs; Price wasn't going to interrupt that argument, as he had already mentally claimed that room as his. They'd figure that out soon.

"Soap!" Ghost called out, already tired of hearing him bicker about something so trivial. He nodded towards one of the bedrooms that were on the ground floor. They all had a long night; surprisingly enough, Ghost was ready for bed. With the traps he set this time, he was confident they would be safe for the night.

Alejandro mumbled something that only Soap could hear, causing him to smack Alejandro, who laughed in response.

Zoe tilted her head to the side. She thought they were friends, so why were they yelling and hitting each other? A sheltered view, as Zoe never had much time socialising and seeing how other people could interact with each other. She watched as Soap and Ghost went down the hall, Ghost pulling off his mask just as he walked through the door, leaving no chance for Zoe to get a look at his face.

"Good luck with that one," Alejandro said aloud as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. "Barely takes the damn thing off."

"Why?" She questioned, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Dunno. Best not to ask. You won't get an answer." Alejandro tossed his backpack on the floor. "We had a long night, Capitán. I'll see you in the morning." He patted Price's shoulder before heading into the other spare bedroom on the first floor.

Price rubbed his tired eyes, suppressing the urge to yawn. He didn't want to admit that he was also feeling exhausted and was ready to go to bed soon.

"I'm not tired yet," Zoe stated, swinging her legs over the counter and knocking her heels against the wooden cabinets.

"No? You had a hell of a day."

"Nope." Zoe hopped off the counter. "Not tired yet."

Price chuckled, putting a hand on her back, leading her toward the couch.

"Yeah, yeah." It wasn't like he didn't believe her; he thought she had too much adrenaline. He knew once she had her crash, she'd become exhausted. "Try to get some sleep, okay? You need it."

"I don't need it," she whined, yet laid on the couch anyway.

"Just try." Price took the blanket off from the back of the couch, tucking her in as best as he could. "Goodnight, kid."

"You're gonna be here when I wake up, right?"

Price gave her a sad smile. "Of course, I will. We'll all be here. Alright?"

"Alright. Goodnight."

Price switched the lamp off from the end table, noticing that Zoe visibly seemed tense at that. He didn't think of her being afraid of the dark, but there didn't appear to be any nightlights plugged in around here. If he could keep the light on, he would, but that would be a giveaway in the dead of night that this seemingly abandoned cabin had lights on. He had to do what he needed to so he could keep her and his team safe.

He felt a ping of guilt as he made his way upstairs, feeling her eyes following him as he did. If he could stay up with her for the rest of the night until she fell asleep, then he would have, but he needed to get some rest. They weren't sure what they were going to face tomorrow. If he had to guess, he would have to continue attempting to coax Zoe to give up more information about the weapons. Price felt like they were getting somewhere with her, so maybe this wouldn't be as difficult as he thought.

Maybe there was some truth to Price's words while putting Zoe to bed on the uncomfortable couch. The minute Price was out of her line of sight, her eyes began to feel heavy; the sound of the ticking clock wasn't helping any and was enough to lure her to sleep.

That didn't last long.

Zoe sat up on the couch, the blanket wrapped tightly around her as she tried to readjust her eyes to the dark living room. The dark figures of the furniture were beginning to freak her out, even though, logically, she knew what was staring back at her was a floor lamp and not a person. The tree branches that scratched against the covered windows weren't doing her any favours. Were they safe here? Most likely, at least for now, but the paranoid thoughts were racing and starting to win the battle in Zoe's mind.

Zoe dragged the blanket behind her and quickly made her way up the stairs. The paranoia made her think that the nonexistent monster chasing her would get her if she didn't climb up the stairs fast enough.

Zoe carefully entered the master bedroom, hearing Price snoring from within. She tripped over the backpack, catching herself before falling onto the floor. Mumbling a curse under her breath, Zoe moved towards the bed, tossing the blanket down on the floor at the foot of the bed. No matter how she remade the tiny nest, it was still uncomfortable on the hardwood floor.

While she thought she was being sneaky and quiet, she did, in fact, wake up Price. He was a light sleeper; at times when he was out on a job it was helpful, but back at home on his break it was infuriating. Price rubbed his tired eyes with the back of his hand, grunting as he sat in bed.

"Kid?" Price called out, feeling a presence in the room with him. "Zoe?"

Zoe cautiously stood up from her nest, fidgeting with her fingers, waiting for him to yell at her. When she was younger, she would do the same thing; sneak into her father's room and sleep on the floor before his bed as a form of comfort whenever she had a nightmare. Never was it successful, as each time he discovered her, he got mad at her, telling her to get out and sleep in her room. If she dared ever climb into his bed, she'd get locked in her room for the night.

"What're you doin', kid?" He questioned with a groggy tone, sitting up.

"I couldn't sleep…." She mumbled. Zoe flinched when Price held his hand out. She stepped around the bed, only for Price to place his hand on her head.

"Somethin' wake you?"

"Couldn't sleep," she repeated.

Price knew she wasn't telling him the truth on that one, but he didn't want to push the matter any further.

"I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, no, no, it's okay. Were you sleepin' on the floor?"

She nodded.

Price scooted over to the other side of the bed. The way Zoe looked shaken, he could only assume that she had a nightmare of some kind. Again, he wasn't going to pry the information out of her. Whenever she felt comfortable enough to tell him, then she would.

"C'mon." Price nudged the second pillow into the empty spot on the bed. "We can talk about it in the mornin'. Surely the couch wasn't too comfortable."

She hesitated for a moment. There was a certain vibe about Price, one that Zoe could certainly trust. One that she has never felt from anybody else in her life. The protective nature and reassurance that they weren't going to hurt her. Someone who didn't expect something out of her. None of the team did.

Zoe grabbed her blanket before climbing into the bed, wrapping herself up before laying on the comfortable bed. She stared up at the dark ceiling, already hearing Price snoring again. She curled up into a ball, lying on her side as her eyes began to feel heavy.

For the first time in her life, Zoe felt safe. Even though she technically was detained by the Task Force, she could tell they didn't want to hurt her and certainly didn't want anything directly from her. No weapons, no blueprints, nothing. If she could believe what Price was telling her, all they wanted was information on where the weapons were getting distributed and why.

Price wouldn't let anything happen to her. He owed her that much. Whoever was hurting her, he would make sure they wouldn't be able to do that ever again.