The Secret War: Terrible Truth

Next chapter of my crossover story, enjoy.

Reviews:

Boris Yeltsin: Thanks and well, not quite, just seeing a side of her country's government that's typically hidden.
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Last of Us, Metal Gear or their characters.

Desperation

Abby wasted no time picking the lock on Yara's cage as Yara continued to stare in disbelief.

"Abby what, how...?" She gasped, then noted Abby's attire. "Your sneaking suit..."

Abby shook her head as she opened the door. "Couldn't use it, this isn't a sanctioned mission, Joel and I are doing this ourselves."

Yara was even more shocked at that. "You...Abby, you shouldn't have come, I can't even get to whatever extraction zone you have, they broke my legs." She said sadly.

"I'm here to get you and Lev out and that's that." Abby insisted. "Now let's go."

With that she pulled Yara out of the cage and pulled the girl over her back, carrying her across her shoulders. Yara had tensed but now sobbed.

"Yara?"

"Lev...Lev's dead. They tortured him, I, I couldn't stand it, I pleaded with them to just end it..." She sobbed brokenly. "They did it, the man in charge, I don't know who he is, but he accepted my pleading, gave Lev a quick death after torturing him one more time...they made a recording and gave it to me...I was going to hang at dawn."

"Lev's...no." Abby breathed. "Yara, I'm sorry, I need you to keep it together, I can see somewhere safe for the extraction...I just need to get there without alerting any guards."

Yara sniffed but nodded and went quiet, ignoring the pain as Abby began to carry her to said area.

Thankfully only one guard was on that side of the prison and Abby avoided him before taking Yara to the cliff edge where she would call in Terry when it was time. As she'd seen, cut into the hill nearby was a small cave, enough to provide shelter from the elements. She got Yara into it and gently set her down against the wall.

"I've set C4 on three of the AA guns, need to take them out so Terry can fly us out of here, he owes Joel a favour, anyway there should be one more..."

"North side." Yara told her. "Next to the maintenance shed, can't ignore the noises from the boiler room inside it, so say the guards who were working on it."

"Perfect." Abby replied. "Can I...have that recording?"

Yara's head snapped up. "Abby...no, Lev's dead and..."

"I don't believe that." Abby replied firmly. "I won't unless I see his body with my own eyes."

Yara hesitated then handed the disk reader and recording to Abby. Abby nodded and took them.

"Try and get some rest, okay." Abby told her gently.

Yara managed a smile. "I'm already feeling warmer."

Abby nodded at that and then left the cave, she found her way under a nearby rock outcrop, sheltered from the rain but not the wind, and took a moment to wring out her braid before reading the recording.

Finally she answered her codec.

"Do you realise what you've done, Abby?!" Joel thundered. "All those guys you knocked out have recovered and are alert now, the mission is compromised."

Abby already knew how to reply to that. "That's odd, I didn't think there was a mission to compromise, given this is not an official or sanctioned mission?"

Joel was quiet for a moment and then, as if the anger had been deflated out of him, gave a low chuckle.

"Alright smart ass, you got me. Still, you let your emotions get away from you and now you're gonna have a harder time getting to that last AA gun." He said at last.

"And saving Lev."

"Abby." Joel admonished. "You forget I can still hear through the feeds, Yara said it, Lev is dead..."

"I don't think so. This place is a sadistic den that should be fucking wiped off the earth." Abby growled before calming down. "Why would the obviously sadistic piece of shit that runs it give anyone a quick death...that recording was just to torture Yara more and Lev is still alive, just to meet the same fate as her."

Joel paused before replying. "That...actually makes a lot of sense. So you're hoping the recording contains a clue to where Lev is?"

"Yeah...this is gonna suck, but we've no choice. I need your help here."

"Alright, let's do this."

With that Abby plugged in the ear-pods and hit play.

It was harrowing to say the least, the sounds of the whip, the screams from Lev, the taunting southern accented voice, Abby had to blink a good number of times to clear the tears from her eyes and had to bite her lip as she heard the click. Then, despite herself, she flinched at the sound of the gunshot, then the recording ended.

"Sick bastard." Abby hissed at least. "He was fucking enjoying it."

"I noticed, holy shit, this freak...yeah I'm with you. The person behind this camp can go to hell." Joel replied. "Right, I'm sorry but, play it again, I'm sure I heard something."

"This better be worth it." Abby grumbled.

She started the recording again and waited, trying to pick out what Joel had heard.

"There." He said at last. "That humming noise in the background, like a boiler..."

Abby's eyes widened. "Like a boiler in a maintenance shed. Like the one the guards of that last AA gun spoke about."

"Yes, I'm sure of it. That's gotta be it." Joel confirmed.

"So final objectives are in the same area. Good." Abby confirmed.

Joel warned her however. "Don't get careless, remember they're still alert."

"I know." Abby agreed. "But I'm not backing down now."

So the call ended and Abby readied herself, determined to make it back through the camp, set the C4 on that last AA gun and rescue Lev. Her path was clear now, she just had to follow it.

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.