Capt. John Price
Task Force 141 – Disavowed
Loyalist Safehouse – Dharmsala, Himachal Pradesh, India.
"Get him inside!" Price shouted the moment MacTavish was on a stretcher, pushed by him and Anya while Nikolai made sure that there was constant pressure on MacTavish's wound. He noticed that MacTavish was already awake, and he had instinctively reached for Anya's hand, which she had given wordlessly. He did not say a word about it, a single gesture that spoke volumes about the two of them, but if that was what kept MacTavish going, he would not say a thing about it.
"He's not gonna last long if we don't get help soon!" Anya exclaimed, looking around for signs of friendlies and hostiles. She was bloody all over herself, but her wounds were not serious, most of them were bullet-grazes, save for the one in her shoulder, where she was shot by Shepherd. Her brow was furrowed with worry, and she constantly looked back towards MacTavish, trying ever so hard to smile for him. "Try to stay with us, Captain," she whispered to MacTavish, her words almost a prayer. Without any strength left to speak, MacTavish nodded and squeezed her hand. Price could see that what he did made Anya's blue eyes well up with tears for that split second there.
"The safehouse is up ahead," Nikolai told them after taking a left turn, and soon, they were surrounded by Russians, and by the way they immediately cleared the way and came to their assistance, it was evident that they were all Loyalists. Moments later, they were already inside, where Nikolai told his men to tend to Anya. The older, and more experienced doctor would need to focus on MacTavish.
"Do as he says, sweetheart," Price told her before she could protest. "You're no use to anyone half alive."Defeated even before she started the argument of her needing to stay near MacTavish, Anya sighed and went with Nikolai's men to another room in the medical wing. MacTavish, on the other hand, was pushed into another room, there the doctor was already waiting for them. "He needs help, now!" Price bellowed at the aged man, who quickly moved to do what he could.
"We're losing him!" Nikolai exclaimed, looking at the heart monitor as he reached for the defibrillator. "Charging… three, two, one… Clear!"
Anya screamed when the Loyalist medics took the bullet out of her shoulder, because all the anesthetics were being used on MacTavish. However, when it was out, she made it look as if nothing had happened. "You are a tough one," said one of them, a Russian, by his accent. She looked at him and found that he was a tall man with a shaved head and clear eyes, perhaps in his mid-thirties. "You must be Anya Allen."
"So, the whole world knows about me right now," she replied, rolling her eyes. Her face, as her late compatriots in the Task Force 141 had told her, was all over the newspapers. Apparently, she was only known as "Anya Allen", for the lack of Russian Intel on her existence. Anya did not know if it was a good thing or not at that point of time. "For the record, my real name is Maria," she told him. "Anya is my call-sign."
"I'm Yuri," he said, holding out his hand for a handshake. "I've been holding out here ever since I got out of the Spetsnaz."
Anya chuckled. "Well, let's hope that you're not rusty, because we'll have Makarov's men on our tail soon enough." There was no need to hide the truth from Yuri, it seemed, because the entire safehouse was on high alert, so much so that the medic gave her powerful painkillers so that she could be on the fight for as long as possible. She hoped that Makarov would not send his forces out so soon, knowing that MacTavish was in a terrible condition, but since it was Makarov, she scrapped out all shreds of hope and rearmed herself the very instant the painkillers kicked in. "I have to check on my captains," she told Yuri fifteen minutes later, when the medic said that she could leave the room. "It was nice knowing you, Yuri."
"I'll come with you," he offered. "You'll need someone to show you the way."
Seeing that she had no other alternative, she followed him. They went up a flight of stairs, and took a right turn down the hallway. "They're in there," Yuri told her, remaining at the door. Anya thanked him and went in.
"Good to see you again, Anya," Price said as the doctor flitted around MacTavish with Nikolai's assistance. It seemed that the room not only served as a medical unit, but as a control room as well. Half the room was filled with medical apparatus, and the other half, consoles of surveillance equipment, weapons, and about fifty men managing the goings on in the safehouse. It seemed to be a viable operation, but as successful as this place looked, they could not last an Inner Circle assault, not by the magnitude Makarov will probably send to them.
"How is MacTavish?" Anya asked Price, looking at the ugly wound on MacTavish's chest. It was being sewn up by the doctor, slowly and surely, but still, he had lost a lot of blood. If they had time, he could have gotten a blood transfusion, but now, they had none, and the only way to make sure that he was kept alive was to ensure that his heart did not stop pumping.
Price sighed. "At least you're in better shape than he is," he told her. "We'll need every one we can get, so I'll not have you dying on us at any time." It was Price's way of telling her that as the only other surviving member of the 141, he would not let her die on his watch. However, Anya was not only that to those who were on the playing field as well: as the only person alive that had some kind of inkling of Makarov's plans working against the Inner Circle, and one of the few who lived with evidence of Shepherd's betrayal, she was a valued asset to all those who fought against Makarov, and to those who would expose the world to America's atrocities. Too bad that her value was also the reason why everyone wanted her dead as well.
"I won't if he doesn't," she replied dryly, cocking her chin towards MacTavish, who did not look so hot at all. Every second lost was a second closer to danger for him. The doctor seemed to be fretting, and Anya held in a deep breath, hoping that things would turn out for the better.
"Price, Anya, we've got vital signs but they're weak," Nikolai told them, causing Anya to walk towards MacTavish whilst glaring at his heart rate monitor, as if that would help him at all. "He won't last without proper attention!"
"He's a hard bastard," Price told Nikolai. "Trust me, he'll make it." It was true, that MacTavish had survived fates that could have killed normal men, but it was almost too easy to believe that this one would be the death of him. Price had faith in him, but Anya, Anya refused to believe that it would kill him, which was different. Hers was denial, Price knew it. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she continued to watch the doctor trying his best to save MacTavish. It was still too early to despair.
At the other side of the room, several of the consoles started to beep angrily. "We're picking up inbound signatures," one Loyalist reported.
"We've got company," Nikolai commented, shifting his weight uncomfortably.
"It's Makarov," Price replied, sounding as though he was spitting out some sort of poison from his throat. "He's tying up loose ends. Anya and I can't do this on our own… who's your best man?"
Nikolai gave Price's question a thought, and answered, "Yuri," and was told by Anya that he was the one who led her to the room. "Ex-Spetsnaz. Only man I know who hates Makarov more than the two of you."
Before Anya was about to ask the reason for Yuri's grudge with Makarov, Price told Nikolai to get Yuri. "They'll use the ridgeline for cover and fly in from the south," he said, looking at the map of the surrounding areas on the wall.
"How do you know?" Nikolai asked Price, scratching his head.
"It's what I'd do," Price replied, and gestured for Anya to get ready for another fight.
"Let them come," Anya said. "Makarov needs to learn that not everyone will go down without a good fight." Now, her main concern was MacTavish and his survival.
Three attack helicopters and five Mi-17s were closing in on them, from the very direction that Price had indicated. Anya's sapphire eyes looked towards the balcony, and what she saw did not lift her hopes any higher. Commandoes beyond count were rappelling from the helicopters, and MacTavish was nowhere near improvement…
"Yuri!" Nikolai summoned Yuri, who was still waiting at the door. "Yuri, over here!" The man came as quickly as he was called, and he exchanged knowing glances with Anya the moment he faced Nikolai and found her next to Price.
Yuri looked at MacTavish, and found the doctor still trying to patch out his wound. "He was stabbed in the chest and he pulled the knife out to kill our target," Anya explained, watching as MacTavish wheeze and cough as a result of his injuries.
"Long story short, we need to get Soap into the chopper!" Price said, cutting the pleasantries between Anya and Yuri, and was interrupted by the sound of a helicopter crashing through the wall, knocking almost everyone down upon impact. Anya's first instinct was to grab her gun and check on MacTavish.
"Anya…" he groaned, grabbing her arm. "Get out… now!" He coughed out blood, and Anya slowly pushed him down back onto the stretcher.
"Hold your horses Captain, we're not going anywhere without you," she told him, and nodded at the doctor. Price was already barking orders. She and Yuri were to take out the men in the courtyard in order to by the doctor more time to work on MacTavish.
Quickly assuming her position, she aimed for the men tried to break through the gate that led into the courtyard. "We need to hold them off until we can move Soap!" Price instructed them, orders that were obeyed flawlessly. Anya never missed a mark, which took most of the combatants around her by surprise. They did not expect that level skill from her, but then again, it was the first time that they have met her and seen her in combat. She gave them no notice at all.
"Hind approaching!" one of the Loyalists cried out, and soon, said Hind came in sight, and began to fill the room with machine gun fire. Anya looked as if she was going to shield MacTavish with her own person, but was restrained by Yuri, who pushed her onto the wall. No one was killed when the Hind left the window, save for the doctor.
"The doctor's down!" Nikolai despaired. "Give him the shot, Yuri!"
Without hesitation, Yuri got to the table with the syringe filled with adrenaline, which would keep MacTavish's heart keep pumping, and administered the shot. Anya winced as MacTavish screamed in pain, but otherwise readied herself for another bout of fighting. One of Makarov's men had already broken in through the main door of the room, but was in the range of Price's pistol. He was shot in the head by Price, while Anya threw a knife that she'd found on the table next to her right into another man's heart. "They're on top of us!" she exclaimed, hearing footsteps on the roof above them.
"We've got to get Soap into the chopper!" Price told them, and Nikolai went to get MacTavish, slinging his arm over his shoulder. "Anya, come help me!"
Anya nodded, and did the same to MacTavish's free hand. Yuri would have to follow Price's lead to cover them. "Good luck, boys," she wished them as the two of them jumped into the courtyard. They would have to clear the courtyard before they were able to move at all. Her sapphire eyes could see only scores of Inner Circle men moving in towards them, but and the Loyalists were having a hard time pushing them back.
MacTavish was still losing huge amounts of blood, and Anya placed her hand on his wound, to stop the blood from flowing as much as she could. Soon, Price's voice was heard through the comms once they caught sight of an enemy drone. "Russian drone overhead, we're outgunned and outnu mbered! We need more firepower!" Price said, speaking for all the surrounding Loyalists.
"There is a weapons cache at the edge of town," Nikolai told Price. "We have a UGV there!" The UGV will be their proverbial shield that they could use to approach the helicopter that was waiting for them, giving the added edge they so sorely needed. Without a moment to waste, Price and Yuri set out to locate the weapon's cache, which was not far from their current location, if not for the Inner Circle men coming in waves and waves to attack them.
"I'll take our six," Anya volunteered, knowing that it was impossible to advance further without protecting their rear positions. There were just too many of them... However, she knew that this attack could not be orchestrated by Makarov. It was too random, too wild and too disorganized... There was only one person in Makarov's ranks that would actually risk such a blatant use of firepower and men... It was not the finest strategy, but it was one that worked, for every step the Loyalists took forwards, the Inner Circle would push them a two steps backwards by way of sheer force only. "If we keep staying here, we'll be sitting ducks!"
As Anya spoke, the Russian drone started to pass around them yet again, firing its missles at any available targets. Without any way to contort MacTavish's body without hurting him further, Nikolai led him into one of the houses that was out of the drone's firing zones, while Anya ducked into any available cover that she could find. "Is the Captain alright?" Ashe asked Nikolai, who nodded hastily in answer. Sighing in relief, Anya reloaded the AK-47 in her hands and trudged forwards.
"There's the chopper!" Price shouted once they turned left into an alley that lead to a clearing where their aircraft were waiting for them. However, there were more of the Inner Circle waiting for them as they jumped over an old, rusty gate. "There's too many of them between us and the chopper, Nikolai, we need that UGV now!"
"You're almost there!" Nikolai replied and pointed to the building on his right. "Go through that building!" Once both Price and Yuri were inside the building that he had indicated, he told them that the UGV was directly beneath them, accessible via a floor door that led to the basement. Once they were in the basement, Price took a crowbar and opened the crate, revealing the UGV that would add to their chances of survival.
Once Yuri had manned the controls of the UGV, Price continued to bark his instructions to Yuri as they advanced forwards from behind the UGV. As each moment passed, MacTavish's condition worsened, and soon, even Anya started to take bolder courses of action, drawing enemy fire to herself, rather than them. "Take out those choppers!" Price shouted when the UGV moved onto a roof. In no time, a Hind and two Mi-17s were destroyed using the grenade launcher, giving Price, Nikolai and Anya the time they need to load MacTavish onto the helicopter.
"He's not looking so good..." Nikolai fretted, which caused Price to increase the urgency of his orders, although things were going smoother than anticipated.
"We're running out of ammo here!" Anya notified, sharing one last magazine with Price, who then noticed that the drone was now targeting the UGV. "Yuri, look out!"
It was too late, for the drone had already blasted the UGV into bits before Yuri could have done anything to salvage it. The only way was for Yuri to run to the choppers, and he had to do it with all due speed.
"Yuri, move to the chopper, go, go!" Price urged, and Yuri did as he was instructed to, sprinting to the rooftops where the UGV was destroyed. But as he ran, he suddenly felt a strange sinking feeling right in his gut. He was not wounded, nor was he over hit in his head, so why was he feeling as though every step he took forwards seemed to be a step taken left?
It took his mind three seconds to gather that the drone had fired its missles at the buildings beneath him, causing everything to buckle and collapse. The worse thing was that he was currently on a hillside, and was sent downwards in an avalanche of debris and concrete. Sliding left and right to avoid any collisions with the debris and the trees in front of him, Yuri soon fell into a river, its cold waters crashing upon him, threatening to drown him if he did not make it to the surface in time. His hands flailed about upwards, and miraculously, he found a tree-root to hold onto as his vision began to white out from all the exhaustion he had been through.
Cpl. Maria "Anya" Allen
Task Force 141 - Disavowed.
Dharmsala, Himachal Pradesh, India.
"I see him!" Anya exclaimed as Nikolai's Little Bird circled around the river where they last saw Yuri. MacTavish's head was leaning on her shoulder, and she pointed outwards, indicating the tree-root which Yuri was clinging onto for dear life.
"There's Yuri!" Nikolai chorused as well, and flew towards Yuri's direction.
MacTavish coughed as he woke up. "Who the bloody hell's Yuri?" he asked, not knowing about anything that had happened so far.
Anya chuckled. "You'll soon know soon enough, Captain," she told him with a smile. Beneath them, Yuri had already found the strength to stand on the root and wave at them. "He saved your life today."