Author's Note:
I'm not going to lie to you all. This is the longest fanfic I have ever written and at times I'm struggling to figure out how to keep it moving forward.
I have every intention of finishing this story. I have 3-4 more chapters currently written after this one, I just wait to post them so I have time to think back on what I've written and if I need to change anything.
Sometimes you might be able to tell I'm not sure where to go next. In the future, after I finish this one, I have plans to write another fanfiction that will hopefully be better than this one. I started this one with no intention of ever posting it, until I got like 8 chapters in and realized I might actually finish it.
So thank you for sticking around to read this much so far! I'm sorry updates have slowed down and sorry that sometimes I'm grasping at where to take the characters next.
Your boots crunched unceremoniously once again on the cold Russian ground.
You huffed out a breath of chilly air and watched the vapor emit from your mouth into the atmosphere. You'd had enough cold and snow for the rest of your life at this point. You'd taken Price's advice and brought along extra warmth although it nearly doubled the size of your backpack. Soap teased that you looked like a hermit crab who'd taken up its home in too big of a shell.
You and your team had begun the trek to yet another remote village nestled within the icy countryside. You didn't have far to go this time, the team having opted for a closer drop off due to the ambush from the last go around. None of you spoke much as you all moved along, the only sounds being the crisp foliage that crunched beneath your boots. Everyone was on guard, looking around into the trees and keeping eyes peeled for possible attackers.
Finally the little village came into view. You saw squat homes lined up along a couple of twisting and turning dirt pathways, adorned by dogs, horses, and chickens milling about. Some people were doing daily work as well, carrying around buckets and baskets while children played in the dirt or chased puppies. It looked very quaint - you would never suspect the activities that were associated with the place.
As it turns out, those people down in the village were mostly the family members of the notorious terrorist organization. They had all been moved here to live a quiet, remote life by their sons committing some of the most gruesome war crimes of the world. You weren't sure if the families were even aware of the heinous acts their children were committing.
Thankfully, every organization has its defectors.
You wondered how Price and Laswell always managed to pull these strings. They had it good with many people behind closed doors - people you didn't even know existed. It had always sort of haunted you, the way top-secret information slowly trickled down from a long line of faceless people until it was finally doled out to the team with heaps of information redacted. Whether it was redacted for your safety or the safety of the faceless, you didn't know. All that mattered to you and the rest of the team was getting the job done.
The group finally made it to the rendezvous point that overlooked the entirety of the little village, stood atop a large hill overlooking a valley with the small community nestled at the bottom. It was nearly time for Gaz and Drake to break off from the team. The insider was hidden somewhere in the village awaiting a meeting with Drake, and Gaz was to tag along to ensure nothing went awry.
As they split off from the group and headed on down the hill, you, Soap, Price and Ghost all settled in to watch their descent. Each of you were equipped with a pair of binoculars to keep an eye on your mates. The four of you watched intently. No one else seemed nervous or on edge, the way you felt. Every time a gust of wind blew by and shook the branches of the trees your head snapped around to search for an ambush.
After your head whipped around for the third time, Soap said something to put your mind at ease.
"Calm down, Y/N. I don't think they're going to try that again after we slaughtered their entire team."
You nodded, giving him a small smile that he wouldn't be able to see for the mask that covered your lips.
"That's exactly right," Price said somewhat absentmindedly as he peered through his binoculars. "Looks like they just went inside…"
You peered through your binoculars again, disappointed you hadn't seen what building they'd gone into. "I hope everything goes okay."
Ghost spoke up finally. "Stop worrying so much."
Your heart warmed when you heard his voice. It was quickly drowned out by the sound of Drake and Gaz's conversation with the defector.
"Ready to go?" You heard Drake's voice through the earpiece.
"Ya," a man responded back. You could hear the accent with just one word. "Help round up ze horses."
You glanced over to Price. "Horses?" You whispered.
He looked back at you and shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno anything about that."
A smile played on your lips, hopeful excitement rising in your heart.
You glanced over to Soap. "Do you know how to ride a horse, Soap?"
He didn't take his eyes away from the binoculars. "Not in the slightest."
"What about you, Price?"
"Of course I do."
"And L.T.?"
Ghost didn't say anything back. Just kept looking down into the village.
Price spoke up for him. "Man's never ridden a horse in his life."
A smile played on your lips once again, excitement filling your heart.
You couldn't stop the giddiness that was rising within you now. You watched intently as Gaz and Drake finally exited the building, followed by who you assumed to be the defector. He looked like a bit of an older guy with salt and pepper hair that poked out from beneath the ushanka atop his head. He spoke in a very quick, to-the-point manner that told you he was inherently nervous about what he was doing. It caused you to wonder what brought the man to do this in the first place.
The three of the men rounded around to the back of all the buildings, seemingly entering one that was facing the opposite direction.
"Stinks," you heard Gaz mutter as they entered the building.
Then you heard the sound of horses snorting, pawing, and breathing heavily. You listened to the man as he began saddling them up, knowing all too well the sounds of leather tightening, harnesses and bits clinking around as he prepared the horses for a ride.
"Three horses, correct?"
"Yup," Drake responded.
"I want to be the lead on one!" You quickly hissed to Price.
He chuckled next to you. "Alright princess, you can lead the horse."
Within a few minutes you finally saw the three men exit the building, each leading a horse along behind them. You ogled the their fluffy winter coats, watching the puffs of vapor emitting from their soft noses. One of them shook out its mane. They were so cute.
Drake and the other man both propped their feet up on the stirrups of their horses and pulled themselves upward. You took note of the fact that it was clear that Drake was confident with horses - that didn't surprise you. You had already noticed the twinge of a Southern accent in his voice when you first met him. Gaz on the other hand still stood by his horse as he watched the other two mount theirs. He waited a moment and you wondered what he was doing.
"Erm," Gaz said, still looking at the other two.
"What's wrong?" Drake quipped.
"No one told me I needed to know how to ride a horse!" Gaz said exasperatedly.
"Oh, just hop on with me. Damien can lead that one."
You watched with amusement as Gaz somewhat nervously led his horse over to the man named Damien, who took the lead without a word. Then he turned to Drake who held out his hand. Gaz took his hand and jumped up, awkwardly struggling to pull himself up as the horse began moving around beneath the added weight. Finally he managed to pull himself up and throw his leg over the horse's back.
You were biting back a grin as you watched what was happening. No one ever really understood what it felt like to be on top of a horse until they'd actually done it themselves. Gaz was clearly a fish out of water. You couldn't wait to see how Soap and Ghost handled it.
"Hang onto me or you'll fall," Drake said. You smirked once again.
"I'd have told you to send someone else if I knew this was part of the job," Gaz grumbled before begrudgingly wrapping his arms around Drake's lower torso.
Drake began clicking his tongue and sure enough, the horse perked up, immediately snapping into a confident stride that nearly took Gaz right off the back end. His body flew backwards with a "Whoa!" and you saw his hands clamp more tightly around Drake, who laughed jovially. Through the binoculars you even saw a smile on the defector's face, who turned his horse, still leading two others, to follow along behind Drake and Gaz.
Each of you waited patiently at the top of the hill for Drake to lead the man to your location. You felt more and more excited until they finally drew closer, rounding up the snowy hill and stopping when they were near enough to the little group. When they arrived, each of you studied Damien's face. He was indeed a bit older of a man and appeared to be somewhere in his 50s. You wondered if this might be the father of a terrorist, fed up with his son's actions. He still appeared nervous with your group, pursing his lips and giving a quick nod when he saw each of you staring.
Price was the first to step forward. He approached Damien and held out his hand to let one of the other horses sniff him. It gratefully obliged, its deep nostrils flaring as it took deep breaths from the Captain's hand. When it stopped smelling and let its head rest downward once again, Price took it as a sign of acceptance, taking the lead rope from Damien's hand and taking the horse a short distance from the group. It followed behind him obediently. He faced the body of his horse, patting its neck as he looked over its tack.
"What's this one called?" Price asked over his shoulder.
"Liev," Damien called out from behind him. He seemed grateful that Price actually knew how to respect the animal. You felt pride in your captain at that moment.
Price turned back to you all when he was done looking over Liev. "Y/N's the only other one who knows how to ride. Soap, you get on with her. Ghost stays with me."
Soap turned to you with his eyebrows raised, wearing a cute smile and giving an open-armed shrug of his shoulders, as if you were two best friends that had just been assigned as partners on a science project. You grinned back at him, fully intending to find a way to take off galloping if you found the chance. You saw Ghost start approaching Price when Damien suddenly spoke up again.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, one of his hands waving out at them. "No. Skeleton man is too big. He need to ride alone." The group turned to look at him, and his eyes darted around before finally settling upon you. "Or with small one."
You felt like a spotlight was planted right on your face at that moment. Soap gave you a hard pat on the back that caused you to stumble forward before he turned back to Price.
Your eyes turned over to Simon, who was approaching you quietly and without a care in the world. He seemed so flippant to the situation, casually taking on the changes in pace without question. You stepped to the side to allow him to get on first. He placed his foot in the stirrup, reaching up to grab the edge of the saddle and hoisting himself upward. He threw his leg over the side before scooting backward to allow you space to climb on yourself.
And so, you repeated the same process, using the stirrup to pull yourself up, carefully avoiding kicking him in the face as you swung your leg over. But when you did, you came down more heavily than you'd intended, and felt your butt slam right into him.
"Oof!"
"Oops!"
He groaned and you threw a look over your shoulder to see him hunched over, grasping his stomach. You didn't think you'd landed on him that hard. "What did I do?"
"Ugh - you fuckin' - smashed my balls, Y/N."
Your hand flew up to your mouth. You tried so hard not to laugh, but you couldn't help it. "I-I'm so sorry, L.T."
He groaned again. "I quit."
You looked up and saw Drake and Gaz watching, trying not to laugh as well. Price had finally mounted his horse and was shaking his head with a smile on his face.
"That could have been me," Soap commented before turning to Price, getting ready to mount the horse with him.
This was the part you'd been giddy to see.
You watched as Soap did his best to mimic what he'd seen each of you do so far, grabbing onto the saddle and placing his foot in the stirrup to hoist himself up. But as he settled his weight down to pull himself upward, his foot flew from the stirrup and he slipped backwards, landing in the snow with a thud. He quickly jumped up and threw his hands in the air at Price.
"Are ye going to fookin' help me, DADDY?!" He exclaimed.
Everyone in the group burst into laughter. Price shook his head before holding out his hand to Soap, who took it and pulled himself up hard enough to nearly yank Price out of the saddle.
"For the love of God, Soap!"
You giggled once again, joy entering your heart as you watched the scene unfold. It didn't matter how much of a dangerous mission you were going on at that moment.
You really loved your team.
There was absolutely nothing that could wipe the smile off your face.
Not the cold, not the snow, not even the possibility of an ambush would have been able to ruin your mood then.
You didn't even feel like you were on a mission anymore - you felt like you'd gone on a vacation with family and friends, all riding your horses through the Russian wilderness, probably to end up at some trail that would lead you up the side of some gorgeous, snowy mountain.
Soap and Price to your left, Drake and Gaz to your right, your tour guide riding only a few yards ahead - and Simon behind you, gently brushing up against you with every sway of the horse's back as it pressed its hooves deep into the snowy floor. When Soap had asked you what you were just a-beaming for, you'd told him it had been years since you'd had the chance to ride a horse - but the look he gave you in response told you that he knew there was some other reason.
After you all had marched forward for at least half a mile, Damien led you down a barely visible pathway that snaked through the forest.
"Damien," Price called out, finally breaking the silence. "How is life in the village?"
"Is good," Damien responded, slowing down his horse a bit to get closer to the group. "Better when I get home and my wife has made me a bowl of Borscht."
"Borscht?" Soap asked him.
"Borscht, is, ah… soup. Soup made of beef?" He glanced back at the group, trying to make sure he was using the right word. "It take beef, pig, onion, garlic, carrot, potato, cabbage, and, ahhh…" He shook his head. "I know not what you call it. Purple vegetable."
"Eggplant?" You asked.
"That does not ring a bell."
"Beetroot," Ghost spoke up behind you.
"Ya, I think that is it. Beetroot," Damien repeated the word.
"Your wife's a good cook, is she?" Drake chimed in.
"Only ze best," came Damien's response. "She bake her own bread. Not a lot of people do that anymore."
You raised your hand up over your shoulder, signaling Ghost that you wanted to whisper something to him. He leaned forward and you felt his chest brush against your back.
"Can I ask him about the defection?" You hissed over your shoulder.
"Worst he can do is say no."
You looked over to Damien, trying to decide if you really wanted to ask this before you finally spoke up. "What made you decide to help us?"
He glanced back at you then with an eyebrow raised. Then he faced forward again and responded over his shoulder. "Our families betrayed us. Sold our youngest children to be raised by terrorist. I have no interest in war or crime. I want only an easy life with my family." He paused. "We need those ties to our village to be severed."
You didn't know what to say to that, your head hanging a bit as you realized this man had his children stolen from him. Your heart broke for him and his wife. Thankfully, Price spoke up for you.
"We'll take care of it, Damien."
Damien nodded his head, still staring forward. "My son is called Daniil. I know not if he is held at this facility. If you discover any children - please bring them back to us. It has been four years. They will be teenagers now." His voice dropped with grief at the end of his sentence.
"Daniil," Price repeated. "We'll be keeping an eye out.
Damien nodded again, not speaking another word.
Your heart felt heavy after that. You all continued marching forward, passing by trees and rocks, the horses occasionally being startled by scurrying squirrels and other small animals.
"Not much longer now," Damien called out finally.
"Do you feel like a cowboy now, Soap?" You called out to your friend beside you.
"Yeehaw," he said, and you laughed at his Scottish attempt to mimic a Southern accent.
Finally, Damien stopped his horse, turning it to face your group. "Keep continuing down ze path on foot. It will lead you to the back door of ze facility. Keep your eyes peeled, guards always swapping position." His eyes traveled between each of you once again. "Please remember my son. Damiil. And ze other children, if they are here."
Price nodded his head once to reassure Damien. "We'll do our best."