Hotel Six: A Call of Duty Fanfiction

Epilogue

"I swear, Sash, I thought I saw you there at the door. It was the strangest thing," I said. After that last operation in Afghanistan, I needed to talk to her again. Hearing her voice might clear my racing mind.

Sasha scoffed at me. "Like I even knew where you were," she said. "What did you see that you thought was me?"

I reflected back on that moment the door closed in my face. It happened so fast; I thought I'd seen a woman that looked just like Sasha, but when I opened the door... "I don't know, some dog." I had seen that dog before in a photo of the 141 with Captain MacTavish... Must have been his.

"Wow, didn't know I looked so mangy."

"You do not," I corrected playfully, closing my eyes with a laugh. "I guess I've just been missing you too much."

She was quiet on the other end of the phone and I worried I had said something wrong. Fuck. I should have kept my mouth shut. "I've been so angry at you, Vladimir..." she said quietly. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do with all this."

"I know," I replied. "But I swear to you, none of this will affect you."

"Of course, it affects me; what happens when you run out of places to run? I'll lose you and..."

I rested the phone against my forehead with a sigh. "Bunny... you don't have to worry about me. We'll make it out of this; I've got everything under control."

She went quiet again, and I could hear a sad breath. "And if we don't?"

"No negative thinking, my dearest," I purred. "Positive thinking makes all the difference."

Sasha chuckled mildly. "If you say so..." She uttered another heavy sigh, and I wished so desperately that she was actually in front of me so I could touch her, hold her close, kiss away her anxiety. Damn, why did she have to be so far away? "I've missed you so much, but I've been so scared."

"Don't be scared, Sasha," I said. "You're safe; you always will be as long as I'm breathing."

"... are you really the most powerful man on earth?"

I felt a swelling in my chest. "Who told you that?"

"I've just heard whispers. I never thought it could be possible..."

"It's possible, and it's true," I said.

"How?"

... How? "What do you mean 'how?'"

She contemplated quietly for a moment before answering me. "I mean, how do you become the most powerful man on earth?"

A smile curved the edges of my mouth. "You see..." I wetted my lips, carefully building the sentences in my head. "All warfare is based on deception. For years, the West's hypocrisy has made the world a battlefield." I could feel a boiling in my veins. All the things they'd done, the lives they'd taken... "The corrupt talk, while our brothers and sons spill their own blood." The smile returned to my face, stiffer, more twisted than before. "But deceit cuts both ways. The bigger the lie, the more likely people will believe it, and when a nation cries for vengeance, the lie spreads like a wildfire, devouring everything in its path. Our enemies believe they alone dictate the course of history when all it takes is the will of a single man."

Sasha was silent again. "... it all makes sense..."

"Yes?"

"The airport massacre, killing Borodin- or whatever his real name was... everything you've done... you were right."

"Of course I was..." I stopped, suddenly confused by her shift in attitude. "Wait, why?"

"You said this is all much bigger than any of us... you were right... This is huge, Vladimir..." she said. "God, how did I not see it before? You've thought this out to the smallest detail and... You actually have a good reason. I never thought you had a good reason for killing all those people but now..."

I chuckled. "You can't see as much when you're up close. Sometimes stepping back gives you perspective."

She sighed. "I wish I had just trusted you from the beginning... things wouldn't have to be like this."

"They still don't have to," I said. "Just come back."

"I will," she replied. "Tell me when and where it's safe and I'll be there."

I felt my heartbeat in my throat. "Really?"

"Yes. Just tell me where you'll be."

I smiled to the point of tears. "I will. I'm not in such a place yet, but I promise I'll call you. Okay?"

She sounded happy, too. "Yes, baby. Call me soon."

"I love you."

Sasha was quiet, but I could hear the smile through the line. "I love you, too."

I hung up. I had always been the most powerful man, but that phone call... that woman, made me feel unstoppable.

—

Jessica sighed, setting her phone down. Well, at least he was telling her more intel, and maybe soon, he'd slip up and say something that would get him caught. A perfect trap, really, however improvised it truly was. She rubbed her eyes, leaning back in her seat to face the ceiling.

In the other room, Soap was being patched up; hopefully, the medics would get him fixed enough to be transported elsewhere. No doubt, if the Russians saw Nikolai's helicopter, they weren't going to be far behind. Soap had barely looked alive by the time they got to the safehouse, and if the Russians forced them to move early, he may not survive.

Shit...

She let her hands drift down her body to her lap and swiveled the office chair around toward the door. She'd just managed to get away long enough for that phone call, and no doubt if she stayed away too long, someone would get curious.

Jess nearly lurched out of her skin when she saw Price leaning against the closed door his arms crossed. "So," he said. "Makarov is your contact..?"