Ghostly premonitons

Ambush

A diamond mine in Siberia, Russia

"COVERING FIRE!", Sandman shouted.
"Price, get the president the hell out of here!"
"Don't you even think about it, mate! We're in this together!", Price denied his request while helping the russian president into the helicopter.
"JUST GO! MacTavish, get away from the right flank!"
Sandman remained stubborn.
"We are not gonna leave ya here! This is a bloody death trap!"
Soap on the other hand was pretty much the most stubborn member of the team.
Suddenly D-Day screamed from the evac chopper:
"Hurry up, we can't stay here, the area's too hot!"
"What? You're the evac team?"
"Doesn't matter who I am right now, Price! Get your ass in the helicopter!"
Price and Soap finally hopped in and the pilot informed them they couldn't stay any longer:
"If we stay, we're all gonna die!"
"We still have a man out there!"
Against Price's will, the pilot got the bird in the air.
"What are you doing? Get us back down there, now!", he shouted angrily.
"Price. He's right. The mine's collapsing. We wouldn't have stood any chance."
Soap tried to calm him down, but Price just went more and more maniac.
"Sandman, do you copy? Are you still there? DO YOU COPY?! Fuck!"
Suddenly, the russian president took the word:
"I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sure he was a great soldier and friend."
"Damn right he was. God, what have we done?"
"It was his own choice, Price. We'll remember him, Grinch and Truck."

Task Force 141's headquartes, England

"Roach, the others are back."
Ben wanted to tell the sergeant the news, but he seemed very busy.
"Why on earth did Price let me do frickin' paper work and guarding while they went on a mission to Russia were he could've used every man available?"
Ben had heard that question about a million times from Roach recently. He was starting to get annoyed.
"I do indeed not know the answer to that question. Well, we're waiting for you in the meeting room. They want to talk about the operation."
"That's unusual. Why?"
"Don't know. You'd see if you came."
"Alright, alright. I'm coming."
Roach followed Ben into their meeting room.
"What's going on? We never usually talk about operations afterwards. Especially not with people who weren't even part of it."
Price just answered with a short "Sit down".

Picadilly Circus, London

"Phone call. It's for you."
"Who is it?"
"I don't know, he wanted to talk to you."
He took the phone from the police officer.
"This is Captain MacTavish. Your cooperation with the London city police unfortunately has to end. Come here as soon as possible."
The caller hung up before he could respond.
"Great. Alright lads, that's it for me. I have to leave."
"What do you mean you have to leave?", the police officer asked.
"We all knew the deal. I only came here to make London a safer place under one condition. Being able to leave when they need me. And that seems to be the case now."

Two days later, Task Force 141's headquarters

"Did ya read the newspaper, Roach?"
"No Soap, haven't had time yet. Why, is there anything special?"
"Yes, you could say so. Read this."
He pointed at an article that said "Task Force 141 gained back their reputation after saving the russian president and preventing world war three for now. The army unit had been considered outlaws after killing a now known as a terrorist general."
"That's a banger. We're back in business."
There was a knock at the door.
"Ye?", Soap granted the guest entrance.
Someone with a balaclava and red sunglasses entered the room.
"Would you look at that."
Roach was visibly happy.
"Ye, good to have you back here! I hope it's not too bad that we had to force you to come here."
"Force? No, working with the police was boring anyways and bloody Manchester is only full of bad memories. Time for some action with the boys again, nah? But first things first: Why am I really here?"
Ghost had no idea what he should expect. Soap and Roach lead him into the meeting room, where Price was sitting, working out some plans for potential mission sites.
"Price, we got company."
"Thanks, Soap, I got a mouth by myself."
"Really? Bad mood today?"
"Never! Especially now that I'm back here. Sorry if that sounded offensive."
"Nah, I know ya long enough."
"Ehm. Lads, did you forget I'm here?"
Price drew the attention back to why they were where they were.
"Anyway, Simon, glad you're here. We've got things to talk about."
"That would be?"
"I don't know if you read newspapers?"
"If I had time, I would, let's put it that way."
Price showed him the article Soap gave Roach earlier.
"That's convenient, isn't it?"
"That's not all."
Price passed him three files.
"Truck, KIA. Grinch, KIA. Sandman... KIA. Oh bloody hell."
Ghost didn't even know what to say.
"We can't keep going this way. From now on, we'll all go together, everywhere and all the time."
That upset Roach, because he was the one who had to stay at the base.
"What the hell Captain? Are you out of your mind? You let me do fucking paperwork while you fight against dozens of enemies and then this? That's outrageous!"
"Watch your mouth, Roach."
"No, it's okay Soap. He's right. That was a mistake, a big one."
"Well, it happened anyway. No reason to argue about it, we can't change the past, can we?"
"Unfortunately not, Simon. Do me a favor and get the others in here. We have to plan another operation. Time to get to the core of this whole thing."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You'll see in a minute, Simon. Now go."
Ghost went out to pick up the others and bring them to the meeting room. He found Ben at the med bay, preparing some stuff. He was surprised by the visitor.
"Oh, hello. Shouldn't you be in London?"
"Well, not anymore. Price wants you to come to the meeting room. Ah, right, do you know where D-Day is, by any chance?"
"Yes, he's at the arsenal. Said he'd have to change some things about his weapon 'cause it doesn't work as intended. Don't ask what, I don't know."
"Alright, thank you. See you in a minute."
Ghost went on to the arsenal, where the task force stored all of its military equipment. He encountered D-Day sitting on a crate, cleaning his FAL.
"What's up, mate?"
"Look at that, who have we got here? Our new police officer."
D-Day grinned all over his face.
"Temporarily at least. The task force is still the most important thing. Whatever, Price wants to rally up with the whole team."
"Now?"
"Yep. It's important. And you better get your gun working, I think you'll need it soon. Still got one guy left. Where's Gaz?"
"No idea. Maybe Ben knows?"
"Let's just go back and call him out through the speakers."
D-Day and Ghost went back to the meeting room where Ben, Soap, Price, Roach and Gaz were already waiting.
"Huh, no need to call him."
"Alright, I think everybody's here now. You probably have noticed by now that things haven't been going too well recently. It's time for us to stir the hornets' nest. Victor Zakhaev, supplies weapons to Makarov and his men. He's located at Syria. We'll get him and cut of Makarov's stream of weapons. The mission is kill or capture. To be honest, I'd strongly favor the first one."
Roach wondered how this one would go, because the last missions weren't exactly a great success.
"How are we gonna do it this time?", he asked.
"No compromises this time, we're gonna go full house on this one. AC-130, orbital recon flyover and the whole team."
"Damn. Impressive."
"Right? Okay, what about the others? You don't have to do this. Are you in or out?"
"I'm in, no question. I don't travel all the way here from London just to say no."
"Same goes for me."
"I had no doubts about you, Simon and Roach."
"I'm also in. All in.", Gaz replied.
"What do ya think I am? A coward? Let's do it!"
"Forgot to mention that. You're the the only one I would not have excused.", Price grinned.
"What a surprise...", Soap chuckled.
"Big yes from my side, let's kick their ass.", D-Day agreed.
"Ben?"
"Sure. I think you might be in need of a medic there. You seem to get shot regularly."
"Ever thought about a career as a comedian?", Roach asked, who, as everyone else, did in fact not laugh at that bad joke.
"Well, you can try at least. Next one's gonna be better I guess."
"We hope so.", Price laughed.
"See? At least I got the toughest one of you to laugh!"
"What do you mean 'the toughest one'?"
Ghost was upset now.
"Simon, we both know what he meant. No reason to be angry."
He quietly added "But he's still right"
"I heard that, Price. Whatever, it seems like everyone's in. Good. I'd suggest you explain the plan, Captain?"
"When have you started calling me Captain?", Price asked.
"I meant Soap."
"Oh..."
That left Price without anything to say.
"Sweet revenge, my friend.", Ghost smiled.
"Well, I will show y'all how we're gonna do it since we otherwise don't seem to be anywhere near productive today."
Soap set up a powerpoint presentation showing a well secured base in an old village in a dessert in Syria.
"Alright then, we'll also have some sniper assistance from here, which Price hasn't mentioned yet."
He pointed at a hill in front of the entrance of the base.
"Archer and Toad will help us there."
"Wait a second... Archer and Toad?"
"Yes, you heard that right. They also returned from the safehouse mission. I thought we told you that? Besides, who ever told you they were dead in the first place?"
"Well, we lost contact to them... And never reached 'em again. And no, you didn't tell us. But that's good news"
"Yeah, it is. Back to the plan. Toad and Archer will take out all the guards they can. We won't take a sneaky way this time. We go right through the front door with all we've got and overrun them. Hereby, our biggest advantage will be the darkness. Those guys don't have night vision technology, that's why we'll use the night to cover us a bit."
"That sounds a bit adventurous if you ask me."
"It is, Wayne. That's the fun part."
"I'm not so sure about that one to be honest... Remember when you talked me into saving Ghost, Roach and Price from that outpost? I mean, I am damn glad you did because otherwise I wouldn't be here and half of you, or all of you, would be dead. But it was pure hell if you ask me, not fun."
"Having second thoughts?", Price wanted to know.
"No. Never. I would just change the way Soap described it."
"Good. Go on then."
"Where was I?"
"Entering through the front door.", Gaz helped him.
"Right, thank you. Well, basically we just get rid of everything that's standing in our way, get Zakhaev, go back home and have a drink. Sounds good?"
"Hell yeah! Except for everything you said before 'have a drink'."
"Alcoholic..."
Roach always liked to provoke Ghost a bit, he was already used to it. A common game they always played.
"Yesterday you called me lame 'cause I like tea."
"You gotta admit that's lame though."
"You don't understand that.", Price interrupted to reinforce Ghost.
"In conclusion, we're gonna put an end to Makarov very soon. This is the beginning of the end."
"Thanks for the presentation, Soap."
"No problem, Kyle. Any questions left?"
"Yeah, what about the weapons? Any special rules? And when are we even doing this?"
"I thought you'd want to know that, Wayne. You have a week to prepare. No special rules regarding weapons. Anyone else?"
No one raised their hand.
"Alright. Price and I will be available all the time, as usual. If there's something you want to know, feel free to ask us."
"Copy that. You got any weapon for me? My old one's decomissioned.", Ben asked.
"Gotta ask D-Day here. He's the weapon specialist."
"Why do you think that, Ghost?"
" 'Cause you're American.", he chuckled.
"I'd say something against that, but the thing is: I just can't.", D-Day laughed.
"Okay, follow me, we'll find something for you."
Ghost accompanied D-Day and Ben when they went to the arsenal.
"Any recommendations?"
"Well, if I'd use video game logic, you'd have to have a shotgun. That's what medics get, you know?"
"Yeah, you wish. No thanks. Besides, you play video games? I mean, if D-Day said that I wouldn't have been surprised, but you?"
"Woah, hold up, what's that supposed to mean? Well, jokes on you, because we both play video games. Not often and if so, only together. You gotta do something in your free time, nah?"
"Back to why we're here. I'd recommend something like a M4."
"What's that right here?"
Ben grabbed an AN94 from a shelf.
"Hm, questionable choice. That's an AN94, Russian origin, chambered in 7.62, therefore hard to control. It's got a hyperburst feature to compensate for that though. It's not a bad weapon by any means, but it doesn't use our usual 5.56 Nato cartridges. Never really saw service at Spetsnaz due to it's extremely high production cost."
"Who's the weapon expert now, Ghost? Sounds like you."
"Know what? I'm gonna test it and decide afterwards. Thanks for your help."
"Mid caliber rounds are stored in the back. Have fun."
With that, Ghost left them alone to try out Ben's new weapon.