You Have a Heart?: (Soap x Ghost)

Alone

A few hours later...

A helicopter had come to pick them up a few hours later, Ghost waking Soap and Alejandro up so they could pack their shit and leave. Now they were in an armored vehicle, one of Graves' Shadows driving them to Alejandro's base.

The man hadn't said anything to them, just kept glancing at Ghost every so often.

Once they were stopped at the gate, Ghost immediately knew something was off. Graves's vehicle was in front of them and he was outside with a couple of other Shadows. Alejandro was the first to get out, approaching the man with a confused look.

"What's this?"

"This is the immediate future. Step away from the gate." Graves's eyes darted to all of them, lingering on Ghost the longest. He was nervous.

"What?" Soap said in disbelief. Ghost didn't like this situation one bit.

"You heard me."

"You're crazy, this is my base." Alejandro spreads his arms out wide. The action startles several Shadows and they reach for their weapons. Not pulling them out, but enough to catch their attention.

"It's not a base. This is a sizable covert facility and I admire it- So I'm taking it." Alejandro growls at Graves, taking a few steps toward him. Graves points at Alejandro in a warning.

"You boys have been relieved. Thank you for your service."

"No, no, no. I don't take orders from you."

"Didn't Valeria say that? Now that makes me wonder what else I don't know about your affiliation with a drug-lord?" Alejandro scoffs and bares his teeth at Graves in a challenge.

"What the fuck did you just say to me, pendejo..." He rushes him but Soap grabs him by the arm to hold him back.

"You're out of line, Graves." Graves backs up when Soap gets closer.

"Don't do that. Don't...do that." He shakes his head. "No one needs to get hurt here."

"Are you threatening us?" Ghost asks harshly from where he stands. His eyes lock onto the nearest Shadows.

"Soldier, I don't make threats. I make guarantees. So let's not do this." Graves was getting more agitated by the second. The Shadows behind him move closer.

"I'm calling Shepard." Soap begins to walk back to the vehicle, but Graves's next words had them all freeze.

"General Shepard sends his regards." Ghost's jaw clenches.

"He told me ya'll wouldn't take this well."

"He knows about this?" Ghost's voice comes out a little more angry than he would have preferred. It got Graves's attention, though.

"He's put me in command of this operation from here on out. So, ya'll need to stand down. It's time to let the pros finish this." That makes Ghost roll his eyes. They were the fucking pros.

Ghost notices Soap looking over at him, and he turns his head slightly. Graves notices the interaction and frowns.

"And why the hell are we talking like this is some kind of a negotiation? It's not. I've got my orders and now you have yours."

"And who the fuck do you think you are, cabron? My men are inside!" Alejandro all but shouts into Graves's face. Serves the bastard right.

"I'm afraid not. Your men have been..." Graves pauses, pursing his lips, "..detained."

That must've been what made Alejandro snap because within seconds he's launching himself at Graves. Graves shoves him off and pushes him into a vehicle, a Shadow pinning him to it and attempting to detain him.