[1] Midnight Lips | Ghost

𝐂𝐇. 11

VALENTINA
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"Any suspects?" Kate asked. Her voice through the earphones in my ear sounded so different compared to hearing her in person. The same went with the visualization. She looked thinner on the other side of the screen. Every now and then the camera would glitch and she would look more tired than ever, when in reality, Kate Laswell was never tired.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "Not yet, Kate. I've been spectating for now. Trying to get everyone's trust while at the same time watching them do their job and observing their movements."

"And how's that going?"

I crossed my arms in front of me and placed them on the cold desk, leaning closer to the laptop. "For now, I haven't seen anything suspicious. I trust Alejandro and his Vaqueros. He has a family he needs to protect. Therefore, he hates El Sin Nombre. And that makes Los Vaqueros hate El Sin Nombre."

"I gathered. But you're trusting only Alejandro in this. What if someone from Los Vaqueros is working with the cartel?"

I frowned. "The cartel is not good to the people in Las Armas. Most of Los Vaqueros have a family they need to protect. Parents, siblings, children, cousins. Families that are in danger if the cartel remains. I think that's what makes them trustworthy."

"Right. Hating what is dangerous to your family and wanting it gone. I'd do the same."

"Exactly."

"What about Task Force Members?"

I thought for a moment. "John Price trusts Gaz. You trust Price. And that makes me trust Price and Gaz altogether."

Kate laughed, the interference splitting her laugh into chuckles, filling the spaces with nothing but cut silence. "Smartass," she said.

I continued so I wouldn't forget what I had in mind. "Meanwhile, Soap seems to loathe El Sin Nombre as well. As soon as he saw the cartel's members walk around with weapons in front of children, beating women and even grannies, he seemed determined to stay on our side."

"Good."

"Now for Simon Riley..." My mind drifted back to two days ago. Simon's honey-brown eyes staring deeply into mine, making me believe I still had a soul. One that he wanted to take in his hands and leave permanent marks.

I just can't stop thinking about you.
How dare you tease me the way you did?
That's not what I like to be called.
What's my name, Valentina?

"Yes?" Kate's voice took me out of the daydream.

I brought my hand to my ear and stroked my earlobe. The innocent action that always helped me remember what I was going to say next. I opened my mouth but then closed it again. Uncertain. Hesitant. What could I say? That Simon couldn't stop thinking about me? That it hadn't even been two whole days since his fingers were gripping my thighs?

How was Simon Riley? Outside of my room, of course.

"He's reserved. He's quiet and careful with his movements." And I think he's rough when he wants to be. Did I mention he can't stop thinking about me? I pinched my ear and gulped. "All he does is stand in the corner and observe his surroundings. That is whenever he comes out of his room. He doesn't trust anyone, I believe."

"That's Ghost, after all."

"That makes him reliable, right?"

"I wouldn't let my guard down if I was you. Quiet people are the least trusting. Next thing you know he's our worst enemy. You never know."

I felt the urge to tell her to shut up. To take all of that back. Somehow I felt protective of him. Who was she, saying I shouldn't trust him? Not that I did, I just... What was wrong with me? Before I could stop, I had already opened my mouth. "He saved my life, Kate. Twice. I didn't ask him to, yet he did."

"What if it was all an act?"

My hands tightened into fists. "I don't think it was an act."

"How would you know?"

"How would you know?" I encountered.

"Ghost is not stupid, Valentina."

"And so aren't I."

She frowned, suspicious of something even I couldn't decipher. "What's all this about?"

It was too late to take everything back. "He saved me not once, but twice." I held two fingers up to the camera, each one representing a fact. "He took a bullet for me."

"And that's the reason why it could be all an act."

I scoffed. What? "If it was all an act like you say, wouldn't it have been easier to just let me die?"

"Maybe he already knows the reason you're there. If your life was in his hands and everyone was watching, why would he let you die? It could get everyone's attention."

"You're wrong."

"Maybe he wants everyone to be on his side so we don't suspect him and then strike our country with Hassan. Maybe he was the one who stole the missile's ship, for God's sake."

"You wouldn't know."

"You're telling me you trust him now?"

"No!" But I almost trusted him with my body.

"I didn't send you to trust anyone. I sent you to find me who the hell is the traitor that's sabotaging our missions!"

I frowned. Calm down, don't explode. This wasn't my friend Kate, this was my boss Kate Laswell. So I straightened my spine and said, "I'm sorry, boss, I will do a better job next time."

Her gaze immediately softened. There came my friend back, though I didn't care at this point. "Val..."

"Let's not deviate from the main conversation, Laswell."

She leaned closer to the camera, taking a moment to think before 'looking' directly at me. "Do what's necessary, sergeant. If you decide it's better to discard them by trusting them one by one before anything, then do it. But I need you to find the traitor soon. Soon as in this month. Hopefully this week."

"Roger that." Two weeks left until this month is over.

Kate fell back on her chair sighing, the tension slipping from both of our fingers. "I heard Graves came out of nowhere in your last mission."

I pressed my eyes tightly. "Yes, I almost forgot about that."

"What do you have?"

"I'm undecided. Graves arrived shortly after the Mexican Army had us cornered, which could only mean he isn't working for them. But the fact that he arrived just at the perfect time... I don't know yet."

"I talked to Shepherd and Price about it. Nobody was aware that Graves and his Shadow Company were joining us."

"Now that you mention it..." My stomach sank. No, shit, shit, shit. Kate was right, as always she was. I rubbed my forehead, trying to remember what happened yesterday morning, seconds after Simon Riley caught me from falling directly into my grave.

And just like that, I was brought to the moment I laid on Alejandro's arms, staring up at Simon while he talked to the radio.

You've arrived a little too late, mate.
Is that your way to thank me, Ghost?

"I heard Riley tell Graves something about how late he had arrived at the place a little too late."

Even through the display, I caught the way Kate's eyes narrowed even though she wasn't the type of person to say I told you so, I knew that she was thinking it. "You're saying?"

"I think the one that told Graves about our whereabouts and perhaps the whole mission was Simon Riley."

"And that makes him..."

I took a deep breath. "My first suspect."

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