Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader

Forty-Seven

It felt strange to feel the warm wind on your skin but not hear it. The world felt a little duller, as if one aspect of the universe had been swallowed up.

And yet it didn't feel like you had lost anything. Now that it was hard to hear danger, your instincts had become sharper. You could sense that you were close to your target even before Price issued a warning.

"All units, we have a visual on the second vehicle.", Price informed you as a huge wall of red stone grew up into the thinning night. "We do not know if Sin Nombre is present. What is your status?"

"Area cleared, captain.", Gaz reported.

"We're moving up for reinforcement.", Soap added.

"How far?", Price asked.

"About four clicks out.", Ghost guessed. "Don't wait up."

"Roger that. 100, how's it going back there?"

Your eyes snapped open.

A fiery red sky awoke above your head.

Orange merged with violet. Clouds became visible again.
Reflexively, your fingers closed around your weapon, one after the other.

You had carried many weapons before, killed with many and inflicted even more damage with others.

But this was the first moment you noticed what the structure of a firearm was like.

Rough textured surfaces of hard plastic nestled in your palm while the smell of something burnt and iron rose up from the barrel.

So this was what war smelled like.

For most of your life you had lived like this, on the battlefield, in danger.

And yet this was the first moment you absorbed the essence into your body. Your senses were one with the battle.

"I'm sound.", you said, eyes dedicated towards the sky, not blinking. "What's the order?"

Silence spread in the car.

As calm as a lake in winter, Price took a deep drag from his cigar and kept the smoke hostage in his lungs for a moment.

As he breathed out, the smoke looked like his soul leaving his body.

His eyes hardened.

"We want her alive.", he said, his voice ice cold.

You knew that way of speaking from him.

He was in the mode. Now there was no John Price, only the captain.

He was ready to do anything to guarantee success.

You had always appreciated that about him, pragmatic, unproblematic. He was a man who got the job done. And you emulated him.

Ever since you joined the army you had always tried to be Captain John Price's equal.

But in the end, you only made it to lieutenant.

Maybe that was good enough.

One should know one's limits. And you thought you were very close to yours. There was no shame in that.

All you wanted was to end your journey with a success.

And this was the golden opportunity.

"What about Alejandro?", you asked and threw a glance over your shoulder.

The red wall came closer. It was larger than expected, almost like a mountain.

A narrow crack opened in the middle, just big and wide enough to let an auto through.

"Let me worry about Alejandro.", Rudi said with determination in his voice.

He sounded anything but thrilled that his brother in arms had gone off on his own without him.

Rudi too was a son of Mexico, a child of this city.

Valeria had not only taken something from Alejandro.
Rudi had also accumulated a thirst for revenge.

"Are you sure you want to stab him in the back like that?", you asked while watching the vehicle of the narcos pass the thin passage through your binoculars.

A hint of doubt chased through Rudi's eyes.

"I know he has his head set on killing her.", he curled his lips. "But I think he needs to leave some of his shadows in the past."

"Would you tell him that to his face?"

He huffed.

"I'm not suicidal.", seriousness returned to Rudi's eyes. "But he needs to unterstand that her death won't give México peace. We need her to control business. Otherwise all the small vermin will crawl out of their holes and will drown us."

For a moment, you stared into the distance.

Clouds and colours passed by.

"You think his peace has to suffer for the bigger cause?", you asked.

"His desire has to. Eventually, he will find peace. Sin Nombre dead or alive."

In that moment it struck you.

Perhaps your desire to live up to your brothers expectations made you go on. But it wasn't what you really wanted.

In the end you always went on missions with the sole desire to return to Scotland.

Your heart always yearned for home.

This was just a job.

Maybe it was time to reconsider how much you wanted to keep doing it.

A movement in the corner of your eyes caught your attention.

"100!", Price called out.

You turned to look at him.

"What's the status, captain?", you yelled against the wind.

"Target ahead. 8 o'clock, we're going to ram them.", he informed and pulled open the door to climb onto the loading ramp with you. "Rudi will follow us. We're going to take over the vehicle."

"Are we going to take hostages?", a shadow fell over your face as the huge walls of red stone stretched up around the car.

Suddenly the temperature dropped and it became cold.
Goosebumps crept up your arms.

In the distance your eyes managed to find the outline of a black car.

Two people held onto the poles that allowed people do ride along to guard outside.

Price kneeled down next to you and placed his rifle on the roof to take a look at the situation.

"Rudi, keep the car steady.", he ordered.

Without him asking you to, you kneeled down as well and aimed for the person on the right.

"Target locked in, captain.", you hummed, your finger already gently putting pressure on the trigger. "Say when."

"Easy, 100.", the Brit hummed, cigar still in his mouth. "Let's get closer first. We need visuals on them. In case one is Alejandro in disguise."

A slim smirk appeared on your face.

"That bastard is so slick, he's probably inside.", you chuckled.