𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 || A Call of Duty OC Story ||

21 Blood and Tears

"Soap!" Charlie shouted, trying to get Soap to continue walking. The man fell to his knees and struggled to get up due to his blood loss. "Soap, come on! We have to go!" She cried for him to stands up as her arms attempted to get him to stand.

Soap laid on the ground in pain, breathing heavily as he felt the stinging pain from the bullet in his arm. He looked at Charlie and slowly began to get up, realizing that he had to get up and do this for her. He had to live not just for himself... but for Charlie.

He stumbled a bit as he got up. Charlie's wrist hurt and Soap noticed as she began to hold it with her opposite hand. "Sprained," he said as he pointed to her wrist, Charlie nodded but didn't care, instead she pulled out a a cloth and wrapped it around Soap's arm above the wound. Using it as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

"Lass, you need to get out of here... if they find you they'll-" "I'm not leaving you, Soap!" Charlie cried out, interrupting Soap as he spoke. "I've lost everything in my life but I won't lose you! You've been to good to me! You didn't treat me like a weapon! Or a war machine!" Charlie cried as she tied the tourniquet tighter, causing Soap to grunt in discomfort.

He paused for a moment and looked at the crying girl in front of him. She cried as she tried to help him and he knew how much she cared for him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a close hug, allowing Charlie to sob into his chest. "Damnit, kid, for as long as I'm alive I swear to you that I'll keep you safe, non of those shadow bastard will lay a hand on you or so help me god I'll rip their fuckin' throats out." Soap said as Charlie continued to cry.

She was scared, she began to show her child self. She was a hardened soldier, but she was still a little girl at heart. "Please don't leave me, Soap," she sobbed as he nodded, understanding her fear as he held her close, "we have to find a way out of here." He whispered as Charlie nodded, wiping the tears and blood off of her face as she finished tying the tourniquet.

Soap wondered with Charlie until the sounds of screams could be heard in the streets. Charlie froze as she listened to Graves abuse these people, until eventually shooting a man. The sounds of his wife's screaming could be heard as she shook her husband, begging for him to come back to her.

"Check upstairs, heads up for the Brits," a Shadow said. Charlie listened in horror as Soap heavily breathed. He leaned against the wall to relax as the blood trickled down his arm. He shuffled through his radio stations, only hearing the voices of shadows. "This is Bravo 7-1 in the blind... how copy?" He asked. Charlie sat next to Soap and curled into a tight ball, she stared at the ground in horror of what was happening.

"Ghost, this is 7-1, do you copy?" Soap asked once more, his tone aggressive. Charlie heard the name of the masked man and looked at Soap, praying for an answer from Ghost. "Fuck... where are you Ghost...?" Soap growled as Charlie began to give up hope. "We're gonna die, Soap," she said out of fear, only for Soap to shake his head, "not today, kid," Soap said as he turned the corner, he stood up and began to walk despite him bleeding out.

Soap hit the ground with a thud as Charlie gasped, "oh shit!" Charlie shouted as she rushed to his side. "Soap...this is Ghost, how copy?" Ghost's voice came in through the radio. Charlie's eyes shot up as she heard his voice, "he's alive!" She smiled.

"Johnny?" Ghost questioned, "Johnny, how copy?" "Solid," Soap said. Charlie hid behind a car and watched as Soap crawled towards the car to her. "Thought we lost ya, how's Charlie?" Ghost asked. "Alive, she's here with me," Soap said as he approached Charlie.

"Ghost," Charlie smiled as Ghost hears her voice, "did they hurt you at all, kid?" Ghost asked, referring to the shadows. "No, sir, I've held my own and avoided them alongside Soap," she replied. Ghost couldn't help but feel both relief and a sense of proudness for her.

"Are either of you injured?" Ghost asked as Soap stood up and the two made their way closer to an alleyway, the sounds of Graves' voice could be heard. "Well, I'm not a medic," Soap joked. "Tell me something I don't know, keep your blood in, both of ya, you'll need every last drop," Ghost replied. "Thanks for the tip, sir," Charlie smiled.

It took everything in Charlie's power not to jump down into that alleyway and kill Graves. She wanted to so badly, but she didn't. "Where are you?" Soap asked Ghost, "there's a church. I'm inside with Keller...Johnny she won't make it another hour if you don't get here in time, Let's RV here," Ghost replied as Soap nodded.

"We need to improvise to survive, Soap," Charlie added in. "Graves and the Shadows are on a killing spree..." Soap said softly. "Looking for Hassan," Ghost replied, Charlie felt herself getting more angry as she listens to Graves speak.

"Soap give me one good reason I shouldn't slit his and those Shadow's throats..." Charlie growled through her teeth as Soap shook his head, "later, we can kill them later," he said.

Charlie and Soap went down the alleyway and sneakily went into a house, avoiding Graves and his men. "Do it," Graves said as a Shadow shot a man. "Fuckin' hell," Soap whispered as he covered Charlie's eyes. It was one thing to see the guilty and cruel die, but the innocent? Soap tried to avert Charlie's eyes from the horrific scene.

~~~~

Ghost held Grace on his lap, he gently stroked her hair that was now loose from its messy ponytail. He didn't care about the blood that had gotten on him, as long as Grace was safe.

He checked every so often to make sure she was still breathing and that she was still alive. He truly did care about her, and if she was to die then he would want it to be as comfortable as possible. Instead of dying on the cold floor of a church he wanted her to at least die in his arms, a sense of comfort washed over him realizing that she was asleep and if it were to happen she could go peacefully.

"It'll be over soon, Gracie, then we can get you help to fix you up," he said to Grace's sleeping body. He wanted Phillip Graves' head for this. Not just for putting Grace in this state, but for causing Soap and Charlie this much challenge.

Graves wanted to kill Charlie, he knew this after he observed how the Shadows didn't take their eyes off of the girl who was sitting in the car. Something bad happened, something that could put Graves or Shepherd into jail. Ghost tried to think about what could possibly be the reason they would want a little girl like her dead. Then it hit him.

Shepherd lied about Charlie... to everyone...