Dark roots

Chapter 5

Sitting between Soap on my left side and Ghost on my right, we made our way to the oil rig in a speedboat. The ride over there was tense and awkward, my nerves about what could happen once we got there. Everyone was split into two groups, Ghost took Charlie Team to the large container ship next to the oil rig while the second team infiltrated the oil rig.

We dropped of Charlie team before the team I was assigned to, continued to the rig. We stopped at the base of the platform. One of the marines fired a rope over the edge of the railing so we could board using special military rope ascenders. The marines went up first, making sure it was safe for us to follow. One after another used the machinery with ease, until it was my turn.

Soap had stayed behind to help me use it, especially since you needed some muscles in your arms to hold on. The only thing I had trained was my brain, so standing beneath the rope, I looked up at the challenge. I heard a chuckle coming from behind me, as I turned around, I noticed Soap approaching me with a smirk on his face. He shook his head and wrapped an arm around my waist. I had no time to be surprised when he used the ascender and lifted us both on the rope.

He helped me climb the railing of the rig of the lower deck where the team was already waiting for us. The marines went up the stairs first, pushing the next level. Soap pushed me behind him and looked over his shoulder. "Stay close behind me. You'll be fine."

With a single nod, I followed after him, staying right behind him as he instructed. The sound of gunshots reached my ears, the marines were pushing the second deck, eliminating any hostiles along the way. They cleared out every corner of the second level, all while I strailed behind. We stepped through a container that looked like it was used as a room for meetings, on the other side laid a large open area. On the main deck, there were crates everywhere.

The crates made it easier for us to stay unnoticed, but it also made the enemy almost invisible if they hid behind it. Along the deck, there were plenty of men who had their weapons strapped to their back. Soap suddenly grabbed my arm, his touch surprisingly gentle as he guided me behind one of the larger crates.

"Stay hiden here until it's safe. We'll clear the area and then I'll come back for you."

A part of me wanted to argue, being left alone here without any form of protection felt dangerous. But before I could argue with him, I led a couple of marines around the crates and dissapeared. The entire situation was so overwhelming I could barely process what was happening. My body was all tense from how nervous I was, especially when the sound of footsteps approached.

When I was younger, I'd have panic attacks and my doctor thaught me some breathing exercises. Half of the time they didn't work because I couldn't stop the train of overwhelming thoughts. Having a panic attack right now would be the worst timing, so I decided to focus on my breathing, since there wasn't much else I could do. Breath in through my nose, hold for four seconds and slowly breath out.

I repeated it a couple of times, finally feeling my body relaxed. But that calming feeling vanished when footsteps approached again, louder this time. I didn't realise I was holding my breath until I let out a sigh of relief when I saw Soap approached from around the corner.

"All clear." He said, approaching me.

With a single tilt of his head, I fell into step behind him. We manoeuvred through the lines of crates, trying not to look at the bodies laying on the ground or the gruesome sight of the earlier fight. We climbed the stairs until we made it to the top deck of the rig. Soap rushed to the single container that stood by the edge and opened it.

I couldn't see anything from where I was standing, but his mumbled words told me it wasn't good news. The missiles weren't inside the container. Soap informed the other team through his earpiece. My heart nearly stopped when Graves approached from behind me. He stood so close that I didn't need an earpiece to learn what he had yelled though the comms.