Phantom ~ [Simon Ghost Riley]

XXIV. Regret

Simon 'Ghost' Riley - 04:07 pm

It's just past 4 pm when Johnny calls. Ghost is standing in Price's office near the edge of his desk as the captain is focused on his computer screen.

He grabs his phone from his right front pocket, answering the call as he looks down at Price.

"Johnny? Everything okay?"

"Ghost, she's gone-," Soap's voice is frantic as he speaks. He immediately knows something isn't right.

"Who's gone? Soap, what's going on?"

"Ace. I went to take a nap and I just now woke up. She isn't here. She's not picking up her phone either-"

"Stay there. I'm informing the team. I'll be there soon," He hangs up the phone before Soap can respond. Price looks up at Ghost, his eyes already full of concern. It's as if he knows the exact words Simon is about to say.

"Ace is gone."

Price stands up immediately, closing his laptop before heading out of the door. His steps are quick and urgent, and Ghost makes sure to follow him at the same pace.

~

The door of the meeting room shuts with a piercing clicking sound. The noise pulls Ghost out of a frantic train of thoughts, trying to figure out every possible thing that could have happened, and could still happen.

Anger suddenly clouds his vision. How is this possible?

"This is an emergency. Ace is gone.. Nowhere to be found," Price starts talking to the group of guys around the table. Most of the guys from 141 are here.

"Her car is gone. She's not picking up her phone," Soap's voice sounds through the laptop speakers as his picture pops up on the screen.

"Her tracking device has been turned off, but we received the last location about an hour ago. We'll have to do this quickly. I'm counting on all of you," Price says leaning forward over the table, his palms hands spread out on the glass material.

"Couldn't she just have gone for a drive..?" Some guy that Ghost has never seen or noticed asks from the back of the room.

"-No," Ghost rasps, standing up as his own palms touch the cold table top like Price's. "She promised she wouldn't go anywhere. This isn't some bullshit like that. Say something stupid like that one more time and-"

"Ghost-" Price says with a slightly warning tone. "A few of us will go to the last notified location. Grab your stuff from the armory. We're going now."

Ghost nods at König who's standing near the door. He's the first to leave and Ghost heads out right behind him, quickly passing by the others to get out as fast as possible. His fists are balled as he walks, his jaw clenched with a tension that he can't seem to get rid of.

As they enter the armory, Ghost grabs his usual guns. But as he lays his eyes on the empty spot of the Grau 5.56 he had given her just two days ago, another wave of rage washes through him. He smacks his fist against the wooden pole near the wall. The wood splinters with the impact, making just a little too much sound. If the armory wasn't filled with the other guys, he wouldn't have left it at one hit.

He shouldn't care this much. She hasn't been in 141 for long. Though for some nagging reason, he really can't think clearly. Is it his fault? Should he have locked up the apartment better? Did Soap not keep an eye out?

He shakes his head, his fingers wrapping around the barrel of the gun in an attempt to ignore the anger.

"Are you holding up, lieutenant?" König asks, his voice pulling Ghost out of his own mind. It's clear König noticed Ghost's fit of rage as his eyes linger on the wooden pole.