Midnight River

disappear

Gemmas pov first, then Soaps
Song inspo - the night does not belong to God by Sleep Token

When night fell, we moved.

I hadn't wanted to get out of that bed, didn't want to pull myself away from him and get dressed and prepared for my first ever mission.

There was no going back now, no changing my mind. Though I had decided that once this was all over, once we were no longer looking over our shoulders I'd tell John the truth about me. About my experience and what eventually led me to what I was about to do now.

It would seem confusing and I expected him to be angry with me, there would be backtracking and old wounds that I didn't want to reopen. But I'd do it for him.

For now, I needed to push it from my mind. The only thing I could focus on had to be watching John's and König's backs as they stormed the front of the compound and Ghost and Senna sneaked in from the back side. (😏)

Price and I were set up first, about 200 meters away from the front, laying on our stomachs on a small hill. It reminded me of the time John and I spent in the shooting range, and I desperately wanted to go back to that moment and relive it over and over.

I hadn't lied to him when I told him the first and only person I'd ever killed was the man that attacked me in my apartment. I had lied about how I knew how to do just that, among other things. I was rough around the edges, training with Senna had been proof of that but it was to be expected after a decade of living a different life. Things were starting to come easier now, like riding a bike.

I just had to hope it would be easy to pull the trigger.

"You sure about this?" Price asked from beside me, and I'd almost forgotten he was there as I set up my rifle, dialing in the thermal scope.

"Doesn't matter. I'm already here." I answered quietly to which he didn't reply but I could see him nod out of the corner of my eye.

Once I was ready I let out a long slow breath and relaxed my shoulders before looking into the scope to find John and König slowly making their way closer to the base. It was dark, with only a few lights on the outside of the buildings in the front and I had to wonder if they had thermal or night vision equipment as well. I was hoping not.

"We're going to pick off a few of the loners before they get there, thin out the herd." Price muttered then, and this time I nodded to let him know I was ready. Though I wouldn't know if I truly was until his laser landed on my first target. "Let's get this show on the road, boys." Price said into the comms then and I could see John still from where he was through my scope. 

We hadn't spoken too much about tonight before coming. I didn't want him talking me out of it in fear I'd agree, and I think he sensed that too. He knew they needed me, but he also regretted it.

"Copy." John came in through my ear, and his voice did the opposite of calm me. Even though I knew he was ready for this, trained and prepared I hated that I was actually going to witness him put himself in danger.

It was that thought alone that made me pull the trigger when Price's laser marked a loner on one of the roofs. I watched his body drop as I pulled back the bolt to release the round and prepare for the next shot.

I felt everything yet nothing all at once. With each shot I became more numb, telling myself that the lives I was taking were the enemy and that they'd gladly take my life or anyone else on the team without hesitating. I'd never wanted to become a killer, but I had to in order to protect those I cared about.

By the time I took out most of those lingering outside, none of them aware of the situation, the two men had reached the buildings.

John and König looked at each other before following the plan, with König going one direction and John going the other. I followed him through my scope and when he came to an entrance he easily took down the man out front. Their struggle must have been heard as another came rushing out the door and I pulled the trigger once more, even without the help of Price's laser I managed to hit him right in the forehead.