Ashes in the Darkness

Wolves

Authors Note: Very dialog heavy chapter here. Gaz and Ghost both have monologues.
TW: Discussion of suicide, self harm, and SA. Some Fluff? Smut, Smut, SMUT, SMUT. Foreplay. Consensual sex. Unprotected sex.

The fire tower was old, metal and glass on all sides that creaked with the wind and rattled as we all moved around inside the one room. A balcony overlooked the meadow below the cliffside, giving a 360-degree view of the forest around us. The moon was full as it shined down, highlighting the scenic views. Thankfully Grim left a few of his lanterns and generator for us. I looked around the room, watching as Soap and Gaz inspected, cleaned, and then loaded gun after gun; Price and Ghost stood over a map at one of the desks, determining the best vantage points. Joining them, I spread out another map of the area. "This one is topographical, so you can see the highest points," I explain.

Price nods, thanks me and then allows me to step up to the table, "We are going to need to see the entire era: hiding places, close off any escape routes for the trucks."

"The fire tower is the highest vantage point in proximity to the bridge, we should put a sniper up here. There is taller grass in the back of the meadow directly off to the right of the road leading away from the bridge," I point to a much lower portion of the topographical map, far below the cliffside, "good spot to put another one of us in a ghillie suit."

"Ghost can take that point, Soap is our best shot so he should be up in the fire tower," Price commands me and I nod in agreement. My eyes flick to Ghost who is watching me emotionlessly.

I squint my eyes at him, "something wrong, Lieutenant?" I ask with my most professional tone, but I see a flash of lust in his eye that he quickly covers with his monotone British accent.

"Hassan will have warned them about us by now, they'll be expecting us to be either here or in Chicago. I think the best approach would be to demo the bridge," with a nod back to Soap behind him. "Cut off passage to the meadow, circle around the back side once they stop."

"I actually like that idea," Price says, looking at the surrounding area.

"I do to," Soap says holding up a C4.

"Fucking pyros," I say under my breath. Soap smiles but his eyes aren't on me, they are on Ghost. I watch as his eyes wrinkle with a smile and I can't help but feel my heart pump with jealousy.

"Then I should take up a sniper position up here, Soap plants the explosives and blows it. The rest of you hide until the trucks have stopped and hit them from the back," I confirm, drawing a half circle over the map with my finger. I look up and I'm startled to see Captain Price staring at me with awe, but also a bit of amusement.

With his arms crossed over his chest I feel a blip of confusion before I finally stand up straight and purse my lips, "sorry, sir. I meant-"

"You'd make a good Lieutenant," he says. "I like your plan, go with it."

"Yes, sir," I answer.

"Ash, Ghost," Price commands, "scout the area beyond the bridge, figure out the best spots to hide. Soap, Gaz, go set up charges on the bridge. I'm going to check on exfil with Laswell."

I pick up my bag and pull out my satellite phone, "reception is spotty out here, if you get a signal, don't move from that spot," I confirm with the captain before I grab my father's rifle and head down the ladder of the fire tower. The rest of the boys follow close behind me. Walking down the trail to the meadow below the cliff is much easier than it was coming up, the boys talk amongst themselves, but I stay ahead of them, minding myself. Once again, I'm brought back to the three years I hunted and tracked animals around this forest. I could get lost in the sounds of the breeze floating through the needles of the Black Spruce trees, or the sound of water tumbling over rocks in the river.