How to Love the Stars | Ghost (Simon Riley)

Chapter 46

Almost immediately after promising Price he wouldn't go after her, he did exactly the opposite. How typical. Making his way towards the back of the ship near the engine room, he noticed the blatant desertion of the area. One side of the boat was bustling with activity, but beyond that area was empty. However, that just made it even more difficult to infiltrate it.

Ghost moved stealthily through the deserted area near the rescue boats, his heart pounding with a mix of fear for Althea and determination to save her. He knew he had promised Price that he wouldn't go after her, but the need to protect her was a force stronger than any vow. As he scanned the crowd of people standing above, he could tell that many of them were potential spies or henchmen for Hassan and the prospective buyers.

The atmosphere was tense, and Ghost's instincts told him that he was walking into a hornet's nest. He looked around, searching for any sign of Carlos. He needed to find him to have any hope of rescuing her.

Ghost took cover behind some crates and continued to observe the scene. The minutes were ticking away, and the situation's urgency pressed upon him. He needed a plan, and he needed it fast.

Back in the room where Althea was held captive, she fought to maintain her facade of unconsciousness. Her heart raced as she tried to keep her breathing steady. She couldn't afford to give away the fact that she was awake, or her captors would be on guard.

She wished she could just have some time. All she needed was time to think. About her parents. About the general. About Ghost. Shit, she wanted to think about what she would do later in life. She didn't want to die. No matter what, at the end of the day, she always concluded that she did not want to die. She looked back on all the things she had done in her life. She looked back on everything she didn't have a chance to do.

The door creaked open, and Althea's heart skipped a beat. She listened intently as someone entered the room. She couldn't make out much through the blindfold, but she could sense the presence of another person.

Without warning, her captor roughly lifted her over their shoulder, and she clenched her teeth to suppress a cry of pain. As she was carried outside, the cool night air brushed against her skin, and she tried to gather as much information as she could. It was close to midnight, and the tension in the air suggested that the missile launch was imminent.

Althea was dropped into a chair, and her blindfold was ripped away. Water splashed across her face, jolting her into full consciousness. She blinked rapidly, squinting as her vision adjusted to the sudden change in lighting.

Althea knew that she had to stay calm and find an opportunity to escape.

The drugs she had been given before slowed her thoughts as if trying to run through water. In fact, she felt like her head was filled with water. There was too much water. All she wanted was to get away from this boat, back to land.

Carlos's smirking face met her as the blindfold was lifted off. How tired she was growing of his face.

"Good morning mi rayo de sol," His accent accentuated his words. The man next to him spoke. "When can we expect him to come?"

Carlos's smirking face greeted Althea as her blindfold was lifted off, and she couldn't hide the exhaustion that had settled in her eyes. She was growing tired of his presence, his menacing demeanor, and the uncertainty of her situation.

"Good morning, mi rayo de sol," Carlos said with an accent that emphasized his words. Althea remained silent, her gaze steady and unyielding, even though her heart raced with apprehension. The man beside Carlos chimed in, asking when "he" would arrive.

Althea's mind raced as she wondered who they were talking about. She was still gagged, unable to voice her thoughts. Carlos, as if reading her curiosity, leaned in closer.

"Oh, we're just wondering when your Simon Riley will arrive." Suppressing a grimace from hearing his name coming out from his vile mouth, she had a small smile on her face. At the very least, she couldn't fathom that Ghost would risk the mission for anyone, not even her.

She managed to spit the gag out of her mouth to speak. "I don't believe you," she began to say. "He's known for his efficiency on missions, no matter who he has to sacrifice to get the job done." She knew that Ghost was a soldier through and through, and he would never put the mission at risk for a single person, not even her. But Carlos's smile only grew wider, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

"But he's already here," Carlos stated, his tone dripping with menace. Althea's eyes widened, and she shook her head, not believing his words. He would never do that. This is a trick.

"Look for yourself," Carlos taunted, waving his hand toward a screen. Althea's blood turned to ice as she saw the live feed of Ghost coming down the corridor toward the ship's engine room. The shock and fear in her eyes were unmistakable. No. This could not be happening. Espèce d'idiot!

He clicked his tongue at her in disappointment, a look of mock sadness on his face. "I thought you surely would have known better, but..." His face cracked into a grin. "It turns out you're just one. More. Murderer."

He tied the gag back onto a screaming and thrashing Althea. Her eyes glanced around wildly. She had to find a way to warn Ghost, to let him know that this was a trap, that the mission was at stake. But with her gag in place, and eyes watching her everywhere, all she could do was hope that he would somehow sense the danger and make the right choice. The seconds were ticking away, and the fate of both Althea and the mission hung in the balance.

A/N: I know updates are slowing down, I promise I'm doing my best!! Thank you all for reading, and I AM SO PROUD WE GOT TO 100 K READS!!!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I hadn't been checking lately, so I know many story is well over 100k already, sorry for that T_T. I love you all so much, and I worked so hard on this story just for you all, so I hope you enjoy it!