Lured

Chapter 8 - Ghost

I stare at the back of the retreating woman, my mind strangely blank. I feel as if I should follow after her almost as if we have unfinished business. I shake my head clear of the fog and begin to walk down the hall only to pull up short. I glared down the hall wondering why on earth I was in this part of the base at this time of the morning. I blinked and a kernel of fear knotted itself into the pit of my stomach that I couldn't remember how I'd gotten here. 

I made my way for Price's office. If I was sleepwalking I needed to be assessed to see why and how bad it was going to be. As I approached his office I saw the same woman from earlier walking out of his office, tears streaming down her face. She was walking with her face towards the floor so I don't think she noticed me. I reached out, the absolute need to comfort her shaking me so profoundly I jerked my arm back, jarring my shoulder in the process. 

I knock on Price's door to hear his weary voice answering back. "Come in, Ghost."

I startle blinking owlishly. It sounded like he had been expecting me. I knew the man was canny, but this was uncanny. I step into the room closing the door behind me.

"Price," I began but before I could get another word out he held his hand up stopping me. 

"I know." He says simply, the sigh that leaves him sounds more weary than my sleepwalking issue should really have made him. "I have been made.... aware. Go sleep it off and we'll re-assess tomorrow."

"I.. uhh.. ok?" I say stumbling over what to say. At my loss of words Price seems to smile slightly. 

"Never thought I'd see the day you were wordless, Simon."

"Me neither," I respond with a scowl. "That woman who was just leaving here, who is she?"

"Interesting." He says eying me with a considering look. "You want to know about her?"

"I asked didn't I?"

"She is a soldier I recruited some time ago. You've missed each other as you're both out on different missions most of the time. Otherwise she keeps to her room for personal reasons."

I frowned at that. Usually if we weren't on missions, we had other duties to attend to. Even if we weren't busy, we often hung out in the rec room. I'd have to ask Soap and Gaz more about her.

"Go to bed, Ghost. I need you to be ready to go, we have a mission coming up soon and I need everyone on board for it."

I give a brief nod and depart. Instead of going to my room right away I make my way towards Soaps room. I knew the lazy bastard would still be asleep. He normally expected me or Gaz to save him some breakfast. As I'm walking past one of the closed doors I can hear heart wrenching sobbing. The voice feels oddly familiar, and yet I can't place it. My heart pounds in my chest, the rush of adrenaline running through my veins wakens me and all I want to do is rush to the sound of the creature so distressed behind that door. My body is moving before I can act only for me to come back to my senses a moment before my hand reaches for the door knob. I wrench myself away and continue towards Soaps room, the sound of the sobbing pulling at me like the ebbing tide along the shore. The gnawing emptiness I feel within me becomes more noticeable the further I walk away from the sobbing. I can feel desperation clawing up my throat as I seek any answers I can. My heart aches as if I've just lost a loved one all over again. I feel heavy and miserable. All these emotions sit heavy behind my eyes, desperate for release. All I want to do is break down alongside the sobbing woman I heard hiding behind that door.

My fist pounds heavy on Soaps door. I shake my head trying to rid my ears of the low keening wail I seem to still be able to hear. Soaps grumbled "I'm coming" can't even muffle the sound. He opens the door looking rumpled as always. 

"Ghost, somethin' happen?" He asks, voice thick with sleep.

"Just want to know somethin'" I respond, hesitating on how to phrase it. "There's a woman, short, deep black hair, crooked grin and hazel eyes... What do you know about her?" I didn't even realise I'd mentioned her grin. How could I know what her grin would look like when I'd never seen her before.

"Ghost, there's no one here by that description... There's Ceri, but she's stunningly gorgeous, brown hair, brown eyes, and her grin is definitely not crooked by any means. Also, you know Ceri. I always felt like you had a crush on her," Soap grins lazily. "Why, is there another woman?"

My head spins. "Ceri?" I ask confused. "I don't know Ceri..."

"L.T have ye hit yer heid? Ceri has been with us for months now, yer always complaining about her when yer not making googly eyes at her with the rest of us."

I shoot him a scathing glare before stalking off sure that he was messing with me. I heard his annoyed grumble and the door closing behind me but keep moving forwards. As I move closer to the door with the sobbing, I feel as if I'm being drawn in against my will. I can almost reach for what has been forgotten. I know there's an absence, and I know the door with the sobbing is the answer. 

My hand grips the door handle, rattling it slightly and the sobs that sound so pain filled stop suddenly. The silence more eerie than the sobbing had been. I can hear a ragged gasping of air behind the door as someone moves to the door. I let go, intent on leaving before it can be opened, and yet before I can even step away, the most beautiful hazel eyes stare up at me, shell shocked.

"Ghost?"