𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭'𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞

The Shock

(Long chapter sorry guys🥲)

***

Everyone was in the meeting room. It was midnight and everyone was tired from searching for the girls all day. They tracked the tire tracks for over six miles until the tracks came to an abrupt stop. No trace after that leaving everyone discouraged.

"I know it's late, it's been a long day." Laswell explained with a discouraged tone of voice and it was evident in her tone as well. Everyone was quiet, the ghost's all sat on the floor at the back of the room and Task Force were doing the same on the other half of the room.
The atmosphere was a bit depressing.

"What're we doing, Laswell? Don't tell me we're just leaving them-.." Ghost asked.

"No, we won't. But I'm not going to lie to any of you, we have bigger fish in the sea than this. Konni is on our doorstep and they know it's us that's been tampering with their mission. This is retaliation. If we go after them now without any leads it won't end well-.." Laswell explained as the tone shifted in the room.

"So what're you saying? You're leaving them?" Gaz spoke up in disbelief.

"We have no leads, Garrick. They're off the grid. How are we going to find two people who practically dropped off the face of the earth, if we go after them now - they'll kill them. We need solid evidence of their location that way we know what we're getting into when we go to rescue them. But right now, we have no idea where they were taken." Laswell explained.

"If they get them underground, which they may have already - They'll be as good as gone, Laswell." Merrick said to her.

"We can't find people when there are no leads to begin with." Laswell said to him sternly.

"I think, they want something." Price said.

"Go on?" Laswell said as he stepped forward.

"Maybe they want a deal, they won't kill them if they think they can use their lives against us in some way." Price explained.

"Maybe but I-.." Laswell started to refute when something came across her computer as she stopped and looked down at it. Her eyes fixated on the computer screen as her face fell into worry as she shook her head in disbelief.

"What-..what is it?" Price said as he and Merrick walked closer to see. Everyone else stayed silent as they waited. Everyone felt tension flood the room suddenly as the three were gathered around the computer. Both Price and Merrick slowly leaving the table side as they took a breath and walked away a bit.

"What is it?" Hesh asked as everyone looked on nervously.

Laswell put what it was on the large screen behind her as the image showed both Katrina and Farah, side by side sitting in front of a tree. They were both completely out of it, blood running down the side of their faces. They looked dead.

Everyone in the Ghost's looked at each other. Pondering if their teammate was dead. Dread was on everyone's face.

"Are they-.." Logan didn't even wanna finish that sentence.

"No." Merrick interrupted. But he wasn't even sure himself. The photo was very convincing.

Simon looked like he was about to lose it as he got up and quickly left the room. No one stopped him but Soap got up and followed him out.

"Is this proof of life or a fucking warning, Laswell?" Price asked angrily as Laswell held a hand to her mouth as she looked at the picture in disbelief.