Dogs of War

Chapter 23

The helo lands, the motors still loud. Ghost and I get out first, landing confidently on solid ground. Ghost pats me on my shoulder and gestures for me to follow him. I nod in agreement and follow him as Soap and Price depart out the helo behind us. My ears twitch as I hear Shane and Gaz behind them, Archiel following soon after. 

The lush rainforest of the Amazon created a sticky humidity that reminded me of my child hood home, and yet I did not care for it making my fur stick and matt together. I dropped to all fours sniffing the ground, catching a noseful of rich dirt mixed with the aromatic scents heavy in the wet air. 

"Anything pup?" Ghosts gruff voice coming from above.

"Not yet," I say shaking my head looking around taking in the beautiful scenery. Next time I had leave, I think I was dragging Ghost, Soap or both of them back here so we could enjoy the time. Though judging by Ghosts clothes and mask already dripping with sweat, and the overpowering scent of sweaty male clogging up my nose, I doubted he would like to make a repeat trip. Soap it was.

My ears pricked at the sounds of the wildlife skittering in the brush, springy grass under paws. I could spend all day just relaxing in this small part of the rainforest. Instead I followed Ghosts lead as he guided us towards the target point. The music of the birds followed us the entire way, the lulling sounds of the river mixing in to make beautiful music and I resist the temptation to stroll after Ghost taking my time. I double my efforts focusing on picking up any scent traces of Makarov. 

"This way, pup," Ghost says moving off track towards the co-ordinates that we'd secured from our intel. At this point in time, Gaz and Shane would be approaching from the other direction, and Price and Soap bringing up the rear, planning to plant the bombs as we cleared the area. 

The approach was smooth sailing. Ghost took out two of the guards and we moved in swiftly. Even to my ears, Ghost moved near silently next to me. We infiltrated the dilapidated building our movements slow. Ghost kept me back, using the rifle to thin the soldiers approaching with intent to dispatch us before we could move any deeper into the Konni groups base of operations.

"Bravo-04 sitrep?" Prices voice called over the comms.

"Bravo-04 in position," Ghosts gruff voice calls back. 

"Bravo-05?" He asks this time.

Gaz's voice responds on the comms next. "Two klicks out. Moving in slow, we had some trouble, clearing it now."

"Rog."

Ghost and I hold our position, keeping the way clear in both directions until Shane and Gaz were able to pin point our location. "In position," Gaz's voice comes clear over the comms sounding a bit rough from the trouble they'd run into.

"Rog. Proceed as planned."

I dip my hand into my pocket, thumb running over the locket once before we move on. The run down building had plenty of nooks and crannies to hide potential enemy soldiers, fortunately my nose was able to sniff them out before they could do much more than step out of shadows before Ghost shot them effortlessly. Answering gun fire could be heard from the back of the building as Shane and Gaz mirrored our efforts elsewhere.

"Wolf, you check downstairs, as per mission brief, gun only, don't get up and close. We know Makarov wants you."

"Yes Ghost," I hum back, eager to be getting in on the action. I handled the gun with less ease than I'd been handling them before I fell unconscious, however it wasn't disappointing by any means. I step smoothly hiding in the shadows, similar to Ghost moving upstairs. I step around corners, gun already aimed instinctively on the enemy combatants finger squeezing the trigger in memory reflex from years of using a gun. I step around the pools of blood, my aim to try and stay as clean as I can, the humidity already making me feel wet enough without adding blood to the mix if I could help it. 

I make my way downstairs into the basement, a slight hesitation tugging at my gut as I see the run down doors hanging off of the frame. I push past the feeling moving downstairs. At the landing downstairs, I'm greeted by two feline hybrids, snapping and snarling. I frown at the collars and chains holding them to the walls confused. Perhaps their handlers hadn't had time to let them loose? I shake my head, dislocating the thoughts from my mind. I could figure that out later. I shoot them both two, three, four times before they go down. I step over their cooling bodies and move deeper into the basement finding nothing that we had expected. Our intel had told us this would be heavy with hybrid experiments, with Makarov at the centre of it all. Instead, all there was a heaping pile of cobwebs and two dead hybrids left chained up. I shift through the cells, obviously once well used but hadn't seemed to be used in a very long time. 

My comms crackled, a whisper of Ghost's voice making it through. "Kkkkrrcchhh -lf- Kkkcchhhrrr, -ome in Wo-"

Shit. The building might be run down, but obviously the flooring was thick enough to deter the comms. 

"Wolf!" I hear Ghost clearly. "Kkkrrchh - nds. Kkrrcchh -now." Shit. Without the comms I can't figure out what he wants. I go to make my way back up the stairs, only to hear the first explosion. My ear buds kick in deafening the sound almost immediately as my body freezes, my heart rate in my throat. "Shit shit shit shit," is my new mantra as I scrabble my way up the stairs. A second much closer explosion makes the ground and walls tremble around me, spurring me on. I make it to the top of the staircase as the third explosion hits. I feel my body flying through the air, only to feel the sickening crunch as I hit a column. My vision blacks out momentarily. 

Rough hands grab my arms, hauling me up trying to get me moving again. I stumble to my feet eyes meeting Ghosts dark swirling brown ones. "We've gotta go." 

I limp as fast as I can after Ghost and we both know I'm not fast enough. He picks up as the fourth explosion hits, propelling our bodies apart. I land and gasp, relieved I hadn't hit another column. "Ghost!" I call out, finding it strange my voice sounds weak. Breathing seems to hurt and I wonder if I broke a rib. I turn my head trying to find Ghost when he didn't answer me. I struggle to move my body but my head turns to see Ghost stomach down, head turned to me glassy eyes wide open in shock as blood trickles down his face turning his black balaclava shiny. "Ghost!" I call moving frantically unable to get up. When I look finally, I see the spike sticking out through my chest. I stare up at the spike affronted, as if it had offended my whole family. 

"Bravo -04," I can hear Prices voice on the comms from here. 

"Ghost," I call out desperately. 

"Bravo -04 come in." Prices voice sounds desperate over the comms as if he'd been calling for some time. 

"Ghost," I cry out more softly, my fingers pulling out the locket. I flick it open, thumb caressing the images of Lilly, Johnny and Ghost as I stare at the images, tearing up. The last explosion takes me with it before I can do anything except pray.