Reliant ~ [John Soap MacTavish]

XLI. Karambit

I place the weight back on the rack, the sound echoing through the empty gym. It's nighttime, and I haven't seen Soap or the rest of them in the two days I've been back here.

It has just been Keegan and I, even though he's gone mostly too.

I can't blame him for it. He's got his job and I've got mine. Besides, I don't mind being alone right now.

As I get ready for my last set, the hairs on the back of my neck rise, and I feel someone's presence looming somewhere in the corner.

I look up in the mirror, seeing a skull mask in the dark corner, just near the door. I drop my gaze back to the weights, not really wanting to defend myself once again. I'd been feeling the need to explain myself too much in the past week, and it was slowly but surely driving me nuts.

"If you're here to kill me, go ahead," I mumble, grabbing two heavier dumbbells and getting back on the inclined bench.

His footsteps get closer, but I try to zone them out, just wanting to get this last set done. My back presses against the bench, and I raise the weights to just above my shoulders. I tighten the muscles in my arms and chest, getting the weights higher before bringing them back down. My breathing gets heavier, my arms and chest burning when I get to the last rep.

I sigh heavily, dropping the weights back to the matted ground again. It's only then that the sound of his Karambit swinging around his gloved pointer fingers reaches my ears.

The sight of it doesn't do much to me. Even though Ghost is unpredictable, he'd know better than to kill me right here.

I swing my leg back over to one side of the bench, facing him. My hair falls over my shoulder, and I lift my head to bare my neck.

"Here," I say, pressing down on the artery that could mean my death in no less than three minutes. "But I presume you already know that."

"I do," he says, slowly circling the bench so that he stands behind me.

A second later, his hand is on my head to tilt it back, and the cold blade of his knife is pressed up against my throat. A breath escapes my throat from the sudden force, but I don't fight, knowing I'd have no chance anyway.

"Do it," I breathe.

Ghost sighs in approval. "I could."

Silence envelops us for a moment that feels like minutes. My tongue gets dry from the way my lips are forced apart, his grip on my head tightening as the blade presses against my skin harder. I feel a drop of blood run down my throat as the knife just barely pierces my skin.

"But I won't," he says before releasing his grip on me, my head jerking forward in the process.

I place my hands on the edge of the bench, looking up at him again. "I'm not gonna be kissing your ass and begging you to forgive me."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Then what are you doing here?"

His eyes narrow and for some reason, I can tell he smiles beneath his mask. "Bit of threatening, maybe. And for you to prove your loyalty."

"How would you expect me to do that?"

"Figure it out," he says, swinging his knife around his finger again. "If not, then best believe I'll make sure my team makes your life harder for as long as you're here."

"Figure it out..." I mock, clenching my jaw, the pressure nearly causing me to feel dizzy. Suddenly, my mind goes over the fact that he found out what happened. Did Soap tell him? "Do you know what happened to my parents?"

"No."

"What happened to Keegan before he got here?"

"Yes."

"Price told you?"

"He did."

I sigh, grateful for the fact that Price somehow decided not to tell everyone about my parents. I hate to admit that I feel embarrassed about ever praising my father.

"I wasn't going to do it," I mumble. "I couldn't fucking go through with whatever I had planned."

"I believe you."

My brows furrow. "You do?" I ask, somewhat surprised by his words.

He grabs something from his back pocket and a familiar piece of paper lands in my hands.

The ripped-out page from my notebook I had stuck behind the picture frame. The page in which I confessed not being able to go through with my plan. How the fuck—

"How did you get this?"

"Keegan."

"He shouldn't have given you this. It's stupid. Weak," I try protesting, folding the page.

Before I manage to tuck it away, Ghost snatches it from my hands. "It shows honesty," he states. "And I'll keep that."

"Give it back."

"No."

"Has Soap seen it?"

"Do you want him to have seen it?"

I stare at him for a second, unsure. "I don't know."

"Decide, then," he says, grabbing my wrist to place the ripped piece of paper back into my palm. He then turns away to walk back to the gym entrance, but not before looking back at me. "You know, I'm not going to pretend to like you. It's shit what you were planning on, and if it weren't for the fact that you and I have a similar history, I would've killed you the second I found Johnny without his smile," he mumbles, nodding slightly while saying the words. "So do not get on my bad side, Alexandra Heart. I'm warning you now."

I nod, my jaw clenched tight from how he uses my full name. "Got it."

Then, I'm left alone in the dark gym, my thoughts debating on what to do with Soap.

A/N

Hello lovesss. I'm currently working on some new chapters so I thought I'd share this one now since it's a bit shorter. Hope you have the best day. LOVE U <3