𝕺𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘

~ 8 ~

A whole week has passed and I still can't remember anything. Just the basics that I have been told, what Simon wrote on a piece of paper and the memory I had of us in the field.

Other than that, nothing else.

I also officially and fully returned to work with Task Force 141 after having passed all the tests.

My unit had a full floor on the base, we had our own briefing room, our own armory including practice space, equipment room, individual offices like Captain Price's, Laswell's office when she works on base because she is in the pentagon in the meantime, and Ghost's office. We have a lounge room where there is a small kitchen with the necessities (microwave, refrigerator, sink, coffee machine and a small stove), there is also a billiard table and a TV for lounging, as far as I could see, our unit had a lot of federal funds.

There was a room where there were several desks divided like in the huge companies, where Soap's, Farah's, Alex's, Gaz's and my desk were.

I was sitting at my desk, reading various reports on the computer trying to catch up on the missions and the mission they were currently working on. I felt very strange since everyone knows what they do and what they will be doing but I don't-I feel so out. So I was trying to solve that internal problem.

I looked at the clock and it was already 12:30am, I hadn't realized it was so late. I looked up and almost all the desks were turned off, they were probably already asleep. It was just Soap and Gaz still working.

I got up quietly and walked down the hall straight to the rest room, I wanted some coffee.

I walked into the living room without looking at my surroundings and started making the coffee, my eyes were hurting from exhaustion.

"Hey... everything's fine?" Ghost asked me.

I noticed that ghost, the man that supposedly I was married with, was leaning towards the wall drinking tea in a mug in our units mini kitchen.

"Oh, hey. Everything's fine." I said with a smile.

I knew that the way I said it, I made him hesitate. He looked like he wanted to ask me what was wrong but at the same time he didn't dare.

"You're sure?" He asked me again.

"Yeah! I mean...I'm still learning about who I was before. Before my accident so.. yeah, it's not that simple." I told him with all the sincerity I felt.

He took a sip out of his own mug. The silence around us was deafening... it was pretty uncomfortable.

"Well, do you remember at least your name?" He said it jokingly. I couldn't see his full face because of his mask but I knew he was smiling since he had the mask on up to his nose.

"Ha ha ha, of course. So funny." I started laughing

I heard his giggle a little and saw his smile...it was beautiful.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked me, slowly dropping his smile.

"Yeah, go ahead." I told him.

"You said you were learning more about who you were before. I'm guessing you remember your family, right?" He asked me.

"I mean...I don't remember them. I just know because of my personal folder information that I have an older brother named Keegan...and that you and I...we're married...but that's all."

Ghost looked down and set the cup on the counter near me.

"Okay, you don't remember him... but, can you at least remember, a bit, how the relationship with your brother was?" He asked me again.

"Pfff- I don't even remember his face" I tried to joked about it.

I noticed that he forced an awkward laugh. It wasn't working this time. My reaction or question made him feel sad and worried I could see it in his eyes. Ghost leaned back against the wall intertwining his arms.

"But do you feel that...he was a good brother? At least that, can you remember or feel?" Ghost asked me again.

"I hope he is. But- what can you tell me? I mean- you know my brother and you know everything about me." I said but this time my gaze was on my cup as I was sweetening my coffee.

Ghost fixed his throat before answering me.

"Well, he's your big brother, Of course he was and is good to you. From what I know, you've always been close." Ghost answered me.

"But can you tell me more about my old self? About my relationship with my brother? Where is he? What happened to my parents? I just know he work for another unit but nobody told me anything more." Now I was more intrigued to know more about everything.

Ghost stared at me for a few seconds.
"Keegan- well, he's in another unit close to ours. Their HQ is in building B. Their unit works as Counter Stealth Unit. As for your mother... she passed away a few years ago"

I felt he didn't want to tell me anymore.

"What happened to my mother? Why did she die?" I asked him.

"She died in a massacre. She and your stepfather, who was Keegan's biological father." Ghost explained.

"A massacre?" I asked him I was very confused and had a lot of mixed emotions.

"They were at an airport in Russia where they were on their way back to the United States of America when they were victims of a massacre." Ghost explained.

"But- then- what happened with my father?" I asked.

"Your father... killed himself a decade ago but he was involved with a large network of human trafficking and a lot more. He was a criminal, Kaia. A very bad criminal." Ghost told me.

I was in shock. But I still wanted to know the whole truth.

"What was he's name?"

"He was Victor. Victor Zakhaev." Ghost answered me.

We were both silent, I felt Ghost's gaze on my face but I just kept looking at my cup trying to process all the information.

"But- but my last name is Russ...what- I'm so confused right now." I told him.

"Your mother became pregnant by you in her second marriage, which was to Victor. She knew that the Zakhaev family was not a family for a child. She disappeared from Russia when you were only 1 year old and Keegan was only 9 years old, something like that. Your mother remarried Robert Russ who was Keegan's biological father and who had been her first marriage, Robert agreed to give you his last name and raise you as his own daughter. He indeed loved you very much." Ghost explained.

I didn't know what to answer or what to think. It was too much.

"I know it's a lot." Ghost replied.
He then took a breath- "But there's one more thing..."

"More?" I asked him.

"I'll only tell you this because you deserve to know it, besides- sooner or later you'll find out since it's our job too...Imran Zakhaev that's your grandfather is a former Soviet political and military terrorist leader. He's responsible for many invasions and the death of numerous civilians and soldiers. He's still active".

I looked at him very surprised and confused.

He paused for a second-"he is our enemy."