The Monarch [ Ghost ]

CHAPTER 6

"And it hurts for me to think about what life could possibly be like without you."

--

I finally reached Laswell after seeing her line was busy. "Zion told me you needed me, Station Chief Laswell."

I watch the woman's figure adjust to the video call that connects us. "Yes, I do need you," her tone was foreboding. "Captain Price and Sergeant Garrick are going with me to Spain on a recon mission. We are going to investigate intel I retrieved from Hassan's phone."

I cross my arms. "What's your point?"

She takes a thoughtful drag of her cigarette and looks up at me through the screen. "My point is that I won't be around for a couple of days." 

I pause, motioning for her to continue.

"I won't be able to stop Shepherd."

"Stop him?"

"He wants to assess you and Greene."

I hiss, contempt laced through my voice, "Assess us?"

"I don't know what he's planning, but I know he's doing something shady. He's hinted at getting rid of whoever he deems inadequate for his cause."

It takes every ounce of self-control not to lash out. Still, I bristle. "Can I tell Greene? He'll be able to tell that something's bothering me."

"Just keep it between the two of you. We can't have conspiracies floating around in this line of work." Her voice was solemn.

"I know how the CIA works, Lawell," I state. "I'll keep this under wraps. Just find proof whenever you can, alright?"

The CIA agent nods. "I will. Now I need to speak with Price and Gaz. Stay safe."

I nod back and curtly say, "You as well." 

I close the computer screen and stand up, still quietly fuming about the information Laswell had just disclosed. My ire was interposed, however, by a pair of footsteps approaching the room I sat in. I take a deep breath and clear my face of emotion.

"Captain? You in here?" A male voice calls from behind the closed door.

"Yes," I answered, "Hold on." I stand and approach the door, opening it carefully. 

Outside the small office room stood Rowan Greene. I glance down the hall and make sure nobody would notice, then pull the lieutenant into the room with me, closing the door behind me. "Rowan," I confided, "I just spoke with Laswell. She's about to leave for a recon mission in Spain with Captain Price and Sergeant Garrick."

Rowan crosses his arms, a sign for me to get to the point.

"According to her, General Shepherd has been trying to assess us." I don't wait for any questions from Greene. "She said she wasn't sure what he was planning to do with us, but she implied that he would take whichever of us he deemed more suitable for him and dispose of the other.

The lieutenant froze. "Dispose as in..?"

I nod solemnly in response to the unspoken question. My eyes lock onto his. "We have to keep this quiet. I don't think either of us can afford a confrontation from Shepherd."

"Wait," He objected. "You said he's been trying to assess us." He furrows his eyebrows. "How can he be presently evaluating us if we have not even spoken to him through radio?"

My jaw tightens as I consider the possible answers to that inquiry. After a moment, it clicks. 

"Graves," I hiss.

"Graves?" Greene turns the statement into a question.

"Yes, your concubine," I shoot back.

Greene stammers, "He is not-"

I cut him off with a sharp movement of my hand. Stop. I sign. Listen.

Footsteps approach the room we stood in. I concentrate on the footsteps and quickly realize who it is.

"Speak of the god-damned devil," I uttered.

I open the door and eye Graves in the hallway. Greene was on my heels, his eyes where they shouldn't be.

"Commander," I greeted the blond man.

"Captain," He acknowledges me. "Lieutenant," The greeting to my lieutenant had an undertone that I didn't like. And then he was gone, receding down the hall in gallant strides.

I raise my eyebrows at Greene. "Want to explain?"

"It's nothing." I spot his nose quivering nervously, his tell to lying.

"If you say so." I choose not to press him verbally. I knew that the answer to my question would be undesirable no matter what it was. But now I knew it wasn't just 'nothing' between them. 

I mask my ire and turn away from him. "I'm going to train before we're told to run off somewhere else," I announce and stalk off without waiting for a reply.

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728 words!

there's drama happening in the workplace.... what's gonna happen? is monarch gonna investigate shepherd? or graves? are they going to confront greene? will they confide in someone? ghost maybe? 

eheheheh..... cliffhanger :3

Love you!!

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