Reliant ~ [John Soap MacTavish]

XLVIII. Ironic

My fingers are wrapped around the black pen as it taps against my palm. The door of the meeting room is still open, as not everyone is here yet. But I'm not focused on the people around me. I'm replaying the scene of my base over and over again, looking for any opportunity and a way for us to play into it.

Ghost and I managed to secure the disabler, and after taking down the two men in the office, we hurried back to Brian.

The disabler did its job, and the moment we deactivated the chip, he dropped to his knees, gripping his head in agony. It was gut-wrenching to witness, knowing firsthand the torment he endured. I'd only been under for a day; who knows how long he'd suffered.

'Alex' he had said my name like a prayer, like he didn't believe my presence was real.

We helped him up, hauling him to a nearby office on his floor. We helped him to some water and got him back to a state in which he managed to talk. He started by thanking me three times. 'I genuinely thought that was it for me, Alex. It was hell.'

'I know, Brian. Just take it easy, it'll fade. We're going to get you out of here as soon as possible'.

We talked for a little bit before we helped him out of the building, and got him back to his home. He shared what information he could recall on the way. 'Is that enough? I'm sorry I can't remember more.'

'It's more than enough. We managed to find someone else who told us what we needed,' Ghost added.

He looked slightly worried, but he had let it go without asking another question.

'About that,' I said. 'Do not go back there, alright? It's not safe. I'm going to be changing things with Spike and if you still want to work here, I'll contact you. We can figure something out.'

'Got it, captain. Thank you. Lieutenant,' he said, offering a quick nod at Ghost too.

Ghost and I offered him a final nod too before leaving him at his doorstep.

It's only been a day. Ghost and I arrived back at the base yesterday night at around midnight, and I went for a quick shower before going to bed. Now, just a few hours later, I'm sitting in the meeting room, waiting for the last few of 141 to join.

I'm deep in thought when I accidentally catch Liam's eye. He sits opposite me, offering me a quick smile as he sits next down to Ace. When I look at her, she smiles brightly at me too. "Did everything go okay yesterday?"

"Mhmm," I nod. "Decent, I'd say. Just.. thinking of ways to go about this."

She nods knowingly as Price closes the door behind Keegan who's last to come in. He comes to sit beside me, briefly laying his hand on my shoulder before sitting down. "How are you feeling?" He asks, just loud enough for me to hear.

"I'm alright. Thank you," I respond with the same volume.

"Good morning everyone," Price's rather loud voice cuts through the room just a tad too loud. "As most of you know, Ghost and Alex went on an exploratory mission yesterday evening. We've got some new information that will be crucial for the final phases of the mission regarding Spike and the chips," he says, hands placed flat on the desk. "Alex, can I invite you up here to explain what you and Ghost came across? Laswell will be joining us shortly."

"Of course," I nod, standing up and pushing my chair back against the table.

Ghost offers me a nod from where he's seated, right beside the head of the table. He opens a laptop, pulling up some pictures from his hidden body camera to show them on screen. Then, he turns his attention back to me.