To Hell and Back // Alex Keller.

Afterword.

The sky once painted in bright blue was now taken over by the blanket of thick, fluffy clouds. Not even a single patch of color could make its way through. The cold ground and tall trees were left without the attention of the warm sun rays. Since the early hour of the morning, it felt as if the rain would fall onto the city, but the weather kept the residents waiting for more as the time ran past them. It was the calm before the storm, while somewhere far beyond the border, the plans to occupy the peaceful land were sitting on the table in the hands of a powerful man. 

Long underground corridors were full of ULF soldiers armed with assault rifles even on their territory. Years of war in Urzkistan taught every single person that even the safest place can turn into a threat in the blink of an eye. The beautiful land collected way too many shells of bullets, and has seen rivers of blood ever since the first boot of a russian soldier stepped on Urzkstan's dry ground. Despite the last years bringing quietness to the streets of the towns, instead of echoes of explosions and shootings, the peace could never last long while russia still existed on the world map. Konni group was slowly growing and gaining power, and it was a matter of time until they showed up armed at the border.

Endless nights of little to no sleep were written all over Keller's face and seen in the dim light of the basement. Long hours spent in the gym helped the officer get back in form quicker than anyone else expected. A wave of surprise flew through the Price's office, even though the captain was satisfied with his progress. Yet, every time the icy blue eyes of the captain noticed the figure of Officer Keller in the walls of the base, a hidden note of sorrow would hurt John from somewhere deep inside his chest. Within a few weeks, Alex was running with the heavy backpack and armor on his back just like before. As if there was no titanium prosthetic helping the man to feel less of a burden to anyone else. Little did anyone know that the pain was always the greatest motivation.

A few more bottles full of pills joined the ones that were occupying his nightstand already, as the demons in his mind were getting stronger with each passing day. Something changed in Alex's eyes since Kelly's passing. Usual brightness disappeared into the unknown on the day he left the town that stabbed deeper than any knife of an enemy could. The man knew that it wasn't love, yet no force could bring him to place flowers on her grave. But, Alex did know that revenge heals. The weight of a burden was lifted off his chest when the news about Graves' death reached his ears at a meeting in the middle of the week. Relief and satisfaction danced together in Keller's mind. Even if it wasn't his finger pulling the trigger to shoot the Commander. It didn't matter who killed Graves, as long as the final result was the same. After all, the only good enemy is a dead enemy.

"How was your recovery, Alex?" Farah's voice took the man out of his thoughts back into the room. The meeting with the potential ally was set for the next few minutes. The loud tick-tock sound of an old clock echoed through the room as the map of the country legs the two knew quite well, rested on the wooden table.

"Good. Even better to be back." Alex looked around the armory, and the room felt as if he never left the building. The patch of the American flag was sitting on the armored west on his chest, and the gloved fingers were covered in gunpowder once again. Life was finally coming back to its usual pace.

Alex Keller was a soldier, a CIA agent, officer, but never a lover. The sweet vanilla aroma of Miller's perfume left his mind a long time ago, while the loud laughter of hers was fading away from the man's memory. But, every single mission Keller had ever been a part of was still living fresh in his head. Every shot of a gun, explosion, or another ride with the teammates. Alex Keller was a man of war, with no place for peace in his life. War was the place where he belonged and the only thing that could ever make him happy. Nothing else in the world would compare to adrenaline while chasing another target, or the dopamine released after a successful mission.

"Commander Karim." Heavy steps of the man echoed in the long corridor, as Phillip nodded to the guard at the entrance to the armory. His loud, confident voice entered the room before his foot could step onto the cold concrete. The figure in the doorframe caught the attention of every single person in the room, as the map on the desk was left unattended.

"Alex.." The hard wooden table was standing in between the two. Alex found himself in Farah's company, while Graves was surrounded by his men on both sides. Dark Shadow Company's insignia was looking back at the officer, just like it did on a long summer day in the walls of the burned office.

"The Shadow Himself." Alex held his hands on the straps of the armored west, while his eyes looked back at the man on the other side of the room. He nodded, not letting any note in his voice tell about the emotions that were locked in the cage far away from anyone else's eyes. The meeting was nothing for UFL but business, as well as for the Shadow Company. There is no room for emotions at work.

"Welcome, Graves." Farah greeted the man who was dead on paper for some but was pretty much alive at her base. For a small country, allies are more important than resources. Everything in the world has its price, including freedom. And if Graves could help Farah and ULF keep the threat away from Urzikstan, any price would be worth it.

"Heard you died in a tank in South America." The tension in the air rose as the words of the officer reached the Commander. The dead man turned out to be alive. War can turn an enemy into an ally faster than anyone in the room can expect. There were no consequences for Graves to deal with as a result of Kelly's death. Dead can bury the dead, but what if the other dead is more alive than anyone else in the room?

"I wasn't in that tank... What else have you heard?" Philip took a small pause in between his words, as he looked back at Keller. His words were cutting through the air like a knife, as if the Commander was giving an order to one of his Shadows, and not being in negotiations with allies. The last year was complicated for Graves, and he couldn't help but wonder how many bodies in his closet were known to the two.

"We are fighting our own battles here." Farah cut the two men off, ending their conversation as it started. The gaze of her brown eyes traveled from the officer to Graves, as the tone of her voice suggested to the both of them not to dare to go on.

The shiny golden bullet stood in the middle of the map, as it was still warm from the comfort of the Commander's rough fingers. Farah placed a magazine on the map, as the agreement to combine forces before Konni moved into Urzkistan was signed on a map with no pen. The rough paper of the map saw the handshake of two Commanders, as they sealed the agreement.

Sometimes, to win the battle against the greater evil, joining forces with smaller evil is the only way.

Hello, loves! And here we are, at the end of another story, wow. When I just started to write more, a lover of mine at that time said: "You don't know how to do two things:

1.    Take rest.2.    Write happy endings and keep your characters alive."For our beloved COD men, I want to give a good ending to each of them and just take care of our pooks. But, a part of me whispers constantly that these men of war don't need anyone except for another war.

As we reach the end of another story, I want to thank every single one of you for the constant support I am getting. I'm eternally grateful and hope that you did enjoy the story. But!! I'm not planning on leaving you alone here for too long, hahah. Despite writing the long stories for as long as I can remember myself, I'm planning on writing one shots on COD men. Way too many of them, too many possibilities and ideas to ignore, haha.

So, it's not a goodbye but a 'see you sooner than you may expect'! If you have any ideas on one shots, I'm always here. Loooots of love!! Have a great week everyone xx