Whispers in the Dark (Ghost/Konig)

[Twenty]

*Ghost's POV*

Just fucking focus.

I take a deep breath, rounding another dark corner, checking doorways as I go.

"Men down the in the room a corridor down, on the left," Price states quietly, ringing softly in my ears from the comm.

"Copy," I mumble, taking a moment to pass the doorway as I approach. "Office should be somewhere at the end of this hall."

Gotcha.

Fischer, printing on a gold plate nailed to the door. I hum in approval as I pop the lock, shutting the door quietly behind me.

"I'm in."

"Good, hurry up."

I tap on the computer screen, plugging in the hard drive and watch it do its thing.

25%

Voices carry softly down the hall as the men chatter in the room over, unaware to what's happening right beside them.

37%

"Shits slow as fuck," I grumble, earning a chuckle from Price.

42%

I stare at the numbers as they slowly go up, my mind doing what it always does when things are too quiet.

48%

Don't act like you fucking know me.

My own voice rings in my head, cold, collected, hostile.

She didn't deserve any of that.

54%

"Get out of my damn head," I mutter to myself, refocusing on the numbers.

"Repeat last?"

"Just tellin' this damn thing to hurry," I remark.

65%

I muffle a groan of annoyance as I close my eyes, rolling the tension from my neck slowly.

Her image flashes across my mind, laughing at something Soap said, her eyes lighting up as it echos in the room, his satisfied smile accompanying his own laugh.

And I don't push the memory away. I let it stay, reliving the moment. Her eyes find mine, full of joy and happiness.

Things I could snuff out in a second. Things that aren't meant for me. Things that force me to keep her at arms length.

She deserves better.

Everyone you love fucking dies.

"Fuck off," I whisper, but the voice is relentless, reminding me of my family, reminding me that I'm alone for a reason. Reminding me of why I am who I am.

Go ahead, see what happens.

"Ghost? How copy?"

Price pulls me back to reality, my eyes finding the computer, and a nice looking 100% on the screen.

I pull the drive, "copy, coming out now." I check the hall before heading back, luckily running into no trouble. In and out, how it should be.

It doesn't take long to get back to the safe house, everyone celebrating the new found intel, then heading to their respective bunks.

I lay in mine, the sounds around me filled with soft snores of other men.

And Price, talking to her.