In The Company of Your Shadows || Phillip Graves x OFC

4 - Bitter Pill to Swallow

It's been a month since I took my break... And three months since Graves' death.

I've been staying in a remote cabin nestled within the woods, maintaining contact solely with Leen, as I've entrusted her with helping me with my investigations, yet I've refrained from disclosing the true nature of my pursuit. Deep down, I sense there's an intricate web of events unfolding beneath the surface, all somehow connected to his death.

Unveiling the blanket that shrouded the wall, I revealed a meticulously organized pin board adorned with a plethora of information I'd accumulated over the past month. Red strings crisscrossed between various points, connecting the dots of my investigation.

Tying my hair into a ponytail, I settled into my seat, my piercing eyes scanning through the documents of recent missions from the last few months, meticulously compiled by Leen.

At the heart of it all lies a pivotal event that transpired on July 15th, 2022-a reconnaissance mission in Al Mazrah.

Shadow Company, alongside Simon "Ghost" Riley of TF141 and Kate Laswell from the CIA, executed a high-stakes operation targeting General Ghorbrani. Their objective: thwarting an arms deal he's having with the Russians through a precision ballistic missile strike.

As we knew, the demise of Ghorbrani acted as a catalyst, sparking the involvement of Quds Force Major Hassan Zyani. Driven by a fervent desire for vengeance against the United States, Zyani delved into funding terrorist activities, setting into motion a chain of events with far-reaching consequences.

I let out a heavy sigh as I scrolled through the news article on my laptop. Detailing a power surge being blamed for the explosion that rocked downtown Chicago three months ago.

However, the truth was far darker-a military cover-up concealed the real story. Hassan, left with a single remaining missile, had intended to strike the Pentagon in D.C.

Fortunately, the TF141 intervened just in time, preventing the catastrophic attack and killing him in the process.

My disbelief deepened as I unearthed the events that transpired in Las Almas prior to it. It confirmed my suspicions-Shepherd had ordered Graves to seize control of the Los Vaqueros' base, essentially betraying them in the process. Alejandro Vargas and his men were apprehended, while Ghost and Soap narrowly escaped death.

What followed left me stunned. Graves had taken justice into his own hands, assuming the roles of judge, jury, and executioner. That fateful night, he and the Shadow Company soldiers that were there at the time aggressively interrogated and executed numerous individuals in an attempt to find out the whereabouts of Hassan, as well as Ghost and Soap.

He also executed those he deemed corrupt, acting upon intelligence suggesting that Las Almas, including its law enforcement and military, had fallen under the control of the cartel.

In retaliation, the combined forces of the TF141 and the Mexican Special Forces launched an assault on the captured base, resulting in heavy casualties on our side... Including Graves.

I hovered over the phrase "ballistic missile", circling it with my red pen on the report, my mind racing with questions. All had been successfully neutralized-one by Ghost and Soap in Al-Mazrah, one discovered on an oil rig, and the other causing the Chicago incident. But what was on the missiles was what unsettled me deeply.

..On the missiles, was an American insignia, they were American ballistic missiles.

American ballistic missiles, in the hands of the Iranian? Questions flooded my mind. Who was supplying them? What sinister agenda was at play?

Turning to a framed photograph of Graves and me, I couldn't help but feel a pang of dread and confusion. "Phillip... what the hell were you hiding?" I muttered to the image, seeking answers from the past.