Reliant ~ [John Soap MacTavish]

LV. Half-covered in blood

"There's nothing in the system. No way for us to stop it here. Not even somewhere we can enter some sort of secret code in. Nothing," Ghost interrupts my thoughts with news that causes a knot to form in my stomach.

Keegan's gaze meets mine, his expression mirroring my own apprehension. Without a word, he strides over to the assistant, his movements purposeful and determined.

Before I can do anything to stop it, Keegan's fist lands on the guy's jaw with full force. His head whips to the side, blood immediately dripping from his mouth. "We need answers, and we need them now," Keegan says, his voice commanding as he leans in close to the restrained man whose eyes are wide with fear. "Tell us how to stop this."

The assistant's eyes dart nervously between us, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "I-I don't know," he stammers, his voice trembling with fear. "I was just following orders."

Frustration bubbles within me, but I suppress it, knowing that now is not the time for anger. "Think," I urge, my tone firm but not unkind. "There has to be a way to override the system, to shut it down."

The assistant's eyes widen in realization, a flicker of hopelessness illuminating his features. "No," he says, his voice unstable. "Gray was adamant about this. He didn't want anyone to ruin his plan."

"What a fucking idiot," I hiss, not being able to keep the anger to myself anymore before turning back to the control panel next to Soap and Ghost. They exchange a worried glance, their expressions mirroring my own growing sense of dread.

Think.

Think.

Think.

I rack my brain for any possible solution, my thoughts racing as I try to come up with a plan. But the countdown on the screen continues, the relentless ticking serving as a distraction that prevents me from coming up with anything.

Keegan's voice cuts through the silence, his tone urgent as he presses the assistant for more information. But the man only stammers, his words betraying his fear and uncertainty.

With a frustrated sigh, I push myself away from the control panel, pacing the small room as I try to think of another approach.

"Building clear," Price's voice suddenly sounds through the comms, "Moving to control room."

"Copy," Ghost responds. "We're with five in here."

"Gaz, König, proceed to the basement. Assist Ace and Liam. Hold off on injections until signaled. No room for panicked guards," Price orders, his voice firm and commanding.

Everything unfolds around me, as Ghost and Soap do everything they can to figure out a loophole in the system and Price comes into the room too. His hand touches my shoulder briefly, but I don't pay attention to it.

It's as if I'm entirely disconnected from reality.

I hate feeling helpless. I'm usually someone who thinks of solutions quickly, seamlessly transitioning from identifying problems to implementing solutions without so much as a second thought. But right now, it's as if my mind has formed a barrier, obstructing the flow of ideas and leaving me stranded in a frustrating state of inaction.

"She's not doing well! Can't you fucking see," I hear from around me, recognizing the voice as Johnny's.

"You need to stay calm, Soap. You know better than I do that panicking will do no good," Price says before I hear Ghost's voice join in too.

"It's gonna be fine, Soap. Focus."

Then, the voice of Laswell sounds. "—We've found something."

With that sentence, it's as though I'm yanked out of my thoughts and thrust back into the chaos of the moment, where everything suddenly moves at lightning speed.