Hotel Six: A Call of Duty Fanfiction

Chapter 4: Them, But Not Me

"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger." ~ Emily Jane Brontë , Wuthering Heights

The days passed, dragging on one by one like exhausted footsteps into weeks, and weeks to months. Autumn had become winter, and winter, spring until soon the heat of summer arrived. The days were much longer, training felt more rugged, and the reprieve of night didn't seem to last quite long enough. 

But that early July evening was cloudy. Roach sighed, leaning against the doorframe outside of Three Elms, staring at his phone as he waited for the others to show up.

"Ghost isn't joinin' us?"

He put his phone in his pocket and shook his head to the Lieutenant. "No, he had some other plans tonight." Roach noticed Wolcroft and Griffen approaching and spoke up a little louder. "What about Stevens, is he coming?"

"He's running late," said Wolcroft. "But he'll be joining us."

Price held open the door for all of them. "Perfect. I think a pint would do him some good." As they walked in ahead of him, the inviting smell of roast beef and potatoes filled his senses. His stomach growled and he covered it with a hand as if to muffle the sound. "Alright, what're we getting, mates?"

"So, then," said Price, stifling a laugh as he swallowed his drink. "He climbs up there with a bloody RPG and just blasts his way through the CQB; I would have failed him, except there's nothing in the rules saying he couldn't use another weapon as long as he used them in real time- no setting C4 and blowing up the whole ship or anything."

Soap chuckled to himself, staring down into his glass. "Wish I had thought of that."

"I wish I had, too. I wouldn't have been second-place to my inferior."

Jessica hummed to herself, looking around the table as all of them laughed. Though she wanted to join in, she couldn't muster so much as a chuckle. She slowly rose from her seat and caught the waitress by the arm, handing her a small wad of cash. With a quiet exchange, they parted ways, and she slipped away from the table unnoticed.

Except Price had noticed. His blue eyes followed her away and out the door. He tapped Soap's arm with a quiet murmur. "Where's Jess going?"

He looked around the table and out the door. "Dunno, she didn't say anything to me..."

The Captain nodded slowly, but stiffly. He lifted himself from his seat. "Gentlemen, don't wait up, I have something I need to take care of. If you're gone before I come back, I'll see you Monday morning." 

Galaxy slipped through the hedge surrounding the cemetery. A welcomed drop of rain fell on her nose and she lapped at it gratefully.The cool breeze that accompanied the brewing storm felt nice stirring across her hide. She came to a stop at Gaz's headstone and lowered herself to a sitting position, closing her eyes against a whisp of rain that slashed across her eyes. "Hey, Gaz." Her azure eyes turned down to a bouquet of white carnations next to his stone. She tried to smile, however weak it was; his family must have been there earlier that day. She extended her forelegs and lay down, and rest her chin on the ground with a deep sigh. "It's been a long day. Roach invited us all to Three Elms, but I was itching to get out of there. I would have brought you some chocolate stout, but I didn't have time on my way out." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

"So," said Price, causing her to start at the sudden burst of his voice. "This is where you've been disappearing to every day for the last few weeks?"

Galaxy sat bolt upright. "What are you doing out here?"