Call of Duty Ghosts: The Aftermath

Chapter 33

Three Minutes Earlier

Keegan

"We need to go! Move!" I yell, firing behind us as my team runs towards the door to the hallway.

Merrick pulls Logan through, followed by Cameron carrying Sam, then Cody and Spike. I turn away from the Federation, shooting blindly behind me, then a pair of arms grabs me and pulls me back, the door slamming shut in front of me, closed by a soldier.

I struggle in the tight hold, and a chuckle makes me grit my teeth.

"Now, you didn't think that we'd let you go, did you, Russ?" Trent asks, and I frown.

"Let me go!" I yell, kicking back at him, but even when my foot connects with his leg, he doesn't flinch.

He drags me up the stairs and into the room at the top. Throwing me to the ground, I glare at him as he crosses his arms.

"You exposed my secret, you almost destroyed my team, you killed Sam, what more do you want?!" I yell, and Trent smiles smugly.

"You, Russ. I want you."

He looks over my shoulder, then back down at me.

"More specifically, he wants you," Trent says, and I raise my eyebrow, then I'm lifted off the floor by the back of my shirt, and spun around to face them.

My eyes widen, and my breath stops as I stare into the dark brown eyes I know from years ago.

"...Thrash...?"

I stare with wide eyes at my Captain. His buzzed brown hair shapes his sharp-cut face, a small scar along his jawline, caused by one of our missions.

Trying to find breath, I shake my head.

"Thrash....I...you were....you..." I stutter, and Thrash frowns, then pushes me down in a chair, raising his eyebrow.

"Russ, I taught you better than to lead your men into a trap." he degrades, and I narrow my eyes.

"I got them out, didn't I?" I retort, then my eyes soften.

"Thrash, how....what happened to you? How are you even alive?!" I ask, and Thrash takes a deep breath, then crouches down in front of me.

"Keegan, you may think you can save everyone, but you can't. You didn't save Heath. Or Bolt. Or me." He smirks, and I feel my chest tighten.

Thrash meets my eyes.

"After you killed all the soldiers, you thought Bolt was the only one alive. Well, I was still alive, too. Obviously. The Feds found me, but instead of killing me, they helped me. Fixed me up. Then they kept me locked up in a cell for months, torturing me, giving me poison. Breaking me down. But unlike the others that they turned, like Rorke and Logan, I retained all my memories and connections. But now, I see things differently. Like you, for instance." He says, and my eyes widen.

I scoot back a little bit as his harsh eyes bore into me.

"What?" My voice shakes, and Thrash sighs.

"You, Keegan Russ. You. The youngest Marine ever, the youngest Ghost, and the strongest and most determined kid I've ever seen. I mean, look where you are now." He says, and I bite my lip, staring up at him.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask nervously, and Thrash meets my eyes.

"It means that the Ghosts care about you. We all did. So Cody and Merrick and Spike will come for you. But the most worried will be Logan. You're basically his David now. He cares about you more than anything. So the more we hurt you, the more he hurts." Thrash says, and my eyes widen.