COD Ghosts: Bonds

Chapter 1: "Boy"

Days, nights, the sun and the moon, they all passed countless times over the mouth of my hell. I'd lost count of how many times they'd gone by, forgotten my own age, who was I even? And why was I down in this muddy, godforsaken hole?

All I could recall was the stench of my poisoned food and a man I had so much hate for that I couldn't stand it. But what was his name?

I closed my eyes, feeling a sudden tiredness come over me.

I couldn't fight any longer, I didn't have the strength. I don't even remember why I was fighting. It didn't matter, whatever the reason, I was at my limit. These were my last moments, and I had no memories to ease me into death, just the rustle of the wind and a dull thud next to me.

"Hey now, don't you go dying on me, kid."

Slowly I opened my eyes to see a gruff man wearing a du rag and tactical gear leaning over me. Him! He was... He was the man I hated. But I still couldn't remember his name or why.

A small smirk quirked at his lips as he kneeled in front of me,"Come on now, you remember me don't you?"

In the blink of an eye, I snagged the hunting knife from his boot and held it to the man's throat, intent on ending this man and sating the sudden rage that had driven and fueled me with new life, but he was too strong. He'd known what was coming before I even placed the blade at his neck, and now his hands grappled with my own, trying to pry the knife from my hand, and after a few moments my sudden strength began to fade. Any attempt I made to keep my new weapon was easily combated and countered, but the man made no move to reprimand me, instead he simply laughed.

"You still have it kid! That fire, it's just what we need to take down those cowardly bastards! But as your Captain, I won't let you kill me, boy, not yet," he jeered, wrenching the knife away with ease and placing it back where it belonged.

Was this man really my 'Captain'? If so, then why did I hate him so much? And why the hell did he make me feel so edgy?

"Fuck", I hissed as my head began to spin from all the sudden moving around. I found myself falling back, but landed against the dirt wall behind me,"You... Who the hell are you?"

__________

"You sure you're up for this, Hesh? It could just be another one of Rorke's traps,"Merrick hissed behind his half mask.

The elder of the Walker brothers nodded wordlessly before slinking off towards the heavily guarded base ahead. His eyes held a cold determination, something every Ghost had, but Hesh's burned brighter, fiercer.

Supposedly Rorke was at this small base nested deep in the Amazonian jungle, lost to all except the few who already knew about the damned place. Luckily the Ghosts were classified with the latter.

It'd taken some serious digging, but Hesh was relentless. Anything concerning Rorke would definitely involve Logan, and that involved Hesh, no questions asked. After all it'd already been two years since the bastard had dragged his brother off to God knows where and did God knows what to him.

Logan was a trooper, but everyone had a breaking point. Hesh just hoped Logan hasn't reached his.

With a deep breath, Hesh waited for his orders, counting his rapid heart beats silently to keep himself calm.

_____

I stood at the far corner of the small room, keeping as far from Rorke as the space would allow. I couldn't stand how friendly he was towards me, how familiar he acted, like we were old friends.

Like hell.

I don't give a goddamn if he is my captain, that doesn't make us friends.

"Alright, kid, let's get this show on the road. Those slinking bastards should be here any minute, and you know what to do. Remember, bring him back alive," Rorke boomed as he clambered over and slapped a hand on my shoulder.

With a grunt and a nod I shrugged him off and pushed out of the room, my hands clutched tightly to my ARX-160.

Rorke said the Ghosts knew about my past and that if we caught them, then they could help me remember. One of them he actually called by name, Hesh. He said this one one everything about me, that we even used to be brothers in arms, but then something happened.... I can't even remember the guys face, but I think I know him, feel like I remember him.

Shaking these thoughts away I reached into the tiny pouch at my hip and smeared a black substance around both of my eyes before sliding on my heavy duty cotton mask.

Rorke said it was a family heirloom, given to me by my father, and that wearing it would get me close to the Ghost I needed.

_____

"Alright Ghosts, let's move out", Merrick whispered over the headset,"Keagan, you keep watch on tangos inside the building and await further orders."

"Roger, standing by now", the sniper spoke, lifting his rifle to look through the scope.

All seemed to be going well for the group, until Keagan heard the feint rustle of brush behind him. With the speed no man without proper training could possess, the sniper whipped out his tactical knife and semi-auto P226. His eyes glued themselves to the figure approaching him boldly with no coverage and his weapon lowered.

For a moment Keagan almost pulled the trigger, but then he saw the mask. "E... Elias? No, wait..... Logan?! Logan is that you," he called, hesitantly lowering his weapon.

The other didn't speak, just simply stood a few feet away from Keagan, calm and quiet. Too quiet.

"Hesh, Merrick, Target Ghost is here. Abort mission, do not engage. I repeat, abort. Target Ghost has been apprehe-"

Keagan never finished his message as the butt of a gun met his head.

_____

Once I was sure the sniper was out and had him bound, I pressed a button on my ear piece,"Target has been apprehended, returning back to base."

"Negative, fall back about five mikes and wait for air evac, we don't want those bastards to figure out what's going on. Good work, boy," Rorke's voice rang out over my wireless.

"Boy".

That was all Rorke called me aside from the occasional "Kid" or "Soldier", but it all held the same damn connotation.

Nameless.

'I won't call you by your name 'til you remember it yourself, boy', he'd said. And kept to it he has.

All of a sudden my thoughts were broken by the static and morphed words coming from the Ghost's headset. I carefully pulled it off and held it to my ear, just listening to the slightly familiar voice on the other end.

"-Keagan! Keagan, do you copy?! Goddammit! Is Logan there with you? Come in, Keagan!"

And then it all broke up into a jumble of static.

With a sigh, I picked up the limp and bound Ghost by his booted ankles and slowly began to drag him off into the jungle. Each step was a challenge in itself with my newfound baggage weighing me down and trying to keep quiet with potential enemies lurking about. This was certainly not what I had in mind when Rorke had told me the "special" assignment he had for me.

It took what felt like an eternity, but I finally managed to drag this Keagan to my ordered location.

No sooner than I'd dropped the Ghost's legs and taken a seat to catch my breath did a helicopter whir and screech over head. It lowered itself until it was hovering just above the ground before I noticed Rorke jumping out to walk right towards me. "Good work! Now let's get this fucker back to home base", he shouted.

I nodded and walked over to the still unconscious Ghost, both Rorke and I hoisting him up and tossing him into one of the seats to be strapped in. Then Rorke held out a hand to help me on, one that I begrudgingly took before the chopper ascended and headed back home.