The Bullet's Mark (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Fanfiction)

Chapter 12

    "You're kidding," I mumbled under my breath, examining my thigh in mine and Soap's shared room. 
    The area was irritated, showing no obvious signs of breakage through the scar yet throbbing like I'd reinjured it. I swore the injury was never going to entirely heal. It was frustrating because I didn't like the feeling of not being able to my best. 
    "What's wrong?" 
    I released my bare leg, starting to the voice of Soap. He leaned against the open doorway, eyeing my figure in concern. I shook my head and moved over to redress. 
    "Nothing worth mentioning. Thought my wound may have opened up again, but all is fine." 
    "Good," Soap stopped me from pulling on my pants, his fingers lacing under the curve of my buttocks as he brought me close.  
    I smirked and pressed a deep kiss to his lips. Soap grumbled into the kiss, pressing his hard groin into the edges of my inner thighs, and pulled my waist even closer. His muscles lifted me up onto the edge of the short desk as he flicked his tongue into my mouth and teased. 
    "Enough," I gasped lowly. "Not here." 
    "They're all outside," Soap raised an eyebrow, the one with the scar through the middle of it. 
    "No," I gently slipped out of his grasp and finished tugging on my pants. "Soap, we have to focus. Now's not the time to do those things." 
    "You're right," the soldier in him snapped back. "You're just irresistible sometimes." 
    I smiled and reached up to cup his jaw. "Patience, young one." 
    "You're younger than I am," Soap chuckled and removed my hand with his own, bringing it to his lips to kiss the back of it. "Watch yourself." 
    I laughed and then turned. "Come on." 
    Once downstairs again, I headed to the main room of briefing, communication, and discussion. Price was examining the table, using a tablet to scroll through a bit of text. Yuri and Roach were nowhere to be seen. 
    "I spoke with Sandman, team leader of a Delta Force group by the name of Team Metal," Price explained, sensing Soap and I. "They're after Volk in Paris." 
    "Excellent," Soap looked over the table. "What's this?" 
     "A small...side mission," Price commented. "Another way to dig just slightly deeper under Makarov's skin." 
     "Count me in," I crossed my arms. 
     "A shipment off the coast of Magadan," Price tossed me surveillance images and I looked through, seeing similar crates from those in Sierra Leone. "I'm sending you and Yuri to be there when the second one comes." 
    "There will be a second one?" I cocked an eyebrow, meeting Price's wise gaze. 
    "Easily," Price nodded. "These aren't chemical weapons, but something else Makarov is shipping around. Put an end to it." 
    "They'll be going right into the belly of the beast," Soap mentioned, looking on the map at where in Russia the task would be. "How?" 
    "Leave that to me," Price looked to where Yuri and Roach were entering, shoving each other in good spirits. "Gear up, you and Sam are headed out in twenty." 

"Freezing weather," my teeth chattered. "Why did it have to be in freezing weather?" 
    Yuri's breath appeared next to me as he came to crouch on the hillside. "Could be worse." 
    "You're probably right." 
    We were scouting the docks, eyeing the wandering guards and the more innocent civilians. The difference between the two had to be remembered if things got hot. 
    "We need to keep this quiet," I glanced to Yuri, who nodded an agreement. 
    "Wonder what Makarov has up his sleeves with this one," Yuri muttered out as we descended down closer to the dock area. 
    His voice, filled with Russian accent, sent further chills down my spine. I was, for the first time in a long time, rather uncomfortable with the mission's situation. As hard as I tried not to, I held a grudge against Russians. The fact that one was my only comrade, the others were my enemies, and the civilians sharing the Russian blood milled about didn't only boil my insides but also sent unease my way. 
    "Yuri isn't one to worry about," Soap came through just my earpiece, as if reading my mind from miles away. "Remember that Fox." 
    I let out a breath and hesitated, waiting for Yuri to crouch next to me. The city was further to our left, bustling with dullness as the freezing day went on. The docks we'd tracked down weren't well-known and few workers were on shift at the time. There were multiple soldiers stationed about, not uncommon because of the war, yet these belonged to Makarov. 
    "What are they saying?"
    Yuri was intently focused on the bickering Russian. "Those two are arguing over a last cigar. The one on the balcony just mentioned the shipment. They'll be moving the crates to the south for truck loading shortly." 
    "We'll be there first then," I readied my weapon, glancing Yuri's way. "Your Russian is still sharp I see." 
    "You understood it," Yuri blinked. "Why ask?"
    I couldn't really lie. "Testing you."
    "You still don't trust me..." 
    "You know I have a particular grudge against Russian soldiers." 
    "I'm not them," Yuri mentioned and took point as we maneuvered through the scarcely wooded hillside. 
    "Looks like they're moving a heavy amount of soldiers through there," Roach came through the comms. "Keep your heads down." 
    I examined the few trucks loaded with Russian soldiers arrive. "Fuck." 
    "Let's move through this warehouse," Yuri lowered his voice as we came to a more secluded structure. "Take a few out while we can." 
    I slid up against the freezing metal of the warehouse, allowing Yuri to head in first. He snuck up behind a Russian shuffling a deck of cards solo and covered his mouth. A second gloved hand slid a knife through the jugular of the enemy. My eyes snapped to the movement of a second soldier, turning with coffee mugs in his hands. I immediately whipped out my knife and flung it into the masked face of the Russian. 
    "Nice," Yuri wiped off his own knife and watched me retrieve mine. 
    "Sometimes you have to think quickly, not ethically." 
    I led the way to the next section, an open road banking left and right. My ears picked up the distant rumble of trucks coming and going, unaware of the two of us. Yuri stayed on my heels as we crossed into an alley next to another warehouse. 
    "This is going to be difficult," I murmured, looking at the group of soldiers gathering to prepare the crates' movement. "We split up. You make a distraction around to the left and I'll get explosives on the trucks and unloaded crates." 
    Yuri nodded once and then listened to my idea. I inhaled a sharp breath of frozen air and then pressed closer to the target area. The men were half-paying attention, chuckling as they waited for the rest of the packages to unload. 
    There should be twenty. 
    Upon counting the final one being placed by a crane, my eyes gleamed. "Now Yuri." 
    There was a loud banging off my left flank and many of the Russian guards perked up. At least half of them split toward Yuri's unknown ruckus. I closed the distance to a loner, slamming him back behind pallets as I ended his life with a knife swipe. 
    Crouching, I peered around the temporary cover to take note of the remaining soldiers. They were on high alert now and barking orders to each other like hyenas. In narrow timing I crossed the opening to the first truck. The headlights were blinding as I went prone and scooted underneath the idling beast. 
    Pulling out one of multiple charges from the small pack on my back, I placed the explosive on the belly. My fingers expertly clicked on the charge and then I rolled to the driver's side of the truck. As I braced to poke out from underneath it, loud footsteps caught me. 
    A higher-ranked Russian shouted orders to the remaining soldiers, causing them to split off again. He paused right in front of my face, hesitating in place. I waited until he turned and began to march off before quickly slipping out from under the vehicle. 
    He barely had a chance to get around the front of the truck as I clutched his uniform and threw him against it. His temple began to bleed as I rolled him under the truck itself, dead from the blow to the head. 
    "Yuri, how are things?" 
    "Busy," Yuri sounded muffled. "You better get ready to make a quicker exit than expected." 
    I let out a low grumble and then hustled to finish placing charges on the rest of the packages. The docks were now clear, leaving me a chance to open up one crate. I pried it open, peeking into the dimly lit wooden box in caution. 
    "Weapons," I reported through the comms as I checked another crate. "Makarov was smuggling weapons and supplies." 
    "All the better to make them disappear," Price acknowledged. 
    I placed two more charges and then radioed to Yuri. "I'm done. Where are you?" 
    "Right here!" Yuri shouted as he drove up on an unsteady motorcycle. "Get on!" 
    I glanced back to see the Russians scrambling in an effort to catch up to Yuri. Their bullets started flying as I flung myself on behind Yuri. He drove off on the packed snow, careful of what he was doing in a hurry. 
    "This isn't going to get us anywhere in these conditions!" I yelled over the roar of the bike, firing back with my pistol to the trailing Russians. 
    "I'm working on it," Yuri responded, looking up the hill to where the road curved.
    As we reached the Y-split road, an unsuspecting patrol of Russian soldiers—aided with a BTR—took Yuri by surprise. Before he could react steadily with the motorcycle, the Russians started firing. He lost control and the bike zoomed into a bank further down the descending slope.
    "Yuri!" I called out, gripping his uniform shoulder as we slid down the steep side toward a quickly-approaching cliff. 
    Yuri flipped around, catching both of us at the cliff's edge. I let out a loud cry of surprise as I gripped his hand, dangling on the edge of the long, never-ending cliff. 
    "That way," Yuri looked to a narrow ledge on the right. 
    I helped him swing me that direction, using one foot to haul myself up onto the ledge. Once free of my weight, Yuri joined, narrowly avoiding the fire of Russians above. 
    "There's a river there," Yuri pointed to the moving water further from the downward angles of the mountain range. "If we climb up this embankment we're going to have to move fast, but we can make it." 
    I listened for the grumbling Russians above. "All right." 
    Yuri hauled himself up first, groaning as he turned to help my climb. I crouched next to him for a split second, using the few trees growing nearby as cover from the searching Russian group. He spared a glance that way and then looked to my hip. 
    I gripped the detonator there without looking and pressed the button. There was a loud rumble of complaint from the land behind us. Alarms started blaring as the Russians closeby let out shouts of surprise and anger. 
    "Let's move," I took off before Yuri could, running through the calf-deep snow as best I could. 
    We made it back onto the bank of the road, halfway to the tree line guarding the rest of the way to the river, when the Russian patrol was on to us again. The BTR was hot on our tracks, racing down the slippery hillside as we sprinted. 
    "Bank left!" Yuri shouted and we both dove for better cover. 
    The heavily armored vehicle started firing into the trees after us as we wove. The river was louder now, appearing through the trees in a promise of escape. Yuri paused at the riverbank, glancing to see the enemies and BTR continue to the bridge crossing on our right. 
    "We have to cross to the other side," Yuri looked to the thicker trees. 
    "I'll cover you the best I can," I turned to fire at any soldier I could. 
    They appeared through the trees quicker than manageable. Firing on our position with lousy aims, the fireteam put enough pressure on Yuri to cross quickly. It wasn't seconds before he called for me to cross. 
    I spun around, knowing Yuri was covering me now, and began to cross the river. The deepest part reached the knees with where we'd decided to cross. I was careful yet rushing across for the sake of reaching the thick cover beyond. 
    "Sam!" Yuri shouted as the BTR came to the bridge, pausing to turn it's barrel my way. 
    "Shit," I turned and jumped further downstream as the machine fired. 
    My butt landed in the ice water first, causing me to slip on a sloped rock under water. The slide led to deeper, faster moving water. I gasped as the rest of my body followed the bob downward. 
    "SAM!" Yuri was howling as I began to head downstream. 
    The current was ripping and I was unable to grab onto anything sturdy enough to hold my weight in the movement of being dragged downstream. I reached for a root as the river dipped down another level again, only temporarily being stopped by the handle. 
    "Fuuu—" I gargled the rest of the swear word as my head was brought under the water from the release of the root. 
    When I resurfaced, the air into my lungs was an attack. I started coughing as my arms flailed, my legs kicking in the depths of the hypothermic temperatures of the water. I could barely see as I headed down the river. 
    "Yuri!" I managed, hoping the soldier hadn't left me to drown. 
    The Russian bastard probably did.
    I attempted to suck in an extra breath of air as I was brought down to another level of moving water, yet the effort was stopped short by the invasion of ice. I coughed under the surface and realized the water was taking over every part of me. 
    I'm drowning. All the fucking close calls and this is how I'm going to go?
    The thought frustrated me as I gagged to the surface once more. I flailed my arms as best I could, hoping to grab onto another anchor. My fingers skidded and scraped against rocks, slippery boulders under the current. 
    Then there was a sudden, solid pull. An anchor. 
    "I got you," there was a voice. 
    I kicked as best I could upstream as the strength of Yuri's arms pulled me to the side. He hauled me up onto the riverbank, clutching onto the most secure parts of me. A pull on an achy thigh, a yank of an arm, and I was entirely out of the water. 
    "Look at me," Yuri commanded, cupping my soaked cheeks as soon as he ripped the ski mask from my face. "You're all right." 
    I blinked the freezing water from my eyes, the shivers already entering my body like shockwaves. Yuri looked to the sky as the sound of a chopper entered it. I tried to move, to assist him with lifting myself, but my muscles were cramping and locked up. 
    "They're here," Yuri commented as he hauled me up onto his shoulders, avoiding the half-dragging motion instead. "We have to move." 
    My teeth were chattering as Yuri moved through the rocky, snow-covered ground to the safety of trees. He hiked for a while until the sounds of the chopper were all but gone. 
    "I'm c-c-cold," I stuttered as Yuri set me down. 
    "I know," he examined me. "We have to get this stuff off of you." 
    "Over my d-d-dead body," I growled, refusing to strip in front of him. 
    Yuri ignored my weak attempt of refusal and stripped me of my gloves, my heavy outer layer, and my boots. I moved on to helping him, knowing he was right and that the soaked clothing wouldn't help the hypothermia setting in. 
    Once I was down to my under-clothes, Yuri stripped off his outer layer and made sure the larger jacket was thoroughly on me. He moved on to giving me one of his two pairs of socks and the warmed gloves snuggly fit to his hands. 
    "D-D-Do you have t-two of everyth-thing?" I muttered as he stripped off an outer, lighter layer of pants. 
    "Not everything," his bare hands helped dress my freezing skin as he made me snug once more. He forced my boots, not nearly as wet, on and then examined me. "Warm up now." 
    "What about you?" I managed without stuttering. 
    "I'm fine," Yuri stood, helping me up. "We need to keep moving. I radioed to Nikolai right before you went for your swim...he should be arriving a mile south from here soon." 
    I nodded, wishing I had my rifle instead of just my pistol and knife. Yuri led the way through woods without another word. 
    The hike was difficult with the chattering teeth I wielded and the shaky legs holding my body up. Yuri glanced often over his shoulder, making sure I was keeping up. I hugged my own core, trying to reheat the best I could despite the glacial conditions of my insides. 
    "We're almost there, Sam," Yuri spoke, noticing my slowing speed.
    "It's so c-c-cold," I hated my chatter. 
    Yuri doubled back, wrapping an arm around me. "We have to keep moving." 
    "I know," I didn't want his warmth near me yet, at the same time, I didn't try to shrug him off. 
    We went a few more yards before I heard the sound of Nikolai's Little Bird landing on an open section of land. Yuri hugged me tighter, moving us both along quicker. 
    "What happened?" Nikolai demanded, coming to help me up in the ride home. 
    "Went f-for a swim," I blinked, shivering as the other two boarded. Yuri stayed in the back with me, his arms wrapping around my smaller form in a helpful manner; Nikolai focused on flying us back to the safehouse. 
    "T-Thank you," I managed, looking up to Yuri's stone-like face. 
    Yuri's blue eyes met my hazel ones. "You're gonna be fine, Sam. You're welcome." 
    I went silent for a moment again, leaning my head against his chest for any bit of warmth I could manage to share. "You know, you're not so bad...for a Russian." 
    Yuri huffed lightheartedly.