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

Chapter 30

    "Thousands of people have gathered today to greet President Vorshevsky in his return to Moscow. Reports have confirmed that peace talks between Russia and the US are about to begin. In other news, the Ultranationalist leader, Vladimir Makarov, is still at large...."
    My jaw was tight as I stood in front of the television in a local hospital. My hazel eyes scanned the images the newscast was attempting to distract the common people with, those who weren't aware of the true matter at hand. Those who could feel the happiness and relief of a war coming to an end, of sons and daughters returning, of an economy steadying.
    I envied them however I felt relief for their peace.
    Without realizing it my fists tightened at seeing Makarov's face flash on and off the flatscreen. My matters, on the other hand, were with that rat-faced bastard. Every ounce of my being wanted to kill him and end the ridiculous pain he'd inflicted in the world.
    A cough broke me from my distasteful thoughts. 
    "Easy Yuri," Soap stood from the room's uncomfortable couch-bench. 
    The soldier was finally coming to and stabilizing. Shortly after the events in Siberia he had begun to decline again, adrenaline wearing off. The President offered medical assistance and a place for all of us to regroup. Declining it would've been stupid. 
    "Where's Price? The war?" 
    "The war is coming to an end," Soap answered, glancing to make sure Yuri was good to sit up. "Price went to grab a doctor and get you out of here." 
    I played with the ends of my loose hair, spacing out while looking at Yuri. He shifted under my gaze and cleared his dry throat. 
    "Thank you for saving my life." 
    "Unfortunately, we need all the help we can get," I spoke plainly back, shifting in my jeans and leather jacket, "even if it is with disloyal people." 
    Yuri frowned and broke off from my gaze with the reminder of our standings. Soap shook his head and moved to get off his feet once more. "Once we all regroup and get you healed, we'll make our next moves with the remaining threat." 
    "How many more men have to die? Women and children?" I spoke up, looking sharply at Soap. "He needs to be taken down now."
    "We don't have anything to do so." 
    "At this point it doesn't matter," I avoid pacing by biting the inside of my mouth. "All we've got is us and us is the only thing I believe in." 
    "You're willing to die on that hill?" Price asked from the doorway, making us three look his direction.
    "There's worse." 
    Price nodded and then moved toward Yuri. "They won't release you until tomorrow at the soonest." 
    "Figures." 
    "I don't feel right...being here while that monster is out there," I paced to the window and crossed my arms. 
    Price turned from Yuri. "There's a simplicity to war. Attacking is the only secret. Dare, and the world yields." 
    "There's no yielding with him." 
    "And look how quickly you forget that all it takes to change the course of history is the will of a single person."
    "Or the best damn team of them," Soap chimed in. 
     I nodded and glanced back to the window. "This is what I've been waiting for. Even if I have to die getting it done this won't be a mission that fails." 
    "Hopefully that won't be the case," Soap shot me a look of slight hope.
    "Your wish to kill him has gotten even stronger...any reason why lass?" Price pried as he grabbed a water cup for Yuri.
     Soap was the only one who knew about the background of Blackjack. How Makarov had initiated a lifetime of pain and ruined everything. 
    "He was behind all of Blackjack," I raised my chin. "The deal, the betrayal, and death. He started it all then. If I die finally putting an end to his poison...I can't think of a better way to go." 
    Price didn't respond, instead only nodding. 
    An urge to get fresh air grew stronger and I turned from the view. My boots made padded sounds as I exited the hospital room and swept down the hall without a word to the men behind me. The staffing was shorter at the moment, making it easy to ignore other filled rooms or hustling nurses. 
    Yuri's room was only on the third floor and easy to find a space to get fresh air. Once reaching the refreshing change of atmosphere in a private courtyard, I let out a sigh. My legs carried me to a bench in the shade of a tree; it was cold but the weather was simple to ignore with the thoughts on my mind. 
    I pulled my custom pistol from my back holster, tracing the outline of the fox along the grip with my thumb. No matter how often I examined the piece of work I couldn't get over Roach's idea, the last living piece of him besides the watch on my left wrist. I missed the damn kid. 
    Placing the pistol back in its holster, I clasped my hands together and bowed my head. My eyes slid shut as I tried to calm my rambling thoughts...
    Why are you waiting around here? Yuri means nothing to you. Finish the mission. Get to Makarov. Kill him. All those families and emotions. Will there be peace? Why did Delta Force have to go down like that? What would Ghost do? Why am I here? What's the next step to—

   An abrupt vibration broke me from my silent trap of the mind. I slid the small phone out from my jacket pocket, eyeing the unidentified caller. Price had made sure to give us these only to communicate; being around the city and civilians meant being a little less obvious in our tactics. If it was one of the guys the ID would've shown. 
    Clicking the green button connected myself to caller. I moved the phone up to my ear, opening my mouth in a surprisingly hoarse 'hello.' 
    "Still haven't learned a thing have you Samantha."
    My legs were braced and causing me to stand in a millisecond to the rat-faced bastard's Russian hiss. "Makarov." 
    "Surprised to hear me?"
    "I'm coming for you bastard." 
    "The war is coming to an end Samantha. It's a waste of your puny breath." 
    "My war isn't with all that. It never has been." 
    Makarov made an unamused huff into the phone though I knew I was getting under his skin with every word. For once, without his entourage, he sounded slightly fearful.
    "You know I've slowly taken your world apart. Piece by piece....body by body. It won't be long before MacTavish and—"
    "I'm coming for you Makarov. You won't be able to run like last time."
    There was a pause. "Shame. Interesting how easy one can talk when the other takes action." 
    "Stop speaking in pathetic riddles." 
    "Perhaps MacTavish will be taken sooner than you think Samantha. Before you threaten someone next time, make sure to keep in mind your surroundings."
    "What do you—"
    A shatter of glass up to my right caught my attention. Yuri's room. There was an deafening, heart-stopping blast of a sniper that broke the sound barrier shortly after. I pulled the phone away from my ear and let out a cry of surprise. 
    "I'll be waiting for you Samantha." 
    "FUCK YOU!" I screeched, hanging up the phone and spinning around to run back to Yuri's room. 
    I narrowly avoided a few nurses as I sprinted back to the temporary room. My heart was in my throat, tight and dry. I reached the doorway, using my hand against the frame to swing myself around. 
    Price, Soap, and Yuri were all in the room, the former two standing. Soap had his hand outstretched in a surprised manner, his eyes pinpointed on the broken cup in his hand. Upon my arrival, all eyes turned to me. 
    "He's here," Yuri spoke calmly, wiggling in his bed to try and get up. 
    "No," I breathed, going over to Soap to make sure his hand was fine. "He sent a sniper." 
    "Really, lass? Couldn't guess," Soap tried to joke, throwing the cup in a nearby trash can in haste. "He could've hired better. They missed." 
    "They didn't miss," I looked at the window, jagged and unstable with a hole through it and most of the center glass missing.
    "Fuck," Yuri muttered, toying with a monitor on his finger. 
    "I'm going to kill that mother fucker," I growled, pacing impatiently. "No use for these phones. He got through." 
    Price watched me throw the device in the trash and narrowed his eyes. Soap touched my arm and I subtly squeezed his back in relief. 
    "There can't be waiting." 
    "Noted," Price nodded. "We'll get to the safehouse and then proceed from there. He's going to be hard to catch, but if we're patient...even that sly bastard slips up."