𝕮𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝕰𝖞𝖊𝖘

"Sandman"

After receiving the tragic news that my father had been killed in combat, it was a very stressful and sad event that I may have gone through with my mother. Not only had I lost my father...but my mother had lost her husband who had spent over 18 years of marriage.

I remember how the soldiers comforted my mother as they stood in the driveway of our house. They were dressed in their formal uniform as they offered their condolences.

Sandman.

That was his nickname within the military and everyone else. No one knew what his real name was and for the sake of our family we had to get an alternate last name that had no link to my father.

Melina Gates, that's my name. Gates a surname of a ghost created by the United States government. While my mother's name was Jennifer Gates.

Two weeks later everything had been paid for and arranged for my father's funeral and same story with his buddies who died with him in a mine at the hands of the Russians.

I was wearing a dress down to my knees, all black and with my hair completely loose. There were many people crying...I kept looking at my father's coffin and his picture.

I couldn't say goodbye. I couldn't apologize for our last fight. I couldn't call him back.

I was filled with guilt and anger.  I couldn't stand the other people crying so I made the decision to leave the church and get some fresh air. I opened my purse and took the box of cigarettes and lit one.

My father had forbidden me to smoke and I had quit...but - just for this moment I must have one.

I inhaled the cigarette and slowly released all the smoke from my lungs.

"Melina Gates?" I heard a man's voice call out to me.

I turned around while holding my cigarette. There were 4 men standing there looking at me, they had their formal uniforms on but one of them wasn't showing his face.

"Yes?"

"I'm John Price and this is John MacTavish, Simon Riley and Kyle Garrick." The surely older man said to me as he pointed to the others.

"A pleasure."

"I'm sorry to hear about your father's passing. We all worked together with him, he was a great person and a great father. He always talked about you and how proud he always was." Price told me.

As I listened to what he was saying, I felt a big wad of emotions form in my throat.

"Did he suffer?"

"Sorry?" Price asked me a little confused.

"My father...did he suffer while he was dying or not?"

Price and the other three men looked at each other....
"No. He didn't suffer." Price ended up answering me.

I exhaled the smoke as I threw my head back and looked up at the sky.

"That's good. At-at least he died peacefully."

"Miss Gates?" This time a new voice called out to me.

I turned slightly and saw this gentleman along with two other men. On his uniform he had several ranks so he was someone with a lot of power.

"General Scott Williams." He held out his hand and I took it.

"Melina Gates."

"Oh- Captain Price and company...I didn't notice your presences." The general said but I could tell the sarcasm in his voice.

Price gave a faint bitter smile- "Just the same."

"Well- Miss Gates. It's a devastated situation...your father was a very good commander and was always very loyal. It's sad news."

"Yes."

"Your father always kept his civilian life very secret and controlled but he never informed me that he had a very talented and capable daughter."

"Capable?" I asked a little confused.

"Yes well- I took out of my time and read a good report of your grades, skills, physicals, routine exams among other things. I must agree that for a woman you are very capable."  The general said as he took a report in his hands and read the pages quickly.

"For a woman? Hahaha...that sounds a bit sexist don't you think?"

"I apologize."

"Why are you here, General Williams?" Kyle asked him this time.

"I'm not supposed to answer that question because I don't take orders from you and besides this is a matter in conjunction with Miss Gates."

"What do you want?" I asked him but this time I was really fed up with all the spinning he was doing.

"I'd like to recruit you."

"For-what?! It's her father's funeral, sir!" Price said as he stood in front of me this time.

"What do you think? Gates?"

I threw the cigarette on the floor.

"Recruit me? To where?"

"Task Force 141."

Price looked behind me to where the others were.

"Task Force 141? What's so special about that?"

"According to reports...you're very capable. You'd make a great help.... your father-your father had applied for Task Force 141..."

"What?! That never happened-" MacTavish said this time but the general raised his hand.

"Captain Price, you must control your children."

"What do you think, Melina? Of course it is...you must pass the exams to get in and go through the trainings but I think it will all be a piece of cake for you."

"I'll think about it. Nice afternoon." I turned around and walked back into the church.

Task Force 141.

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