A Ghost Encounter: My Time with Simon "Ghost" Riley

Part Eighty: The End of Makarov - Part One

5:43 PM

"I'm right outside the employee door," I relay to the team over the comms. "There's a code, but, I see a worker heading this way. I'll sneak in behind them once they open the door."

"Take them out quietly. Hide the body. If anyone is alerted, there goes the mission," Price warns.

Far too much pressure.

"Copy that," I say, attempting to remain as calm as possible.

Even when I was on a team with Captain Winters, I never experienced such intense, life-altering missions—Ones where if we failed, a lot of people die due to our shortcomings.

I look over my shoulder from where I'm hidden, behind stacking crates. I see the worker approach the door. She's a young woman who doesn't look much older than I am.

She enters the code to the employee door—6192–and the door opens. Swiftly, with mice-like steps, I creep behind her and slip through a crack in the door, entering a break room.

Before I can be seen, I sneak behind a table and chairs. She's the only person in the room, her lucky day. She opens up a locker and starts placing her items inside. Slowly, I sneak up behind her, putting her in a chokehold, and incapacitating her.

She's still alive, just sleeping. She won't be too happy when she wakes up but at least she'll awaken. I strip her out of her uniform and put it on.

"Update us, Roberts," Laswell orders through the comms.

"I have the uniform on. I'm looking for a place to hide her body," I report.

Looking around the room, I see a large trash can, so I stuff her inside.

Oh yeah, she's gonna be pissed.

"Okay, she's hidden," I update. "But I'm assuming the hotel knows its employees, and other employees know each other. So what, I just say I'm new? I can't use her name tag."

"Improvise, Sergeant. You're crafty," Ghost encourages, but he's not holding my hand.

My deep sigh over the comms is my only response.

I continue my search around the break room, looking for unclaimed name tags, until I'm interrupted.

"Hey..." I hear a male's voice fill the room. "You new?"

I turn around and am greeted by an older man, maybe in his fifties.

"Hi," I say slightly flustered but manage to compose myself after clearing my throat. "I am. Today's my first day." I give him a warm smile.

He approaches me slowly with his arm stretched out. "Andrew." He shakes my hand, his gaze moving to my chest. "I don't see a name tag."

"Right. I was waiting for our manager to provide me with one," I gulp softly.

"Ah, well. I can take you to the room that holds all the resources for our new employees. Follow me."

We exit the break room and I trail behind Andrew.

"How's it looking, Sergeant?" Laswell asks me impatiently over the comms.

It's not an ideal time to talk but I leave my comms open so the rest of 141 can hear our conversation.

"Here we are." Andrew opens the door.

Walking into the room, I wait for him as he rummages through a drawer.

"There are three name tags. What's your name, sweetie?" He smiles at me.

Shit. Shit. Shit!

We stare at each other intensely until a look of confusion fills his eyes, and then a look of realization.