Early Birds

MIA

'What? How? He was due to come back two weeks ago, how can he be missing?' Cassie cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

'I'm sorry love. But I needed to wait till we were sure before getting in touch. He was due to complete his re-con and rendezvous back with Farah, two weeks ago. Ghost and his team failed to show on time, that's not unusual, but after a week, they sent out a scout group and......' Price paused.

'What? What did the scouts find Price?' Cassie pleaded.

'The vehicles they were travelling in had been ambushed. They found five of Farah's men dead at the site, but Ghost and two of her men were missing', Price responded carefully.

'So if they're not dead, where are they then?', Cassie cried. Desperate for something to hold onto.

'We don't know. Farah still has scouts out looking for them, but......we think they may have been captured by the group they were tracking',  he admitted, pained by the anguished look on her face.

'Ghost would never let himself get captured without a fight Price...........unless..........unless' Cassie started 'Unless....he was incapacitated', she added tearfully.

'Yeah, was thinking the same thing myself, love', Price said sadly.

'What are you doing? Are you going in to look for him?' Cassie asked feeling frantic to cling onto some hope

Price sighed and rubbed his face 'No, we can't do anything but wait', he said quietly.

'What? I don't understand. Why aren't you there looking for him?', Cassie asked annoyed and crying.

'There's nothing we can do that Farah and her men aren't already doing, Worm. They know the region and stand a better chance of finding them. We'd just get in the way. As soon as we get word, we'll be there, I promise', he said knowing that it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

Cassie sat quietly. She knew he was right and that he wouldn't just leave Ghost out there if he could get to him, but it still stung knowing that there was nothing they could do.

'Worm? I was going to suggest you come down to the base, help us keep searching for anything that'll give us a clue to where he is. Could you do that, love?' he asked with concern for her but also knowing that she was an expert at finding intel and leads. He reasoned that he'd at least be able to also support her, and if the worst happened, she wouldn't be alone.

'Yes, I'll come down and help. I can be there tonight' Cassie exclaimed, taking the branch of hope that was being offered. At least she'd feel like she was helping in some way, rather than stewing at the cabin alone.

'Okay, love. You drive carefully and I'll see you when you get here', Price said ending the call.

In a daze, Cassie grabbed her laptop and an overnight bag, before securing the cabin. Pausing to gather herself and still her worry, she jumped into her truck and headed on the drive to the base.

Later that night, Price was there at the door to greet her with a warm hug, before leading her to get a cuppa and meet in his office. 'How you doing Worm?', he asked worried about the young woman.

Worm sighed 'Worried, stressed, trying not to think the worst', she answered honestly.

'Understandable. I might be a worn old bastard, but I still worry about my boys', he admitted with a chuckle.

'Where's Soap and Gaz?', Worm enquired.

'They're in Eastern Europe on another mission for a couple of weeks. They know about what happened and are keeping busy in their own way', Price concluded.

Worm nodded 'So what info do we have about the group Ghost was tracking?' she asked keen to get started.

Price shook his head 'I know you want to get straight to work Worm, but you need to get some rest, love. I'll give you a full briefing in the morning, then we can get started', Price cautioned with obvious kindness.

Worm started to protest, but Price stopped her, insisting that she get settled in her quarters and get some sleep. Worm had a restless night, filled with periods of tossing and turning and dreams of Ghost stuck injured in some desert somewhere.

---

Worm dragged herself out of bed, showered and dressed before heading downstairs to get some coffee. Price was already having a tea. He looked as though he hadn't slept much. Sitting with their drinks, Price filled in Worm on the details of Ghost's mission.

They had been investigating a newly formed group that had been responsible for two terrorist attacks in the area. Ghost and Farah's men had been tracking them, trying to find out where they were based, when they were ambushed.

With the group being new, very little was known to Farah, so she had been calling in as much intel from various groups and villages around the regions, trying to get some idea of where the terrorists base was or any clue to lead to them.

Getting set up the the IT office, Worm had access to all of their intel on the group, possible associations, details of the attacks and everything else that Farah had been sending Price during her search. Worm got to work analysing and cross referencing the intel with all known activity in the area and media reports from the local news stations.

Worm worked constantly, trying to find something that could help find Ghost. Price would check on her and assist in some of the work while checking out his own channels and contacts. However, by the end of Worm's first week at the base, they still had no new leads.

Worm was worried that time was running out for Ghost and Farah's men. Assuming that they had been captured by the group, they had been imprisoned for three weeks now. The realisation dawning on her that Ghost may no longer be be alive, scratched at her thoughts, but she refused to believe it or allow it to set in. She couldn't allow it to set in.

Price found her slumped over her keyboard, late one night. He observed the young woman with sadness and regret. He held her in such affection and it pained him to see her working herself to exhaustion to try to find Ghost. 

Gently shaking her awake, he regarded her sleepy face 'Worm love, go get some sleep. You can't be effective if you collapse from exhaustion', said helping her up from the chair.

The young woman protested, but Price was having none of it. He walked her to her quarters to make sure she did as he asked. Looking at the sadness on her face, Price took her hand and knelt in front of her.

'Worm, I know it looks bleak and the trail seems to be cold, but, remember that wherever Ghost is, you can be dammed sure he's gonna fight to get back to you', he expressed with honesty.

Worm looked up at his face, wanting to see some sign of hope 'I'm just worried it's too late, or he's too injured to fight' , Worm said sadly.

'Worm, I've known Simon for a long time and seen him in the worst of times. There's been missions where I know he didn't care if he came back, so long as the mission was a success and his team were safe. But since he found you, he's been a different man, determined to make it back home, no matter what. That's all for you' Price said softly.

Worm sobbed quietly and played with her ring. The ring that Simon made for her when he asked her to be his wife. 'After Bulgaria, we got married. I know it isn't legal but it meant so much to both of us' , she said tearfully, pulling the string from under her shirt, that had Simon's ring on it.

Price looked at the ring on the string 'Good to hear you made an honest man of him. Lets make sure that he gets back to wear this again' he said softly.