✅️Bonus POV: John "Soap" MacTavish
The raids were becoming more vicious as time went on. The amount of wounded operatives started to be overwhelming, and some supplies were ending faster than others. The dusty, hot and ominous environment we were deployed in it wasn't helping either, and at that point we needed a miracle for somes cases. Captain Price came by to check-in on my improvised infirmary, seeing a nearly depleted supplies cache and an exhausted medic.
- Things seems a bit concerning, Doc... What's the status?
- Just exactly as you're seeing, Captain... I'm nearly out of everything. If it comes another batch of soldiers in jarring conditions, we will have to start playing God and choose who needs the most... And I'm praying to not resort to that.
- We will have to get you replacements then. - he scratched his beard, all pensive. - I'll call for an emergency meeting and tie up this loose end for you.
- That would be much appreciated, Captain. You'll be making my job easier.
- No problem, Doc. You need tools, we have the means to get it.
I beamed up upon his statement, and informally saluted him. He smiled back and left, yelling for specific names while walking away. I took a deep breath and took a second look around, trying to find scraps to separate for any immediate inconvenience.
Soap showed up and immediately hugged me from behind, landing a kiss on the back of my neck. I shivered in excitement.
- What can I do for you, Sargeant? - I jeered.
- Besides the great sex, I heard that you need some medical stuff.
- And since when provoking me is part of the request? - I couldn't hold a giggle.
- It's relaxing and it activates some enzymes I don't remember the name... - he chuckled.
- Oxytocin, endorfins... - I laughed.
- These ones right there, doc!
Soap was indeed making me less stressed out. His hyped demeanor was contagious, and helped me out in numerous occasions. I liked him more than I cared to admit, but what we had at that moment was more than enough.
I couldn't expect him to go all the way for me anyway, like a serious relationship. He was still processing his feelings for Elise, and I was just being the friend who supports him.
...Why was I feeling upset about that?
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I decided to seek for some instant coffee; exhaustion was starting to loom over and I had too much to do. I bashfully sneaked into Soap's tent and looked for some coffee, being unsuccessful. Frustrated, I walked to the warehouse and checked if any of the station soldiers had some instant coffee to spare.
Asked to one; nothing. Asked to another; an apologetic nothing. Asked another; a rude nothing. Frustration was all I had. I decided to angrily return to the infirmary tent; clearly wasted my time. I should've known better; we were deployed in a horrifying place on limited conditions, of course everything would eventually ran out.
Suddenly I heard a loud sound; seemed like some sort of explosion. My stomach dropped, the sound was close in range. I ran to the infirmary tent, grabbed the spare pistol from the medicine cabinet and hid myself, sensing the fear creeping into my mind and my soul as the chaos started to unravel outside.
Screams and loud gasps, sounds of gunshots, more explosions... A bloodbath was being made, and the noises were getting closer and more gorey. People were being executed in a horrible way out there!
I didn't want to die.
Was everybody dead...?
Captain Price... Ghost... Elise...
Soap...!
Panick stricken, with broken breathing and nervously trembling, I was trying to desperately keep the grip on the pistol despite the profusely sweaty hands. Crouching became a painful task, my leg muscles were too tensed up and my knees were in shambles.
I flinched in absolute terror when the tent fabric was suddenly ripped apart; all I could see was the sunlight invading the cramped up space. I could hear their voices rambling in a very aggressive tone, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. Sounded like foreign language...
Where was everybody?!? What kind of nightmare was that?!?
My heart was pounding, my lungs were struggling to keep air flowing, the inside my nostrils were burning from the hot dry air. My stomach was churning. I was scared. My mind flashed all kinds of bullet wounds, all the deaths I've seen it happening, all the types of pain. I was spiralling, I didn't want to die in the middle of nowhere. My mom... I couldn't talk to my mom...! Oh gods... OH GODS, HELP ME!!!
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✅️ "Soap" MacTavish's POV: Mazrah abandoned oil rig; time_unknown.
Price had set up a meeting at the warehouse, stating on the briefing that Angelina needed medical supplies, and we would be on a raid through Mazrah to get that for her. And for that he enlisted me, LT and Elise, since according to him, "we had good military synergy"... Whatever he wanted to mean with that. We've set up our gears, grabbed extra ammo and left for our best option; an abandoned oil rig located at 3 miles away from the warehouse. We all hopped on a tactical jeep and left.
The trip was awkward. I was fidgeting the patch of my vest, trying to focus. I wanted to see Angie again before I'd leave, but the mission was time sensitive. I noticed Elise's inquiring glare through the rear mirror, making me feel too self-conscious.
- ...You seem worried, Johnny. It's about the greek medic?
- Her name is Angelina.
- Oh, okay... - she jeered. - No nicknames, no battle calls, just intimacy right off the bat?
- Why do you care, Elise? - I spat, trying to keep civil.
- Not that I care... I just find funny that...
- Find what funny exactly? - I growled, ready to rile things up. - I have something going on with Angelina, so what?
- Nothing! Jeez! Easy with the fangs there!
- I'm taking it easy, Elise. Easy as I can take.
Lt was awfully quiet, witnessing the weird conversation unraveling inside of the jeep, driving towards the spot. He knew I was hooking up with Angie, and he was also aware that I knew that he had some tickle in his pants for her. Honestly that whole situation was a serious fuck-up... And I wasn't ready to unpack and sort it all out. Not on those conditions.
We stopped by some village ruins, hiding ourselves behind house debris around Taraq. The oil rig was in a walking distance, so it wasn't much of a problem.
We waltzed through the debris and searched for medical supplies in container houses around the abandoned oil rig. It seemed too quiet... Too easy.
We knew for a fact that we were being heavily watched by the militia, but the silence was bothering me. Something wasn't right, and I couldn't shake it off the feeling. I got a hold of the comms and vented my suspicions.
- LT... It's all too easy.
- I agree.
- We're usually ambushed at the slightest movement... I don't like this.
- Captain Price said he would be out in mission too, right...? - Elise seemed tense.
- Fucking hell... - Ghost's tone was concerning. - The first response comms is off.
- ...The warehouse is vulnerable!!! FUCK! - I growled in fear.
- We must go back, NOW! - Elise was frantic.
We gathered the spare supplies as much as we could and desperately rushed back to the jeep, driving to an insane speed. I was shaking; Angelina was alone in there!!! Those fucking stationed bawheids wouldn't be enough to defend her!!! FUCK!
Halfway through we almost hit a stone and turned the jeep; bloody Jesus, LT is really shitty at driving!
I hopped out of the fucking jeep, running as fast as I could to the outdoor tents... My blood ran cold and my heart painfully skipped a beat. The carnage was nefarious! Bullet capsules everywhere, the smell of burnt smoke with blood... Holy cross of Jesus, so many dead bodies... I looked around, my heart was pounding. I wasn't being able to locate her, worsening my fear.
Where was Angie?!?
I desperately ran towards where it should be the infirmary tent; my stomach was dropping. I ripped the tent entrance apart to only find signs of struggle and blood spats on the floor, but no sign of her. I was shaking and disoriented; doolally out of my mind. LT reappeared, he seemed worried.
- They took her hostage.
- Bloody crossed Jesus...! Hostage?!?
- Positive. I found this. - LT showed me her white jacket, now filthy with blood and dirt.
- Angie... - My heart hurt.
- We must contact Price ASAP and come up with a plan.
- You can contact Price... I'm getting Angie back.
- Don't haste yourself, Johnny. We all will be rescuing her. - LT placed his hand on my shoulder, trying to stop me.
- While we're here chit chatting, God knows what they are doing to her!
- Take deep breaths, Johnny... They left message. - Elise yelled from across the entrance.
I turned myself towards Elise, still taken by the adrenaline jolt running through my system. I walked in a haste to her direction, in hopes that I wasn't being deluded. She started to walk towards the middle of the warehouse, pointing to a comms laptop, conveniently open.
I was dreading to watch whatever it was recorded in there, but Elise didn't want to wait and pressed the button to play. I was feeling the chill run up in my spine.
A bunch of terrorists where blabbing incoherence, until a particular one took the central spot and started to speak in botched english.
"We have the woman! You infidels need her! We exchange! Just obey and the woman don't die! We want weapons cache! We be waiting."
My stomach dropped upon seeing them handling Angelina like she was a bag of trash, pulling her by the hair. She was hurt; with a bloodied cut on her temple, and had cried profusely. A sudden slap on her face made me flinch; I couldn't watch anymore. I closed the laptop in one swoop; I needed to rescue Angie.
I couldn't imagine my days without her.
She was my Mo' Leannan.