You tore the keys from the enemy's belt, reporting to Keegan as you went along. You unlocked the small cell where an unconscious soldier sat, head bowed and shaded blood tracing their features.
You gnawed the restraints with your simple knife, fraying the rope until it came loose. You gave a couple rough taps to their face while checking for pulse, they were alive but passed out. It wasn't much extra weight for you as you hauled them over your shoulder.
Holding them in a lock just how you'd been taught too. The issue was getting back out without running into danger. You passed a curved desk, seeing a thick folder of paper, although the cover was blank your gut urged you to take it.
It was simple enough, retracing your steps. You flipped up your night vision goggles, squinting at the bright day that met you at the end of the exit tunnel. The slope was slightly more challenging, having to keep a grip with your boots.
Finding small rigid edges of stone to haul yourself up, trying not to drop the soldier you carried. She was a female and looked badly injured, the papers had said the investigation had started two days after they lost signal.
It was lucky you found them still alive but considering the fact Specgru had been so busy lately, soldiers would start to slip by unnoticed. You trudged back towards the waiting convoy, passing over mounds of dirt and jagged stone.
Approaching the vehicle you seen Keegan with a male soldier, sitting up in the back with the open door drinking some water. Keegan spotted you after following the soldiers gaze, jogging over with a huff.
He took the soldier from your shoulder with ease, slinging her over his own as you held your shoulder and eased the muscles a bit. "Injury status?" Keegan asked, helping the soldier into the back.
"I'm all clear but these guys aren't." you say, looking over the male. "You drive, I'll sit up back and do what I can." you say, climbing into the truck as Keegan passes over the med kits.
***
You finished off the observation list, handing the clipboard over to the nurse who nodded in thanks. You had done what you could for them both, the two of them would recover but they wouldn't betray SG, resulting in more abuse.
You and Keegan had taken them into the medbay after reporting back to Cooper, you filled out a form for the injuries you had noticed and what you had done as extra precaution before turning to Keegan with a tired sigh.
"Wasn't too bad, huh?" Keegan says as you both head for the exit.
"Could've been worse." you shrug, feeling the folder hidden securely under your vest. He hums a response, sounding tired himself as you both walk across base. "Thought there would be more hassle, no?" you add.
"With you on that lil mama." Keegan chuckles, both of you standing by the elevator before it dings and opens, revealing the empty area.
"It couldn't of been smart mama? - or even 'really super cool and talented mama." you say with a small laugh, both stepping in and pressing the floor button.
"Little was the first thing I thought in all honesty." he says simply glancing at you.
"I'm unsure if I should be offended or not." you say with a small frown. He brushes his hand dismissively as the elevator doors open.
"Don't be offended" he chuckles, as you step out and turn to walk backwards as he follows you. "Could've been worse."
"Never been called that one before, you usually call me a 'pain in the ass' or not a name but you say it so much, might as well- 'Rookie get the fuck out and stop touching my stuff'." you say in your best Keegan voice.
"Yeah, well your always being a pain and messing up my office." Keegan says with a laugh shaking his head. "..Sometimes when I stress, I try recall a comforting moment to help and usually it tends to be my mother." he explains as you walk towards the offices.
"We lived in this little neighborhood, it was a pretty tight community, and my mom was known well, worked as a doctor, earned her medical degree young, but she was always fussing about people's health n' always finding a way to help others."
"Townsfolk would call her mama, because she would act like everyone's mother, it was a friendly nickname that would make her laugh every time, - guess it sounds a little weird." he shrugs.
You grin, "You're a mama's boy."
Keegan scowls, "No I'm not." he defends quickly.
"Well, makes me feel very mature being called 'lil mama' ... I think" you say furrowing your brows in thought.
"Really-?" he chuckles, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Makes me feel old when you said big daddy." he grins, and you return it.
"I did the opposite of what you said." you say proudly.
"Doesn't take a genius to figure that out rook." he says as you frown at his snarky comment. You both head down the hallway of offices, halting as Ghost exits his office, annoyance in his narrowed eyes and body language.
He stops, noticing you both. His irritated look fading slightly as his eyes settled on you before furrowing. "What happened?" he asked, stepping forwards to inspect you as you give him a confused look.
You realize it's the blood that was from the last enemy you'd encountered. "Oh, I'm not hurt-" you say as he pauses his outstretched hand. "Went on a mission but we are both fine, hostage rescue." you add.
He hums, stepping back "Who captained?" he asked.
"It was just me and Keegs, they had no captains on standby so he took the role." you say giving a small smile.
Ghost glanced at Keegan his gaze narrowed slightly, "Right." he muttered returning his eyes to you, his eyes darting about as he quickly analyzed you for anything off. "There's a meeting in an hour." he adds.
His eyes lock onto yours and he shifts. "What do you have?" Ghost asks you with a slight hint of suspicion in his tone.
Some part of you knew he was talking about the files, you weren't exactly a believer in 'feelings' those ones that would 'tell you something'. But the files you had grabbed from the mission had your gut turning.
You weren't going to hand them in for analysis until you seen them yourself. "What do you mean?" you ask, playing the naive game.
"I know you have something, what is it?" he asks again more firmly.
"I have nothing sir." you mutter.
"Mhm." he mutters unconvinced, you can feel Keegans eyes on you, but you keep your gaze away from his and locked on Ghost, you know looking away will make him realize your nervous or on edge, only proving his suspicions. "Office." he grunts, nodding his head in the direction.
"Why? - I have nothing I've told you." you say, a slight attitude seeping through your words even though you try to hold it. You tend to return one's tone, someone gets annoyed at you and that irritates you.
"You're lying rook, if I was to search you right now and find something what would the excuse be- or 'reason' hm?" he said, shifting his stance, standing taller to assert his authority that hangs heavy in the air.
You can't tell if it's a trick question, if you should reply or not. The explanation 'gut feeling' didn't exactly feel reliable, and for you to keep insisting it's nothing would get yourself in more trouble.
You change your course of action, you knew he'd search you, there was no doubt. Especially with all the tension in the air, the recent rumors of spies. You let your attitude through, keeping it controlled, a simple act to get away.
You scoff in disbelief, like your offended by his words and fold your arms, your posture slackening. "I'm not doing this with you Ghost." you mutter, a snarky tone dripping from your words as you say his name.
His eyes narrow slightly and glass over, a thought crossing his mind. You don't want a response, turning on your heels your prepared to walk away calm and composed. "Do what exactly?" he says back, his tone matching yours.
"Whatever you're trying to do." you say dismissively with a hand gesture over your shoulder while you walk away.
"And where are you going?" he asks, he doesn't follow and you can tell Keegan is just watching, confused. You shrug, racking your brain for answers but finding nothing. "A little respect for your superior's rookie, you know that." he grunts.
You scowl, your back to him but you pause either way. "Typical of you to bring ranks into this." you say, keeping your back away as you try rerouting your plan.
"When you're telling the truth and accusations are pointed towards you, you become defensive. When you lie you become dismissive." he says from behind you down the hall. "Now I advise you come back here."
You groan, making your annoyance clear. Something telling you that these files shouldn't be seen by anyone but you, your aware it's idiotic, to trust your gut, you hardly trusted yourself. To cause a scene that could potentially lose trust from your team was risky.
You walk back over to him, arms folded as Keegan looks at you, wondering himself what exactly is happening but not taking sides, his eyes dart back and forth like he's trying to look for what Ghost saw.
You stop in front of him with irritation etched within your brows, "What?" you murmur.
Ghost's eyes turn into a glare and Keegan makes an amused noise, cutting off as Ghost switches his gaze to Keegan, "Back to your office solider." Ghost says as Keegan gives you one last look before walking off.
"My office rookie." he says once more, his glare is directed, his eyes boring into you. You don't reply, standing for a few seconds waiting for him to go in first but he doesn't. He steps back, allowing you entry.
You give him one last look before walking in front of him, he follows you in, purposely close behind trying to intimidate you. Although he does a little bit, you don't let it show. He passes you, standing by his desk.
The silence is eerie, it doesn't add an awkward feeling but instead a tension that weighs on your shoulders with each passing second. The sound of his wall clock ticking is painfully loud, his eyes never wavering.
"Rookie, I've given you more chances to own up than I would any other soldier... it's established that I know you're lying and still you deny me. Give me a solid reason and few other circumstances and I'll let it be." he says, leaning against the front of his desk, arms folded.
You sigh, dropping your voice back to its usual flat tone. "Just some papers I took that I want to see." you mumble, giving in instantly.
"Any specific reason why?" he says, his tone dropping from its demanding formality.
"Just a feeling ..?" you mutter with slight uncertainty as you look away. "What are the other circumstances - if you let me away with it, what else do you want." you ask, repeating his words in your head.
"I want to know what's in them too, and what exactly you got out of it." he says.
You pull the thick folder out from your vest; it was hidden well but it looked as if you were wearing a ceramic bullet proof plate. The cover was still blank, a few bloody fingerprints from where you had grabbed it. "It's this, I haven't looked yet but..." you trail off.
"A feeling?" he finishes as you nod. You can tell he's in thought before he stands up straight. "Alright, but don't expect me to defend you when Price finds out." he says.
"If Price finds out." you say, tilting your head. "Not when I'm there at least." you say with a small smile.
He hums in response, "Whatever you say Rookie." he says shaking his head. "Whatever you find, you tell me the whole of it, no lies, no 'forgotten' details, the truth, understood?" he says.
"Yes sir." you say with a nod, tucking the files under your arm as you head for the door.
"Goodgirl." he says.