"Dad?"
Ghost and Laswell jerked their heads towards you when the three letters came out of you. Price looked at you with confusion and Gaz was by the door ready to take down the man you called 'dad'.
You shook her head back and forth rapidly, not believing the sight in front of you. Soap still held onto you to support you – not wanting to let you go and you injure yourself.
"I-its not possi-possible," you breathe out. Your chest heaving up and down real fast and your head becoming light.
The man named 'dad' stood at the door and in a split second, Ghost and Gaz had their pistols out and pointing them at the man's head.
The man at the door remained calm, "Harley, please let me explain". You continued to shake your head back and forth but now the shaking was becoming more violent, and you brought your hands up to your head. Soap pulled you to him and wrapped you in his arms.
"It was all a set up dear," the man said shakily. You lift your head out of Soaps chest and look at the man at the front door. You remove yourself from Soaps arms and slowly walk over to the entrance of the house. Slowly, the man holds his arms wide as if he is waiting for you to give him a hug. The closer you got to the man, the clearer your vision became and all the features your dad had, he had.
"It doesn't make any sense. I watched them shoot you in the head," you say a few feet away from him.
"Harley," Ghost says through gritted teeth, "Do you really think this is your dad? If not, I'll drop him right here."
You hold a hand up to him – telling him to wait. You cautiously stand in front of the man and look him in his eyes. He goes to open his mouth and you instantly grab a knife out of Ghosts pocket from his pants and slit his throat – blood spraying over your face and splattering on the floor. The man's hands immediately flew up to the slit in his throat as he fell to his knees. You draw the knife back once more and stab him in the neck. Your force pushing him over on his side.
"Reaper what the fuck?!" you hear Gaz yell at you. Some blood splattered onto him and the pool of blood pouring out of the man's neck was slowly leaking towards him and Price. Everything had happened so fast that nobody had time to process it until after the fact.
"That wasn't my dad," you say coldly. "And if for some chance it was him, it wasn't. We need to move. I'm sure he was sent by Michael's men and I'm sure there are more coming."
You hand Ghost back is knife and he grabs you by your shoulders and pulls you into his chest. "You okay?" he asks you in a low whisper by your ear. You nod your head and wrap your arms tightly around him. Just being in his arms made you feel safe, but when he held you tight, it made all your problems go away.
The deafening silence was soon replaced with two large trucks making their way fast down the driveway.
"Those your people?" you ask Price as you pull away from Ghost. Price looks over to you, "Let's hope so."
"If not, I'm sure you can handle them Reaper," Soap says as he walks towards you and giving you a slight punch in the shoulder.
The trucks came to a halt in front of the house. Dirt eloping around them catching up from their fast travels. The driver door opens on the first truck and a man stands up, turns, and faces the house – still in the truck.
"Aye cabrone!"
You slowly looked around confused while Gaz, Soap and Price walked out with smiles on their faces.
"Alejandro! How you been amigo?" Soap yells as he jogs off the porch and approaches Alejandro.
"Si amigo. Cant say the same for you my friend," Alejandro says grinning and eyeing Soap up and down.
"Ahh Alejandro...The ladies love me," Soap jokes back with him as he put his hand over his heart.
Laswell joins the rest of the guys out there, leaving you and Ghost in the house. "Who's Alejandro?" you ask him.
"An old friend that helped us take down a target several years ago." He sees the look on your face. "He can be trusted." That was all you needed. If Ghost trusts him, then you should too.
Ghost gives you a small kiss on your forehead through his mask and walks towards the front door. You turn and follow him.
"Ghost, my friend! How are you?!" Alejandro cheers.
"Good mate, and you?" Ghost perked back.
"Cant complain. Cant complain." Alejandro pauses and then looks at Ghost with a grin. "Aye, I heard you finally got yourself a little lady friend, eh?"
Ghost turns around and ushers his hand out to you. You take it and he gently pulls you to his side. "Alejandro, this is Reaper. Reaper, this is Alejandro."
You reach your hand out to him to shake his hand. "How did you pull this Ghost?" Alejandro taunts as he takes your hand and places a soft kiss at the top of it.
"Solo estoy aqui para hacerlo lucir bien" [I'm just here to make him look good], you retort back. Alejandros face lit up and Ghost jerked his head back in shock.
"La bella dama habla Espanol" [The pretty lady speaks Spanish], Alejandro exclaimed.
You snort as you take your hand back, "I was stationed in Mexico for about half a year and didn't have a choice but to learn."
"Aye, I'm glad someone else does. Now I have someone to talk shit to about these locos." Alejandro grins wide at you before turning and greeting with Laswell, Gaz and Soap.
"I didn't know you knew Spanish," Ghost says to you.
You turn to look at him, "I'm fluent in 6 other ones too. Makes it easier to interrogate people whenever they 'don't speak English'" you say as you air quote 'don't speak English'.
Ghost wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you to him, "You seem to amaze me more and more every day."
"Pft, whatever," you reply as you roll your eyes.
"You two lovebirds going to stay here or you loading up and getting the hell out?!" Gaz yells from the tailgate of the second truck.
"Might do a bit of both Garrick," Ghost yells back. His deep voice rumbling his chest. Gaz holds up his middle finger to you both and grins.
After several minutes, all the bags are loaded into the truck bed, and everyone gets in between the two trucks, and you make your way to wherever Price has set up. The ride to the new base was long, but everyone was on edge the entire time – looking for snipers or some of Michaels men. The man who proclaimed to be your father, you just left there inside the house. Price mentioned that he knew people that would come in and clean up the mess, but you knew you couldn't go back until this mission had been handled fully.
You dozed off on the way to the base, resting your head on Ghosts shoulder. He lifted his arm so you could lay your head on his lap and get comfier while he watched out the window and looking over you for safety. Again, you felt safe. Ghost rested his arm on your side and the weight of his arm lulled you back to sleep.
---------
The truck coming to a stop woke you up. Light pierced through the windows of the truck, hurting your eyes. You felt Ghost shift in the seat, and you slowly lifted your head from his lap. He opens the door to the truck and climbs out, while you follow – stumbling behind him. Your legs felt like static from being in the same cramped position for a long time.
"Where are we?" you ask out loud.
"Senorita, welcome to Los Vaqueros. My base here in Mexico," Alejandro replied.
The morning was warm and humid as you stretched your legs following Ghost to the back of the truck to get your bags. "I got these love," Ghost told you with both arms carrying yours and his bags. You didn't dare protest back, knowing it would be pointless.
You turn to face Alejandro, "Where are we staying?".
"Ah, this way senorita," he tells you with a grin. Ghost lets out a grunt as he shifts and grips the bags more securely. "You sure you don't want me to help you with those?" you ask.
"Walk woman," he cuts back at you. You give a toothy grin and roll your eyes following Alejandro.
"My casa is your casa. [My house is your house]," he tells you both as you walk into the base. "I'm assuming you two will want to sleep together."
Before you could answer, Ghost beat you to it, "Yes." His tone serious.
"Say no more amigo." You couldn't see Alejandro, but you could tell he was smiling. He brought you to a door at the end of the long hallway. A door that was secluded by itself and away from the rest of the doors and rooms down the hall.
Before opening the door, he turns around to the both of you, "One thing I know about Ghost, he likes his privacy. I'm giving you the best room here," he pauses. "Now, it may be a little dusty, but it will do." He turns back around and unlocks the door – opening it.
He flicks the light switch, and the luminous light filled the room. It was a nice size room – bigger than a traditional bedroom in any base you had ever been to. Simple and not too cluttered. A queen bed sat to the right when you walked in with two nightstands on either side. A TV parallel to the bed on the left when you walked in and a dresser underneath the TV.
There was a door to the right of the TV and dresser and Alejandro walked over to it. "Not only do you two get an exclusive bedroom, but you also get a private bathroom too." He opened the door and turned the light on in there. The bathroom was your average bathroom. Double sinks, a stand-up shower and a toilet. Simple.
"The closet is beside the shower," Alejandro told you and Ghost. You walk past Alejandro and into the bathroom getting a look around. No, it wasn't as nice as the one back home, but it would definitely do. You walked past the double sinks and shower and walked into the rectangle opening in the wall. It was a nice size walk in closet, and you liked the fact that it was also a part of the bathroom so when you go out of the shower, you could just step right into the closet and get ready.
"Thank you, Alejandro. Really and truly," Ghost says as he reaches his hand out towards him to shake his hand.
"Anytime amigo. I know you would do it for us," he replies as he hands Ghost the key to the bedroom.
"Of course," Ghost replies.
Alejandro takes a few steps away from Ghost, "Ill leave you two to unpack and settle in. Dinner will be around 1900."
Ghost gives a nod while you give Alejandro a warm smile. He walks out the bedroom, shutting the door. Ghost walks over to you and wraps his arm around your tiny body. "Welcome to our new home baby," he says as he holds you tightly in his arms.