"Take off your shirt, soldier."
"No."
"It's an order."
"The fuck is an order!? I'm fine." You spat as you back away from the Lieutenant, sitting yourself on a couch while give a pressure to your right abdomen. Trying to prevent the blood to flowing out more. "It's just a scratch. I can help myself." You added but then suddenly hissed when you accidentally pressing too hard.
"I am not repeating myself, y/n." He warned as he stands in front of you, arms crossed, casting down his eyes to glare at you.
You looked up at him defiantly as your breath visibly getting heavier and shallower.
The tension slowly rising as the air become thick.
"Fuck.." You mumbled as you slowly take off your shirt, leaving the top of you in only your black sports bra.
The right side of your abdomen is covered with red. Blood was still flowing out of the wound. It almost looks like a leaking pipe.
Then Ghost crouches down to your eye level, he leans in closer to inspect the gun shot wound.
Fortunately, the bullet just graze passed your abdomen, from the front to the side, but still deep enough even though not getting through or stuck inside. If that's the case, it would be one hell of a work in this middle out of nowhere in Las Almas. Let alone it's getting darker when the night comes.
Simon proceeds to help you with the injury, using all the things he can find to at least stop the bleeding. With only the help of a single light bulb right on top of them.
You tried to bit your lip to prevent any sound out everytime he needs to pressed the wound. Not wanting to appear as weak in front of him. While him, on the other hand, trying his best to be gentle.
Fuck me, it's hurts like bitch.
You keep your focused on Simon to try not to passed out while he treated your wound. Your mind wandering back to the past event that got you both in situation.
Ghost offered to drive because you still eating your ice cream. You hesitated for a second because you know what a shitty driver he is. But then you thought it won't hurt anyone because around this time, 5.30 PM, Las Almas usually become quieter before they will out again after 7.00 PM. Until now, you still don't know why it's like that.
When you're just starting to leave not too far from the convenience store, you notice from the rearview mirror that there's a white van following behind. At first you thought it's just your mind playing trick with you. Because the van maybe have the same direction as you.
Simon also noticed this, he also had the same thought as you. But after another 10 minutes where he voluntarily just moving around the town, the white van still following.
It makes both you and Ghost looking at each other for a moment.
"You know somewhere safe?" He asked, his tone is low.
"Yes, there's a safe house Ale, Rudy, and I used to hide."
He nodded at your words. And without further discussion, you both quickly switched in work mode. No playing and all serious.
You lead Ghost through the road of Las Almas, trying to cut the van from your tail. But they keep coming back. It's like they know where you want to go.
So you quickly take the rifle that is hiding under the passenger seat, rolling down the window and let half your body out. Aiming the gun to the driver seat only to be met with the same action from the van.
But they have more comfortable position to shoot because there's a small window that can be open on top of the van. You couldn't care less about the disadvantaged. Then you back to focused on aiming.
It seems both side know not to waste any bullet and make unnecessary noise to alert Las Almas at this sacred hour.
Right when Ghost making a turn right, you pressed the trigger and precisely hitting the driver seat. But then a sharp pain in your right abdomen alerting you that you've also been hit.
You hissed as you take another shot at the one shooting you. Quickly taking him down then getting back inside the car. Placing the gun in between your legs while your hand pressing the wound.
Ghost looked at you, concerned, but you didn't notice this because your mind is too preoccupied by getting out of this shit.
You lead Ghost again to finally get out of Las Almas and into the safe house.
"Go get some rest, I'll call Alejandro." He gets up from his position then place the rest of the things he's been using to tend your injury on a small drawer beside the couch.
"No. Don't." You immediately warned him as you tried to stand up but quickly regretting your decision because it makes the pain shoot through your body. Making you sit again. "Fuck."
"Don't use your phone. There's another phone in the back of the room. I don't know where, use that." You speak again before Ghost can asked you question.
He is going to ask anyway but when he sees how you are seem in a lot of pain, he holds back then walking to the back of the room.
You let out a deep sigh when Ghost didn't question you. You lean back against the couch as you rest your head on it. Slightly closing your eyes to calm your breath.
Silence fell between the two.
Only sound of Ghost rummaging through the back of the room can be heard, accompanied by the night breeze and the noise of night animal outside.
After some moment, he finally comes back with a burner phone in his hand.
He sits beside you. "Let me start the call." You slowly open your eyes, looking at him.
He just looked at you for a brief second before looking back down to the burner, turning it on then take out his own phone to looking for Alejandro's number in it.
Typing the number in the burner, he immediately dialed after he's done. Holding the phone in front of you.
It rings for a second before someone finally picked it up.
"Who's this?"
"El Sin Nombre es una mujer." (El Sin Nombre is a woman.)
"¿Dónde?" (Where?)
"Запертый в камере." (Locked in a Chamber.)
This is the first time Ghost heard you talking in Russian. It would be a lie if he said he doesn't like it. You have soft accent when you talk in Russian and your voice become softer and more gentle which is very much different when you talk in English.
"Fucking hell y/n! Where the fuck are you!?" Alejandro's voice visibly change to worry once the secret code had been passed. "Is Ghost with you?"
"Calm down, Ale. For now we are safe and yes, I'm with Lt." You slowly replied as you tried not to get yourself to worked up. The throbbing ache is still there.
"Where are you? Qué pasó? Estás bien?" (Where are you? What happened? Are you okay?)
You tried not to laugh from his consecutive questions, it's always cute to see him every time he's worried sick.
"That's not funny, Chamber. Are you in the safe house?"
"Yes, arhh-- Lt. will explain the rest." You look at Ghost and nod at him before resting your head against the couch, closing your eyes again.
"Colonel." Ghost addressed him.
"What happened to the both of you, hermano? All of us worried sick when none of you answer your goddamn phone." It's clear in his voice that Alejandro trying his best not to shout after hearing how your voice seem in so much pain.
Simon begins to tell him about what happened. Starting from where you both left the convenience store and how when you just getting to drive, this white van already following.
He makes sure to detail the time and how they kind of mimick your both movement. Even though it's a small thing but no ones know if that can be useful.
And he also makes sure to tell the Colonel about your wound. How you will need to be seen by a medic again. It irritated you when you heard what he said about you, made you opened your eyes to glare at him. And he just simply looking at you while he keeps talking to the phone.
After some other details, it's silent on the other line.
You furrowed your brow at this. "Do you think they know?"
"Me temo que lo son." (I'm afraid they are.)
"Трахни меня." (Fuck me.)
"Who are they?" Ghost asked when he heard you talked in Russian again.
You shake your head at his question. "We also don't know. These people always on our tail since I can remember. We tried to looking for them once to end it forever, but it almost cost our lives and not to say, we failed." You sighed at the memory. If you can, you really want to end them all by yourself.
"How's your wound, amor?"
"It's okay, I'm breathing."
"Stay low for now. We'll go to pick you both by early morning."
"Copy that." You and Ghost answered in unison.
"Alright, get some rest."
With that, Alejandro ended the call. Simon got up to place the phone back to its place. Then he goes back to his seat. Both of you sit in silence. No one start a conversation.
Another minutes passed like an eternity when Ghost finally made the first topic. "Are you Russian?"
It makes you look at him for a second before you look ahead again, "Yes." You quietly muttered. Unsure why he suddenly ask the question.
"So when Price mentioned about your childhood it's because you're literally from Russian?"
Again, all you can do is answer him with a quiet "yes".
"Does Price know?"
You let out a chuckle when you heard his question, "What do you think?" Now you look at him again, eyes full of amusement. You want to see how this man will interrogate you this time. But for now, you have no intention to back down and wanting to see how far he will try to take the information out of you.
"Then why do you seem to be hiding it?"
"Same as to why you're hiding your past, sir."
You could feel him getting a little tense when you mentioned his past. But as soon as you feel it, it disappeared.
He is really good to hide his emotion.
That's why he's the Ghost.
You can't help but internally smile at this. As much as you don't really have a good relationship with him in person, he's still one of your favorite character.
And to say when you first join 141 you want to be close to him and know more about him, it's said enough about your interest in him.
"How long have you known the Colonel?"
You raised your eyebrows a little when the question move to another topic. "Long enough to know there's a huge change in Los Vaqueros since last time I left." You shrugged as you looked away from him and look down at the bandages wrapped around your stomach to cover your right abdomen.
"So you're one of them?"
"No. Let's say..." You trailed off as you look ahead again. Leaning back against the coach trying to get comfortable without hurting yourself. "I'm one of their acquaintances. Their trusted friend."
Then it's silence again.
The night air getting colder. The breeze that passing through the open window wouldn't help at all. Sound of crickets and another night animal slowly become apparent as the night goes by.
"You want to know something, Lt.?" You suddenly ask as your eyes once again met with his cold one.
The man remained silent.
This is what he had been waiting for.
For you to say something like this that maybe will lead to something he desperately want to know after all this time. But when the times come, it's very much different about how he really feels about it. And he doesn't like it one bit.
Because he isn't the one in control.
So Ghost ended up just staring at you. He doesn't give any acceptance nor rejection.
It makes you let out a soft chuckle.
"О, призрак... То, что ты делаешь со мной." (Oh, Ghost... The things you do to me.) The way you speaks in your mother language stir something in him. But it's not like you can see it because of the mask doing its job to protect what's underneath.
If only I could take off his mask...
You shake your head at the thought. Letting out yet another soft chuckle then looking away again. Breaking eye contact. You rest your head against the couch, looking up at the wooden ceiling. Closing your eyes.
Maybe it's the blood loss doing to you, but you kind of feel light headed.
"Do you trust me, Lieutenant?" You softly asked.
"No."
You can't help but let out a small smile at the corner of your lips. You always loved how he was so blunt with his words. "I know. Then do you trust Captain?"
"I am."
"That's good."
You open your eyes again. Then suddenly move yourself to crawl to him. Slowly and steadily as your eyes locked with him. When your hand reach to hold his chest and lean closer, he finally makes a move by holding your wrists. It made you chuckle again as you shake your head.
You lean in closer to whisper in his ear.
"If captain told you to keep an eyes on me because of what happened in their mission, just do what he said." Your voice barely above a whisper. It's soft and ticklish. You can feel his grip tightened around your wrists.
"Just so you know, I won't let any of you die. You're too precious for me to let that happens before my eyes."
With that, you fell with a soft thud on Ghost. Immediately closing your eyes.
Ghost narrowed his eyes when he feels your weight fully on him. When he's about to move you from on top of him, his hand accidentally brush your right abdomen just to feel his hand soaking wet with something.
He brought it up only to be met with a faint red on his glove. It makes him gritted his teeth.
He knows that he didn't completely close your wound due to the lack of equipment here. But that was the best he could do. Or else it will get worse faster than this.
The man let out a soft sigh.
"The things you do to me..." He looked into your closed eyes.
Simon moves to adjust your position so you lay comfortably against him. His hand carefully wrapping your shirt around your stomach to make another pressure to slow the bleeding. Then he carefully take off his jacket to drop it on you, so you won't get cold.
It's the least he could do.
His eyes come to examine your sleeping state. You look so peaceful like this. Especially in his arms. But when his eyes landed on your lips that now slowly losing its rosy color, he tightened his hands around you. To secure you even more. Hoping that he can keep the warm for you.
For you to rest comfortably through the night.
Praying to whatever God up there that he could chased away the nightmare that always hunt you the past three days he's been with you. You aren't aware with this, but Ghost knows how you always stir a lot in your sleep in the middle of the night, how you sweating so much, how your face contort to discomfort, but even with all the commotions going, you won't wake up.
It seems you can't.
And while him, on the other hand, even though he won't admit it himself, he'd been having a peaceful night without his nightmare with only your presence.
How he hate to accept the fact.
He would only wake up when your nightmare come, kneeling beside your bed, holding your hand to at least provides some comfort.
With all that thoughts swimming around his endless mind, he fell asleep hearing your steady heartbeat.
While still asking himself, what did you say to him in your native language a moment ago?
Neither of both knowing that they have said the exact same sentences. The difference is for you to said in your mother language, too scared to said it out loud and exposed yourself. And him, just having the courage to say it when you're fast asleep. Like he always do.
As always.
If only these two weren't so stubborn...
- - -
Words count : 2825.
With love, Seven.