Scence- It was late at night, past midnight, the winds were blowing. The night was cold yet the distant cry of animals and insects made it seem unearthly. The moon shone, reverent in the dark sky with no stars visible.
Time- 02:22 hours
Area- Outskirts of "Urzikstan"
*Classified OP*
The scenery was quite and sombre, the night was swelling in its dullness. The quite wind was passing by, only thing that could be seen in the dark night in the surrounding forest was faint curl of dying ember, followed by puff of smoke.
A shadow stood in the side of a half broken tree, puffing out the smoke out the dying cigarette when the static buzzed and intercom came alive:
"John, you copy?"
It was laswell's voice.
Captain price who had finally found a moment to enjoy the cigarette flicks it away crushing the butt before pressing the intercom replying the smoke curling from his mouth while he speaks his British accent heavy with unknown restrain:
"How copy kate. Out here."
After a while of the message laswell's voice is heard again saying:
"Tell me you found the target captain."
Price exhales an air which is neither a sigh nor a resignation when he says:
"My boys are on the work, Kate."
With this message he disappears in the shadows.
There was no message on the other hand just a static indicating that the message went through and only response was calm and clipped:
"Roger that."
Price presses his comm killing an enemy soldier saying,
"How copy boys?"
Soap is first one to answer in his usual Scottish lit that follows his joking voice,
"Aye cap'n enjoying the wee time."
Gaz followed with his serious note,
"Few clicks away from the target site cap'n."
Ghost being ghost stays quite although working efficiently in the dark.
All of them move with precise efficiency towards the target site no one missing a single beat.
Following ghost silence price presses the comm again asking,
"Ghost how copy?"
Ghost obliqued to reply says in cold curt tone his British accent gravely,
"Almost there."
On ghost reply soap couldn't resist the urge and says,
"Taking ye'r time eh LT?"
Ghost replies to it by saying,
"I'm afraid so Johnny."
Laswell intercepts the banter by saying,
"Less taking, more working boys, we need the target."
Gaz finally follows up by saying,
"Aye madam."
Price cuts through on serious note hoping to dismiss the banter,
"Focus. Watch your six."
Soap joins the convo again his voice ringing everyone's ears saying,
"We find the bastard before he slips again." He says in irritated voice.
On his serious tone gaz finally says,
"Johnny.. did I hear you being serious?"
Soap who could not contain reply finally says, "Took you by surprise eh Gaz?"
Gaz replied by saying, "Quite so."
Price again cuts the banter by saying,
"Enough. Watch your six. Focus."
Ghost who has been quite, stays quite hearing everything but choosing not to say anything. Typical ghost behaviour.
As the team, task force 141 moved forward, cutting through the thick forest, their sharp footsteps echoing faintly to the shadows and their quite banter as they kept taking down the enemies quitely in the dark.
Ghost took down two enemies in dark staying in night vision when he heard a crackle, it was the voice as if the air had rippled and faint electric was felt in the wind from somewhere nearby. He turned towards the direction with precise efficiency.
As he reached the source of the sound to his astonishment he didn't find a geared soldier, he found a girl, a civvie at that. In the middle of forest, in the middle of world class OP.
He immediately raised his gun not wanting to fall for the enemy bait. He saw the girl in her cap, jeans, tshirt and shoes. Normal civvie clothes. But nevertheless, he kept his rifle raised at her face, it can't be a coincidence, there can't be any mistakes, there can't be any civvie around here, he thought staying vigilant and keep rifle raised.
"Hands where I can see 'em!!" He barks at the girl who's already trembling. He keeps his rifle raised Making sure to make his point before he presses the comm finally relating his incident to the team.
"Spotted a civvie." Ghost says in cold gravelly tone annoyed at the stupidity of everything that's occuring.
The intercom stays silent at his words as if every other person who heard this went still at his words and the absurdity of it.
Soap is first one to come out of the daze saying,
"Ye'r not dream'n are ye LT?" He says in a teasing tone half serious about it but choosing to deny it.
Price is next to speak he says,
"Civvie? Or a soldier posing as one? Armed?"
Ghost replies- "Negative. Unarmed. Looks confused."
Gaz follows up in his serious tone saying,
"Unarmed civvie. In the middle of nowhere. Doesn't make sense."
Soap says, "Aye LT. Try talking 'em out."
Price presses the intercom joining with laswell at the absurd encounter saying-
"Kate, found an unarmed civvie."
As the silence follows ghost who's been standing infront of the trembling girl says,
"Name. Don't twitch or I drop you."
Everyone stayed quite listening to ghost and also waiting for response both from the civvie and the laswell.
As neither spoke they waited and the moment seemed to be dragging.
Soap finally says,
"Could be a bait LT." trying to warm ghost of the danger.
Gaz followed up by saying, "Or worse. Could be an actual civvie."
At these words soap groaned. Because except guns and gears soldier hate civvie wandering in the places they shouldn't be as it only increases their work load.
As Ghost waited for civvie to say anything but watched her uselessly tremble with no words followed, his patience running thin he says,
"Civvie unresponsive. Bring'in in."
Laswell voice finally broke in their ear, she says,
"A civvie? In the middle of a classified OP?" Confusion evident in her undertone.
Price cuts in saying, "Could be a bait, a sleeping agent, steer clear ghost." He says reasoning with the situation with his captain brilliance.
Laswell finally speaks, "Hopefully so John, otherwise it'll be one hell of a story to explain to HQ."
Price says in a harden tone, "it's so kate. There are no coincidences in war. Ghost bring'in civvie in."
Laswell says, "Roger that." And leaves the comm.
Ghost on the other hand has ignored all their conversation, ziptied the civvie and is dragging her towards the extraction point where team is to regroup after taking down the target.
The night stays alive with confusion and frustration evident in the team mind.