More Than Human

Chapter 4: I Know Her

If the cartel didn't kill Soap, Ghost was going to.

He had noted that the man seemed to become more bold at night. And tonight, that had led him to volunteering to lay down all his weapons and going inside the cartel house to speak with El Sin Nombre.

He didn't know what came over him, but his hand suddenly shot out and he had gripped Soap's bicep.

"Are you out of your mind?" He hissed.

Soap looked at him surprised. Ghost was honestly just as surprised that he had lost his composure.

Soap brought his hand up and placed it on the back of his own. He didn't move it off of himself.

"One of us has to, LT. Why not me?"

Why not him? Ghost shouldn't care. He didn't care. Maybe his instincts had just grown attached to his scent.

Yeah. That must have been it.

Soap was still looking at him, holding eye contact, "We came here to stop a missile. Let's stop a missile."

Ghost swallowed and pulled his hand away from his arm. When he turned away, he caught Alejandro eyeing him. He had a look on his face as if he understood what Ghost was feeling even if he didn't himself.

"I'll go with him." Alejandro said with a nod at Soap. He turned his back on Ghost, "I'll watch over him where you can't, hermano."

That comforted Ghost in a strange way. He was grateful to Alejandro for seeming to know exactly what he needed to hear. He was very perceptive. He and Rudy both seemed to have a good grasp on the emotions of the people around them. In Alejandro's case at least, it didn't seem supernatural. He just seemed to know what he wanted and what others wanted.

Not that Ghost wanted Soap.

Definitely not.

Not anymore than he craved anyone else. He was sure of it.

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"Valeria. She's El Sin Nombre."

"Are you sure, hermano?"

Soap watched as Alejandro's eyes flashed dangerously. His skin seemed to ripple for a moment. It reminded him of when he shifted himself. A deep noise emanated from the man's chest that had Soap instinctively ducking his head down.

Seeing Soap's behavior seemed to jostle him out of his state. He shook himself.

"Sorry about that." He raised his weapon, "C'mon. We need her alive."

Soap nodded, "Aye."

Alejandro broke the lock on the door with his bare hand. He didn't seem interested in concealing his nature to Soap. Throwing the door open resulted in a sea of gunfire as they cleared the room.

As soon as all the hostiles were down, the pair ran in the direction Valeria had fled. The balcony housed a few more goons that they gunned down, careful not to hit the cartel head.

Soap ran forward with his weapon raised, getting the woman on her knees.

"El Sin Nombre." He greeted.

"Valeria!" She introduced herself formally as she was being cuffed.

"Hiding in plain sight, ay?"

"Hiding?" She laughed, eyes glimmering as she looked at him, "Never hiding, little puppy. I'm everywhere."

He had to fight to keep himself from taking a step backwards, "How did you know-?"

Before he could finish asking his question, Graves interrupted with a sassy comment of, "So are we."

Normally Soap appreciated his little japes, but now he was frustrated that he didn't get the answer to how Valeria knew what he was. As Graves hauled Valeria off, Alejandro stepped up beside him. The woman turned around and Soap looked between her and the man next to him. Their gazes were impossible to read, but there was so much there.

Soap gave him a little touch to the arm, trying to comfort his clear tension.

"Hermano, que pasa?" He tried.

"Valeria." Alejandro rumbled, before snarling, "I know her."