The Destiny of Ghost and Me

Chapter 3 : The Mission

Two days had passed since the altercation with Ghost, and Yn could already see the aftermath of the fight in the mirror. But to be honest, she no longer felt angry at Ghost after he came to the graves. She tied her hair back into a ponytail, leaving two loose strands framing her face. Yn changed into her uniform, as Price had informed them about the upcoming mission assigned by General Shepherd, involving Laswell, a CIA agent.

Entering the briefing room, Yn noticed that everyone was already prepared. Laswell nodded to her from behind, and Yn returned the gesture. She took the last available seat between Ghost and another unfamiliar guy. Laswell began displaying a picture, speaking in an authoritative tone, "This is Major Hassan Zyani of the Quds Force."
Yn couldn't help but think, "Another asshole, huh?" She continued listening as Laswell explained that Hassan had launched a retaliatory campaign with the assistance of the terrorist group Al-Qatala, following the assassination of his commander. He had formed an alliance with Al-Qatala and struck a deal with the Las Almas Cartel, receiving a private army of soldiers from the former and being smuggled into the United States and Mexico by the latter.

Price interrupted briefly, questioning, "Mexico?"

Laswell confirmed, "Yes, but we have a base and allies there as well—Alejandro and Rodolfo."Price nodded, absorbing the information. However, when Laswell mentioned the objective of capturing Hassan alive to extract the locations of the missiles, Yn's mind momentarily drifted away.
For the next hour, we all prepared ourselves. I stashed more knives and various types of weapons in every possible spot. The knives on my thighs felt somewhat uncomfortable. Ghost noticed and walked over to me without a word, seating me down and offering his help. "Relax," he said. From the other end of the room, Soap glanced at us, making odd faces. I couldn't help but grin, which Ghost noticed. "Is something funny?" he asked. "Not really. Why do you ask?" I winced as he tightened the strap on my thigh a bit too much. Ghost looked at me, and I noticed him smiling.

We made our way to the vehicle, where the unfamiliar guy was waiting. He introduced himself, "Good day, dear soldiers. My name is Philipp Graves, from the Shadow Company.
We have been externally assigned by General Shepherd to assist you." We all nodded, but there was something about him that I didn't like. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it would become apparent soon enough.
I turned to Ghost and asked him, "Do you trust him?" He looked at me, locking eyes, and replied, "No, just as much as I trust you." I turned away and punched him playfully. He sarcastically remarked, "That hurt." "Idiot," I responded.

Inside the car, Soap burst into laughter. The journey was relatively quiet until we arrived in Mexico. There was something about the place that I liked; it had a pleasant atmosphere. A few minutes later, we saw a soldier approaching us. He reached out his hand to Soap and shook it. "Captain MacTavish," he introduced himself.
Alejandro turning to Ghost " Lt. Laswell told me they call you Ghost"
Soap interjected, "Actually, I think he'd prefer if-"
Ghost interrupted him, "I'll handle it."
I couldn't help but smile; I knew Soap and Ghost were good friends.

The soldier nodded and said, "I'm Alejandro, and welcome to Las Almas."

Alejandro led us to a vehicle, and during the ride, Ghost asked him, "Where is the Las Almas Cartel located?" Alejandro replied with a smile, "Right here in Las Almas." We got into the car, and I found myself sitting between Soap and Ghost. The driver was someone we hadn't met yet, Rodolfo. As he looked at us through the rearview mirror, he said, "I'm afraid of ghosts." Soap and I looked at Ghost, who shot us a menacing glare. I had to suppress a smile.

Alejandro asked, "Do you speak Spanish?" Soap replied, "No." I said, "A few words." Ghost remained silent. The car started moving, with other vehicles following behind, presumably filled with Alejandro's soldiers.
As we drove through Las Almas, we saw two dead bodies and many others wearing Ghost masks. Rodolfo couldn't help but make another comment, saying, "Ghost, with your mask, you fit in perfectly here." Ghost shot him a glance, and Soap tightened his grip on his weapon. Alejandro intervened, saying, "Stay calm, these are normal days in Las Almas. The bodies belong to the cartel." I looked out the window, intrigued by the scene before us.
I took out a vintage camera and handed it to Alejandro, saying, "Could you please take a photo of all of us?" He nodded and saying:"Of course niña"and lifted the camera. Ghost tried to evade the picture, but I insisted by wrapping my arms around him and pulling him close to me. Soap grinned at the sight, knowing he couldn't escape the moment. Alejandro captured the photo, freezing the memory in time.
While this was happening, Price and Gaz informed us that Hassan was not present in their part of the mission. This meant that Hassan was indeed in Las Almas. The stakes were raised, and the mission became even more critical. We needed to locate and apprehend Hassan before he could carry out any further plans. The tension in the air grew as we prepared ourselves for the upcoming challenges.