How to Love the Stars | Ghost (Simon Riley)

Chapter 3

"Sir, you can't truly expect me to work with them!" She hissed. Althea was allowed a phone call to the general of the Belgian Special Forces. Her hands were still bound behind her, and Soap stood there, holding the phone in front of her face.

"Whisper. They have more intel than we do. It's currently the best move to work with them, if only for a short while." The general's French accent was sharp.

"You are kidding me." Althea groaned, hanging her head.

"I've negotiated with Price before. There's nothing to worry about."

Althea lowered her voice. "Mais, et si ils mentaient?" She had picked up a little French here and there between commuting and serving in the force.

"Sometimes, it just takes a leap of faith." He paused. "Remember, Un brin de folie égaye la vie." He promptly hung up the phone.

Althea scoffed, sighing. He was always like that.

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In the other room, Ghost and Alejandro were snooping through every one of Althea's files, scouring each one.

In the dimly lit room, the tense atmosphere hung heavy as Ghost and Alejandro continued sifting through the scattered documents. The pool of information they had gathered about Althea was both intriguing and puzzling. They were here for a reason, to understand the person they were now tasked with working alongside, even if the circumstances were less than ideal.

"Let's see, both parents were killed by terrorists on December 11th, found by the General of Belgian Special forces and he found adoptive parents for her in the UK, away from the terrorists. Mr. and Mrs. Allen. He often took a fake name to come and meet Althea," Ghost summarized.

"Her adoptive parents are one of the better-off families. Althea was trained in gymnastics and self-defense from childhood and grew up with the General taking her to the military occasionally. Her biological parents are unknown, but a DNA test shows that she is half Chinese, half Belgian."

It seems like the General was like a second father figure to her, Ghost thought.

A thought struck Ghost as strange. If he cares about Althea so much, why did he allow her to stay here? Are we... babysitting her?

Alejandro glanced up from the file he was reading. "It hurts me to say, but I think she'd make a good addition to our team. Her skills are all but laughable."

Ghost's gloved fingers traced the lines of text on one of the documents as he pondered aloud, "The General's deep involvement in Althea's life... it's not just mentorship. There's a personal connection there."

Alejandro nodded in agreement. "It's almost as if she's family to him. But why allow her to join our operation now? If he truly cares for her safety, this doesn't add up."

Ghost's eyes narrowed as he contemplated the implications. "Perhaps he sees something in this situation that we don't. Or maybe he knows something about Althea that could be vital to our mission."

As they discussed their findings, Althea's thoughts were racing in the adjacent room. She had managed to remain calm and composed in front of Soap, but the gravity of the situation was sinking in. Being thrust into this collaboration with Ghost and Alejandro wasn't something she had anticipated, and it stirred a mixture of anxiety and resentment within her.

With her hands still bound, Althea leaned against the back of her chair, the cool surface providing a semblance of comfort. Soap had let her stand up and stretch her legs, keeping her handcuffed tightly. She couldn't shake off the feeling of being pawns in a game larger than she could fathom. Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation with the General.

"Un brin de folie égaye la vie." A hint of a smile tugged at her lips as she repeated the phrase. It was one of the many pieces of wisdom the General had shared with her over the years. A touch of madness brightens life. The General always believed in embracing the unpredictable, taking leaps of faith when necessary. It was this philosophy that had guided her through countless challenges.

It was a moment of quiet reflection. The General had always been right about taking chances, about facing the unknown head-on. And as much as she resented the circumstances, she knew that to succeed, she needed to embrace her training, her skills, and this unexpected partnership.

Back in the room with Ghost and Alejandro, Ghost folded the documents with deliberate slowness, his gaze sharp. "We should proceed with caution. We don't yet know what she's capable of."

Alejandro nodded, and he regarded Ghost thoughtfully. "Agreed. We should be careful."

As Alejandro and Ghost arrived back into the room, Althea's heart raced. With a determined exhale Althea turned towards them.

A/N: hey! Thank you so much for reading my book. It means so much to me! I'm still practicing my writing skills, but hopefully this book is somewhat readable. Have a great day!!!