Later that day, Althea awoke, lying on a hammock, still on the roof of the base. She noticed Daisy snuggled cozily in a ball next to the cot. Strange, she hadn't remembered moving to the cot, she thought she had fallen asleep on the ledge of the roof. She sat up, stretching. She felt strangely refreshed as if this was the first time she had slept in weeks.
She gave Daisy a scratch behind the ears, gaze softening as Daisy stretched as well, a paw extending out.
As she stood, she surveyed the roof again, eyes ever watchful. Her eyes fell on the watering can. Her brows furrowed, noticing that it was now sitting upright instead of knocked over. She had clearly remembered knocking it over when she met Daisy.
She bristled, suddenly on alert.
A person came up here? Althea frowned. Did they move me to the cot?
She looked at Daisy, raising her eyebrows.
"Do you know who came up here?"
Daisy just blinked, starting to yawn lethargically.
"I thought so." Althea sighed.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As she walked back down the stairs, back into the building, she saw an American man storming down the hallway. His head snapped towards her, making her jump.
"Where have you been? We've been looking for you for half an hour!" He growled, scowling at her. He stormed into the next hallway, brushing past her. His shoulder bumped hers, making her grimace. She paused, staring after him for a moment.
He turned. "Come on! I don't have all day! This. is. Important." He said, seething.
She reluctantly turned to follow him, swearing under her breath.
"What's so important?" She asked, jogging to keep up with him.
"We've gotten information out of Sin Nombre," He turned around a corner abruptly. "We know where the missile is."
Althea's breath caught in her throat and she quickened her pace, following him around the corner.
They soon arrived at the meeting room. The American pushed open the door and took a seat, all the while glaring at her.
Althea reluctantly walked inside, surveying the room. It was an average meeting room, the dark-colored walls, and a large screen at the front displaying satellite images.
At the table, there were the three she had already met; Ghost, Soap, and Alejandro. There were two more she hadn't met yet sitting at the table, waiting. The man at the front of the room turned towards her. She remembered his name from a brief mention of him from a past mission.
Price, she recalled, the man at the front of the room, fixed his gaze on Althea as she entered.
"Whisper, I'm glad you could join us. We were waiting for you so we could start the briefing." Althea nodded, taking a seat next to Soap.
"We've received critical intelligence from Sin Nombre, and we must act on it. We've tracked down the location of the missile we've been searching for. It's on an oil rig called 'El Diablo' situated 400 nautical miles off the coast of Mexico. The rig is no longer operational, but the cartel has repurposed it as a smuggling dead drop."
He gestured to the large screen at the front of the room, displaying satellite images of the oil rig and its surroundings.
"Here's what we know: the cartel has set up the oil rig as a front for their smuggling operations. Our surveillance has identified a cargo ship anchored to the northwest of the rig, approximately 500 meters away. Our intel suggests that they recently moved a large container from the ship to the rig's platform. We believe that container holds the missile."
Price's gaze was unwavering, and he continued with a sense of urgency. "Our mission is to infiltrate the rig, neutralize any cartel personnel, and secure the missile. The stakes are high, and time is of the essence."
"Shadow Company, Task Force 141, and Los Vaqueros will be working together for this mission." He nodded at the American, who nodded back at him.
"Here is the list of assignments." Price changed the screen to show the groups of names. Soap, Alejandro, and Graves were together. Althea guessed that Graves was likely the American.
Her eyes traveled down the list until she saw her name. Next to it read Ghost. You've got to be shitting me. Althea thought.
Ghost's eyes were glued to the board, his eyes betraying no emotion. Althea, however, snapped her head towards him, looking him up and down.
Price's voice held a sense of determination. "We'll deploy via helicopter from a nearby naval vessel. The rig is heavily guarded. Our objective is to breach, secure the missile, and eliminate any hostiles. We'll rendezvous with the rest of the team once the mission is complete."
Althea's heart raced as the mission details sunk in. This was a high-stakes operation, and the success of the mission could impact the balance of power in the region.
Price concluded with a solemn tone, "This mission won't be easy, but we're the best at what we do. Let's get out there, execute the plan, and keep Hassan from using that missile."
As the team members began to prepare, Althea's mind raced with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. As adrenaline raced through her veins, a smile crept across her features. This would be fun.
A/N: Thanks for reading! I love you guys <3
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How to Love the Stars | Ghost (Simon Riley)
FanfictionAlthea was dangerous. She wasn't particularly large or imposing, but once you heard the Whisper of her breath, it was too late. Her ability to sneak around without alerting others, as if melting into the shadows, it scared people. She was a cold, h...
