𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐑 || 𝐂𝐎𝐃 ✮ 𝐅𝐅

-27-

✮✮✮

The night was thick with smoke and gunfire, the echoes of combat still ringing in Y/N's ears as she sprinted through the dense jungle. The mission had been successful—intel secured, enemy base compromised—but now came the hardest part: getting out alive.

"Move! Move!" Ghost's voice cut through the chaos as the squad darted between trees, dodging the sporadic bursts of gunfire from the enemy team giving chase. König was ahead, moving with surprising agility for his size, while Gaz covered their flank, his rifle barking out sharp, controlled shots.

"Price, we need exfil now!" Y/N panted into her radio, lungs burning from the exertion.

Static. Then, Price's voice crackled through the comms. "Already en route. You need to get to the extraction point. ETA five minutes."

"Five minutes is a long time," Gaz gritted out, reloading his weapon as another burst of bullets whizzed past them, splintering bark and kicking up dirt.

"Then hold the damn line!" Price snapped. "I ain't losing any of you tonight."

Ghost skidded to a stop, dropping to one knee and firing a well-placed shot that took down an enemy who had gotten too close. "We keep moving. Woods are dense. We shake 'em, then hit exfil."

König nodded, already pushing forward. "They won't let us go easily. We'll have to make them regret chasing us."

Y/N ducked under a low-hanging branch, keeping pace with the others. The sounds of gunfire grew distant, the enemy team slowing as the thick brush made pursuit difficult. For a moment, it seemed they might have lost them.

Then—

SNAP.

Pain. White-hot and blinding.

Y/N barely had time to process before the agony ripped through her leg. A sharp, metallic clamp held her limb in a vice grip, sending a fresh wave of pain shooting up her body. Her stomach dropped as she looked down.

A bear trap.

A fucking bear trap.

Panic set in immediately, the sheer shock overriding logic. The jagged metal teeth had torn through fabric and sunk into flesh, blood already pooling around the wound. Y/N sucked in a breath, a scream clawing up her throat—

But Ghost moved faster.

He was on her in an instant, his gloved hand clamping over her mouth, cutting off the scream as she tried to let it out. His other hand gripped the back of her head, steadying her as her body trembled from the pain.

The entire team froze.

König was the first to react, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Scheiße."

Gaz's face had gone pale. He took a slow step forward, eyes darting between the trap and their surroundings. "We need to get it off. Now."

Ghost's grip on Y/N didn't waver as he turned to the others, voice low and controlled. "If she screams, we're dead."

Y/N's breath was ragged against his hand, her nails digging into the dirt as she fought the agony wrecking her body. Her vision swam, black spots creeping at the edges, but Ghost's presence was grounding.

König crouched beside her, his usual softness replaced with a level of seriousness that sent a chill down Y/N's spine. "We need to be careful. If it's rusted, it could cause an infection. And if we make too much noise..."

They didn't have to finish the sentence.

Y/N's body shook uncontrollably, tears burning at the corners of her eyes as the pain radiated from her leg. Ghost's grip never faltered, his hand tight against her mouth, silencing the scream she desperately wanted to release. His touch was firm, comforting even, but it didn't stop the hot rush of panic coursing through her.