#alejandro mw2

The sun was warm against your skin. You were stretched over the hood of Alejandro’s pick up parked on the side of the mountain ridge. From the clearing of the trees, nothing was hidden from you. You could see everything. The scattered farmland, the villages and the rivers that cut through earth. You sat on top of a slightly itchy blanket, the thought being to protect you from the hot metal of the truck’s hood. You laid over the window, arms softly crossed. 

“Could never get tired of this,” you said gently. 

“Neither could I,” Alejandro said, but his gaze wasn’t over the landscape. 

You smiled lovingly into his gaze. You reached for another beer for the two of you, handing the cool glass bottle to Alejandro. The bottles hissed as Alejandro popped  off the tin caps. You clinked your glass against his, watching him smile and finally turn to look over the land. A comforting silence fell over the two of you, listening to only the breeze rustling the leaves as it passed through the trees. 

“What would you be doing right now?” you asked. 

“If we were back on base?” Alejandro shrugged. “I think I'd probably be training the new recruits.” 

“More like bossing around,” you laughed, truly, letting it rumble from your chest. 

“What about you?”  

You sipped the cool beer, letting out a satisfied sigh, “most likely getting Valeria out some trouble she got herself into. You know she’s always swinging a little above her weight.” 

Alejandro looked at you from the corner of his eye, “doesn’t it get tiring?” 

You shrugged again, “I’m used to it. It’s always been like this, ever since we were kids.” 

Alejandro shook his head, “I don’t know how you do it.” 

“Ey, no Valeria slander on our date. It was too hard to get this time,” you raised your brow. 

Alejandro raised his hands in mock defense, “you’re right. This is time just for us.” 

Alejandro fingers gently moved over the palm, tracing over the creases before intertwining them with yours. You hummed at the contact, moving to lay your head against his shoulder. 

“Mi vida,” Alejandro eventually broke the silence. 

“Hm?” You hummed. 

“What do you want, after all this?” said Alejandro, his voice low. 

“After the mission?” You questioned. 

“Well, yes, but more than that…” Alejandro said. “We won’t be in service for the rest of our lives.” 

“Really? Here I thought you’d still be bossing around the new recruits until you were 90,” you teased. 

“I’m serious,” Alejandro said, finally taking his eyes off the view and looking at you. 

You returned his gaze with endearment, “I know.” 

Sighing, you leaned your head back against the truck, “to be honest, I’m sure what comes after this. A normal life? I’m not sure what that even looks like.” 

Alejandro’s hands moved to your waist, pulling you effortlessly to straddle his lap. He looked up at you with so much affection you couldn’t help but get lost in his eyes. His warm hands slide over the waist of your denim shorts before finally resting just under your loose shirt, fingers lightly pressing into your flesh. You smiled and leaned a bit forward, your hands pressed against his chest.

“I have a few ideas,” Alejandro smirked. 

Your smile matched his, “oh yeah? Am I going to get to hear this marvelous plan?”

Alejandro’s gaze changed but he didn’t dare look away from you. You’d only seen this kind of expression once or twice before and you still couldn’t quite put a pin on what exactly it was. You felt heat burn at your cheeks and partially in your stomach, especially as Alejandro made gentle circles on the plush of your hips. 

“I see…” Alejandro’s gaze dropped to your waist then up to your chest before finally meeting your gaze. “I see a farm.” 

“A farm?” You smiled. 

“Si, with chickens, maybe a few goats,” Alejandro smiled earnestly. “I see you, pretty and round in a sundress, on our porch, with the sun hitting you just like this.” 

“A baby?” You were shocked. You two never truly talked about it. 

It was a heavy question that was left hanging in the air above your heads. You wondered if you even knew how to be a mother, thinking back to your lack of one growing up. You were practically raised by the streets of Las Almas with the only person you could rely on was Valeria. And of course, the streets were a cruel mother. You found solace in the routine of the military, which came easily, resulting in your quickly moving up the ranks. It had brought you many victories along with hardships, but it all seemed worth it when you met Alejandro. Suddenly it was as easy as breathing, all in the routine. But motherhood? That was a different beast. 

Alejandro sensed your hesitancy and looked deeply into your eyes. 

“What’s on your mind, baby?” 

You averted your gaze and gently shook your head, “I don’t know if I’m built for that.” 

Alejandro’s gaze hardened, “why? You’d make a great mom.”

“I don’t think there’s a ‘motherly’ bone in my body,” you chuckled. 

Alejandro hummed, “well, I see it. I see it when you look at me, when you look at los ninos when we drive by on the way home everyday. That flicker in your eye.” 

You blushed, not knowing that Alejandro had caught that. You barely noticed your glances. You didn’t label it, too afraid that if you did you would put truth to the name. You didn’t dare think about it, until now. Alejandro’s thumbs traced small circles on your hips, his eyes never leaving you. 

“You think I’m lying to you?” he said, half teasing and half serious. 

You half smiled and shook your head, “no. I think you’re sincere.” 

“I am,” Alejandro ducked his head trying to meet your gaze again. “I believe it, truly believe it. That one day, we’ll get our happy ending.” 

You smiled helplessly. Your fingers moved up his nape, weaving through his dark locks, damp from the summer heat. You exhaled as you looked over his face, searching for specks of doubt but finding none. You found only absolute admiration. Yearning. 

“I want that too,” you finally whispered. “Our happy ending.” 

They moved in the shadow of night. Rudy, Soap, Ghost, all stayed low as they moved toward the black site. They approached a green door, pressing up against the brick. Ghost watched Rudy’s back, left of the door while Soap took the right. All weapons unholstered, silencers attached. They were clearly outnumbered and it was ballsy enough that they alone were going to try to siege the prison so the only attack strategy they had was the element of surprise. 

Rudy's eyes connected to Soap’s ocean blues, nodding only once. 

“On me,” said Rudy, voice low. 

Ghost and Soap readied themselves as Rudy’s fist banged against the green steel. They waited a moment, hearing heavy footsteps shuffle from behind the door. Once the door creaked open and the naive Shadow stepped into the light, Rudy’s hands were on him, shoving him outside. Soap had fired off a single shot and the man was dead before he hit the ground. And it was on. 

The three moved quickly, shooting down any Shadow that stood in their way. Some barely had time to reach for their weapons before being gunned down, others never had a chance. Ghost took point with Rudy and Soap watching his six. As a unit, they plowed through the wing of the small prison. There was some responding fire, raining gunfire from the second deck but nothing they couldn’t deal with and furthermore handle. 

“Alejandro’s cell is up the stairway, the hall on the right,” Rudy directed. 

The three raced up the stairs, mowing down more Shadows in their wake. 

You could barely hear the gunshots from beyond the cement walls. You couldn’t decipher them from the hallucinations flicking through your vision, all of them memories. Some precious, others you wished were left buried. Still, you couldn’t find the capacity to care. Your skin felt hot, searing. You could hear someone shouting and more gunfire. You craned your head back as far as you could toward the steel door. You wanted to believe that it was real, you really wanted to, but you couldn’t. The line between what was real and fantasy was razor thin and you found yourself bouncing between the two. 

Your chest felt too heavy, now breathing in shallow short breathes. You closed your eyes as your head began to swirl, another wave of nausea hitting you. You gagged, choking on the bile in the back of your throat. You didn’t realize you were crying, your body trembling uncontrollably. You found yourself praying that the gunfire wasn’t just another hallucination. That salvation was just seconds away. That he was coming for you. 

You didn’t remember the room being so cold. 

Soap kicked open the door to the cell. He peered into the dark cell, panic in his eyes. 

“Alejandro-?!” 

He was jumped by the said man, Alejandro’s hands immediately wrapping around the Scot’s neck, tightening like a noose. Rage burned in the man’s eyes, threatening to burn down the whole prison with everyone in it. It knocked the wind out of Soap’s chest as he grasped at the crazed man’s arms. 

“Alejandro, it’s me!” He shouted. 

“Alejandro, stop, stop!” Rudy said, his hands immediately on Alejandro’s shoulders. 

The captured man seemed to snap out of it then, quickly releasing his hold on Soap with a look of surprise. Soap could see the man’s shoulders slump in relief upon realizing who had broke into his cell. 

“Fuck am I glad to see you,” he sighed. 

Rudy could see the exhaustion lofting off of Alejandro. The bags under his eyes gave him away -- he hadn’t slept, possibly not since he was captured. He was a live wire, Alejandro turned to Rudy. 

“Where is she? Did you find her?” He rounded off his questions. “She’s here isn’t she?” 

Rudy nodded with a frown, “we have to hurry-” 

“No can do,” Ghost said, peering out of the cell. “They’re gonna be swarming this place in seconds.” 

Alejandro’s eyes slated dangerously, “I’m not leaving here. Might as well have left me to rot in here.” 

Rudy felt his jaw drop from his best friend’s words. They weren’t hollow, no, not even close. They were heavy, full. With gasoline, and the will to sear flame into every living thing that dared get in his way. 

“Then we’ll have to be quick,” Ghost said gruffly. “Rudy, where to.” 

“They’re not keeping her far,” Rudy took point, the rest of the men quick to follow as they shuffled out into the corridor. “Opposite wing. Lower level. Armed men in between.” 

Alejandro was hot on his tail, only stopping to take a rifle off a dead Shadow, cocking it roughly. His gaze was steady, wide, fiery. A man on a mission. 

“Two on the-” 

Alejandro didn’t let Rudy finish his direction, taking out the two Shadows hiding around the corner. He stepped over them without a second thought. Ghost spared a glance to the downed mercenaries, noting the two clean shots making sure that they weren’t getting back up. 

“Oi, careful, hermano,” Soap said, voice low to exhibit some sort of calm in this torrential storm. “We can’t afford to be reckless.” 

“These dogs, their fate was sealed the moment they put hands on her,” Alejandro seethed. “I won’t waste a second thought on their waste of existence.” 

Soap and Rudy shared a concerned look but continued through the prison. They rounded the corner, stepping quickly down two flights of stairs into the bowels of the prison. Static hummed from the dim fluorescent lights hanging from the cracking cement. They reached the end of a long corridor that led to a single door painted red. 

“She’s here,” Rudy exhaled a heavy breath, his eyes watching his dear friend carefully. “Hermano, I need to tell you…When I looked at the camera feed…It didn't look good.” 

Alejandro shook his head, the rage in his chest boiling his blood. 

“Help me with the door,” he ordered. 

Rudy nodded wordlessly, knowing that no warning he gave would be enough to prepare his friend. They counted down to one before crashing their shoulders against the steel door. The door barely buckled, but Alejandro wouldn’t give up. 

“Again!” 

It took two more attempts before the door finally buckled and slammed open. Alejandro stumbled in, his head whipping around, eyes wild. His gaze finally locked on your limp form lying motionless on a table. Alejandro shouted your name but you didn’t move as he rushed to you. His hands were instantly on you. He couldn’t control the shake in his hands as he cradled your head, turning your face gently to look at him. 

But you weren’t looking at him, if anything, you were looking through him. Your pupils were glazed over in a haze, unblinking. Your skin had paled from its once natural tan and was clammy to the touch. Alejandro could see the vomit pooled next to you mixed with blood. You were cool to the touch. 

Alejandro felt his chest clench, all air was robbed from him as he took in the extent of your fragile state.  You were bound, the zip ties tied carelessly tight, digging into your skin making it red and raw. Your clothes were torn, ripped from your body leaving only tatters. Your skin exposed. It’s then that Alejandro could see the cuts and bruises scattering your skin, turning a deep plum. The last thing he noticed was how your chest rose and fell weakly. It was so weak Alejandro almost hadn’t noticed. 

He pressed his index and middle finger under your jawbone, digging to find a pulse. He did find one, barely there but fighting. 

“She’s alive,” Alejandro wanted to fall apart right then but he willed himself to stand. 

Rudy rounded the table, hurriedly cutting the ties and finally freeing you. Alejandro pulled you into his arms, continuing to scan your face for any sign of consciousness. But your eyes were heavy, falling more by the second. 

“Hey, hey, stay with me, stay with me,” Alejandro pleaded. “Don’t go to sleep, not right now, yeah?” 

Rudy examined your body carefully, moving some of your tattered clothing from your abdomen, revealing the flaring wound. 

“Shit, her wound is infected,” he cursed. “She’ll slip into septic shock if we don’t get her to the med. Now!”

Alejandro didn’t wait a second, hauling your dead weight into his arms as they made their way out of the prison. He hung back, letting the other soldiers lead the way and take out any idling Shadows on the way. Alejandro tried his best to stay aware of his surroundings but his gaze kept returning to you, listening to you. Listening to how with each breath a small groan became trapped in your dry throat. You didn’t snap out of your daze, but Alejandro willed himself to believe that you were hanging on just as he hoped. 

“Hang on, just a little further, mi vida,” Alejandro whispered, holding you closer to his chest. “I got you, I got you.”

𝜗𝜚 𝙏𝙖𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

@sun-star-ship @develised @flammenwerferpanzerkampfhund

@lizx13 @kursedkaci  @callmejod @notfeelinggoodrn

@taylorrrig @rentaldarling

Alejandro furrowed his brow in his approach, “what’s this?” 

Graves turned to him, his expression serious. You noticed he, and the rest of his Shadows were holding rifles while the rest of you were not. Another sickening feeling that curled into your gut. Something wasn’t right. 

“This is the immediate future,” said Graves, voice firm. “Step away from the gate.” 

“What?” Johnny voiced his confusion. 

“You heard me,” Graves said, not budging. 

Alejandro huffed but stood his ground too, “you’re crazy. This is my base.” 

Graves smugly smirked and shook his head, “not a base. This is a sizable covert facility and I admire it. So I’m taking it.” 

His words echoed across the damp air, settling with the pouring rain. You felt your body tense as you and Rudy connected gazes. You knew that he felt it too. You were in danger, all of you. 

“Los malditos estadounidenses creen que pueden entrar y tomar lo que no es suyo,” you seethed, struggling to lift yourself off the Jeep. “Ale-” 

“Aw, that’s cute, you made up now?” Graves smirked. “Congrats to the happy couple. Now, if you wanna stay that way, I suggest you follow my orders.” 

“Your orders?” You laughed condescendingly. “Ain’t you the gringo I had begging to let him live?” 

“Watch yourself,” Graves sneered. 

“I don’t take orders from you,” Alejandro said, his voice dangerously low. 

Graves leaned towards him, “didn’t Valeria say that? Now that makes me wonder what else I don’t know about your affiliation with a drug-lord? Especially since you’re screwing the sister.” 

You felt the rage bubble in your veins as you took a step forward forgetting that you weren’t even at half your strength. You would have hit the soggy gravel if Rudy hadn’t caught you and had you support on his shoulder. 

“They have nothing to do with this, you know this damn well,” you hissed. 

Alejandro took a menacing step forward, only to partially be held back by Johnny. 

“You’re out of line, Graves,” Johnny warned. 

“Don’t do that,” Graves frowned, holding his finger up to the men. “Don’t…do that. No one needs to get hurt here.” 

“Are you threatening us?” Ghost spoke up from the other side of the jeeps. 

“Soldier, I don’t make threats. I make guarantees. So let’s not do this,” Graves said in a half-hearted attempt to soothe the situation. 

Johnny shook his head as he turned to walk away, “I’m calling Shepherd.” 

“General Shepherd sends his regards,” Graves spoke over the rain that somehow seemed to amplify his Southern drawl. “He told me y’all wouldn’t take this well.” 

“He knows about this?” Ghost questioned. 

“He’s put me in control of this objective from here on out,” said Graves, his lackeys advancing to step closer behind him. “So y’all need to stand down. It’s time to let the pros finish this.” 

“The pros? Jesus Cristo, shoot him already,” you growled to Rudy who simply shook his head. 

“And she’s coming with me,” Graves pointed to you, making your glare even sharper. “She’s part of this international drug cartel and needs to be handled.” 

Rudy’s arm tightened around your waist, but you didn’t dare wince as you stared down Graves. It didn’t seem to deter Graves as a smug smirk stretched against his chapped lips. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to handle her gently. Or rough, if she prefers it,” said Graves. 

You hated how his chilling words made you want to shudder and his predatory gaze made you want to curl into yourself. You’ve seen that twisted look before, and you swore you never wanted to see it again. 

“You will not fucking touch her!” Alejandro shouted, finally losing his quiet cool. “Who the fuck do you think you are, cabron? My men are inside!” 

“I’m afraid not. Your men have been,” Graves pursed his lips. “Detained.” 

A thick silence fell over the group before Alejandro lunged at Graves, only to be thrown against the Jeep. Panic rose in your chest as you watched him get wrestled into zip ties while the rest of Graves’ men raised their rifles at the rest of you. 

“Graves, what the fuck?!” Johnny shouted but it was too late. 

Gunfire rang out and Rudy quickly maneuvered the both of you behind one of the Jeeps. You grunted holding your side as you desperately tried to find a glimpse of Alejandro. Ghost and Soap quickly became busied by the Shadows who weren’t pulling their punches. They were aiming to kill. 

“We have to get out of here!” Rudy shouted, removing his pistol from its holster. 

“We can’t leave him,” you said, tone stone cold. “I’m going after him.” 

“That’s suicide, I can’t-” 

You didn’t allow him to speak sense to you as you ripped his pistol from his hand and leapt into the fold. You aimed and fired without hesitation, advancing steadily while watching the Shadows fall -- downed by one shot each. You were mere feet away from Alejandro who was still wrestling against Graves’ lackeys despite the zip ties, his wide eyes immediately finding you throughout the chaos. 

You clicked your teeth at the sound of the magazine clicking empty, throwing it aside. You rushed one of the Shadows, kicking in his knee and taking him to the ground. Winced as you leapt for his gun, knowing full well you had to be bleeding heavily now from your still open wound. You barely managed to grab it as the Shadow yank and grabbed at you, clumsily reaching for the trigger. Before you felt a cool metal stab into your temple. The noise of a cocking gun signaled to you, you knew you were stuck. 

You froze, remaining in a low crouch in the watery asphalt. You winced as the gun was stabbed further into your skull, hearing Alejandro screaming for you. 

“You should’ve just come quietly,” Graves said with a frown, looking down at you. “It would be so easy for it to just end here. Boom, gone.” 

 “Graves, you son of bitch!” Alejandro shouted. “Don’t fucking touch her!”

You couldn’t tear your gaze away from Alejandro as he struggled. Your gaze said it all: it’s okay. It’s going to be okay. You grimaced as Graves moved the barrel of the rifle under your chin, forcing your gaze to him. Graves whistled, tilting his head with a smirk. 

“If looks could kill,” he laughed, peering over your scars. “Hm, the face card may be a turn off, but I could still make use of you.” 

You snarled and spit on his boot, “fuck you, Coño.” 

You tried to look over to Alejandro but Graves struck you hard with the butt of his gun, letting you slump onto the asphalt. 

“No! Fuck you, I’ll fucking kill you! I will kill you!” Alejandro raged against the men holding him down, until he too was knocked unconscious. 

He limply slumped over, but he tried to keep his eyes open, finding you in the darkness. His eyes stayed on you, watching helplessly as Graves turned you over onto your back. He tried so hard to stay awake but soon enough his vision was enveloped in darkness.

You felt like a million church bells were ringing simultaneously through your head. You groaned as you squeezed your eyes tightly shut, squinting at the blearing fluorescent light beaming over you. You croaked, trying to call for Alejandro but your voice was too hoarse. You forced your vision to sharpen, to reveal your surroundings. You were in a crumbling cement cell with a single steel door tightly shut. Now windows, not light except the lightbulb above you. You immediately clued in where you were being held -- the old prison, miles away from Las Almas.

You went to move, only to find yourself restrained to a wooden desk. It was hastily done, obviously not at all planned. Even so, the restraints were sound as they held you tightly against the creaking wood. Still, you struggled against the plastic ties cutting deep into your wrists and ankles. Bile rose in your throat when you saw how your legs were bound apart. 

“Ale!!” You screamed, tearing at your throat. 

You screamed for him repeatedly, though it was in vain. At least, so you thought. Your screams came to a halt as you heard the metal lock unlatch and the door screech open. You craned your head as far back to catch a glimpse of the outside, noting the sunlight that was quickly snuffed out by the closing door. Leaving you alone with your imprisoner. You stilled as Graves boots sounded closer and closer until he entered your line of vision. You kept your expression in check, letting the rage behind your dark eyes speak for you. 

“What, aren’t you happy to see me?” He smirked. 

You turned your head to spit at him but he quickly slapped a hand over your mouth. 

“Shh, don’t make it harder than it needs to be,” Graves said, voice low.

He leaned closer to you, peering directly into your gaze. You learned that this sick fuck got off on how you looked at him in pure disgust. It made you want to vomit. You flinched when you felt his other hand on your waist, feeling him move it higher and higher. 

“You’re a fighter, I like that,” Graves chuckled. “And you got a pretty good head on your shoulders. You must understand all you could gain if you just…”

Graves' fingers found the now bandaged gunshot wound on the side of your abdomen and applied slight pressure. You groaned against his clammy hand, struggling against your restraints. 

“Help me, and I’ll help you,” Graves smirked. “Quid Pro Quo, if you catch my drift.” 

You narrowed your eyes before opening your mouth wide enough to chomp down on his flesh. Hard. The American hissed but didn’t remove his hand, even when you clamped down harder. Your eyes widened in shock as a sick grin twisted over his lips. 

“You think you can hurt me, doll?” He whispered, his face mere inches from yours. “You better try harder than that, sweetheart.” 

With that, he ripped his hand away from your jaws before examining the wound. He flicked away the blood that trickled down his wrist, seemingly undeterred. He simply dug his fingers deeper into your wound. You couldn’t hold back the screams as you struggled, helplessly. Still, you wouldn’t submit. You had to stay strong until…you weren’t sure exactly. Was anyone coming for you? Would Ale? You banished the thought from your head. You knew he would. 

“You know, everyone gives all these kudos to the big bad El Sin Nombre, but they’re leaving out a very important part,” Graves said, still leaning over you. “The very network El Sin Nombre operates over. That wouldn’t be possible without you. You’re very valuable to them.” 

You glared heatedly at him, “is that what you consider flattery? I feel bad for your mujeres, blanco.” 

“See? Witty! Smart,” said Graves. “So you should understand how big of an offer this is.” 

“Offer? You’re implying I have a choice after you’ve trapped me in here,” you growled. “Where is Alejandro?”

Graves frowned, “he’s still alive. Won’t stop asking for you. Pretty annoying, actually. Won’t give me a lick of information where those other fuckers might be hiding.” 

A flicker of hope ignited in your chest at the apparent slip of information. The others were still out there, and hopefully in one piece. And that could only mean they were planning the next step. You could only hope. 

“But you,” you felt Graves’ fingers trace over your throat, “you’re smarter. Give me your network, and I’ll let you and your fiance go.” 

Your eyes narrowed, immediately sensing the fallacy in his words. 

“I thought you were clever, but you’re just as pathetically desperate as the rest of those dogs,” you smirked. “And just like the rest of them, you too will be put down. Exactly what you deserve.”

Graves frowned, his fingers wrapping tightly around your neck. You gasped as he pressed harder, robbing you of any air. You could barely scream as his fingers twisted deeper into your wound, only able to thrash against the restraints. 

“You don’t know jack shit about me,” Graves growled. “But you should know this. I like a chase.” 

With that, Graves slammed your head back against the table, making you see double. His fingers left your wound, dark red blood trickling down his fingertips. You groaned at the growing ache that was seemingly spreading. He examined the color with half-assed appreciation, a frown replacing that smug smirk. 

“Another thing you should know,” Graves pulled away from you, cleaning your blood off on his pants like it was nothing. “If those sorry fuckers do come for the lot of you, they’ll be welcome to a nice surprise, I’ll tell you that.” 

Your glare didn’t sizzle away but remained constant as you watched him walk away. You waited seconds after you heard the door of the container seal close and lock, not letting your guard down until you were sure he was gone. You let out a puff of air, your chest weakly heaving. You forced yourself to look down at your bleeding wound, making the newly wrapped bandages a deep crimson. By now you must have been risking infection, of which you were sure your captor could care less. It wouldn’t exactly help his plans if you were at full health. You let your head fall tiredly to the wooden desk staring up at the stagnant light. 

You were weak, growing weaker by the hour. You weren’t sure how much longer you could hold on but you knew you had to. Alejandro was somewhere in the base and you now knew that he was looking for you just as much as you were him. You had to hold on. Just a bit longer. 

“Fuck, hurry up Rudy…” 

The sun was barely beginning to peak over the mountains when Ghost and Soap arrived at the old barn. Johnny boots crushed the gravel underneath as they approached the seemingly dilapidated barn. The night had been hell, both the Scot and the phantom had to nearly claw their way out of the streets of Las Almas which they barely did with by the skin of their teeth. They were beaten, bruised and exhausted so this remote barn was their sanctuary at long last. 

“Where are we?” Johnny grumbled as they approached the barn. 

“Alejandro’s old safehouse,” said Ghost. “Gave me the location just in case.” 

Johnny scoffed, “it’s like he saw something that we didn’t.” 

Ghost clapped a hand over Johnny’s shoulder, “don’t. There was no way that we would know that Graves would turn coat on us. Nonetheless Shepherd.” 

Johnny shook his head, ocean eyes bleary with exhaustion, “why didn’t he tell me?” 

“It was need to know,” Ghost dismissed Soap’s questioning. 

“What if I needed to know,” Soap frowned. 

“Shh,” Ghost stopped Johnny from advancing any further. 

He kneeled down to look closer at the slate of metal hidden underneath the desert dry dirt. 

“Pressure plate. Alejandro rigged it,” Johnny smirked. “Smart bastard.” 

Ghost scanned the building and pointed to an open window. The two scaled the wall, Johnny climbing through first. Johnny held up his rifle, aiming at anything that so much as moved in the darkness. Ghost was quick to see the red light flicker from the rafters, quicker to react. 

“Don’t move!” He shouted to Soap, chucking a throwing knife in the direction of the laser. 

“¿Quién está ahí?” A voice shouted through the shadow. 

“Rodolfo?” Soap lowered his weapon at the familiar voice. 

Rudy popped his head around the wall, “Soap! Ghost! You’re alive!” 

Ghost’s shoulders relaxed, exhaling. “Affirmative.” 

Rudy pried Ghost’s knife from the wood before dropping to the hay covered floor.

“Good to see you, amigos,” Rudy handed Ghost his knife. “Nice throw.” 

“Igual, amigo,” Soap smiled. 

“Where were you guys?” said Rudy. 

“On the run-” 

“I was on the run,” Soap corrected. “Ghost waited for me.” 

Rudy shrugged his shoulders, “of course, no?”

Soap shook his head, “no-” 

“Yes,” now Ghost had corrected him. “We’re a team. All of us. This happened on my watch and I’ll need help to fix it. No one fights alone.” 

Soap and Rudy nodded but Rudy couldn’t shake his mind from the events from the night before. 

“Why would Graves turn?” said Rudy, his brow furrowed. 

“We don’t know,” Soap frowned. 

“Las Almas can corrupt anyone,” Rudy sighed. 

Soap shook his head, “not us.” 

“And Alejandro, your friend?” Ghost questioned Rudy. 

Rudy frowned, hanging his head, “she distracted them so I could get away. She’s most likely captured, just like Alejandro.” 

“Fuck,” Soap cursed. 

Ghost knew there would be no point dwelling on the traitorous events of the night and decided they needed to focus on the next plan of attack. 

“For now, General Shepherd, Laswell and anyone else outside this room is considered hostile, with one exception,” said Ghost. 

“Alejandro?” 

“We need him back,” Ghost watched as Rudy walked away from them. 

Following, the trio walked over to a wooden desk with maps and papers scattered about, dimly illuminated by a single lamp.

“Graves is holding him here,” Rudy pointed to a building on the map. 

“His own personal black site prison,” Soap frowned, his arms crossed. 

“He’s most likely holding my friend there too,” Rudy frowned. 

“Your friend, is she to be trusted?” Ghost questioned, his tone not at all gentle but matter-of-fact. 

Rudy looked up at the masked man with determination, “she went to save Alejandro, and distracted the Shadows long enough for me to get away. Not to mention she saved Alejandro when they were on top of that oil rig.” 

“You think that’s enough for her to change sides? No offense, amigo, but she also tried to kill us. Multiple times,” Soap said softly. 

Rudy sighed and shook his head. Your wrap sheet was long, this was true, so was it really possible for you to turn? After all this time? He thought back to that conversation between Alejandro and yourself before arriving at the base. You would probably never be the same, and yet Alejandro still loved you. He knew his childhood best friend like the back of his hand, and if Alejandro could trust you, so could he. 

“I know, but I know Alejandro wouldn’t have dove in after her if he didn’t believe that she could change,” Rudy said, voice strong. “And I have to believe that. I have to.” 

Soap and Ghost nodded. 

“How do we get them back?”

𝜗𝜚 𝙏𝙖𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

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With a scowl you shrugged yourself off of him, not so gracefully falling against the side of the dingy. You glared at the self-satisfied look on the man’s face before looking back out into the murky horizon. You caught one of the boats steering farther away, heading north. You knew from there that boat was heading to the freight carrier while you and the other boat headed for the deserted oil rig. 

Once again, you wondered why you were even in this angry ocean, with your ex-fiance no less. 

“Tell me again, why you told them where to find the shipment?” You said in a hushed voice as you and Valeria finally sat alone in the shoebox of an interrogation room. “Do you have any idea how much time and money I spent on securing a drop point in the middle of the ocean?”  Valeria smiled, “relax, baby sister. It’s all a game of time. By the time you lead those pendejos out there, they won’t know how much time they wasted tracking down one lousy shipment, that Hassan will have slipped through their meaty fingers.”  You ticked a brow, “me? And what, you get to stay here? All nice and warm?” Valeria shrugged, “not like they’d really trust the two of us to be alone for that amount of time. It’d be too easy.” “Speaking of,” you sigh, wishing no more to be back in your web.  “Time, hermana, time,” Valeria said. 

And so here you were. As you sped closer, the towering rig became clearer and clearer. The engine began to cut as you floated closer to the ladder. Alejandro stood to feet as he quickly docked the dingy as it jumped amongst the waves before turning to you. 

“Be honest, how many men are up there?” His tone serious. 

You cocked your head, “oh? Am I supposed to be helping you? Here I thought I was just a woeful lady in distress.”

Alejandro grunted, “forget it. Let’s move.” 

You stood to your feet from the soggy bench, flexing your arms against the zip ties. 

“Ahem,” you huffed just as Alejandro aimed his rifle toward the rig. Alejandro looked over to you and a silent cocked a brow. 

“Do you expect me to stay down here in the middle of a storm,” you glared. “How am I supposed to have your back when I got these?”

You gestured to the zip ties in annoyance and Alejandro rolled his eyes before stepping over to you. He grabbed you by your arm, yanking you toward the edge of the boat. 

“I don’t need you to have my back,” he growled. “Don’t get confused, you are my prisoner. You will do as I say when we get up there.” 

Your gaze followed as Alejandro shot a grappling line up toward the steel pipes, watching as it wrapped itself around. Alejandro yanked on the line before attaching the automatic rope climber. You gasped as his arm moved to wrap around your waist, holding tight. He pressed you into his chest, having you look up into his dark gaze. Somehow in the raging waves that splashed cold water carried by the wind, he felt warm. Just like before. 

“Hold on,” he smirked. 

“How the f--!” The climber zipped up, taking the two up and out of the boat and higher and higher. Alejandro held onto you with ease until the two of you finally reached the rig platform in a matter of seconds. Alejandro grunted as he swung the two of you over the railing, dropping on to the embossed sheet metal. You shrugged yourself out of his grip, your eyes never leaving him. His gaze lingered on you for a second more before scanning the surroundings. 

“Shit, take cover,” Alejandro grabbed you and hauled you to hide behind a pair of painted barrels. 

You slumped against it as Alejandro peered his head over them, “there’s at least two of them. Armed.”

“There would be more if the missile was here,” you whisper. 

Alejandro nodded before whispering into his coms, “we got a few here, no sign of the objective.” 

“Oh, so professional,” you mock. 

Alejandro glared down at you, “can you take this fucking seriously?” 

“I would if you took off these fucking ties,” you seethe. 

Alejandro scoffed with a smirk, “I’m not stupid, princesa, the moment I take you out of those, you’re gone and I’m left here to die. No, no way.”

You rolled your eyes, “is that what you think? Fine, have it your way.” 

“We need to take these pendejos out,” Alejandro grumbled, his eyes trained on the targets. “There’s one stationed to the north, the other to the east.”

You bent your legs under you, “I’ll take the right.” 

“Wait-” 

You were moving before he could stop you. You moved quickly and silently, staying low as you rounded around the railing. You narrowed in on the man, stopping behind some rusted sheet metal leaning against a metal beam. You peaked your head around, noting the man’s all black attire, adorned with a bullet proof vest, a mask and a rifle. Your gaze found Alejandro across the platform, finding him watching you just the same. 

Alejandro nodded his head, his expression serious. You turned to focus on the man again before closing in. You moved low to the floor, your legs stretching to move you closer and closer until you were only a few feet away. The man kept his back to you, his gaze across the horizon. You smirked, your prey unknowingly seconds away from his reaper. 

It happened quickly. You leaped off a vertical support beam to give the height to fling your legs over the man’s shoulders to wrap them around his neck. The man grunted and in a panic grasped at your legs. You flung yourself back taking the both of you down in a loud thud. You twisted and struggled, applying more and more pressure. The man clawed at your legs but you didn’t let up until you heard the final pop. The man went limp between your legs, making you let out a large sigh. 

Your attention snapped back at the sound of rushed footsteps. You released the man and shuffled away from the man, resting on your elbows. Half expecting to rub your quick work in Alejandro’s face, your smirk fell once you realized the shadow belonged to the other target, not Alejandro. Your eyes widened in shock as the man aimed his rifle directly toward you. 

You gasped as a single gunshot rang out. You watched as the man’s body slumped to the floor, blood spurting from a single gunshot wound to the head. You let out the breath you didn’t realize you were holding as your eyes found Alejandro aiming his rifle at the man. He kicked the man’s gun away from him as he approached. His gaze finally found you before lowering his rifle. 

“For a second, you looked afraid,” it sounded like he was trying to poke fun but his lips were curved into a deep frown. 

You frowned as you glared up at him, “what took you so long.” 

“You weren’t exactly waiting for my go ahead,” Alejandro grumbled as he helped you stand.  

You shook your head, “then not much has changed.” 

Alejandro stopped and looked over at you, still holding onto you. You wished you could tell what was thinking as you stared into his eyes. If you were still as foolish as you were all those years ago, you would have believed that he looked as if he was grieving. He looked at his hand before slowly letting go. 

“No,” his voice rumbled deep in his chest, “too much has changed.” 

You felt your chest tighten at the way he looked at you. It was a cocktail of emotion you were struggling to decipher. Despair. Yearning. Guilt. You tore your gaze away from him finally, unable to look into the sea behind his gaze any longer. Instead, you turned to look at the stormy waters surrounding you, trying to find sanctuary away from the growing well of everything you had repressed for so many years.

“There’s no going back,” you finally spoke after letting the splashing waves speak for you. “It’s not possible.”

“Tal vez no,” Alejandro sighed, letting out a heavy sigh that made his shoulders slump and for a moment you could truly see how exhausted he truly was. 

A part of you wanted to curl into itself, coming to the self realization that perhaps he had really given up on the life you both led once. On you. Maybe that’s why what he said next nearly shattered all of your walls you had spent so much time building. 

“But maybe, maybe there’s a chance,” said Alejandro, his voice low as if the words he uttered were sacred. 

You couldn’t render a response, only blink in shock at his statement as you looked up at him. Looking at you with that same stupid look that told you how much he’d thought about this without having to put it into words. You would have continued to get lost in his gaze if you hadn’t noticed the flicker of movement over his shoulder. Your gaze immediately found the man slowly creeping toward the two of you, his rifle aimed and ready. Your feet were moving before you could think it through. 

“Only if you want that-!” 

You rushed around Alejandro, bum rushing the masked man evidently catching him off guard. He stumbled on his feet as you sped toward him and you knew you only had a half a second to reach him before his shot met his target. But not even you were that fast. 

A single shot echoed through your eardrum as you rammed your body against the man, knocking him clean off his feet. And both of you off the platform. Your breath was stolen from your lungs as your feet left the platform leaving nothing but the air and the ocean beneath you. You twirled yourself around just in time for you to see Alejandro, perhaps for the last time, for just a brief moment. In this unfairly short second you could see it all written all over his face and body. He was scared. Maybe even more scared than you. 

The sensations of the rushing wind and the concrete impact with the icy water below happened in a matter of seconds before nothing. But those fleeting moments were enough for you to finally feel what you had tried so hard to not. Fear. Not so much fear for death itself for death was an unshakable companion. No, this fear was different but not foreign to you. This fear was tied to that man hundreds of feet above you somehow. But now there was a very slim chance you’d ever discover if that tie could ever be more. 

The pain was only partially dulled by the chill of the water as its current pulled you deeper and deeper. Your arms stretched above you as your muddy gaze became more splotchy and dark, the salt burning your eyes. Your throat burned as the last of your breath was threatened to be stolen from you, sealing your fate. Perhaps this was the easiest. Valeria was a strong, formidable woman who would maybe mourn for you, but a part of you knew that it would fire her up more to go down her path of becoming the strongest sicario Las Almas had ever seen. And Alejandro…

You gagged as the saltwater flooded into your nose and throat, the burn spreading through your chest. You knew there wasn’t much time and perhaps you would have struggled to swim to the surface that was becoming more and more distant, but a part of you knew that it would all be pointless. Your arms still bound behind you ached dully but proved that you weren’t going to make it out of this. 

 All you had now was your memories which flashed through your mind like a cruel joke on your sorry life. Your childhood growing up in the countryside in that small shack of a house, your scary big sister scaring all the town bullies away. Enlistment and then the brutal training days. The mess hall, the first time you saw him. He was as fiery as the rest of the hotheads who believed that they could all make a change. But he was different, he truly believed it and he made you believe in him too. And you did, you truly did. 

You were losing consciousness fast, accepting the darkness of water as your long awaiting grave. And despite your pride, you were ready. Ready to finally rest. You closed your eyes and allowed the darkness to consume you as you knew it always would. Gone, you did not feel the sturdy arm wrap around your chest diagonally, pulling you against something hard. Your limp body clung to him as he struggled to breach the surface as he frantically kicked his feet and scooped as much water to help with your ascent. 

The cold air whipped against Alejandro’s face when he finally breached the surface. He gasped for air as he looked over your relaxed expression, eyes closed. He shouted and shouted, his throat raw as he slapped your face in any attempt to wake you but you did not stir. Alejandro cursed as he tried his best to keep his buoyancy on his back, laying your head on his chest in some sorry attempt to keep you afloat. Alejandro kept yelling, until finally his shouts were drowned out by the loud hum of a motor. 

You were hauled over the edge of the dingy first, falling limply on the bottom up the boat where the rest of the water pooled. Alejandro was next and the moment he found his footing he was all over you. His hands moved frantically over you, removing the wet layers from you until you were just in a soggy shirt, pants and your mask. Leaving the garish gunshot wound to your abdomen abundantly clear. 

“No no no, fuck!” Alejandro panicked, clamoring over to look over your face. 

All of sudden that same sickening feeling he had tried so hard to bury crept back into this chest, stealing his breath. The feeling of helplessness, and this feeling throughout his muscles making him almost frozen. Alejandro held your face, unable to stop the shaky tremor in his hands. 

“Not again, por favor dios no otra vez,” he whispered frantically, shaking you roughly in an attempt to wake you. 

Johnny was the next to move, crouching next to Alejandro to apply rough pressure on your gaping wound. Alejandro didn’t know if the impact with the water after diving in after you had scrambled his mind but he could barely hear how Johnny barked orders at Graves to get them back to shore. Graves hesitated, his gaze narrowed and clouded in apprehension and skepticism. 

“Graves!” shouted Soap. 

Graves shook his head but nevertheless did what the Scot asked and kicked the motor into high gear, steering them back to shore.

Your drift in and out of consciousness was contradictingly gentle. Your half-lidded eyes revealed your dazed pupils as you tried your best to focus on where you were. It took a few seconds but you realized you were staring  at the interior roof of a car. It all felt so familiar. 

You were laying on the back seat of the truck, your head laying on something hard but yielding. It’s then when you begin to gain feeling of your body once more and it is excruciating. For lack of better explanation, you felt like you were hit by a bullet train. Every muscle in your body seared and you were sure you had at least a few broken ribs. You hissed as you attempted to move but couldn’t due to the pain tearing through your abdomen. Identifying this pain immediately, you knew that fucker had managed to get a shot off before plunging into the watery depths, with you in tow. 

You flinched at the feeling of hands on you, forcing you to lay back down. You grimaced, fighting the fuzziness in your eye until you could clearly see your apparent captor. Your eyes widened in shock as you met those you knew all too well. 

“Don’t move,” Alejandro said, his voice akin to gravel. 

You tried hard to focus on his face, seeing his expression as he stared down at you. It became clear that you were lying on his lap, and you clearly weren’t dead. You could see how drawn thin he was by just looking over his face. You flinched as his hand reached for your face. Alejandro stopped seeing how you jerked away from his touch. Like a wild dog cornered you eyed him warily, not daring to look away from his gaze. His gaze softened as his fingers trailed against your cheek. Your bare cheek. 

Your eyes shot wide under the realization that you were without your mask, leaving your scar out in the open. Your hand slapped over your mouth and you tried to move away from him despite every bone in your body screaming at you to stop. Little to say, in this state Alejandro could easily hold you down as to not allow you to harm yourself any further. 

“Para, por favor,” Alejandro didn’t raise his voice or exert more force than necessary to get you to stop moving. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

You stopped trying to fight to get away. Fear crept into your heart as Alejandro continued to stare, making more and more uneasy. 

“My mask, where-” 

“I needed to do CPR, can’t do it with that annoying piece of fabric in the way,” Alejandro faintly smirked. 

You cursed yourself for feeling your face become hot, making you want to shrivel up and die. You tried to curl into yourself as Alejandro reached for you again, grasping your small hand into his. He wasn’t smiling now but something else replaced it. Something sincere, his gaze burning into you. 

As if your body was reacting on its own in reaction to his touch, you let him pull your hand away from your face. Revealing your scar to him once more, you couldn’t tear your eyes away from him. Alejandro’s rough fingertips traced the scar from your cheek, following the jagged flesh to your lips. Your breath caught in your throat as his thumb lingered on your bottom lip, parting them. 

You studied Alejandro closely, watching as his brow knitted together and guilt swirled in his eyes. He looked… mournful. 

“I’ve wasted so much time,” he whispered this confession as if he’d held onto it, hoping it would never see the sun. “You were out there, alone. And I was blinded.” 

You felt like you were underwater again, struggling to breathe. Were you really hearing this? Maybe you had actually died. You forced yourself to move away from him, scooting all the way to the other side of the truck, grimacing and holding your side. 

“Don’t,” you croaked, your voice shaking. “I can’t hear this.” 

Alejandro brow creased but he didn’t stop.

“I can’t lose you again,” Alejandro frowned. “I won’t.” 

You shook your head, “enough, just stop.” 

“Stop what? Stop thinking about you every second of every fucking day. That I regret that I wasn’t there to stop it, stop this,” said Alejandro, gesturing his hands to the air between you, voice watery. “I wish I could stop, but I can’t. I never could.” 

You shook your head, clamping your hands over your ears, “stop!” 

Alejandro covered your hands with his, leaning to try to look into your eyes as your desperately tried to evade his gaze. 

“Corazón, please,” he begged. 

“I can’t be what you want,” you were shaking now. “Who I was, I can’t-” 

Alejandro stopped his shoulders slumping. The car was silent apart from the hum of the truck’s engine and the rain pelting against the tinted windows. You felt your body curl into itself more, as if fearful now that in full realization that you were sitting in the middle of a metaphorical minefield. 

“I… I am a monster, Ale,” tears welled in your eyes. “The things I have done…they can’t be forgiven.” 

Alejandro’s heart softened impossibly more once hearing your old nickname for him, but broke simultaneously, watching these shattered pieces of you. Each jagged and bloodthirsty, but broken all the same. This Alejandro knew was true. Even he knew the tales of La Araña whose tales rivaled the infamy and bloodshed as El Sin Nombre. Each urban legend served as warnings to those foolish enough to rise against the cartel while also serving as bedtime stories for naughty children. At the time, Alejandro felt like each tale and conquest of La Araña was a sharp knife to his back, reminding him of how he failed. Failed you. 

You, who would always tell him to take a break before he knew he even needed one. You, who would always find your back to him, no matter if you were near or far. You, who would always stop to remind Alejandro of just how much he was needed by you -- how you would do anything to stay by his side. 

“You are still mine,” Alejandro said carefully. “I know this is true because if it weren’t, if you were truly what you wanted them to see, you would have let him kill me.” 

Your eyes looked up at him in shock, stray tears trailing down your cheek. Alejandro smiled softly, his fingertips gently brushing them away. 

“Cariño…” Alejandro whispered, tears threatening his waterline. “I shouldn’t…I shouldn’t have let you go. That night, that night I should’ve-” the words died in his throat.  

Your eyes fell back to your lap as flashes of that cursed mind flickered through your mind. Fourteen days of what could only be described as pure, unfathomable torture. In the beginning, you weren’t even aware of how many days had passed, having been held in near complete darkness. The only light coming from when the door would open and your captor would come and visit you. You tried in vain to hold on to the hope that Alejandro would come through that door, but it was always him. By the nth day, you had fully wished for death, succumbing to the reality that no one was coming to save you. You only remembered the car ride back to the Las Almas base before slipping into a coma, only to wake weeks later. You wished it could have been a peaceful slumber, but the torture replayed over and over again like a broken record, further shattering your fragile mind. 

The old you was gone, and La Araña was born to scour the Earth from everyone who ever dared wrong her. It was almost sinfully easy to bring Las Almas to its knees, making it your very own stronghold alongside Valeria. And the things you did, all the awful, terrible things. With the two of you at the helm, you were untouchable, and that was exactly how you wanted it. Each snake beheaded, each government lackey paid off, you buried who you once were until you felt nothing. But he brought it all back and all it took was a single look. It was infuriating. 

“Ale, just let me go,” you found yourself begging. If only he had, it would make this all so much easier to go back to how it had been from the last few years. Back to feeling nothing. 

Alejandro sighed, dropping his head onto yours, your foreheads connecting you. He closed his eyes and took this moment to just feel, feel you. “I wish I could. I tried. Believe me, I tried” he whispered, his voice cracking. “But I can’t.” 

You exhaled letting yourself relax into his touch. 

“You may not trust me yet, but at least let me try. Let us try,” he whispered but his words held the same conviction you always knew Alejandro to have. 

You bit your lip as you tried your best to allow yourself to finally feel and not shove it all away but it was hard. 

“I don’t know if I can…” you whispered. 

Alejandro slumped, dejected. You moved your hands to his face, gingerly passing over his stubble until you gently held him. “But…I’ll try.”

Alejandro felt like his soul had left his body upon hearing those words. He grinned his stupid grin, a happy tear running down his cheek. He pulled from and nodded. 

“Let me prove myself to you, mi vida,” said Alejandro. 

You smiled a small smile, “I have some things to prove myself.” 

“Yeah, you two are truly a basket case!” Rudy finally piped up from the driver’s seat. 

Alejandro chuckled and you rolled your eyes with a huff, “you were eavesdropping the whole time, pendejo?”

Ruddy shook his head with a smirk, “hard not to listen when I’m sitting here witnessing this telenovela go down.” 

You kicked the back of his seat, wincing at the twinge of pain in your side, “eyes on the road. Where are we going anyway?” 

“Back to the base, unless you feel brand new after falling off an oil rig?” Alejandro arched his brow. 

You chuckled, “no, actually. I feel like absolute shit.” 

“We’ll be at the base in 10, hang in there,” Rudy said.Alejandro smiled as he looked over you again, which made you nervously avoid his gaze. It was going to take longer than you thought to get used to him looking like that again.

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