Bear.
Slumped against the far wall, wrists bound behind him with rope that had cut deep enough to leave visible burns even in low light. Blood covered half his face, jaw swollen and discolored. His uniform was shredded, boots barely holding together.
But he was breathing.
Ghost dropped to one knee and sliced through the bindings. Bear blinked up at him, eyes clouded with pain but still sharp underneath.
"Took you long enough," Bear muttered low.
Something warm expanded in Ghost's chest. He allowed himself a brief smile. "Traffic."
Bear huffed, half laugh, half groan. "Knew you'd come. Glad it was you."
The siren ripped through the quiet.
Ghost had Bear halfway to his feet when the first round cracked off the stone doorframe. Dust rained down from above. Predator's voice cut through comms, urgent but controlled.
"Contact. Multiple hostiles."
Gunfire erupted through the corridors. Plaster burst from walls. Torch fired from cover, dropping two men before they located him. Rogue moved in beside him, rifle barking in short bursts.
Ghost hauled Bear upright. "Can you move?"
Bear spat blood and straightened despite obvious pain. "You bet your ass."
Ghost shoved a sidearm into his hand. "Then do it."
The compound erupted around them. Shouts in Pashto echoed through cramped hallways. Bullets chewed into stone, kicking up dust that made Ghost's eyes water behind his NVGs. Smoke thickened with every step. Muzzle flashes strobed through the darkness.
Brick vaulted a low wall and pulled a flashbang. "Bang out!"
Ghost turned his head as the blast lit the corridor in white fire. The fighters stumbled, blind and disoriented.
At the rear, Rogue knelt at the base of the exit wall, hands steady as he set charges. Gunfire cracked around him, but he worked like it didn't exist. "Fire in the hole in thirty. Get ready."
Ghost keyed his comm. "Falcon, talk to me."
Static, then Falcon's voice came through tighter than before. "Two technicals inbound from the south. Heavy guns. You've got a minute."
Ghost's stomach dropped. The timing was too clean. Too many bodies moving with too much coordination.
Someone had known they'd be here.
Outside, Rangers held the perimeter. Muzzle flashes lit the dust in stuttering bursts. Their fire stayed controlled, no panic, just steady resistance.
Carver's voice cut through the chaos. "Push them back. Hold that flank."
Ghost caught sight of Carver through a break in the wall, pivoting and firing, dropping targets with cold efficiency.
"Rogue!" Ghost shouted. "Do it."
The charges detonated. The blast shook the corridor, turning the rear wall into flying stone and heat. Screams cut off under collapsing debris.
SEALs and Rangers poured through the breach. Smoke rolled over them. Gunfire snapped past, biting into dirt and brick. Ghost kept one hand on Bear's vest, keeping him moving.
Ahead, Frost dragged a wounded Ranger across rough ground, leaving a dark streak of blood behind them. Rogue positioned himself between Bear and the enemy fire, his shots controlled and deliberate.
Bear kept moving despite every step costing him. His jaw stayed clenched, breaths coming rough and shallow.
