Wildlands (rskde & BurningWillows)

Surprised, she stopped humming momentarily before curling her arms around him, resting her head on top of his.

"I haven't been home for five years," she left out the part where she didn't really have a 'home' anymore, wanting to pull him out of his nightmare, not fuel the fire.

Returning to her humming, Arya's one arm remains curled around him while her arm that had been rubbing his back moves to his hair, stroking it softly.

No more drugs for him, she decides watching him, He's pretty much healed at this point, his body can take care of the rest. I'm not going to put him through this any longer, if this is what the drugs are doing to him.

"I wanna go home.. I don't want to be here anymore, I want to be safe.." He says quietly. "I don't care how much training I have, I need some time at home, or I'll die out here in this jungle, the tiger will come for me and he won't play with me anymore.." He says to her.

"Tell me a story about home, anything, please.." He says quietly. "I've forgotten what home is like now that I've been out here for so long."

Biting her lips, Arya shuffles through memories of home, telling him soft spoken stories, one after the next. Talking about home brings out her own homesickness, and the knot in her stomach returns, knowing she'd never be able to return to her hometown, or her family. And neither would he. But she swallows that sick feeling, focusing on the broken man holding her, trying to bring both their spirits up with a happier tale of home. She recalls the time she had her first alcoholic drink, and then the time she went to her first college party and made out with a guy wearing a lamp on his head like a hat.

He listens to every story without a word, calming down by the time she was done, he feels a pang of guilt and embaressment for freaking out, but the memory seemed all too real, like the thirst and the jungle from that day had come back for him.

"Sorry.." He says to her quietly, letting go of her before leaning back against the wall.

As he pulls away she lets him, but keeps one hand on his shoulder, watching him.

"Don't apologize," Arya smiles, rubbing his shoulder, "I'm the one giving you the drugs. Which I'm stopping, okay? But don't feel bad."

Resting her head on his shoulder she continues on, "We get caught up doing all these ops, pressing forward, all of us start to forget our health, both physical and mental. I didn't realize just how homesick I was. We are in this together Jason."

Katerina woke hours later, sore but fit to move. Em was aching to continue on, wanting nothing more but to get back to base. The women still refused to speak to each other, moving stiffly around one another. Fortunately with Em's cut of the money they had taken off the dead goon, they were able to bribe a native for their car. With a full tank of gas they headed off, hoping to make it back to La Paz and then to the helicopter, Katerina just praying no one had stolen it yet. The last thing they needed was more bad luck.

Derulo nods. "Thanks Arya, you've helped me, and put up with me a lot for the last week or so." He says to her, putting his arms around her again.

"I'm sure we'll get home soon." He says quietly, leaning his head back against the wall.

They sat like that for awhile and then Arya got him off to his own bed, making sure his bandage was cleaned. After that her days seemed to slow, having no one to watch over, and all her paperwork up to date. It got to a point she started doodling in her notebook, just to waste time. Two days later she caught sight of Derulo as he passed by the couch she was curled up on.

"Please tell me you've come to entertain me," she sighed, "Winter's keeps doing these jogs, and Shrake seems lost in his own thought, and I'm going stir crazy here. I wish Ember, Kat, and Al hadn't taken the helicopter. We could be doing an op right now, not waiting on them to return."

Derulo shrugs, taking a bite out of an apple in his hand. "I can do a backflip and then go back to sleep." He says, placing the apple down on the table before bracing himself and flipping backwards, landing on his feet.

"Alright, good night now." He says to her, grabbing his apple and turning to go back to his room, ready for bed.

She can't help but giggle at the reply she gets, until he indeed does a backflip, scooping his apple back up as she applauds. Laughing harder, she watches him walk away.

"You were serious?" she can't help but grin, watching the man disappearing from the room, "Thanks Derulo! Have a nice nap!"

Turning back to her doodles, she continues to smile, chuckling quietly to herself.

Al stumbles into the entrance of Casper main, helped by Winters, the tattoo'd man's arm around his neck as the two walk in together, Red hot on their tail.

"Medic!" Al calls to Arya, coughing again as they halt in front of her. He looks pretty beat up, bruises along with rib cage and tiny cuts around his stomach and torso area, his face is dirty and he is coughing a lot.

Arya blanches and throws her notebook to the side, bouncing to her feet and over to them. Taking Al from Winter's, she looks over at the new man then decides to focus on only Al.

"Winter's, get Shrake please," she asks quickly, leading Al to her office, "What happened Al?"

Getting him to the bed in the medical lab, she helps him strip off the grimy shirt and vest, then lays him down while administering pain meds. Looking over his bruising, Arya gently checks him over, finding several broken ribs.

"You are luck you didn't puncture a lung," she sighs, pulling gloves and an apron on, before hooking a fresh IV to him and locking the door.

Grabbing a tray with medical utensils and a needle with green liquid, she's quick with the needle before Al can ask what it is. Its anesthesia, and she knows he will be out in a minute or two. Arya bites her lip, trying to keep him calm and relaxed, so he doesn't panic. The doctor has to open his chest, if only to fix the ribs that have shifted out of place and are threatening not just his lungs but soon his heart.

As he starts to drift she leans over to speak to him, smiling, "You'll feel much better when you wake Al. Don't worry, you'll be up and moving in an hour or two."

Al coughs again before explaining his story to her. "I jumped out of a two story high window while a building blew up behind me." He says to her as if nothing had happened, laying down on the table and wheezing out another cough.

He nods as he drifts off, waking hours later with an odd pain in his chest. He groans and looks around. "Is Ember here?" He asks, hoping that someone is listening.



Winters walks over to Shrake and introduces him to Red before explaining Al's situation, Shrake shoo's Winters away, and the man goes outside to look out for Katerina and Ember, hoping they'd return soon.



"I understand you're a sniper, Al is a helluva shot and we have plenty of ammo and much nicer rifles than the one you have there, we have four extra rooms, so you can make yourself at home where ever, just make sure you're ready for an op, we've got some shit to see and people to kill." He explains to the younger man.

Arya jumps, surprised at the sound of his voice when only moment's ago he was asleep. Getting up from her chair in the corner where she'd been reading a book, the doctor smiles and quickly checks her stitching work. His chest would be sore for a week or two as the ribs and scarring healed, but as long as he didn't do anything strenuous in the next week, she knew he'd be fine.

"Hey," helping him sit up, she shows him the scars with a hand mirror while answering his question, "I talked to the new kid. Red explained you were alone, that the other two got split. We haven't seen Kat or Em yet. What happened?"


Thanking Shrake for the hospitality, he wanders after Winter's, finding the man outside.

"You know, I thought you were dead too," Red sighed, clapping the Ghost on the shoulder, "When I saw you jogging I thought I was losing it there for a minute. How'd you escape the ambush?"


If life couldn't be any worse, they now had a flat tire to contend with. They'd barely made it ten kilometers when the tire blew, leaving them stranded. Sitting around was an option, and niether was hoping for another car to pass, so the girl's took what provisions they had and started the long trek, Kat biting her tongue from the pain lancing through her. Ember had been able to pull the bullets from her shoulder and knee, but the muscles were torn and every step felt like torture, causing her to limp.

At this rate, it take them a week to get back to base, if Katerina didn't pass out before then from the wounds she worried were infected. Without Arya, Ember couldn't do much and the townsfolk were not willing to provide them much help, wanting them gone sooner rather than later.

"Keep up Silivka," Ember snapped, stomping forward with the laptop shrugged over her shoulder.

Sighing, the blonde kept up the pace, suffering silently behind her.

"I had to shoot my way out, used up three mags before I could leave and they were still shooting at me by the time I had killed sixty of them." He answers, running a hand through his hair. "I watched everyone else die before I left, I'll never forget it."



"Everything was going smoothly until another cartel raided Skull Face's mansion, with us inside. We climbed out but Kat never got down with is so I told Ember to run while I climbed to the top and shot my way to the hostage room. When I couldn't find her I blew up the place and we got separated.. I don't even know if they made it." He answers her.

"Ember and I had been talking a lot, and becoming really close.. And now I don't even know where she is, I can only pray that she and Kat made it out before the place went to hell." He says to the doctor.



Nobody fucks with Pablo Narcos. He stands in the ruins of his mansion, having recent reports of losing around three hundred of his best men and officers. He watches the security camera footage, his eyebrows raising when he sees Al leaping from the window before the footage ends.

"That fucking bitch played me.." He mutters, opening his cell phone and calling Katerina, his hand white around his phone as he paces around, muttering to himself in Spanish.

Checking his temperature and then his blood pressure, Arya listens intently before patting his arm.

"You can move around the base Al, just no exertion. That means no hikes, jogs, or blowing anything up. And I'm sure Ember is fine. She's tough. She probably found Kat and the two escaped."

She believed her words, but as the days past and the end of the week loomed closer, Arya even started to worry. How had they not come back yet, if something hadn't happened to them? What if Em had gone in after him? She'd asked Shrake to go on a search mission, but as it was two of them were still down for the count, Arya had to remain at base to do her duties, and the two newest men hadn't proven themselves or done anything to gain Shrake's trust yet. Like Katerina was when she arrived, Snowy and Red were in limbo until Shrake decided otherwise.

So they decided to wait till the end of the week, and if the girl's hadn't made contact by then, they would have to make due and go on a rescue op.


Two days later and Emberly just wants to faint, her feet shuffling along the gravel road. Katerina is doing no better, having fallen unconscious twice now. The only thing pushing them forward is in the horizon, peeking just over a hill is La Paz.

They could, of course, had been rescued by now if it wasn't for their lack of radios or any communicational device. In the rush of things, Kat had left her phone in the mansion, and her glock had been taken from her. The blonde was not only injured but useless, having no weapon or way to make contact with Casper.

Em wasn't faring much better. Because of the Katerina's advice, Ember had no other radio other than the broken ear piece she had tossed away, and hadn't carried a cell phone in years. At least she had her pistol, and a spare magazine on her hip.

"It's only half a day's walk left," Em croaks, her throat parched, "We can be there by sunset. Kat?"


Groaning, the blonde nods, dragging her stiff leg along with her as Ember helps her walk. At this point its only willpower carrying the blonde forward, that and a deep seeded hate for the government and cartels in Bolivia. She'd already sworn multiple times to put a bullet through Narco's head, loudly and angrily at the sky as they grew more thirsty and hungry. At some point Ember had started speaking to her again, helping her walk and putting aside her grief for Al. They both just wanted to make it back to base, to live another day so they could avenge him, and Katerina was not about to let death take her before Narcos was deep, deep in the ground.

"I can do it," she growled, pulling at her remaining strength, "Just promise me you can fly us home when we get to that copter."

~

Reaching La Paz, the women were so dehydrated and starved they barely made it to town, finding the first hotel and blowing the rest of the cash they had on room service and a warm bed. They showered, and Kat rinsed her wounds before ripping the sheets apart for makeshift bandages.

The next morning they were up and moving by dawn, stealing a car -thanks to Katerina- and driving out to the abandoned parking lot where the copter safely sat.

"Take us home," Kat sighed, pulling her aching body into the passenger seat as her head rocked, deliria starting to kick in, "Hurry up mom, I'm hungry."

"Hang on," turning the helicopter on, she strapped Katerina in, checking her forehead, "Boy do you ever have a fever. Just a couple more hours Kat. We can do it."

In the hours that passed, Katerina fell unconscious, slumping over. Em couldn't focus on her though, having to pilot. The most she could do was check her pulse every few minutes, making sure the woman didn't die. From cleaning her wounds last night, they had reopened the scabs and she'd lost a fair amount of blood again. Being no medical expert, the most Ember could do was add pressure and hope for the best, but now she was worried it wasn't enough.

Making a speedy landing, Ember shuts the copter off before jumping out, seeing relief instantly in the faces of Shrake, Arya, and Snowy. That relief wilts quickly as she opens the passenger side and yells for help.

"Doc," as Arya comes running, she unbuckles Kat, "She got shot, and its bad."

Without waiting to be asked she adds, "And Al. He's dead."

When she does not pick up he clenches the phone so hard is breaks under his hand, he looks around at his officers before pointing to the laptop with the camera footage on it. "Check the bodies, if this man is not among them, we must take action."

He looks around before nodding to one of his best spies. "Find them." He says, his voice full of hate.



Anthony Harris is an American ex-CIA agent, of course he knows about the Ghosts in Bolivia, but where is the evidence that he has to prove it? And if he did prove it.. Mr. Narcos would no longer need him, and that's not profitable in the slightest.

He sets out, asking around several towns until he hears word about a helicopter leaving La Paz, he finds footage of the direction and he sets out, quickly finding the helicopter outside of Casper main.



Winters runs to Kat's aid, putting his arm around her to support her while Arya led the way to Medbay, he helps her sit down and nods to the doctor. "Take care of her." He looks down at the woman and smiles confidently. "I still owe you a coffee, if you die, I can't give you it." He says before leaving the room, walking to his quarters and laying down on the bed in there, thinking about the severity of her wounds in his head.



Al had already left medbay, he sits in his quarters, staring at the ceiling. Nobody has told him the arrival of the two women, and he is not exactly sitting easy on the fact that no communication has been established with the pair in the last week.

He feels a pang of guilt, having left Ember at the ground while he decided to do something stupid, if they're dead, it's his fault, and he knows it. He sits up and grabs his hat from the floor, putting it on his head before leaning back against the wall. He still isn't used to wearing shirts, his bare back presses against the cool rock.



Shrake levels his gun to Anthony's head before speaking. "Identify yourself." He says to him.

The man pulls a badge from his pocket. "Agent Harris. CIA." The man says before pushing past Shrake. "You've got a nice operation going here, I've been sent to ensure everything's alright, considering the extent of Agent Katerina's wounds." He explains.

"So if you could show me around base, I'd appreciate it."

"Fine." Shrake says before leading him inside, showing him only the essentials, how they were on rations, the wounded, and a status of everyone, not forgetting to mention the developing relationships between team members.

Harris nods. "And your next op?"

"We're taking the district from Narcos, starting with La Paz, we're cutting him off from radio communication." Shrake explains.

Harris simply nods again. "That's all I need to know, thank you." The man says before shaking his hand and walking out of the cave, starting to his trek back to Narcos.

Hearing the commotion, he's quick to listen, hearing Embers sad admission that Al died. Knowing the man is well and alive, Red retreats into the hall, softly knocking on the other snipers door. Time to set up these star crossed lovers.

"Hey man, you have to come see this. Quick, come into the main hall."

Backtracking, he moves into the medbay, seeing Kat unconscious on the bed while Arya and a fiery red head who must be Ember lean over her.

"It's Ember right?" Red asks, scratching his own copper hair, "Shrake wants a full report. Cmon."


A redhead she's never met strolls in, catching her attention. With Aryas lack of alarm Em can only assume he's been here a few days, so when he asks her to follow she obliges, knowing Shrake would want the laptop still strung over her back.

Leading her out, she looks confused for a second staring around, "Where's Shrake?"

"Behind you," he nods, acting weird as he takes several steps back, "I'll leave you guys alone."

He's out of the cave before she can ask what the hell is going on before turning. At the sight of Alex her eyes widened and her hand slaps over her mouth, momentarily speechless. But he...how can he...

"Oh my god Alex!" Her voice cries out, ringing around them as she jolts forward.

Launching herself at him, Emberly arms quickly wrap around his neck pulling her onto her tiptoes as her lips find his, pushing against them. Pulling him closer, she kisses him hard.

"I though you were dead!" Pulling away she inspects him, noticing the stitches, "What happened? Are you okay? God I'm just glad your alive."

Al sees her and doesn't say anything, noticing the surprise on her face. Conflicted emotions run through his mind, like he's unsure what to feel, and then one clear emotion shows itself.. Relief.

He catches her when she launches herself at him, closing his eyes and kissing her back, he is surprised at her reaction, he expected her to be furious. "Well, I blew the mansion up and I jumped from the second story window once the explosives I planted went off." He answers.

"Is Kat alright? I couldn't find her in the hostage room." He explains, still holding her. "Actually, tell me the story in my room, this isn't a conversation to have in front of the team." He says before grabbing her hand and leading her to his room, closing the door behind them.

"Right, tell me your part of the story." He says to her, sitting down on his bed.



Shrake sits in his quarters, writing information on his map, which is full of marks and footnotes, he circles La Paz and begins to draw arrows and other lines, he makes a footnote next to it: 'Two weeks' before writing another under it 'Send Red to scout' before folding the map and sliding it into his drawer, locking it.

Following him to his room, she sits down right beside him on the bed, hip to hip. Ember is just relieved he is alive, and her heart's pounding from her bold but needed kiss.

"I saw Katerina sneaking to the wall," she explained, "Minutes after you went back in. I followed her, thinking she knew where you, but she didn't. When I was going to go back for you, the whole mansion just blew up. I was...screaming. I thought you'd died."

Her voice grew solemn, her hands wringing in her lap nervously, "Kat got us out of there before I blew our hiding spot. She knew a back way out, and since then we've been trying to get back here. They shot her in the shoulder and left knee though, making our travel slow and rough. And the car we bought blew a tire so we walked most of it. When we did hit La Paz we got a hotel so I could change her wounds, but she's only been getting worse. Arya has her now."

Sighing, she rubbed her eyes with her palms before resting her head on his shoulder, pulling his hand into hers, "It's been hell. Thinking you died, having to walk most of it here. Me and Katerina barely spoke, I blamed her for your death...and now I need to apologize. What happened to you though Alex? Why are you stitched up?"

"Like I said, I jumped through the window of the second story when the mansion blew up, it propelled me forward and I hit the ground really hard. I dragged myself into a cave and that's when Red found me, thought I was a cartel member and we got to talking, we took a car back here and Arya patched me up." He explains to her.

He puts his arm around her and leans back, sighing happily. "I didn't get much sleep, and I doubt you two were able to get any on that entire journey." He says to her. "So do you wanna lay down for a bit? I dunno if you're tired or not." He says while rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.

Listening to him, she smiles softly. While sleep sounds wonderful, the sweatpants on her are sweaty, grimy, and awful. And the bulletproof vest is covered in Katerina's blood and her own sweat. All she wants is to strip, but at the same time Em doesn't want to take her eyes off this man, in the case he might disappear again.

"Sleep sounds glorious," sighing, she plays with a strap on her bloodied vest, "I have been wearing this awful thing for a week now though. I can either go change or sleep in my bra. Your choice."

Al shrugs. "Whatever you're comfortable with." He answers before laying down, still shirtless he scoots himself to the other end of the bed, his back pressing against the cool stone again, the feeling was marvelous on his agitated skin.

Luckily for them, Casper main has at least one fan in each room, giving a nice air conditioned feel that is much different to the hot humid jungle just outside. Al lets out a shaky breath, still trying to get used to breathing against his cracked ribs.

Maybe it was the relief of finding out he was alive, or the lack of water over the past week but Emberly just grinned goofishly, unzipping the vest and chucking it across the room before lying down beside him so that he faced him, their noses only inches from each other. Reaching up, she cupped his face, her thumb rubbing his cheek.

"I'm really glad you're alive," Em whispered, wanting to kiss him once more but hesitant now, that adrenaline from before fading, "Try not to endanger your life anytime soon? For me?"