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Eagle Talon Files Chapter 2: (continued)



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Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:37 pm
Ghost42 says...



Cp17:
I woke with a jolt in my cabin instead of an Eagle Talon hospital or recovery room like I expected. My breathing was heavy, as if I had just run ten miles without stopping. I looked around; I could see that it was dark outside. I put a hand over my injury, I definitely hadn’t had a dream, I could feel were the knife had been stuck into my side, the wound was maybe three inches long and a half inch wide, but there was no telling how deep it was. I carefully lay back down and attempted to go back to sleep, but sleep never came, I lay there till the sun rose a few hours later. I sighed and stood from the bed as I saw Echo walking casually toward the cabin.
He entered and seemed surprised to see me standing, he sighed with relief as he looked me over from where he stood. Though he seemed relived, he gave me a worried, exhausted look.
“How long have I been out?” I asked wondering how much time it would take for him to seem this exhausted.
“You’ve been in a coma for about five months, Ghost,” he said worriedly.
My head started to spin, ‘a coma, for five months?!’ I nearly collapsed back onto the bed.
“To think I just got Akito to go back to her cabin yesterday,” Echo seemed like he was trying to get his mind off of something that was troubling him.
“What are you talking about, Echo?” I asked, putting a hand on my head in attempt to keep myself from getting any dizzier.
“Akito wouldn’t leave this room,” Echo explained,” she insisted that she stay until you woke up, which most of the team doubted you would.”
“I probably would have doubted it too,” I chuckled, as I got over the dizziness.
Echo chuckled in response,” Come on, she’ll be glad you’re up.”
With that Echo turned and led me out of the cabin and we walked together to the field, where the team would be practicing their drills and other skills. As I walked up the first one to notice me was Aaron who was practicing hand-to-hand combat with Ramirez. He looked wide-eyed at me, making Ramirez turn around and give the same look. He called over to Akito, while she was climbing a tower in the drill course, she was surprised by the tone of urgency in his voice and fell off of the tower, and thankfully she wasn’t too high off the ground and landed on her feet. She whirled to give Ramirez a sharp reply but before she could she saw me and smiled. By then the rest of the team had turned, obviously hearing Ramirez’s call over to Akito. They all seemed surprised, but out of all of them only Akito made a move to come over.
She smiled at me and smiled, “So how are you feeling, hero?” she asked.
I laughed “Not bad, my head still hurts a little, but I’m fine,” I responded, glancing at Echo when he looked at me after I said my head hurt.
He chuckled in response and continued over to stand with the rest of the team, seeing as he wasn’t going to get me to get some rest again he gave me the option to join them in practice or get rest, I was sure Echo wanted me to rest though.
I wasn’t exactly prepared for practice so I headed to the barracks to get what I needed to run the drill course with Akito. When I returned I went to the start of the course and looked at Akito who was standing right beside me, she had been the there the entire time. She jerked her head in the direction of the course, suggesting that we raced to the finish.
As soon as I heard the starting signal, which Echo had triggered. We started off quickly, and stayed together the entire course. At the finish I bent down, catching my breath, Akito was smaller, more agile, and a little faster than me; she was hard to keep up with. As I caught my breath, she rested a hand on my shoulder.
“Are you sure you’re alright, Ghost?” She asked looking at me cautiously.
I straitened up and looked back at her for a while, “I’m fine,” I said eventually.
She smiled and gave a sarcastic shake of her head and jogged off in the direction of the starting line so she could run the course again. I stared after her for a moment, and then I realized that she had called me ‘hero’ earlier. What did she mean by that?
Echo walked up,” If it weren’t for you calling in Domino, we’d all be stuck in that base,” he said.
“What are you talking about, Echo? I never called anyone in,” I said confused.
“Then who did?”
Domino came over to us obviously over hearing our conversation,” No one called me in, I was just there. I had gotten a scouting job around in that area and I saw what was going on, I decided I’d intervene before something happened,” he explained.
“Then why did Akito call me ‘hero’?” I asked still confused.
“Ghost, you survive the harshest torment out of all of us, you’ve fallen thirty feet, been poisoned, beaten, shot in the stomach and you’re the only person I know that can survive that, and stabbed; and probably worse,” Domino pointed out.
It was true the Vipers did seem to have a specific target which seemed to be me, but that didn’t explain what Akito said. Just then Akito got to the end of the course again.
“What’s going on here?” she asked curiously.
“It’s nothing,” Echo said.
Domino walked away, Akito shrugged and ran back to do the course yet again. I stayed watching her run the course over and over again. She had the same little ‘glitch’ in the right shoulder on the same tower every time.
Echo seemed to notice me watching her cautiously.
“She had a minor injury to the shoulder, it’ll only slow her down a few more days I would think,” Echo explained, he always seemed to know what my question was before I asked it. He looked me over, his eye resting on one spot in particular, it was my injured side. “Run the course a few times,” he instructed me, moving on from Akito.
I did as he said and ran the course three times, flinching whenever my injured side was bent or stretched, which, on this course, was often. When I got the end for the third time he stopped me and looked at the wound on my side.
“It shouldn’t be bothering you,” Echo said, mostly to himself,” It’s had plenty of time to heal.”
It hurt a lot but seeming as Echo noticed that, I said nothing of it to him.
Echo looked at me and said, "Maybe you should go back and get the wound treated again."
I looked at him and said, "No I don`t need it. I am fine. It’s nothing really."
Echo said, "Okay but if it gets worse then you should go.”
“It probably won`t hurt any worse than this. If I’ve been dealing with it for this long than I think I can handle with it a little longer."
“Ghost, you can’t just act like a serious injury is fine and expect to be ok every time,” Echo warned.
He was right I had been stubborn about the injury and it almost cost my life, but I was still sure the injury would be fine, I said nothing.
Echo sighed and said,” Keep going, or go back to your cabin and get some rest,” again he obviously wanted me to go back to my cabin.
I rolled my eyes and started off in the direction of my cabin. I glanced back at Echo who seemed relieved.
Cp18:
I woke with a dulling pain in my side as if the injury had started to vanish. I saw Echo standing over me, tending to the wound, again. He backed away, allowing me to sit up, this time I got up without feeling anything on any old or new injuries.
Echo must have seen relief on my face,” Pain killer, it won’t completely expunge the pain but it’ll help.”
He checked the wound again before helping me up. I felt a slight dizziness but got over it quickly.
“Go to the barracks, and then meet Ramirez and the rest of the team on the field, he figured out a new defensive move,” Echo said as we walked out of the cabin.
I went to the barracks and got ready then, as Echo ad instructed, headed to the field to meet up with the team.
Ramirez was drilling Akito on a move when I walked up. She attempted a move I hadn’t seen before, but was instantly flung to the ground.
“Remember, duck while you make the hit, then spin around to get behind your opponent and elbow them between the shoulders,” Ramirez said, helping her up.
Akito tried again and it was a series of fluid movements as she ducked from an attack, hit his stomach, and elbowed him where he had told her to, knocking Ramirez to the ground.
He got up and gestured to me. Akito moved back and I walked up to stand in front of Ramirez. He demonstrated the move on me, without actually hitting me, and explained the movements as he did so.
“Got it?” he asked getting set to practice the move.
I gave swift, intent nod and got in position. His fist swung at my head and I ducked and hit his stomach. When I spun to get behind him, my foot caught on his, tripping him. I elbowed him between the shoulders, forcing him down harder, and knocking the breath from him.
Echo chuckled as he helped Ramirez up, “Try not to put too much strain on the injury, Ghost,” he said turning to me and half joking.
When he caught his breath Ramirez said, “That was pretty impressive, considering you’re hurt.”
“I feel fine,” I said, glancing at Echo, he seemed to know that I really did feel fine because he didn’t react.
Ramirez just looked at me suspiciously, as if he thought I was being stubborn again,” Then try it again, this time, try not to trip me,” he joked.
I shrugged and tried the move again. Ramirez hesitated at first as if he was thinking of a way to counter the move. He must have found a way because as I spun, he caught my arm and flung me, I didn’t hit the ground however. I kept my balance and remained standing. We continued to fight until he threw a punch at my head and I preformed the new defense move.
“Alright, I think you got it,” he said, signaling to Domino to come over.
The next day found me and Ramirez back-to-back, surrounded by the team. I wasn’t worried, mainly because it was only a training exercise. Echo stayed out of it but close by in case someone got hurt. I guessed he was mainly watching me because I was hurt.
We dodged in sync to prevent a hit, we blocked another hit from hitting us, or we countered the move with old moves that the team expected and knew how to avoid. It was tough and we both got hit a few times but nothing bad enough for Echo to come over.
“Remember the new defense move?” Ramirez asked, blocking another attack.
“What about it?” I answered, as we dodged an attack from Slick.
“They don’t know how to counter it,” he replied, dodging an unexpected attack from Aaron that hit me in the back of the head
“Ok, what does that have to do with what we are doing?” I asked shaking off the hit like it never happened.
“It’s the only move they don’t know how to counter, so use it.”
How had I not figured that out for myself? It was obvious. I didn’t give it much thought I just used the move on the first attack I could. It worked very well, after I got Domino down with the move, he backed up and stood with Echo. The rest did the same after we got them down. Soon it was two on one with Slick left standing. His eyes darted between us as he tried to figure out which one to go for. He soon decided on me and I soon figured out why. There was a stump behind me and when I tried to jump back to avoid the attack, I tripped over it.
I got up and backed away, leaving Ramirez and Slick. I watched them fight for awhile, Ramirez ducked and sung to one side to dodge an attack that was aimed high only to be tripped but he regained his balance quickly and effortlessly. He made a move to get Slick down and almost succeeded, but apparently Ramirez had other plans for the move. After Slick landed on his feet after being thrown, Ramirez quickly spun around to face him and tripped him. Only Ramirez remained now.
We were about to start again but Echo stopped us,” Ghost, you can’t put too much stress on the wound,” he had said,” doing the exercise again would defiantly not help it at all.” He added, checking the injury again.
“Says who?” I retorted, Echo glared at me, and I said,” I’m fine.”
I turned back to the fight, I hear Echo sigh behind me, and I thought he had given up. I saw black moments later.

Cp19:
I woke in my cabin again, but this time unable to move. Echo still stood over me, he noticed my struggling.
“Sorry Ghost, you’re not getting up this time,” he said, not looking up.
“I’m fine, Echo,” I said, sharply adding,” and I’m not being stubborn.”
I kept struggling but suddenly fell weak. I stayed still, and Echo looked at me as if I were crazy, though he continued his work. He apparently thought I had fallen asleep; he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and stared down at me for a short amount of time then walked away, his hand sliding off of my shoulder. He turned to turn off the light then left with a sigh, leaving laying alone in the dark.
I wondered why Echo had a frustrated yet sad expression on his face as he left. He seemed as if he had given up, which he never did. Then I felt a stabbing pain in my chest, as if someone were slowly pushing a knife through my heart. I screamed, and then Echo and Cody came running in. Echo began an attempt at finding the cause of the pain. He never did. He fumbled through an equipment bag and pulled out a needle, it wasn’t a sedative but I wasn’t sure what it was. He injected it to my upper arm. Everything fell silent, I still felt the pain, but I couldn’t scream, and I felt nothing but the raging pain. Then there was nothing, no sound, no pain, no sight, nothing.
I hear one phrase,” He’s gone,” said by Echo.
Then a voice spoke in my head it said ‘No pain, no fear, no regret. There is no life, with no pain. For you this pain is unending, but you feel nothing, you are unlike any other. You have lived through death itself. This is due to your history, your history of survivals, longings, and weariness. Return now, live once more, and return to continue your name.’
Then I saw the light again, I saw Echo, Cody, and Akito standing over me. I breathed in, and Echo pushed Cody and Akito back telling them to give me room. I still felt weak but somehow stronger than before.
Cody and Akito stared back at me as Echo returned to me and begun checking me. He looked up in amazement and turned around.
“He’s fine,” he said looking between Cody and Akito.
He turned back to me and unlatched the restraints, I didn’t move, I still felt weak.
“You’re going to be a little weak for a while, but you are fine,” Echo said, calmly adding,” Try to get some rest now, Ghost.”
As she left, Akito turned back and gave me a relived look. I returned the look with a weak, swift nod. She turned and left and I let my head fall back again. I slept only to wake to Echo tending my wounds.
“How are you feeling, Ghost?” he asked curiously.
I paused for a moment,” Weak…” was all I could get out, and it was the truth.
“Get some sleep,” he said after awhile.
I couldn’t sleep and Echo noticed.
“Got something on your mind?” Echo asked a few minutes later.
“It’s nothing,” I said, I was honestly thinking of the voice I heard in my head the day before,” just something I heard yesterday before I woke up.”
Echo seemed confused,” You heard something? Like a voice in your head?” he asked, obviously confused.
“Yeah,” I responded.
“What did you hear?” he wondered.
I explained what I heard, but how I neither saw nothing or nobody, nor did I know the voice.
“Though in some way the voice sounded familiar,” I concluded.
“I haven’t heard of that before,” Echo said in a daze.
“It sounded caring, calm, and…,” I paused,” loving,” I said.
Echo paused, I assumed he was thinking, and then he once again told me to get some sleep, this time I got to sleep.

When I woke, I saw an envy green canvas canopy above and surrounding me, a tent. There was something different about this. I got up and looked around. There was someone standing in the tent with me, it must have been a dream because it was Peirce who had died years ago. He asked if I was ok and I didn’t answer for awhile.
“Fine,” I said, my voice somehow seemed younger,” What happened?”
“You were injured when Vipers attacked your house and killed both your parents. I had gotten a call about a disturbance there and when I got there I found you out cold on the ground,” he explained.
I didn’t remember any of this and was getting confused. The image of Peirce started to fade as a new image appeared. I heard a woman screaming in horror and a man grunt in pain. I saw the shadow of a person falling to the ground and blood started seeping into my hiding place.
The woman screamed again this time she called a name,” Ryan!” she had screamed, I flinched in horror as I saw her shadow fall limp to the floor and more blood pooled into the place.
Then I felt a stabbing pain in my shoulder then everything went black and I saw Peirce again.
“What’s your name, kid?” he asked me.
“I-I don’t know,” I said awkwardly.
The dream faded and I was back in my cabin breathing heavily with Akito standing over me.
“Are you alright, Ghost?” she asked cautiously.
“Yeah,” I said, getting up,” I need to talk to Echo, where is he?”
“Last I checked he’s in the west wing infirmary,” Akito responded shrugging.
I thanked her and went to find Echo. Sure enough he was in the west wing infirmary. He was talking to Domino and Ramirez. I stayed out of sight but quickly changed my mind about telling Echo about the dream. I turned around and headed to the barracks.
Echo caught up with me on my way to the barracks. I didn’t notice him until he stopped me and asked if I were ok, that I seemed distracted.
“I’m fine,” I said causally while pushing past him.
“Ghost, I can tell you’ve got more on your mind than you’re telling me,” he said, stopping me again.
“It’s nothing,” I said, trying to shove past again, but Echo gave me a hard glare and kept me from getting past him.
“What’s your name?” he asked inquisitively.
“Echo you know my-“he stopped me before I could finish.
“Your real name, Ghost,” he said.
“Echo, I’ll tell you the way I told Peirce before I joined Eagle Talon,” I said,” I don’t know my real name.”
“But, as I recall,” Echo countered my response, to prove there was something important on my mind,” you were caught in a nuclear explosion, you survived but didn’t remember anything before waking up in your cabin a couple weeks afterwards.
“Fine, I had a dream about when I met Peirce,” I retorted,” but, it doesn’t mean I remember what my real name is.”
“Akito said you needed to talk to me,” Echo said, “Was it about the dream?”
“Yes,” I admitted that much.
“Then why didn’t you talk to me?” he continued.
“Because, I didn’t find it important,” I answered pointedly.
I pushed past him again and went to the barracks, leaving Echo, standing there puzzling the questions and answered together, or trying to anyway.
Echo eventually caught up with me, I was getting ready to practice. He gave me the order not to practice. I sighed sarcastically and rolled my eyes as I put the equipment back again. Echo turned and left for the field. He hadn’t told me to go back to my cabin and rest so I followed him and watched the rest of the team practice.

Cp20:
I woke up the next day ready to hear of yet another escape, but we hadn’t captured Adam yet. This time when we caught him, I was determined to kill him. He wasn’t going to tell us anything, and all he caused when we have captured him in the past has only led to serious pain and bloodshed. It was more like a game of cat and mouse rather than a war.
I felt fine, and Echo checked all of my injuries to see if I was ok, he said that I’d be fine to do this mission but I should be careful about the stress put on the wounds.
We made sure Domino was in place with a camouflaged Beret .50 Caliber sniper rifle and a guile suit so that he could provide sniper support while the rest of us made the assault on the base that Adam was taking refuge in.
I was behind Adam, who had not yet noticed us. I pulled out my silenced M9 pistol and took aim, as I was about to pull the trigger and be done with Adam, there was a shuddering pain in my back and I fell to the ground. Adam noticed me then, I saw blood pooling around me and running down my back, then I saw Slick, who was holding a bloody knife, get knocked out. Then I saw nothing.

My sight came back slowly and blurred at first but grew clearer. I tried to get up but couldn’t move. I could tell I was on my side and I felt someone at my back, I guessed it was Echo, tending the wound.
As soon as he stopped I heaved myself up and leaned against the wall behind me. I still couldn’t move anything below my waist. I saw Echo look at me as if there were news of death, though what he said was far from death but was almost as bad.
“You’re fine,” he said slowly,” but…” he paused like he was unsure about telling me the ‘but’ part,” when Slick stabbed you in the back, the knife separated your spine. You won’t be able to stand or walk on your own for two years, three at the longest.”
I stared back at him in disbelief, what was I supposed to do now? I wouldn’t have been able to return to even the field for practice until I could walk.
“Where’s Cody?” I asked still in a daze.
“He and the rest of the team went to find Slick and Adam,” Echo explained, adding,” get some rest, Ghost, and try not to be stubborn about the pain; we all know you don’t really have a choice with your condition.”
I realized he was right but said nothing, though I wanted to just say, ‘its Ryan’, but then he would have known that I had lied when he asked about my dream. I just sat there solemnly, my head against the wall. I eventually sighed and pushed myself back down to a laying position and did as Echo had said and rested. It was hard to imagine not being able to even stand for two years, being stuck in the infirmary, unable to do anything if there was an attack. With these thoughts, I slowly drifted into sleep, eager to hear word of my recovery and being able to get up.
If there is one thing I never go anywhere without, it's my pencil.
Another thing, if schools don't allow wepons, then why do they allow pens? Because, if the pen is mighter than the sword, doesn't that mean the pen is a wepon too?
  








So verily with the hardship, there is a relief, verily with the hardship, there is a relief.
— Quran Ch 94:5-6