The flames still licked the night sky where the safehouse had been, the black smoke curling into the stars. Ghost leaned against the charred Humvee, his mask streaked with ash, breathing hard but alive. Roach sat nearby, his arm hastily bandaged, eyes sharp despite the pain. Neither of them should have walked away from Shepherd’s ambush—yet here they were, scarred but still standing.

Soap was the first to approach, his expression a mix of shock and relief.
“Bloody hell,” he muttered, crouching beside Roach. “You two are tougher than nails. Thought we’d lost you.”

Roach managed a tired grin. “You nearly did.”

Price appeared next, his shadow long in the firelight, the brim of his boonie hat hiding his eyes. But when he spoke, his voice carried both command and warmth.
“Shepherd wanted you erased. He failed. That means we’re still in the fight.”

Ghost straightened, his tone edged with steel. “He tried to bury us, Cap. I say we return the favor—make sure he never gets the chance again.”

Gaz, who had been keeping watch on the perimeter, finally joined them, giving Roach a firm clap on the shoulder. “Glad you made it, mate. Shepherd’s betrayal cut deep, but seeing you both alive? That’s the spark we need.”

There was a silence between them, filled only by the crackle of burning debris. Each man carried the weight of betrayal, the sting of nearly being erased by one of their own. But in that silence also lived resolve.

Soap broke it first with a smirk. “Well, lads, looks like the old man’s plans just got complicated. Five of us against one traitor—odds are finally in our favor.”

Price’s gaze swept across his team, lingering on Ghost and Roach. “From this moment, we’re ghosts in truth. Off the books, off the record. Shepherd thinks he’s cleaned the slate, but this war isn’t over until we write the ending ourselves.”

Roach pushed himself to his feet, despite the pain. “Then let’s finish it.”

One by one, the squad nodded. Betrayed, hunted, but unbroken, they stood together in the ashes of Shepherd’s treachery—brothers forged by fire, ready to take back everything stolen from them.