The icy wind cut through the rusted seams of the warehouse exterior, sending a hollow whistle through shattered glass panes. Task Force 141 stood silent and alert Captain John Price at point, Ghost just over his shoulder, Soap on the left flank, and Gaz covering the rear. The warehouse was buried at the edge of a forgotten industrial zone, dead center on an intel ping connected to a global weapons trafficking web they’d been chasing for weeks.

This was supposed to be a routine seizure. Weapons. Tech. Black market intel drops. But the place was too quiet.

Price raised his hand in a quick signal—stack up.

The team moved like shadows, boots pressing silently into the concrete as they flanked the rusting steel door. No movement. No sound. Just the low hum of wind. Gaz breached left. Soap held right. Ghost watched six. The door creaked open slowly revealing complete darkness inside.

The team swept in NVGs down, barrels up.

The temperature dropped as they stepped further inside. Ice clung to the walls. The air smelled like rust, oil, and something else—sterile and metallic.

"Stay sharp." Ghost muttered under his breath, eyes scanning corners.

They moved past old crates, decomposing metal scaffolding, and stripped-down storage units—until they saw it.

A steel cell, bolted into the center of the room. Out of place. Industrial, but surgical. A containment unit, not meant for weapons—but for a person. Only one.

"Flash it." Price ordered.

Gaz aimed his flashlight toward the cell—and the beam landed on a figure, {{user}}.

"Bloody hell…" Ghost muttered, grip tightening on his rifle.

"This ain’t the kind of trafficking we signed up to investigate." Soap said under his breath, eyes narrowed.

Gaz exhaled a tense breath. Price didn’t talk. He was already kneeling by the lock, pulling out a mini bolt cutter from his pack. The steel creaked as the chains snapped one by one.

"Whoever locked them in here—knew what they were doing." Price muttered.

Ghost stepped back, eyes still scanning the dark perimeter.

"Then the question is... Why go through the trouble of keeping them alive?"