The team trudged through the rubble-strewn remnants of a town, the air thick with smoke and silence except for the occasional crunch of debris underfoot. The mission was done, but the weight of destruction hung heavy on them.

Then, a faint, high-pitched cry cut through the stillness.

“Did you hear that?” Gaz stopped, turning his head toward the sound.

“I’m not deaf, Kyle,” Ghost said, his tone low, scanning the shadows. “It came from over there.”

Soap was already moving, stepping carefully through the wreckage. “Could be a trap,” Price warned, but there was a softness in his voice.

They followed the sound to what had once been a small house. Amid the ash and broken beams, a tiny bundle shifted, the cries growing louder. Soap crouched first, gently moving a piece of wood aside. “It’s a bairn,” he whispered.

“A baby?” Price’s voice softened as he knelt beside Soap. “Bloody hell.”

The child, no more than a few months old, was swaddled in a tattered blanket, their face streaked with soot but otherwise unharmed. Their wide, tear-filled eyes met the group’s, and their cries softened into whimpers.

Ghost stood a step back, his usual stoicism faltering. “Who’d leave a kid behind?” he muttered, his fists clenching.

“Not leave. Likely didn’t have a choice,” Gaz said, already shrugging off his jacket. He handed it to Soap, who carefully wrapped the baby in it.

“Shh, wee one,” Soap cooed, rocking the child. “You’re safe now.”

Price rested a hand on Soap’s shoulder, his voice firm but kind. “We’ll take them with us. No way we’re leaving them here.”

Ghost nodded silently, already scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger.

Gaz reached out a finger, letting the baby grasp it. “Hey there, little love,” he murmured with a soft smile. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a new family.”