Plan B

Plan B -58-

I kept leaning onto trees for my balances sake, and we were all silent. My eye sight blurry and redish, I kept having to rub the dripping blood from my forehead. I was staggering very clumsily and nearly fell over twice already. But I kept going trying to contain the pain bottled up inside.
Well a bit later we jumped down a ledge, nearly breaking my legs on the fall, and into three feet of snow. No kidding when I say that there was a Roach shaped hole in the white blanket of flakes. He poked out started to dig through.
Out of one mess and you get in another, we hit a river, damn deep one too, and had to try and find a way across. I looked face to face and realized something, these bulky winter clothes would be the death of us if they got wet. Not only would we risk drowning from the extra weight, but we'd freeze to death on our hike back to civiliation if we did make it. I thought for a moment and said, "Guys strip down and try to carry your coats across."
Everyone understood and started to take off their coats, and with mighty throws our jackets were on the other side. Price went across the river first, then pulled on his coat the moment he reach the other side. The Ghost, Roach, Kamarov, Nikolai, Heatstroke, Gonzalo, and Soap followed. I was last, and not liking it.
I sank in, and was up to my collarbone in icey water. If you ever sat in a tub filled in ice cubes, that was nothing compared to this. Water rushed by my bare ankles and I felt the cold water wash other me. "Scarab be careful, the rocks are a bit_" Soap was about to finish when my foot went out in front of me and I plundged into the water.
The water so clear, I could see everything, including the cloud of crimson red headblood that started to form. I was wondering when it would scab, I guess not yet. Well my back hit the bottom of the river, knocking the held in breath from my lungs. And if you've ever went to the bottom of a swimming pool and let all your breath go you'd know how big of a bubble I say rise to the surface.
The water parted and I could make out a suilloette, only the top of it was inluminated by the sun, and it wrapped around me, only to spring from the river bed to the surface.
I gasped for air the second I could breath the chilled air. Soap had his arms around me and was gently, but being surpriingly fast about it, pulled me to the edge and we both sighed. I looked at him and his wet, now flattened, mohawk. And he chuckled, "Where would you beif I didn't have your back?"
"Probably dead," I replied as I sat up. "Or in the hospital." I realized how damn cold it was and reached for my coat off at my side, along with my flanal shirt, tee shirt, and sweatshirt. THen got them on, thinner layers on top, which made me look even more chubbier than what the coat on top would make me look. But the only reason I did that was because it's basic survival 101, when getting in layers, thinner ones on top. This makes it eeasier to strip them down as you get warmer, but not catch something at the same time. See I can be educational.
"Do you think you can walk," Ghost asked with a hand out to assist me in getting up. What a gentlemen, wel when he wasn't hacking into peoples PERSONAL imfo and shooting angery Russian faces off.
"Yeah," I replied taking his hands and was pulled up. I flinched for a moment, feeling how bad my ankle actually was. I tested it a second and guessed a sprain. "Just my ankle. But I fine."
"We should be near the town," Nikolai guessed. "Like I said, I think I know someone in the village. They're family, so could you guys pl_" He was cut off by the should of an engine. Everyone tenced and waited for the worst.
THen out of the treeline came five snowmoblies, which we responded to by instinctivly getting ready to fight. But one hopped off and came towards Nikolai, he said something in Russian, which none of us really understood. Then Nikolai replied with something else before turning back to us.
"Everyone," He was suppressing a smile. "This is my brother Alek. He runs a patrol and goes to investigate anything like crashes. He saw our pavelow hit the side of the mountain and went to investigate."
"Anything else," Price questioned in a little less than serious voice.
Nikolai turned back to his brother and said something in Russian, which Alek replied to. Nikolai looked our way and now smiled, "He said he could give us a ride back to town."
We were were invited onto the backs of the snowmoblies and rode back. Well the ones in worst shape had to, which was Roach, Gonzalo, Nikolai, Soap, and sadly me. Dispite my best arguement over my well being, Ghost managed to talk me into getting onto one while the others walked behind. And within a few minutes we stopped at a house.
Everyone got off, Soap was nice and helped me with my sprained ankle. Then we approached the house, Nikolai was explaining to us that only a couple of these guys were his brothers, other than Alek, his brother was Lev. So I was being quite respectful of them for now, but the minute they are to pull out guns on us, I'm out of here.
A woman, maybe about in her mid eighties answered. She was actually in good shape dispite her age, and I wondered if this was generic in Russians. But she seemed nice, her hair was long and completely white, but it all was in a neat braid. Her eyes a deep shade of green in contrast to her pale skin.
I looked to Nikolai and saw a kind smile on his face, he said something breif in Russian. I was gonna have to get used to the extra laungages I'd be heard. I mean, I heard Russian plenty, but never caught on. Maybe this was my chance to. The woman's old face grew a mirrored smile of Nikolais and she was clung to him in a hug.
When she let him go Nikolai nodded respectfully and told us, "Guys, this is my mom, Jelena. And she has agreed to let us stay for a bit, just until we're up for our mission." Well god bless her soul, I couldn't help but be a little envious because he had a mom who cared about him. If I mentioned this before, and I'm sure I have, my mom was a total bitch to me.
We were invited in as Nikolai continued to tell us more about who else lived here. Alek had a wife, Dimitra, here somewhere and a couple of kids. One was a teenage boy, Fedor, the other a little six year old, Irina. Jelena was a widow, her husband died of heart disease in his sleep, quite sad.
Jelena sat everyone down and started to talk to Nikolai, more Russian, then came back to us and motioned to me to come up. I hesitated, my paranoia of new people made me frozen to the seat, but I knew Nikolai wouldn't let her pull anything. So I got up and aproached.
She gestured to the chair set infront of her, and I sat down. A moment later she was exaimining the gash on my forehead, and reach out for the first aid kit on the table. And poured something like peroxide on a cotton cloth then dabbed it on the wound. It stung the first time but I started to get used to it, and following that was a bandage. She asked me to turn and got a good look at the long cut on my shoulder blade, she asked something and Nikolai replied with something. I still am clueless what they were talking about.
But she nodded and got to work on the gash, I'm sure she was asking why the hell I was so banged up. But when she was done I had a bandage on my forehead, which I covered under my bangs and beanie, a pad of gauses secured with medical tape, and my ankle splinted up.
I went into the living room to wait for everyone else, I wondered mainly why Jelena picked me first. Then something tapped my hand, I did near a backflip because I was so startled, but it turned out to be a little brown haired girl. The hair was chin length and curled ever so slightly in towards her small round face. These HUGE very similar to Jelena's green eyes stared up at me. A thumb in her mouth and a little RaggetyAndy doll in the other hand. She was dressed in dark overalls, a pale blue long sleeve shirt, and these little heaven white socks. Maybe brand new, like out of the package new.
This must be Irina, I settled quickly and she tugged at my ungloved finger, pointing at a doorway. I guess I should see what she wants, I stood up and followed her down the wood paneled hall and into a room. The walls light purple and a bed in the corner had a large concentration of ragdolls all neatly piled up. Irina, opened a little box, a forest green painted wood one with snapped twigs hot glued on it (very artsy), and pulled out a pair of clanky dog tags.
I didn't do anything, but she slipped the dog tags in my hand. I looked down at them, of corse more Russian, but I could clearly make out "Nikolai" written on it. SO this was his dog tag before he was Price's informant five years ago.
I gave her a friendly smile and put the tags over her neck. I was at her level, and she rung her arms around my neck in a hug. I sear that this was one strong little kid, I muffled a gag and patted her back. Why she was treating me like I was familty, was beyond me, all I knew was that she was clung to me. ANd I navigated my way back to the living room.
When I plopped back down on the couch Price, Soap, Roach, and Ghost were are there. Price, with a lowered eyebrow, asked, "Where were you?"
"The little girl wanted to show me something," I told him slightly nudging my head in the direction of Irina. A moment later she climbed on my lap and was hugging me, lord only knows why.
"WH's she so clung to you," Ghost near laughed as she tugged on the rimm of my beanie.
"Beats me," I shrugged trying to carefully pull her off. "All I know is that she likes me for some reason."
"Well I think it's cute," Roach added in.
It took me a moment till I realized Nikolai was standing in the doorway. He quietly laughed as I failed in my attempt to pull Irina off and she went back to my beanie trying to pull it off my head. I looked at him with a shut-up-you-wize-ass look and he said, "Why not I ask."
He got Irina off and sat her down on his lap and talked to her, she was hesitant with words. But still said them, now and then she would trying and speak some English, you can guess where she learned that from. So the most I caught was "mean", "girl", "hurt" well I didn't like where with was going.
He shook his head and let her go, which she went back to me. I didn't have to ask because he told me, "You see, she has a lot of bullies in her school. And well, she doesn't see her mom much, very busy all the time. So usually she doesn't see women all too much, especially anyone like you." He paused then added, "I swear she has quite the vocabulary, not swears or anything, but I mean for her age."
"What exactly did she say?" Ghost asked.
"She said, and I quote," Nikolai semi joked. "'I am just curious. I mean I never see any nice girls because of the girls at school, and my mom acting like I'm invisible. Grandma is the only nice girl I saw until she came along. And she doesn't try to hurt me. She isn't mean at all.'"
"Anything else?"
"Right she also added, 'Is she staying?' But that is not too important." Nikolai sighed. "All I know is that Christmas is in a week, and Jelena, Alek, and Lev are practically begging me to stay for at least that. Should we? I don't want to let them down. But I don't want to get them in any danger_"
"It's your call" Price told him. "You're family, you can pick here."
Nikolai thought for a long moment then grinned, "We'll stay for Christmas. We should be good to go by then. So just keep your heads until then."
"Sure thing." Roach chuckled. Nikolai got up and left to talk with his brothers while we were busy babysitting Irina. Kind of funny that she took an interest in Prices beard, and Ghost's mask. She was tugging at facial hair, causing Price to pry her off and hand her to Ghost. And in his lap she pulled down his mask and took his sunglasses, then ran down the hall. Sending Ghost on a wild goose chase for his shades, funny when she was able to hide under the table, coffee table, her bed, the couch, and used Roach as a barrier. Speedy kid, I had to give her that.
WHen he caught up he picked her up, and without his sunglasses to hide it I could see he was misty eyed. He managed out, "She reminds me of my nephew. I mean, not that she looks like him, but she acts like he did."
"Why you talking about him like that," Roach asked. "You're acting like he's_"
"Dead," Ghost finish and he forced the tears back. "He is. And he was very young when he died. He, my mom, my brother, and my sister in law were all found dead on Christmas."
"Well that's one Merry Chirstmas for you," I joked. But inside I couldn't help but feel sorry. He had no family, and either did I. The Task Force to people like us, was our family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Well there you have it. Thank god Nikola has a super nice, mom. WHo I made serioussly old, consitering Nikolai is probably in his thirties or something around that, maybe early fourties. If anyone knows then PLEASE tell me.

And then there is that cute little part where Irina, is all cute and innocent, I love writing that kind of stuff. And at least they're staying for Christmas. This has got to be good.
You'll all meat the teenager soon. Ugh I forgot his name! Dammit! But I'm sure you guys liked the like girl. I did, because the Task FOrce deserves to have one nice peaceful moment in their lives.