AN: If you haven't read the first story: Call of Duty Ghost: Defenders of All, then I suggest you read that first or else you'll be lost. A special thanks to those of you who supports and love my stories and of who insisted for a sequel, I hope you'll enjoy. I do not own the game CoD or the movie A&O or the quote, now without further ado...

Call of Duty Ghosts: United Guardians

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. —G. K. CHESTERTON"

The Far Cry

The wolf carefully maneuvers through the forest as she makes her way to the clearing. She has kept careful watch of the stars as the days, weeks and months past. Counting each and every moon shift as they came and go, counting to see how long it has been since she has last saw her friend.

She isn't the only one who is watching and waiting. The whole pack waits as well, waiting to see if he'll return. It doesn't seem that long ago when the human invaders tried to destroy their home and they were able to repel them with their own human, a watchful and caring guardian who saved and changed their lives forever.

Finally the she-wolf makes it to the clearing. She pads over softly into the cool lush field where the grass has been lightly kissed with wet due and the smell of an approaching spring fills the air. She inhales the sweet aroma before looking up at the full moon above her. Tonight the wolves are to howl to one another, but for once they are silent, they all knew that today is the very day that the human had left them.

She supposes she shouldn't be surprised when she looks behind her and sees the rest of the pack closing in on her. Almost as if they are all called together by a mystic force, the wolves all walk forward and form themselves into a rough circle with the she-wolf in the middle.

They all look around, remembering this is the spot where the human had first came from; this is where he entered their lives, yet also left them.

The she wolf then lifts her head and howl a deep and mournful sound. The others follow suit, leaning their heads back and releasing a howl of lost and sorrow as they remember their friend.

Their cries echo out into the wilderness as the full moon gaze down upon them as they call out for their human, their pack brother, their protector; Damon.

Lightning flashes, revealing the Ghost's position for a moment before the light fades and he is hidden in the shadows again.

Sergeant Major Damon Joyce blinks the warm rainwater from his eye as he unsheathes his knife. The Federation soldier shifts from foot to foot, unaware of the danger behind him. Damon releases his held in breath at the same moment he rushes forward. He stabs the blade down through the man's back, severing a major artery in the process. The soldier stiffens and tries to release a wail, but the Ghost places a gloved hand over his mouth and smothers it. He holds onto the soldier as he squirms for a few more moments before the Fed eventually bleeds out and goes limp.

Damon lowers the soldier to the ground and looks over the ridge he is positioned on.

Directly below him is a Federation research facility, a bright white beacon in the night as a tropical storm blows from every direction. The facility is built right next to the base of the small cliff while the rest of its perimeter is guarded by a small concreate wall. The futuristic looking building stands five stories tall with antennas, satellite dishes and a small troupe of soldiers on its roof. The structure simply looks out of place with it being surrounded by the humid forest in the Southern hemisphere of the world. Search lights move slowly back and forth as they search for any possible threats while a few guards' patrolling the exterior of the wall, the main bulk of their security force is no doubt resting within the barracks built right next to the facility.

Damon notes the three machine gun nests, the BTR and the small steel barriers emplace around the buildings entrance. They are prepared to defend themselves, whereas the Ghosts are equally prepared to assault.

Damon looks behind him and waves with his hand towards himself. Seeming to melt from the shadows are two other Ghosts, masks on and wielding weapons.

Master Sergeant Ash Clinton takes a knee next to Joyce. The Ghost sports a Remington R5 rifle with a scope, suppressor can attached and a grip underneath the barrel. She also has two small tomahawk axes hanging from her back, both with their grips facing up and over her shoulders. Her brown eyes scan the field beneath them with the critical senses that all snipers have before she raises the sights to her eye, but doesn't fire, she merely observes like a predator in waiting.

Standing next to Damon is a "Wet-Face;" a Ghost who has yet to earn his mask; forcing the individual to paint his face black and white until he joins the other supposed specters ranks. Jacob Alcaraz is dressed in black like any other Ghost, but he is also wearing jungle camouflage pants and safety protective glasses that he somehow looks stylish in. His face can be partially seen, but it is pretty much hidden within the black paint and the darkness that the storm provides. Alcaraz has a Remington R5 rifle as well, only it has a red dot reflex scope, a M202 grenade launcher beneath his gun barrel and a suppressor attached. His secondary weapon is a FP6 shotgun that he has placed on his back.

Damon quickly looks himself over as well. He is wearing a black outfit with his web gear that is holding his radio, magazines, grenades and a small med kit. He also has on forest green camo pants and has a hatchet attach to his chest. His mask is the same the one he had since his experience in Canada; three vertical cuts crosses down the skull, perfectly mirroring the scars that are now plastered to the man's face. His left blue eye is still active while his right has gone grey and is baring a scratch that runs along it horizontally, marking the path of the scar that travels down the middle of his features. Despite this injury though, he has been deemed fit for combat, either Merrick, the CO of the Ghost program, has a lot of faith in him, or the U.S is just desperate.

The Sergeant hefts his weapon, a Remington that is similar to Alcaraz; red dot, grenade launcher and suppressor; the design is made so that the weapon is silent, yet deadly at the same time. He also has an AT4 rocket strapped to his back, as well as a P226 pistol holstered to his hip.

Carefully Joyce looks over the ridge once more and counts the number of hostiles. At least a half dozen, with probably more inside.

He then looks to the Ghosts on either side of him and simple says, "Hook up."

The two nods their heads before they quickly start to unravel large spools of rope and begin clipping on the instruments needed to prevent them from falling.

While they did this, Damon scans the dense jungle again, even with the occasional flash of lightning he couldn't pick out anything out of the ordinary.

Looks like Senior did a good job with concealment. Thinking about the fourth member of his team, Damon clicks on his radio and says, "Crusader two, you read, over."

There is a heartbeat of silence before a weathered voice responds, "This is Crusader two, what's up Crusader One, over."

"We are in position," the Sergeant says, "you guys in place?"

"Roger, just say the words and our boys will charge."

Damon nods to himself before saying, "Wilco, stand by on Death Stalker one's go ahead."

"Got it, two out" with that the static gives way to open air.

Damon then switches to another more secured net and says, "Death Stalker one this is Crusader one, over."

There is a moment before a whispery voice whispers, "copy Crusader."

"Death Stalker, we are all set, waiting for your go ahead, over."

There is a pause before the same voice says, "Roger, get ready, we'll give the signal in one mike."

Joyce checks his watch and says, "Copy Stalker, see you soon, out."

Without missing a beat, Damon then picks up one of the lines and straps it to his waist while saying, "Let's move Ghosts." With that, the Sergeant runs to the edge and jumps with his comrades following close behind. They fall five or ten feet before they finally grab their lines and break. With a near jarring jolt, the three Ghosts come to a halt on the side of the small bluff, three or four dozen feet above the facility's rooftop.

Damon's eye scans the roof and confirms there to be at least four snipers in place. They can each drop one and silence the fourth before the he can react.

There is another flash of lighting and the cannon rumble of thunder. The Ghosts shivers and silently prays that they won't get struck by lighting before the mission even begins.

The small team waits patiently, eyes following their targets, fingers on their triggers, silently loosening cramps and their blood filled heads as they wait on the side of the overhang.

Damon almost jump when he hears static, for a moment he thought he was hit by a bolt of lightning, but he calms down when he hears Stalker's voice, "We're hitting now."

"Confirm," Damon responds before looking to either side of him and whispers to Ash and Jacob, "Here we go."

Instantly after he says that, all chaos springs loose.

Whizzing from the dark jungle, while leaving a white trail of smoke in their wake, are multiple Panzerfaust missiles. The search lights barely caught them when they struck without mercy. The Ghosts hangs onto their line tightly as the rock wall shakes a little. Below flames blossom from where the rockets have hit, lights flutters before turning back on, men running in circles in utter confusion while the snipers suddenly comes to alert.

It is then that they hear it. Cutting through the night is a blood chilling cry as men and women charge out of the jungle, brandishing and firing weapons over their heads.

The Panamenos of the Panama Liberation Front, or Frente Liberación de Panamá as they're called, charge with unrelenting fury. After years of being abused and viciously ruled over by the Federation, many of the local people chose now is the time to strike back. Many of the freedom fighters though aren't very skilled, the fact that they're blowing rounds into the air rather than at the enemy proves that point, but Damon knew once they settle down and get organized then they'll be more manageable and dangerous.

The Feds could only stare for a moment in complete shock. Never before have had they faced an uprising of this magnitude, nor could they have been prepared. However after another heartbeat, the Feds spring into action, and so did the Ghosts.

"Go," Damon says and they rappel down. Every few feet they would break and hit the wall before hopping off again, break and landing again. After a few more jumps, they land on the rooftop.

As one they bring up their weapons and sights in on their prey.

As one, they fire. Their rifles make small puffs as they fire a round, or in Ash's case two. Three of the snipers go down with the fourth following just milliseconds after his fellow soldiers' hits the floor.

The Ghost team rushes forward and looks down at what is happening. The revolutionists have gathered at the gate that has been destroyed by a missile where the designated leaders begin to take charge. They watch as a small number of men and women allot the fighters to defensible positons, either alongside the wall or behind crates full of staples as they open fire. The Feds, who are far better equip and trained then the civilians, are slaughtered by the first wave of fire. Caught by surprise and without weapons, the Feds scramble for their gear as more soldiers rushes out of the complex. It isn't until then did the BTR start to roll forward.

The armored troop transport vehicle is like a miniature tank, especially with it rapid firing gun that is more likes a canon than a machine gun in Damon's opinion. They watch as the vehicle positions itself in front of the facility, but that's as far as it gets.

"Ready," Damon says as he removes the long green tube from his back. He extends its stock and holds it at an angle pointing down while keeping the sight level with his eye. The other two Ghosts back away from fear of being burn by the exhaust.

Damon steadies his gaze for a moment, breathes, and fires. There is no recoil, but the explosive projectile blows away with tremendous force as it hurls itself at the enemy armor. The BTR is built of light platted metal and wasn't built to last long in a fight, so the small rocket that was built to dismantle a Russian tank is more than enough to do the job. Sure enough, it explodes upon contact with the BTR, sparks fly and flames spread, rendering the small vehicle useless.

The shock Federation troops looks up to where they saw the rocket came from, only to be shot in the head. Trained by the best marksman in the military, Jacob and Ash has already open fire, with Joyce joining them after throwing the empty AT4 tube aside. Their rifles release little pops as they rain lead down upon their enemy. Jacob and Damon shoots in small bursts while Ash switches her gun to semi firing mode, firing single shots with supreme accuracy, a real feat where the elements are hindering the path of the bullets, but not hers.

The Feds tries to keep the rebels back by manning the three machine guns. They barley let off a burst when the Ghosts quickly puts them down.

Upon seeing the Feds turrets are no longer in play, the Panamenos releases a mighty shout before rushing forward again, spraying their rifles and submachine guns from the hip. Between an overwhelming and zealous filled mob and unknown snipers right behind them, it isn't long before the soldiers break contact first. They lay down suppressing fire before they turn and rush back into the facility. Joyce knew once they're inside they'll dig in and the small contingency of freedom fighters will never get them out.

"Hook up," he orders again.

Just like before, the Ghosts sets up rappelling lines, but this time they're using a shorter length of rope. They clip on, throw the lines over and jump. This time, they are facing the facility and breaks only once. As they break, they swings themselves forward, towards the windows on the upper floor. The glass shatters as their boots makes a hole inside for them. They crouch upon landing and bring their arms up to bear.

They are within some sort of storage room shrouded in the dark where crates are stacked up, one on top of each other in an orderly fashion. The only way in or out is a door on the far side of the room, shut securely. The Ghosts scans the room before moving forward, Damon in front, Ash second and Jacob behind. They've travel half way across the room when the door they are heading to burst open.

Damon squints as a bright light blinds him, but he sees two silhouettes, both carrying rifles in hand. He knew the Panama forces are still outside and battling their way in, so these men are probably enemy combatants. With little other choice, Damon squeezes off a small burst while hearing a single puff beside his ear.

One of the shadows falls as red matter is blown out of his back and the other clutches the area where his heart is before dropping as well. The small team waits for an alarm to sound, but aside from the close din of combat, there is no other noise. `With that, the three Americans advance.

They step over the dead bodies, knowing there is no time to hide them, and heads on. They are in a small grey room that houses tools and spare parts to automations, as well as another door. They stack up on it before taking a quick breather. Damon and Ash reloads their Remingtons while Jacob removes the shot gun from his back and pumps in a round. He then stands in front of the door while Damon stands to the side of it, rifle held in one hand while the other grabs the handle of the door. Damon looks up at Jacob, gives him a nod, before yanking the door open. Jacob rushes in, Damon following after while Ash pulls rear security.

The Ghost has to take in the room a second time upon entering, unable to believe what they are seeing.

They are standing in a bright white colored lab, complete with scientists in white coats and everything. The scientists are cowering behind desks and under work benches, men and women, all whispering in Hispanic and not appearing to notice the Ghosts. On the tables are a large sum of electrical equipment, computers, robotics tech, circuit boards and what looks like a halfway completed computer monitor with a lot of modifications made to it. Damon guesses these people aren't scientists, but engineers. One wall is full of monitors showing strange readings while the other side is a see through glass that gives a good view below.

The Ghosts have never seen or expected to see something like this at all. The spotless building looks like it should be in a modern high tech city, not in the middle of a rainforest.

It is then that the engineers look up and their eyes widens.

Hoping to discourage any hostile actions, the Ghosts spread out with their weapons hold up high as they take in the targets in the small space.

"Abajo!" Damon orders, saying the only word he knows in Hispanic; down.

The engineers stare at them before obeying and slowly shifts to a kneeling position. After making sure that there is no other threats in the room, Damon makes his way to the clear window and looks out.

Below them is what appears to be a sort of reception lobby. However it has been transformed into a mini barracks where bunk beds and lockers have been placed, probably for the engineers. Then there is the soldiers themselves as they try to get organized. They have thrown boxes and pushed the large iron bunks against the main doors in an attempt to hold back the Panama rebels.

Damon knew he should scout out the rest of the facility before letting everyone know the Ghosts are there, but he also knows that now is the best time to strike; when the Feds are still entangle in a mass of confusion.

With that he flips open a small iron sight on the side of his M202 launcher and holds it up high. Using the sight, Damon narrows his gaze on the front door, breathes deeply and pulls the trigger. A loud bang resounds throughout the small room as the glass shatters, causing some of the engineers to scream as Damon watches the grenade fly through the air before it dives down like a bomber. The Feds only has enough time to look up before the grenade explodes upon impacting the barricade. Soldiers and equipment are blown across the room as the explosion clears a path. When the small smoke screen resides, it reveals a blacken scene as twisted bunks and flaming boxes appears. With the heavy stuff gone or grinded down, the doors are suddenly push open and in runs the Panamenos.

Though poorly armed and dress, the Panama freedom fighters have a certain air of ferocity about them as they swarm in. Most of them are wearing mismatch clothes; some are wearing old army camouflage while others are wearing civilian clothing. Kids as young as fourteen and guys as old as fifty are part of the group, but they are all united after for they now have had enough of Federation rule and are finally releasing all their pent up hatred of years of neglect and abuse.

At such close range, they didn't miss as they fire or charged banzai style. Damon is watching the scene unfold as small pieces of glass rains down on the fighters when he hears a crash behind him, followed by the boom of a shotgun blast.

Damon whirls around and raises his rifle just as another Fed steps through the doorway. All three Ghosts fires, causing the engineers to scream and cower again. Every time a soldier falls another would run in an attempt to swarm the invaders, but with the single person door, they're just funneling into a chokepoint. Both Damon and Ash cease firing while Jacobs continues to shoot. After they hear the blast of his last shot going off, Ash picks up the steady beat and fires while Jacob reloads. When it came time for Ash to reload, it is Damon's turn to keep up the rate of fire before they cycle back to Jacob again and the process restarts. The bodies eventually starts to pile up, Damon counts twenty two Feds were killed before the soldiers got the message and retreats.

"Move," Damon orders as they made their way to the door. He knew it was dangerous to leave the engineers, they could try and attack them from the rear, but he didn't want to leave a man there when he needed all three Ghosts with him.

Ash hops over the corpses that rise to her hips and the boys' clumber over in an attempt to keep up at her pace. Damon notices that Jacob the Wet Face hesitated when it came to crawling over a body, but after a moment he follows. Damon knew this is way different compared to the kid's time in the Navy, but he can't let Jacob so much as pause to think; out here in the field it's do or die.

They pursue the retreating Federation forces as they run deeper into the facility to escape, but the team doesn't let up. They don't want the Feds calling for help just yet. As they give chase, Damon notices how each room is sparkling clean and have a wall of glass overlooking the interior of the main building like one of those advance science labs he used to see on television. What is this place? Who in the world would make a facility look like an office building? He pass signs and emblems that he is sure would have given him some clue to who this place belongs to, but he didn't give it a thought, not while in the middle of a chase.

He counts at least five Feds are remaining. That is until Ash lets off another round, now they are running after four guys. Occasionally the Feds would spray some bullets behind them in an attempt to ward the Ghost's off, but the team doesn't give up.

Eventually the sounds of battle grows to a new level of intensity. Damon wants to end this now, so that they can help the freedom fighters.

The Feds finally runs through a door and the Ghost hears the unmistakable patter of steps being taken on a stairwell. Damon comes to a halt, causing Ash and Jacob to stop as well.

"Keep going," Damon orders before looking to Ash and says, "and watch your field of fire."

He sees her eyes widens as she realizes what he is going to do, but she nods nevertheless and takes off after the Feds, forcing a confuse looking Jacob to follow her.

Damon knows this is going to be close, but if it works it'll be worth it. He goes to the room's glass wall and fires a burst. A small hole is created and the Ghost leans out cautiously. Below he can see that the Panamenos have secured the main floor and are rushing further in, no doubt finding their way to the upper levels of the building. He then peers further over the side and sees that the floor below him has a glass wall as well. Taking careful aim, he shoots a bullet at the window and it shatters. He then clears a way the thin line of broken glass on the ground, making some room for himself.

Damon slings his rifle, breaths deeply before he turns his back to the opening, takes a step back and drops to ground floor. At the last second he flings his arms out, catches the ledge of the top floor and using his momentum, swings himself through the hole in the glass and lands with a grunt in a crouch position on the forth floor.

He quickly draws his pistol and observes around the room. There are some more engineers, but like the last bunch they are hiding in the corners and under the tables. He looks up and down the room quickly before turning his attention back to the door. At that precise moment, the remaining Feds sprints into the room only to come to a screeching stop at the unexpected sight of a Ghost with a weapon.

"Abajo!" Damon demands as he waves his gun at them, "abajo!"

The quad of soldiers stares at the Ghost for a moment before they raises their weapon. But Damon already has his out and trained on them, and he has a fast trigger finger.

With almost blinding speed, Damon's forefinger pulls the trigger in four quick successions, and four cracks answers the command. He adjusts the pistol, making it move from left to right as of it is a machine gun as he calculate where the bullet will go and which body it will hit. He does all of this within a span of seconds, and a second later, all four Fed bodies drops to the ground, all with a hole in their chests and only with one moaning in pain.

Damon keeps his gun trained on the entrance way, waiting before his teammates dashes inside. He can see Jacob's surprise in his eyes at the sudden appearance of the Sergeant Major while Ash could only shake her head.

"Sometimes I'm worried about you Sarge," she says in her familiar southern accent voice.

Damon smiles from beneath his mask before asking, "Sometimes?"

"How did you do that sir?" Jacob eventually asks.

Damon and Ash looks at each other, to which Ash just rolls her eyes. Unless an officer demands it or he is the head of the program, the Ghosts don't call each other sir or ma'am. True they call each other by rank, but only in friendly terms, its only uptight newly appointed officers and FNGs (freaking new guys) who speaks with formalities.

Jacob notices his blunder, but Damon graciously answers to save the Wet-Face some pride, "A lot of experience, you'll get to-"

They are interrupted when they hear another door get blasted off its hinges. They turn while raising their guns at the same time. Entering are nearly a dozen Federation soldiers with their weapons held hip high.

The Ghosts didn't even hesitate. They release puffs of silenced rounds while the shotgun sets a loud brutal tempo that they follow. Each Fed in the front goes rigid and drops to the floor as rounds tore their chests open and decapitate heads. It isn't until nearly a third of the forces drop did the remaining Feds level their FAD rifles and returns fire.

The Ghosts dives forward and takes cover behind a workbench. Bullets knock the computers and matrixes off the table while causing bullets to ricochet.

Damon barley notices the sobbing engineer he is crouch next to; instead his focus is on his team as he tries to figure a battle plan that won't cost their lives. However his thinking is interrupted by the sound of various guns going off and the FADs clattering falls silent.

Cautiously Damon peeks out. The Feds have been pulverized by the invading Panama freedom fighters. They enter the room and quickly search for enemy forces. Damon holds up his rifle with one hand as he stands, hoping he won't be mistaken for a Fed. He tenses when he sees a young teenager raises a rifle to shoot when he stops upon recognizing the American. He smiles at the Ghost which causes Damon's shoulders to sag with relief.

The engineers weren't so lucky. They beg, sob and resist, but one by one they are roughly pull to their feet and shove thorough the portal that the resistance fighters have just came through.

Damon didn't stop them, nor did anyone else in his team. They simply watch the process, knowing full well their words doesn't mean much in this country. The only thing that reassured Damon though is the fact that the Liberation Front is being led by a well organized leader who knows that the engineers are needed alive.

The Ghosts observes the small force of Panamenos as they storm up the stairs, knowing full well that they won't encounter any resistance.

It is then did Damon realize how quiet the place has actually gotten. There is no longer the chatter of automatic weapons, just the screams and yells from wounded men.

Out of the corner of his eye, Damon watches as Ash makes her way over to a small crate and removes something from it. It's a lap top, military grade by the looks of how heavily reinforced it is.

Ash turns the item over and over in her hands, observing quietly before looking up at Damon, "Did we just raid a software company?"

Damon shrugs as he walks towards her, "Probably, please tell me there is something in there," he gestures at the lap-top.

She flips the top open and clicks a few buttons, but the screen didn't even activate.

"Nope," she says, "It doesn't even have a battery in it."

Jacob walks over and peers into the box as well before glancing up and asks, "So why did we just invade this place?"

Damon casually shakes his head, "When Washington wants something done, we do it, all we can do is hope that's it's for a good reason."

"I'm sure there is," a new voice interrupts and the trio turns to face the newcomer, or to be precise newcomers.

Striding forward are three men, one dressed in camouflage and wearing a cowboy like hat while the other two are fellow Ghosts.

The Ghost that has spoken is the fourth member in Damon's squad, Crusader Two, otherwise known as Senior. Senior isn't that old, he's barley pressing forty, but he pretty much have been in the military most of his life. The bow legged five foot eight guy wore a helmet, web gear, and a bandana mask over the bottom portion of his mouth, a lot of people have found his appearance comical, mostly because of his bushy eyebrows that seems to sticks out.

The other Ghost is one of the original members of the legendary Death Stalker squad, a man known only as Keegan. As far as Damon knows, he is an artist with a rifle, probably the best sniper in the whole military. His silence demeanor is well known, even by Ghost standards, he is rather quiet. He stands close to six foot, wearing web gear, and has a MK14 marksman rifle hanging from his shoulders.

The man with the hat is a whole different story. He looks like he is reaching thirty, but he has a wide grin plastered on his face as he observes the scene of freedom fighters conquering the place. Eduardo Soto, known as Eddie to the Americans, was a former police officer when Panama was attacked and occupied by the Federation. A strong believer of justice and democracy, the former police chief was fuel by uncontrollable passion to take back his homeland and kill as many Feds as possible to achieve it. Just the type of person the U.S needed for a resistance leader.

For years now, the U.S has been supplying rebels within the dominating Federation empire with weapons and advisors in an attempt to stage a coupe within the Fed juggernaut. It wasn't until recently did the government began to send in SEALs, Deltas, and eventually the Ghosts to supervise, help and basically train the rebels how to fight guerrilla warfare.

This attack on the facility is the first major step to all out rebellion in Panama, and if the reports in Mexico are true, then another fraction is set to uprise there as well. Many people are thinking, hoping and praying that this will be the end of the Federation tyranny; the beginning of the end.

Though deep in the back of his mind, Damon is a bit doubtful, especially with Roark still on the loose and Uncle Sam is for some reason wanting them to take a computer factory in the middle of nowhere. He can only pray that by doing this they are striking a hard blow against the Federation.

Eddie steps forwards and speaks rapidly in such a flurry that Damon is sure he spoke at the speed of light.

Jacob moves up and states, "He says he's grateful for our help and is happy to know that all our training is finally paying off."

"Good," Senior says as he crosses his arms, "for a moment I was afraid we spent the last few months hiding in the sticks for nothing."

Damon shakes his head before looking to Jacob, "Tell him that is he who we should be thanking, his leadership is the thing keeping the Panama Liberation Front together, not us."

Jacob translates this to Eddie whose smile widen sincerely before he speaks again.

Jacob looks to Damon, "He just wants to know why we are attacking this facility and not a more important one like a weapons factory or something like that."

Damon merely shrugs, "I only work here dude."

Keegan scuffs at this and says, "Just say it's important to us."

"Is it really?" Ash asks as she continues to search the room, looking at various machinery and circuitry.

Keegan shrugs, "Command says it is," he then looks at Damon, "you should go see Hesh; he has the radio to Command."

"Where is Hesh?" Senior asks as he looks around.

Damon looks behind him and eyes the stairs, "maybe he went up there without us even seeing him."

"Might as well look," Keegan says, "I know for sure he isn't downstairs."

Damon nods before turning and starts to journey back up to the next level. Now that he is no longer chasing any Federation soldiers, he is able to take the surroundings in. As he ascends he notices the odd symbol on the wall and looks at it briefly.

It shows a huge X that almost looks like its popping out of the wall with its lines ending in a curve, making it look like a sphere. He notices a word at the bottom; Xnders.

Damon silently shakes his head. He should have known. For years the new super giant in advance technology is Xnders Inc. who's primarily is based in Caracas, capitol of the Federation Empire. The incorporation is pioneering in the fields of cyber space, vehicle tech, solar tech and rumor has it that it was Xnders that personally made the hack software that the Federation used when they took over the ODIN super weapon. Damon has no idea how true this is, but it's enough to cause a rife between the U.S and the corporation.

Damon couldn't help but wonder if this man Xnders is full of pride, he must be if he makes every single one of his facilities look like this.

His thinking is interrupted as he opens the door to the next level and hears a near distance echo of a familiar sound, the sound of flesh being pounded. The scream he hears next is enough to confirm this theory.

Fearing that it's Hesh and he is being ambush, Damon unslings his rifle and rushes through the rooms. He notes that something must be seriously off, the Panamenos on this level are resting, either sitting on the tables or leaning against the wall, none looking the least bit alarmed at the sound of the struggle. Damon is almost to the first work room he and his team had entered when he hears a shout.

"Where is he!?" The Ghost identifies the voice as that of David Walker; Hesh.

There is a small whimper that changes into a yelp as Hesh shouts, "I know you can speak English!" there is a heavy thump and the yelp turns into a wail, "Where is he!"

Damon shoulders his rifle before moving forward, all the while thinking, not again.

In the next area he finds Hesh interrogating an Engineer. The other technicians, now POWs of the Liberation Front, all cower as they watch what is happening before them. Hesh has pinned a white suited man against a central pillar and is switching between slapping, hitting and kicking as he repeatedly shouts in the beaten man's bruised face, "Where is he!?"

"Hesh," Damon says as he approaches from behind, but the enraged Ghost appears not to have heard him.

"P-p-please-" the engineer gasps when Hesh drives a fist into his gut, forcing all the wind out of the poor individual.

"Then answer my question!" Hesh shouts.

"Hesh," Damon says firmly as he places a hand on the Ghost's shoulder, "Enough."

The moment he made contact Hesh releases his hostage, but turns on his heel and swings a fist at Damon. The Sergeant however is ready though.

He turns to his side and the fist sails by him, he then grabs the arm with an iron like grip and grabs Hesh's shoulder with the other. He puts pressure on Hesh's shoulder and forces the Ghost down to his knees, with his limb still locked in Damon's grip.

With one powerful push, Damon can either break Hesh's arm or dislocate it, however Damon just holds the fellow Ghost for now, waiting to see if he'll come back to his senses.

Hesh struggles within Damon's arm lock for a moment before he suddenly becomes still and his aggression fades. The fire of hatred can still be seen through the eye holes in his mask, but he is breathing deeply and evenly.

"Let me up," he finally says in a deep voice that sounds almost defeated.

"You good?" Damon asks.

"Let me up," he says again.

"You good?" Damon repeats.

"Let…me…up," Hesh says menacingly again, but Damon notes his heavy voice and instantly knows he won't be trouble.

Carefully Damon releases his hold on his comrade and helps him back to his feet. Hesh shrugs Damon off and walks away.

The Sergeant sighs before looking back at the engineer that Hesh has attacked. He is still sobbing and looks like he even wet himself, but the Ghost sees no lasting damage to be concern about.

He then looks up and around, only to notice the freedom fighters watching him, almost all of them have looks of amusement on their faces.

Damon wants to lash out at them for some reason, but he just stalks out.

This isn't the first time Hesh has done something like this. Every time they raid a building or attack a convey, he would randomly search the POWs before pulling out someone who looks important and starts questioning them, in his own way, where Logan is.

Damon feels a small ache in his heart at this. He has never met Logan Walker before, but all the Ghosts, even the new ones like Jacob, seems to be holding the man in high regards, almost like they are worshiping a hero. Many people believe death is the worst thing to happen to a soldier, but Damon knows for a fact its worst to be a taken prisoner. Worse, to become the enemy.

Hesh just about broke down in sobs when he told them the entire story of how Roark survived and took Logan with the promise that he'll be turned into an American hating monster. Roark, the one and only traitor within the Ghost's ranks, is a handful already, but to have another Ghost Killer to worry about, worse, a Ghost Killer who is actually family, is just as heartbreaking as it is outrageous.

Nobody voice it, but they all knew it is just a matter of time. They need to retrieve their missing brother and soon, else it'll be too late and they'll be force to either capture and try him like a terrorist or end it all with a bullet.

The dark thinking clouds Damon's mind so much that he didn't even notice he is back with his squad until he hears Keegan speaking softly into the radio. He and Hesh, whose expression is hidden beneath his mask, are in the corner with Eddie, no doubt talking to Merrick via radio while Damon's team is sitting on a nearby table.

Damon is approaching when Ash looks up at him and says, "Which one? John Wayne or Clint Eastwood?"

Despite his cold thinking, Damon lightens up at this, "Clint Eastwood all the way."

"No way," Senior puts in, "Wayne survived the Wild West and Iwo Jima, can Clint say as much?"

Ghost Team Crusader shares a laugh at this. As a way to entertain themselves, they started a game of which they post two people together, mostly movie stars, and guesses who would win. Other times they just ask who would prefer what like what kind of food, beer, or vacation they would like to have. In one interesting game about vehicles, it is discovered that Jacob wants a Porsha, Ash wants a Mustang, Damon wants a motorcycle and Senior wants a tank.

"What about dinner," Jacob asks, "Pig or chicken?"

"Chicken," answers Ash

"Chicken," responds Senior.

"…beef," Damon finally submits.

"Oh, I'm for that; beef!" Ash says as she fist pumps with high enthusiasm which causes the team to chuckle.

"Alright," Senior said, "Dog or cat?"

The three other Ghosts give Senior an odd look.

He shrugs, "You eat what you have to eat."

"What about…" Jacob seems to be thinking real deeply, "Ok, what about a coyote or a wolf?"

The question is unexpected and despite the fact that he has seen blood and guts that day, the Sergeant flinches at the simple thought of eating a wolf, which ranks next to cannibalism by his books.

He couldn't help it, and why shouldn't he? His best friends outside the service are wolves; furthermore, he is part of a wolf pack, so in a weird way he has started seeing himself as a wolf of sorts.

His teams regards him with curiosity, they never seen him act this way before.

Few people knows about what happened to Damon the year before, fewer still knows about his mission in Canada. And why shouldn't they? If people found out he was in a neutral country he would be in big trouble, particularly with the Canadians.

Merrick knows, but Damon doubts he believes him. Particularly when he ordered Damon to see a shrink for a month until the doc confirms that there is nothing seriously wrong with his mental state. But Damon called in a few favors and had a look at his new medical report. According to it, his mind was shaken and the shock of the loss of his last Ghost team forced his disbelieving brain to create a fantasy world in which Damon lived in for the months he had spent in Canada. It is unclear how he was able to complete his mission with his supposed Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI as it's known as.

Damon knows why; because it wasn't a fantasy, it was all true.

After that it seems that Merrick no longer trusted him alone even though he promoted him and made him squad leader of a new Ghost Team. He has been working closely with Death Stalker now since the "incident," as Merrick calls it and Damon has a sinking suspicion that Keegan and sometimes Hesh are watching him.

It made Damon feel horrible; not that people are now considering he is crazy, but because people sees this as a sign that he can no longer be trusted. It is because of this that Damon has never told anyone else of his mission, even if he wanted to. More than once he was asked where he disappeared to or what happened to Ghost Team Comanche. He would answer by saying, "Ask Merrick."

Once a young kid asked him how he got the scars on his face.

His response was short and simple, "never run with a fork in your hand."

"Damon?" Senior finally asks when he remains silent.

The Ghost leader finally pulls it back together and shrugs, "I prefer coyote."

Before anyone else can answer, Keegan interrupts as he walks towards them, "Hey Damon," the indicated Ghost looks to him, "did it happen again?"

Damon nods his head. Keegan looks over his shoulder and shakes his head.

"Merrick has been considering pulling Hesh out and giving him some time to recover," Keegan informs them.

"He'll just break out and head to Caracas on his own if we do that," Ash says, "and you know he will."

Keegan nods again before saying, "Well I'm going to miss you guys, Lord knows I'm going to need help watching Hesh and these guys," he says as he points over his shoulder with his thumb, gesturing towards the Panamenos.

Damon frowns at this and asks, "What do you mean?"

Keegan looks into Damon's eyes.

"Merrick wants you and your team to report back in," Keegan says, "as soon as possible."

The team looks at each other, startled. They were told to expect to stay in country for a year, now they're being recalled?

"Has something happened?" Damon asks, feeling sweat starting to build as he wonders if the Federation had made another hit against America.

For the first time Damon sees Keegan shuffle his feet, looking embarrassed yet anxious at the same time before he looks up at Damon with almost sad eyes.

"Sorry Damon, but…" he pauses as he looks away for a moment before looking back, "Merrick wants to talk to you…about the incident."

The team looks to their leader again, this time with startled eyes. Though they never found out about his mission, they knew something in Damon's past hints that he's a head case, a dangerous one at that. Now they regard him with sorrow, pity and a touch of fear.

Oh boy, Damon thought.

So how did I do so far with the sequel? Also, sorry if I mistranslated any words, if I did and you know the correct term, please let me know. Please review of PM what you think.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.