undercurrent

The roar of the transport plane's engines gradually subsided, finally coming to a stop at the end of a runway hidden among the towering mountains of Europe. The hatch slowly opened, releasing a wave of air characteristic of military bases—a mixture of metallic, oily, and disinfectant odors—a stark contrast to the humid rainforest or the frigid snow-capped mountains outside. The Ghost Squad had finally returned to their core sanctuary—"Eagle's Nest."

But the atmosphere of "going home" was as heavy as lead. Everyone had injuries, big and small, on their faces and bodies, and Keegan's arms were completely bandaged. Everyone took off their masks, their exhaustion barely concealed.

Ghost walked at the front, his sharply defined face revealing faint traces of old burns on one side. He wasn't menacing, but he looked exceptionally cold. He nodded slightly to Price, who approached him. The two men exchanged a brief, heavy glance, a thousand words unspoken.

After a quick settling-in, without even a moment to rest, Price immediately convened a top-level emergency briefing. In the brightly lit but oppressive command center, a huge electronic screen illuminated every somber face.

Ghost stood in front of the screen, his voice calm and undisturbed, giving Price and several members of the highest command connected via a highly encrypted video link a detailed and clear report on the entire process, from the accidental acquisition of Elsa's necklace at the Alpine pass, to the ambush in Siberia, the deep dive into the South American rainforest to track down "Purgatory," the deadly confrontation with Kruger, the thrilling infiltration of the Andean observatory, and finally the revelation of the "Night Watch's" global plan and the mysteriously sourced intelligence on the "Coke Camp" in Greenland.

His narration was objective and concise, yet every word carried immense weight. When the horrifying content from the "Ark" database regarding global genetic markers and phased "resets" was projected onto the main screen, the entire conference room fell into a deathly silence; even breathing could be heard clearly.

Price's face was terribly grim, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. At the end of the report, Price first turned his gaze to Elaine, his eyes filled with unprecedented, undisguised admiration and profound solemnity: "Dr. Elaine, your exceptional professionalism, calm judgment, and extraordinary courage displayed under unimaginable extreme pressure and danger have made an indelible contribution to our uncovering and thwarting of this conspiracy that could destroy modern civilization. On behalf of the entire organization, I extend my highest respect and gratitude to you." His words echoed in the silent conference room, resounding with conviction.

Then, his gaze swept over all the wounded and exhausted team members: "Gentlemen, you've worked hard. The intelligence you brought back is of immeasurable value. Now, put down all burdens and prioritize physical and mental recovery. This is an order. Dismissed."

After saluting, the team members left in silence one after another. Ghost and Keegan exchanged a knowing glance and stayed behind. Price didn't say anything, only gesturing for them to follow. The three passed through several airtight doors requiring the highest level of authorization to open, verified by iris and voiceprint, and finally entered an absolutely safe room devoid of any electronic devices, designed with complete physical soundproofing and electromagnetic shielding.

The moment the heavy alloy door closed, Price's composure vanished, replaced by deep exhaustion and gravity. He cut straight to the heart of the crisis: "Logan and I have preliminary results from our internal investigation. The situation is dire. The communication relay nodes between the base and various secure points have been infiltrated for a long time by a highly sophisticated commercial spyware disguised as a normal system maintenance component. The source points to an external server provider with whom we have had several 'good' collaborations. Even more critically," he paused, his sharp, eagle-like gaze sweeping over Ghost and Keegan, "according to the reverse tracing of the highest-level access logs, the decryption record of the missile data in Elsa's necklace, besides the three of us and the confirmed dead technical advisor 'Blacksmith,' also has one access record, with authorization from... a senior member of the headquarters' highest oversight committee, General Marcus Thorne."

Ghost's eyes instantly froze, emanating a chilling aura. Keegan's jawline tightened, and his hands, hanging at his sides, clenched slightly.

“General Thorne’s clearance level is higher than mine, and his motives are currently unknown, but the leak chain points directly to him. The situation is extremely complex and dangerous.” Price’s voice was low and cold, carrying a sense of impending doom. “This means that not only does Makarov know what we’ve obtained, but there may also be a ‘spy’ within our highest ranks, and in a very high position. The global plan you brought back is real and needs to be organized, and the intelligence from Greenland also needs to be verified. The existence of spyware means that every step we take from now on may be exposed to the dual surveillance of external enemies and internal shadows, and we cannot afford to alert them now.”

Meanwhile, Elaine, led by a warm-hearted logistics officer named Sarah, arrived at the women's dormitory area, located in a corner of the base's living quarters. It was clean and tidy, with complete facilities, but compared to the vastness of the base, it seemed somewhat deserted, with only five or six dorm rooms lit up.

Her arrival instantly enlivened the relatively quiet area. Several female staff members, responsible for base medical care, high-precision equipment maintenance, and logistics management, gathered around her with curiosity and friendliness, helping her settle her simple luggage and handing her brand-new, well-fitting training uniforms and everyday clothes.

"Oh my god! You're finally back safe and sound! This is the first time Captain Ghost and his team have been on a mission for so long!" Medical Officer Anna breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest. "Doctor, we just heard about you two days ago. You went on a field mission with the Ghost team, and it was such a big mission that spanned multiple continents. It was really tough!"

The mechanic, Liz, was lively. She leaned closer to Elaine, lowered her voice, and asked with a mischievous smile, "Doctor, tell me, what was it like getting up close to the two legendary 'high-and-mighty beauties' of our base? Is Lieutenant Ghost really as cold as the legends say? Is Sergeant Keegan also incredibly taciturn and aloof?" She continued with a sigh, "And you know what? This is the first time Ghost has volunteered for outside help. It's one of the few times two sharpshooters have gone on a mission together. I heard it's always an extremely dangerous mission with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. This time it was indeed extremely perilous!"

Elaine hugged the soft new clothes and smiled somewhat awkwardly. She didn't know how to respond to these overly personal questions, so she could only nod vaguely.

“Hey, stop teasing her.” Sarah, who was in charge of supply management, interrupted Liz and laughed. “These two are the kind you can only admire from afar, their auras are too strong. I still think Logan, with his more cheerful personality, is easier to get along with.”

“Hey! I think Dangbin is more reliable, steady and dependable!” Anna disagreed.

"Alright, alright, girls, stop gossiping about the doctor. Let her have some peace and quiet." Melinda, the older one who was in charge of communications, stepped in to smooth things over and said gently to Elaine, "Don't mind them. They've just been here for too long and are looking for something new. You should tidy up and rest. The cafeteria will open soon, and I'll take you there to try the food. It's not as good as the restaurants outside, but it's definitely nutritious and filling."

Elaine smiled gratefully at Melinda. Listening to their lively chatter and feeling this long-lost, everyday warmth of the normal world, her nerves, which had been tense for nearly four months, finally had a chance to relax. The soft, well-fitting clothes in her hands gave her a sense of inexplicable peace.

At dinner time, the base canteen became lively. Elaine sat with several newly acquainted ladies, listening to them chat about various interesting stories and gossip at the base. She would occasionally respond with a polite smile, but her gaze would always involuntarily drift towards the canteen entrance.

Not long after, Ghost, Keegan, and Price walked in together. They went straight to a table in the corner, where the atmosphere was noticeably different from the relaxed atmosphere around them, appearing unusually somber.

Keegan's arm bandages had been replaced, but his movements still showed some stiffness. As he sat down, his gaze seemed to casually sweep across the entire cafeteria before quickly lowering to focus on the plate in front of him, resuming his usual silence.

"See? I told you, Sergeant Keegan is so serious even in the mess hall, he has such an unapproachable aura." Liz whispered to Elaine, "Logan always says that the sergeant is very caring, I never saw that coming."

Elaine smiled inexplicably guiltily, quickly averting her gaze, lowering her head, and gently poking at the food on her plate with her fork. Her heart skipped a beat. Even across the noisy cafeteria, she could clearly feel that brief but familiar gaze, and the slight pause in front of her, making her feel a little... flustered.

After dinner, Elaine returned to her small single room. The room was small and simply furnished, but clean and warm. Most importantly, it provided a long-lost, fragile sense of security.

She took a long, hot shower, trying to wash away the fatigue and weariness that had accumulated in her bones over the past few days. The warm water washed over her skin, bringing a brief moment of relaxation. After changing into soft cotton pajamas, she lay down on her fairly comfortable single bed, closed her eyes, and hoped to gain a few hours of peace.

However, the intense physical exhaustion did not bring sleep. Her brain, like an overloaded machine, uncontrollably replayed fragments of the past four months: the terror of the emergency landing, Elsa's blood-stained face, Keegan's outstretched hand in the snowfield, the flames of the explosion, the suffocating feeling of Kruger choking her… It was all like an unstoppable disaster movie, flashing back scene by scene before her eyes. She knew this nightmare was far from over.

In the silence, an indescribable sense of loneliness and a distant longing for "normal life" gripped her. As if possessed, she reopened the encrypted laptop and cautiously clicked on the news link she both craved and dreaded—a follow-up report about her "previous" family. The webpage loaded slowly.

As the page fully loaded, an even more glaring black headline, like a poisoned icicle, instantly pierced through the defenses she had just built: "[Tragedies Continue! The parents of renowned scholar Ms. YN, unable to bear the grief of losing their daughter, have found her father dead at home a month after his beloved wife's passing.]"

Below the title are side-by-side photos of the parents. The mother's smile remains gentle, and the father's expression is still kind. The accompanying picture is of an empty funeral hall filled with wreaths.

"..." There was no screaming, no weeping. Elaine felt her blood freeze instantly, her limbs cold and stiff. She stared intently at the words and photos on the screen, her pupils contracting violently, her breath seemingly stopping. The sounds of the world vanished completely, leaving only the deafening roar of her heart pounding wildly in her chest, as if it were about to explode.

This was the second time... and this time, it was a complete and utter end. A sharp, indescribable pain exploded from the deepest part of her heart, quickly spreading to every part of her body. She suddenly curled up, covering her mouth with both hands, swallowing back the scream that was about to escape her throat, leaving only her body trembling uncontrollably.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face, burning hot as they slid down her cold cheeks and quickly soaked her pillow, but she couldn't make a sound. All her grief and guilt were trapped in her chest, turning into a choking sob that was almost suffocating.

She lost everything. Identity, family, future... her last attachment in this world was severed. She became a true, rootless ghost.

After the immense grief came a deeper, more terrifying numbness. She lay motionless on the bed, like a soulless statue, staring blankly at the ceiling. After what seemed like an eternity, with trembling hands, she mechanically and repeatedly deleted all browsing history, then closed the laptop.

She lay back down, pulled the blanket over herself, and wrapped herself tightly, as if only in this way could she ward off the bone-chilling cold. Her tears had dried up, leaving only boundless emptiness and despair. She knew that from this moment on, she truly only had the "Ghost Squad" left, only this endless, dark road.

Outside the window, the cold lights of the unfamiliar base and the endless night stretched out before her. Her world, however, crumbled completely that night, leaving only utter silence.

Deep within the "Eagle's Nest," time loses its measure amidst the low hum of the temperature-controlled air conditioning. A week has passed since returning to the base, and beneath the surface order, undercurrents are surging.

Elaine's exceptional abilities demonstrated during the South American mission led Price to formally join the core technical analysis team, granting her a dedicated, high-security analysis room. Her task was to decipher the data fragments salvaged from the "Ark" and focus on analyzing the eerie intelligence pointing to the "Coke Camp" in Greenland.

She practically welded herself to the chair in the analysis room, burying herself in the vast stream of data day after day, facing the flickering screen. This almost self-torturing workload was her only lifeline. Only by immersing herself completely in the cold code and chains of logic could she temporarily numb the agonizing emptiness—the news of her parents' deaths had exploded in her heart like a bottomless black hole, sucking in all sounds, colors, and emotions, leaving only a numb, heavy void.

She ate, rested, and completed her training as usual, but everything felt like it was through frosted glass; her senses became dulled, and her reactions to the outside world were slow.

Meanwhile, Keegan's injury healed at an astonishing pace. He had most of his stitches removed and began low-intensity training under the guidance of a physical therapist. He was frequently seen in the gym and simulator area, silent and focused, as if trying to make up for all the lost time.

Beneath this seemingly normal surface, an invisible tension hung over the core area. Price and Ghost moved about hurriedly, frequently holding secret talks; patrols within the base were intensified, and access was tightened. The veterans all sensed an impending storm.

The atmosphere was heavy in Price's private safe house. Facing the blank chart of General Marcus Thorne's relationships on the whiteboard, Logan reported dejectedly, "General Thorne's side is airtight; all operations were in accordance with procedure, and the chain of leaks has been broken."

Price's eyes sharpened: "He's deeply entrenched, and without solid evidence, we can't touch him." This was a silent battle against a hidden behemoth in the darkness.

In the afternoon, inside the rehabilitation and physiotherapy center, Keegan had just finished a set of exercises, his vest soaked with sweat. He walked to the water dispenser and saw Elaine coming out of the physiotherapy room next door, stretching her stiff shoulders and neck from long hours of computer use.

The two met face to face in the corridor of the equipment area. Keegan's gaze swept over her quickly as usual, finally landing on her neck—the bruises that Kruger had left behind had faded considerably, leaving only pale yellow marks.

"The bruises, are they healed?" he asked, his voice hoarse from training.

Elaine paused at his voice, meeting his deep eyes. She instinctively touched her neck before nodding slowly, "Yes, much better." Her voice was a little hoarse, like a musical instrument unused for a long time. Her gaze then fell on his left arm, which he had instinctively protected during training. An almost instinctive sense of responsibility made her ask softly, "How is your arm...recovering?"

“It’s alright,” he replied briefly, reaching over Elaine’s shoulder to take a clean towel from the shelf to wipe his sweat. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if he wanted to say something more, but ultimately just nodded slightly to her and turned to leave.

Elaine stood there, dazed, watching his departing figure. There seemed to be a faint, almost imperceptible warmth left on her shoulder from when he accidentally touched her while getting the towel.

However, this brief and ordinary interaction was noticed by others. That evening in the cafeteria, Elaine was surrounded by several female colleagues who were laughing and joking.

"Hey! Elaine!" Liz, the gynecologist, exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "I heard that Sergeant Keegan struck up a conversation with you in the rehabilitation room this afternoon?"

Medical Officer Anna looked on incredulously: "Really? He actually chatted with people? I've never heard him say more than five words in a sentence!"

Logistics officer Sarah was relatively rational: "They've been through thick and thin together, so it's normal for them to care about each other's injuries; that's called camaraderie."

"Wow, the camaraderie of 'sharing life and death'..." Liz exclaimed, clutching her heart with both hands.

Elaine's cheeks flushed slightly from their comments, and she could only bury her head in her food. Her delicate nerves seemed to slowly reconnect with her numb senses, and for the first time in days, she truly "perceived" her own existence and that of her surroundings.

The next morning, around the corner of the corridor, Elaine headed to the analysis center and ran into Keegan, who had just come out of the command room. He was walking briskly, but paused slightly in front of her. "Doctor," he called out to her.

Elaine stopped and turned around: "Sergeant Keegan? What's up?"

He looked at her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, as if he had considered his words carefully, before speaking in a slightly lower voice than usual: "...Don't pay attention to those comments."

Elaine paused for a moment before realizing he was referring to the gossip in the cafeteria. Her face flushed inexplicably, and she quickly shook her head, her tone embarrassed: "I didn't care... I didn't take it to heart. They're just... a bit lively."

Keegan paused, nodded slightly, said nothing more, and brushed past her. Elaine stood there, watching his tall figure disappear at the end of the corridor, her hand unconsciously clenching. There, a clear yet unfamiliar heartbeat seemed to re-pound in her empty, numb chest.

The enormous void left by the departure of her loved ones still exists, cold and dark. But just now, it seemed that an extremely tiny ray of light had tentatively shone in. Though faint, it allowed her to begin to feel... temperature again.

A turning point came late one night. While Elaine was performing deep data recovery and correlation analysis on fragments of the "Ark" database in the analysis room, her program unexpectedly captured a nearly unrecognizable encrypted data stream that had been overwritten multiple times. After hours of complex and tedious decoding and repair, a fragmented audio file was finally restored.

As she put on the headphones and heard the contents, a chill instantly ran down her spine, making her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave. It was a dialogue segment heavily altered, yet still discernible as calm and authoritative: [Voice A (processed)]: "...Preparations at the South American test site are complete. The first phase of 'Night Watch' can be activated at any time. The activation signal will be transmitted through the Andean node." [Voice B (processed, but with a more authoritative tone)]: "Ensure everything goes perfectly. This is a crucial step in proving our value to the 'Investors.' 'Deep Diver,' you are responsible for overseeing the final stage." [Voice A]: "Understood. For the New Order."

The conversation itself was horrifying enough, but what alarmed Elaine even more was that she used a voiceprint database to perform a fuzzy comparison and prosodic analysis on the second voice (codenamed "Deep Diver"). The results showed that its speech characteristics were highly consistent with General Marcus Thorne's speeches at several public military conferences!

She immediately encrypted and transmitted this discovery to Price, along with a detailed analysis report. This was almost the most direct chain of evidence that could be found at present, pointing directly to General Thorne's connection to the "Purgatory" and "Night Watch" projects!

The news was shocking, but it also made the situation more dangerous—the identity of the traitor among the top echelons was almost confirmed, which meant that if the other side sensed any trouble, they might take extreme measures.

What you fear most has come to pass. Just as Price, Ghost, and Logan were secretly discussing how to use this new evidence for their next move, the highest level of emergency assembly alarm suddenly sounded inside the base! A piercing buzzing sound echoed through every corridor.

A cold, formal announcement came over the loudspeaker: "All officers of colonel rank and above, assemble immediately in the first briefing room! Repeat, assemble immediately in the first briefing room!"

Soon, news arrived: the Supreme Oversight Committee had received a "conclusive anonymous tip" accusing Colonel Price of abusing his power, unauthorized use of strategic resources, and planning and executing extremely risky illegal operations that resulted in the serious injury of several elite members and severely damaged the organization's interests and security. The Committee had established a special investigation team and demanded that Colonel Price be immediately suspended from duty and undergo a full review. And the head of the investigation team was none other than General Marcus Thorne!

This was a meticulously planned, swift, and deadly preemptive strike. Thorne had clearly sensed the danger and was determined to use his power and position to eliminate the greatest threat—Price—first.

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse. Price was temporarily confined to his office, "protected" by Thorne's trusted guards. The atmosphere within the base instantly became eerie and tense, with everyone on edge. Late at night, Ghost and Keegan, with their thorough knowledge of the base's security system, bypassed all surveillance cameras and patrols, sneaking into Price's office like ghosts. The main lights were off, only a desk lamp casting a dim, yellowish glow. Price stood in the shadows, his back appearing unusually heavy.

“The evidence isn’t direct enough to bring him down before the committee. The current investigation is entirely under his control, which is extremely disadvantageous to us.” Ghost’s voice sounded even colder behind his mask.

“We must take the initiative and obtain irrefutable evidence before he completely dismantles our forces and destroys all the evidence,” Keegan said resolutely, his gaze unwavering.

Price slowly turned around, the lamplight outlining his resolute yet weary profile. He paused for a moment, a desperate glint in his eyes: "Approved. Activate 'Ghost Protocol.' Target: Greenland, 'Coke Camp.' Whether that intelligence is a trap or an opportunity, it may be our only chance to break the deadlock, find evidence to bring down Thorne, or even pinpoint Makarov's core evidence. The operation must be swift, before we are completely constrained and lose all resources."

“Ghost, you can’t participate in this operation.” Price’s gaze turned to Ghost, his expression heavy with unwavering resolve. “You’re too high a target; Thorne is closely monitoring you. You stay behind and use your influence to stall Thorne’s investigation and buy us time. At the same time, protect Konig.”

"Understood," Ghost replied in a low voice, his gaze beneath the skull mask sharp as a knife.

“Keegan, you’ll lead the team.” Price looked at Keegan.

“Yes.” Keegan replied in a deep voice. “I request that Dr. Elaine accompany me,” Keegan added immediately, his tone leaving no room for doubt, “The situation in Greenland is unknown, and may involve highly encrypted systems or technological barriers. Only she can deal with it quickly.”

Price gave Keegan a deep look and nodded. “Okay. Logan and Hesh will accompany you. One is an expert in infiltration and demolition, and the other is an excellent heavy machine gunner. They will enhance the team’s overall capabilities. However, you must understand,” his voice was extremely heavy, “this is a completely unauthorized black operation. There is no logistical support, no intelligence support. If we are exposed, we will all be labeled as traitors and face the pursuit of the entire organization.”

“We’ve been walking in the shadows for a long time.” Ghost pulled up his skull mask, his figure completely blending into the darkness of the office.

Deep within the base, a rarely used backup passage, disguised as a rock wall, quietly opened. The night was deep, and a biting wind howled. A small, high-speed, vertical takeoff and landing stealth transport aircraft, completely black and without any markings, silently took off, taking advantage of the base's complex electromagnetic environment and brief blind spots in its control, quickly disappearing into the dark clouds and speeding towards the Arctic Circle.

Inside the cabin, the atmosphere was heavy. Provisional team leader Keegan gave the equipment a final check, his gaze steady and resolute. Technical lead Elaine clutched a hardened tablet containing critical data, her face pale but her eyes resolute. Hesh silently polished his medium machine gun, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge. Logan sat quietly in a corner, examining various unusual tools. They embarked on their perilous journey to the frozen, snow-covered Greenland, carrying lightweight, top-tier equipment and meticulously forged, verifiable identity documents.

This is a high-stakes gamble deep into the heart of the enemy, with an uncertain future and fraught with danger. Behind them, within the "Eagle's Nest" base, a rigorous investigation and internal manhunt targeting Price and Ghost is underway. General Marcus Thorne's shadow has completely enveloped this once-symbol of hope and justice. The storm is no longer a harbinger; it has already arrived.