flame
The midnight sun over the Siberian wilderness is an endless, suffocating gray-white. Keegan and Elaine had been trudging through knee-deep snow for who knows how long, their sense of time blurred by the cold and exhaustion. Each step felt like dragging a thousand-pound weight, and the icy air they inhaled felt like blades scraping their throats.
Keegan led the way, his steps steady, but his taut shoulders betrayed his extreme vigilance. Elaine followed behind him, her legs almost numb, supported only by willpower, her gaze fixed on his broad back, the only beacon in this white hell.
Along the way, while attempting to cross a vulnerable section of a frozen river, Elaine suddenly slipped, and the ice cracked with an ominous sound! Before she could even cry out, Keegan, who was walking ahead and had a safety rope around his waist, whirled around and unleashed astonishing strength in his arms, instantly tightening the rope and pulling her back onto the solid ice.
Elaine lay panting on the ground, still shaken. Looking up, she saw a flicker of fear in Keegan's usually calm eyes behind his goggles. He said nothing, but gripped the rope connecting them even tighter, checked the ice, and chose a more circuitous but relatively safer route.
As the sky painted the snowfield a pale orange-red, the blizzard miraculously ceased. Keegan found a sheltered ice crevasse cave. The entrance was half-covered by snow, and the interior was narrow but sufficiently insulated from the biting wind. After carefully checking to ensure it was safe, he gestured for the nearly exhausted Elaine to enter.
The temperature inside the cave was still extremely low, but much better than outside. Keegan skillfully scraped off some dry ice shavings with his dagger, mixed them with a special solid fuel, and lit a small campfire. The flames were weak, almost invisible, and the heat was limited, but in the absolute cold, this little bit of warmth was extremely precious.
The two sat down against the cold rock wall, sharing the last of their compressed biscuits and chocolate, silently replenishing their strength. Elaine wrapped herself tightly in a thermal blanket, her body still trembling slightly uncontrollably.
She gazed at the faint, flickering blue flame, softly breaking the silence, her voice hoarse with exhaustion: "That symbol... 'Tree of Life'... I've been involved with it. Charitable donations, vaccine development... a perfect disguise." She looked up at Keegan, who was silently cleaning his rifle across from her, her eyes filled with deep confusion and a hint of helplessness. "What are we facing? Layers upon layers of illusion?"
Keegan's movements as he wiped the gun didn't stop, but his pace seemed to slow slightly. The only sounds in the cave were the faint crackling of the fire and his steady breathing. After a long while, he spoke in a low voice, exceptionally clear in the confined space: "Lies. Lies layered upon lies."
He looked up, his goggles now pushed up to his forehead, the campfire casting flickering shadows in his deep grey-blue eyes. "Makarov is good at this. Using the brightest exterior to conceal the deepest rot." This was the first time he had mentioned that name so clearly and with such personal emotion, the coldness in his tone making the surrounding air seem to drop several degrees.
"You... know him very well?" Elaine mustered her courage and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for so long. Keegan's gaze instantly became distant and sharp, as if piercing through an ice wall and seeing some past he didn't want to remember.
“We’ve dealt with each other before.” He said succinctly, his jawline taut, clearly unwilling to elaborate, but the deep-seated, almost tangible hatred in his eyes sent a chill down Elaine’s spine.
He quickly changed the subject, his gaze returning to her pale face: "Are you scared?"
Elaine met his gaze and nodded honestly: "I'm afraid. But... I'm even more unwilling." She took a deep breath of the cold air, her eyes gradually illuminated by the flames, revealing a stubborn glint: "I know it sounds naive, and even foolish, but... I have a score to settle with him."
In the latter half of the night, the temperature dropped below freezing. Elaine huddled in her thermal blanket, still shivering from the cold, her consciousness fading with drowsiness and chill. Keegan, on night watch, sat near the cave entrance, like a frozen statue.
His gaze swept across the silent snowfield outside the cave, then returned occasionally to Elaine. Seeing her furrowed brows and bloodless lips, even in her sleep, he frowned slightly, a barely perceptible worry flashing in his deep eyes.
The temperature inside the cave was still dropping, and her thin thermal blanket was clearly not enough to keep her warm. He glanced at the still biting wind outside the cave, then at Elaine, who was curled up in a ball and shivering slightly. He reached out his hand, as if to wake her up and let her move around to warm herself up, but his fingertips paused in mid-air.
He hesitated for a moment, then moved closer and gently pulled her and the blanket into his arms, wrapping her in his broad chest and creating a relatively warm shelter for her.
In her daze, Elaine instinctively moved closer to him, finding a source of warmth, and fell into a deep sleep.
Keegan didn't sleep; he remained absolutely vigilant, his body slightly stiff so as not to wake her. He looked down at the person in his arms as her brows gradually relaxed, and his fingers twitched.
When the light of day broke again, the sky was still a grayish-white hue.
When Elaine woke up, the first thing she felt was a warm, unfamiliar yet comforting embrace enveloping her. She suddenly realized she was nestled in Keegan's arms, her cheeks instantly burning. She hurriedly tried to sit up, instinctively saying, "I'm so sorry..." She wanted to apologize for this inappropriate contact.
However, before she could finish speaking, Keegan had already released her arm and naturally moved back a distance, as if everything that happened last night was just a necessary measure to keep warm in an emergency.
He quickly stood up, brushed the dust off his combat uniform, and his voice returned to its usual calm and collected tone, devoid of any emotion: "Once we've rested, we'll set off."
Elaine swallowed the rest of her apology, her face still flushed, and whispered, "...Okay." She quickly tidied her somewhat disheveled gear and hair, not daring to look him in the eye, her heart pounding.
After a nearly full day of arduous trekking, thanks to Keegan's exceptional wilderness navigation skills, they finally arrived safely at the designated backup rendezvous point—an abandoned mining outpost. Several dilapidated wooden huts were half-buried in the snow.
Ghost, Hesh, and Konig had arrived earlier, equally exhausted, but their eyes remained sharp as eagles. When they met, there were no words of post-disaster greetings, only the urgent need to quickly exchange information, check equipment, and assess each other's injuries.
Ghost brought new news, his tone grave: "Price and Logan were ambushed while relocating to destroy their base. Logan's injuries worsened while covering the retreat, but they have successfully reached the 'Stone House'." This was bad news, but at least the people were safe.
He paused, then revealed even worse intelligence: "Konig has captured and cracked a very brief encrypted signal. 'Purgatory' or 'Tree of Life' is actively contacting and attempting to subvert senior military leaders in several key South American countries. The signal suggests that they may use the regional panic created by the 'Purification Protocol' and the subsequent 'military aid' or 'security guarantees' as leverage for infiltration."
The air in the makeshift meeting room froze instantly. Turning the military leadership against their superiors? This was far more deadly than turning politicians or intelligence personnel; it meant the enemy was attempting to directly control the machinery of violence, paving the way for larger-scale chaos or even conflict.
“We must rendezvous with Price as soon as possible. If South America gets out of control, the chain reaction will be unimaginable.” Ghost’s voice was as cold as the Siberian wind.
“If those generals are won over, the balance of the entire region will be disrupted,” Hesh added with a grim expression.
In the ensuing silence, Elaine took a deep breath and stepped forward: "Perhaps... we can start with the 'Tree of Life's' business network. They must have a vast business and supply chain in South America. Investigating their cash flow, government contracts, partners, and especially areas where they have dealings with the military through public channels might reveal clues about their contact with specific generals, or even... issue an early warning."
Keegan looked at her, his gaze lingering for a moment on her tired yet determined face, and stated in a deep voice, "The risk is high, but it may be the only direction we can take proactive measures and preventative measures at present." His support was concise yet powerful.
Ghost surveyed the group and finally gave the order: "All confirmed, depart immediately for the 'Stone House' to rendezvous with Price. Upon arrival, focus on assessing the situation in South America and developing an intervention plan." With the order given, everyone sprang into action, checking vehicles and preparing equipment.
As Keegan inspected the snowmobile's engine, he caught a glimpse of Elaine struggling to carry her heavy gear bag out of the cabin.
He walked over, silently took the backpack, easily put it away, and then turned to continue his work. Elaine watched his retreating figure and let out a soft sigh.
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