Origins: Snapshots In Time 204

((This immediately follows 203 : [link] ))



Quarter of midnight.

Ghost glanced up at the sky, then stepped inside. He had deliberately left his weapons and most of his gear in the vehicle he and Liang-jin had arrived in. For the moment, it would be just him coming in here. If she wasn't here, he was to let Liang-jin know that she stood them up. He knew she was likely to try that, and she didn't know Liang-jin would be coming - but he was hoping she kept the appointment this time.

Once he got inside, Ghost gave himself a minute or so for his eyes to adjust to the dark, neon lighting of the diner and then he reached up to pull his cover off of his head. There were a few late-night patrons in the place, but it wasn't overly crowded. He was able to spot her pretty quickly, sitting at a booth about halfway across the room from the doors.

With a relieved sigh, he walked over there, making no efforts to keep his steps quiet as he approached her table. He just stopped at the table and dropped his cover down on the top of it. "For once, I'm glad you opted to not be unpredictable and sneaky." He sighed. "Bridgette, do you have any idea how badly you scared the crap out of us?!"

She had been sitting there, already ordered, nibbling on some rice and a drink. When she saw Ghost's cover land on the table, Bridgette turned her dark eyes up to look at the Scorpion. She just smiled faintly, and shrugged, though she did get to her feet and reach to hug the soldier.

"Did what I had to do, Adam. You know that. Now, look.. you wanted information, so sit down. I--"

Ghost cut her off by hugging her back, with the type of grip that would have told anyone they had been scared shitless about their whereabouts. It cut her speech off as it took her a minute to get her breath back.

"Can I sit?" Ghost asked, as he let go of her and pointed to the booth. Bridgette nodded, waving him into the booth and then sat down himself.

"He's somewhere in Mongolia. I've gotten that much. Found a small installation on the border between there and China, and they had some records..." Bridgette dug out a folder from her pack. "Adam... those records... they don't say where he was sent other than further into Mongolia... but they're not planning on letting him go...or killing him."

"What the hell do they want him for? He's kind of old for their usual target group."

Bridgette slapped the folder down on the table, and ripped it open to one of the pages. "Breeding." She said bluntly. "He's older than he looks,and they know he'll be around for a very long time. They want him for breeding stock."

"Well, they can't have him." Adam snapped. He glanced at the watch on his wrist, then looked at her. "Bridgette, you've done good.. but you need to come home. It's too dangerous right now for you to be running around like this alone."

"No." Bridgette set her lips, her eyes narrowing at him. "Not until I find out exactly which base they have him in."

"Let me rephrase that." Ghost sighed, and reached across the table with a gloved hand to cup her cheek. "Bridgette, you NEED to come home. You ARE coming home. Do you have any idea how close you've been for the last two months to getting captured or killed?!"

Bridgette's jaw stiffened, and she straightened up, staring at him - though she didn't push his hand away. "Adam--"

"No. No 'Adam', not on this one. Look. I let your pop beat the shit out of me over you once... I am NOT going to have to face him down and tell him you're dead because you got fucking stubborn. What good are you to him and Michael if you're dead or captured?"

Bridgette sighed, finally reaching up to gently pull his hand away from her cheek. "Adam, I will come home when I know where he's being held."

"No. You are coming home NOW." That wasn't Ghost, though - it was Liang-jin as he got to the table, and stood there, looking down at the two of them. Ghost felt his cheeks heat up, he knew Liang would be grilling him later over this, he had seen and heard enough. But that was later.

Bridgette's head snapped to the side, to look up at Liang-jin, and then she shot Ghost a look that screamed betrayal. Then she was standing up, staring Liang-jin right down.

The man wasn't moved. Not in the least. "You are coming home. You have everyone around you worried sick. You stay out here much longer, you will be dead, just like the rest. I don't care how well trained you are, you'r still eighteen years old, you're in over your head on this one, and you ARE coming HOME." Liang-jin leaned right in, staring at her hard. "Now come on. Walk. And if you don't, I will just throw you over my shoulder and CARRY you out of here." He snapped.

Ghost just let her glare at hhim, as he reached for his jacket and his cover. "He's right, Bri." He said quietly.

"Set me up." She glared at him. "I should have stood you up. I wanted to see you... I shouldn't have bothered."

"Yeah, well you can slap me later, but at least you'll be alive to slap me." Ghost reached for her arm, giving her a slight turn towards Liang-jin and then he snatched the files off the table she'd produced.

"Do you have ANY IDEA how worried you've got Chang?! Do you have any clue how dangerous this is?! Don't you EVER do this again, Bridgette! I don't care how well trained you are, how old you are, or how much you want to find him - don't you think the rest of us are out looking for him, too?! Don't you EVER do this to us again, or so help me, your Poppa will be the LEAST of your worries! We have had to take time out from looking for Matthew, to find YOU!....."

Bridgette glowered... but between Liang's vice grip on her arm, and Ghost nudginng her forward, she just gritted her teeth and started walking. Liang-jin was wound up good, and she was steeling herself for him to lecture and rant all the way home.

He was right. She knew he was right. But that didn't make her any less pissed... and she was still pissed at Ghost for setting her up. He wasn't supposed to bring the Guard captain with him. It was supposed to be just him. She hadn't even known Liang had been working with him!

They were getting a lot of weird looks from the other patrons in the diner... but all three of them ignored the looks as Liang-jin marched her right out the doors.

"We stop at my room and get my things." Bridgette snapped, tight-lipped. "I'm not budging on that. My gear is in there."

"No. Liang-jin will take you home, and *I* will stop at your room and collect your things." Ghost stared at her as they got to the vehicle. "I'm the porter. I'll get back to you two soon enough." When Bridgette just shot him another black-eyed glower, Ghost sighed, and reached for her chin. "This is way over your head to be doing alone, Bri. For chrissake, nothing says you can't work with the rest of us. But you aren't trained enough to do something like this alone. How do you think your pop would feel if he got out and found out you got yourself killed trying to find him, huh?"

Bridgette tried to glare at him. She tried. But the look fizzled, and she just turned her head away and ripped the car door open, climbing in. Ghost disappeared, and Liang-jin got in the driver's seat.

The engine had barely been turned on before he was lecturing at her again...