#Frank Wood | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

The “We are the 99%” Tumblr blog became the slogan for the Occupy Wall Street movement.

efingart · 2 years

Text

Just What I Needed - Chapter 18

ao3

Author’s Note: The opinions of the characters in this chapter do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the author.

“Fuck!”

Woods hunched his shoulders as gunfire shattered the glass in the adjoining room.

A sudden bright light disoriented him even though he wasn’t looking at it directly. His ears rang, muffling all other sounds.

He thought Mason was shouting, but it sounded like everything was underwater.

Hell of a fucking time for someone to throw a flashbang. He didn’t even have seconds to think; he needed to abandon his work. The thermite was going to go off either way. It would be better if it weren’t in his face. Fighting the urge to puke, he turned. Having an idea of where Mason was, he shoved him square in the chest before throwing himself to the ground.

__________________________________________________

With tired eyes, he peered ahead through dim lighting. He realized that he was looking up at a pockmarked unfamiliar drop ceiling. Woods closed his eyes again. His mouth felt like a desert.

Woods realized then that he must have been sleeping but still felt exhausted. Opening his eyes a little wider, he attempted to take in his surroundings, but nothing about the unfamiliar gray room registered with him. His mind was still half asleep, just trying to catch up with his body.

He could barely- could he move?

He raised his right hand. Fingers brushed his forehead where his bandana should be. It wasn’t right. The fabric that was usually soft and worn felt rough and tight around his head.

Was this a hospital?

Where was Mason?

A wave of dizziness hit him as he turned his head to look around.

Closing his eyes, he let himself drift back to sleep.

When he woke up again, everything was a little brighter around him. A long white curtain hung next to his bed. Woods could hear the soft beep of machines somewhere around him.

And the smell. Woods recognized that smell- medicinal and slightly metallic.

He was definitely in a hospital. But how long had he been here?

“Ugh,” His voice, unused for some time, managed to croak out.

“Hey, you’re awake.”

It took him a moment to register that it was Mason’s voice.

He raised his head, and his body protested the movement.

His neck felt tight.

No, that wasn’t it.

Something pulled on his skin there, limiting his movements. It extended down his shoulder and his upper arm.

As he moved around, a dull headache began settling in the back of his head.

Mason, who was sitting in a chair by his bed, warned, “Careful, man. Your shoulder is bandaged up.”

That explains the pulling and the stiffness he was feeling on one side.

He realized that Mason’s voice had sounded strange. Woods turned his head to look at him.

“Are-” He started, his throat felt raw, his voice sounding rougher than usual, “Are you eating my Jell-O?”

Mason chuckled as he stood up to place the empty plastic container on the tray by Woods’ bed.

“Can’t let good food go to waste.”

“Dunno if I’d call that good food.”

Mason shrugged.

“Yeah, well, you know.”

He picked up a cup of water from the tray and handed it to Woods.

Mason must have decided Woods was all right because he said, “You look like shit. Sound like shit, too.”

Woods chuckled. It was a dry, raspy sound that felt like it was tearing up his throat.

He took the water and drank some. It was good but not as refreshing as he would have liked. He needed to brush his damn teeth. But later.

“What the fuck happened?”

Mason sighed and scratched his head.

“That bad, huh?”

“You’re not gonna like it,” He leaned against the bed and gave Woods a sidelong look before continuing, “But Adler saved your ass. Saved both of our asses.”

Then he folded his arms over his chest.

“Fuck.”

Woods let his head fall back on his pillow.

“Flashbang hit us,” Mason paused, “-well, it missed, but close enough to fuck us up. Right while you were disarming that moliyna. Fucking thermite.”

“You’re telling me,” Woods grumbled. Even thinking about the heat and the bright lights made his head ache again.

“You moved fast, though. Getting me out of the way and yourself. Just in time,” Mason sighed, “Anyway, you weren’t hit by the thermite directly-”

“Otherwise, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Mason let out another sigh, “Second-degree burns. You gotta stay in the hospital. They want to monitor you. You hit your head, too.”

“You ok?” He asked Mason.

“Nothing too bad.”

“Well, can’t get any uglier,” He said with a smirk.

Both he and Mason laughed at that.

Woods scanned the room.

Shouldn’t Bell be here?

The way she looked at them before she left.

It was like she was sending them off to war.

It’s not like he expected her to be weeping by his bedside or anything, but it was a surprise.

And if she wasn’t here, he felt something was wrong.

Woods looked back to Mason, who was giving him a sad look. His friend dropped his head. He already knew the question on Woods’ mind without him asking.

Sometimes it was like they could read each other’s thoughts; they had worked together for so long.

“Is she-”

Mason turned his gaze to the window.

“Is she ok?”

“She’s-” Mason hesitated, rethinking his words, “Adler locked her up in the Safehouse-“

Woods’ eyes widened in alarm.

Adler? Goddamnit, if I hadn’t been injured she’d be-

We left her alone, and now-

He shifted to sit up despite the pain.

“Locked her up?!“

“Use the remote, old man. You’re gonna hurt yourself again.”

Mason grabbed Woods’ hand, placing the bed remote firmly in his palm. Woods begrudgingly used it. Once he raised the bed, Mason continued.

“That numbers station recording we found-” Mason paused, “it was her voice on the tape. Bell even confirmed it.”

“Yeah, but that’s not the original- that’s not your-”

Mason shook his head, “Yeah, I know. It’s not. But Perseus had been trying to get his hands on Dragovich’s work, right? And the KGB denied his requests. So maybe, with someone like Bell on his team-”

“She could reverse engineer it?”

Bell was practically a genius at decryption. How he understood it, she had managed to unravel codes in half the time it took a team of CIA specialists. And it sounded like she had been doing it since she was a kid, so it made sense.

From what he did know, numbers stations were just coded messages. You usually needed the right book, newspaper, or something to decode them.

It sounded challenging, almost impossible. But for Bell, it might not be.

But why?

Activate the sleeper agents in the US?

Set off Nova 6 in American cities while they were nuking Europe?

Near global devastation.

Mason shrugged.

“Can’t be sure. She doesn’t remember. At least not yet.”

“Have you seen her?”

Mason shook his head.

“They just released me yesterday. ‘Em’s been all over me. She’s not used to seeing me so soon after a mission, you know?” Mason grinned at his friend.

Then his face fell. He looked away again.

“I tried calling her, but she wouldn’t come to the phone,” He said softly.

“She’s probably blaming herself.”

“Probably. You know,” He kicked the floor with the toe of his booth as he said this, “Whatever she was doing back then, I still think she’s different. We all have regrets. But-”

Woods interrupted him, “Sometimes I think you want her to be OK because it means you’ll be OK. It’s like you’re worried that there’s some part of you that’s going to fuck up or something.”

Mason’s mouth became a line. He swung his head around to stare out the window.

What he said was true, and Mason knew it. It’s not like he was going to admit it. At the end of the day this was Mason’s vendetta. Fix things for Bell, and maybe he’d fix something about himself.

“I did fuck up-,” Mason started, but his voice caught in his throat.

Woods knew where this was going.

How many times had they been over it?

By all rights, Woods and that asshole, Kravchenko, should have been nothing more than bloody parts wallpapering that cave. Even he wasn’t sure how they both made it.

Is that really Mason’s biggest fucking regret?

He can’t judge though. They never really talk about Cuba. Not in any kind of deep way. Just bitching about missing out on Castro.

“Like you said, we all have regrets.”

Woods held out his good hand, and Mason slapped it.

“Now go get me some more Jell-O.”

Mason laughed and stepped out of the room.

______________________________________________________

Woods raised his bed. It was dark in his room, but he couldn’t sleep. His roommate on the other side of the curtain was using a respirator to breathe. The sound was meditative. Better than silence. Better than whatever crap was on tv in the middle of the night.

He looked to the window. The night nurse had come through and closed the shades hours ago. But he could see the night sky through a tiny gap she missed.

He couldn’t sleep.

His mind wanted to work over his conversation with Mason and the past few days' events.

As much as it was plaguing him, he could imagine how Bell felt right now.

The kind of mental dressing-down she was giving herself for something she had done in her past that she couldn’t even remember.

But really, what the fuck had she been doing?

They always knew her hands weren’t clean.

Hell, his and Mason’s sure weren’t either.

But at least with everything they were doing, they were trying to help people, right?

Mason had him thinking about Cuba again. When they thought they had done it- killed Castro. But then that woman, the one who had been with the fake Castro, she had been completely unarmed.

They wouldn’t have hurt her. But then she picked up a gun.

She was wearing a goddamn nightgown for fucks sake.

He used her as a human sheild.

And she still picked up that gun.

Castro’s supporters are fanatical in their devotion to him.

Isn’t that what Mason had said?

But he never got her out of his head or the countless other faces of people who died for a cause they didn’t have to die for.

Was it the same with Bell?

Had she been indoctrinated?

She thought Americans were responsible for killing her family, but who knew what the truth really was?

Would that have been enough for her to feel justified in taking the lives of millions like that?

He realized that thought was probably killing her as well.

It was that kind of realization that had helped him to warm up to her. She was so goddamn hard on herself he couldn��t not be kind to her.

Feel a little bad.

But they both knew that finding out more about her past would make it harder for him to empathize.

Wasn’t she always waiting for the other shoe to drop?

“You know, one of these days, you’re going to hear something you don’t like, and then you’re going to realize that this is all that I’m good for.”

Was she right?

__________________________________________________

The clock radio blared. Woods groaned.

Right. Back at the apartment.

They had discharged him last night. The nurses were probably ready to strike if they didn’t.

Yeah, he wasn’t always the best patient. The night nurse was pretty pissed when she caught him smoking out the window in his room. He chuckled to himself.

Woods sat up and swung his legs off the bed. Cracking his window, he lit a cigarette.

He glanced at his nightstand, which was cluttered with all the crap he’d need to take care of his wound himself.

It was not pretty, but it looked worse than it was. At least, that’s what the doctor told him. He scratched his beard and let out a loud yawn before yanking on shorts and stepping out into the apartment.

To his surprise, Mason was up and making coffee.

He had insisted on staying the night, and after being back home for several days, Em felt comfortable letting him.

Em had even suggested Woods sleep at their apartment, but there wasn’t enough room.

And it’s not like he could help with David, so what would be the point?

He’d just be in the way.

“Do you ever sleep in?” Mason asked, handing him a mug.

Woods took it and ran his fingers through his hair. He sat down on a stool and yawned again before taking a drink.

Mason leaned against the counter and eyed Woods’ shoulder over his own mug.

“How ya feeling?”

“Like shit, but that’s nothing new.”

“Yeah, you look it too.”

Woods chuckled.

“What are you doing up so early, sunshine? Worried about me?”

“You know it,” Mason chuckled. He opened the fridge and pulled out some eggs and bacon.

“You go grocery shopping?”

“‘Em did.”

“Surprised she’s not over here already making sure we’re fed.”

“Yeah, she’ll probably be over later. I think she misses the job sometimes.”

“It’s hard to stay away.”

“Yeah, they’ll have to force you to retire.”

Woods spotted the day’s newspaper sitting on the counter and picked it up. He sipped his coffee as he read.

Mason slipped a plate just under Woods’ paper. He had arranged the bacon and eggs into a smiling face.

“Really?”

“Ah, come on, you’re injured.”

He recalled how delighted Bell had been when Mason made this for her.

Mason must have been thinking along the same lines because he said, “I’m gonna call Hudson and see if she can come home.”

Home.

To Mason, this was Bell’s home. But Woods didn’t think she felt the same way.

If you asked her, she had no home. Her last one burned down in a fire several decades ago.

He looked around the apartment.

Was this a home?

Adler had called it playing house. And he wasn’t wrong. As much as they could try to make it comfortable, she was still being guarded. Just because the guards were them and not some power-hungry pieces of shit didn’t make this any less of a prison, right?

That’s probably how she saw it.

And maybe it would be better if they changed their mindset to see it that way too.

He folded his paper and was about to set it down on the counter when he stopped.

The crossword section was in his hand. He must have pulled it out automatically. How many mornings had he done that without realizing it had become part of his routine?

Woods looked over at the spot by the coffee table where she usually sat. The pillow she had pulled from the couch was still on the floor. It was almost as if he could see her kneeling there, hovering over a puzzle in deep concentration. Her coffee growing colder by the minute. And only moving when the hair in her face got too annoying to ignore.

“Hey, foods getting cold.”

Woods glanced at Mason and then down at his food. Mason didn’t ask. He had probably figured out something of what Woods was thinking anyway.

__________________________________________________

When they finished eating, Mason grabbed the phone while Woods went to the sink to wash the dishes.

“I can do that when I’m done,” Mason said, cradling the phone with his shoulder while he dialed.

Woods shook his head. It was slow work, but he managed.

His ears perked up when Mason started talking. He wondered if Mason was dialing the Safehouse or that stupid brick of a phone Hudson loved to carry around. That thing probably fried your brains if you used it too long. But it made Hudson feel important to use it.

“Hudson?”

“So, can we come by to pick her up today?”

There was a long silence.

“I’m not gonna leave until he’s healed.”

More silence.

“What the hell do you-”

“What do you mean?”

The silence went on for so long Woods thought that maybe the conversation had ended.

And then Mason said, “Oh.”

Then he heard the sound of the receiver being set down. And Mason didn’t say anything.

He grabbed a dishcloth, picked up a plate, wiped it down, and set it into the cabinet. Then another. And another.

And then, finally, he said, “Hudson didn’t think it was a good idea for her to come back while you’re injured.”

“What? I’m fine.”

Mason wiped down a glass, holding on to it for a little too long, before shaking himself out of whatever thought had consumed him.

“Even if,” Mason took a breath, “Even if you weren’t injured, it wouldn’t be happening.”

Woods looked up, alarmed, “What? Why? Is she ok?”

“She’s fine. She refused.”

“Refused?”

“She doesn’t want to come back here.”

Woods placed his good arm behind his head and stared at the ceiling. It was night, a long day of doing a whole lot of nothing, at Mason’s insistence.

Mason, himself, was still kind of in a state of shock.

That Bell wouldn’t want their help anymore.

That she preferred her current state of solitary confinement to living with them.

Maybe what she preferred was not to pretend.

Mason wanted to do right by her. They were part of an exclusive club of people who’ve had their minds fucked by someone they once called a friend.

But isn’t that where the similarities ended?

It would be hard to know for sure until they knew everything, and that all depended on her and those sessions.

Mason had called Hudson back. He wanted to speak with her. Hear it from her, and maybe he’d believe it. But Hudson said she wasn’t in the state of mind to talk.

They had her too fucking drugged up.

It might even be a part of the side effects of the drugs that were causing her to withdraw.

How much time did she have left before she was consumed by them?

A psychotic break. That was always the risk with LSD.

He wondered if she cared or if she was hoping to lose herself altogether.

__________________________________________________

“What is this?” Nikitin asked.

Bell looked at him through the reflection in the mirror as she tied her hair back into a low bun. He was holding up an old piece of blood-stained cloth.

“First American you killed? I didn’t think you kept trophies.”

He lit a cigarette and peered at her curiously.

She finished her hair and sat down next to him, taking the small cloth flag from him.

“No,” She said, turning it over in her hands, “First one who tried to kill me.”

Then she stuffed it into her pocket.

She plucked the cigarette from his fingers and took a drag.

“Hey, now.”

Bell grinned at him. He shook his head at her and took out a fresh cigarette, and lit it.

“So back to Vietnam for you. Ready for a little revenge?”

She should have known she wouldn’t be done with the war. After her injury and recovery, Perseus rewarded her by using his connections to send her to Moscow, but now she was on her way back. It wouldn’t be a long trip, in and out, if everything went to plan.

Not that it ever really does. Then back here, ready for the next mission.

“Cambodia. Weren’t you listening? And always.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on some of those capitalist fuckers.”

It was a sentiment shared by their entire team.

As their CO reviewed the mission details in the dimly lit briefing room, a spark of energy radiated through the place. They had all seen the photos by now. Read the reports. The disgusting and inhuman actions taken by American soldiers and on who- women and children. The elderly. Unarmed civilians.

And all for what? Because the Americans feared communism more than anything. Why not let these people be free if that’s what they wished for?

What should have been a civil war was becoming something more—the American moral battle against socialism.

Did they even care who they bombed? Who they killed?

Recent events seemed to suggest otherwise.

And, of course, the reports had information that some of the Americans had tried to stop it. A helicopter crew herded civilians to safety. But they were a small team.

Hadn’t she seen firsthand what they could do?

The cruelty they could inflict?

Fuck them.

“Hey,” Nikitin said, pulling her from her thoughts.

She looked at him.

“Let’s go out. Get a drink.”

She nodded.

__________________________________________________

They reached the clearing. A warm wind blew red dust from the airfield in their direction.

Wearing a fucking mask in this weather was a nightmare.

The sooner they got this done sooner she could rip the stupid thing off.

She scanned the area, knowing their teammates were lying in wait, concealed around the base, just waiting for their signal. It was up to her and Nikitin now.

And they needed to move quickly, or they’d have reinforcements up their asses in no time. Every second counted here.

“We’re headed there,” Nikitin said in a low voice. He pointed towards a concrete building with a short control tower on top.

“Take out comms; maybe we’ll find something interesting if we have time.”

She nodded at a nearby hanger.

“We can go through there. Should provide some concealment.”

They moved forward. The hanger door hung ajar when they reached it.

Bell peered around it. A mechanic was standing nearby with his back to the door. He was in the process of putting his tools away for the day.

The mechanic seemed to be muttering to himself about disorganization. He was displeased with his teammates' lack of attention to proper tool storage. He bent down to access the bottom drawer of his tool cart.

Bell exhaled softly and stepped forward. She placed two fingers on the doorknob, gently pushing it open just enough so she could move inside. Holding her breath, she crept forward. The creak of the soles of her boots seemed so loud to her in the quiet hanger. She was sure he would hear her and turn. But he didn’t. The business of moving tools around was louder enough to cover any sound she made, and he seemed very focused on getting things right.

She raised the butt of her gun over his head.

A lug nut slipped out of his hand and rolled to her feet. The mechanic turned just in time for her to bring the gun down on the side of his head.

There was a loud metallic clatter as his body hit the tool chest and jostled everything in the open drawer.

Fuck, that was stupid.

She chastised herself. Luckily no one else was around, and the hanger was mostly dark. Anyone walking by couldn't see them, even if they had heard the sound.

Nikitin dragged the body out as she moved towards the entrance taking cover behind a few stacked palettes of supplies.

The Bell AH-1 Cobras were parked just ahead but in the center of the base. No one on their team could get close to them without being spotted.

A guard was weaving in between the helicopters while he smoked a cigarette.

“It’s going to be fun to deprive them of their shiny new toys,” Nikitin hissed in her ear as he joined her.

Their target was just to the left. A single guard stood in front of the nearest door, illuminated by a small uncovered security bulb overhead.

“See if you can take that guard. I’ll check if there’s a way around.”

Bell nodded, and Nikitin left.

A parked Jeep provided cover as she moved forward.

The guard shifted his feet, but other than that, he remained pretty still.

There was nothing closer to him that she could use for cover. It would be difficult to approach without alerting the guard, and he didn’t seem to be moving anytime soon.

Bell watched, feeling the minutes tick away when finally he ducked his head down as he fished through his pockets for something. She took the chance and drew her silenced pistol taking out the bulb over his head. He seemed to jolt at the sound of the suppressed shot but was almost immediately distracted by the shattered glass sprinkling onto his cap and shoulders. He looked up at the broken bulb in confusion.

And that’s when she took her chance to swoop in quietly.

She swiftly wedged her knife under his ribcage and covered his mouth with her hand. His cap fell off and rolled on the ground. With a gasp, he began to collapse; she slid her knife across his neck. Then she helped settle his body into a nearby metal folding chair, propping his gun next to him.

Finally, she picked his cap up and placed it back on the dead guard’s head.

Bell wiped her knife and sheathed it. She kicked dirt over the broken glass by the door before reaching her hand out to open it.

A thin beam of light extended across the ground as she carefully cracked the door.

She listened, and hearing nothing but the hum of electrical equipment, she opened the door wider and stepped one boot inside. As she moved her body in, she glanced around the door. Before she could process what she saw, someone pulled the door wide open. Then in an instant slammed it against her body, holding it there, wedging her against the door frame. With the wind knocked out of her and the edge of the door pressed against her chest, she couldn’t get a breath in. A soldier was pressing his body weight against the door. She attempted to grab hold of it, and resist the force enough to make room to slip through.

The soldier reached for the gun on his belt. He was still leaning against the door.

Suddenly she stopped resisting, and the door and the soldier came forward onto her. The initial impact hurt, but it also set the soldier off balance enough that she was able to get through.

And he had dropped his gun.

She reached for her knife, but he kicked her in the chest, sending her to the ground.

Bell kicked out, hitting his knee, knocking him down. He fell next to her. Bell reached for her knife, but he grabbed her wrist and managed to get on top of her. They wrestled control of the knife when the soldier let out a sound like a balloon releasing air. His grip on her wrist loosened, and she could now thrust her blade upwards just at the top of his throat. Before the body could drop, a pair of gloved hands grabbed it by the shoulders and tossed it aside.

Nikitin stood over her and offered his hand.

“You ok?”

She took his hand and stood up.

“Yeah,” Her voice felt tight, and her chest ached, but it would pass.

They moved up a set of metal stairs, boots clicking on each step.

Another door, and beyond that, a hallway. In the middle of the hall, embedded in the concrete, was a metal ladder that led up a narrow tunnel. They approached the ladder and looked up. This was likely the entrance to the control room.

Nikitin led the climb, moving slowly, and stopping just before the top. He peeked his head just over the edge before ducking down into the tunnel to signal her.

He climbed up, keeping low. Bell watched his feet disappear before she made her way up.

Nikitin crouched behind a console. There were three operators in the room. Nikitin moved on the two in front, and she headed towards the back.

Swiftly taking out her operator, she turned back to the center of the room.

“Good work,” Nikitin said.

She radioed the team as Nikitin took out communications for the base.

Bell watched through the windows. The team swept through the base, taking out the lights as they moved. Soon the base was nearly in darkness. And they could just hear the chaotic sounds of confusion as the soldiers below scrambled to find out why the generators had gone out.

But it was too late.

“We should get out there.”

They made their way down the ladder and headed towards the front of the building. A shuffling sound from the stairs ahead of them drew their attention.

Someone tossed a grenade toward them.

Nikitin grabbed it and lob it back at them, while Bell kicked in the door to a nearby office.

Nikitin ducked into the office behind her, and they listened for the explosion.

After a moment of silence, they were fired upon.

Someone was still alive. Nikitin hovered by the door, returning fire. The tinny sound of shells hitting the tile floor.

Bell looked up. There was a large map on the wall across from the door with several locations marked on it. The map was primarily of Asia. One of the circled locations was in the middle of the Aral Sea. Another just north of where they were in Khammouane, Laos.

She took a photo of the map.

“What the hell are you doing?” Nikitin shouted at her as he returned to cover to reload.

“Finding something interesting,” She said, echoing his words from earlier.

He grabbed a grenade from his belt and tossed it down the hall.

And the gunfire stopped.

She scanned the files and folders on the desk below the map.

What were they planning?

One folder, in particular, stood out to her. It had German writing on it.

“Come on. We need to go. We don’t have time.”

Hastily she grabbed the folder and tucked it into her jacket as they left the building.

They regrouped with the detonation team.

The charges were set. The other teams had made it back into the forest and were on their way to their exfil locations.

That’s where they should have been.

And just as they went to move a giant spotlight switched on, beaming light almost at their feet. A truck with a mounted light and turret was rolling through the base.

Looking for them.

They split up. Bell and Nikitin braced their backs against cement barricades, keeping their bodies low to avoid being spotted. After a few breathless moments, the huge spotlight trained over their hiding area, and someone opened fire.

One of the detonation team had accidentally broken cover and had been spotted. He lay on the ground, blood seeping through his mask.

“We’re fucking pinned down.”

What was left of the base was about to converge on them.

“You can fly, right?!” She shouted over the sound of gunfire.

Nikitin stared at her. He looked at the nearby helicopter. Then back at the surviving member of the detonation team.

“We’re going to miss our exfil. We have to do something!”

“That’s fucking crazy!”

Quickly the three of them made their way to the helicopter. Bell held up the rear, returning fire, as the charges on their helicopter were disarmed.

She managed to hit the spotlight, shrouding the base in near darkness again.

The helicopter engine started up, and she ran to it.

Grabbing a seat and putting on a headset, she heard Nikitin muttering about “fucking insane.”

And then he said loud and clear, “Moscow is going to be happy with this new toy.”

One-by-one, the helicopters still on the ground exploded.

Bell watched them burn for a moment before looking up at the sky.

__________________________________________________

Woods closed the folder and set it down on his lap. He rubbed his chin as he thought about what he had just read.

So that’s what she thought of them.

Or had thought of them.

That other her.

So was there more to her not wanting to see him and Mason?

She’s started to remember these things, these feelings she once had, and now she couldn’t stand the sight of them. Is that it?

And after reading all that, could he feel comfortable around her, knowing what she did?

Would he recognize some of the names if he looked into who she and her team killed?

It was starting to feel like it was asking too much.

Woods had known so many guys who gave up their lives doing what they thought was right. Too many. Good guys.

He had been stuck in a fucking shit hole prison, and after four years, he managed to crawl out of it.

One of only two MACV-SOG POWs to ever make it out, and what did he get for it?

It’s not like he had been expecting a parade or anything, but what he actually got?

A fucking slap in the face.

Treated like he was the enemy.

Like he was someone to watch out for and worry about. Like he was the bad guy.

And he got pulled into his share of fights, mostly by stupid rich kids who never served in their lives. Just itching to start shit.

It hurt. But he could dismiss them all. They didn’t fucking know the first thing about it.

But to read that she might have thought the same thing about him as those people did?

Didn’t she think that guys like him might have been disgusted by some of the things they’d heard too?

But she was just going to lump him in with that trash?

Just like everyone else.

Woods leaned on the window frame and looked at the city before him.

He needed to talk to Mason. See what he thought about all this. Woods wondered if Mason would still hold on to hope for Bell after this.

Could he still excuse it and say she’s atoning for her sins now?

But still, even if he did agree, since day one, Woods had never been entirely on board with it. He liked Bell, but the person she was before was so different.

And who knows who she would become once her memory came back?

Woods sighed.

Maybe it was time for his part in this to be done.

taglist: @sogdads @shieldsbucky @scumbagg @quizzyisdone @stupid-stinky

#call of duty #black ops cold war #frank wood #cod bell #alex mason #jason hudson #russell adler #helen park #lawrence sims #bocw #just what i needed #yes the helicopters are really called Bells #also the memory here is a fictionalized version of something that may have happened #efing fanfics #efingfanfics

38 notes · View notes

camyfilms · 1 year

Photo

13 DAYS 2000

If the sun comes up tomorrow, it is only because of men of good will. And that's - that's all there is between us and the devil.

#13 days #2000 #bruce greenwood #steven culp #stephanie romanov #kevin costner #dylan baker #michael fairman #daniel vegara #bill smitrovich #jack blessing #frank wood #ed lauter #madison mason #kevin conway #favoured

6 notes · View notes

rookie-critic · 1 year

Text

She Said (2022, dir. Maria Schrader) - review by Rookie-Critic

She Said was a very well done, if not at times clinical, re-telling of one of the most important moments in modern equal rights history. Following the story of Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's groundbreaking article on the atrocities of ex-Miramax head Harvey Weinstein, She Said follows in the footsteps of films like All the President's Men and The Post (the latter of which I will admit I have not seen) as a movie showing the challenges of getting the truth out there no matter the cost, and I found it to be incredibly well done. Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan (to no one's surprise) are absolutely dynamite as the leading duo, each bringing a unique perspective on the story at hand. This wasn't just a story for them, it was personal, as it probably is to every woman on the face of the planet that's ever had a male superior in the workplace.

The movie hits when it needs to, is reserved when it should be, and allows its central duo to breathe and have a life of their own outside of just being the vehicles for truth in this story. It works so well because of this fact; it was so important to portray Kantor and Twohey not just as journalists, but as humans themselves, as women themselves, women who understand the weight of what they were on the brink of uncovering, and what it could mean not only for the film industry, but for the way women are treated in the workplace at large. As the film points out several times, this goes so much deeper than the film industry and is not just about Weinstein, but about the system protecting the abusers and not the abused. Shoutouts also have to go to Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Morton, and Angela Yeoh, who played Laura Madden, Zelda Perkins, and Rowena Chu, who are just a few of the women who suffered at the hands of Harvey Weinstein. Patricia Clarkson and Andre Braugher also deserve praise for their performances as Rebecca Corbett and Dean Baquet, the assistant editor and executive editor at the New York Times who oversaw the production of the Weinstein piece.

If I had one criticism of the film, it's that, for all of its very effective pathos and ethos, the film tends to be quite cold when it comes to the journalistic side of things. Portraying the profession itself as something that is harshly non-emotive, which I can definitely see the argument that it needs to be, and ultimately that's not quite what the focus of the film is on, so it feels like a nitpick. Even with that one small complaint, She Said surprised me in being better than expected and making me feel something other than anger, which I of course still felt a lot of.

Score: 9/10

Currently available to rent or purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and to pre-order on DVD & Blu-ray through Universal Studios.

3 notes · View notes

frontmezzjunkies · 10 months

Text

Second Stage Uptown Tries Bullishly to Go to Spain with "Toros"

#2STToros #frontmezzjunkies reviews: #2STuptown's #TorosPlay a #newplay by #DannyTejera directed by #GayeTaylorUpchurch starring #AbubakerAli b #JuanCastano & #FrankWood @2STnyc #OffBroadway #SecondStageNYC at #McGinnCazaleTheater

Frank Wood, Juan Castano, and b in 2ST’s TOROS. Photo by Joan Marcus. The Off-Broadway Theatre Review: 2ST’s Toros By Ross Drawn uptown (although I came down from Harlem where I’m dog-sitting for a few weeks) by the likes of two actors that I love to watch work; Juan Castano (Public’s Oedipus El Rey; 2ST’s Parallelogram) and Frank Wood (Broadway’s The Iceman Cometh; LCT’s The Babylon Line).…

View On WordPress

#Danny Tejera #Frank Wood #Gaye Taylor Upchurch #Juan Castano #off broadway #second stage uptown

0 notes

lunarduty · 5 months

Text

𝙋𝙊𝙄𝙎𝙊𝙉𝙀𝘿 𝙏𝙊𝙉𝙂𝙐𝙀

☾ how the cod men eat pussy. 141 + ALEJANDRO + RUDY + GRAVES + FRANK X F!READER TAGS | nsfw. smut. oral (female receiving). female reader. WC | 1,029

JOHN PRICE is patient, methodical, and just a little bit sadistic - a recipe for a man who will eat you out slowly and thoroughly and string you along until he decides you deserve to cum. he’s relentless and a quick learner, and will go out of his way to learn every single way to wind you up and make you needy on his tongue. his sadism comes through when you’re teetering on the edge of an orgasm - teasing you about cumming so quickly, but ultimately forcing you over with a quirk of his fingers because john can never deny you anything. he likes to watch you fall apart. takes a selfish pleasure in hearing his own name tumble from your lips.

GAZ eats you out like he’s starving. intent on satisfying his needs and yours. he’s usually pretty sweet and gentle about it - paying compliments whenever he can, telling you how pretty you sound, proud that you’re falling apart so fucking easily. gaz does have a habit of withdrawing just a little when things get intense and he’s really trying to make you cum. he takes his missions very seriously and would wholly focus on finding the right rhythm of tongue and fingers. moans alongside you when you finally cum, and he always watches when you do. for gaz, there’s very little else he loves than watching your body keen on his tongue.

SOAP knows his way around a pussy. pretty experienced, and yet, he loves the thrill of learning new tricks that make you breathe out his name like a prayer. he’s very touchy - kissing your thighs, gripping your hips, letting his breath waft over your clit without actually touching you. soap likes to wind you up for the sole purpose of making you desperate - he likes it when you rock up against his face. craving more of him and seeking out what you want and soap fully lets you ride his tongue, groaning out praise as you do so. he can get a little carried away, and you’ll probably have some bruises on your hips in the morning. definitely french kisses you afterwards, making it a point to let you know just how fucking good you taste.

GHOST has the tendency to get too serious when going down on you. he mainly just tries to give it his all, wanting you to enjoy yourself. he goes quiet in the beginning but it isn’t long until ghost fully lets his walls down. groaning against your pussy, cock throbbing in his pants when your thighs lock around his head, and he gets kinda pussy drunk. you can pull at his hair, suffocate him between your thighs, moan loud enough for the neighbors to hear - he doesn’t care. not when you’re finally cumming on his fingers and ghost can’t help but remember how good you feel around his cock so he’s pulling himself away from you before you fully finish cumming and he’s tugging his pants down and…

ALEJANDRO is always very eager to eat you out any time you let him. loves getting nasty with it and making a huge mess on whatever surface he put you on. sitting on his face and riding his tongue is probably his most favorite - he just thinks there’s something very hot about having his hands on your waist, controlling the way you grind down against his mouth. and when you get close, it’s like alejandro does, too - gets very vocal to match your moans and loves to dirty talk because it always winds you up even more and you always look the most beautiful when you’re cumming with a hint of bashfulness on your face. you’ll cum hard and quick and alejandro will just keep going.

RUDOLFO is slow and sweet, taking his time to kiss every inch of skin and make sure the mood is perfect before finally giving you his mouth. asks you frequently if you’re enjoying it and has a surprisingly potent praise kink - rudy works even better when you tell him exactly how good he’s making you feel and how much you want him to make you cum. he absolutely lives for the little things, like your fingers curling into his hair or the breathless version of his name or the light squeeze of your thighs against his ears. he very purposefully builds up your orgasm at a gradual pace before letting it hit all at once - rudy is so sweet, but he gets a sick sort of pleasure from making you cum so hard, you don’t even realize he’s kissing you until you can taste yourself on his tongue.

GRAVES likes to brag that he can make you cum in under three minutes and it’s even worse knowing that he absolutely can. he gets almost aggressive in the way he eats you out - barely allowing you a break, constantly turning the tables on you, never letting you predict his next move. physical contact can soften him up though. caress his hair and face and you can convince him to slow down for a little bit, allowing himself a chance to just watch you ride his fingers. but fuck, graves loves the way you look and taste and he’ll tell you about every single detail between flicks of his tongue. his arrogance can get annoying, but when he makes you cum until you’re going blind, and then asks if he should keep going, it’s easy to forgive.

FRANK WOODS will eat you out in any way you want him to, just as long as he can - he’s not fuckin’ picky. he’ll always be wearing a cocky little grin when he gets you so completely lost, and will say something to the effect of turning you stupid. can and has used his whole arm to hold you down when he was feeling particularly cruel and you’re bucking your hips desperately. this is usually the time frank likes to mix things up, just to keep you on your toes - using a hint of teeth, adding another finger, groaning loudly against your clit. and after your orgasm, he’ll just keep pumping his fingers until you have to physically pull him off you.

#call of duty x reader #cod x reader #cod fanfic #john price x reader #captain price x reader #gaz x reader #kyle garrick x reader #soap x reader #johnny mactavish x reader #ghost x reader #simon riley x reader #alejandro vargas x reader #rudolfo parra x reader #phillip graves x reader #frank woods x reader #call of duty smut

1K notes · View notes

missdreamalot · 2 months

Text

In 1963 photographer Bert Stern photographed some of the top actors/actresses at the height of their fame playing their dream roles for a photo series in LIFE magazine's December 20, 1963 issue.

Cary Grant as Charlie Chaplin's Tramp / Audrey Hepburn as Pearl White in 'Perils of Pauline' / Tony Curtis & Natalie Wood as Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky in 'The Sheik' / Paul Newman as a Douglas Fairbanks Sr. swashbuckler / Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin as Judah Ben-Hur and Messala from 'Ben-Hur' / Bing Crosby & Bob Hope as 1930s gangsters / Jack Lemmon as a war pilot / Shirley MacLaine as one of Busby Berkeley's showgirls / Rock Hudson as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

#cary grant #audrey hepburn #tony curtis #natalie wood #paul newman #frank sinatra #dean martin #bing crosby #bob hope #jack lemmon #shirley maclaine #rock hudson #bert stern #life magazine #old hollywood

880 notes · View notes

bonjourdraws · 11 months

Text

Woods’ Hot Summer

#frank woods #cod cold war #cod black ops cold war #cod #black ops #fanart

1K notes · View notes

leavemealoneplsandthx · 4 days

Text

Okay everyone in the cod fandom thirsting over mw characters, it’s time to introduce u mfs to the black ops world cuz honestly I’m tired of the lack of appreciation and fanfics (mostly fanfics) these people get.

Lemme introduce you to some of the main baes

This mf right here is a grade a ASSHOLE but it’s why we love him. Honestly if you love effed up relationships and angst you should read some of the bell x adler fics going on. Bell is YOU. It’s the customisable character in Cold War who Russell Adler brainwashed and it’s a whole thing and it’s toxic af to pair them but I fuggin loveeee itttt (second pic posted by @adlerboi)

Alex Mason <3333 my wifey for lifey

He was brainwashed by the Soviet’s and he’s our fave lil mentally scarred old man. Seriously tho it’s criminal the lack of love this guy gets he is so handsome

Ahhh mr frank Woods. Asshole but not in the same way Russell adler is. He’s the kinda guy who would act annoyed when you ask him to hold your drink but would protect that mf with his LIFE. Would treat you right but it’s a whole ‘dick to everyone else but sweet as pie to you’ kinda vibe yk?

Miss Helen Park. Honestly we should hate her. She manipulated and brainwashed us alongside adler but would I kiss her on the lips? Maybe possibly yes. Nuff said

The CRIMINALLY underrated navy seals commander david mason. Yes he’s alex masons son yes we keep it in the family here. He has some mental scars like his father but honestly who doesn’t?! Handsome as fuck, and so kind and respectful <3 I luv him

So please guys I beg you!! Play black ops 1, 2 and Cold War so we can get some love for these guys!!

If you like the sound of it please read this fic about adler x bell omg my heart

153 notes · View notes

darlingor · 15 days

Text

I don’t care what anyone says, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has unmatched aura. The setting, the time period, the characters, the music, the story. It’s just an absolutely delightful game to play.

161 notes · View notes

lunarduty · 5 months

Text

𝙒𝙄𝙎𝙃 𝙄 𝘿𝙄𝘿𝙉'𝙏 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙀

☾ how the cod men act when they're jealous. 141 + ALEJANDRO + RUDY + GRAVES + FRANK X F!READER TAGS | female reader. WC | 1,449

☾ JOHN PRICE has always felt very secure in himself, his work, and the relationships with those he cares about - that extends to you tenfold. he’s not one to get into a relationship if he doesn’t feel like you won’t or can’t be faithful 100%. and that’s why he never truly gets jealous - because he knows you and he knows you love him and wouldn’t try to mess around. if some muppet tries hitting on you at the pub, he’ll only get involved because he doesn’t want you to feel uncomfortable.

but john isn’t completely immune from jealousy. while he never worries about some other bloke sweeping you off your feet, his jealousy comes through when he feels as if someone else is outshining him. john has a tendency to be distant, and even when he’s beginning to feel that distance, work can pull him even further away. so if he sees you getting your laughs or comfort from someone else, it kinda tugs at his heart. makes him wish he was doing it instead.

☾ GAZ never truly lets things get under his skin if he doesn’t deem them important enough to, and jealousy is one of those things. of course, he likes having all of your attention. but it’s hard to really feel threatened when he’s the one who brought you to the pub, arm over your shoulders, showing you off and giving lots of kisses and doesn’t really give a fuck who sees. cheeky as he is, kyle might even revel in the onlookers who start to feel jealous of him.

and if there’s anything to be jealous about, it’s the bottle that you hold so tightly in your hands and bring to those gorgeous lips. it’s toward the music itself for making you move so slowly and sexily. it’s at the liquor that plasters a grin on your face when gaz can usually do it himself. he does later, rest assured - makes dumb jokes to make you laugh while he runs your hands all over his body for you. and there’s nothing left to be jealous over.

☾ SOAP is a man who’s pretty in touch with his feelings. he knows when he starts feeling jealous, when it starts making him act up, and he always feels bad about it. there’s few people in the world soap trusts more than you - yet, he gets that hot, tight knot in his gut whenever he hears your laughter and he’s not the cause of it. when someone else seems to gain your attention more easily than he can. soap will push it down, try to act nonchalant, like it doesn’t bother him. but it does. other people pick up on it and that just makes it worse.

later on, when he finally gets you to himself, soap is talkative - more than usual. like if he keeps rambling about random topics, it’ll make up for lost time. at least in his mind. you eventually have to slow him down with a kiss, ask if everything is alright. you know soap better than he knows himself - of course you picked up on the shift in his mood. that simple fact helps soothe away the last lickings of jealousy. he still feels stupid about letting himself get like that.

☾ GHOST wouldn’t even realize he was jealous until someone else points it out. he’s usually gruff and stoic and glaring at people so his signs of jealous takes the form of not talking at all. and lots of staring. scowling is probably a better word for it - if looks can kill and all that. he internalizes his own behavior as simple concern over you, or something about the situation just not feeling right. he still memorizes the face of the guy who’s been chatting you up. sticks him all the way to the top of his shit list.

ghost doesn’t really interfere, not unless he feels like he has to (though, he’ll move around the goalposts of when the appropriate time is.) until then, he kinda just sulks by himself. not even soap can muster more than a couple words from him. and you can really feel his jealousy once he’s got you by his side again and he’s barely talking to you and glaring because he’s in a general shit mood. you ask him what’s wrong, and he says it’s nothing. it’s not until later, in private, when he reflects and feels like a total ass.

☾ ALEJANDRO is quite known for his hot temper, but when it comes to jealousy, he becomes more of an opportunist. instead of embarrassing you and himself by acting out on his jealousy, he’ll take the burning feeling and turn it into something useful. this means coming up to you, pulling you against his side, looking directly at the guy who’d been chatting you up, and really laying it on thick. kisses you, touches you, makes sly little comments. might kick it up a notch by saying some lowkey insults at the guy, knowing he wouldn’t do anything but alejandro kinda wishes he would.

he’ll act all innocent if you confront him about it. tell you he just likes showing you off because you’re too fucking cute and he loves you too much. but that act doesn’t hold up for very long because alejandro isn’t great at subtly. he ends up just insulting the guy even more to you by saying he was an idiot and didn’t deserve you and he kinda smelled anyway so why would you ever give him the time of day?

☾ RUDOLFO gets a bit of a Kicked Puppy Vibe whenever he’s jealous. he can be a sensitive person and feels the loss of your presence in his very soul. he really does try to ignore that ugly, twisted feeling inside him whenever the jealous gets especially potent. he wants to enjoy the night with the rest of los vaqueros, but rudy always seems to find you in the crowd. always frowns a little when he finds you enjoying the company of someone else a little too much. always stops himself from going and stealing your attention for himself.

but later on, his affection gets amped up to the max. rudy usually shines under your attention, and tonight is only worse. honestly gets a little clingy for the rest of the night, and seems to feel a little better when you blame it on the alcohol. of course, rudy knows himself well enough to know what he’s doing. feels a little embarrassed by it, so maybe some of his many kisses are his way of subtly apologizing for it.

☾ PHILLIP GRAVES does not get jealous at all. not at all. why should he care if some loser is making you laugh so hard at jokes that aren’t even funny? he only steps in because this guy is so wildly unfunny, and also kinda creepy, that graves is afraid you might just die of boredom. and as you know, phillip’s a heroic guy. as your boyfriend and commander, it’s his job to keep you safe from any and all threats big, or in this guy’s case, very small.

graves couldn’t hide his jealousy to save his own life. he likes to believe he’s smart and cunning and doesn’t let dumb shit get to him - and that’s true for a lot of things. but as soon as you gets you all to himself. he’s got this primal need to pull you close and remind you just who the fuck you belong to. he doesn’t think of it as proving himself, but the marks on your neck say otherwise…

☾ FRANK WOODS gets jealous more often than he’ll admit it. it’s going to be loud and it’s going to be obvious. and he’ll deny it - insist he isn’t the jealous type and he’s got more self-respect than all that. but he’s not nearly as subtle as he tries to be. it’s so easy to catch his gaze from across the room when someone happens to get a little too friendly. he’ll say over and over how he isn’t jealous, and in the same breath, stand between you and the dick talking to you and start throwing out insults.

even if you call him out on it later, frank doesn’t seem to care. in fact, he’ll look damn proud of himself. he’s always had this instinct to protect what’s his. always had this tendency for possessiveness. if he’s in a good mood, he’ll crack a dumb joke about the guy and move on. if not, he might think you were trying to make him jealous. but of course, that would mean admitting he was jealous in the first place.

#call of duty x reader #cod fanfic #cod x reader #simon riley x reader #alejandro vargas x reader #captain price x reader #ghost x reader #john price x reader #phillip graves x reader #rudolfo parra x reader #kyle garrick x reader #gaz x reader #soap x reader #johnny mactavish x reader #frank woods x reader

701 notes · View notes

Last Seen Blogs

romaincrisis

rosy ✨ comms closed

fangirlshrewt97

Take a break from life's chaos

thebunnylord

Lord Bunny

cannaqweenofcups420

Kaz Reads Tarot

agust-meg