"Guess we're officially ride-or-die now."
(今天我们也是过命之交了。)
望着白雾散开后你的笑容,安娜愣住了,像是才反应过来。
"Oh my god. What am I doing."
(我的天,我在做什么。)
她低呼一声,突然直起身,神色凛然,伸手按住了烟管,
"My bad... That's a long chain of health damage. It could affect your nerve response on the job. You can't—"
(是我疏忽了……损害健康的链条很长,它可能影响你工作时的神经反应,你不能——)
"I can."
(我能。)
你笑着晃了晃手里的烟嘴,握上她伸来的手,
"I've been an □□ for a while, Doc. I can take care of myself."
(我早就成年啦,医生,能照顾好自己。)
她的目光落在你们接连含过的烟嘴上,又落在你握着她的手上。片刻犹豫后,她翻过手轻轻回握你,叹了口气,轻声问,
"...Are you scared? The missions. The battlefield. Death."
(……你害怕吗?任务,战场,死亡……)
"Of course. Always. Respectfully."
(当然,时刻敬畏。)
你轻轻攥了攥她比起你更加柔软的手,
"The will to survive is the foundation of making it out alive. Facing fear with courage is my job. Hell, it's the reason I'm even here to meet you."
(求生欲是从活下来的基础。鼓起勇气面对恐惧是我的责任,甚至还是我能来这里认识你的前提。)
你安慰道。面对她显得有些突然的问题,你理解她出于职业身份和朋友身份的夹缝中对你的担忧。
但听着这个完美到有些令人心酸的回答,安娜心情和表情都变得复杂,欲言又止。
"Just this once,"
(就今天这一回,)
你玩笑着把烟嘴放回桌上,
"What, you think I'm gonna steal a hookah pipe and take it back? One puff of that thing and every smoke alarm on base would go off."
(难不成怕我偷一个水烟壶回去?这么大的烟,抽一口整个基地烟雾报警器都得尖叫。)
"My bad. I shouldn't have brought you here..."
(我的不好。我不该带你来这里的……)
安娜看着那壶烟,露出无奈的笑。
你截断了她的话,笑道,
"Forget this hookah—we deal with stuff that's way worse for our health every single day."
(……别说这一壶烟了,我们每天都在和世上最损害健康的东西打交道呢。)
见安娜的眼中透出一丝不解,你双手捂胸口装作中弹样,
"Ah, bullets—"
(啊,子弹——)
安娜一愣,有点勉强的笑起来,
"...Yeah. One of those is plenty."
(……那确实一颗就足够了。)
她叹了口气,不动声色的收回了被你覆过的手,放回了身前。
灯罩的光线在墙壁投下虹彩光晕,水烟壶上的方形炭发出细微的噼啪。你们有一搭没一搭的聊着天,安静的空隙也显得十分惬意,你往软垫里缩了缩,闭上眼睛,任由那股橙子薄荷味道的白雾包裹自己。
这大约是你到这个基地以来最放松的一刻。没有任务,没有通讯,没有博弈,只有一个愿意陪你逛巴扎的好朋友、一壶甜丝丝的水烟、和正在隔壁烤炉里滋滋作响的披萨。
口袋中的手机突然震动,打破了这份静止的闲适。是玛姬发来消息。你习惯第一时间查收这个总会带来惊喜的联络。
玛姬:[image]
照片像是抓拍,有些模糊,但不妨碍看清那个深灰色衣服的男人背靠栅栏,狼狈地坐在地上,几乎被几只狗的身影埋起来了。他抬手护头,正阻拦一只站起来的大黑狗的舌头攻击。伸展开的腿被黄白相间的大狗控制。两只体型稍小的棕色狗正试图进攻他手臂和颈肩的缝隙。体型最小的花狗蹲在左腿旁,一副尽在掌握的表情看着镜头。
[Mr. Russ said you'd definitely like this photo.]
【Russ先生说你一定会喜欢这张照片。】
被狗淹没的人,竟是Keegan?
你点开他的信息框快速输入,满腹疑问很快得到回应,
Keegan:[Saw a dog that looked a lot like Rusty. Wanted to get a picture for you. Turns out it was Rusty.]
【看到一只和锈锈长得很像的狗,想拍下来给你看。没想到就是锈锈。】
并没能完全解惑的回答,紧接着弹出了下一条。
Keegan:[Soon as I got close, Rusty and his ambush squad jumped me.]
【我一靠近就被锈锈和它埋伏的朋友们袭击了。】
你:[I saw the photo. Lol. Nice hunt, Rusty.]
【我看到照片了,哈哈。漂亮的狩猎,锈锈。】
Keegan:[Yeah... they work well together. One draws attention, four flank. Professional. Like they're on leave from the base.]
【嗯……它们配合得很好,一个吸引注意力,四个包抄侧翼。专业的像是从基地出来休假的。】
他字里行间粉饰的狼狈让你笑容更盛。
你:[Need backup, Sergeant?]
【需要支援吗,中士?】
Keegan:[Much appreciated, Captain. :)]
【求之不得,上尉。:) 】
附带一个定位。
你打开地图,拖拽放大,查看距离和位置。
"Change of plans?"
(行程有变?)
安娜的声音从旁边传来。你抬头,发现她正微笑着看你亮起的屏幕。被看穿了心思,你不好意思地笑笑,晃了晃手机,
"A bar story or a rescue mission. Which one do you want first?"
(一个酒吧奇遇和一个临时救援任务,你想先听哪个?)
在你讲完玛姬和锈锈的故事后,也不可避免的分享了那张Keegan毛茸茸困境合影。
安娜看着你翻着相册满带笑意的眉眼,看了一眼表,
"What about the pizzas you ordered? It's not far, but by the time you do all that, they'll be cold."
(你打包的披萨怎么办?路程不算远,但一圈转下来也全凉了。)
你这才想起披萨的事。一边是O7小队吃上热披萨时惊喜,另一边是许久没见的毛茸茸脑袋和一个明显别有用意的Keegan。但你大约也只是迟疑了一秒,就大义凛然道,
"The base has a microwave. But it doesn't have Maggie, Rusty, or... a sniper getting swarmed by dogs."
(基地里有微波炉,但可没有玛姬、锈锈和……被狗淹没的狙击手。)
……
安娜帮你拎着袋子,你则双手托着那四个有点烫手的巨大披萨盒。刚出炉的烤肉披萨香气从盒子缝隙里溢出来,引得并不饿的你都开始分泌唾液。
"Ah, letting this kind of goodness go cold... I almost feel guilty."
(啊,要把这种美味放凉,我都有点罪恶感了……)
你叹道,
"Let's grab a slice in the car before we go. They won't mind—"
(等会上车,咱们先趁热来一块。他们一定不会介意——)
你一边回头朝安娜说着,一边用肩膀顶开玻璃门。
"Careful—"
(小心——)
安娜低呼,伸手想要护住门,但你脚下一迈,还是侧身撞上了一堵黑色的‘墙’。
你踉跄半步稳住了,但手里的披萨盒差点飞出去。一只手同时伸过来稳稳按住了盒子一侧。
"Oh, thanks—"
(啊,多谢……)
你抬头,竟看到了那个无比熟悉黑色面罩。
"...The hell?! How—"
(……见鬼了!?)
你惊道——怎么自己才刚计划偷吃就被抓包啊。
Ghost低头看着你,身后站着同样穿着便装的三人,Soap拿着饮料从后面探出头,Gaz一脸惊喜,Price笑着摘下了墨镜。
互相打过招呼后,四双眼睛同时落在你手里那摞披萨盒上。
"You gotta be hungry to pack that many!"
(再好吃也不能打包这么多啊!)
Soap笑着凑过脑袋闻了闻,
"Mmm... Habibi roasted meat pizza? Good taste! But you gotta eat it hot."
(嗯……哈比比烤肉披萨?有品味!不过还是得趁热吃。)
"They're for you guys, you bloodhound."
(是给你们带的,狗鼻子。)
你无奈道,
"Was gonna surprise you back on base."
(本想带回去给你们一个惊喜的。)
Soap笑容绽开,
"Bloody hell, you hear that, Ghost?!"
(我靠,你听见了吗?Ghost?!)
Ghost挑眉,
"Still a surprise now."
(现在也很惊喜。)
你瞥了一眼Ghost,对Soap笑道,
"Our dear Lieutenant here mentioned it—said it was your top recommendation."
(就是我们亲爱的中尉和我提的,说是你高赞推荐。)
"Soap definitely knows his stuff on this one."
(这点上Soap确实很有发言权。)
Price看起来心情也不错。
Soap亮晶晶的视线在你和Ghost之间来回转一圈,
"That's way too thoughtful... oh, you two angels deserve a Habibi medal."
(也太贴心了……哦,两位天使值得一枚哈比比勋章。)
"Man, Price just said we couldn't even wait for the pizza to come out of the oven."
(老天,Price正说连披萨出炉的时间都等不了。)
Gaz上前接过你手里的披萨盒,
"So, fellas, eat inside or in the car?"
(伙计们,我们进去吃,还是去车上?)
Price摸了摸还有点烫手的披萨盒,眼睛眯了起来,
"Damn lucky, boys. Almost missed it."
(该死的幸运,小子们,差一点就错过了。)
安娜挑眉道,
"What a coincidence. I'd almost think you put a tracker on YN."
(确实够巧,我都要怀疑你们给YN装了跟踪窃听器。)
一片热闹声中,你拉着安娜挪到外围,
"You guys eat it hot. We gotta head out."
(你们趁热吃,我们先撤了。)
"...You ate already?"
(……你们吃过了?)
Ghost问。
"Filled up at the bazaar."
(在巴扎上吃饱了。)
你答。
"What? You're not gonna try some before leaving?"
(什么?你们没尝尝披萨就要走?)
一旁的Soap闻声合上了刚打开的披萨盒。
你摆摆手,
"Uh... next time. We've got a rescue mission."
(呃……下次吧,我们还有救援任务呢。)
"What rescue mission?"
(什么救援任务?)
Price和Ghost异口同声问。
你这才意识到自己的口快。要撒谎糊弄过去吗,你和Keegan之间这点算不上秘密的小故事当着全队讲起来着实有点尴尬。你正支吾着,安娜出声解围,
"We're going to check on a stray dog YN helped rescue."
(我们去探望下YN之前救助的流浪狗。)
Gaz抬头,惊喜道,
"Rescue? Didn't know our specialist had time for charity on the side."
(救助?没想到我们的专家还有精力业余做慈善?)
你连忙摆手,
"Just a little financial support. She's being kept at a farm—"
(只是一点点资助,养在了一家农场……)
"Whoa, a farm?!"
(哇哦,农场?!)
Soap叫起来。
Price眯眼笑道,
"I recall you haven't gone off base many times since you got here. Didn't know you had those kind of connections."
(我记得你来基地后没出过几次门,没想到还有这种人脉。)
Gaz也来添柴,
"Specialist, what other surprises are you hiding from us?"
(专家,你还有什么惊喜是我们不知道的?)
"God, it's not what you think—"
(老天,真的不是你们想的那样的……)
你苦笑。怎么越描越黑。
Ghost看着你无力招架接连的提问,抱臂浅笑,评价道,
"Your counter-surveillance and anti-interrogation skills need work, Captain."
(反侦察意识和反审讯技巧都有待提高啊,上尉。)
"What kind of farm? Any animals?"
(什么农场?有动物吗?)
Soap明显最感兴趣。
你有一种不太好的预感,支吾道,
"Not sure. I know there are some dogs—"
(我也不清楚,只知道有不少狗——)
"Some dogs!"
(不少狗!)
Soap大声重复了那个复数,转头看向Price,
"Boss, can we go?"
(老大,我们可以去吧?)
"Work's done for the day, boys. Afternoon's free."
(工作结束了,小子们。下午自由日程。)
Price侧头看向你,明显也对接下来的农场之行提起了兴致,
"Pizza will stay hot on the way—of course, if our specialist allows us to tag along."
(披萨可以在路上趁热吃——当然,前提是我们的专家允许我们同行。)
众人就这么快速的达成了一致,期待的目光全投向了你。你张了张嘴,压力有点大,一时找不到拒绝的措辞。你苦笑着转头看向安娜想找点支援。安娜耸耸肩,无奈笑道,
"Don't look at me. I don't mind. Emm…ask the one waiting for rescue…?"
(别看我,我没有意见。要不……你问问等待救援那位?)
你长叹了口气,在汹涌的集体热情面前放弃了抵抗,
"...Fine. But our car won't fit that many."
(……行吧。不过我们的车坐不下这么多人。)
Soap笑着指着不远处停着的一辆深灰色越野,
"All under control. We'll follow you."
(尽在掌控。跟上你们就行。)
后视镜里,深灰色的越野车不远不近的跟在你们后面。你还有些混乱,怎么就在几分钟内整个局面就变成了六人集结一起去玛姬的农场给Keegan来一场‘惊喜救援’?
当目的地的木栅栏出现在视野里时,你再三考虑,还是决定先给Keegan打个预防针。
[Rescue squad is en route.]
【救援队在路上了。】
想了想,你还是又补上一条,
[I mean... the whole squad.]
【我意思是……整个队伍。】