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"Sir, Sir can you hear me?" My vision faded back in, i head the voice of Blane, my second in command. I sat up, a wave of searing pain comming with me. Disoriented I reached for something to support me, instead i found an IV stand and a heart monitor. "Wh-where am i?" I managed to studder. "You took a hit to the head, just relax sir." Replied a nurse that walked in, going to check on my vitals. Turning to look at Blane I asked "Where's the rest of the squad?" He looked away as he said "Sir, they didn't make it, There were too many of them and too few of us." I couldn't believe what i was hearing, the squad I had served with for over a decade, gone and I was lying in a hospital bed like a weakling. So much had gone wrong leading up to the mission I should've known something was going to happen. "The target got away sir." Said Blane after a short pause. "To Hell with the target Blane, My squad is dead!" I couldn't keep from shouting even though my head throbbed with every syllable. Blane seemed to be fidgeting as he said, "Nick, you know how dangerous those people can be, we can't just ignore them." Before I could reply with a "The Hell we can't." The door opened again and General Franklin walked in, his bulging belly devouring his belt as he said "Ah, well look who decided to come to." "Yea, nice to see you General." I said with as much sarcasm as I could manage. "You've been out for four days now Nick, four days you've made me wait."
"Wait? Wait for what?"
"You're fired Nick."
"What?!?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
I'd been in the bounty service for seventeen years, and just like that. "You can't mean that General." Said Blane "He's the best squad commander there's ever been!" "Appearently he's not good enough to take care of a Mexican drug lord, and if you tell me I can't find a better commander than him, well then you're fired to." The General's lack of emotion drove me insane. "Don't worry the hospital bill will be covered by your last check. Then you're on your own."
"How can you do this Franklin?" I asked at him with pleading eyes.
"How? HOW!? I'll tell you how! You lost me a lead on the biggest drug lord in Mexico, not to mention getting seven squadmembers killed in the process! You're a discrace Nick, that's all."
"Very well General, I quit then." Said Blane, bringing himself back into the conversation. "After all I had a part in the decisions as well."
"Fine, have it your way, I've got plenty of other marine rejects that can do missions right." Then he simply turned and exited the way he came. "That son of a Bitch! What does he think he's doing? Firing the best squad leader ever." Blane was shaking, fists at his sides.

Some would call Blane scarry but that's just appearance. He's about seven foot five, has more muscle than a JV football team, and an eyepatch over his left eye. The complete opposite of his personality. He's a little too softhearted, protective and too logically thinking for me. "I'm flattered Blane but I'm not the best and we both know that." I couldn't help smiling a little at Blane's reaction. "Yea, but what are our options now that whe have no job, no house, and no ride?" "We've been dependent on the government for too long Blane, we've got to learn to hold our own again, like the old days." Blane sighed, I'm sure he remembered all too well the old days. We lived on the street eating any scraps we could get. It was a nice advantage to have Blane with me. His size kept the gangs away, even then he was huge, and he was always able to find a little work to help bring in a little more food (I sometimes wondered how he kept his size with the pittance of food we had, even now it's a mystery). Until one day he found us a job with the government leading to seventeen years of hunting down the bad guys, and now this. "Umm...I-If you need some work I might know someone who could help." Startled I looked at the nurse, I had completely forgotten she'd been in the room. Then she adad nervously, "It's good pay if you want it, although I'm not sure what it involves exactly." "Sure, umm thanks." Little did I know that this "work" would completely change my life and Blane's forever.