Texas.

Wade was lying on the street in front of the town hall, a scrapped car in front of him, and beside him were his bleeding companions who had been hit by bullets.

The gunshots continued to ring, and he nervously looked around to make sure that he had not attracted the attention of the guards before carefully moving his body and dragging his companion back behind the cover of the car.

His companion was in terrible condition, he was shot in the thigh, and the bullet twisted, rolled and tore his muscles, and shattered his leg bones.

The wounds were like couches torn by dog's teeth, and blood was not flowing, but spurting.

Wade tried to find the ruptured large artery, but unfortunately, because the fractured area was too large, the artery had already retracted into the muscle, and he had even inserted his hand directly into the gap between the bone and muscle, but still did not find the deadly vessel.

His companion's breath was getting weaker and weaker, and he didn't care too much, so he pulled the dagger from his leg and slashed through the entire muscle in his companion's leg.

Then, with his bare hands, he picked up the broken bones, found the blood vessel, and pinched it with his hands.

The bleeding stopped immediately, but. How long can the companion last?

There is a lack of first-aid equipment, not even the most basic cable ties, and it won't be long before this friend, who was once very familiar, will die in front of him.

Wade had a sad look on his face, and he sat up carefully and looked up at the door of the town hall.

There, the fighting continued, with a few familiar figures lying on the steps and hiding behind the sculptures, occasionally looking for an opportunity to return fire on the guards who were entrenched at the entrance to the town hall.

However, their firepower is too weak.

The 5.56mm bullet was completely unable to knock down the guards in heavy body armor, and the situation became increasingly unfavorable as the opponent advanced.

At the same time, the roar of helicopters was already heard in his ears, and it was clear that the first rapid reaction force was about to arrive.

There is no doubt that this offensive failed.

They wanted to make a quick break, to take advantage of the guards' surprise to storm the town hall, and to leave their mark there.

They weren't really trying to occupy the town hall-—— it didn't make sense, they just wanted to get in.

But now, even this small goal has become a luxury.

Wade's hands began to tremble, he was too tired, and although the fight that lasted for nearly 20 minutes was not very high-intensity, the mental pressure he was under was too great.

He looked at his companion who had fallen to the ground, the pulse he felt in his fingertips getting weaker and weaker, and the sound of his companion's rapid breathing had completely disappeared.

There's really no help, there's no need to struggle anymore.

Wade let go of his hand and sat down on the ground.

At this moment, he had a moment of emptiness.

Countless images flashed through his mind, and finally froze on the scene two months ago.

It was an early evening, he remembered, and he was wiping his gun in front of his house, planning his first hunt after the winter.

And the man, so suddenly, appeared in front of his eyes and asked him a question.

"Do you want to make some money?"

Yes, the initial communication between myself and him was actually limited to "trading".

The establishment of this underground mercenary group is a transaction, the covert extermination of the gangs is a transaction, the receipt of arms that I don't know where it comes from is a transaction, the long-term special training is a transaction, and the attack on the city hall is also a transaction.

At that time, I didn't know what the man's purpose was, I only knew that he gave a lot of money, and the tasks he gave were clear enough.

What more could he ask for from a veteran who had been tortured by real PDST, who had no other ability to earn a living, and who had even been abandoned by the military and society as a whole?

In two months, he earned money that he probably would never have earned in his lifetime.

And, in the process of making money, he also experienced a long-lost sense of identity and pride.

That man is indeed a good manipulator of people's hearts, he can always dispel all his concerns with a few words of understatement, and even give a sublime meaning to those actions that seem unreasonable and not very legal.

"It's useless to wait passively, you need to fight actively, you need to work hard for your own future, for the future of your family."

"Of course, what you're doing isn't legal, but so what?"

"A lynching, a vigilante, a night watchman, that's what the people call you."

"They don't think you're outlaws, they're the gangsters who have been exterminated."

"You've done what real cops don't do, haven't you?"

"I think that alone is enough for you to earn everyone's respect."

At that time, he believed his words very much - in fact, even now, he felt that the other party was not lying.

In a short period of time, his squad did become a symbolic symbol of sorts, and even walking down the street, he could hear the people discussing their conversations.

They call their squad the "Bat League", saying that the squad is like a group of Batmans who go around doing chivalrous deeds.

The high praise made him fluttering, so when the man offered to escalate the operation further and give the state government some real shock, he almost didn't hesitate to say yes.

Even before the action began, he felt that he represented justice.

——

No, until now, he still feels that he represents justice.

I did fail, but it was only because I was betrayed.

Someone must have leaked the plan of action to the state government, otherwise they would not have been able to arrange so many guards in heavy body armor, and they would not have been able to organize a ferocious counterattack at the very beginning of the operation, so that all their experienced fighters would be blocked at the door.

But who is it?

Is it the man?

Unlikely, he has already invested so much money that it is impossible to ruin the situation he has worked so hard to manage.

That's the inner ghost.

Wade sighed and re-grasped the HK416 in his hand.

He poked his head out of the back of the car and fired a short shot at the advancing guards, but all the bullets were deflected off by the heavy blast shields in front of them, causing no damage.

And as they advanced, the teammates who were pinned down behind cover fell one by one, and the situation had irretrievably fallen into the abyss.

Wade despaired, and this was the end of his life.

He took one last look at his friend, who had fallen at his feet, and then stepped out of cover without hesitation.

He strafed with his gun, and the bullet completely lost its sight.

There was a "click" sound, and the magazine was empty.

Well, that's it.

Wade spread his hands, ready to meet his fate.

However, at this moment, a black SUV rushed towards him and braked sharply in front of him.

The car door opened, and a familiar face appeared in front of him.

It's the man.

"Get in the car! We were sold! ”

"Withdraw first! There will be a chance in the future! ”

At the same time, Germany, in a private house.

Thompson sat at the table, a shriveled toast with a few slices of defrosted lettuce and a thin slice of ham lying in front of him.

Pick up the cup next to it and drink the water in one gulp.

It was only after feeling the hunger and thirst of the day's work be suppressed a little that he finally picked up the bread on his plate and stuffed it into his stomach with a big gulp.

The aroma of grains and proteins made up for his empty taste buds, and he didn't waste even the mayonnaise that was left on the plate, but smeared it with the last leaves and stuffed it into his mouth.

The wife came out of the room where the children were sleeping, and saw this poignant scene, her eyes were full of sorrow, but she walked over to Thompson and comforted him in a gentle voice:

"Honey, you don't have to be so frugal."

"We still have savings, and the mortgage has been paid off, so even with the rest of our savings, we can hold on for at least a year."

"You don't have to leave food for your children like our grandparents, it's really not that bad."

Hearing his wife's words, Thompson couldn't help but smile.

Then he touched his wife's hair and replied:

"It's not a question of whether the situation is bad or not, it's just a survival experience learned from the older generation."

"You see, now that I have lost my job in the coal mine, we will not be able to get a stable income for a long time to come."

"Of course, your income is quite good, but I have to say that a position of a gas station employee does not know how long it will last."

"Add to that the fact that prices have been rising and massive inflation is just around the corner. We had to save money and prepare for life later in life. ”

"Is it really that bad?"

His wife pulled up a chair and sat across from Thompson.

Like Thompson, she does feel that the economy of the country, and even the whole of Europe, is in trouble.

The latest scientific research results and the latest large-scale project progress are reported on the news every day, as if people have entered the future in advance and are about to enter a heavenly era.

But on the other hand, ordinary people like her have not felt the slightest dividend of the times.

On the contrary, the clouds of economic disruption have come upon both husband and wife, as both husband and wife are unlucky to work in industries that are on the verge of becoming obsolete.

——

But even then, she doesn't think it's the so-called "end times."

Industrial upgrading is going to be done soon, isn't it?

At that time, everyone will have plenty of jobs, good wages, and the life they want, right?

As a miner, her husband can devote himself to a new round of infrastructure industry, and although he is just an ordinary salesman at a gas station, even if the gas station is replaced by a power supply station, the salesman's position will not be canceled, right?

Otherwise, who will collect the money?

She has always been optimistic, and in a sense, it is a woman's nature.

As a result, it was difficult for her to understand her husband's behavior, which seemed a little too neurotic.

Hoarding supplies, saving food, exchanging most of the cash for tools of great practical value, and gold as a store of value.

It's as if he's really preparing for the end of the world.

Looking at his wife's innocent expression, Thompson couldn't help but sigh.

"News is the least trustworthy thing – on TV, the whole world is thriving."

"But in fact, there is probably only one country that fits the picture of the future they paint, and that is China."

"They are the creators of technology, they are the distributors of benefits, and there is no doubt that they will never put their people in the same situation as us."

"But we're different, all we get is leftovers. Well, maybe the capital is not distributed to the leftovers, but to us. ”

"Wait and see, the situation will get worse, and our government is completely not playing the role they should be playing."

"They're so stupid, so stupid I don't even know how to scold them"

The wife on the other side didn't speak, she didn't actually agree with her husband's judgment, but she also knew very well that as a man, he always had more to carry than himself.

So, instead of questioning him and blaming him, it is better to stand firmly by his side and get through the difficulties with him.

If he thinks it's really that bad, then do what he thinks.

Anyway, it doesn't hurt to stock up on more supplies.

The price of food is indeed rising, it's obvious.

So, she spoke:

"Why don't we go out for a walk now?"

"By the way, we can go buy some more flour and powdered milk."

"Milk is not easy to store, but milk powder is still fine."

Thompson's eyes flashed with a gleam, he looked at his wife, smiled and said:

"Okay—maybe we can go to the florist again."

"Life is hard, but a bouquet of flowers for you is not extravagant."

The two men clasped hands tightly together, and then, after making sure that the children were doing their own thing, they walked out of the apartment hand in hand.

The streets were not deserted, and there were still people coming and going, and the busy scene even gave Thompson the illusion that he had misjudged.

But soon, when he saw the sparse supermarket food shelves, both he and his wife felt like they had been poured cold water on their heads.

The situation has really deteriorated.

This has never happened before.

The wife looked at Thompson and asked in a slightly anxious voice:

"What are we going to do?"

"Do as you say."

Thompson replied calmly.

"Buy flour and milk powder first, and then we'll go buy flowers."

"Maybe we don't have to buy flowers, we need to stock up on more food"

"It's okay."

Thompson patted his wife's hand as a sign of comfort, and then they quickly ran out of needed items and walked to the florist with large bags of things.

Thompson picked a bouquet of roses, pulled out his wallet, and counted enough bills from it.

——

But just then, just as he was about to hand the rose to the shopkeeper, a loud noise suddenly sounded not far from the street behind him.

"Bang!"

It was the sound of glass breaking.

"Run!"

Thompson took his wife's hand, and the rose was dropped to the ground.

Soon, this bouquet of roses was trampled into a muddy mud by the people who fled in a panic.

(End of chapter)