Chapter 1

It had been almost a failure by my standards, complete, by the terms of the contract though.

I was not very cold but my body was dripping every once of water I could drink. I had made it back to the US, through customs, with no baggage and now could barely stand let alone walk any further. I sat in one of the many small plastic covered sheets and closed my eyes. From previous experience I thought if I could just make it to a taxi, get home John would let me in and get me up to my apartment. Right, if, a betting man those were a set of odds I would not bet on. Bloods had soaked through an inch of gauze tape and bandages. It was only through the front of my shoulder but felt like the knife wound was ridding a freight train through my body. I closed my eyes and began such a wonderful dream that I did not want it to ever end.

I found myself being pushed and shoved. Not very pleasant when your trying to sleep. Then I heard her voice. "Are you Okay?"

'Damn!' I thought, 'they got me!' Then the voice sounded again.

"Should I get help or call anyone?"

I opened my eyes and saw the source of the voice. She had been another 'Business Class' passenger on the Lufthansa flight from Frankfort. Under normal circumstances I would have struck up a conversation or two with her. It was hard to even guess at her race. She was dark skinned, a dark olive more Asian than Arab or Greek. Her hair was long, black and glistened as though she had just exited some runway. It was her eyes though. They were a colour that one could not describe. They kept changing from green, to grey and a shade more like that of a cat's. She was short and if she even was 100 pounds it would be a surprise. We really must have looked the pair.

Here this 200 pound, 6' 3'' Anglo and some midget Cherub was holding up his head. The pain started now. I mumbled out, "Taxi, Cab, Home!"

She nodded and lifted me up as if I weighed no more than a sack of groceries from a market. One step at a time, one foot in front of another; push, push, push Marine!"

'Whoa!' Did I know her? As far as I could remember I had never told anyone, let alone her I used to, had been in the Marines. That was not a pleasant memory. Orders were not something I was used to taking and it was not in the cards for a loner like me to think 'Team' when lead started flying. They had given me a fair shot, several in fact before sending me on my way with less than a satisfactory recommendation.

She answered my question before I had a chance to ask it. "I've seen enough of you to know the only safe time around you for a girl is when your dying or dead on your feet. I think your pretty close to one of those REMF!"

No response from me. "Umpf, not too sensitive about that are we Yank?"

Her smile was like magic. "No Ma'am, long time ago!" as I put one foot in front of another. She stopped a cart and we speed to the exit. I rested my head on her chest, a mighty soft chest and started dreaming again.

We got a cab. I remember her fumbling through my pants pockets. Oh Hell I thought. Not another whore. I knew she would probably find some money, a lot of it, but not much else.

When I woke up, I was flat on my back, pillows propping up my head and she was cleaning out my wound.

"A bit of a tussle, Love?"

I had to laugh. "A bit but you should have seen the other guy? By the way, who are you and where are we?"

"We dear boy, are in a prime suite at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, thanks to a pocketful of cash you had tucked around. My name is Josephine and you have no identification or address on you."

"Chance." I moaned as she went a might deep.

"Yes, You were very lucky you and I met. I have always it seems, met the wrong kind of man, and you Sir do not give me the impression that this was the first time you have been hurt."

"No Joey, my name is Chance!"

"Phone!" I said!

She quickly slapped a wireless into my outstretched hand. I dialed a number, after a series of clicks, rings then redialing an answering voice could be heard.

"It's Chance, I need Doc. Right now I'm at this number, 202.555.1234, room(604 she mouthed) room 604, My guardian Angel here is torturing me and tell Doc to bring his bag of tricks. Ouch!" I yelled out as blood started to flow more freely from the wound.

"Here, drink these all down." Several tall glasses were lined up on the table.

The first tasted like warm salt water. After a grimace I drank it then sat it back down.

"Salt water, Stud, closest I could make to a Saline IV. Try number two."

Number two was about the same as the first one but sweeter."

"Sugar, Sugar, just drink it all down."

"I'll float way with all this doctor!"

Just then the door swung open. I knew who it was. "C'mon in Viv, I won't shoot you, this time!"

A tall blond slowly entered. From the wet head and coat partially closed around her waist it indicated her being here was not planned, 'Doc' had called her. The 'Glock 40' in her hand also was a hint she was no fool. She saw me, the bleeding wound and started shouting orders.

Get him on the floor, get water, salt, sugar and get his clothes off. I'll get a blanket.

Joey just raised her eyebrows, pointed to the two covers on the couch and handed me the another glass. Now this was my kind of a drink. Orange juice laced with Grand Marnier.

"I hope you don't get too excited Stud, I'm just following orders now." as she undid my belt and stated pulling down my pants. Vivian came back into the room and started to giggle.

"Hell chance, there are easier ways to get a girl than bleeding all over them. Honey, I hope you aren't to disappointed with him?"

"Well, it's not a Christmas present that I can't exchange, is it?"

"Chance, I like your new sidekick! You working or sleeping together, or both?"

Now Joey started to blush.

"Viv, let me introduce Natasha Romanov, my new No 2 agent, Miss Moneypenny retired."

I felt the blankets cover me, then all went black.

I woke up to a actual chewing out. "Why the Hell did you even bother to call me. Between these two I'll be out of a job if they decide to patch up everybody. I gave you some meds and an IV but, your personal medico's seem to have everything in hand, well almost everything. You lost a lot of blood dear boy and as usual I don't know or want to know any details. I called in and the message was, 'Thanks again!' I will assume they are happy with the results? You need to rest, take holiday or just consider the possibilities with these two lovely caregivers. I think one may be willing to try again!"

I looked up and saw the two sitting next to each other, staring like they were stalking some wounded prey.

"I'm not dead yet you two! Vultures!" Then softly. "Thanks!"

I guess the smiles on their faces was response enough.

"Vivian could you call John to send a car and some guys to get me home. I really want to thank you both later when I'm half alive!"

"I'll take you home, you two timing rat bastard!"

"Why Vivian, I didn't know you still cared? If I remember I was the one who came home to find you otherwise indisposed."

I got a grin from her and a blank look on Joey's face.

"My ex wife!" I said.

They looked at each other, Vivian now raised an eyebrow and smiling said, "long story!"

I put my head back down and fell asleep.

When I woke, the air now filled my lungs with the smell of seafood. Room service had brought up shrimp. lobster and sea bass all steamed or poached and arranged on the floor next to me. Two nymphs were now taking turns placing small morsels in my mouth. I did notice their hair colours were both natural.

"In order to hurry your recovery we decided to stay here a bit longer. We had no clothes so, we did the best we could for bed. We hope you don't mind. Oh, your cash on hand went down too, for extending this lovely room and the shopping your playmate and I will be doing tomorrow."

Right then I could care less. The food was exquisite and so were my servers. Joey and Vivian got me back home, eventually.

The next morning, with a smile on their faces and breakfast set out on the floor besides me, they left to go shopping. The two fingers, holding their noses gave me an indication that I needed to shave and shower, not to mention a few more personal things. I prioritized and tore into the food like a starving animal.

I thought again why Vivian and I had divorced. No real answer was forthcoming except her cheating on me ... Vivian and I had seemed to always be together. Marriage ended up to be almost the same. Joining up with the Marines separated us for the first time. That separation was filled in by someone else for her. Both of us just forgot about the other. On one surprise trip home I met my replacement. Viv acted more like a cat in heat with him, as I watched her slithering all over him.

I quietly closed the bedroom door. On the kitchen table I left something for her. My ring and a note bearing the words, 'Forever ended I guess?'

That was a while ago. A few things had changed since then. One biggie was that my replacement stuck around. I can't say we became friends but I ended up being invited to their wedding. Sorry but I did not go, sent a nice gift and live in the other penthouse in the building they owned. She got that in her divorce a year later. Funny maybe.

About a year after the divorce, we started talking to each other. When I came back one day, there was nobody else to call. Vivian took care of me. Arranged for me to get the Penthouse in her building and for John to see to it when I was away.

Being away was one reason for the split but not the main one. Over time we both found that one thing that we had lost, was trust, it never would sneak its way back in. Soon we were friends at least. Not lovers, that was far beyond either of us to forget. We began to understand how it happened though.

Joey had to leave and soon Vivian left too. John said he would check in each day and get me food and meds just to call him if I could not wait.

My life had re-started when I met Doc. Nope it was not on a professional basis. After the USMC kicked me to the curb, rightly so, I discovered the wonderful world of Online Gaming. That's where I met Doc, or 'Doctor Death' as he was known in the game.

I thought of myself as a super slick rogue. I had just reached level 40, could now fly and had just enough gold to buy new weapons, man I was bad. I went marked for death and I now knew why people had all told me I was no way high enough. The nice thing about constantly dying in a game is it does not hurt. After 8 or 9 times my opponents, all 5 of them, were able to ensure that within 3 or 4 seconds of reviving I was dead again. That changed when 'Doc' jumped in.

He stood over my corpse. I healed up and stayed at his back. He was a level 60, with plate armour and weapons that were unique, legendary grade. It was not just that, he played the game as though it was real life. Those opponents all soon lay at his feet. When they returned to life. He pointed them away and whispered to me to hearth home. He would see me there.

That began a relationship that would change my life. He had a group in the game, they were called 'The Hounds From Hell'. There was something about them that brought out respect and fear from every other group that saw them. Even friendly forces seemed to shy away and left them alone, rare in a game where so many were subjected to vile comments and ridicule by various cretins.

I would eventually learn that they were a lot scarier in real life than they ever could be in a game. Not only was my avatar invited to join them, but later in real life they became not only my lifeline to sanity but my reason for being.