I didn't want to sleep because of every other night. I told myself I wouldn't fall asleep. But I guess it was inevitable and before I knew it, I had drifted off and sleep dragged me under.

Sgt. Briggs and I were on a secret operation to take down the notorious Harvard Baker. He had raped, killed, and tortured to get what he wanted he wanted was sex and drugs and money. He was high on the criminal chain and nobody was able to get their hands on him.

We were the only ones and yet the whole operation went to hell.

Briggs raised a gloved fist in the air and then followed with an "eyes forward" motion. Setting my eyes out, I spotted two men in ski masks guarding Baker's mansion.

Briggs made a cutting motion with his left hand across his throat and and our silencers let out a quiet whisper as the two guards fell, one clutching his throat, and the other dead before he even hit the ground, his head's contents' on the wall. Briggs gave me a thumbs up.

We creeped toward the door, scanning for anymore guards, which we hadn't seen. The guard I had nailed in the throat was gurgling and I avoided eye contact with the dying man. I'd had enough nightmares and night-vision didn't make the guard's eyes look any better as he was dying.

Briggs motioned for a breach but I put a hand on his shoulder. When he looked I whispered, "This is a secret op. We can't just barge n there." Briggs was a newbie to secret ops and that meant I had to play the babysitter role. That was why I preferred to do secret ops on my own. I had never failed before. And I wasn't going to fail due to an amateur.

Briggs nodded that he understood. And despite my reluctance, we separated. I feared that Briggs would do something foolish and jeopardize the whole mission. I grappled up the wall into the window that led into a hallway while Briggs picked the lock and entered through the front door. We already made sure the cameras didn't work so that wasn't a problem.

I took out two guards and I met Briggs outside the bedroom that belonged to Baker. It all came down to this and I let out a shaky breath, trying to concentrate. The mask was making my beard itch with moisture from my breath.

I was told to lead the breach. And here I was...

One...

Two...

Three...

We blew the door and smoke filled my lungs. I breathed it in and entered the room.

"What the hell?,"  Briggs said. The room was empty. Baker knew we were coming somehow. But how?

And then an explosive blew us to hell.