The Kill List pt. 1

Tears began rolling down the cheek of James Harper on his flight home from Afghanistan. His tears weren't for the innocent children becoming casualties of war or because of the long, exhausting years he spent in hell; they weren't triggered by the horrid screams of his victims replaying through his mind every night or from the memory of seeing his lifelong best friend decapitated two weeks earlier; they weren't tears of joy for receiving an honorable discharge after ten years as a highly decorated military sniper;

The tears falling from his face were for his wife, Laura, who was recently diagnosed with Stage IV Leukemia.

Before Laura, James never had much of a family. His deadbeat dad was practically nonexistent, and his mom died when he was three. After being separated from his two brothers, James grew up in a Texas group home and met his best friend, Tommy. Tommy was like a brother to James, and aside from Laura, the only real family he ever had. James and Laura were soulmates intertwined in fate, destined to meet and fall madly in love; they were perfect together. Unfortunately, life hadn't been kind to James Harper. As a child, he was bullied, beaten, and abused. At eighteen, he enlisted to become a Navy Seal and served ten years in a belligerent warzone. When he was finally given a chance at peace and happiness, death took his best friend, and sickness consumed his lover.

...

Finally arriving home, James hurried to the hospital. His wife was in critical condition. Sitting beside him in the waiting room was a shady man.

"What if I told you we could cure your wife's cancer?"

"What?"

"My organization can do the impossible, but it comes at a price."

"I'm Listening..."

"Eliminate our targets; we heal Laura."