I took a deep breath as I aimed at the man-shaped target. Gun powder hung in the air as the echo of my shots rang through the long room. My eight years in the Marines gave me great aim and training, but shooting was a great way for me to pass time. And let's be honest, I was a little out of practice. After my two terms in the Corps, I was assigned a spot in the C.I.A. I have been sent out on undercover missions a lot, but after the recent shooting in the Russian airport, the missions have stopped. I felt stir crazy, not being able to fight. I hated being useless.

As I reloaded my pistol, I began thinking about everything leading up to where I was now. How my friend Ashton Shepherd went intothe army right out of high school, and I to the Marines. We swore to always keep in touch, but now the letters have stopped coming and I feared the worst. Her father, General Shepherd, wasn't the kind of man that would be willing to let me know if something had happened to his daughter. We weren't on the best of terms and the thought of that man made me sick. I aimed again and shotmy last few rounds, and with my lack of concentration, I managed to miss my target on a couple of shots. I cursed myself for letting my mind wonder during training.

I glanced up at the clock and saw that I was going to miss lunch if I didn't leave soon. I sighed in defeat and set the gun on the table behind me and made my way to the door. As I walked out of the shooting range, a man bumped into me, nearly knocking me to the ground.

"Sorry." I said as I tried to side step him.

"Are you Special Agent Miller?" he asked as he grabbed my arm.

"Yes, why?" I asked as I glared and pulled my arm away from his tight grip.

"General Shepherd sent me to tell you to go meet with him. He wants to see you in the debriefing room a.s.a.p." the man said as he turned away. I felt as if someone doused me with ice water. I've talked to General Shepherd before, and I wasn't looking forward to another encounter. Of course he never really liked me, or his own daughter for that matter, so if he wanted to see me, it had to be important.

I changed direction and made my way to the briefing room. When I got there, General Shepherd was sitting at the long table, smoking a cigar with files in front of him. The sight of him filled me with dread. I knocked and he looked up.

"Special Agent Miller, come in. We have things to discuss and I want to get this shit over with. Shut the door." I did as I was told and stood in front of him on the other side of the table.

"Fuck formalities, I'm going to get straight to the point. I'm in need of extra hands, Miller. The Russians are pissed off over the shooting in the airport and they want blood. Now, I only settle for the best. I expect nothing but perfection. I've looked at your file and you seem to actually meet my standards. You were a combat engineer in the Marine Corps, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"That's good, I need that. As I said, I demand nothing but perfection. I have a task force that needs somebody with the skills that you can provide, are you willing to do this? It won't be easy."

"I'm ready. sir."

"Good to hear, Miller. Now, I'm sending you with a new agent who I believe could do some good as a medic. Her name is Ashton Shepherd. I'm sure you remember her, Miller. I've sent-"

"Ashton is coming?" I blurted out without thinking. A jolt of excitement ran through me.

Shepherd glared. "Did I stutter, Miller?"

"No, sir." I said as I clenched my teeth and cursed myself for making such a petty mistake.

"Good. I'd hate to repeat myself. Now, as I was saying, I've sent your files to Captain Mactavish and he liked what he saw, so you are officially being reassigned to Task Force 141. Your plane leaves in 0600 hours, understood?"

"Yes. sir."

"Good. You're dismissed."

I hoped you guys liked it! Reviews are encouraged and I am continuing my Naruto fic, I just have had a lot on my plate. Thanks for reading!