Out Of Darkness

Chapter Two

Aleksei

“I never expected you to actually settle down, man" my stepbrother and best friend Sasha Gilinsky said to me.

It amazed me as well. I suppose the time has indeed came. I felt exhausted. Struggling with relentless restlessness for too long, I needed stability. Now, I had a place to call home for real. Spending years in the special forces and traveling worldwide took a heavy toll on me.

As the sons of a former President of Russian and a former Marshal of the Russian Federation, Shasha and I became accustomed to military life during our early years. After our fathers advanced to Russia’s highest military position, he then went on to serve as President. Following his presidential run, our parents moved us to the USA since we already had American citizenship, where I enlisted in the US military when I became of age. Shasha briefly served, but got tired of military life. After much debate, he ultimately retired. It's was the best decision for him and as long as he's happy, so am I.

"Honestly, I can't wrap my head around it either."

Three days ago, I settled in Vanya Port after a prolonged six-month visit to our parents in Cape Verdi. Where they currently reside.

The Great Recession significantly impacted nearly every city and town in the USA. Vanya Port, The Rocklands then; declared bankruptcy. The town confronted a significant $450 million budgetary gap. The City Council began exploring options for bankruptcy at that particular moment, as reported by SFGate. A large public service payroll heavily depleted the finances. They designated a total of $212 million for the police department, apportioned $103 million for fire safety services, and earmarked $41 million for servicing debt. Lets not forget the health care also. Following those expenditures, The Rocklands remained with about $60 million to handle any additional costs. finances. While the country emerged from the recession, the Rocklands continued to face hardship. The town axed numerous jobs, equivalent to 16 percent of the labor force. Add on that the towns already had a high cost of living. The schools were also facing major financial shortfall due to overspending, which had upset many because The Rocklands, Unified School District had $37 million deficit.

Shasha and I, motivated by the search for lucrative deals, meticulously evaluated Vanya Port and recognized its significant promise. Together we sat down, reviewed the data, and bought up the whole town. We eliminated all financial obligations, renovated much of the town, and officially renamed it Vanya Port. Despite being aware of the risks, we decided to proceed, leading to a successful outcome.

My position in the military forced me to keep a low profile as a silent and anonymous partner. Nevertheless, this will soon undergo a change.

"So, what's your next move?  Sit home and do nothing? Somehow I can’t picture you doing that" He said in between bites

"Don't forget, I've got other obligations also. So I'm going to be packed with things to do." I said taking a sip of my coffee

“Being special forces is hell on earth now. It's amazing that you could stay for as long as you did."

“I used to get satisfaction taking out the trash”

He had the correct perception. Special forces endure the most rigorous training of any military unit. The intense training pushed us to our breaking point and alot of left us traumatized. They reconstructed and crafted us into a flawless soldiers. We undertook missions lasting up to nine months, often altering our personalities, physical traits such as beards and hair, and even the way we behaved and dressed. Post-mission, we needed to re-establish our own identities. My days were filled with constant shifts and chaos. Surviving in this world meant we had to frequently adapt.