Chapter 449 - 456: One Word, Fight!
John Brown went straight back to the hotel, where the four close buddies immediately pestered him for details. He barely managed to fend them off before finally climbing into bed to rest.
All five of them were in a large suite at the moment, but no one was feeling particularly sleepy. Their bond as comrades had been forged through countless life-and-death situations. Back then, even the smallest ounce of selfishness could have thrown everyone into mortal danger. But they trusted each other enough to leave their backs exposed, knowing that even if a teammate couldn’t neutralize the threat, they would at least shield incoming bullets with their bodies.
This kind of relationship was truly a life-and-death camaraderie—trusting one another with their lives, not just typical drinking buddies or casual friends.
"Boss, after you left, Hawk Squad started having problems." Martin Miller puffed on his cigarette and suddenly sighed deeply.
"How could that happen?" John Brown furrowed his brow and said, "Hawk Squad comrades are closer than brothers. How could problems arise?"
Charles Robinson interjected, "If it were the old crew, there’d definitely be no issues. But after you left, Captain Hawk No. 1 brought in a few new guys. These punks clearly came for their own gain. Each one of them struts around with an attitude like they own the place. Whenever there’s a dangerous mission, they hang back, but as soon as there’s credit to take, they’re the first to charge ahead. Damn it, who are these little assholes anyway?"
"Just thinking about these idiots makes me furious. Damn it, if you were still here, Boss, you’d have kicked them out ages ago," David Bailey slammed his hand against the bed frame in frustration.
John Brown frowned again. Since the day he joined Hawk Squad, he’d always taken pride in it. The squad was hands-down the strongest special forces unit in SSUP Country, with every member wielding exceptional abilities. But more importantly, the squad’s brotherhood was unparalleled—if one member was in trouble, all the others would risk their lives to help. This tradition of unity was the hallmark of Hawk Squad.
Despite this, due to political considerations, the squad had a military-appointed leader responsible for assigning missions and managing personnel activities, namely Captain Hawk No. 1. The leader didn’t need stellar combat skills—organizational prowess and leadership sufficed.
John Brown, as Hawk Squad’s No. 2 figure, was the team’s true heart and soul. Within the squad, he was its strongest member and held unquestionable authority. Though officially he was just another soldier, within Hawk Squad, he was called the "Boss" by its members.
John Brown’s retirement had a lot to do with the new Captain Hawk No. 1. He couldn’t stand the man’s blatant bureaucratic style, which was a sharp departure from previous leaders. While former No. 1s weren’t combat maestros, they were all tough, iron-willed men who blended in seamlessly with the squad.