Book Strong WIP book, no title yet

IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!
This is a strong work in progress book that showcases my experimentation with multiple styles of writing, It has barely been checked over for grammar/spelling errors so be mindful. Chapter 10 and 11 are my favorites and will probably be what the rest of the book is styled toward. I currently intend to re-do the entire first 9 chapters.

THIS IS OVER 12,000 WORDS, GOOD LUCK IF YOU READ IT ALL
Chapter One: The Encounter


In a world where police are almost extinct, one man named Stan roams the world. In his travels he came upon a place called Great View. This was an interesting place filled with colorful houses and many people. What Stan didn't know is that this town was overrun by a cult called Traitors. This cult had ordered a massive amount of weapons which were dropped off in a field by the street and on the sidewalk in front of a house. Stan along with the other townspeople must participate in a survival game to kill all the members of the Traitors cult.


Stan had just arrived in Great View around mid-afternoon. He first noticed people standing everywhere carrying guns with them and was shocked. Confused, Stan shouted to the nearest person, "What's going on around here"? One man named Thomas walked up and explained the situation to him. "These weapons just appeared this morning and there are rumors of a cult living here. We all decided everyone should be armed to defend ourselves in case the cult is real and has an evil plot". Stan was stunned by what Thomas told him and decided he would stay for the mystery and thrill. He then moved away and found himself an AK-47 on the ground and picked it up. As he picked it off the ground a gunshot was heard. It was so loud and echoed in his hears. Thomas ran up to Stan and shouted "Hey man are you alright?". Stan responded "Yeah I'm ok but what was that. Thomas replied, "that was the sound of an AWP(Arctic Warfare Police Rifle). We should go take cover inside and see what happens next". The two ran into the nearest house and went up stairs. Upon opening the door to the upstairs room they were confronted by another man named Koga. After talking for a few minutes Stan and Thomas learned from Koga that the cult was known as Traitors and that they had a tattoo of a red T on them. They also learned Koga was part of a detective organization sent to the town. Not long after their conversation the three began making plans of what to do. Koga suggested they stay in the house and use the windows to see outside. Thomas added that the windows for all the houses were special and could not be seen through from the outside. Stan was told to go down stairs and guard the front door. While walking out of the room, Koga whipped out a strange device that shocked Stan. "WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" he said. Stan was very mad but noticed Koga smiling and looking at the device which had a green glow.


After realizing his companion’s confusion, Koga quickly explained the device determines if you have evil intentions. He also mentioned the device is extremely expensive and can only be used once. Thomas finally speaking said, “Let’s get back to the plan we don’t have much time”. Stan thought to himself that they had plenty of time but continued down the stairs to watch the front door and windows. What felt like an eternity 5 minutes passed with gunshots ringing through the air the entire time. At one moment Stan saw movement outside and the next gun shots blasted the windows up stairs. Stan reacted quickly and shot the person he saw outside. the first shot missed and he almost dropped the AK-47 but he held on tighter and fired another two shots also missing. The fourth shot hit the target in the head and the body hit the ground. His heart rate was rapidly increasing as Stan realized what just happened.


“Wake up dude, we have a problem”. Stan awoke suddenly to the sound of Thomas’s voice. and stood up. “Come with me upstairs I have to show you something”. Stan still disoriented, followed Thomas up the stairs and into the main room. What he saw made him want to throw up everything he had ate earlier in the day. Koga’s body lay on the ground with bullet holes throughout his chest. “What happened to him” said Stan. Thomas replied, “I think you should already know, but someone outside opened fire and took out Koga. I was too scared and hid behind the bed and waited until the shots stopped. I went downstairs to see you laying on the ground unhurt and a body out in the street”. Stan found it hard to believe but accepted it anyway. The two then agreed on going outside to quickly drag the unknown body inside for inspection. After opening the front door Thomas sprinted to the body and dragged it by its arms into the house. He then ripped it’s shirt off and to both of their surprise a large red T was printed on the body’s chest. Stan noticed a bulge in one of the pants pockets and pulled out a wallet. Inside he found a driver’s license with the name Jason on it.


Little did the two newfound companions know, Jason wasn't actually dead. In fact, Jason wasn't even in Great View. "What's the status on the plan we set in motion?". "The plan is still unfolding right now and we have only one casualty so far". "That is to be expected, continue the operation".


Thomas and Stan decided to search the neighboring home and leave the bodies behind. Stan asked, "Maybe they all died since there aren't anymore gunshots?". "I don't think that we are that lucky" said Thomas. All of a sudden a door burst open and a man came running out. "Thank god I finally found you!". "Who are you asked Stan". "My name is SJ and I got a message from Koga that I can trust you". Thomas replied, "I'm sorry to tell you that Koga has passed". "That's very sad to hear but right now we need to make a plan and search for other people. By the way who are you If I may ask?". "My names Thomas and I've been with Stan since this started.". Thomas quickly came up with a plan and the others agreed to it. Stan and SJ would go search around the corner of the street while Thomas would search the opposite corner. The three quickly separated and went off to their own business.


Thomas went on to the other corner where he saw three other people immediately. He decided this was the perfect opportunity and ran up to them. He seemed to recognize one of the other three people. One person looked directly at Thomas, nodded their head, and...


Gunshots were once again heard ringing through the air. Both SJ and Stan dove to ground. After the shooting stopped they jumped up and ran back to check on Thomas. After returning to where they met the two took some time to catch their breath. Stan spoke up, "We should approach cautiously and be ready for anything". "Agreed." said SJ. They both slowly walked to where Thomas had gone before. After turning the corner they found Thomas and another man standing near two bodies. The man was standing behind Thomas from SJs perspective. Thomas immediately announced one of the bodies was a traitor. This seemed suspicious to Stan but he didn't want to doubt a friend. The moment Stan was going to ask who the other man was or what happened, the man shouted "DUCK". Not realizing what was about to happen, Thomas was caught off guard. Gun shots rang loudly and bullets flew threw the air. Thomas was caught in the crossfire between the man, Stan, and SJ. Stan as usual missed his first shots and later caught the man in the leg while SJ got the man in the chest and arms. Sadly, Thomas fell to the ground, brutality killed by the attacking man.


"What's the status on the plan we set in motion?". "The plan is still unfolding right now and we have only one casualty so far". "That is to be expected, continue the operation".


Previously that week, "Comrades! Soon we will destroy the world as we know it and leave only fear and hopelessness. The Detective agency will crumble under our crimes. We have ordered a mass shipment of weapons to Great View to start operation *******. In three days time the operation will begin. All citizens and tourists must be killed. Take top priority in taking out members of the Detective agency. They have no doubt begun unraveling our plans but this time we are ahead."


Three days later operatives were in place at different homes and the weapons shipments were due in a few hours. "Should we blockade the town so no one can enter or leave?" said Magik. "NO!, let people enter and leave, it will help bring the end to the Detective agency and spread terror amongst the people". "Which operatives are we using today?" asked TwoStepsFromPrison. "We will be sending ******, ****, and Neverme.” replied Magik. Roughly an hour after their meeting the weapons shipments were dropped off and the trucks drove off. "Let operation ******* commence in 3, 2, 1, ..."


****** woke up early in the morning. He knew that today was a very important day. He could finally earn a better standing in the Traitors. ****** received a message of successful delivery moments later. He decided to let others discover his toys first. After a few hours, he went outside and picked up an AK-47. While waiting for something to happen he noticed a stranger walking towards him. This man must have been from out of town and would be the perfect target. ****** walked toward the man and...


A whole new rage consumed Stan and he ran up to the still breathing man. He looked down and fired the rest of his clip into the man's body. Nothing was left of his chest but an ID was found with the name John. SJ checked the corpse of Thomas to spare Stan any more pain. "YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE THIS" screamed SJ. Stan dashed over only to see SJ holding Thomas's shirt up revealing a large red T tattooed across his chest. Stan was at a loss for words and shortly after blacked out. SJ dragged Stan to a nearby house and stayed until Stan woke up. A whole new meaning to living was created in that moment. Stan had decided he would seek revenge on the people who converted Thomas to a traitor. SJ pondered over whether not Thomas or Jason killed Koga but did not want to offend Stan.


The two set out from the house on a mission to Bayside City. Bayside City is the home to the Detective Agency and also the next target of the Traitors. The chief detective Elwood paces back and forth in a hallway. He had already been given warnings about the Traitors coming to destroy their new top of the line interrogation chamber. He didn't however, know the status of the agents he sent out to monitor Traitor operatives.


When the two arrived in Bayside City they were immediately surrounded by armored soldiers. "We are friends of Koga! Can you help us?" asked Stan. The soldiers ignored him and moved closer. "Stay back or we will shoot" screamed SJ. One guard spoke up and said "we are placing you under our custody, drop your weapons and do not resist". "Koga used some expensive device on me and said I wasn't suspicious. He died later in a shootout, but we came here looking for answers" replied Stan. The soldiers lowered their guns and in turn Stan and SJ put theirs on the ground. They were then handcuffed and taken away underground. Once inside, they were guided down some stairs, turned right, turned left into a room, and then pushed into separate glass chambers. Their captives then left the room. What felt like an eternity inside the glass enclosure would soon be over.


"Two people just arrived from the direction of Great View". "Arrest them and bring them down for testing" said Elwood. "Then we will question them and decide what to do after that". The detectives watched as their soldiers moved two men into the testing chambers and waited for them to leave. After the men were inside locked rooms and the soldiers were out, Elwood pressed a button and waited. Elwood and his companion walked out of the room to return after 30 minutes. Upon their arrival they were pleased to see two green lights on the main screen. They then ordered soldiers to escort their guests to an interrogation room on the left outside of the testing chamber. Elwood then asked his companion to remain in the main room and watch via camera. He then walked out and headed to the interrogation room.


Stan and SJ were both disoriented from what had just happened. Both felt like the light around them was too bright and had no idea where they were. "Do you know what is going on?" whispered Stan. "Quiet" yelled a guard. The doors opened and a man walked in. "You don't have to be quiet anymore, my name is Elwood and I run this agency. SJ hesitantly asked "What did you do to us"? Elwood replied, "Just a more advanced testing then what Koga used. Now I want you two to explain exactly what happened in Great View". The three conversed for about an hour with Stan explaining how everything started for him and SJ explaining how he met up with Stan. The hardest part for Elwood, which he had already expected, was the confirmation of Koga's brutal death. "I want your help in hunting down the people responsible even if that is too selfish to ask" said Stan. Before Elwood could reply, an alarm sounded and the lights went off. Shortly later red emergency lights popped on and gunshots could be heard in the distance. Elwood motioned to his guards and they exited the room quickly securing the hallway.


“The plan failed, two survivors just arrived here, regardless though I am commencing stage two of the operation. I need to go attend to some things. Invade on my signal”. “Ready to go whenever you are sir!” replied John. ”You better make up for not arriving on time for the first stage”. “I won’t let you down sir.” The Traitors prepared the assault on the Detective compound ; meanwhile, “Two people just arrived from the direction of Great View”. Jason thought to himself that Elwood would believe anything but decided to wait for a proper opening to leave. “I am going to go question them now, please wait here and monitor their movements during the questioning”. Elwood left the room and Jason got to work. Around one hour later he was ready to begin. ”Commence stage two of the operation!”. The alarm immediately sounded as the Traitors begun their assault. With a quick pull of a lever, Jason shut off the main power to the compound. He then ran outside the room. It was hard to see in the dim red emergency light but he ran toward the armory.


It was a brutal siege on the compound. Multiple vehicles stopped right outside and unloaded loads of soldiers led by key members of the Traitors cult. The detectives responded likewise with their own soldiers partly rushing out to confront and slow the Traitors and the rest moving to secure the important parts of the compound. One squad met up with the co-executive of the agency, Jason, and escorted him toward the armory. The battle outside ended quickly with the defeat of the Detectives. They were outnumbered despite better training. The battle inside was much slower as the Detective soldiers could defend and knew the compound well. The Traitors, determined to annihilate the agency, continued their push through the compound.


















Chapter Two: The Compound


“Alright I can trust you two for now. We need to make our way to the armory, but first we need to go to the control room and figure out what is happening. Knowledge is the greatest weapon of all.” Elwood took control of the situation immediately and began solving the current crisis. After giving the two new guys orders he signaled to his guards and they all moved down the hall. At the corner of the hall the guards stopped and then one ran out around the corner. Shots fired and the guard fell to to the floor. Blood began to pool around the body and voices were heard cheering around the corner. “The control room is right around this corner so we will need to stop the intruders right here.” Elwood really couldn’t determine what to do until Stan spoke up saying “One of us will have to sprint to the room while the others make some noise or some kind of distraction”. SJ decided he wanted to be involved as well and said “That sounds like it will work since they might not expect someone to be dumb enough to do it”. Elwood motioned to his guards and one walked forward to volunteer. Stan immediately put his hand in front of the man and shook his head. He then gave a thumbs up and ran. Moments later shots were heard again but the guards were quick to peek around and fire back. With the suppressing fire behind him Stan ran as fast as he could only to trip and fall in front of a room labeled Control. In that instant he was hit with a bullet. He scrambled into the room with a trail of blood behind him. One more guard was killed in the skirmish but two intruders were also killed. The intruders dragged their partners bodies and retreated.


While the skirmish near control was just starting, Jason was well on his way to the armory. His group of soldiers escorting him seemed scared but he made sure to reassure them everything will be fine. When they reached the armory, bodies were everywhere inside and outside. Some wore unknown uniforms and others wore the standard Detective kevlar. As the group walked into the armory one of the soldiers stopped and lifted his hand to stop them. Voices could be made out inside the armory and Jason peeked inside knowing he would not be shot even if they saw him. Upon looking inside he saw remnants of TwoStepsFromPrison’s group but the man himself was nowhere to be found. At that same moment Jason decided he would gain credibility by killing his own men. He quickly explained what he saw and what the soldiers should do. They then got in position and commenced their breach. White light filled the room as a flash bang went off. The soldiers rushed inside opening fire as they went. Three intruders were killed on the spot and the remaining four scrambled around for cover. One intruder dove to his left behind a table but was shot in the leg while he fell to the ground. The other three were more successful and took cover without injury. They clutched their guns and began returning fire. An intruder dropped to the floor with one bullet in his head while two men of Jason’s escort were taken out. Another intruder fell to the floor, dead, while bullets continued spraying from both sides of the room. The deafening sound began affecting everyone and soon it felt like Jason couldn’t hear anymore. The final resisting intruder was taken out in one final hail of bullets. “Alright now let’s get down to business” shouted Jason. “There is one wounded behind that table back there. Don’t kill him yet, I want to ask him some questions”. The escorts quickly ran over to check behind the table and nodded to Jason showing it was safe. Jason walked calmly over and asked the man “Where is your group leader, you have to a leader of some kind”. “That traitor ran away a long time ago!”. That’s all he needed to hear, Jason grabbed a side-arm from one of his escorts. A shot went off echoing around the room and then their was silence.


“We can not fail today! If we fail this task we will all be killed. We have failed once and shall not fail again!”. John was very anxious to get going and to begin the raid. He craved the thought of making up for his previous mistake. His men started to worry the plan was going to fail but he made sure they were perfectly ready to begin. Soon enough it was time, Jason had given the go ahead and disabled the compounds power. Without a trace of doubt John ordered his men forward and started the raid. The compound was underground so they had to clear the surface first. Buildings were scattered around and a lake was also present. John’s team was tasked with clearing the lake house and then scaling a cliff up to the main building above the compound. “Get behind the hill and open fire on my word!” The men dashed to a hill and aimed at the lake house. Inside they could see a few soldiers sitting around playing cards. The lake house was powered separately from the compound and had to be taken out quickly to avoid distress calls. A few soldiers began to leave the house, most likely to go check the compound. “On three, one, two, three, FIRE!”. The night sky lit up with light as bullets came crashing into the lake house. Windows shattered instantly and bodies fell to the floor. The soldiers who left immediately dived for cover outside and returned fire. “I will get behind them but for now lay down some surpassing fire until I give the signal to stop”. John rank back a little ways and dove into the water when the enemies were reloading. He swam in the general direction of the opposite side of the house. Once he surfaced and got on land he flashed a light once at his men and they stopped firing. One tossed a grenade at the house and it detonated one wall of the building. John then flashed his light at the house and his men began opening fire upon it. The enemy soldiers realized their chance and began to crawl away toward the compound. John quickly but silently rushed up behind them and slit the first ones throat with a knife. The other three did not notice yet and kept moving silently in the dark. One of them turned around and was met with a knife in the back, he got a small scream out and his partner whipped around to shoot. He didn’t get the chance, a sniper took him out as soon as he stood up. John’s team finished checking all the victims and then moved on to scale the cliff.


SJ feared for the worse. He knew Stan was terrible shot with a gun and that he could not defend himself very well. “All clear, the intruders have retreated further into the compound”. These words were a tremendous relief but then he heard “There is blood trailing into the control room we need to hurry”. The new words horrified SJ and immediately made him feel a rush of adrenaline. He sprinted down the hall and into the control room. Lying on the floor was Stan with his clasped in his hands and blood pooling around him. “Please get in here and help me” he shouted. He bent over and ripped the sleeves off of his shirt to help stop the blood. Elwood rushed in with and left his men outside. He dashed over to a corner of the room and came back with gauze, morphine, and a splint. “Where did you get that?” asked SJ. “I make sure to keep these supplies around me for this very reason” replied Elwood. The two wrapped up Stan’s leg as he stared into the ceiling in intense pain. It was the worst pain he had ever felt and couldn’t imagine how Koga, Thomas, or anyone could have felt getting shot. SJ held Stan down as Elwood administered the morphine. After the splint was put on, the two helped lift Stan to his feet. For some reason the pain began to completely disappear. “What did you give me?” he asked. “I gave you an expensive modified morphine shot”. Elwood regretted using his only shot but decided it was for the best. Now they could finally get to work on solving the situation and finding out who the intruders are. Elwood after looking around immediately noticed the power was shut off manually. He quickly re-enabled power to the compound and waited for any working cameras to come online. To his surprise most of them were still intact and displayed horrifying scenes. The three stared in shock, almost every screen displayed bodies lying all around. A few showed intruders and soldiers still clashing in and outside the compound. The most interesting one showed the co-executive with Detective soldiers inside the armory. Bodies of both soldiers and intruders were present. “I think we should go meet up with them and escape”. Stan really just wanted to leave but Elwood claimed they had to make an intercom announcement and set the self destruct for the facility. “Attention, this is Elwood speaking, tonight has been a rough night for us all, either friend or foe, I am giving everyone the chance to live by telling you this compound will not be here anymore in the next hour. If anyone wants to escape, please do so now or continue fighting for your cause”. To little surprise, no one reacted to the announcement but instead kept fighting. The Detective soldiers fought for justice and to give their lives protecting the executive Detectives while the Traitors fought for their leader and for a better world they can control.












Chapter Three: The Investigation


Background: The police force no longer existed in this society. Regional managers control and maintain areas that used to be made of counties. Private organizations were tasked with handling crime. The government paid a few while most people had to pay fees to them similarly to insurance.


When Victor arrived at the scene he immediately called for back up. This was the crime of the century. Bodies and bullet shells were everywhere and for some reason no guns were present. The scene did not make any sense to Victor. The victims had been obviously shot to death. Only five minutes later the Elusive Gruesome Organized Crime Unit or E.G.O.C.U. (The unit was mostly just called the E.G.O. instead) arrived and began taking control of the crime scene. Victor began to look for Yuri who was in charge of the E.G.O.. He spotted him down the road talking with some of the regions’ managers. Yuri looked around the managers and dashed on over to Victor. “Have you learned anything yet?” he asked. “There are no guns anywhere, but I do have a possible clue. Victor guided Yuri to where he thought a clue could be. The two arrived in front of a house with its windows shot out. It was the only house completely torn up by gunfire. “What might have happened in here?” asked Yuri while moving to the door. Victor went ahead and walked inside the house only to stop short upon a strong scent. “This is definitely the smell of a corpse, but where is it?”. Victor swiftly moved up the stairs to find the origin of the smell. He reached the top of the stairs and peered into an open room. On the floor lay a body riddled with bullet wounds. He was about to leave the room when he noticed a business card in the man's jacket. Before going to check it he left the room and called for Yuri to come upstairs. The investigators crouched over the body and pulled out the card. They were both shocked at what they found. The body belonged to a Mr. Koga from the most secretive private organization known as Detectives. “We need to contact the Detectives agency right away!” exclaimed Victor. Yuri, however, thought it would be best to avoid the rival agency until E.G.O. could claim credit on solving this mystery. Little did they know that a battle ensued over the Detective agency compound. “I think we should keep searching for more clues. I am going to grab some fresh air”. Upon getting outside Victor hid behind a fence and took out his phone. He was not a big official at E.G.O. and did not really care about claiming credit or getting money. That is why he made the decision to contact the Detectives agency and solve this crime. The phone dialed and rang, and rang, and rang. There was no response and the call was dropped. The entire situation felt very strange.


Victor left the scene without saying a single word. He got to his car, opened the door, sat down, and drove off. While driving the roads seemed abnormally empty. A few minutes is all it took to get to the Detective Agency’s Compound. “Now this is a sight worthy of any renown detective!” exclaimed Victor. The were bodies all around the compound. There wasn’t a strong smell yet so the crime had to be recent. Victor took to the ground as gun shots rang in the air. It took a moment for him to realize they were distant and not around him. While on the ground he took the time to investigate the bodies. In such a short time he learned the Detective Agency was being raided by the Traitor cult. “The Traitors are so hated yet so little is known about them. Why would they be here and what do they have against the Detective Agency?” he thought to himself. Gun shots continued to go off in the distance almost as if they were entering the compound… Victor quickly realized that was exactly what was happening. He sprinted to his car, grabbed his gun, and stealthily ran to the ongoing crime scene. Right before he got to the main entrance he was took cover behind some bushes. An enemy patrol was just about to enter the building when one man spoke up. “Get inside and take control of the armory! Do not stop of anything! If I see any of you come back outside I will shoot you myself”. Victor thought those words implied the man would stay outside and guard the entrance so he decided to sit and wait. After about ten minutes of gunshots coming from inside the compound he thought it was safe to peek over the bushes. Just as he thought only one man was standing outside and was luckily facing the entrance to the compound. Victor crept up to his opponent and pulled a knife out. He silently rushed up to the man and grabbed him from behind with the knife at his throat. The man did not hesitate he pulled out his gun and victor scream “DROP IT NOW OR DIE”. Out of nowhere the man shot himself in the head, “better to die than be captured” thought Victor. The image of the heavily geared Traitors was still fresh in his mind. Victor decided to once again sit and wait for something to happen. “Besides what could I possibly do by myself to help?” he questioned. After waiting nearly what felt like an hour four people emerged from the entrance. Victor was actually scared and listened closely and heard someone say, “We need to get out of here quickly and go track down and kill the others”. Despite his inner quarrels, Victor stood up to confront the four people.



Chapter Four: Betrayal


The trio left the control room with their guards. Elwood told them they didn’t have time to learn names so they pushed onward to the armory. Gun shots no longer could be heard in the compound. The silence felt unusual but at the same time relaxing. Stan and SJ did not want to get into another shoot out.


“The armory is at the end of the hallway, stay vigilant of your surroundings.” whispered Elwood. They had begun slowing their pace drastically as they approached the armory. When they go to the door they noticed it was open and Elwood signaled the guards to get in position. Two of them got on both sides of the door and looked in. They saw bodies on the floor but no people. Just in case, Elwood had one guard dash in to take cover and force any hidden enemies out. The guard was given the go ahead and rushed inside only to be immediately shot to death. The other guard at the door opened fire spraying randomly into the room.


From inside men shouted “Stop shooting! Hold your fire!”. Elwood told the guard to stop and then listened and when their was no response he shouted in return


“Why did you shoot my guard?”. “It was just a reaction, we have been through alot and have no idea how many intruders got into the compound.”.


Elwood replied “How can we trust you?”. Jason felt it was time for him to speak up.


Silently he spoke, “open fire when I give the signal”. The soldiers were shocked.


“Why are we going to shoot, aren’t they friendlies?” they asked.


Jason responded saying “They are traitors working with the intruders, I have been investigating Elwood for some time”. He then spoke loud enough for Elwood to hear.


“It’s me Jason, we only took the armory not too long ago”.


“I am sending a guard in” shouted Elwood. “I can’t do this” said one soldier inside the armory. Two others agreed and Jason asked one for his gun. He then shot all three of them in the head as Elwood’s guard entered the room. He then stood from cover and shot at the guard. The other soldiers opened fire out of fear. The guard who entered the room had already gotten to cover and was returning fire. The remaining two guards outside got on both sides of the door and attempted to return fire as well. The sudden turn of events horrified Stan and he had to sit down against the wall in disbelief. Elwood and SJ could only wait for the outcome so they too sat down. The guard inside turned out to be doing surprising well. He took out one enemy soldier immediately and in turn got hit in the leg. He crashed to the floor, but did not give up. He pulled himself up and returned fire once again. Another enemy dropped lifelessly to the ground and then another tried to surrender and was shot by the guards at the door. The guard in the room dove to cover closer to the enemies and fired a few more shots before reloading. Jason ordered a soldier to rush around the room and kill the guard. The guard whipped out his sidearm the moment he noticed movement coming towards him. Three shots rang out in the room and everyone else stopped shooting. Everyone had begun to reload while the guard inside was losing a lot of blood from his arm now. A fresh body laid next to him. Jason was getting irritated and was about to stand up when the guard came rushing from cover. Trailing blood the guard sprinted fast toward Jason and opened fire hitting the remaining soldier in the chest. He fell back in pain but returned fire and sent the guard to the ground. Just as the guards vision was beginning to fade he saw Jason shoot the soldier in the head and start walking over to himself. He took one large last breath raised his gun and shot Jason in the neck.


Seconds later, the trio outside and their remaining two guards rushed in and headed to the mass of fresh bodies. Elwood stopped at the body of the first guard and directed one of his remaining guards. She went to the door and peered outside to keep watch. The other guard went with SJ and Stan over to the body of the second guard. Stan stopped at the body while SJ moved to check Jason’s body. Stan reached down to grab the man's dog tag. There was no name on it, but rather a nickname was on it. The tag read “Dragon Knight” and Stan was puzzled at the meaning of the nickname. He turned around and asked the guard their name. “My name is Larry” replied the guard. “Why was he called Dragon Knight” asked Stan. “He always wanted to fly and always wanted to die fighting for something” said Larry. Meanwhile SJ had found Jason’s tag and was shocked at what he saw. This man had the same name as the body they checked back in Great View. He couldn’t think of an explanation and decided to tell Elwood just in-case. As he walked over to Elwood he spotted movement on his right. Two shots rang out in the room as a soldier shot Elwood in the chest and then got shot by Larry. Elwood began to succumb to death immediately. He was desperately gasping for air showing that the bullet punctured his lung. Normally people would not die this quickly but Elwood was not in the greatest condition and was losing loads of blood. Everyone in the room rushed over to Elwood and tried to stop his bleeding. It was too late, Elwood gave his last breath. The situation made SJ almost forget but he spoke up and told everyone what he found. The two guards whispered to each other and then mentioned the intruders were most likely an organized cult seeking to destroy agencies like their own. Thomas interrupted them and looked at the fourth guard while saying “we’ve been through alot but I haven’t gotten your name yet”. “My name is Angel and I think we need to leave this place as soon as possible. We can’t forget that this place is going to blow soon. The four got up, walked to the door, peeked outside, and moved to exit the facility. The entire way was silent and clear of people. Before they emerged from the compound Larry began talking. “If the intruders really were part of a cult then we need to get out of here quickly and go track down and kill the others”. A man stood up infront of them. The four reacted instantly but backed down when seeing he was unarmed.












Chapter Five: The Culprit

“Please don’t shoot I'm unarmed! You are wearing Detective Agency uniforms so I hope I can trust you. My name is Victor of the E.G.O. and I would like to know what is happening here”.


Larry spoke up saying “This place is rigged to get rid of all our research and confidential information. We should leave now and ask questions later, unless you want to end up like a roasted marshmallow”. He then grabbed Victor by the arm and dragged him off while signalling the others to follow with his other hand. They walked quickly down a path and arrived at Victor’s car. Larry ordered him to unlock the car and drive them to a safe house. The car ride to the safe house was long and quiet except for when Angel tried to comfort Victor in the tense situation.


“We aren’t going to hurt you or anything. It’s just been a rough and traumatic day for us and we would like some time to let it all soak in. Feel free to ask what ever questions you like when we arrive. Just know that as a rival agency we will not answer any confidential questions regarding our agency”.


They arrived at the safe house around eight pm that night. The safe house was an old run down apartment complex owned by a private contributor to the Detective Agency. It has never been used and only key members knew about it so it was possible the information had been leaked already, but not likely.


“Alright now, I think it’s time so ask away” said Angel.


“I will get right to the point, what happened in Great View? How does that relate to what happened at your compound? What really happened at the compound? What do you plan to do?” questioned Victor. Larry and Angel didn’t really know much about Great View so they glanced at SJ and Stan. SJ spoke up for Stan and did his best to answer all the questions.


“I first met Stan in Great View. We had been apart of a mass killing brought about by weapons just showing up outside and rumors of murders amongst the town. People got scared and suspicious of each other. I holed up by myself until I ran into Stan and Thomas. Thomas turned out to be one of the culprits and died in Great View. Stan had also met Koga an operative of the Detective Agency who later died and that is why we left Great View in seek of answers and protection. When we got to their compound we were arrested and questioned and during the interrogation led by Elwood himself the alarm sounded and the lights went out. Eventually we got to the armory where it turns out the co-executive Jason betrayed the agency and attacked us. He got killed by one of Elwood’s guards but Elwood died during the conflict. Larry and Angel are both Elwood’s personal guards and seem trustworthy. I do remember now that we check a the body of one of the culprits in Great View and he had an ID for Jason. I don’t really know why he would fake his death.”. Larry, Angel, and Stan all confirmed what SJ had said and then they all looked at Victor for his response. Victor spoke up and let them know what he has learned from investigating the scene at Great View.


“The E.G.O. has learned who is responsible for everything. I do not agree with this hiding information stuff so I will tell you who it is. The Traitors cult that has been hidden for a long time is the group behind everything that has happened. They despise the security corporations and based on what happened at the Detective Agency, it is safe to say that they were hidden for so long because they had a plan in motion that entire time leading to today. You mentioned tracking the culprits down and I would to help you with that”.


“Could you give us some time to talk privately?” asked Larry.


“Sure thing” replied Victor. The group split apart and Victor walked down the hall. The four talked about what they were going to do until they came upon a general consensus. They all wanted to get revenge for what was done and solve the mystery of why it all happened. Angel got up and went to tell Victor their decision.


“I think it’s a little late to do anything for now so you guys go get some sleep. Angel and I will take turns keeping watch tonight. This place is old enough already just make sure you don’t spill water on the carpet, but that is a story for another time”. The time was eleven PM and Larry had the first watch. Angel said they would switch off every two hours. The night was almost perfect. The two switched at one AM and later were about to switch again when…







Chapter Six: The Rainy Day

It was a calm, yet ominous day. Rain fell for miles around and the atmosphere was filled with dark clouds casting depressing shadows on the ground. Great View had finally been cleaned up before the rain started but now there was a new case to deal with. The E.G.O. got word of the a massive fire spreading around the Detective Agencies compound. Their fire division was desperately trying to keep the fire under control while they waited on permission to take control of the region. Yuri was in a luxurious office talking with someone who appeared to be the regional manager for the area.


“The Detective Agency will not be able to uphold the security of this region! We are barely able to maintain the fire right now so we desperately need permission to take over this area. I don’t know what you have contracted but we will accept whatever you paid them”. The man stared at Yuri cautiously but finally decided to acknowledge the request.


“Fine, you have full access to move into the region, but I want a full investigation done in forty-eight hours as well as lawyers here to coordinate a new contract”. Yuri accepted the terms and left the office. Outside he ordered his secretary to bring in the lawyers and then he contacted his chief of the fire division.


“We have the go ahead so send as many as you can now. Order everyone already here to begin pushing the fire back”.


“Yes Sir!” replied the chief. A man in a black suit approached Yuri, handed him a letter, and walked away. Yuri opened the letter and began to read.


“Dear Yuri, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the government is sticking it’s nose into your operations. They have contracted my company to send an agent to monitor and report on your activities as well as the progress on your investigation in Great View. We will be sending Anthony over within the next few hours. I will warn you now that he has modified his body with robotics so please do not piss him off. Your Friend, Frank”. Right before three AM, Angel heard a loud sound outside. She got up and walked to the window and saw several vans parked down the road. She did not waste time, she rushed over and got Larry up then went to get everyone else. Everyone was now up and in one room. They were each armed in kevlar with M4 rifles. They began planning their escape route and where to meet up if they got separated. Nothing happened for the next two hours but it was not a time to second guess any threats. Rain started coming down outside and that's when the gunshots started. They were distant as if on the other side of the apartment complex.


“I doubt they would only be checking one side, they are probably trying to flush us out into more of them waiting outside” said Larry.


“There is a tunnel leading to the woods nearby but if this place was exposed that tunnel was likely exposed as well, however, that is our best option right now” replied Angel.


“I will watch the rear in case we get rushed. You guys just get out of here!” The others quickly left Victor behind and trusted he would catch up. The tunnel started with a concrete staircase leading down into pitch black darkness.


“Flashlights on and keep an eye out.” shouted Larry. Larry took point with Stan and SJ following. Angel waited at the bottom of the stairs for Victor. More gunshots rang out much much closer. Victor half-ran half-fell down the stairs. His left leg was bleeding and he could barely stand.


“Come get him and I will watch the rear!” she screamed. SJ and Stan both ran back, took an arm over a shoulder and deciding running was not an option for Victor, they dragged him down the hallway in a sluggish sprint. A deafening sound almost knocked them all off their feet. The explosion threatened the stability of the tunnel but it the ceiling and walls held. The five kept up the pace as best as they could until a second explosion much closer went off. They all fell to the ground and the ceiling behind them collapsed.


“Get ready!” Larry announced. Enemies dropped into the tunnel from the open hole and were met by heavy fire from the five inside. For a moment the intruders stopped entering and the five got up and kept running.


The fire was beginning to be pushed back and more men and trucks arrived to help the effort. Yuri was pleased with the progress and turned to set some rules for Anthony.


“First of all, if the situation requires you will do everything I say when I say it. Second of all, you will not have clearance to certain things and all credit for this investigation will go to E.G.O.. Finally, please do not get in my way”. Anthony was quiet and responded with a simple nod for understood. Yuri then ordered some men to begin clearing a path to the Detective Agency compound so they could start their investigation. Luckily but unluckily for them the fire had already gone out at the compound but nothing was left in return. The buildings outside were crumpled and charred. The ground was covered in ashes and the air smelled burnt. The entrance to the underground was collapsed so they would have to wait to get in. There were many objects that appeared to be pieces of skeletons and remains of weapons but it was clear that whatever happened was meant to be concealed. What they didn’t know is that the Traitors rigged the compounds fire system with more fuel so when it went off their would not only be no research and technology to salvage but also no evidence of the entire event.





Chapter Seven: Hidden Secret

The enemies were probably regrouping and preparing another assault. They clearly knew where the tunnel was but for some reason haven’t invaded from the exit. It was almost as if they wanted to force the five outside the tunnel. There was not enough time to think about it. The five continued running until they began to see the end of the long tunnel. Shouts pierced the air behind them and just as they got to the end of the tunnel they released it was actually a turn.


Upon rounding the corner they were met by eyes staring at them in all directions. This part of the tunnel was unknown to everyone including Larry and Angel. In front of them was large open room filled with people, weapons, supplies, and equipment.

Very calmly, a man in the crowd spoke saying, “drop your weapons now and you won’t get hurt. I am warning you once and only once”. The small group was outnumbered and decided to surrender. These new strangers didn’t seem like part of the Traitors cult but still couldn’t be trusted. Outside another explosion rocked the tunnels. This time directly above the room but it held. Men escorted the five to a corner of the room where the man who spoke earlier waited. After observing the room while they walked, the group realized the walls were made of strong metal and there was Detective Agency gear and equipment all around. Larry gave out a sigh of relief when he recognized the man waiting on them.


“Hey Christian, long time no see, I thought you left the agency and shut off all contact”.


“Oh Larry it’s you! Excuse the circumstances but I need to know what's going on before I can release you. You see we got cut off from the main base after we received a distress signal from it.”


“Yeah but, what is this place and why do you know about the compound?” asked Larry.


“Oh, you don’t know? I guess Elwood keeps secrets from everyone then. This is our new special operations base and as you can see we are dealing with an outside threat at the moment. You wouldn’t happen to know why, would you?”.


“Long story short, the Traitors cult infiltrated our ranks and invaded the compound. Now they are following us since we escaped.”


“Oh, I see, well that matches our current information so your are free to look around, leave, or even help out. Oh excuse me, but your friend will have to be treated now and will be questioned afterward”. Christian motioned to his men and they picked up Victor and took him down the tunnel opposite of where they entered. He then motions to the other four watching Victor be taken.


They turn back to face Christian and when he says “just feel free to look around and don’t touch anything. We are handling the situation on top but are prepping to leave right now”. Two soldiers with bulky guns ran down the tunnel the five came in and seemingly endless gunfire was heard. SJ was the first to start walking around. In one part of the room he found a hamster cage. Inside was a small hamster wearing a santa outfit. The bottom of the cage had a name tag reading “Buff Hamster”. Stan was standing next to SJ and turned to ask another man what the hamster was for.


“That little guy is our mascot here” replied the man. Stan was about to ask about the name until he saw the hamster pick up a small weight in its paw and start lifting. Both SJ and Stan were shocked but decided they had seen so many strange things in the past days that this wasn’t very far fetched. Surely someone could train a hamster to lift weights. The day continued and the Traitors cult temporarily backed off.


The fire had finally died down due to the rainfall and increased E.G.O. efforts. Investigators were scattered everywhere searching all remains of anything at the compound. Victor was outside on the phone while Anthony watched him closely.


“Could you stop looking at me like that” shouted Victor over the phone. Anthony continued watching as if it was a staring contest. The rain had finally stopped and now only clouds floated in the sky with a few gaps here and there. The air still smelled awful but Victor began to get used to it. He was excited about the loss of a rival and the gain of land. The investigation did not really matter, but he would do a good job to ensure successful business in his new region.









Chapter Eight: Night Show


When the sun set and the moon began rising, Yuri became increasingly worried about Victor. He hadn’t been seen since Great View. Yuri couldn’t help but think Victor got himself involved and might be dead. After a long meeting with the regional manager for this area he learned the Detective Agency owned an abandoned apartment complex a few hours away. Yuri ordered a squad of about 8 men to go investigate the complex and search for clues. If they found any trace of Victor then they were to report it to him immediately. After the squad left he ordered Anthony to go catch up. Anthony showed a brief expression of disagreement and then it was gone. He left a few minutes later and Yuri was finally alone. He went to the woods and made a phone call.

“I want contact with Traitors Cult established as soon as possible. Offer them any amount they want and give them any information on the investigation. We need them to finish off the Detective Agency and leave us alone. Besides, we can take them down later and get our money back”.

Another tunnel that no one knew about was created when the special operations team was established. This was now their exit route and they made sure the place was rigged to blow. The tunnel would take them about two miles away where they could exit and escape via humvees. The group of five were given more ammo and supplies. They were told that they would be leaving very soon and had to help plant explosives. Finally, the hour of departure arrived and everyone finished gathering their gear and began a steady jog down the new tunnel.


It only took about ten minutes for everyone to reach the end of the tunnel. Stan and SJ struggled since they weren’t trained soldiers. Victor was carried by two strong members of the special operations team. After everyone had exited the tunnel they detonated the explosives. A small mushroom erupted in the distance. The secret base was not made to withstand explosions on the inside. The tunnel soon collapsed completely by them. Everyone split up into four humvees and drove off. They used the explosion and a few delayed ones scattered in the forest to disguise their escape. There was no resistance when driving down the road. Christian was in the third humvee while the Larry’s group was in the fourth. Victor was just waking up and looked outside the back window. Somewhere out in the distance he spotted the glare of something in the distance. In a few seconds he realized there shouldn’t be anything like that in a tree let alone the fact that glare is commonly seen from recon or sniper units. As he screamed get down, another explosion went off.


The first humvee ran into a IED. The truck was immediately set ablaze in bright flames. Then a gunshot sounded and the driver of the second humvee was taken out. All three remaining vehicles came to a stop and the men inside the second vehicle got out to return fire. On the radio the fourth vehicle's driver got the order to continue with the objective and leave them behind. Larry turned back to see Christian giving orders to his men while under fire.

Stan was paralyzed. He began seeing flashes of scenes from Great View. These were triggered by the sound of the sniper shots that matched the one used in Great View. PTSD is no joke and Stan was no exception to it. Stan was forced to relive the moments of gore and violence while his body began to convulse in a seizure. Angel and SJ quickly held Stan down as he struggled to break free. Larry was intent on getting them away safely and did not look back for anything, including Stan. Victor still laid in the back where he couldn’t help anyone.


They continued down the road for hours. About five minutes after it started, Stan’s seizure ended and he passed out. He did not wake up until a few hours later. When he did wake up, everyone was still inside the humvee and Larry was driving around looking for a gas station. Larry was informed to practice radio silence in case of emergency before they left the secret base. They would not be learning of Christians fate anytime soon. Down the road Angel pointed out a gas station that wasn’t to busy. After parking at a pump Larry began gassing the vehicle while Angel and SJ rushed inside for supplies. People watched the group carefully with curious yet suspicious eyes. Soldiers were a common sight from time to time but they still freaked people out. Some people started talking about the injured inside the humvee. Others began to speculate on why they were here and how they got injured. No one confronted them but many took pictures. Angel and SJ came back with snack bars, water bottles, and some bandages. Larry finished filling the gas tank and everyone got in to leave.


Just as Angel was climbing in, she was pulled back and dragged away by two men. Larry ordered SJ to stay put and protect the humvee. Larry then grabbed his gun and jumped out to chase after Angel. Behind the gas station he saw the two men hovering over Angel who was unconscious. The men looked middle-aged and smell of strong alcohol. Both had ragged clothes and walked barefoot.


“Get away from her and I will let you go unhurt” shouted Larry. They ignored him and reached down to start pulling off Angel’s gear. Larry didn’t miss a second. He fired two warning shots at the ground near them and waited for them to stop. Once again they ignored him. That was the final straw, Larry shot both of them in the legs and walked over. He kicked both of them in the rib cage and then picked up Angel and brought her back to the humvee. SJ got out and moved to the front while Larry placed Angel in the back. He knew something had to be done and so he asked SJ to find a hospital and then they drove off.








Chapter Nine: Public Opinion

They stopped at the back of a local hospital. By now reports of their gas station visit were surfacing. Larry approached one of the guards at the hospital. He showed them his Detective Agency badge but was shocked he was declined entry. The guard informed him the region is now controlled by the E.G.O. and therefore he would need to request assistance. Larry was about to go get Victor but then realized he probably doesn’t want to be found out. The second time he approached the guards, Larry was with Angel and SJ. All three were heavily armed and threatened the guards to let them in. The recent security transition left the guards temporarily unarmed and they surrendered immediately. Once inside they had the guards help bring Stan and Victor inside.


The people in the hospital stared at them giving expressions of hate and disgust. Once a doctor had seen to Victor and prescribed some medicine to Stan then they let the guards go.

“We should take a doctor with us” said SJ. “No, these people hate us enough so let’s not piss them off anymore” replied Larry. The two guards walked in and dove for Larry and SJ. The four went crashing into the floor. Angel reacted and fired off a shot. Everyone stopped moving. They were all shocked Angel would shoot in this situation let alone a hospital. The people in the halls screamed and ran.


One guard recognized Victor and contacted his boss. His boss then called Yuri directly to inform him of the discovery. “You found Victor? Where is he? What happened?” asked Yuri. “How did he get injured and who is with him?” he asked moments later. “I am sending a team now try to stall them as much as possible. I do not care how you do it”. He then contacted the investigation team to look into members of the Detective Agency making it out of the compound. The two guards left the closet they were in and went back to where the trespassers were. The hospital was soon emptied out and the two guards had been tied up. Five minutes later an E.G.O. riot team arrived. They moved inside from the front entrance and worked their way through the deserted halls. Almost every room was empty except for a few patients here and there. On the third floor they came across two men tied up. After ripping the tape off their mouths they asked what happened. A guard responded saying, “that crazy woman almost shot me, then they tied us up and left”. The riot team had little time and left the tied up guards behind. The team split up and five went up stairs while the other five went back down. After thirty minutes there was no sign of Victor.










Chapter Ten: Captured

On their way out of the building someone shot SJ with a tranquilizer. The riot team had already arrived and SJ began feeling drowsy. He decided he would be dead weight for the group if he passes out. Larry moved to help him, but SJ pushed him away and told everyone to leave.


“I will stall them before I pass out. If anything happens I won’t say a word. Just don’t forget about me”. The group could hear shouting nearby and left. As much as it hurt SJ was right and they needed more time. When the riot team found SJ he was knocked out cold on the floor. They cuffed him and threw him into a van that drove off. When he woke up he was still in the van. It felt like it had been a long time already and through the back window he could tell it was night time. Maybe hours later the van stopped. Men looking like armored guards pulled SJ out and injected something into him. He started feeling drowsy all over again. This drug was much stronger than the last and SJ barely made out the silhouette of a prison before he passed out. After he woke up there were guards standing around and one man who looked like he was in charge. The man in charge stood over SJ and began to speak.


“Hello there, I am your warden here at this prison. I would hate to call you a number so tell me, what is your name?”


“I won’t tell you anything!” shouted SJ.


“Oh, in time, you will say everything” replied the warden.


SJ wasn’t talked to anymore and after a day he was moved to a cell block with other people. There was one other person inside his new cell.


“Hi, my name’s John, I’ve been so lonely in here by myself. I just got here today and still have no idea what’s going on. I never committed any crimes and just got abducted and put here.”


SJ hesitated to say his name but in the end he couldn’t resist. John seemed to friendly to ignore. “My names SJ, and I don’t know what’s going on either”. The guards walked away from the cells and climbed a ladder onto a long metal walkway. The stood with their guns aimed at prisoners and moment later the main door opened.


The warden entered and began his speech. “Attention everyone! When your cell doors open please take one step out and face your cell. If you try to move or look around you will face the consequences.” announced the warden. When the cells opened everyone followed the orders and entered some strange building. Inside they were all crowded around and gas started falling from the ceiling.


“Are they going to kill us right after we got here?” asked John.


“No, that seems pointless, there is something else going on here.” said SJ. Slowly everyone passed out from the gas and were transported to an underground section of the prison. When they woke up SJ quickly studied his surroundings. They were in a long hallway with rooms down each end. One side ended with another wall and the other seemed to turn a corner.


“Today we will be played a little game I like to call Hide and Seek. The rules to this game of Hide and Seek are as follows. You will not try to escape this prison. You will not fight the guards. You will be one of the final five prisoners to win. If you break any of these rules then you will be shot on sight. That includes being found.” announced the warden. Everyone was shocked and whispering started everywhere.


“There is a sign that says armory down the hall, maybe we should group up and rush that spot or take down a few guards quickly. You know what they say, strength in numbers right?” said John.


SJ thought about the options and decided he would obey the orders and not take any risks yet. “I don’t want to risk anything yet so I am going to go hide. The guards were finally almost gone as they turned the corner down the hallway. After the last guard was out of sight people began moving toward the room labeled armory.


“That’s a shame, well good luck to you then, I’m going with everyone else” said John.


“Good luck to you too, I wish we could have met outside this prison” replied SJ right before he turned around and walked away. John and the majority of the prisoners had gone into the armory while SJ and a few others went to find somewhere to hide. SJ went into the second to last room before the dead end. Inside he saw some lockers, cabinets, tables, and chairs. The lockers seemed too obvious to hide in so SJ climbed into the smallest possible cabinet he could fit in. After being cramped inside for a while he heard a siren go off. Gun shots immediately followed and SJ thought the rebelling prisoners would actually be able to escape. When the gunshots finally stopped, SJ got extremely nervous waiting. He was just about to open the cabinet when he heard a door slam open and many gun shots fire nearby. It sounded like someone inside the room may have been returning fire. SJ feared the guards might have won the battle. An intercom broke the suspense.


“SJ, congratulations on winning Hide and Seek even though your win came in an unusual way. I think you will be delighted to know how I learned your name. Come out of hiding now or we will kill you when you’re found. SJ left his cabinet and exited the room. The hallway outside was a disaster. Bodies of prisoners and guards lined the hall and SJ walked passed the room where gunshots were last heard. It looked like a rebel ran in and exposed the people hiding. The guards killed everyone inside. SJ continued down the hall until he was escorted by guards to another section of the prison. The room he was left in had a table with food lined out on top. He was instructed to sit down and after filling up he passed out. The next day he was forced to watch a game while dressed as an unarmed guard. The game he watched was called box game and SJ made sure to note every detail of it. At the end of the game he was drugged again and woke back up in his cell. More prisoners filled the cells again and SJ felt sick from the thought of what was to happen. He went through the entire process again, but without someone to talk to like John. The game he had to play this time was climb. Through much struggle he managed to win and was taken back to the same room with food on the table. He ate slower and before finishing the warden walked in.


“Hello there SJ, I never told you how I learned your name. I met this lovely prisoner named John who was always with you. He was caught trying to rebel against me and I offered to spare his life. He gladly accepted my terms and gave your name right before I shot him in the head. SJ jumped up and dove at the warden. The warden backed up and SJ hit the floor where he passed out again. The next day he was given a luxury isolation cell where he was able to workout and pass the time. Inside the cell was a list of rules he had to follow. SJ memorized all of them and eventually was moved back to the main cell block a week later. There was someone else in the cell but SJ ignored him. The sound of the main door opening came into his cell and he stood up.









Chapter Eleven: Prison

It was dark outside. No one knew what time it was but they could see how dark it was when the guards opened a door. The cell-block was filled with bright light all day and the lights did not turn off for sleep.


“What’s going on?” asked David. The warden walked in and climbed up a ladder onto the metal walkway.


“That’s the warden, he never comes here personally, but do everything he says or bad things happen.” said Michael.


“Attention everyone! When your cell doors open please take one step out and face your cell. If you try to move or look around you will face the consequences.” announced the warden. The cell doors sprung open and the prisoners all followed the warden's orders. One prisoner made a run for another cell. The guards opened fire and killed him before he could make it.


“Whaaa…” started David. Michael cut him off saying “shut up dude, you might end up like the other guy”.


The warden began giving new orders. “I want all guards in position and I want all prisoners to slowly walk and follow me”. David and Michael walked slowly side by side and joined the main group of prisoners. Guards blocked the other door across the building while more stood above the prisoners as they exited the door in front of them. They passed under the walkway and through the main door. Outside there were bushes on the right and a building on the left. The warden ordered everyone to proceed through the left door of that building. One prisoner made a run for the door on the right but was shot before he could make it. Everyone else crowded inside and waited. Out of the corner of his eye, David noticed gas descending from the ceiling. He shoved people out of the way as he dashed over to the door. It was too late, he felt tired and fell to the floor just before the door. He woke up lying next to Michael. The room around them was filled with bright light and platforms were hanging from the ceiling around the open room.


“We must have been moved after they drugged us” said Michael.


The warden began to speak, “Hello again everyone, today we will be playing a game of climb. You need to jump from platform to platform all the way up to the top. If you fall you can go restart, but if you try to leave you will die. If you do not win then you will die. We will be taking three winners and you may have as much time as you would like. If you decide not to participate then you will die. Alright then you may begin. The room had a small border separating what must have been the starting zone and the climb coarse. The floor beyond the border was filled with water to catch anyone that fell. Many people started rushing the coarse while three people waited their turn. Michael, David, and another person all patiently waited while the warden watched them. Many people fell off pretty earlier and got drenched in water. Some even broke their legs when they landed as the water wasn’t very deep. The guards shot anyone that couldn’t get out of the water in a reasonable time. The water began to turn a distinct red color.


“Who are you?” asked David. The third unknown person with them ignored the question and stepped up to the first platform. He took a deep breath and ran. Both David and Michael were stunned while they watched this other guy run and jump from platform to platform like it was nothing. The man finally reached the top and sat down. David felt a bit of courage and moved up to the first platform. He looked around cautiously and then made the first jump. The air flew past him and everything seemed to slow down. Then time rushed back and he landed on the second platform. That wasn’t so bad he thought. He steadied himself and moved to the next one. After landing it turned to wave Michael to come. Michael wasn’t the most athletic person and struggled get speed on the small platform. After jumping he landed and felt much better. David then moved on from platform to platform taking his time and waiting for Michael to follow. They had been carefully climbing for half an hour and David noticed the guards changing out. He started to think of a possible escape but quickly flushed out the thought. Michael shouted David’s name and gave him a look of annoyance. David realized Michael was waiting for him to jump. He turned around, stepped back, and ran across the platform. At the end he leaped out pushing with his feet. Once again the air rushed past and time slowed down. David noticed this platform was a much higher difference than the previous ones. Fear struck in as he saw that the his feet would not land. Time quickly began to speed up and David hit the platform with his knees. He had the wind knocked out of him but quickly grabbed the edge of the platform with his arms and started to pull himself up. Michael could only stare in shock while David struggled to get up. When he did get though Michael realized it was his turn to jump. David called down to him saying he would catch him and help him up. Michael jumped and grabbed hold of David’s hands before he could fall to the floor below. He pulled him up and over onto the platform. They both remembered the rules of this game. The warden never said they couldn’t help each other. The people below that could still continue watched and figured out for themselves how to continue. Everyone began to rush up the platforms. Michael and David got up and quickly began moving on up. The pressure continued building as the people below caught up to them. In the end it was too late for everyone else. Every guard was aiming at the prisoners. The moment Michael and David reached the last platform, they opened fire. It was over in less than a minute. The shallow water was colored red and bodies hung on platforms and others rested on the floor. David threw up everything he ate previously. The guards tossed a rope to the three winners and told them to attach it to the pole on the platform and climb down. All three obeyed while SJ went first. Something was off about SJ and how he handled this but Michael wouldn’t find out just yet. The three had to step over bodies and make there way to a corner the guards marked. Once there, the ground lifted and they reached the level the guards waited on. The guards escorted the three prisoners to a room where a banquet was laid out for them. Again SJ acted odd as he showed no emotion at the sight of the food. Michael and David dug in quickly since they were starving while SJ took his time. Before he knew it, Michael felt tired and collapsed onto the table.


“Whats going on here!?” questioned David. Then David also felt drowsy and passed out. SJ continued to slowly enjoy his meal until he was full.


The warden walked in and gave him a smile. “I see you’re finally getting used to the routine here” said the warden.

SJ looked up at the warden with an empty face. Then he gently put his head on the table and fell asleep.


Michael woke up back in his cell. He had the strangest dream that night. He got off the bed and found David asleep. The strange thing was another guy was in their cell. Michael suddenly remembered there was no dream and that they went through some sick game the day before. The other guy in their cell was SJ. Michael gave up on figuring things out only to turn and see a paper posted inside the cell. It read: This is your official welcome to the prison. I hope you had fun the other day because day we will play another game. You don’t have to play if you don’t want to, but I think we know you're going to play. I also want to lay down some special rules for you. Rule number one, do not tell anyone about what you have witnessed or how this prison works. Rule number two, do not try to escape. Rule number three, do not attack any other prisoners. The final rule is to not break any of the rules or you will be shot on sight. David eventually woke up and read the rules, but SJ took his time sleeping. When he did finally awake he ignored the rule list and sat by the cell door.


“Attention everyone! When your cell doors open please take one step out and face your cell. If you try to move or look around you will face the consequences.”. The trio already knew what was said ahead of time and what was going to happen next. SJ looked like he was going to mindlessly follow every order without talking.


Strangely he said “good luck” as the cell door opened. Just as before, a prisoner made a run for it and a few others followed. None of them got out and blood began pooling on the floor. Everyone remaining was moved outside and brought to the gas chamber. They all got inside but only SJ, Michael, and David knew what was about to happen.


“I hope we are doing the same thing again so that we keep winning” said David.

“I wish we didn’t do anything” replied Michael. The sleeping gas began filling the room again.


Right before they fell asleep, SJ whispered something again. “It’s never the same”. When they woke up they were in a new room. This room was filled with large wooden boxes. The floor looked strange and once again the guards waited on walkways above the prisoners.


The warden began to explain what was going on. “Today we will be playing something I like to call box game. It’s very simple really. You just have to pick a box and stand on it. Then you must wait one hour, but there is one more thing. After the hour is complete all but one box will be left. I’ll leave how that will come about to your imagination. Good luck everyone, the time starts now”. The whole room was in shock and the only person to move was SJ. Michael and David quickly followed like sheep. They sat on box and watched everyone else. The other prisoners took their time and formed small groups on boxes. A girl who noticed the trio quickly act decided to join them. She sat down next to SJ and David gave her a questioning look.


Michael spoke the question on all of their minds. “What’s your name?” he asked.


“Shouldn’t you be telling me your names first?” she replied.


“I’m Michael, that’s my friend David, and the lonely looking guy is SJ”.


“Alright, well my name is Victoria. It’s nice to meet you”. The group waited in silence until Victoria got impatient. “How are you guys so calm about this?” she asked.


“Well SJ is… nevermind sorry I can’t tell you” replied Michael.


“Why can’t you tell me anything?” she quickly asked.


“Five minutes left!” shouted the warden. “Just stay here” said Michael quietly. They continued to wait for the time to run out. Tension was building fast and groups of people on their boxes grew impatient.


“Hey, I think the floor will fall out from under. There are lines in the floor that might hint to that.” said Victoria.


“It doesn’t matter because…”. David was cut off by Michael who quickly covered his mouth before he could finish the sentence.


“Attention everyone! The time has run out and now I hope you enjoy the show” said the warden. Moments later a grinding sound began and one box after another disappeared as the floor dropped from under. It seemed the system was slowing down and boxes stopped dropping right away. It got to the point where three boxes remained. SJ’s box and two more on each side of it. Everyone looked around and wondered whose box would survive. Conveniently the two on the side fell and SJ’s group was spared yet again. “Congratulations my boys, it’s nice to see you finish again.” said the warden. The boys new the drill and got up and were started leave with their escort to go eat. The warden stopped Victoria and spoke, “I’m sorry, you don’t know what’s going on yet do you?”.


“No, I do know” she replied.


“Oh, you do know, that might be problem” he said.


“Yeah it’s a big problem that looks just like you, It’s like a disease needing to be cured” she said.


“I see, well then, continue with the rest of the winners and you will learn a thing or two”. That was the last thing she heard the warden say before she ran to catch up with the others.



Chapter Twelve: Future

Victoria found out the truth of the prison in the same way as the others. She woke up back in a cell, but with SJ, Michael, and David there too. The others looked awake but they laid in bed as if still asleep. Victoria got up and read the wardens rules.


While in bed, SJ thought about what may happen next. He had first hand experience in climb, box game, and hide and seek. He knew Hide and Seek was before climb and box game followed climb. “What could possibly be next?” he thought.

TO BE CONTINUED