Chapter 2: A fresh, new hell.
Section 4: Mistake.
"Chaos is my home, and I'll make sure you never escape it."
- Elzbieta "Ela" Bosak
-X-
Current time, Iraq, Company academy 8, Siko Weston.
Siko doesn't feel surprised, it's not hard for the company to catch up with him quickly. Especially when his picture is up there in the database.
"I came here to have fun, to try something different," Siko replied, but his answer doesn't really satisfy Elzbieta.
"Oh really," Elzbieta took off her legs and looked closely at Siko, "I heard the attack that happened a while back, it's no coincidence that you ended up here."
"What, you think I am trying to sabotage or something. I am nothing but a trainee here." Siko said calmly, "Anyone could just kill me right now, the company can just hide the truth and let my body rot in the dark."
"Of course, but we are not going to do that," Elzbieta replied, "And by the way, do you have any idea where you are at right now."
"A company training camp?" Siko answered as Elzbieta shakes her head.
"Do you really think that the company would waste money on these refugees outside?" Elzbieta stood up and walked back to stare out the window, "The bribe you gave to the recruiter got him confused. He wasn't speaking perfect English, no one knew how he got the job."
"But that doesn't matter. This is what we call a death camp, I was here once. The recruiter thought that you wanted the best service, which he was right… This is where most of the company funding goes to."
Elzbieta smiled once again after seeing the confusion on Siko's face.
"The people who came here with you are either refugee that have nowhere to go or deserted soldiers that were supposed to be executed."
She then pulled out a contract, it seems to hold Siko's signature.
"The contract you signed when you got here basically makes you a company property. Your life is basically ours."
Elzbieta ripped the paper in half. She then lighted the two pieces of paper in flames with a lighter and tossed them inside the ashtray.
"I bet you didn't read it, the recruiter usually just let you sign the signature and take it away before you get a chance to know the details."
"So why did you burn it." Siko asked, "I could be a huge asset, the company could grab a bunch of stuff out of me."
Elzbieta nodded, "Indeed, but let's just say you are a lot more special than what you may expect." Elzbieta gave him a weird look, which makes Siko even more confused.
"In this death camp, you either die or become a company 'elite' to do missions until you satisfy your debt. Which is one million dollars for everyone."
"Heh, so no one can ever pay back their debts." Siko smiled before he sees Elzbieta shaking her head again.
"No, one person managed to do it," She turned her head towards the window again, seems like she's thinking about something, "And that's me."
Silence took over the room for a few seconds, before Elzbieta continued, "Anyways, we are getting off track."
"If you stay in the camp for a little while, and if you get lucky to make it into the Inferno Squad, you would be close to becoming an elite." Elzbieta said sarcastically, "I don't know much about you, but I don't think it's a good choice to stay here."
"Inferno squad is nothing, this whole academy thingy is just a way to get people to fight for the company for free. We give you training and choose the best ones, then send you out in the war zone to make money." She continued, "So Siko, I'm here to give you another option."
She walked in front of Siko and pulled out another piece of paper, "This is a contract that gets you into the company's higher ranks, all you need to do is to research and make weapons..."
"No, Elzbieta, I think you got my message wrong." Siko didn't hesitate to cut her off, "Let me be a bit more honest with you."
"I am here to kill someone, and I don't want to do it with money. That's why I am no longer sitting in my comfortable chair in the OctoTech building," Siko continued, "I plan to kill the bastard with my own hands."
Elzbieta looks surprised, she probably didn't expect a reply like this.
"I appreciate the fact that you or your boss decided to burn that bullshit contract, plus that offer also sounds sweet, but it's just not for me." Siko stood up, "If you really want me to work for you, give me a position that I can accomplish my own goal at the same time."
"Believe me, I'm tougher than what I appear." Siko continued with confidence.
"Very well, I will report what we said today to the boss. Before I let you go, what's your plan for the next feel days? Your contract is gone already." Elzbieta asked, "It's just a personal question, I am purely curious."
A few minutes later, Iraq, Company academy 8, Elzbieta "Ela" Bosak.
After getting back onto her own jeep, Elzbieta sat quietly on the driver's seat.
"I'm gonna stay here, there is something I plan to figure out before I go anywhere else. Plus, I think the Company is the best place for me to complete my goal anyway. I don't know anyone else around here." She recalls Siko's final answer.
'He's a strange man', Elzbieta thought. She bet no one else in the camp or even the company would say that.
Heh, especially the high ranked idiots.
"Hey, this is Ela." Elzbieta took out her phone, and dialled the contract 'boss': "I've talked to Weston."
"Oh, how did it go?" A man replied on the other side of the call, "Did he accept?"
"No, he denied the offer, but he did mention something interesting. He said he's here for revenge, and he would take a position that allows him to do that."
"Alright… Thanks a lot, Ela, sorry to let you run around in the desert again." The man waited for a while, before replying with a friendly tone.
"Not a problem, boss. Anytime." Elzbieta stopped the call and started the jeep's engine.
The car slowly disappears into the desert as she drives further away, leaving two trails behind as they get covered up slowly by the wind.
Current time, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown.
"Not a problem, boss. Anytime… Beep!" The man closed his phone after the call and threw it onto the desk.
He stood up and slowly walked towards the gigantic window. Outside are yellow buildings heated under the sun. A circle of water surrounds the inner section of the city.
'Welcome to Baghdad!', a big sign glows under the light.
"It's been a long time…" The man took out a cigarette and a lighter. As he lights it up, the spark brightens his youthful face.
"Brother." He mumbled as he stares at the sun. The brightness seems to be melting his eyes.
…