"The animals are hungry. Make him useful-…." A woman's voice shouted in authority as the two topless women dragged the bleeding man out of the private quarters lavished with silk hanging around the bedside and across the room. "Fuck!"

The woman dropped the knife to the floor with a clang and fell to her knees weeping. In the cold room there was no one to lend her a shoulder, it had been that way for over five years since her arrival to Kyrat as a doctor working for an aid organization. Under pretext of an olive branch by Pagan she came with family and all only to be threatened with the death of her loved ones if she didn't do the work she stood up against initially. That was taking charge of Pagan's drug and human trafficking ring.

She crawled up to her bedside table where a picture frame sat and picked it up and looked into it. In the picture, smiling away after a day at the sunny beaches of Miami was her husband, two lovely boys and her, Dr Noore Najjar.

She gently placed her hand onto the picture frame where her boys were, drops of tears fell onto the glass panel of the frame. Noore brought the picture into an embrace as if her sons were the ones right in front of her.

"Just a little longer….. and we'll be together!"


Sabal threw the jug of beverage on the planning table at the wall in a fit of anger. "Who the fuck does she think she is?!"

News had reached them from the scouts and forward observers that Amita's remnant forces had received relief and supplies from the Royal Army and now they were calling themselves the "Mukti Tigers", an armed paramilitary organization dedicated to the protection of civilians under oppression and seeking liberation from traditional boundaries.

The raids were now met with fierce counter attacks that severely damaged the forces within that area, deeming Amita's Tigers to have full reign over the region surrounding Bagdahur all the way till the Rochan Brick Factory. They have begun setting up relief camps for the refugees as well as recruitment camps to source manpower from the refuge seekers. They were now their own organization.

Initially Sabal had intended to weather her forces down with constant attacks till they had no choice but to surrender or face slow torture to the Royal Army interrogators when captured. But the turn of events went out of his expectations, Solomon had even warned him not to leave Amita hanging too long or he'd regret it, and now he did.

"It's not as bad as you think Sabal." A field commander told him.

"Not as bad- Ahahahaha-…. Then tell me how it's not as bad!" The Commander swallowed his saliva.

Amita's break away wasn't just bad for them because they now had two fronts to worry about but, she had broken all affiliation to the Golden Path meaning that after defeating her they wouldn't get the manpower pools from her ranks anymore. The Mukti Tigers stood for something else and the Golden Path was their primary enemy.

"Reports say that the Northern Demon was reported to have been at Baghadur to negotiate the truce with her."

The war council broke into an unsettled argument. Every time Badala was mentioned they recalled the havoc he wrought upon them and made it seem like he was merely playing a game with them. To make matters worse, he was just as dangerous on his own with a knife as he was at the strategizing table. The news that Soren was apparently Badala in disguise spread through the top-tier commanders including Sabal via transmission from the marines during their investigation. To think that he slipped into their ranks and posed as the most potent trump they were intending to use against himself made them feel completely inadequate. What was truly terrifying was that, while in the camp for three weeks since his recruitment he had not killed a single commander in Banapur. The war council hypothesized that the affair with Royal Guard Captain Hamal coming over to Banapur foolishly was also part of his plan in cleaning the ranks of the Kyrati Military while he was here. This theory only added to the terror that the commanders felt in their positions.

On several occasions they requested Sabal to seek a non-aggression pact with the Royal Army at their expense if it meant sparing their lives from that demon while he was here. Sabal's response was to have those commanders that represented their group imprisoned in the dungeons.

The current Golden Path had no defense against Amita or Badala, except for the undamaged ranks reserved by the old guard who swore a vow to only follow Mohan Ghale much to Sabal's annoyance. They would only defend the Golden Path when it was truly in danger of dismantling and wouldn't go on the attack without the presence of Mohan Ghale or Ajay Ghale to lead them. Mohan was found dead at his Homestead decades ago, Ajay was still missing, likely dead too as he was a civilian from the states with no prior experience in the forests of Kyrat that have killed stronger men. In other words, they were of no help.

"Are you sure this "Snow White" fellow the American agent is bringing over can truly solve our problems?" One of the field commanders questioned him.

"From the accounts I've gathered from Willis and Solomon, he's just as powerful but gullible enough at the same time for us to manipulate. Willis has had a good relation with the brat previously so we can make it seem as if his kidnapped friends were taken captive by Pagan. He'll go straight for the head of the serpent and have an inevitable clash with Badala."

The field commanders begun to lighten up. Though underhanded in the way Sabal did things as of recent, he had found a solution to their worries. All they had to concentrate on was to rid that traitor Amita from the picture and establish the Golden Path as the rulers of Pacchim Valley. "Snow White" would contribute greatly when he arrived in a week's time. Willis had made the effort to contact this Brody fellow on the disappearance of his friends upon an invitation by Pagan to his country and how they could "Help" each other out.

Now at they had to worry about was-

"Sabal! Urgent news from the front! The outposts in Shanath and Bagdahur have been attacked and captured!" A messenger came to their doorstep.

"wwWHAATT?!"


"P-Please! Don- (BANG)." Ajay executed the outpost commander after chasing him from the outpost which he abandoned including his men. The Outpost was in flames but was quickly put out by the Condotierri and the locals in the area. Ajay and gang sat at the stairs of the house that acted as the outpost's office waiting for the Royal Army to dispatch sentries to the newly captured outposts. This was already the fifth outpost taken from the Golden Path.

Ajay took these posts to give the Mukti Tigers initial breathing space they needed to fortify and establish themselves in. There was no point if they just had the Stronghold without advanced warning or at least a distance away from the frontline. Somehow a rather, he managed to segregate them from the Golden Path and turn them into a completely different group with different ideals and motives. Not to say they might not rejoin the Golden Path it the circumstances are just right but at least they wouldn't be as cooperative as before. With the definitions made clear in both groups, the people wanting to step up and participate can now discern with group they'd likely want to be in. Sabal's Golden Path represented the continuation of tradition and nurturing of culture, their main enemy is Pagan and all who stand with him. Amita's tigers was a place more forthcoming to women specifically, but they made no gender discrimination. Their goal was to seek change in a stagnant system and way of life. The exact anti-thesis of what the Golden Path now stood for making their enemy quite clear. The Mukti Tigers were not going to contend with the Royal army with the backing of Badala at their side, they won't bite the hand that feeds them.

Ajay took a bite out of his rations to fill his stomach, as he did so he received a message from Saras. Maya had awakened and was recovering quickly, by the time she did she should be able to enjoy the festival. Ajay should just sort out the effects here in Pacchim valley to make a second attempt to raid the North almost impossible without damaging or evading major infrastructure on the way to the bridge or the mountains to the Uttar Region where Pagan, Yuma and Ajay's domains lay.

No response from Perkins yet but he'll get there soon.

Amita had found herself a nice place to settle in her supporters, it was Ajay's second time in Bagdahur, Noore's stronghold. The first was when he personally liberated it, it had a woman's touch to the interior decorations like it was a villa or a castle than a military stronghold in the inner sanctum.

Speaking of Noore, he wondered what he was ever going to do with her. The image of her falling into despair was returning to his memory and was by far the most traumatic for Ajay. "Don't run from life!" The words Maya left for him at the Airport, would it work on her?

Samson noticed the quietness than engulfed Ajay. "Something wrong, boss?"

"We're going to Shanath arena."

"To that colosseum? Didn't think you were that sort who enjoyed blood and gore not done by you!" Ricardo said.

"It's not the fighting I want to see."

"Pack it up. We're leaving." Samson told them as the supply truck carrying the sentry guards had arrived.

The drove for about five minutes until they arrived at the base of Shanath Arena, the place where Noore conducted her blood games. Ajay got out and threw a robe over himself to conceal his appearance and took off his mask.

Ajay went over to pay for tickets to enter the Arena and returned to where Samson was. Only he decided to follow him into the arena as the others weren't so taken to the idea of watching others kill each other, despite their Italian heritage.

Ajay and Samson walked to their seats.

"Boss, what is this really about?" Samson asked him as Ajay's behavior was becoming queer. But Ajay remained quiet as he watched the parapet which the Arena master would come out to and give the crowd a warm welcome.

The crowd cheered as the metal doors down in the arena opened slowly as the person Ajay came to the arena to she made her appearance, flanked by her usual two women in her retinue.

"People of Kyrat! Not in a hundred years has there been a fighting force so fierce, so feared. I have heard your cries! And give you my personal guard!"

The crowd roared with anticipation to the event she had lined up for them. Ajay couldn't care less what was happening in the arena as he watched her the entire session without looking down into the arena.

Her face was as radiant as the day he first laid eyes upon her. Burning with will power, with hope.

What was he hoping to achieve here? To see her face and hope something would pop up in his mind on how to save her from her own despair? She had been holding on to a shining hope that she could save her family if she worked hard, sadly it was a false illusion of hope Pagan set for her. Paul had his way with her family years ago, probably the moment she started working here they were already used and discarded. How do you break the news that the family she sought by committing atrocities to keep alive were long dead?

Ajay raked his head but nothing could pop up. Because in all the scenarios he could think up, she died. If she didn't she'd work to kill Pagan which Ajay wasn't going to allow. No matter what kind of inexcusable evil he committed in the past he didn't want him to die, and certainly not because of her. The only way to stop her would be to end her tortured life quickly. And yet, his heart kept pleading to him to find a way to save her. Because somewhere deep down, he believed the possibility existed.

"Boss! The games over." Samson shook his shoulder.

"Huh?" Ajay looked around to find the arena empty, they were the only ones left in the seats. His mind was so preoccupied that time flew in the arena. Ajay got up from the seat.

"Let's go, Samson." He walked through the exit tunnel back to the outside. Samson followed him quietly trying to figure out what was his intentions of visiting the arena. He had observed him enough to know it was about the other vice-lord but what was it about.

"Samson….." Ajay suddenly called out to him.

"Yes, boss?"

"…. If your family was taken from you and you were forced to work in lines less desirable, but doing it knowing your family could live as you worked. Then on the day of your release, you were told they were long dead… what would you do?"

Samson stood quietly, he somehow figured out Ajay was referring to Noore and quietly thought.

"I'd kill the person responsible, then eat a bullet myself."

"….." It was as he feared. All possibilities led to one single conclusion. No matter how much he wished it not to be true it was going to happen. Ajay's mood had not improved since inside the arena.

-It had to come to this.- He lamented.

As they reached the exterior of the arena, a Royal Army soldier was waiting for them with Ricardo. Night had fallen onto Kyrat, by now there was no one in sight except them.

"Boss, it's for you. He says its urgent."

"The Golden Path-….. The Golden Path have almost overrun Varshakot, Chief De Pleur requests your assistance!" He said gasping for air as he ran up to tell them.

Ajay had second thoughts about helping Paul, after what he had done. Not just to Noore but to all the Kyrati people near him and within his domain he mistreated, bullied, tortured and slowly killed. He was the bleakest scum of the entire army. That was Paul "De Pleur" Harmon, the chief interrogator of the Royal Army.

Ajay hesitated for a second but returned to his rational thoughts, Paul was still part of the Army whether he liked it or not. And he was still in charge of the closest territory to Banapur.

"We'll go."


Varshakot stood silent in the night, the structure wasn't damaged or burning like they would have expected from a stronghold under siege. Ricardo drove the truck to a halt in front of the main gate.

The Condotierri and Hunters alighted the truck and walked towards the gate door.

"This way!" He called out as he went ahead of them.

"Hush!" Samson told the trooper.

Ajay was standing where he came out from the trucks passenger seat staring at the stronghold and sniffed the air. There was not a trace of blood, gunshot residue or explosive mix. This entire set up bled of a trap the moment they entered viewing range of the stronghold. Question was when would they attack?

"Samson, kill him if he doesn't start talking." Ajay gave a crisp order as he donned the mask.

The trooper froze as he realized Ajay had found out too soon, not that his acting was top notch to begin with.

"Yes." It wasn't just Samson but all the other group members had felt it too as they got out of the truck and scanned the stronghold.

Samson beat the soldier mercilessly with Ricardo holding him up as he pummeled the man's face.

"I was forced to! They left me…..(Cough) no choice! They wanted you to enter the stronghold that's all I know!"

"Don't tell me what I already can see, tell me something useful!" Samson demanded.

"P-Paul!-… De Pleur defected to the Golden Path!" Upon hearing that, Ajay walked over and grabbed the soldiers collar and brought his kukri to his neck.

"Repeat the last sentence." With a cold intimidating aura.

"Paul has joined Sabal! (Cough)….. For some kinda deal…. With the spook! I dunno!"

Willis negotiated with Paul to defect?

Ajay ran the knife across the soldier's throat killing him.

"Get in the stronghold!" He ordered as he jogged towards the door.

"Isn't that what they want?!"

"Don't argue with me, get in!" He shouted. The group obediently followed him briskly as they entered the compound.

"It's…. empty?" Ricardo said.

"They're outside, they wanted us to box ourselves into the stronghold! Samson, Bipin! Get searching for things we can use as a barricade against an attack! Luca, call High Command and inform them of our predicament and De Pleur's change of status immediately. We might not be the only place they're attacking tonight!"

""Roger""

"We'll get to it!"

"Anish, Luigi, Ricardo and Stella! Close the doors and get me eyes on the walls, I want a perimeter scan!"

""Yes, boss!""

"Sure thing!"

As they all dispersed to do their individual jobs, Ajay went around searching the houses and shelters within the compound for any hidden traps they may have lay as they expected them to come here. Ajay went to check one more place which was the small jetty by the Stronghold, the place didn't seem tampered. He double checked the particular place just to make sure and then returned to the square.

"Targets spotted, in the South and West! Two hundred on both sides, closing fast on vehicles!" Stella reported.

Samson and Bipin fortified the doors with carts and other debris. Anish placed anti-personnel mines in their blind areas and also by the door if they broke through.

Ajay mounted the wall and could see silhouettes closing in on their location in a bunch.

"Boss, message not sent! Something's jamming the long-range radio!" Luca responded.

"….Of course it is…" Ajay mumbled.

"Watch the gates, that's where they'll likely storm!" Samson called out.

Ajay accessed the situation. The now defected Paul was trying to lure him into the fortress while the Golden Path stormed it. That meant that the fortress was somehow still accessible to the Golden Path or they were confident they couldn't be held at bay. Something was rigged within the Stronghold.

"Get off the walls! We're fighting them in the compound!"

"What?!"

"You serious?!"

"Get down here now!" Ajay commanded. The willingly obliged to his order and dismounted the wall after Anish left a few more traps.

In the centre of the compound was a pagoda raised above ground with compliments of sandbags and ammo crates. Ajay had them assemble there.

"Is this really wise?" Ricardo asked.

"If we run, they'll chase with their vehicles and there'll be no available cover if the truck stops. If we stay they have no choice but to dismount and come over the walls. And those walls, I don't like the feeling."

Ricardo didn't question any further, he trusted his employer's instincts.

Angry shouts and battle-cries could be heard from the other side of the walls. The Condotierri and Hunters raised their weapons at the ready.

(BOOOMM) The wall on the Southern side blew open, sending slabs of bricks flying everywhere.

The Condotierri were left open mouthed, had they stood on the walls they would have been blown to smithereens.

It was just as Ajay had suspected, they laced the wall with explosive to let their guard down when fortifying. The Golden Path was likely going to enter from the breach. Although, if they wanted to kill them they should have laced the entire Stronghold with explosives then they all be blown sky high. Unless they intended to capture them alive, or at least him.

As Ajay had predicted, the Golden Path came pouring through the three-man wide gap in the wall that had been pre-installed. The Condotierri gun down the invaders as they poured through and added to the numbers of corpses littered about the floor. At some point, they threw smoke grenades to conceal the breach to allow them to emerge. They walked through the alleyways and stepped on the trip-mines laid by Anish and Emilio and the alleys exploded into plumes of orange clouds with a slight tremor to the ground. Then, the Golden Path stopped coming through the breach as they feared going in without support, the next attack took Ajay by surprise.

"Incoming!" Stella was the most attentive and heard the whisking cluster bombs about to land.

"Buildings! On the double!" Samson shouted, needless to say with or without his call they'd still run for cover.

(BOBOBOMM)

They split into two groups with Samson manning one and Ajay commanding the other, heading in the opposite directions as the pagoda got bombed out of existence by the mortar barrages. In their respective buildings used as cover, Ajay and Samson had their teams reload and assess their surroundings.

The barrage continued for about ten rounds to force Ajay into cover while they reorganized their troops outside. Then as the barrage stopped, a new threat came through the breach in the form of Royal Army soldiers.

It was quite easy to tell who they were judging by their loose attire despite wearing an Army Uniform. They were De Pleur's soldiers, a particular batch of misfits and cutthroats all grouped into one entity and made to fight and torture the Golden Path. Because they were in the frontlines more often than others, High Command had been lenient on their actions which included extortion, bribery, blackmail, kidnapping. Until the recent power shift by Arjun and the reforms he imposed as the new supreme commander of the Kyrati Military. That included an actual Military Law which all soldiers were now enforced by. Apparently De Pleur's soldiers were less than satisfied with the changes and opted to follow Paul into defection or was it that Paul used this as a means to convince them to follow him. Because if they didn't, they'd most likely face serious consequences from the recently formed Military Provost Unit for all the illegal things they'd done so far.

These troops were slightly better trained and were battle-experienced from fighting the Golden Path on every opportunity they had. But that type of pressure they exerted wasn't as difficult to the Condotierri or the Hunters. Ajay advanced on his own towards the breach and threw a stick or C4 at the arch above the breech-hole in the wall. He detonated the explosive and the wall crumbled down with the desired affect, sealing the wall with rubble instead. Now Paul's troops or the Golden Path fighters needed to climb the rubble as high is the wall to reach the top to enter the compound.

"Oh- Badallaaa! I hope you enjoyed my little surprise!" A spontaneous voice called out over the other side of the wall, most likely Paul's.

"It could have been planned better in my opinion!" Ajay responded as his group laughed with him. Paul grit his teeth on the other side.

"Time to stop playing games! I'll tell you what, surrender and I'll make the accommodations to fair treatment in your cell."

"You're a lousy negotiator, Paul. That doesn't even sound realistic. You sure you were the Chief interrogator for Pagan?" Ajay mocked him once more.

"Hmph! Suit yourself! Blow the gates, climb the walls, overrun that bastard." Paul told his men and the Golden Path fighters assigned to assisting him.

Commands were given by their field officers to converge into the fortress with full force. The invaders roared with intention to overtake and put an end to the demon's reign of terror on them.

Ajay and Samson's groups fought to keep the compounds theirs as more and more invaders came pouring in. It was clear that the numbers weren't four hundred as they had seen before but up to about a thousand.

"They really want you gone now!" Stella told Ajay while they fired out from the window of the house.

"…"

"I don't think we can hold nor find a way to break out of the cornering!" Bipin told him anxiously.

"All of you! With me!" Ajay said as he got out of the house and gunned down three men on the move. The others followed closely behind with him as he went to where Samson and the rest were hold up. Ajay ran past them which confused them.

"Samson, to the well!" He called out to him, Samson got out of the house with the others and followed Ajay to the well.

They assembled around the gazebo with the well that was sheltered and formed a protective ring around it. They laid as suppressive fire onto the invaders that consisted of a mix of Golden Path and Royal Army soldiers loyal to Paul.

Ajay removed the protective covers with the help of Bipin. Then Ajay attached a line leading down the well.

"Head down and swim, there's a tunnel that'll lead to the jetty! Swim out and take a fast craft out of here!" Ajay told them. They now understood what Ajay was getting at, there was a secret passage through the well out of the Stronghold all this while.

"What about you?" Bipin asked.

"They're here for me, so I'll stay. But you guys won't be spared! The General needs to be informed about Paul's treachery."

"I'll stay with you." Bipin insisted.

"Come on." Samson towed him away as the Condotierri climbed down the well one by one.

"Go! Don't stay here!" Ajay shouted as he took over the role of suppressive fire from the Condotierri.

"Ajay!" Bipin was stubbornly refusing.

"GO!"

Bipin tightened his grip around his rifle and grit his teeth. He wanted to stay with Ajay and protect him but Ajay's commands outweighed everything else.

"I'll be waiting for you at the bottom, get down as soon as possible!" He said as he climbed down the rope.

"Sorry, Bipin…." Ajay threw his last stick of C4 at the well and detonated it causing the gazebo to collapse onto the well and bury it. He turned his attention to the invaders and fought his way up the to the walls.

By the time Bipin realized what he had done it was already too late for him to get back up as pieces of rubble dropped down into the well as he floated. "He'll be alright, he always has. But we have a mission to fulfil! Don't disobey it!" Samson told him as he took in a gulp of air before diving underwater. Bipin had no choice in the matter now so he concentrated on the only thing he could do, and that was to escape.

With his mind now unoccupied with the safety of the Condotierri and Hunters Ajay turned his attention to what he did best…

Killing.

Soldiers were now storming the streets looking for him as he climbed the rooftops with the machinegun he took from Luigi and blazed away at the soldiers and fighters. Ajay threw all the smoke grenades he had into the compound turning the place into a fog of war. The invaders now lost visibility to each other now that the place was covered with thick smoke he released from the grenades.

"AAHH!"

"Gurrghh!"

"NoNoNoNo- Arrghh!"

Ajay killed them with his knife in the most painful of ways for the others to hear through the smoke and dread the second they'd be the next to died.

"Shit! This was supposed to be easy!"

"Shut up! You'll give us away!" They quietened down hoping Ajay couldn't find them through the smoke.

(BOOOM) (BOOOM) (BOOOM)

Ajay was no longer on the ground but on the walls, lobbing grenades into the compound and scoring hits with the bunched up men who thought it a good idea to stay together to avoid being killed silently.

By far, the kill count for Ajay was over three hundred with the earlier help from his group. More and more were replacing the losses taken by reinforcements coming through the reopened gates and over the walls.

As his LMG went dry he drew his knife and handgun, blazing away at those who closed in on him. He jumped off the wall and took down a soldier below which he used to dampen the fall and threw his grenade at the others in his squad and vaporizing them.

So far, things were dire but manageable. That was when Ajay underestimated Paul's ability to make sacrifices as he heard the howling bombs approach the compound once more. Ajay wasn't the only one who heard it.

"Sunnovabitch!"

"Paul! You bastard- (BOOOM)"

The cluster bombs rained down upon the troops that were inside the compound with Ajay. Ajay ran towards the still standing house while the shells were raining, but unfortunately he wasn't quick enough as a cluster munition exploded and blew him off his feet and collided into the walls of the workshop.

The concussive force took Ajay's consciousness away from him as he lay against the wall. The last thing he saw was the figures of the soldiers closing in with Paul among them who took the front.

"This should guarantee our entry into the Golden Path."


Perkins walked up the steps towards the house the marines were given to stay, he'd asked around and a guard showed him the way. Leading him to the house.

The guard knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

"One of your companions has returned."

The sound of running steps could be heard from outside and the door flung open. There to answer the door was Stew.

"G-Gregor?!"

"Hey Stew, is David in?" He smiled widely, Stew threw his arms around him and rubbed his head. "You're alive you sunnovabitch!"

"OwOw! Ok!"

"What the hell happened? How did you come back?"

"Is Fredrick here?" Stew's mood darkened, he guessed what Perkin's meant, ever since they returned he had always suspected Grilles but with no proof he could do nothing.

"They're both in the room discussing the next plan of action. Wouldn't he be surprised to see you!" Stew grinned as he walked with him towards the planning room.

Walking along the corridor they met one of Grille's men who had been there when Grille's abandoned him. Before the marine called out he socked him in the throat with a chop from his palm, his shout was cancelled as he leaned against the wall holding his throat. Stew passed his handgun to Perkins because he knew what he was gonna do next.

They reached the door to the planning room, Perkins opened in and raised his gun at the ready.

"That's why I'm sayin-…." In the room were David and Fredrick discussing their strategy with their available options. Fredrick and David turned to the entry. Fredrick instantly froze in disbelief as he never expected Perkins to come out of this alive.

"No- (BAAM) AARRrrrghh!" Perkins shot him in the leg.

"Perkins stop!" His captain called out.

"What's the capital offense for murder and attempted murder of a fellow soldier, huh?!" Perkins pressed the gun to Fredrick's head.

It made it clear to David what Grilles had done.

"Perkins, I say again! Stop!"

"Just do it, you fucking sympathizer!" Grilles taunted him and Perkins whipped him with the gun.

"I just might!"

"Perkins, I understand what probably happened but I want him alive! When we get back, Grilles and those in on it will be put on military trial and that'll be the end of it! Perkins, don't sully a Marine's honor!"

"You call this a marine?! This little fucker?!" It pricked a nerve in his calmness right then.

"I wasn't referring to his." David said composed. Perkins cursed under his breath as he reluctantly withdrew his pistol from Grilles's skull.

At around this time the marines came over to see the commotion and found Perkins was alive, those under his command were elate, those under Grilles turned purple.

David walked over to Grilles where he was sitting. "I've tolerated you enough, what you did was the final straw. Men, take him and those under his command and put them in the Golden Path cells. You can choose to resist, Fredrick. But then I won't fight for your case in the tribunal, so don't push me into any difficult situation or I'll do what Perkins was about to do myself." David warned him in a cold tone. Stew and the others escorted Grilles and his men to the Golden Path dungeons where they were to be put under arrest for the time being.

"(Sigh) Glad you could drop by!" David joked.

"A pleasure!" Perkins said with a grin and they fist bumped.

"So what happened, fill me in." Perkins nodded and sat with him.

He told him of his account after Fredrick murdered a civilian and justified it as protecting their guile when it was pure manslaughter, he spoke up against him and earned his ire. Then, upon escaping Fredrick turned the gun on him and wounded his leg but not killing him to let him get captured alive by the mercenaries there. He was taken captive, then he disclosed what had happened during his imprisonment which was hardly imprisonment but protective custody under Badala's orders. Perkins made sure they were alone when he explained to David but David told him to come with him to forest where they could talk alone. So they travelled a bit before reaching the lonely cliff.

Perkins continued on with how Badala had suspected the marines' predicament through his engagement with David which he confirmed himself. And offered to help them.

"Leave it to you was what he said."

"Mmmm….."

"You should have let me killed Fredrick!"

"That wasn't your responsibility! I don't need you to be the one entering the military court!"

Perkins recalled what Badala said about a cornered rat looking for alternate ways to get off a sinking ship.

"Badala warned me of what you'd do, we'll regret this! He's gonna rat us out to save his own hide."

"Keep surveillance on him and keep him away from the spook, in case he gets any bright ideas."

"Why do you insist on letting him live?!"

"If he dies then what? I'll lose command of his men and perhaps kill them as well for disobeying? Then we'll be down to seven remaining out of the twenty that arrived here!" Perkins found it hard to except.

"He's still an American. And we're still marines, we'll bring them home as we've always done."

"…" Perkins was done arguing, he knew David would never change. He was always a shining example in the way a soldier worked.

"If you had the choice of only bringing back some or none which would you chose?" Perkins tried once more.

"That's not an answer in our doctrine, we'll bring all home or none at all!" David said adamantly.

"(Sigh) You're incorrigible…" Perkins gave up.

"Thanks!" David responded, Perkins laughed dryly.

David changed the subject to the more pressing matters at hand.

"So, how can I contact Badala?"


It had been a day since their arrival to this place, a place called Kyrat. They had been taken against their will while they were going about their daily lives while still trying to cope with the traumatic experience of almost being sold into slavery by the pirates of the lawless Rook Island. They had all been taken by a group of men and stuffed into a van with a bag over their head before driving away to an airport. When they were placed on the seats they found out who was sitting next to one another. It was their old gang. Well, almost. Jason wasn't with them and neither was Keith who went to Stockholm, Sweden seeking therapy for the trauma he endured under a violent homosexual Australian called "Bambi" Buck who worked with the pirates.

The five of them were chained to the walls in a damp cell within a settlement they called the City of Pain. The sound of screaming from pain or rape could be hear almost all the time from outside of the cell, but they were left untouched under that "two-face's" orders. Strangely Oliver and Riley seemed to be the calmest in this situation, having a long chat about unique pot formulas or ways to enhance doping experience. Daisy found their maturity to be quite comforting, this wasn't the first time they'd been taken against their will but they sure grew up fine. The same could not be said for Liza or her current boyfriend/agent who was her former ex.

Liza was still groaning in pain with tears still trickling down while Steven, her ex-turned boyfriend again was more concerned about whining on about how this was the worse day of his life.

After Jason had successfully help them leave the island and return to Los Angeles, they went their separate ways to try and cope. Liza stuck with Jason for a while and then when she had enough she left him to concentrate on her movie career sponsored by her ex which she rekindled the flame with. Daisy was wondering who was really the kid there. It was exactly as that Citra woman said about them to him. Jason had fought with every muscle to bring them off the island safe and sound, he even lost his elder brother because of that for Christ-sake! And that little skank turned her back on him when it was convenient, when Liza spoke about Jason to those terrorists she had the mind to go over and slap her in the face. But even then, she was still her friend for a long time.

"Crying about it won't change anything." She told the couple.

"How do you know?! Have you ever been here?!" Steven was the first to respond as he shouted back at her.

"…"

"Shouldn't have accepted that contract! I knew there was something wrong about that trip to the Himalayas! Damnit, stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Apparently Steven had negotiated a job in Nepal, a photoshoot with Liza up in the mountains, they weren't kidnapped like them but lured here. Daisy snorted at his lamentations, he was an irritating prick but also a pussy. Jason might have been a little bit of an ass but at least he had the courage to stand up for them.

"Staying in the prison is actually safer than venturing out into the wilderness, so we should count out luck right now. Kyrat has all sorts of wild predators and poisonous fauna that could kill you with a whiff of it." Daisy said to comfort them.

"Will we really be alright?" Liza finally stopped crying and asked.

"At least till Jason comes, we're in the safest place we could possibly be right now. From what I know, Kyrat has currently been in a civil war for over twenty over years between its current monarchy and this rebel group called the Golden Path."

"Could we count on the local army spec-ops to rescue us then?" Riley asked.

"Only if they know about us. But from knowledge, I don't think they'd be much help. Kyrat's current monarchy could be described as a dictatorship. Even if they knew about us I don't think they'd waste their time on a bunch of foreigner like us." Daisy reasoned.

"You certainly know a lot about this place, did you travel here before or something?" Said Liza.

"No. But I knew someone who was from here….. once. He was born here but was brought state side by his mom when he was young. (Sigh) She was a real beauty too!" She recalled the gentle face that his mother wore when he brought her over when they were young adults. When she was living in Brooklyn for a short while for studies.

"I wonder where he is now?" The last she heard from him was when his mother was suffering from breast cancer. Was he still in the states or did he return?

"You think he could be here?"

"I don't know, this was before Grant. I haven't been in contact with him for a while."

"Useless…. And the same goes for that Brody fellow! We're here because of him!" Steven accused him for their predicament.

"Shut up! We're all alive because of him so you've got no goddamn right! Nothing!" Riley roared angrily at him for slandering his elder brother.

"At least Jason wouldn't sit there whining about everything and throwing the blame on everyone!" Daisy joined in insulting Steven for his attitude while she laughed.

"Shut up!"

"Whatever. You can sit in the corner and sob all you want, just don't disturb us with your crying at night!" She told him before huddling towards where Oliver and Riley were, Liza did the same to seek comfort in companionship from them.

Daisy looked out the cell window and could see the blanket of stars in the night sky that were like nothing she had even seen, it was absolutely gorgeous. There was nothing like this in the states unless you were in a farm where there wasn't much light pollution too bright to see the night sky. The stars helped calm her thoughts and she fell into a deep slumber, she had not slept since their capture as she was worried for the others' safety this entire time.

She hoped that someone, anyone would save them from this nightmare continued.

They might not all make it out of this alive this time.