All men are born equal but become unequal after birth. That is the truth of my country, The People's Unitary Republic. It was founded on 4 core principles. Those are Democracy, Secularism, Socialism, Nationalism. Socialism as a principle was discarded during subsequent right-wing governments. Secularism was just in name, a principle endowed in the constitution.

Everyone played favourites. Democracy was just how people elected political leaders from all spectrums of country. Who were no better than the last person to be in administration. And nationalism, that was the root of every problem. But nonetheless, the country prospered with their always being slaves who would be exploited by their masters. That's just how the world works. So, in truth. Humanity's at fault.

I think, my current condition is a perfect example for that. Tied up and near some guys who want torture for some information that I don't even have!

Damn, these restraints hurt and bag smells really bad. What used to go to these bag? Dirty underwear?

"Lt. Colonel, his this way."

I could hear footsteps. Someone was coming to see me. From the sounds of it, a high ranking military official if I'm to go off the "Lt.Colonel" jig.

"Take off the bag on his head" (Lt. Colonel)

"Yes, sir."

They finally took off the bag. I could see everything. I was in a room. It was looking quite messy. Things were everywhere. Like it had been ransacked. There were 3 doors. There were 4 men and a woman present in the room with me. A man was standing beside me with that ragged bag on his hands. I could see, two other guys through the door on the right side of me. Wait, this is my house. Where's my mom? I was supposed to meet her here.

"Are you okay?" Asked the man infront of me.

"I think so." I replied.

"That's very good. I was quite worried that my men were troubling you. Also I, behalf of my men apologised for coming into your home announced." He said to me.

"And for trashing as well?" I said to him.

"Yes, that as well." He said to me.

"These restraints hurt a lot. Could you please, You know." I said to him while blinking my left eye.

"Oh, Yes. Sorry about those. Just a precaution. Sergeant. Srabon. Cut the restraints"

The man beside me cut my restraints which was a relief for me. So, the man beside is apparently called Srabon. Looking at his face, I wouldn't call that guy a "Srabon". But who's this guy infront of me? By the looks of it, I would say, his the head honcho. I better ask him.

"Who are you again?" I asked him.

"Oh, where's my manners? Let me introduce myself, I am Lieutenant Colonel. Shaun Tripland. Former Commander of the National Ground Defence Force's Army Rangers Wing." He replied.

Woah, The Army Rangers Wing? They were kind of like the army's special forces unit. They were trained by the Ossettian Army Rangers instead of the 22nd Special Recon Squadron.But a few months ago, the entirety of the Army Rangers Wing mutinied against the government. Prompting concerns that Ossettia was trying to destabilise the country. So this guy is their leader.

"You don't have to introduce yourself, I already know who you are. you are Jonathan Vail. 17, this year. Your father is Alan Vail, a staff sergeant in the National Gendermarie Service. His currently stationed at the country's capital. Your mother is Eleanor Vail is a judge at the high court. She's quite well known for her stance against corruption and sympathy for the poor. It's good to know, she didn't perish in the bombing. This country needs more people like her." (Lt. Colonel. Tripland)

Damn, this guy gives a whole new meaning to "know your enemy". I should ask him where my mom is. He probably knows where she is. Or maybe his holding her hostage.

"Where is my mom? She's supposed to be here!" (Jonah)

"Don't worry about her. We told her that you had already been safely evacuated and we evacuated her along with the local populace from this area. So don't worry about anybody getting hurt." (Lt. Colonel. Tripland)

I'm really feeling uncomfortable with this guy now. They really let my mother go? I'm finding that a little hard to swallow. It could be him just lying to me. Villains do that all the time in stories. But are these guys, the good guys instead?

"So are you guys letting me go too?" (Jonah)

"Yes. We will. But only if you co-operate with us. Do you understand?" (Lt. Colonel. Tripland)

"Yes." (Jonah)

"Good. Now, Jonathan, can you please tell me where is Dr. Valentina Zokimosa."

"I'm sorry. But I don't know. She just drove away with those guys with guns."

"But that's not what my men saw. Before she went in the SUV. She turned around to say something to you." (Lt. Colonel. Tripland)

"Yeah. She told me to check on my mom. If she was okay." (Jonah)

"Jonathan, I really want to help you. But you got to tell me the truth."(Lt.Colonel. Tripland)

"But I'm telling the truth.!"(Jonah)

"Then I don't believe you." (Lt. Colonel. Tripland)

Seriously what would I gain from telling lies to people who want to torture me and kill me. There's really

"Jonathan. Tell me, is that woman more important than your patriotic duty to this country?" (Lt. Colonel. Tripland)

Are you really kidding me with that question?

"Not really."(Jonah)

"Then tell me. Where she is." (Lt. Colonel. Tripland)

"For the last fucking time. I DON'T FUCKING KNOW WHERE SHE IS, Sir!" (Jonah)

And just like that his facial posture changed. He was angry. Well, atleast I can happily die knowing I ain't dying a virgin.

At that exact, there was a "boom!" and the floor shuk.

The person behind the Lt. Colonel, took her walkie talkie and started to talk on it.

"Samiul, what's going on? give me a sit rep." She said on it.

"We got bogeies in the air and on the ground. They took out one of our tanks. Ma'am." The person answered.

"Sir, We have to get you out of here immediately." She said to the Lt. Colonel.

"Fine. But we take him. There is nothing more important than getting the doctor's location." (Lt. Colonel. Tripland)

"Yes, sir." She said to him.

"Garda 2, bring the car around! Farsi 5, prepare to provide overwatch for our escape." She said on the walkie talkie.

Srabon took hold of me and walked me to the front door. Everyone rushed to get down. The building I lived in, was 5 stories tall and I lived on the 3rd. With the first 2 floor being a duplex. We rushed down with Srabon having one of his hand on my head and another on my left arm.

[W/N:- MP54 = Heckler & Koch MP5.]

We got down to the lobby. Where there were 5 man who were body armour cladded and armed with MP54.

One of them came forward to the corporal and told her that transport is here.

Just outside the entrance, a armoured vehicle was awaiting. Probably for our escape.

The Lt. Colonel was escorted to the vehicle. But as the doors of the vehicle lowered down. The men inside it started firing. The Lt. Colonel and his 4 escorts including that female corporal fell to the ground backward from the force of the gun shots.

Watching what had unfolded, I looked at Srabon beside me. Blood was running down his head and at a 90 degree angle. He fell to the ground with his blood being spilled like juice through the granite floor.

I looked at his head and I noticed that it had been shot from behind.

I looked behind and the same man who had spoken to the corporal earlier, was pointing down the barrel of his silenced handgun at the same exact position that Srabon stood.

He pointed down his gun and stepped back.

"What's gonna happen, now?" That was the through going my mind.

A few men disembarked from the vehicle. Which was meant to be that, Shaun guy's ride.

Also mine as well. If you consider the situation.

The disembarked men were wearing military outfits with their faces covered with baclavas. They donned MARS rifles. Which were easily recognizable because of their frequent appearances in big budget Hollywood movies.

[W/N:- MARS stands for Multi- purpose Automatic Rifle System. A replacement for the Colt M4 platform.]

They stared down at the Lt. Colonel and murmured something to each other. But they were too far away for me to hear what they were saying. Just then they all in unison shot the Lt. Colonel twice in a row with their side arm.

One of them stared back at me. He walked towards me. He took off his baclava. Allowing me to see his face. And it was Dominique! The same guy that took away the doctor.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

I replied in the positive to his question with a "Yep."

He took out a SAT phone. And called someone on it. He then passed it on to me.

I asked who it was. He replied, " someone who wants to talk to you."

I took it and placed it to my ear. And a voice rang out.

"Yo, Jonah?"

And it was unfortunately, doctor Valentina Zokimosa. The women for whom I was kidnapped and almost tortured for.

"Doc, you know, people aren’t lying when they say your bad company to keep." (Jonah)

"Oh, Jonah. How cruel of you to say that I'm bad company. Do you want me gone that bad? Even though I spend 40 million pounds of "who ever poor chaps pay the taxes" money for your rescue. And most of that was vehicle operations costs " (Dr. Valentina)

40 million pounds for my rescue. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on you.

"But I was the person who got you involved in the first place. And left you to be eaten by wolves. While I ate specially cooked Merchin lobster. So I'm not entirely innocent." (Dr. Valentina)

On other thoughts, fuck this bitch.

"But I couldn't stand the thought of dying for me. Even though, great achievements require great sacrifices. You, Jonah are not a sacrifice. I'm wiling to make. My new overlords, But don't tell them that I told you that. They don't exactly like the sound of "Overlord". Well, back to the topic. I made a bargain with them for your life.” She added.

At that moment, a bullet ricocheted through the lobby. It bounced off the walls and penetrated I nto the back of the one of the undercover soldiers.

“Get Down!” Dominique shouted out to everyone. He tackled me down to the ground. The SAT phone flew out of my hands. “Hello? Jonah, What’s going on? Dominique?”, Dr. Valentina said on the other end of the phone. A bullet then pierced through the phone and that was the end of that phone.

Shit!

Everyone flung into cover as more bullets weight right at us. “Shooters coming down the stairs.” Someone said out loud.

I was behind the counter with Dominique and two other people beside me, while the others took refuge behind the pillar. With the wounded man being dragged into a corner by a fellow comrade. Bullets grazed the walls, the whole lobby was getting shredded with bullets.

Seriously, why did this shit have to happen with me? Well, there’s no point in bitching about it now.

Dominique and the others started firing back from the back. Suddenly, something into my lap. I looked into my lap, to see what it was. I took it into my hands. It was a grenade! The soldier beside me took the grenade from my hands and I looked towards him. He had grey hair but was not so old looking. He smiled and said to me, “I’ll take this, thanks you.” He then hurled the grenade back the counter. “It’s a grenade!” One of the shooters screamed out. A sound of explosion echoed through the lobby. After that explosion and when the smoke cleared, that man and others stood out from the covering and started rapidly firing back.

I sneaked up from my cover to see what’s going on. Dominique and other soldiers acted so much force that the attackers didn’t get the opportunity to respond. Who ever didn’t die from the force of that grenade was mowed down by the rapid fire. The shock of the grenade explosion rendered the attackers shell shocked. 7 men were filled full with lead within a minute

I snuck down. The man beside me crouched back down again. He cleaned the jammed bullet in the cocking mechanism. I stared at him. He took out a magazine out of his ammo pouch and replaced the magazine of his assault rifle. He then looked to me and held out his hand to me to shake.“I don’t think, I have introduced myself. You can call me X.. Nice to meet you, kid” He said to me.

I don’t know how to respond. Should I shake his hand or not? He looks pretty friendly.

Dominique then crouched down as well. “X, no time to be playing around.! Get him to the AFV. We’re getting out of here.” He ordered him.

Dominique slided his rifle down and took out his handgun. He then instructed the soldier besides X, “Cover our tails.” Just then a bullet ripped through the vocal cords of that soldier. The soldier leaned against the counter and put his hands on his neck to stop the bleeding.

X got up and shot the shooter in the head . She was behind the pillar beside the stairwell. “,These guys just keep coming.” More and more soldiers were flowing down the stairs and more were coming through the corridor just down the lobby. 2 of the soldiers on our side were dead. There commander was bleeding out and would certainly. We were pinned down. No way, we would get to the AFV as the living.

Dominique dialled up his communicator, he said through his communicator, “Amir, We could use some support here. Fire up that turret.”

The turret of the AFV infront of us. Turned directly towards us. “Take cover” the communicator said. Realising what was about to happen. Instructed everyone to get down and as said, we laid down the ground. I covered my ears as did everyone other than the people trying to kill us.

Like that, the turret started firing and bullets flowed through the lobby. But It was obvious that they not of the same caliber as a regular assault rifle. The sound of the turrets machine gun fire roared through the whole floor. It was almost like a symphony. My point of view was looking down at the marbel flooring. I could not not do anything but hear. A onslaught waged on. As the crescendo of the melody got louder and louder until a minute later the play was over. Dominique grabbed me and

we made a run for the AFV.

I looked back to see at what had happened to the soldiers. It was like a slaughterhouse. Bodies were everywhere. The pillars and walls were reduced to thin strips of concrete and some bodies were cut open by the turrets fire. Looking at them. Even though, they tried to kill me, i can’t but feel sorry for them. They were my fellow countrymen after all. It was a grotesque scene. Enough to make a normal person vomit but I didn’t feel anything like that.

Everyone reached the AFV and we all boarded it after the back hatch lowered itself..