07-09-2018, 11:41 PM
18:00 hrs
Melissa City University Campus
Melissa County
Lauchenoiria
Dr Michael Antonin couldn't be said to have had the hardest life of anyone in Lauchenoiria lately, but he hadn't exactly had the easiest either. For a long time, things had been good: he'd risen to become one of Lauchenoiria's most respected national historians, specialising in the differing impact of the 1952 communist revolution on rural and urban areas, with a teaching post at Buttercity University. But then came the Capitalism Referendum, and the allegations that, in the run-up to the referendum, he had displayed a pro-capitalist bias in his lectures and had tried to influence the voting of his students. He'd denied any suggestion of such with the vigour one reserves for allegations which contain some hint of truth, and although no official disciplinary action had been taken, the university had privately advised him that it would be 'advantageous, from a public relations standpoint' for him to move on. And so he'd come here, to Melissa City University, just in time for Chaher to seize power and the country to fall apart. He wouldn't admit to anyone, but every day since he'd awoken to reports of Chaher's coup and the communist takeover he'd spent almost every minute outside of his house or his classes looking over his shoulder: if the supposed conspiracy against communism in Lauchenoiria had a public face, it was him, and he was certain that Chaher and his cronies were simply waiting for the first pretext to have him dragged off with a black bag over his head. As Dr Antonin left his office in in the history department for the day on a summer evening he as usual was scanning his surroundings. But what sent shocks of panic through his body wasn't a sight but a sound: a quick succession of juddering gunshots piercing the air, mere feet away from him. His ears ringing, Antonin was frozen in place, distantly aware of crowds rushing past him and four balaclava-clad figures surrounding him, forcing him to his knees and forcing something over his head, before he felt the butt of a rifle colliding with the back of his head and everything went black
*
18:45
Undisclosed Location
Downtown Melissa City
"You made it!"
Vergum greeted the four assassins and accompanying captive entering the disused building - once a cafe of some kind, if the upturned tables topped with upturned chairs evenly spaced on the floor, faded film posters on the walls, and counter at the room's edge were anything to go by - with a cheerfulness not customary for government operatives greeting four hired killers who'd just carried out a very public abduction.
Swanberg gestured to Antonin, who he and Blunt were holding by the shoulders - the bag still over his head, a gag in his mouth and his hands bound.
"It's done", he said matter-of-factly. Vergum gestured to a closet at the back of the room, which they quickly they quickly stashed the struggling man into.
"So, what's our next move?" Blunt said after she'd locked the door
"Stay put", Vergum responded curtly. "We need to wait for the heat to die down before we get him out of here"
"For how long?" Hardyng interjected, urgency in his voice.
"However long it takes my people to get ready. We're prepping a boat to take Mr Antonin to some out-of-the-way island you're better off not knowing by name where we've got a new identity all set up for him. He'll be made aware of the consequences of trying to disclose his old identity or attempting contact with anyone from his old life. They'll give me the ok once they're in position."
"Do you know how long that'll be?", Blunt inquired.
"I think what we all want to know", Larsson said, clearly tired of waiting for a straight answer, "is when exactly we can get out of a city where everyone's looking for us. You said this was going to be a quick job, get into the campus, make some noise, bag Antonin, make it look government-sanctioned, and get out. Now you're keeping us around, and we wanna know why!"
"Look", Vergum said, "I just need you to wait it out. It won't take long and then -"
He was cut off by the unmistakable sound of glass breaking upstairs. As if on cue, everyone raised their guns, pointing them toward the door at the top of the stairs. A shout was soon audible from behind the door:
"Clear!"
Blunt turned her gun to Vergum
"What did you do?"
More clattering of feet and shouts of
"Clear!" from upstairs.
"I'm sorry", was all Vergum said.
"In position. 1!"
Hardyng glanced toward the closet door, against which Antonin was now banging with his head.
"2!"
All eyes were fixed on the door, in anticipation of what they knew was coming.
"3! Breaching!"
The door was knocked off its hinges and several armed, masked men poured through the opening. The gathered assassins only had a moment to take in the sight however, before they heard metal hitting the ground and tear gas filled the air.
*
2 Hours Earlier
Classified Location
Conternia
A buzz from Donna Barrow's phone alerted her to a incoming message. The number was anonymous, but she knew who it was. The message was short.
"Walker just shot Chaher. He's critical, her whereabouts unknown. Does this affect how we proceed?"
She took a moment to take in the news then responded
"No. Continue as planned. This was never about him"
After sending the message, she typed another.
"By the end of today, this is all Griffith's problem anyway"
Melissa City University Campus
Melissa County
Lauchenoiria
Dr Michael Antonin couldn't be said to have had the hardest life of anyone in Lauchenoiria lately, but he hadn't exactly had the easiest either. For a long time, things had been good: he'd risen to become one of Lauchenoiria's most respected national historians, specialising in the differing impact of the 1952 communist revolution on rural and urban areas, with a teaching post at Buttercity University. But then came the Capitalism Referendum, and the allegations that, in the run-up to the referendum, he had displayed a pro-capitalist bias in his lectures and had tried to influence the voting of his students. He'd denied any suggestion of such with the vigour one reserves for allegations which contain some hint of truth, and although no official disciplinary action had been taken, the university had privately advised him that it would be 'advantageous, from a public relations standpoint' for him to move on. And so he'd come here, to Melissa City University, just in time for Chaher to seize power and the country to fall apart. He wouldn't admit to anyone, but every day since he'd awoken to reports of Chaher's coup and the communist takeover he'd spent almost every minute outside of his house or his classes looking over his shoulder: if the supposed conspiracy against communism in Lauchenoiria had a public face, it was him, and he was certain that Chaher and his cronies were simply waiting for the first pretext to have him dragged off with a black bag over his head. As Dr Antonin left his office in in the history department for the day on a summer evening he as usual was scanning his surroundings. But what sent shocks of panic through his body wasn't a sight but a sound: a quick succession of juddering gunshots piercing the air, mere feet away from him. His ears ringing, Antonin was frozen in place, distantly aware of crowds rushing past him and four balaclava-clad figures surrounding him, forcing him to his knees and forcing something over his head, before he felt the butt of a rifle colliding with the back of his head and everything went black
*
18:45
Undisclosed Location
Downtown Melissa City
"You made it!"
Vergum greeted the four assassins and accompanying captive entering the disused building - once a cafe of some kind, if the upturned tables topped with upturned chairs evenly spaced on the floor, faded film posters on the walls, and counter at the room's edge were anything to go by - with a cheerfulness not customary for government operatives greeting four hired killers who'd just carried out a very public abduction.
Swanberg gestured to Antonin, who he and Blunt were holding by the shoulders - the bag still over his head, a gag in his mouth and his hands bound.
"It's done", he said matter-of-factly. Vergum gestured to a closet at the back of the room, which they quickly they quickly stashed the struggling man into.
"So, what's our next move?" Blunt said after she'd locked the door
"Stay put", Vergum responded curtly. "We need to wait for the heat to die down before we get him out of here"
"For how long?" Hardyng interjected, urgency in his voice.
"However long it takes my people to get ready. We're prepping a boat to take Mr Antonin to some out-of-the-way island you're better off not knowing by name where we've got a new identity all set up for him. He'll be made aware of the consequences of trying to disclose his old identity or attempting contact with anyone from his old life. They'll give me the ok once they're in position."
"Do you know how long that'll be?", Blunt inquired.
"I think what we all want to know", Larsson said, clearly tired of waiting for a straight answer, "is when exactly we can get out of a city where everyone's looking for us. You said this was going to be a quick job, get into the campus, make some noise, bag Antonin, make it look government-sanctioned, and get out. Now you're keeping us around, and we wanna know why!"
"Look", Vergum said, "I just need you to wait it out. It won't take long and then -"
He was cut off by the unmistakable sound of glass breaking upstairs. As if on cue, everyone raised their guns, pointing them toward the door at the top of the stairs. A shout was soon audible from behind the door:
"Clear!"
Blunt turned her gun to Vergum
"What did you do?"
More clattering of feet and shouts of
"Clear!" from upstairs.
"I'm sorry", was all Vergum said.
"In position. 1!"
Hardyng glanced toward the closet door, against which Antonin was now banging with his head.
"2!"
All eyes were fixed on the door, in anticipation of what they knew was coming.
"3! Breaching!"
The door was knocked off its hinges and several armed, masked men poured through the opening. The gathered assassins only had a moment to take in the sight however, before they heard metal hitting the ground and tear gas filled the air.
*
2 Hours Earlier
Classified Location
Conternia
A buzz from Donna Barrow's phone alerted her to a incoming message. The number was anonymous, but she knew who it was. The message was short.
"Walker just shot Chaher. He's critical, her whereabouts unknown. Does this affect how we proceed?"
She took a moment to take in the news then responded
"No. Continue as planned. This was never about him"
After sending the message, she typed another.
"By the end of today, this is all Griffith's problem anyway"
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