“I can't believe we have to do this...”
“It's wrong, but the law is the law and we must obey.”
“But all these poor innocent souls?”
“Well... I just hope heaven's nicer for them than the world we live in now.”
Mark loaded his gun clumsily, attempting to put off the inevitable, but he couldn't put it off forever.
His daughter, Elaine, led the doomed souls out to the woods, before chaining them to a tree.
Mark was tearful as he held the gun towards the chained up mass, “I'm sorry my pretties, I am so sorry.”
A sequence of bullets and cries of pain disturbed the birds in the forestry whilst attracting a group of circling vultures.
“Well darling, I guess we better send the bodies to the JC, for whatever they do with them.” Mark reached for his shovel, still overcome with shock and with teary eyes to show for it.
Elaine merely stood motionless, gazing upon her fallen loved ones.
Mark was about to scoop them into the back of his truck before he heard a nearby rustling; “Who goes there?” he stuttered.
“A life is a life....”
Mark and Elaine began to look frantically around the woodlands to find the source of the voice, before a hooded character came up from behind and put an arm over each of their shoulders.
“....Whether man or beast, a death is a death and a debt must be repaid because of it.”
“But these are neither man nor beast, they are innocent.” Elaine mumbled in her emotional state.
“All the more reason to seek vengeance on who killed them....”
Elaine looked towards her father who began to look frightened; “M...m...me? But I....”
“Yes, I know, you were only doing what you had to do — you're not the real murderer here.”
Mark released his breathe and sat down with his head in his hands, “Vengeance?” he shook his head, “That'll never happen, we're all just pawns in the JC's game.”
“Yes,” the mysterious character lowered their hood to reveal a young girl, “But the pawn always gets the first move.” she smirked.
“The 24th of July, the day Rome burnt.”
“The events that followed British mobster Fat Steve's death were inhumane, followers from the Italian capital seized the opportunity to express their anger at the death of their leader by setting their ancient city on fire.”
“This fire ironically opened the floodgates to allow similar acts of vandalism to occur in other major cities across the globe. Fat Steve's power was somehow overlooked by the feeble public and now, the world bows down, without any other option, to Fat Steve's heir....”
“Shit! Julie, we'll have to end it there, it looks like they're onto us, help me pack up the equipment and lets get the fuck out of here!”
Julie and Nigel were both pirate journalists, reporting what they shouldn't were as all other news stations reported on the propaganda they had been forced to.
They had to keep a low profile, and constantly stay on the go to avoid being caught by the forces.
“Phew that was a close one today” said Nigel as he sipped his Hot Chocolate.
“We're playing a risky game here Nigey, how much longer can we keep this up?”
“Me? Until I die. You? Well.... that's for you to decide.”
Julie turned away as to make it clear se didn't want to discuss the matter any further.
“I think we'll head back to London tomorrow, see if we can sneak into JC Headquarters, are you in?” proposed Nigel.
“Of course.”
Nigel grinned, “It's gonna be an early start then, best get an early nights sleep.”
Julie laughed while shaking her head, “Sleep is for the foolish, we must make our move now.”
Nigel leaped out from under the covers with an even larger grin on his face, “Then let's get this show on the road baby!”
“And how can I help you, Miss Cole?”
“I just need a job, the store I worked in got burnt down in the upheaval and I just need some income.”
“I see....”
“So put me anywhere, I just need to feed my family.” Miss Cole pleaded.
“Well, here at the Job Centre we like to think of ourselves as one big family, and we are very considerate of your situation Miss Cole I assure you.”
“Thankyou Mr..” she gazed at the recruitment officer's name tag, “Thankyou Mr Wright.”
“Think nothing of it ma'am. Now, we would really like to hire someone like you here at the Job Centre, are you married Miss Cole?”
“No, we divorced 2 years ago and I gained full custody of the children.”
Mr Wright sat on the edge of his desk gazing directly at the young lady; “And how many children do you have Miss..”
“Please, call me Jade.” she whispered, somewhat seductively, as she puckered her lips.
Mr Wright beamed, “Come with me, and we can discuss your duties....”
“Is that the last of them?” Elaine had her hands covering her face, avoiding watching her father and the mysterious girl scooping the dead bodies onto his truck.
“All done sweetheart, hop in.” Mark ushered towards the passenger seat which Elaine quickly filled without gazing upon the wreckage that laid heavy in the back.
She turned towards the mystery girl, “Aren't you coming with us?”
“No. I have some business to attend to first, but I'll see you there.”
Mark breathed heavy, “Business? As in....”
“None of yours.” she said, reasonably spitefully.
“Right well... stay safe.”
“You too Mr Nicholson.”
Mark shoved his head out of the window with bulging eyes, “How did you....”
“Oh. She's gone...”
“Daddy?”
“Yes Elaine?” Mark looked close to having a panic attack.
“Who's Mr Nicholson?”
