Chapter First, intro. A Winter Storm Damon Hackle lay on a stained cabin bed. The stains were from vomit and blood. Both belonging to him. He stared at the ceiling blankly. His eyes didn't blink, and they never would ever again. A note was tucked into his breast pocket, carefully void of fingerprints. The author sat next to the body, wiping off the .22 that had made the clean hole in Hackle's forehead. He was from the Whitehall Association, one of their assassins. Hackle, the unlucky one was from Foxtail, one of many warring factions. He was small-time, but it wasn't a tactical assassination, it was just to keep Foxtail on their toes. The assassin got up, made one last check of the room and left. He walked down the corridor and opened the door at the end. He came out to a deck of a boat, lit a cigarette, and leaned against a railing. Then an alarm sounded. The assassin casually walked to the rim of the boat, and slid off into the dark water below. Men armed to, well to and over, the teeth burst out of the door the assassin was just moments earlier. They searched for hours, but our assassin was not one to leave traces. No one had caught Jake Winters before, and they weren't about to start today.
Chapter Second Friendly Negotiations Location: Superior Tactical Asset Recruitment and Training Facility (START) Time: 2:00 AM Sean Bastion was leaning agains the three meter, blast proof wall of one of many Foxtail Tactics Bunkers spread out over the START facility. He was facing a low table surrounded by the hardened faces of politicians and generals belonging to small factions. They were all deep in debate about negotiating rights for their factions by joining themselves to Foxtail. It didn't really matter to Bastion, his job was to make sure no one here so much as stubbed their toe. Under Bastion's watch this Bunker was now probably the safest place in the country. Bastion's pocket started vibrating. He pulled his phone out and examined the screen. Another assassination, another assignment. Many of the lower-ranking Foxtail members had been killed off over the last few weeks. Sniper, knife, poison, the assassins that had been used were obviously Whitehall, but they were good. Foxtail Bridge Management had finally decided to take action. They had sent for START's best, so they had got Bastion. The door to the Tactical Bunker swung open, and Bastion's relief walked in. "If you'll exuse me gentlemen," Bastion saluted, and left. Once outside, he dialled a number. A voice came from the other end of the line, "End the mission. These politicians are getting fed up. While you're at it end them too." Bastion chucked at the joke. He pulled out a button from his breast pocket and pressed. The three meters of wall forming the bunker were enough to contain the explosion, but not the sound. It rolled like thunder over the whole facility. Bastion wore a litttle gleeful smile as he walked away.