Small cinders slowly escaped from the crackling wood fire as Mike poked the logs using a stick. Around him, instead of a place like a forest or anything realistic, there was nothing but an infinite expanse of dark void. Strangely, there was no reflection of the flame or light inside Mike's glassy eyes as he stared at the fire.
[Mike] - "You can't stay here forever. We have to eventually find a way to get you out. "
[Kadyn] - "Why would I want to do that? "
Said Kadyn as she tried to kiss Mike on the cheek.
However, instead of making contact with him, she simply phased through his body and fell against the log they were sitting on.
[Mike] - "Because this is not a place for you to be. "
[Kadyn] - "What kind of place is this then? Why am I here if I can be here? "
[Mike] - "This is a place even I don't understand. The fact that I can think, remember and see means this isn't the bloody afterlife. The fact that you are here confirms my doubt even more since you are not dead. "
Said Mike before letting out a sigh.
Kadyn slowly got up before smiling at Mike as if nothing happened.
[Kadyn] - "Are you not enjoying my company? If this is where you lived during all this time, it must get lonely. "
[Mike] - "I'm quite bloody happy to see you, there is no denying that. However, I know this is no place for a living person.
[Kadyn] - "You know what I'm going to do if I ever get evicted from your little sanctuary here? I'm going to wake up and slice my throat open. Then, I'll join you here and I won't need to leave. "
[Mike] - "As ghosts? Trapped in this bloody place? Ya must've lost ya melon. "
Said Mike as he shook his head.
[Kadyn] - "I'd rather that than whatever I got in real life. At least I get to be with you. "
[Mike] - "No! "
[Kadyn] - "I don't care what you think, Mike! I won't leave you here by yourself for maybe the rest of eternity. We are in this together whether you like it or not! "
Said Kadyn as she grabbed the stick in Mike's hand to get his attention.
[Mike] - "I didn't die so you could be trapped in here with me. I died because I wanted you to go realize your dreams and live the life you deserved. This place and me, it's all pointless! "
Said Mike as he looked at Kadyn with frustration in his eyes.
[Kadyn] - "Dreams... heh! It's called dreams because you really have to be asleep to live in them. "
Said Kadyn in a cynical tone filled with bitter mockery.
Mike raised his regard to see the sadness in Kadyn's eyes. Unlike Mike, the flame and light reflected off her eyes just as they should normally.
[Kadyn] - "I have been naive back then. I'm always acting like a spoiled child, always wanting more. Dreams... promises... a different kind of life... I had to find out the hard way that they meant nothing. You were everything I needed, yet I kept piling demand after demand. "
Said Kadyn with guilt in her voice.
Slowly, Kadyn sat closer to Mike until she was phasing into his ghostly arm.
[Kadyn] - ''Remember that old movie we once watched? I think it was called "Hachi". Just like that poor little thing, I was waiting for you every single day, hoping you would once more walk through that door. Except, I was deceived by that impostor pretending to be you and allowed him to defile and abuse me. "
Said Kadyn in a sad tone.
A silence ensued as Kadyn cried quietly in her hands. As much as Mike tried to comfort her, his hand would simply phase through her solid body.
[Kadyn] - "I thought you were back. I really did. "
Whispered Kadyn before bursting into tears.
The sight of Kadyn's pain touched Mike's heart despite him being nothing more than a ghost.
[Mike] - "I wish I could come back too. I wish I could protect you like before. "
Meanwhile, back in reality, Kadyn's unconscious body remained motionless, confined to a white hospital bed locked within a heavily reinforced room. The rows of machines hooked to her body ensured that she could maintain vital functions while imprisoned in her medically induced coma. To Jagger, she was nothing more than a toy, an object to be admired and used without consideration for feelings or health.
[Jagger] - "I like you better this way. No endless chatter or rebellious phase. Just a silent statue without a will or thoughts. "
Said Jagger as he kissed Kadyn on the forehead.
Now without the need to conceal his identity anymore, Jagger tainted Mike's fiery red hair black with a manbun in the back instead of the previous messy arrangement. This was his true self, this was Jagger, the mastermind behind The Lynching Game, in the flesh.
*In a flashback
"The Lynching Game: A ploy making use of humanity's fear and helplessness in the face of overwhelming odds to force public action against a perceived enemy."
Said Jagger while sat at the host seat of a long table.
On each of the twenty-five seats, a trusted member of Jagger's plot listened to the word of their future emperor. Each knows their role within the upcoming Lynching Game and is ready to commit the necessary actions to ensure Jagger's victory.
Meanwhile, Dane handed a chip to one of his trusted friends who was also a scientist like him. Day after day, Dane would continue to carefully hand sensitive information crucial to exposing Jagger's plot to his trusted friends or those who were seeking to take revenge or take down Jagger's movement.
[Dunkel] - "Why should we keep Doctor Dane around if he is an enemy of our movement? "
[Jagger] - "Dane and others like him must be kept around while cornered because their presence would be more than vital for the Lynching Game to succeed. "
After receiving the information chip, the other scientist quickly left the scene and went back to their previous occupation. While the Lynching Game immediately silenced the vocal critics and apparent opposition, people like those Dane trusted remained hidden. However, they are unaware that they are being silently followed and observed.
"Anyone who came in contact with Dane and our other baits will be marked as a person of interest. Meanwhile, the atmosphere of fear and suspicion will keep anyone with a loud mouth from speaking up and any of these people of interest from going public with their information. Once we've got eyes on all these people of interest, a coordinated strike will be launched, eliminating all these rats within such a short period of time none of them will be able to run, speak or defend themselves. "
[Jack] - "What about our crystal users? "
[Jagger] - "As you are aware, these cyberknights I hired are leagues above the capability of any of our crystal users. Any of our crystal users marked as a person of interest shall be fed into the grinder where they will be sent on a one-way mission to capture the cyberknights. "
[Dunhill] - "What about our endgame, my lord? "
[Jagger] - "The elimination of all people with the desire to oppose us shall be the closure point for the Lynching Game. At the very end, I shall defeat the three cyberknights and use their capture and execution as the final pillar to cement my status as a hero of the Allied Forces and justify my ascension to the throne in front of the common people. Remember who you are serving, all of you, I call the shots. Failure will not be tolerated. "
*Back to the present
Jagger watched from an observation balcony the massive control room below filled with thousands of agents each monitoring up to ten individuals of interest. At the centre of the control room, Dunkel commanded the army of agents performing Jagger's orders.
Time went on as the Lynching Game has so far condemned over three million people to prison and sentenced a few hundred thousand to death. Jagger's tactic made use of the knowledge Mike had acquired by learning of Mao's cultural evolution in the 1970s. A mob riled up by the shock and pain of a massive tragedy can be easily manipulated to exert their anger onto a perceived enemy. However, during all this, said enemy can also blend in and hide within the mob as one of their own.
Although Jagger executed his plan with minimal preparation, he made sure to masterfully solve the aforementioned problem by luring his disguised enemies into a false sense of security. Unsurprisingly, many who were allied with Dane or wanted to expose Jagger's crimes were amongst his most ardent supporters. However, none of them knew Jagger had already secured them in his sight.
[Jagger] - "Athena, tomorrow, the last batch of Blue Guards will be sent your way. Your mission is nearing its end and my goal is approaching completion as well. "
Said Jagger in a grim tone over the phone.
[Athena] - "What exactly is your goal, Mike? If you expect me to continue, I will require some explanation. "
The wind atop the skyscraper sent Athena's long dark hair flowing like waves in the air.
[Jagger] - "When have you learned to question me? "
[Athena] - "When you began acting like you had something to hide from me. You said the previous month was the endgame, yet you postponed it until now. "
Jagger frowned his brows in anger but kept his voice calm.
[Jagger] - "I realized that sending those few Blue Guards last month was a risky move, that's why I told you to not engage. I needed another month for my propaganda ministers to make sure they were forgotten. Now, with them out of the people's memory, their death will make less of an impact. "
[Athena] - "Then what? What happens after I kill them? I killed all those people without knowing why I did it. I'm sick and tired of being fed only shattered pieces of information. I need to see the full picture, Mike! "
Yelled Athena in frustration.
[Jagger] - "All will be revealed soon after you eliminate them. "
Before Athena could answer, Jagger abruptly hung up the phone. In a fit of rage, Athena violently smashed her phone onto the ground before stepping on it.
While Jagger's Lynching Game swept through the last bastions of open opposition, it has been a whole month since Audrey last saw Kadyn during the party. McCree's refusal to reveal any information about Kadyn only kept Audrey and the rest paranoid about her situation.
Audrey spun a knife on the kitchen table. Gradually, the blade came to a halt by pointing its edge at the piece of cake on Audrey's plate. The room felt empty despite Senju, Oltevin and Audrey being present. Audrey looked up and saw the sombre mood on her teammates' faces. Senju simply played with his food while Oltevin chose vodka as his dinner instead of the soup on his plate.
[Audrey] - "There is nothing we can do. "
Said Audrey before tossing the Dane's chip toward her friends.
[Senju] - "What is this? "
[Audrey] - "I think it's fair that you know what is coming for us. After all, it's the end of our road. Go take a look in the other room, I made sure there were no voice recorder or camera in there. "
Although confused, Senju obeyed Audrey's instruction and left the dinner table with the chip.
[Oltevin] - "They want us dead, don't they? We misjudged Mike, it seems. "
Said Oltevin in an ironic tone.
[Audrey] - "They made sure to censor us from the media to remove us without people noticing. God... I should've looked at this information earlier instead of waiting until now. "
Said Audrey with frustration and regret in her voice.
[Oltevin] - "It's not too late to do something about it. "
[Audrey] - "Heh! Aren't you a funny man, Oltevin? "
[Oltevin] - "We still have time to find comrade Kadyn and make our escape if we act now. "
In a fit of anger, Audrey slammed her fist on the table before leaning toward Oltevin.
[Audrey] - "It's too late! There is nothing we can do! Mike's Lynching Game has us cornered. They have eyes on every single corner of the base and if we don't follow their rules, they can just as easily terminate us on the spot or accuse us of being spies for the Empire! "
[Oltevin] - "So you suggest we simply accept the mission tomorrow and die? Who else but us knows comrade Kadyn is in danger? Who else but us knows about Mike's plan? Last month, we were sent on mission to investigate dead comrades who fought against enemy. You saw what enemy did to our comrades, so I don't think we have chance to survive either. "
Yelled Oltevin with a resolute look in his eyes.
[Audrey] - "Then what do you suggest? If you are so good at talking, why don't you find us a plan or something? I saw what Sniper did to my country with my own eyes. If that bastard Mike, a man capable of killing Sniper, wants us dead, what escape do you think we have? "
[Oltevin] - "We fight like men. We do not cry or despair. I go talk to McCree again tonight. "
Upon hearing Oltevin's suggestion, Audrey despairingly allowed herself to collapse back onto her seat.
[Audrey] - "I saw your movie, Oltevin. McCree is a lost cause. He's now like one of those ultra-nationalist protagonist in your movie. Why bother? "
[Oltevin] - "Because he is not a bad person. He's simply misguided. "
Later, after an intense exchange of words between McCree and Oltevin, the clash of ideals finally began to strip away the voice of reason within McCree as he raised his pistol on Oltevin.
[McCree] - "Bullshit! Ya buster are either trying to attempt a coup or are bitter about your gradual irrelevance on media. Either way, I ain't buying any of the shit you are spewing here, partner. "
[Oltevin] - "And you trust Mike over all your comrades? We have never lied to you, we fought together through hell and back, yet you choose to side yourself against us? "
[McCree] - "I chose the side of justice. Mike brought justice to this wounded nation while all of you were just sitting around and letting us do all the dirty work. You have no right to accuse him of anything. "
Yelled McCree as he pushed the hammer on his gun.
[Oltevin] - "So? Are you going to shoot? Put a hole in a comrade who fought side by side with you. Kill like a savage beast. Spill the blood of a comrade all over your face. Let your fellow hyena slap charges of treason on my rotten corpse. "
Said Oltevin with gritted teeth and eyes without fear.
[McCree] - "I've arrested over 200 men and women. I've shot a dozen of them myself. What makes you think you'll get lucky with me? "
Said McCree with the same fearless resolve in his eyes.
[Oltevin] - "I showed you evidence, I tried to make you see reason, yet you refuse to bend. "
Said Oltevin with a disappointed look on his face.
[McCree] - "Ya know what I think of this chip and what Dane is saying? One damn word: Bull-shit! "
Said McCree before snapping the chip in half with his fingers.
[Oltevin] - "Audrey was right. You are lost, comrade. They put your face all over the walls for a reason. You are the new face of a regime based on fear and oppression for a reason. "
[McCree] - "Fuck you! I earned my place here. I did something with my power unlike you. "
Said McCree in a hateful tone.
[Oltevin] - "Can you even be here if not for comrade Kadyn? She guided us as we were still new to crystals. She saved us and stood up for us despite overwhelming odds when she could've died. If not because of her, we would've never survived until today to be arguing here like two bitches in heat. Now, comrade Kadyn is in trouble, yet you don't care. In fact, you never answer us about comrade Kadyn's status because you don't know anything about her either. "
[McCree] - "She's none of our business. She has her own life and Mike is taking care of her. Stay out of other people's business, ya damn creeps! "
Yelled McCree in anger.
[Oltevin] - "Also, you didn't earn this place. I fought with you to defeat that cyberknight. All posters in halls but I never see my name beside yours. We fought every battle as a team. You were not the man who defeated Famine, you were not the man who defeated the KD-assassins and you are especially not the man who solo-defeated enemy cyberknight that day! "
Yelled Oltevin accusingly while pointing at McCree.
[McCree] - "Get out of my office! Don't ever let me see your face again! "
[Oltevin] - "You know that Russian movie I love so much? Well, I believed any of the propaganda. All I ever cared about was the plot and story. It's about the story of three brothers fighting inside an iron coffin in a war they didn't start. I watch movie, not because of what they believe, but because of how they make me feel. "
At that moment, although McCree tried to hide it, Oltevin's words did reach his heart. Without fear, Oltevin gave a few taps on McCree's arm which was still holding the gun against his chest.
[Oltevin] - "If I don't return from mission tomorrow, please, watch this movie one last time at my funeral. This time, see through the propaganda and understand the message common to all men no matter their affiliation. "
Said Oltevin as he deposited a copy of the movie on McCree's desk.
As Oltevin walked toward the exit, he heard McCree throw the movie into the garbage bin. However, Oltevin simply shook his head and left without uttering a word or looking back. As soon as the door shut behind Oltevin, McCree dropped his pistol before letting out a few laboured breaths. As the dust settled, regret filled his heart as he realized what he had done against his friend.
On the other hand, Oltevin began noticing McCree's face everywhere he went inside the base. Ironically, the very person who argued against Russian propaganda became a piece of propaganda for something worse without even realizing it.
To be continued...