Sam Nelson stayed up late reviewing the lengthy document sent by this unknown client, and when he looked at the second one, he couldn't take his eyes off the screen.
"Holy shit..." Nelson could see more detailed information about what he had to do first thing in the morning.
He didn't know why the client had requested negotiations with a private security group on several points that didn't make much sense, but since his job wasn't to question his clients, he reclined to regain some energy.
Early in the morning, Nelson woke up, and the first thing he did was drink a cup of coffee before picking up his cellphone to dial a number.
"Who's this?"
"I'm Sam Nelson. You don't know me, but a friend of yours gave me your number to request your security services." Nelson immediately started using keywords to pique the other person's interest on the call.
"Who gave you my number?"
"Sergei Williams. Remember him? You were in the same special forces. I really need to talk to you because I have a job you won't be able to refuse." Nelson said, knowing he had caught the man's attention on the call.
"We'll meet at the general park in Santa Monica Stadium at noon, and I don't want you to be late."
Nelson felt the satisfaction of making contact and said, "Of course, we'll meet there."
...
At the scheduled meeting time, Nelson arrived on time with an envelope in hand. He sat under a tree where there was a black bench and waited patiently. Apart from what he wanted to negotiate, there were other things he needed to show, like the location, images of the surroundings, and the weather.
Due to all these aspects, Nelson needed to have a budget that was initially one million dollars, which was an incredibly large amount for a private security group.
"You're early, Mr. Sam Nelson; a good sign, I'd say, but I didn't sleep much."
Nelson looked up to see a man with tattoos on one side of his face, but knowing the kind of people he would meet today, he quickly said, "Nice to meet you, Mr."
"Call me Stuart."
"So, do you want to know about the job you'll be covering?" Nelson got straight to what needed to be done.
"This first envelope has the documents you'll need to protect. You'll have to stay in that place and prevent anyone not authorized from entering. The initial payment is one million dollars; we'll pay the rest when the job is done."
Stuart looked at the field they were supposed to protect and was quite puzzled. He looked at Nelson and asked, "Is it government-related?"
"I don't have an answer to that question, but you'll see for yourself what's in that place. There's a USB drive in the file I gave you with information I don't know. My boss explicitly mentioned that if you can't do the job, report immediately so we can choose another group."
Nelson, who had fulfilled the initial part of the deal, said, "If you agree, we'll meet at noon at the place you'll protect with your men, and we'll negotiate your requests there."
Stuart looked at the USB drive and saw Nelson walking away. He thought whoever was requesting their services was either part of the government or some private company needing security to guard some of their products.
"I don't care..." Stuart took out his cellphone, attached an adapter, and opened the file on the USB drive, where he found several documents, but he let curiosity take over and opened a video.
Subject: Selection of Stuart Maskell for the Advanced Protection Program
Dear Mr. Stuart Maskell, We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to participate in our advanced protection program. Your experience and skills in private security are highly valued, and we trust that your addition will further strengthen our team-forming efforts for the end of the world.
You and all your trusted members have been selected. A weapon of mass destruction has just been released, which is likely infected by now, and every human carries a virus of mass destruction in their bodies. You and your family will have access to all privileges at our primary base to rebuild tomorrow. Remember, you can bring all your family members and ensure their safety within the walls of the base you'll protect.
We look forward to your commitment and dedication in this new phase. Please let us know your availability to discuss the details and begin the integration process.
Sincerely, The Librarian.]
The monotonous voice of the man speaking stopped, and Stuart was about to believe this was a tasteless joke until he decided to open one of the documents summarizing the effects of a virus perfectly.
In that folder were other very explicit images of the information that was blocked in the news.
"Why should I trust this information?" Stuart looked at the phone number left for him and immediately called it.
"Zz... You're faster than I expected. Well, truth be told, I didn't expect your call."
"Are you my employer?" Stuart asked in a serious tone.
"I wanted to be a very selfish person and never tell anyone about this, but I need special people to save tomorrow, Mr. Stuart. Can I count on you?"
Stuart immediately asked, "Are we all infected?"
"You can test it by killing someone and waiting a certain time to see how the body revives. Of course, you must not damage the brain, and you should consider that each body has its own delay cycle in becoming a walker, very different from others." Dominic's distorted voice, who called himself The Librarian, was not as clear as Stuart wanted.
"The world is about to change, Mr. Stuart. If you choose not to follow me, then use the time you have left to flee far away. Just remember one thing: when chaos begins, everywhere will turn into a place full of infected people."
"What's the difference between choosing to follow you and fleeing?"
"The time. We're running out of time. I've gathered brilliant minds in one place. You just have to defend our refuge. I've selected a special location where the bombs the army will drop when they declare martial law won't fall. If you make a mistake, everything you know will be erased by a bomb."
Dominic, who had immediate control, said, "Don't forget, Mr. Stuart, some people have control."
By the time the call ended, Stuart had immediately stood up and sped away from the place.
At that moment, in the distance, Nelson was watching all of that closely and said, "He looked very desperate. I think you have him where you want him. What do you want me to do now?"
"Come to the designated place. I'll tell you something."