Hostile Encounter

The savannah skimmed away below as the helicopter sped onwards. Hadrian Torque watched the planes of rugged beauty as they flickered past many metres below him. They weren't what one normally thought of when they envisioned nature, not verdant fields of green and pockets of woodland. This was nature untamed and in it Hadrian found himself admiring the beauty of a land that had staved off the full manipulations of mankind.

Not entirely though.

In the distance an orange glow highlighted the ever stretching horizon. Nowhere escaped war. This was the edge of the Titan Corporations captured territory in Zambia and beyond the front lines, Tanzania. The Chinese influence had long since claimed that country for their ever expanding Empire but their advance had been hindered when their forces had clashed with the armies of both the Titan Corporation and the Free People's Army of Africa. Despite their numbers the Chinese were having difficulty fighting an enemy on two sides.

"ETA ten minutes!" shouted the pilot from the choppers cock pit and Hadrian nodded, checking the machine pistols holstered at his belt and the cloth-wrapped sniper rifle slung across his back. The mercenary patted down the multiple pockets on his jacket, making sure everything was secured. It always was, but he liked to make sure nonetheless. Besides, in his career mistakes meant death and that would be a serious setback.

As the Helicopter approached the borderline Hadrian could make out the shape of the defences and the battles that raged around them. Two dark lines ran parallel to each other across the land and Hadrian knew them to be trenches. The opposing forces must be at a stalemate for the battle to have degenerated into trench warfare, thought Hadrian. No commander enjoyed that kind of fight and Hadrian was sure the Titan Corporation Commanders would be glad to see him. He was, after all, their solution to this bloody debacle.

Before long the helicopter was descending in the midst of the Titan Corporation forward base, barely half a kilometre from the trenches. Hadrian nodded his thanks to the pilot as he gave him the green light to disembark and the mercenary leapt from the side, thudding to the concrete of the landing pad on both feet. He straightened up as an officer, flanked by a pair of soldiers approached him. Hadrian looked over the soldiers of the Titan Corporation and took in their advanced armour plating, painted black and trimmed with a dark blue. They each clasped a top of the line assault rifle and full face helmets with computerized visors hid their features. Hadrian grunted as he privately accepted that they were probably quite formidable foes.

The officer, his helmet tucked into the crook of his arm, stopped in front of Hadrian and looked him up and down with an air of disapproval.

"You're the assassin?" he asked, wrinkling his nose as though smelling something unpleasant.

Hadrian stepped in so that his face was mere inches from the officers. "Mercenary."

"The General is waiting," said the officer stiffly and spun on his heel, "Follow me."

Torque was led across the landing pad as his ride took to the skies once more. He followed the pompous officer into a plain concrete structure branded with the Titan Corporation insignia; an armoured giant with Earth clasped greedily in its hands. He kept in pace slightly behind the officer as he was taken through a maze of branching corridors to a large room which served as the Command Centre of the forward base. The officer guided him to the raised platform at the centre of the room where a group of high ranking echelons stood gathered about a holographic-tactical-display-table, reviewing battle plans and statistics.

"General Garton. The assassin has arrived." reported the officer and Hadrian turned his head slowly to stare at him. The officer ignored him and turned to leave as the General looked up from his plans and dismissed him with a nod. Hadrian's hand shot out and caught the officer’s arm in an iron vice. With a look of shock the officer spun to meet him but Hadrian was faster and spoke first, cutting off whatever remark had risen to the man's tongue.

"I kill people for money, sure, but I wouldn't have to if people like you did their jobs properly,” the officer looked aghast at the mercenary’s words and opened his mouth to retort but Hadrian struck first once again, pinning the officer with a cold stare that said more than words could ever achieve, "And I choose who I kill."

"Leave us Lieutenant Bates," said the General and the officer's face contorted in rage as he broke contact with Hadrian, saluting sharply to his commander and striding away, seething with fury at his humiliation.

Hadrian turned to face the General and a sly smile creased the edges of his lips, "So, who do you need assassinated?"