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"My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori."
Wilfred Owen
**Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori translates to "It is good and proper to die for your country"**
Well I suppose it was inevitable lol, with the Dangerous Games world that I've created in my mind and become so used to that I would have to base another story in it.
But I've decided to do something that one of my favourite series of books have done - move it into a new age.
Don't worry, some familiar faces will appear, but you won't have to have read the old Dangerous Games stories to be able to read this one.
Enjoy, this is just a teaser!
***************************************
Will Carver glanced out the window in fear.
His old service pistol was tucked into his waistband, none of those damned rioters would get in here.
Athens was a ruin, the riots had seen to that. But no one was quite sure what had started them.
A radical group who claimed that Alexander, the long dead King of Greece, who had been deposed by his brother Spartacus due to his evil ways, still lived, and was coming to rule Greece once more, had begun to protest outside the Palace.
Spartacus, now 75 years old, had advised his son, the now-King of Greece Nicholas, to let the protest continue, since they were not tyrants like Alexander had been.
The protest had continued, but then a much bigger group, supporters of Spartacus who remembered the last great battle that had finally secured the throne, and remembered Alexander's wicked ways, had come to break it up themselves.
They were in their forties now, the breed of new recruits who had been relied upon heavily by both sides in the Civil War, and now retired (those who were still in the army listened to their ruler and kept well away).
The protest became a riot, then a battle as both sides began to gain weapons from the police who tried to break it up.
Nicholas had called in the Hoplites, the elite of the Greek Army, and now heavily-reformed after their supporting of Alexander.
But there was a problem, they were too loyal to Nicholas now, and had crushed the Alexander-supporters without mercy, and only then begun to disarm the pro-Royals, most of whom laid down their weapons without a fight, not willing to try and take on such an elite unit.
The brutality of the Hoplite's actions shocked many Greek people, and Nicholas condemned it. But it was too late, all those who had supported Alexander but kept quiet, or thought that Greece should be a democracy, or anyone who had any argument with the Royal Family, now took to the streets themselves.
And many were armed and dangerous. Greece didn't have many gun laws - the long-lasting Civil War meant that there were too many weapons lying around the country to be controlled.
Now Nicholas and Spartacus were trapped in the Palace, surrounded by the Hoplites, refusing to leave despite having had three anti-tank missiles fired at the building.
The rest of Athens had become a battleground. The only way to put the rebellion down without being accused of favouritism was to call in the Macedonians, long known for their impartiality in such situations.
But they were not known for their humanity, and were ruthless in crushing the rebellions. While fighting running battles with the rebels, they killed many innocent civilians.
And the leader of the Athens Guard. That regiment had come out fighting, ignoring all pleas from Nicholas to remain in their barracks, and were now gunning for the Macedonians.
The TV reports now said that Nicholas and his Hoplites were preparing to fight, and Will believed them. He had been one of Spartacus's "hidden" Hoplites that had been one of the turning points of that final great battle of the Civil War, at Thunder Rift, and knew that the Greek Royals were fighters, not peacemakers.
He glanced back into the room, and saw his twelve year old son, James, and his eight year old daughter, Jessica, sitting on the sofa hugging their mother as they had since the riots began.
They were terrified, and Will knew why. This fighting meant that ordinary people couldn't go onto the street without getting shot at, and danger lurked everywhere. Looters and thieves were having a field day, raiding everywhere, and some soldiers supposed to help put down the riots actually just went from house to house breaking down the doors, murdering the inhabitants in most cases, and taking everything they could carry.
But he had to go out. His son had epilepsy, and needed insulin, and had run out. The chemists had been looted, but he was sure there would still be some there - the looters had gone for the drugs they could sell or would get them high mostly.
That was another problem of the riots - those who had raided chemists and houses of drug dealers to get their drugs had now run out, and were beginning to get desperate.
Will shook his head in despair.
He turned towards the front door, and unlocked it, then slipped out and locked it. He knew his wife, Elizabeth, would have heard him leave, but she knew what he was doing and would comfort the children.
Besides, the chemists was only down the street.
Will drew his pistol, knowing to shoot on sight in this city of evil. He had chosen to go at night, since he didn't want to be seen.
The streetlights had been shot out by all sides, and phone lines had mostly been cut. If it hadn't been for the fact that the electric cables ran underground, and that the power stations were outside of Athens and heavily guarded, he was sure they would have cut the power to every home in Athens.
The darkness was creepy even for a battle-hardened ex-Hoplite like himself, and he shivered. He told himself it was due to the cold, but he knew it wasn't.
He crept slowly down the road, noticing some of the houses in the row were derelict, the stench of blood rising from their smashed windows. He was suddenly glad that his house had double glazing, and strong doors, not to mention of course his pistol and fighting skills.
He saw the chemist ahead, and was amazed that no drug-crazed lowlifes were hanging around.
He went inside, and pulled a torch from his pocket.
Where was it?
He rummaged through the piles of drugs that the raiders had deemed useless, and turned away from the rotting corpse of the owner of the store, murdered trying to defend his livelihood.
Why didn't you run? Will thought unhappily. A store wasn't worth losing your life over. Shops could be rebuilt, but people couldn't be brought back from the dead.
He finally found the insulin, and grabbed a few boxes. You never knew how long this may last.
He had one arm full, carrying the boxes under it, and the other holding his pistol as he emerged from the chemists.
Right into a band of Hoplites, now determined to restore order.
"Halt scum!" The Hoplite officer demanded.
"I'm just getting some insulin for my boy, he needs it for his epilepsy! I used to be a Hoplite myself, I know the law!" Will shouted helplessly.
"Then I expect you know the punishment the King has ordered. Looters are to be shot! And as far as I can see, you are a looter!"
Will watched the team of Hoplites raise their rifles, and prayed silently.
If this were a movie, Nicholas himself would appear to save the day, he thought. But no Royal was coming, and he knew it.
So this is how it ends... he groaned inwardly. But then he saw his family, dead because they were unable to defend themselves, because their father had not returned.
It gave him strength, and he dropped all but one box of the insulin. It would be enough for a week or two for James, and by then the riots should be over.
As the Hoplites fired, he dived towards them, and rolled under their fire.
His first shot killed the officer, and he ran quickly to duck behind a car.
The Hoplites began to round on him, and he yanked the door of the car open, quickly climbing in.
It took him ten seconds to hotwire the car, something he had learnt as a teenager, and that gave the Hoplites time to close.
They were shooting at the car's windows, which were almost completely destroyed now. Luckily the car itself had a bit more protection, and with his head ducked down Will survived.
The car started, and he put his foot on the accelerator, knowing the car was facing in roughly the right direction.
The Hoplites jumped back out of the car's way, and he rose slightly to shoot another two, before steering the car towards his house.
He turned the corner, and dived from the car, leaving it to continue down the street before coming to a halt. He rushed towards his house.
The Hoplites hadn't yet reached the corner, and wouldn't for another few seconds, so they wouldn't know where he had gone, Will's mind raced as he pulled out his keys and began to unlock the door.
He felt guilty for killing those whose job it was to restore order, but he knew it was needed to save his family from the death he had imagined.
But when he opened the door, that thought suddenly became reality.
His family were still sat on the sofa, and TV still on. Their heads were turned towards the kitchen, obviously looking towards the intruders. But their peaceful bodies were covered in blood, and each had been sprayed with bullets, as had the sofa.
Will glanced towards the kitchen, and saw the back door smashed inwards.
He chucked the insulin on the sofa, his mind numb and his body stiff.
He looked at the face of his sweet and innocent daughter, and then into the eyes of his beautiful wife. He glanced at his son, the cheeky grin usually on his face instead showing a look of horror.
Will knelt down infront of them all, and hugged them towards him.
He never heard the intruders behind him, and didn't really care. His family were dead, and with them, his entire will and reason to live.
"Drop your gun, raise your hands in the air and stand up," a voice behind him ordered.
******************************************
Comments appreciated, and more will follow soon.
Thanks!
Chris AKA Nemesis
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori."
Wilfred Owen
**Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori translates to "It is good and proper to die for your country"**
Well I suppose it was inevitable lol, with the Dangerous Games world that I've created in my mind and become so used to that I would have to base another story in it.
But I've decided to do something that one of my favourite series of books have done - move it into a new age.
Don't worry, some familiar faces will appear, but you won't have to have read the old Dangerous Games stories to be able to read this one.
Enjoy, this is just a teaser!
***************************************
Will Carver glanced out the window in fear.
His old service pistol was tucked into his waistband, none of those damned rioters would get in here.
Athens was a ruin, the riots had seen to that. But no one was quite sure what had started them.
A radical group who claimed that Alexander, the long dead King of Greece, who had been deposed by his brother Spartacus due to his evil ways, still lived, and was coming to rule Greece once more, had begun to protest outside the Palace.
Spartacus, now 75 years old, had advised his son, the now-King of Greece Nicholas, to let the protest continue, since they were not tyrants like Alexander had been.
The protest had continued, but then a much bigger group, supporters of Spartacus who remembered the last great battle that had finally secured the throne, and remembered Alexander's wicked ways, had come to break it up themselves.
They were in their forties now, the breed of new recruits who had been relied upon heavily by both sides in the Civil War, and now retired (those who were still in the army listened to their ruler and kept well away).
The protest became a riot, then a battle as both sides began to gain weapons from the police who tried to break it up.
Nicholas had called in the Hoplites, the elite of the Greek Army, and now heavily-reformed after their supporting of Alexander.
But there was a problem, they were too loyal to Nicholas now, and had crushed the Alexander-supporters without mercy, and only then begun to disarm the pro-Royals, most of whom laid down their weapons without a fight, not willing to try and take on such an elite unit.
The brutality of the Hoplite's actions shocked many Greek people, and Nicholas condemned it. But it was too late, all those who had supported Alexander but kept quiet, or thought that Greece should be a democracy, or anyone who had any argument with the Royal Family, now took to the streets themselves.
And many were armed and dangerous. Greece didn't have many gun laws - the long-lasting Civil War meant that there were too many weapons lying around the country to be controlled.
Now Nicholas and Spartacus were trapped in the Palace, surrounded by the Hoplites, refusing to leave despite having had three anti-tank missiles fired at the building.
The rest of Athens had become a battleground. The only way to put the rebellion down without being accused of favouritism was to call in the Macedonians, long known for their impartiality in such situations.
But they were not known for their humanity, and were ruthless in crushing the rebellions. While fighting running battles with the rebels, they killed many innocent civilians.
And the leader of the Athens Guard. That regiment had come out fighting, ignoring all pleas from Nicholas to remain in their barracks, and were now gunning for the Macedonians.
The TV reports now said that Nicholas and his Hoplites were preparing to fight, and Will believed them. He had been one of Spartacus's "hidden" Hoplites that had been one of the turning points of that final great battle of the Civil War, at Thunder Rift, and knew that the Greek Royals were fighters, not peacemakers.
He glanced back into the room, and saw his twelve year old son, James, and his eight year old daughter, Jessica, sitting on the sofa hugging their mother as they had since the riots began.
They were terrified, and Will knew why. This fighting meant that ordinary people couldn't go onto the street without getting shot at, and danger lurked everywhere. Looters and thieves were having a field day, raiding everywhere, and some soldiers supposed to help put down the riots actually just went from house to house breaking down the doors, murdering the inhabitants in most cases, and taking everything they could carry.
But he had to go out. His son had epilepsy, and needed insulin, and had run out. The chemists had been looted, but he was sure there would still be some there - the looters had gone for the drugs they could sell or would get them high mostly.
That was another problem of the riots - those who had raided chemists and houses of drug dealers to get their drugs had now run out, and were beginning to get desperate.
Will shook his head in despair.
He turned towards the front door, and unlocked it, then slipped out and locked it. He knew his wife, Elizabeth, would have heard him leave, but she knew what he was doing and would comfort the children.
Besides, the chemists was only down the street.
Will drew his pistol, knowing to shoot on sight in this city of evil. He had chosen to go at night, since he didn't want to be seen.
The streetlights had been shot out by all sides, and phone lines had mostly been cut. If it hadn't been for the fact that the electric cables ran underground, and that the power stations were outside of Athens and heavily guarded, he was sure they would have cut the power to every home in Athens.
The darkness was creepy even for a battle-hardened ex-Hoplite like himself, and he shivered. He told himself it was due to the cold, but he knew it wasn't.
He crept slowly down the road, noticing some of the houses in the row were derelict, the stench of blood rising from their smashed windows. He was suddenly glad that his house had double glazing, and strong doors, not to mention of course his pistol and fighting skills.
He saw the chemist ahead, and was amazed that no drug-crazed lowlifes were hanging around.
He went inside, and pulled a torch from his pocket.
Where was it?
He rummaged through the piles of drugs that the raiders had deemed useless, and turned away from the rotting corpse of the owner of the store, murdered trying to defend his livelihood.
Why didn't you run? Will thought unhappily. A store wasn't worth losing your life over. Shops could be rebuilt, but people couldn't be brought back from the dead.
He finally found the insulin, and grabbed a few boxes. You never knew how long this may last.
He had one arm full, carrying the boxes under it, and the other holding his pistol as he emerged from the chemists.
Right into a band of Hoplites, now determined to restore order.
"Halt scum!" The Hoplite officer demanded.
"I'm just getting some insulin for my boy, he needs it for his epilepsy! I used to be a Hoplite myself, I know the law!" Will shouted helplessly.
"Then I expect you know the punishment the King has ordered. Looters are to be shot! And as far as I can see, you are a looter!"
Will watched the team of Hoplites raise their rifles, and prayed silently.
If this were a movie, Nicholas himself would appear to save the day, he thought. But no Royal was coming, and he knew it.
So this is how it ends... he groaned inwardly. But then he saw his family, dead because they were unable to defend themselves, because their father had not returned.
It gave him strength, and he dropped all but one box of the insulin. It would be enough for a week or two for James, and by then the riots should be over.
As the Hoplites fired, he dived towards them, and rolled under their fire.
His first shot killed the officer, and he ran quickly to duck behind a car.
The Hoplites began to round on him, and he yanked the door of the car open, quickly climbing in.
It took him ten seconds to hotwire the car, something he had learnt as a teenager, and that gave the Hoplites time to close.
They were shooting at the car's windows, which were almost completely destroyed now. Luckily the car itself had a bit more protection, and with his head ducked down Will survived.
The car started, and he put his foot on the accelerator, knowing the car was facing in roughly the right direction.
The Hoplites jumped back out of the car's way, and he rose slightly to shoot another two, before steering the car towards his house.
He turned the corner, and dived from the car, leaving it to continue down the street before coming to a halt. He rushed towards his house.
The Hoplites hadn't yet reached the corner, and wouldn't for another few seconds, so they wouldn't know where he had gone, Will's mind raced as he pulled out his keys and began to unlock the door.
He felt guilty for killing those whose job it was to restore order, but he knew it was needed to save his family from the death he had imagined.
But when he opened the door, that thought suddenly became reality.
His family were still sat on the sofa, and TV still on. Their heads were turned towards the kitchen, obviously looking towards the intruders. But their peaceful bodies were covered in blood, and each had been sprayed with bullets, as had the sofa.
Will glanced towards the kitchen, and saw the back door smashed inwards.
He chucked the insulin on the sofa, his mind numb and his body stiff.
He looked at the face of his sweet and innocent daughter, and then into the eyes of his beautiful wife. He glanced at his son, the cheeky grin usually on his face instead showing a look of horror.
Will knelt down infront of them all, and hugged them towards him.
He never heard the intruders behind him, and didn't really care. His family were dead, and with them, his entire will and reason to live.
"Drop your gun, raise your hands in the air and stand up," a voice behind him ordered.
******************************************
Comments appreciated, and more will follow soon.
Thanks!
Chris AKA Nemesis
Good stuff, cb.
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