Chapter 7: Inside

*Nikto*

*As far back as I can remember, I've always been resourceful. Even before joining Scavenger, I grew up in what the Federation called a dissident world. High military presence, low standard of living even by Amadorian standards, constant risk of attacks – life in Firiyaze is far from rosy. I lived day by day, stealing food from everywhere, even the lousy rations the army distributed during peacekeeping missions were worth taking. I envied the kids going to school; to me, they didn't know what real life was. My existence was hard, not even poverty can end it. One day, as I was preparing to rob a small store with a makeshift knife, the police conducted a heavy raid in the area. The intervention team neutralized all of us. Unluckily for me, there was a major drug deal happening right there, and I got swept up in the mess. There were investigations, the cops knew I had nothing to do with it, but it was one arrest too many, so the judge declared...*

- Prison or the army.

*My answer was obvious.*

- Prison.

*Even before arriving on Amadori, the first thing I looked at was the crime rate. Outside of social problems, Amadorians have a big issue with crime. The drug trade generates billions in revenue each year, and illicit products flood the streets by the millions. The lives of millions of young people are destroyed in the name of profit and personal well-being. Today, it's part of everyday life; people here are so used to it that they've come to accept it. But where I come from, it's unacceptable. The police in Firiyaze don't mess around with drug trafficking. But here, it's a real joke.*

- Have a good day, ma'am. *He said.*

*Life in Mexico is dangerous. You can get killed for looking at the wrong person, exactly the kind of place where I grew up. But currently, my job was simple; I was in a complex where I brought in crates filled with military weapons. I was in a suit and tie, wearing pants. At first glance, I wasn't armed.*

- That's heavy artillery you've got there. *He said looking at my chest*. Remind me why the Yakuza deals with us again?

- I'm not Yakuza.

- If you say so.

*He pointed his rifle at me. Not that I was scared, but his reaction was quite predictable. I looked at him without flinching, and he smiled. He then lowered his weapon, and we exchanged a handshake. He paid me 50% in cash and the other 50% in drugs.*

- It was a pleasure. *I told him with a smile.*

*That very night, I was attacked at my hotel by a group of mercenaries. All well-armed, tactical vests, assault rifles, the works, there were even some cops, but they were all amateurs. I blew up the apartment where I was staying, and they all stayed there. The others fled before searching the surroundings; they returned to their vehicle. The first two exploded, and the last one had its tires punctured. Thanks to White Star, I could identify who was in which vehicle, so I kept alive the important people. After an old-school torture session, they finally confessed who had sent them. That night, the chief of police, along with two lieutenants and about thirty Sicarios, died in strange circumstances. By leaving my client alive, I sent him a message: next time, I would kill him, his entire family, and his entire empire. He better be on good terms with me. I decided to leave Mexico for Colombia. Another country plagued by drugs and corruption. But in the midst of all the chaos, there are also good cops, people who just want things to stop. I don't have the soul of a vigilante, but I'm not indifferent to people's pain. So, I decided to lend a hand.*

- Are you working for the DEA? *The police officer asked me.*

- Let's say I lend a hand from time to time. And no, do I look American to you?

*Drugs are just a concentration of chemical substances, input these substances into Firiyaze's database, and it becomes possible to detect them using a tracking drone. I don't have one on hand, so I asked Gael to retrofit the "Jubile", which positioned itself in orbit. Thanks to that, we isolated the signature of each drug depot in South America, not just for cocaine but also for marijuana, LSD, crystal, and so on. Out of kindness, I gave the coordinates to both the Colombian army and the police, so there's no jealousy. It was the biggest massive anti-drug raid since their famous Pablo Escobar. That country is now rid of half its drug labs. In exchange, they paid me with weapons, equipment, and more.*

- Thank you very much, Mrs. Serizawa. I don't know who your boss is, but tell him that we thank him a lot.

- I won't forget to tell him, of course.

*I think that if the fight against drugs is so ineffective on Amadori, it's partly due to the corruption of the states; then there are the media. In Amadori, we know everything about the police's functioning just by watching TV. Criminals see the gadgets they use and all the procedures they apply, so they can innovate accordingly. In Firiyaze, make a report on the police without authorization, and you'll be charged with high treason. Vivilians don't know how military operate. Like my father used to say.*

- Thieves have always been the smartest no matter the time period.

*And he was right. In two weeks, I had gone through all the countries in the southern part of the continent, known as Nil. Like the river that crosses Africa, I traversed the continent, circulating contraband goods. Sometimes drugs, sometimes weapons, sometimes both. I remember when I chose to go to prison instead of joining the army.*

- Welcome to hell. *The drill sergeant shouted.*

*I still ended up in boot camp. I was completely illiterate at the time, but the army made me take classes for a year, to make sure I retained everything; they even implanted nanites in my brain to accelerate my thinking ability. That's where I discovered my hidden talent, negotiation.*

- Hey... Hey... Are you Private Nojiko?

*I was deployed to a dissident world with my comrades. A planet where it rained all the time, and it was easy to get sick. Despite all the Federation's equipment, some vaccines arrived late, or some equipment was only half operational. That's where I intervened.*

- Depends on who's asking?

- I need a battery for my Jammer. Can you get me one?

*Despite all the logistical mess, I always managed to get my hand on what others didn't have. I remember on my second deployment; I even had a missile hidden under my tent. It might still be there, I think. Few unsold*

- What do you give me in exchange?

*Cash, a ticket for the officers' mess, ammo shortages, cinema tickets – I turned the base into a trading post. The soldiers deployed with me called me the "Jack-of-all-trades," and the camp marines called me the Human Pacemaker because without me, they were screwed. One day, while playing cards with the girls, a guy entered the tent. The smoke from my cigarette prevented me from seeing behind the curtain.*

- Corporal Doyle Nojiko?

- It's Nojiko Doyle, you jerk. *I said, standing up.*

*I put down my cards and turned in his direction. Removing the curtain, I saw him, with his eyes half closed and his creepy gaze; I had never seen him at the camp before, and he intrigued me. He was just wearing a T-shirt, so no rank, but I understood that he was an officer.*

- Sorry, my... Lieutenant?

- Major, but it doesn't matter. *He said, crossing his arms.* My team is going on a mission, but we need gear. I was told you could get me that.

- Depends on what you need.

*He showed me the shopping list. It was written in large letters.*

- YOU.

*On Amadori, business continued; I now had an organization, both legal and illegal. I can't help but say that I could have turned out this way if the police hadn't arrested me that day. Nevertheless, crime is really low in most worlds in Firiyaze. That day I was in the middle of a deal, alone with a truck full of merchandise, nothing too harmful, just luxury goods from Europe.*

- So, you're the famous Nil. You transport anything and everything, as they say.

- As long as it's within my capabilities, I can even sell your brother.

*The man chuckled lightly and then smoked his cigar.*

- And did you come alone? What's stopping me from putting a hole in your head right now?

- You can try. But in that case, your son Hector will end up rekt. *I told him.*

*He raised an eyebrow as I showed him, thanks to my smartphone, a video of his son training for a race.*

- Do you have a drone?

- And a team ready to kill all your men if necessary. But in this scenario, your son will be my first victim.

- You dare to threaten me.

- You started it, Cotrina.

*His men raised their guns and pointed them at me. Suddenly, a whole armed group appeared, even rising from the ground. They had been hiding there before the deal, covered in grass and camouflage. I learned from my mistakes, never come alone, so I hired some muscle for this job. Ex-Mexican and Brazilian special forces, contractors in short. Cotrina laughed and caressed his bald head; then we exchanged a handshake.*

- Anyway, I like when deals are honest.

- Me too, sir. *I said with a smirk.* Me too.

*I remember a dissident during my first deployment. My rifle had run out of energy, and I was in a house. The dissident had me in his sights, but instead of killing me, he put down his weapon and clenched his fists.*

- Come on, bitch. I'll fix you up quickly.

- You want to settle this hand to hand?

*Big mistake. Even before joining the army, I was already quite a brawler. During military training, the guys nicknamed me "The Fury" because I always took hand-to-hand combat seriously. If you look for trouble, you'll find it. The poor guy ended up with a broken collarbone, a fractured skull, a broken jaw.*

- Damn, he's not the same guy at all. *My sergeant had said.*

*It happened just before I joined the Scavengers, but I guess Gaines needed my other qualities, not that one.*

- From now on, you are Cipher 06. Until you get your shot, you stay here.

- shot?

- Ted, make sure she doesn't leave.

*The first thing Ted said to me when we met was.*

- Snipers always aim for the tallest in a group to make sure to hit the target. So, be careful Tall Lady.

*I was a head taller than him; I don't know if it was an affectionate gesture or a way to make fun of me, but we haven't parted ways since. Today, I'm a full-fledged member of the team. And I find myself playing.*

*Name: Nojiko "Nikto" Doyle *

*Code name: Cipher 04*

*Rank: Sergeant 1st class*

*Role: Analyst, Data collection, Information gathering, Expert in close combat and hand-to-hand combat*

*Civil qualification: Expert in negotiation and marketing. Mechanical engineering degree.*

*Returning to my apartment, I received a call from Gaines immediately. If I were paranoid, I'd say he's watching me.*

- You've attracted attention. Your old habits are resurfacing.

- I've got it under control, don't worry. Right now, I'm in Brazil to relax. Beach, sand, football.

- I know. How about creating your network?

- Already done, don't worry.

*I hung up my smartphone and put on my sunglasses.*

- Who was that? *Diaz asked.*

- My ex.

*And now all I have to do is enjoy my two weeks of vacation on the beaches of Rio.*

*End of the chapter.*