Talow stood reading the task he had been given. It had come from the general of the battalions and recruiting so he couldn't object. He read the scrawled out message again:

Task #1: Thursday, August 3 ****
Recruit 003579-Dains

You are to report to the prison-holds this afternoon for your task of executing the captured victims from the villages of Dains and of the Bellator boy captured one day after. Failure to comply will result in serious penalty including but not restricted to:
Demotion
Reassigned
Imprisoned
Death

Talow swallowed as he pushed open the large doors, behind were the prison-holds. The air held a stench of sweat and blood that lingered in one's throat. He forced himself not to gag as he walked towards the three soldiers standing around a large desk. The desk was occupied by a large man who was giving one boy the death stare.
“You brought this upon yourself, failure to follow the rules has its consequences.” The man's fingers were inched towards a drawer in the desk, the boy in question watched silently. “Do you remember what it was you did?” The man sat forward, a wicked grin on his face. The boy was sweating but made no move to wipe his brow. “Speak!” He jolted and like a machine began to talk.
“I refused to follow my battalion into battle, leaving my brothers to the mercy of the Bellators.” His mouth clamped shut when he was done.
“Exactly.” The man at the desk had a look in his eye like a savage beast with its prey pinned under it. “And you know why I have to punish you for this. If everyone started abandoning mission we would have lost years ago. Is that what you want! To be ruled by self-loving Bellators! Well do you?” The man's face had turned red with rage as he leaned across the desk to shout in the traitor's face.
“No...I...um..” He was silenced by the man as he stood and gripped him by the throat.
“I new you were a rat the day you were recruited.” He dropped him to the ground. “Take him away, I'll deal with him later.” Two of the soldiers who had been standing behind the boy now came forward and grabbed him by the arms. His shouts and pleading could be heard as he was dragged down the hall. Talow watched them leave and was having second thoughts about this when the man noticed him.
“Quit cowering and get over here before I do the same to you.” Talow obeyed and stood before the man, handing his paper over. The man read it and sank back into his chair.
“So, you got the guts to do this or are you going to chicken out like most of them?” Talow didn't say a word as the man walked around the desk and lead him down the same hall the soldiers had vanished down. Talow could see people locked behind bars, dirty and sad-looking as he passed keeping close to the officer. When they reach cell 23 Talow could see the villagers from Dains watching him as the door was unlocked. They backed into the corner as the officer entered the cell and grabbed a thin man with bloody nails and a bruise on his cheek. He dropped him in-front of Talow.
“Your choice. We can do this the quick way or we can drag it out.” He pulled from his belt a small gun and a club with nails poking out of it. Talow looked from the weapons to the man who was watching the floor, not meeting his eyes. Talow picked the gun, checking how many rounds it had left. One. Just enough to finish the job. He saw the officer watching him, waiting for him to pull the trigger and end this mans life in full view of the others. Talow knew this man which made all so much harder. As he aimed the gun and steadied his shaking finger on the trigger Talow was about to bury the bullet in the man's head when a shout from down the hall forced him to jerk his hand and shoot the floor next to the man. The officer spun on his heel and stormed down the small ahllway, stopping at a cell containing one person. The boy who had attacked Talow in the clearing. The man said something to him before he started walking back to his desk to fins another bullet.

Talow took this opportunity to run down the hall and stop at the cell.
“Why did you do that?” He asked the boy behind the bars. The boy leaned casually against the wall, examining his nails.
“Do what?”
“Stop me from shooting that villager.” Talow was growing impatient knowing that his time was running out.
“I know you don't like killing, it's written all over your face.” The boy came closer. “You want to get out of here?” Talow nodded eagerly. “Next chance you get out of this place find the main road until you reach a place with two alley ways. Take the second, it'll lead you the jungle.” Talow made a mental note of what he was told.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Think of it as a favour.” Talow took a step back from him and started to turn away.
“Thank you...um..” He didn't even know his name to thank him properly.
“Name's Raza, now get out of here.” Raza shooed him away as the officer started coming back down the hall.

Talow found the entrance to HQ easy enough, it was getting out that would cause some problems. He waited around until he saw someone he knew.
“Nico, Cyle!”
“Hey Talow, what's up?” They stopped to talk to him, moving to a wall where they wouldn't be in the way.
“I was wondering if you guys could get the guards to open the doors since you've both got more seniority then me. I think I dropped something outside when we were coming back.” Cyle and Nico exchanged looks, not quite believing his story but they helped him anyway. When Talow was far enough away, he started to follow the directions Raza had given him, sure enough he found himself at the edge of the jungle. All he had to do was dive in there and he'd be home free, but should he? Talow looked back at the city noticing the line of men coming down the main road. He still held the plans under his jacket and he knew they were looking for him. Were they after the plans? Did they know he had escaped? All thinking came to late as UFS soldiers found him. Maybe if he talked to them they would see it from his point of view. He had the plans, all he had to do was show them.