SQUID

He choked the guard with the garrote. He killed several more of them before he burst through the window and shot them with his gun. He made his way throughout the floors, searching them carefully. Finally he found her: She was tied up to a bed. He freed her but she stabbed him, killing him!


In reality this wasn’t anything more than a training camp. The bullets were blanks, the knife was fake, and the guard was merely acting.


-”You failed and died, again!”

-”Sorry sir, but training just isn’t the same as a real mission”

-”You should have done your homework. The woman was kidnapped but nothing was stopping her from having Stockholm syndrome!”


Ian was angry at himself. He had failed yet another training session. Maybe he wasn’t at his prime anymore. Perhaps if he stayed away from spy duty for a couple days, that would freshen him up and help him get back in shape. He called Miss Catherine:


-”Hello Catherine?

-”Yes, Ian?”

-”Listen, you know that rehabilitation and recreation center in London?”

-”Yes”

-I need you to book me a room there. I really need it”

-”Ok Ian”


Ian went to his home and gathered some stuff that was important to him. He drove all the way to London and went inside.


-”Hello. I am Ian and Miss Catherine booked a room on my behalf here.”

-”Mister Ian! We’re glad to have you here. Here are the keys to your room. Hope you enjoy your stay!”

-”I hope so too”


Ian went to his room and settled. After a couple of days, he already started feeling much better. He was working out, hanging out with other people, and having a good time.


One day, he was working out when suddenly, he felt weird. As if someone was watching him. He stopped his exercise and started looking around. He was punched to the back of the head by a huge, muscular man. Ian and the man immediately began fighting. While fighting, they made their way throughout the entire center!


At some point Ian finally got a chance to beat him. He found a knife in the center’s kitchen, and stabbed him two times, killing him. Ian immediately gathered his stuff and got out of the center, driving all the way to the headquarters of the secret service. He met with the head of the secret service and told him what happened.


The head of the service was pretty shocked about this and he ordered that the body be retrieved and brought to the office to be searched. The body was brought to the office and Ian searched it. He found a walkie-talkie on it. Ian turned it on and heard a voice.


-”Hello? Giannis, did you manage it? Did you kill him?”


Ian did not recognize the voice. He turned the walkie-talkie off and turned to the head of the secret service.


-”Can you find where the signal is coming from? Perhaps we could discover who sent him”

-”We can”


The next day, Ian was informed that the signal came from Japan.


He wasted no time, he packed his suitcase, booked a flight to japan and went there.


Once he arrived, he took a cab to his hotel room. He got out, tipped the taxi driver and walked up the stairs to his hotel room. He poured some whiskey, drank it and opened the Television.


Suddenly, an emergency news report started airing. It was in Japanese. Thankfully, Ian knew that language very well and listened to it:


“We interrupt your programing with a message from the ministry of foreign affairs:


Apparently, two nuclear warheads were stolen from the United States of America hours ago by an unknown party, this could have devastating consequences on the international geopolitical situation”


This shocked Ian.


Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Ian opened it.


-”Can I help you?” said Ian

-”Can we come in?” the men said

-”Of course”


The men went inside and Ian closed the door.


-”So what do you want?”

-”Nothing…”

-”Then what are you here for?”


The men punched Ian and knocked him out!

He was woken up by the guards in a dark, disgusting cell. The walls were black from the mold, and there were cockroaches and rats everywhere. There was also a dirty, stinky toilet.


He was asked to follow the guards, which, under the threat of gunpoint, he did.




As he walked, he looked around the strange, enigmatic building. Then he saw them: the two nuclear warheads. This was the party that had stolen them!


Eventually he was taken to a weird office. Behind the office was a big, red chair that was turned around. Ian thus couldn’t see who was seating on it.


Stroking his white cat, the mysterious figure always looked upon the other members with a type of look that made you feel threatened. He lit a cigar, poured some vodka, and gently hugged the cat. He kissed it on the head and put it down. The cat stopped purring and went to its litter box.


He was a strange creature. Nobody knew how old he was, only that he was born on September 19. The year remained unknown. During World War I, he participated in the Bolshevik revolution and was an operative of the Cheka. He was close friends with Felix Dzerzhinsky.


He later travelled all around the world, visiting the United States, China, Greece, Turkey, Africa, and more places. In America, he worked for various mafia families and gained experience on illegal smuggling, protection and extortion. After World War II broke out, he and other mobsters backed the allied war effort.


After World War 2 was over, he worked various jobs: He was a taxi driver, a waiter, a barber, and he would eventually lay the groundwork for what would become his own organization: SQUID.


With his new organization set up, he backed various revolutions throughout the world: The Greek communists, the cuban revolutionaries and more


And now here he was, physically short but with strong intelligence, he was supreme commander, warlord, number 1 and founder of SQUID.


He finally turned around, revealing an interesting, and somewhat terrifying image. It was an anthropomorphic monkey! He wore a uniform and a golden head of Christ necklace, representing his deep Christian faith.


-”Ian.”

-”How do you know my name?”

-”We’ve known you and been watching you for a long time now”


The monkey drank the vodka and lit and smoked another cigar.


The cat returned to his arms and he gently stroked it and kissed it on the head again.

-”Allow me to introduce myself. I am Comrade Monke. I thought you were assassinated…”
-”This is my second life”

-”Ah yes. You know, a wise writer once said that you only live twice…”


The secretary of Monke, miss Anastasia, then interrupted.


-”Sorry for interrupting you sir, but we’re ready for the launch”

-”Good… good…”


Ian was stressed now.


-”What are you planning Monke?

-”As you may have already figured out, I am about to cause a little war… When the two nuclear warheads have been launched, one at America and one at China, the two will blame each other for the launch, and once they and their respective allies have annihilated each other, we shall see a new power dominating the world…”

-”Why are you doing all this?”

-”Imagine a world without hunger, where everyone will be equal, where classes won’t exist, the rich will not oppress the poor, and the workers will enjoy the fruits of their labor…”

-”And that’s your way of achieving it? War and domination?”

-”I wish there was a peaceful way mister Ian, but unless the big superpowers are destroyed, that dream i just described you will remain a dream… I am not the villain in this story, i do what i must do to fix this corrupt world”


Ian punched the guards and grabbed their guns. Monke hid behind his office along with his cat.


Ian wanted to kill Monke, but he had no time, he had to stop the launch. He went to the control panel and pressed the deactivation button. Next to it was the self-destruction button. He contemplated it, and after thinking, he pressed it.


“Self-destruction in 10 minutes” a robotic voice said.


Monke held his cat, and pressed a button that opened a secret door behind the office.


Monke and his cat, as well as his henchmen, escaped through that door. Ian followed them, wanting to desperately kill Monke. He fired at a couple of his henchmen, killing them.


-”You’re not getting away, you crazy bastard!”

-”You just fired at a couple of innocent working men who were doing their job… Who’s the real crazy one amongst the both of us?” Monke said, took out a gun and fired at Ian, shooting him in the shoulder.


Ian ran away, injured. He stole a jet from the base, and managed to escape before it exploded.

Monke, his cat, Miss Anastasia and the remaining, surviving henchmen also escaped. The base might have been blown up, but the organization remains strong and influential.


Comrade Monke and Ian will return!