Chapter 71: The Bait
" Beep Beep"
An Auto Rickshaw zoomed past a young man standing near the sidewalk. The noises of bikes, cars, cows and of course people, assaulted the ears. The scent of spices drifted into the nose. Dozens of food carts were lined along the streets trying to sell breakfast to the passersby. The vibrant colors of the architecture and the clothes appeased the eyes. This was Pune, one of the largest cities in the western region of India.
The young man was Michael Rodriguez. Michael was in Pune city to recruit his first soldier. He flew in a first-class seat this time since he did not want to fly his own aircraft for nearly 23 hours. When he got to Pune, he was taken back by India. The city seemed so spirited and there were so many people. Michael knew that India had a high population but to see the effect in person was completely different. You could spot ten new people every second if you stood in the city center.
To Michael, India was an unpolished gem. The large population and the weak government was the best combination for him to find hidden talents. In India, he could amass soldiers without having to worry about anything. Of course, Michael did not intend to go too far. He was only here to recruit and train loyal followers. He would never even consider establishing a military base here or trying to take control of India. He already had a list of remote countries that he planned to build his real bases on. But that would only come much later.
Currently, none of Michael's acquaintances would recognize him, since he was using a disguise. He opted for a native look; he changed his skin tone to dark brown and even grew a mustache. Michael had already learned Hindi in his flight to India so he could easily blend in like a native. Perhaps his accent would make him seem like an Indian living overseas but he would be identified as an Indian nevertheless.
Michael's disguise came with a full paper trail. Michael Thomas was born in the state of Kerala and has been living in America for the past 10 years. Interestingly, the Indian passport was one of the easiest and cheapest ones to forge. Michael got a passport and a birth certificate from the dark web for only $10,000. It would cost twice that to get an American or British passport.
Michael hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address of the ex-soldier. Hopefully, the soldier is still living in the same address. Michael's potential candidates were scattered all over India; from the Himalayan mountains in Himachal Pradesh to the tropical backwaters of Kerala. Within fifteen minutes Michael arrived at an Assisted Living Center in the outskirts of Pune City.
The Assisted Living Center was a charity house for disabled people. It looked dilapidated, ready to collapse if a strong storm came through. Michael walked in and waited for someone to greet him.
After several minutes a clerk walked by and spotted Michael." What do you want?"
" I am looking for Vishnu Raj." Michael replied.
" Room 14, Sign in at the register. Maximum 20 minutes for visitors." The clerk replied and walked away.
Michael signed in and found his way to room 14. He knocked on the door and waited nervously.
The door opened and a middle-aged man in a wheelchair greeted Michael. " Who are you?"
Michael recognized Vishnu from the military profile " My name is Michael Thomas; I am looking for Mr. Vishnu Raj"
" That's me, What do you want?" Vishnu replied. He rarely got visitors so he was surprised when someone knocked on the door. The attendants of the facility never knock so he could tell that it was a visitor.
' Vishnu, I have traveled a long way to meet you. I have a proposal for you and I hope you can hear me out." Michael answered.
Vishnu furrowed his eyebrows. He started thinking Michael was some kind of traveling salesman; although Vishnu had no idea why Michael targeted him. Vishnu decided to play along with Michael for a while. " Sure let me change real quick and we can go to the coffee shop next door."
Michael patiently waited outside the room while going over the details from Vishnu's file. Vishnu Raj used to be a Captain of the Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) in the Indian Military. He was one of the best and lead a Company of elite soldiers that handled the riskiest missions. Unfortunately, he was caught in a bomb blast when the enemy ambushed his unit. The shrapnel from the blast destroyed all the nerves in his hips and turned him into a cripple.
The personal notes left on the file by the commanding officers painted a picture of a brave man that took on any challenge; however, presently Michael could only see a broken man that was completely hopeless. Michael hoped that the former captain would get his youthfulness back once his legs were healed.
" Let's go" Vishnu replied as he led Michael to the coffee shop.
" Do you need me to push you?" Michael offered help.
" My hands still work just fine." Vishnu retorted.
Michael was happy to see that Vishnu still had a little bit of fire in him. They entered the coffee shop. Michael ordered two teas and some samosas.
" So, What are you trying to sell me?" Vishnu finally asked.
Michael did not skirt around and dived directly into the main topic. " Vishnu I am forming a private security firm and I am hiring capable soldiers. Would you be interested?"
" Wow, you might be more disabled than me. Can you not see that I am incapable of fighting." Vishnu pointed at his legs.
Michael smiled. " What if I told you that I could heal your legs and let you fight again?"
" Then I would say that you are either a mental patient or god. Most likely the first option." Vishnu replied while laughing.
" So I have a 50% chance huh? That's pretty good. Just pretend like I can heal you for a second. Would you join me?" Michael asked.
Vishnu stopped smiling. " You are definitely a madman. I would not even consider joining you."
"Come on, What do you have to lose?" Michael pushed further.
" Let's see, My pride, dignity and time." Vishnu retorted.
Michael pushed a folder towards Vishnu. " This folder contains the information about the salary and benefits. I will be in town for a week; contact me if you change your mind."
Michael got up and paid the bill. As he was walking out he turned to Vishnu " I hope your Dignity keeps you warm at night and your Pride fills your stomach. You certainly look like you have a lot of time in your hands."
Vishnu watched Michael leave while clutching the folder in his hands.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Red_Tempest
Red_Tempest Thanks for reading.
Hmm, I think that people misunderstood me. The country that Michael currently picked will not be a military base or even the place he establishes an empire. India is merely a place to hire and train talents. In that sense, honestly, any country would have been fine.
The country that Michael establishes military bases on and takes over, has already been decided since day one. It is a very remote country that nobody will pay attention to.
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