Chapter 13: Striking A Deal
Landon got up and unfastened the straps, holding Henry into the chair. Feeling free again, Henry was tempted to take a crack at the Commander, but his curiosity had been pricked, and he wanted to know that classified information Landon had.
'Knowledge is power, after all,' Henry thought.
So he stayed put in the chair.
"Good. Your staying in the chair proves you are no rogue super soldier. Now, you were right. I am indeed one of the few remaining GoWSS subjects. And I assume you are, too. Correct me if I'm wrong."
"You are wrong."
"Oh? What are you then?" Landon asked, a look of surprise rising on his face.
"I'm not a GoWSS subject. This body is, though," Henry answered, stretching his numb body.
"Care to be more precise, Mr. Calvert? I'm not following you here."
"It's simple, Joseph. Prove to me that you are trustworthy, and I'll tell you everything there is to say," Henry said calmly.
"Trust is not something you can give out so fast, Henry. Let me tell you what I can do for you if your explanation is up to my expectations. You can decide on your own future after that. Deal?"
"Sounds reasonable, Joseph. So what exactly 'can' you do for me?" Henry asked, his business instinct kicking in.
"I can spare you from jail, to start. And if what you tell me suits my assessment of the situation, I can offer you a place in the military and a safety status, clearing you of the mandatory blood work for regulation. But that is only if what you tell me satisfies me."
"I couldn't care less for being one of your lackeys, Landon; what I need is some liberty. I have goals of my own I need to prioritize," Henry said sternly, trying to negotiate.
"Listen now, Calvert. You are not getting out of here alive without a military affiliation. That's off the table. But if you don't want to be a soldier, fine. I can arrange for you to become a special agent.
"You'll get the freedom you want but must answer when called for missions. And the training to become a special agent is 'quite' taxing on the mind and body, to say the least.
"Do you even have what it takes?" Landon said, understanding what Henry was trying to do.
If he wanted negotiations, so be it, but he wouldn't concede fully either.
"Give me all you got. If that's what it takes to be free, I'll have it your way. But you have to understand I have a limited lifespan. You understand that, don't you?"
"I do, Henry, and I will have measures taken to extend your lifespan by the amount needed for you to complete the training. But after that, you're on your own.
"You'll have to earn your keep. Keep in mind, though, that is only if you satisfy my criteria for you to leave here at all," Landon said in an authoritarian tone.
"Fine by me. In that case, let's get to it."
Henry then recounted his story to Commander Landon, omitting only his original name. He did not want Landon to dig in too deep in his background.
After a good half hour of talking, Commander Landon finally understood Henry's situation. He now understood why the man could fight so many trained soldiers without dying.
He also knew that, with training, Henry could become a force worth having on his side. So he made some calls.
He led Henry out of the interrogation room and took him to a secure room in the prison.
"Stay here a while. I have matters to attend to before we leave."
"Does that mean I'll be free to go?" Henry asked, hope in his voice.
"We shall go about it as we discussed earlier. I will start arranging your transfer to the special agent training facility. I will also ensure you get transfusions of Tamarain blood so you don't exhaust your own lifespan during your six-month training."
"Woah. Wait a minute. Six months? What kind of training is that?" Henry asked, slightly thrown off by the amount of time needed.
"Six months is nothing, Mr. Calvert. The typical duration of that training program is three years. But your circumstances will permit you to complete it in only 1/6th of the time.
"Consider yourself lucky. Now, I must go. Someone is waiting for me in my office to discuss your matter, and I must now slide this under the metaphorical rug. I'll come back later to bring you to the training facility."
Leaving Henry, Commander Landon walked to his temporary office. Getting there, he saw a man waiting for him outside, but not the one he was expecting.
"Where is Ezekiel?" he coldly asked the man.
"Hello, Commander Landon. My name is Isaac Campbell; I work directly under Mr. Rineback. Unfortunately, he could not meet you, as he had an urgent matter to take care of.
"I'm here in his place, but know I am just as reliable. Now, where is the subject you have discussed with Mr. Rineback?"
"Well, go back to Ezekiel and tell him the matter is over. The man resisted, and we had to put him down. His help is no longer required."
"Should you not let me take a look at his body, anyway? I will need to report my findings to Mr. Rineback after all."
"No. Your business here is done. The man was already taken care of by the military. Goodbye, Mr. Campbell," Landon said coldly, before turning his back to the man entering his office and closing the door behind him.
Poor Isaac had to contact his boss and tell him he had nothing to report. He hoped Mr. Rineback wouldn't crucify him for that.
Inside his office, the Commander waited for the scientist to leave before walking back to the chamber he had left Henry in.
"Come, Henry," Landon said, opening the door to the room.
"Already done? That was quick. Who were you talking to, Joseph?"
"That's none of your concern. Now, let's go. We have some ground to cover to get you to the training facility."
And without further chit-chat, they left the prison behind in a hovering humvee. They travelled for about 2 hours before reaching their destination.
Getting out of the vehicle, Landon stopped and said a few words to Henry.
"I will not be accompanying you inside. The people in charge have already been brought up to speed. No questions will be asked. I hope you don't disappoint me, Henry. I have high hopes for you."
"Thank you, Joseph. I will try to repay all the help you are giving me someday."
And so, with this goodbye, Henry started his six-month training, which he would later recall as six months in hell.
Temporary Haitus
Going on Haitus for a while. Burnout is making 2 books hard. Sry
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone