It has been four years since the Australian government began overtly and aggressively cracking down on its citizens. Taxes have increased year on year, and now many businesses, big and small, have closed. Even the major banks were not spared. The economic downturn started slowly with the introduction of the net-zero plan and the new Cold War. This all happened as the government sat back and watched tent cities start to pop up in rural towns, and crime rates skyrocketed. The only areas not affected by the crime were the major cities, such as Melbourne.

Three black cars pulled up in front of Government House as a man and a woman walked towards the entrance.

"Maybe we should consider what Jake was saying this morning," the lady said, before the man replied, "Don't rock the boat, dear. He's only 12 years old. What would he know about what the people of this nation need?"

"He may only be 12, but Jake is our child, and maybe we should consider reducing the taxes on the citizens. It might help reduce the support that has been growing in opposition to the Australian government."

"Dear, just stop. Do you want us to live in one of those tent cities out in the boonies or go live up in those hills with all the inbred farmers?"

"Yeah, you are right, Dan," the lady said with a dejected voice. The man started to open the door to the building, his hand grasping the cold steel. Seconds later, 

BOOM! 

The interior front of the building was gone, in the rubble there was a hand still clutching the door handle, but there was no body attached anymore.

At a private school exclusively for the children of government employees, children were being escorted back to their homes or, like some of the unlucky ones, such as Jake, rounded up and shipped off to one of the government-run orphanages known for their cruelty to the kids they are supposed to be caring for. Four years have passed since the attack on the Melbourne government. Jake had found a place to live. It was in a rundown back alley; it used to be a tattoo shop in its day, but now it is home to some of society's outcasts. In the back corner of the former shop was a portion of the room sectioned off by plastic tarps. This is the current home of Jake Everval and his partner, Mia Cho. Mia was lying on the mattress Jake had bought for the two of them with the money he had saved up from working for a coffee shop located in one of the newly established government facilities that housed the local enforcers.

"Don't leave yet," Mia said in a flirtatious way, her dark hair accentuating her natural curves.

"You know I want to stay, Mia. I just can't. We need money so I can buy you that ring you wanted," Jake said with a look of shame on his face.

"It's okay, my love. I can wait. You don't need to buy it yet."

"I must. I promised you I would, so that is that. I will see you tonight; I will bring back dinner for us, so don't worry about that," Jake said as he closed the plastic flap that was used as a door to his plastic palace.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

As the night was falling, Jake ran home so he would be back before lockdown, a plastic bag in each hand with leftovers he had managed to get from one of the takeaway shops. As he approached his plastic palace, he could hear a strange noise coming from his room. Looking at the floor, he noticed two sets of shoes, one belonging to his fiancée and the other a set of army boots that could only belong to his best friend, Adam. Adam and Jake met in the orphanage before Adam was picked up by a family that had lost their son in the explosion that killed Jake's parents. Jake had reconnected with Adam when Jake started working at his current job. Adam was an enforcer for the government. Jake had told Adam about everything that had happened to him after Adam left the orphanage. Jake, Mia, and Adam would spend time together, just the three of them, going out for dinner. Adam and Jake even went hunting for deer on vacation, as Adam was allowed to do this with government approval. Jake was happy that Adam was here, as he said he would be away on a training exercise for a week. Jake pulled back the flap with a smile, ready to greet his friend. Jake just stood there, his friend and his fiancée naked in his bed.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Adam said, a smile plastered on both of their faces.

"It's okay, husband. He might as well get one last look before you kill him and all of these rats."

Jake dropped the two bags and ran out the back door as fast as he could, his heart pounding, knowing if he stopped or even looked back, he would be dead. Screams and gunfire could be heard that night across the city.

Three years had passed since that night, and Jake found himself fighting in a resistance group based out of the Strzelecki Ranges. The biggest operation that the resistance group had done was in its final phase. Jake's team of five was assigned the task of escorting the prisoner out of the city and back to a safe house, a safe house Jake remembered well. He should; it was once what he called home. Everything was going so smoothly until they got to the safe house.

Bang! A shot was heard before one of his men's heads exploded.

"Contact rear!" Jake's team hit the ground.

"Fuck, boss, we're in deep shit now."

"What is it, trooper?"

"Boss, they've got us surrounded high and low."

Jake took a quick look at the situation and immediately picked up the radio.

"Everval Actual requests immediate Dark Night support." Only static came back over the radio.

"Dark Night, this is Everval Actual, come in," Jake repeated, but all he heard was more static.

"Those fucking assholes have hung us out to dry, boss," the trooper said, frustration evident in his voice.

"Nobody is coming for you, Jake," a voice echoed down the alley, chilling the air.

"Is that you, Adam? I haven't seen you in years. How's your wife? Do you think she'll be up for a bit of rough and tumble like we used to do?" Jake shouted over the gunfire, trying to maintain some sense of bravado in the face of danger. As time passed, Jake found himself with only one trooper left.

"Boss, it's been a blast working for you," the trooper said, his voice resigned. In an instant, tragedy struck as he took a round to the neck, severing his carotid artery. At the same time, Jake was hit by three rounds, one in the shoulder and two in the stomach. He slumped over a stack of pallets, the sounds of gunfire fading into the distance. All that could be heard was the crackling of the radio.

"Everval Actual, hold on, we are coming for you. One minute out, Dark Night Actual."