**Author:** Sully **You Can Find Me At:** u/2ully --- Chants and screams battled for dominance in the air, trying to overpower the roar of the facility's sirens which blasted over the PA system. Riccardo wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and looked down at the horde of emaciated rioters, men, women, children, all gathered at the gate of the Synseco Agritech facility in Egypt, protesting the hoarding of their facility's produce and the corporate occupation of their Of course he had many days like this before, even before he joined 4-Sec, Synseco's very own private army. In his old home, the heat basket now known as former Italy, the military had deployed him several times across the country as part of operations to quell food riots. His experience and the contacts he made as a former soldier were instrumental In landing his employment with Synseco after the collapse of Italy. Employment by Synseco was a role many no-pats viewed as both enviable and traitorous, Synseco had no shortage in laborers to recruit from. Many desperate families applied to work for the company and few had been accepted. As part of his employment with Synseco Riccardo and his family were granted access to a state of the art off-site housing facility, equipped with the finest accommodations, an exclusive paradise amongst the ruins of Egypt. The off-site facility provided Synseco employees and their families with three nutritious meals a day, free healthcare services, (including dental), conformable housing, a school program, and even virtual religious services for several different faiths and denominations. Climbing bodies attempted to scale the barriers erected around the gate only to be knocked back down by blows from rifle butts. The rioters called Riccardo and the rest of the 4-sec squad every name in the book, "Pigs!", "Greedy Fascists!", "Thieves!"  Riccardo watched a squad member lob a canister of tear gas into the crowd and thought back on a private conversation he had with his priest after a sermon. He confessed his uncertainty about his job, about the nightmares and images that clung to his brain long after missions past. "God helps the ones who can help themselves, Riccardo." He had told him with a warm smile. Another time, at the dinner table enjoying their distributed meal with his wife and daughter he asked his wife what she thought of the situation. She looked at him and motioned to the food on their plates, to the walls around them, and finally to their little Fiorella at the end of the table. Now Riccardo watched as a young local girl in the crowd struggled to remain on her feet amongst the tide of arms punching the air and the legs that propelled them towards the barrier. A crackle sounded in Riccardo earpiece and he turned his attention away from the crowd to listen to command. "4-Sec Riccardo, do you read me?"  "Yes, I read you." Riccardo replied  "There's been a breach past the wall, internal divisions are already dealing with it." "What? How did they get past the barrier." He asked, confused. "Higher ups don't want any more getting past, open up live fire on the crowd, get them to disperse." "Wha- What?" He stammered. "Live fire? They're unarmed m'am!"  "They want it done, just shoot enough to get them to leave, we don't need a massacre."  In all his experience of subduing rioters not once had Riccardo had too open live fire on a crowd, tear gas, rubber bullets, batons sure, but certainly not live fire on an unarmed group. "I can't they're-"  "Either you will order your squad too or we will fire you and order them ourselves, do you understand Riccardo?" Command interrupted. "Yes ma'am."  Riccardo pressed his earpiece and ordered for his squad to switch to live ammunition. "Fire on my go." Sweat poured down his face and with trembling hands he raised his rifle towards the rioters, and took aim.