The long-anticipated end of the peaceful world has arrived. Despite the effort and negotiations made by many nations, the scale of devastation wrought by the wars surpassed even the direst predictions. Europe found itself plunged into an endless conflict, a battle not only for dominance but also for theessence of humanity. Safety became a luxury almost no nation could afford. The pursuit of power and dominance among nations inevitably led to widespread conflict, engulfing the entire globe in a struggle for supremacy.

In contrast to the conflicts in the Middle East and Russia, the wars in Europe were less severe. Nevertheless, individuals faced the grim realities of being kidnapped, held hostage, or subjected to violence and torture for information. Nations found themselves compelled to negotiate and frequently exchange weapons and money in desperate attempts to secure the release of their citizen. Negotiations often led to larger conflicts due to the difficulty in reaching compromises, resulting in the tragic reality of prisoners being left to die as it became impossible to rescue everyone. Priority was consistently given to hostages holding significant professional titles or political stature.

Almost every European country allowed travel, but few offered security, so there was no point in searching for a safer place if you had no money. Only those who had money could afford a safer life.

Many people were drawn to Germany due to its abundance of well-paid job opportunities. Germany boasted one of the most formidable arsenals in Europe, often supplying smaller nations with firearms and other resources. Everything held a price, and recipients of aid were obligated to meet it. Much like every other nation, Germans protected and defended their homeland at every turn. Swift and decisive action was taken against any criminals plotting attacks or undermining Germany, with the military employing rigorous measures. Among these tactics was the practice of incarcerating criminals and terrorists in specialized prison camps. Despite Germany's strength as a nation, it wasn't perceived as a completely safe place. Within its borders, conflicts were common, corruption prevailed, and innocent individuals frequently found themselves unfairly branded as terrorists for falling short of adhering to stringent regulations.

Despite the chaos and fear that gripped the globe, people found a way to adapt and survive. I made the difficult decision to leave my family in Iceland, one of the few remaining safe places on Earth, where they could continue to live without the threat of danger looming over them. I embarked on my journey to Germany enticed by an offer from a prestigious science laboratory, where I was tasked with assisting a team of scientists and engineers. Despite the lack of specifics regarding my role at the lab, the allure of a substantial financial incentive left me with little choice but to accept the opportunity. Given the high demand for specialists like myself in the field of biomedical engineering, my skills commanded significant value. With the assurance of all social guarantees and the partial transfer of the money to my bank account, I decided to take the opportunity and travel to Germany.

The journey was surprisingly smooth, with the added luxury of a private plane provided by the corporation, sparing me the hassle of enduring crowded airports and long wait times. My immediate supervisor was awaiting my arrival at the Munich airport. We met there and to my surprise, she was a good-looking woman, maybe in her forties with short black hair. Her name was Laura. Still, despite how strong and well-trained she looked, I thought it wasn't a smart move to send a woman here alone, but maybe it's just me being paranoid.

After introducing ourselves shortly, we sat down in her badass-looking G-class Mercedes and left a crowded airport. Laura wasn't much of a talker, but it wasn't a big problem for me. I didn't like to talk much, especially when being concerned like now. Although I wasn't scared, my inner voice screamed at me that something would happen to us. I didn't know whether it would be good or bad. We were driving in the Autobahn, which seemed to be crowded. The constant flow of people entering and exiting the country created a pervasive sense of chaos. As individuals sought refuge in safer environments, the pursuit of security became paramount, particularly for those who had no money.

I took my phone out of my pocket and called my family to inform them that I had safely landed in Germany and that I was okay. Laura told me that once we get into the base, I won't be able to call anyone for a while because they won't allow us to access people outside the base.
As we made our way towards the small roads near the village, my attention was drawn to the presence of military vehicles stationed along the right side of the road. A sense of unease settled over me, signaling that something bad was going to happen.

Two soldiers showed us to stop by and came to Laura's car. One came to her side and the other to mine. The man standing by my side clad in a sleek black suit complemented by a military jacket. He seemed to be a high-ranked official, in contrast, to the other guy who appeared to be a typical soldier, donning standard army clothing with a formidable firearm in hand. As Laura cautiously cracked open her window at the soldier's knock, the second man fixed a steely gaze upon me. Though our eyes briefly met, I averted my attention ahead, sensing his observation of my every move. Both men appeared youthful, perhaps in their mid-thirties, displaying robust physiques and an unmistakable air of danger. Their demeanor hinted at a lack of friendliness, foreshadowing potential problems. Motioned by the man beside me, I complied and rolled down the window, prompting him to incline his head slightly to scan the car from inside. With the doors unlocked, he maintained his composed stance.

" Wohin Ihr beide?" The guy who stood near Laura spoke the German language, which I couldn't understand so well, but I think he was asking where we were going.

As Laura engaged in conversation with him, the tension in the air thickened with each passing moment. Requesting to scan our chips for identity verification, he left no doubt that our journey was about to be disrupted. With a swift scan of our wrists, both men promptly affixed bracelets that nullified the chip signal, akin to misplacing one's passport in times past. Despite Laura's attempts to negotiate, one of the men remained resolute, his refusal evident in the solemn shake of his head. Then, in a sudden display of frustration, his countenance transformed, sending a chill down my spine.

"Scheisse egal, Ihr fahrt nicht weiter. Beide raus!" He yelled at Laura.
The other one opened the doors and gestured for me to get out. I glared at Laura, and she just tilted her head, showing me to get out. The black-haired guy who seemed like a high-ranking official pulled a pistol out of his pocket. It made me even more worried, but we did nothing. Why would they stop us now? From how he was speaking to Laura, it seemed that they wanted to arrest us just for being here. Laura is a German citizen, so maybe it is because of me? She remained quiet and didn't explain anything to me, but I also wasn't asking because I was too scared to say something.

"Dreh um." The guy spoke emotionless as I got out of the car and gestured for me to turn around. He put my hands on the roof and started to check if I had something in my pockets. He probably searched for guns. I experienced a sense of unease, but this is the standard procedure. Given his role as a soldier, I trusted that he would not hurt me without the cause. I anticipated that we would be released after they checked us. However, to my surprise, he abruptly turned me around. The final image I witnessed was him retrieving his pistol and striking my forehead with it, causing me to lose consciousness instantly.

I opened my eyes and immediately snapped my eyebrows together because my head hurt badly. The first thing I saw in front of me was bars. I would say prison bars, but the rest of the room seemed like a normal room. Dark walls made room look like a little bit depressing, but I liked the interior and the paintings on the walls. The ambient light of the moon streamed through the window, while a modest illumination on the table enabled me to see my surroundings. It appeared to be either the early hours of the morning or the late hours of the evening. I have no idea where I am or how long I've been out. Suddenly, I noticed that my hands were tied up, and I couldn't stand up. After a few moments, I looked around, searching for Laura, but she wasn't there.
What do I do now? At least I have to try free my hands from the rope. After struggling for a while, I managed to pull one hand out of the rope. Good for me and my tiny arms. I was so proud of myself that my lip corners were sliding upwards until I heard the same emotionless voice again. My whole body shivered from his appearance

"Oh, wow." I managed to raise my eyes and aze at him. His blue eyes were glaring at me, curious. Why did he take me here? "Smart bitch."
His hard German accent made his already angry voice even angrier. I remained quiet and followed him with my eyes as he opened the cell and came in.

"I'm Major Sternbrink." He introduced himself.The beard on his face made him look serious and mature.At this moment, he was attired in a black t-shirt, exposing his well trained body and abs. It made me realize that no matter my fighting skills I stand no chance against him, so if he decides to torture me, I'm done. "You are taken as a political prisoner because the corporation you are working with is working against our country."

As I have thought, but even worse. Political prisoners are often sent to prison camps with a long-term sentence, and it is almost the same as death sentence because most of the prisoners don't survive there long. In this case, I have to argue about this because this is ridiculous. I did nothing, and they can't just take me as a prisoner for nothing.

"I haven't worked there yet." I interrupted him.

"Ar you sure? Because we have your contracts and we also noticed that the money is already transferred to your bank account." He snapped his brows from frustration. "You are in Germany, so it means you are working."

"Well, you stopped our transition, so..." I stopped after he came closer to me.

"You think you have the right to argue with me?" He whispered and clenched his jaw.

"Yes, I think I still have the right to speak freely." At the moment, I had a lot of self-confidence, but it faded quickly as he grabbed my shoulders and forced me to sit back on the chair.

"Enjoy, while you still have it." He glared at me with a sarcastic smile and chained up my arms with handcuffs. "Schlampen wie du sterben zu erst."

I didn't understand what he had told me, but I knew it wasn't good because sterben meant to die, so I hoped I heard it wrong. In this case, I can only blame myself because I was aware of the risk. Still, I was frustrated because I didn't even start the work, and they already had arrested me.
He glared at me like I was some kind of trash and the left without saying anything else. My head was burning from all of the thoughts. No one will search for me because my family thinks that I'm already at the base, and maybe everyone at the base is dead. I can only hope that there will be a court and I can explain everything.

I wonder if it's true that the company was working against germany or maybe the germans jwant to take over it. Well, at least the company transfered half of the money, so my family has something to live with.
I sat on a hard, wooden chair for a few hours. My butt was hurting, my head was hurting, and I needed to go to the bathroom so badly. Suddenly, I heard how the door opened, and someone came in. Please, Laura, I hope it is you coming to say that we are free to go, and everything was a big misunderstanding.

Sadly, it was this arrogant motherfucker again. He came in without any word and unlocked the handcuffs.

" I need to use a bathroom." I rushed to say it when he took them off. Our eyes meet for a second.

" If you try to escape." His hand slid down to his waist where he had his pistol hanging on his belt.

I leaned my self over the chair until he moved away from me, and then I stood up. Probably he is dreaming about shooting me but I wonder why are they holding me in here.

We left the cell, and I looked back, trying to see what was inside the room, but he gestured me to look forward as we went out to a hallway. A long, dark hallway, with a few faded lights on the walls. It was so quiet that I could hear his breath behind me. Seemed like no one else was there. We came to the end of the hallway, and he showed me where the restroom was.

"You have one minute. If you don't come out." He stopped."I don't need to repeat myself, bitch. You know what will happen. "

I held myself back from saying something like "fuck you little shit", but it was not worth it. I can't provoke him too much. My eyes just followed him as he turned around, and I went to the bathroom. I did my things fast, and the rest of the time I spent at the sink, drinking water, and cleaning myself up. I looked fucked up and the bruise on my forehead made me look even worse. Who cares? He knocked on the door signaling that one minute is over. I had an escape plan in my head the whole time, and luckily, there was a window in the bathroom. I need to try to escape from here because it may be the only opportunity. I opened it and got out of the window sill. What I didn't calculate was the height of the floor I was in. It was maybe the 4th or 5th floor. There is no chance of survival if I jump.

"Ey Schlampe!" I heard him screaming behind me. "What are you doing!?"

SHIT. I looked around, and there were no options left. If I jump- I die. If I stay- I probably also die. I tried to turn around so I could maybe jump to another window sill that was nearby, but my foot slipped, and I thought that I'm going to fall down.