Free The Game Trilogy by Anders de La Motte Page A

pumped up on steroids to get over the wall.
    Too bad, sucker!
    Time to cut back on the anabolics.
    He grinned broadly and pressed repeat one more time.
    The fans liked it when you fried rats. The comments had already started to appear and his average rating had crept closer to four stars. With a bit more exposure he should have passed the boundary to ‘good’ by the morning.
    And why not? After all, he was pretty much born for this. A hitman in the service of the Game Master!
    The jacket had been a stroke of genius, the new clip was a hell of a lot better than the previous ones. You could even watch the run down Karlbergsvägen without feeling seasick, and he made a note to remember to pull off the balaclava sooner next time. It wasn’t until a couple of old women had screamed in terror somewhere near Hälsingegatan that he had remembered that he still had his face covered.
    He’d make sure he did better next time.
    Because there was definitely going to be a next time!

6
All the king’s horses …
    From: Talent Acquisition
    To: Game Master
    Subject: Candidate Evaluation 128
    Name: Henrik Pettersson
    Alias: HP
    Age: 31
    Height: 179 cm
    Weight: 72 kg
    Build: Slight
    Hair: Medium blond
    Eyes: Blue (see attached passport photograph)
    Status: Unmarried
    Family: One sibling (a sister with whom he has only sporadic contact)
    Both parents deceased
    Profession: Various, currently unemployed
    Address: Maria Trappgränd 7, Södermalm, Stockholm, a two-room flat which he inherited from his mother
    Number of completed assignments: 5
    Total points: 2200
    Current ranking: 23
    Current level: 3
    Method of recruitment: Recommendation
    Education: 9 years of basic Swedish schooling, mixed grades
    Started but did not complete 3-year course in economics in Swedish high school
    Has twice started but never completed adult education courses
    Other qualifications: None
    Leisure interests: The candidate spends most of his time watching television and films, mainly American TV series, action films, comedies and erotica. He often plays Counterstrike without belonging to any particular group or clan. Less regular player of World of Warcraft where his avatars are usually Rogues belonging to the Horde.
    Internet habits: thefragarena.com, various file-sharing sites for downloading films and music, the Block (a Swedish trading site often used to dispose of stolen goods), YouTube, as well as various pornographic sites. A frequent user of MSN. Has recently opened a Hotmail account under the name Badboy.128
    Medical history: One broken arm and two broken ribs in relatively quick succession during the 80s. The case was passed on to social services on suspicion of child abuse.
    Appendix removed 1992. Latest medical examination 2007 (conducted during probation) showed no abnormalities apart from THC in his blood (the active substance in cannabis-related drugs such as hash and marijuana). No history of allergies, heart problems, impaired immune system or intolerance to any medication.
    Social service records: After the referral from the health service (see above) the children were placed in care for the duration of the investigation. This decision was revoked a short while later and the case was dropped. Further instances of suspected child abuse followed, but the only result was a number of visits by social workers. One entry in the register refers to a police report, but this could not been identified.
    Father deceased 1995 (stroke), mother 1997 (cancer). The records also mention the candidate’s use of narcotics (hash and marijuana), as well as truancy and disruptive behaviour at school. There is also a care-plan established after a district court judgement (see below).
    Criminal record and police register: The candidate’s first conviction occurred shortly after his seventeenth birthday, and concerned numerous instances of minor narcotics offences and one instance of vehicle theft: he was given a probationary sentence under the supervision of social