Far above the city stood two men facing each other on the top of a Toronto skyscraper. The city below knew something important was happening as black smoke billowed out of the windows. A helicopter’s rotors slowly warmed up, its engine softly purring. The younger man’s t-shirt and jeans that were blackened with the smoke contrasted with the older man’s navy blue Armani suit. John Baker regarded John Anger through the smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You can’t stop this Anger,” said Baker, the older man. “You shouldn’t. You’re standing in the way of progress.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No Mr. Baker. People will die. And I can stop you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“More people will die if you do stop me. Do you not think I’ve thought this through a million times already? I’m damned either way. I can only do the lesser of the two evils.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Had you used your vast wealth to pay off the rebels three months ago…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I didn’t. I didn’t think it’d go this far. I can’t go back in time John. We’re here now. These are the choices and there’s only one decision to be made. Onward and upwards. History will vindicate me in time.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An explosion rocked the building. Both men stumbled slightly before regaining their footing. Both realized that the helicopter was the only escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three months ago a rebel faction had taken over Baker International Ltd in the Darfur region. BIL was a small oil exploration firm that specialized in finding small amounts of oil that the larger firms like Imperial and Exxon couldn’t be bothered with. But at $82 a barrel, BIL attracted investors and had secured the rights to a large unknown oil field in Darfur. An area with unbridled violence and misery, few oil firms would even have considered it but John Baker had negotiated a deal with both the rebels and the ruling dictator to avoid the area in exchange for ‘protection fees’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Problems arose when both groups used the area to hide weapons and a fierce battle erupted that almost destroyed a newly built pipeline. Baker had taken a hard line with both groups and only the rebels had refused to leave. Baker in turn refused to pay the rebels any further funds to clear the area. Within days an oil well built near the border had been destroyed by a stray anti-tank weapon. Rebels claimed the government were responsible. The government claimed it was the rebels. Baker refused to pay the protection fees which led to the offices being overtaken and its office workers taken hostage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Baker’s personal friend and head of the Darfur offices had been shot (in error perhaps). Baker International’s stock had plunged and its oil fields were left without protection. The oil fields themselves were not touched but oil did not flow. Baker made the unpopular step to support the dictator who had managed to clear the area of rebels. But through sabotage and hostilities the transport of oil was prevented and not one drop left the region in weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One thing led to another and now Baker International had turned into a non-producing oil exploration firm supplying the Sudanese government with weapons after the UN had introduced the sanctions when the violence had restarted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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