The System: Series 1: Level 3: Field Work

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It's one thing to run through the moves and the warmth and safety of a brightly lit gym. But what about when you're out there in the cold, dark night of the real world? When the adrenaline hits your bowels? Do you, A... want to run back to your childhood bedroom and hide under your blankie, or B, hurl that tender body and those oh-so-breakable bones into the fray and take a grab at some real power.

Let's hope it's B. The system. Level three. Fieldwork. Present day, Maya. I'm standing by my bedroom window. It's the middle of the afternoon but the curtains are drawn. I peer through the gap. Yep, it's still there. An SUV with blacked out windows. I picture him inside. The pale guy with the dead eyes who followed me yesterday. Maybe I should go out there and confront him. Take the gun from the box under my bed and just...

You left me a message about Jake. Grace? Yes. Is he okay? Has something happened to him? I tell her I'm a journalist researching this system, this weird and increasingly shady men's programme he'd become involved in. He said they were just a group of mates he trained with. And did you believe that? I don't know, but whoever they were, they turned him into a completely different person. How do you mean? He had this whole hence tough guy thing going on, but...

Underneath, he was just a really sweet guy. We were both a bit lost. I'd just moved here and I didn't know anyone. And he'd fallen out with his family. Why? His mum had kicked him out and stopped talking to him. His stepdad was a total control freak. The only person who really cared about him was his nan. And she died a couple of years ago. And his sister?

Half-sister. He said she'd become a bit... A bit? Stuck up, basically. They used to be close, but then she went off to Oxford and started to think she was better than him. I don't think he planned to propose. It was just like a thought that popped into his head. And then he just said it. Do you want to get married? And I was like, yeah. So what happened?

He went off on this trip with them. A trip? Where to? Good question. One year earlier, Jake. 3am. So... Where are you going? I still don't know. It's still a surprise. Can you at least tell me who these people are? They're just... Lads. How do you even know them? Well, you know, just from around. What does that mean? Come on, man, you've got to give me something. You're going away for two weeks and I don't even know where. All who we've is we've. All right, all right, look.

I went to school with one of them. Do they have a name? Alex. He's called Alex and I met the rest through him. Okay. Thank you. You can go now. I'll miss you. I'll miss you too. 5am A group of lads standing in Luton Airport. All we've been told is to bring passports and clothes for all kinds of weather. I reckon we're going to Ingolstadt. Ingolstadt? What is that?

upper bavaria the birthplace of the illuminati this is when we find out what's really going on that we're assassins for the new world order you dick come on man wouldn't it be kind of cool I mean, just think about it. They've got to train their henchmen somewhere. Oh, look, there aren't any flights to Germany. Huh? Look at the departure board. Oh, yeah. Bro, this is looting. Yeah, you can't get anywhere good from looting. Listen up, everyone. Gather round. Now.

If anyone asks, we are on a stag do, okay? Hey! Who's the stag? Let's say... Dingo. That's what they call me. So, the moment of truth. We are flying to... Drum roll! Scopia! Yes! Cool, cool. Where the hell is Scopia? Macedonia, I think. Well, what's in Macedonia? Um, Scopia. Twat. And maybe some Macedonians. Yeah, yeah. All right? All right. Are you texting? What? It's over here.

It's my sister. She's been up all night doing an essay. You got to work hard to earn your place in the ruling class. Yeah. I thought you weren't in touch. I thought she didn't have time for you anymore. It's just the odd text. So. Excited about getting to see Macedonia after all these years? I guess so. Don't you remember? What? The Macedonian warlord. Remind me?

one of the characters we used to have. That game we play in those woods around the back of your house. Beware of the Macedonian warlord. I'd forgotten about her. Anyway, better get some sleep.

You're going to need your wits about you. We're in a minivan speeding away from the city, into the mountains, past the vast blue lake and then deeper and deeper into the forest. Finally, we reach a clearing by a smaller lake. A sprawling wooden house with a long verandah. Over the main door, a large pair of antlers. This is the hunting lodge.

I knew it. You said we were going to Bavaria. It's a lodge, man. Like the Freemasons. Like a Masonic lodge. Mate, you said it was the Illuminati. Yeah. They're pretty similar, to be fair. Yeah, sure they are. We're in a function room sitting around a giant HDTV. The walls are covered in hunting trophies. Dead game everywhere you look. Welcome to North Macedonia, guys. And welcome to level three. Fieldwork. What? This is level three? Yeah. Level two is over, baby.

Level three is more challenging. It's a test of you, not just as individuals, but as a unit. And your loyalty to each other. You all have to come through together. If anyone drops out, you're all out. He presses a remote and Bo Leach appears on screen. Gentlemen, it's one thing to run through the moves and the warmth and safety of a brightly lit gym.

But what about when you're out there in the cold, dark night of the real world? Okay. Who's ready to bear some odds? I've never held a gun before. Only toy ones. Nerf guns, laser quest, maybe someone's air gun. But now here I am holding a rifle. A bolt-action Merkle RX Helix. A big Macedonian guy is teaching us how to use them.

It takes me a while to get used to it. The weight of it. The recoil in my shoulder. The fear of it going off suddenly and what it could do. A little hot slug of metal tearing through bone and flesh at thousands of miles an hour. But it's undeniable. When I'm holding it, I feel like I've got a superpower. Bullseye. Good. Good shot. You're a natural, man. How does it feel?

Good. You know, they say that's the real reason people do armed robberies. Not for the money, but for the respect you get when you're holding a gun. After target practice, we move on to the real thing. We hunt here, we hunt there.

We hunt wild boar. At first it's strange, looking at these creatures so fast and alert, then slack, lifeless on the ground and thinking, I did that. It was alive. No, it's not. But in the rush of the moment, it's amazing how quickly these little thoughts fade away. In the evenings we drink, the no alcohol bans lifted. We compare our kills, the numbers we shot, the size of their antlers, and then we cut them up with sharp knives, put them on the fire and we eat them.

You know, for millennia, men would have gone out and brought back the kill for their tribe. And when you strip it all away, these are the essentials. Meeting our most basic needs, our animal drives, because we are animals, whether we like it or not. And finally, one night, we hunt wolves.

As I see it there through my night vision sight, I have a moment of hesitation. It's a wolf. When I was a kid, my favourite pyjama top had this grey wolf with icy blue eyes on it. It was like a mythical creature. Am I really gonna kill it? Yes, I am. Good shot, man. Good shot. But we have not just come to hunt for animals. No, guys!

I'm going to run you through some techniques for a different kind of hunting to meet the most basic animal need of all because tonight, boys, you are going to get laid. Each and every one of you. What? Even a virgin? If you can fight a man, if you can kill a frickin' wolf, then you could score some pussy. And then he takes us through the drill. The whole pick-up artist routine. Make eye contact.

Make physical contact. Establish intimacy. But keep it light. Give backhanded compliments. Keep them on their toes. Unbalance. Destabilise. And we are to go out right there and then in this nightclub, this trashy dive somewhere in the Balkans. Pick up a girl. Don't aim too high this time though, yeah? Baby steps. Tonight is all about sealing the deal. No one's judging you. In my experience, it's the not-so-hot ones that just... They really know how to show you a good time. They're so grateful.

Okay. Go forth and conquer. Dingo, what's up? Look, man, I'm not sure about this. Don't be nervous, dude. Just get out there. Try it. No, I'm just not sure about this whole thing. Don't you want to get laid? Yeah, of course, but I don't want to hook up with some random woman just for the sake of it. It's not about whether or not you want to, it's about knowing that you can.

Right. So when the time comes for you to have a proper relationship, you'll be a master of the game. If I hadn't played the field a bit, there's no way I'd bagged a girl like Jess. Alex, I feel like maybe I'm ready for a relationship now. You're not. I know you, and you're not ready. How do you know? The fact that we're having this conversation. All these questions, all this doubt, all this fear. You may have the abs, but psychologically, you're only half cooked, mate.

So come on now, be a brave boy. But what if someone was gay? Like, what if these lads, like, what if one of them was gay? How does that work? No one is, so it doesn't matter, does it? Let's not waste time having pointless conversations. Haven't you wasted enough of your life overthinking things? Well, go on then. I'm getting bored of my own voice here and that's saying something. What if I just said no? Simple. We all go home. End of level three. System done.

Really? That's the programme. That's the way Mr Boleach designed it. If that's what you want to do, I can go and tell the others. Wait. Sex is one of your key drives as a man. As an animal. We need it. Don't deny it. This is life. That's my boy. Here you go, over there, on the blue top. Really? Yeah, she's been checking out for the past five minutes. And so, I down another shot of tequila and head over there. It's just a game. Play the game. I make eye contact. I make physical contact.

I say things which are half insults, half compliments. I make jokes. I talk about my exes. I create a sense of intimacy by making little confessions, and it seems to work. Maybe it wouldn't work on everyone, but it does on her. Sophia, her name is. And if I push down all the doubts, the questions, the thought of grace at home, then...

It is fun. This is what men do, right? This is what men have always done. The alcohol helps. Especially when it comes to taking pictures we all have to provide as proof. With the animals we get antlers, with the girls we get bedroom selfies. And each time the doubts, the questions, the nagging voices, they get quieter. And so it goes on.

We drive to another town through Croatia along the coast, another nightclub, another set of girls. It doesn't always work. Sometimes we crash and burn, but we don't care. We just move on. In the days, we sleep and we train. Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.

And then one night, I'm talking to a girl. We've left the Balkans now. We're in the Italian lakes. The place is a classier. Isabella is beyond anything I ever imagined. I can't believe she's even talking to me. But my confidence... Which has become a kind of habit is disarming her. Then I feel a hand on my shoulder. This guy is huge. So what?

And then he's got me by the arm, walking me away. The adrenaline surges. I'm not about to be dragged out by this guy. I yank my arm away and shove him backwards, but I shove too hard and he ends up on the floor. I can see the surprise. The humiliation. The shame in his eyes that me, some pale English guy, can hand him his arse like that. That's good enough for me. I turn and head out the door. But he follows me outside.

Comes up behind me, tries to get my head in a lock. I jab my elbow up under his ribs and he lurches back. Then reaches into his jacket. Flash of silver and he's coming at me again. He slashes at my arm, tearing my shirt. I grab his wrist, slam it down on my knee, and a knife clatters to the ground. And there is a sudden smattering of applause. The others are all sitting at a pavement cafe across the road. And when I look back at him...

Knife guy's clapping too. Shit bosses. Good work there go. Pass with flying colours. Jake? Are you okay? Are you there? Jake? Jake? It's the final night. We're in Milan. We have new clothes. Sharp tailoring. Alex says we need to start dressing in a way that matches the men we're becoming. We've barely paid for a thing. We're part of the program, apparently, but no one's asking too many questions. We walk through Milan like we're in Reservoir Dogs.

We've eaten amazing food, drunk the finest wines, and we've all done a line of coke in the toilets. Not because this is something we should make a habit of, but because, as ever, we should know what the experience is like. We're in the VIP area of a nightclub.

Pulling is optional tonight, which I think for everyone is kind of a relief. I can't believe that we have to go home tomorrow. Yeah, me neither. This is hands down, yeah. This has for sure been the best two weeks of my life. Don't you reckon, Dingo? Yeah, it's been pretty amazing. It's been out of this world, man. I thought level three was going to be tricky, yeah? As he's talking, I can see one of the other lads, Shark, watching someone. An older man. Slick back grey hair.

Expensive looking dark suit over an open shirt. Definite Philip Green vibes. He's with a couple of young women laughing at his every word. What look like security guys hovering nearby. When the older man gets up and heads to the toilets. Shark gets up too. Follows him down the dark hallway. What is he playing at? OK, finish up your drinks, boys. We'll get ahead in a second. I keep half an eye on the door to the gents and a minute later Shark comes out walking fast.

He looks at Alex, gives some kind of a signal. Time to go, lads. And we're all up, crossing the room at speed. I glance back to the gents. The grey-haired guy staggers out, shouting to his security. Suddenly, they're after us.

Running towards Shark. One of them gets him by the arm. Is this another test? Nah, this is real. There are more of us than them and we easily manage to get them off Shark and keep them away. Let's go! Come on! Alex is ushering us to a door at the back through a kitchen. What the hell is going on, man?

Who was that guy? Just some fat CEO who can't take his grappa. Alex is opening a back door to the street. The van is waiting. How did the driver know to meet us here? Come on, out we go. Go, go, go! Coyote, move! Move! We're speeding through the night, but not back to the hotel. We seem to be travelling out of the city. Wait, where are we going? Party's over. We're heading back to Skopje. Now? Yeah.

But that must be, like, a day's drive away. Yeah, get some sleep. What was going on back there? I don't know, man. I think Shark was after that old guy for some reason. Illuminati assassins, bro. Just like I told you. Sleep, lads. We stop in at the lodge on the way back and pick up our hunting trophies. Then we're each led off to have one-to-ones with Alex. Dingo, you're up. He leads me into a side room.

A large open fire is burning in a grate. So, level three. Fun? Yeah. Thought we might lose you at the sexy part. I had a moment. You and your moments. What was going on in that club? It looked like Shark went after that. Shark's a step ahead of you, lads. You'll get there soon enough. Well, who was he? What did Shark do to him? He was a bad man who needed a little bit of a verbal warning. A bad how? Jake, Jake, Jake. You trust me, don't you?

Yeah, of course. Have I done anything wrong by you so far? No. Has all of this made you stronger and healthier and more confident, more successful, better looking, yadda, yadda, yadda? Yeah. And yet you still struggle to commit yourself fully. Hmm. You didn't struggle to commit yourself to grace. What? Your girlfriend. Sorry. Fiance. What? Don't try and deny it. I've known for weeks.

Please don't keep lying to me, Jake. That would just be insulting. No, I didn't lie. I was going to tell you. The old sin of omission. I was just waiting for the right moment. What? I was. I'm not sure if you're ready to move on to the next level. I really like her. I've put so much time and effort into you. Please tell me it wasn't wasted. Wasn't it? It wasn't wasted. No relationships until you complete the programme.

That's part of the deal. You understood that. Yeah. And this is why. It's made you lie. It's made you weak. It's undone all that work. I'm sorry. If, when you're done, you want to go back to her, you can. But until then, you need to stick to the rules, okay? Yeah, okay. 100%. Get on your knees. What? Get on your knees. And promise me you won't lie to me anymore. I won't. Good. From this point on, till the end, there's no going back, there's no getting out. You accept that? Yes. Right.

There's one more thing to do before you complete this level. He walks over to the fire. What are you going to do? Everyone else has had it already. Had what? He reaches for something sticking into the fire. I thought it was a poker. As he pulls it out, I see it's a branding iron. The trick is not to make a sound. Breathe through it. What is it? It's a symbol of trust and brotherhood. Where does it go?

Don't worry, no one will see it. Lift up your shirt. Come on, Jake, it only takes a few seconds. Lift it up. I lift up my shirt. Yeah, just turn around. I don't understand. Turn around. Okay, you ready? Yeah, do it. Control the pain. Don't make a sound. Pain is searing. And the smell of acrid, burning flesh makes me almost want to wretch. But I don't. I don't make a sound. Wasn't so bad, was it?

I'm in the shop at the airport in Skopje buying some painkillers and hoping no one will notice. I spot an Italian newspaper. I flick through and there he is. The man from the VIP area. I hold my phone up to translate. Billionaire assaulted in Milan nightclub. Maybe he'll think twice about being such a greedy bastard now, eh? Things are about to get real, my friend. Very, very real.

Have you thought about what you're going to say to Grace? Present day. Maya. He said it like he was reading from a script. It all happened a bit too fast.

And he wasn't ready for a relationship yet. It was like they just replaced him with a robot. Did he say anything about who they were? No. Look, I'm sorry. I have to get back to work. Did he ever mention any kind of politics or ideology? No. Do you think they were right-wing? Could they have been white supremacists? He doesn't seem like Jake, but I just don't know. Is there anything at all you can remember him saying about any of the group?

The only thing I know is that he went to school with one of them. Really? Which one? Do you know his name? Yeah. Alex. I remember him. Alex Novak. They were best friends. Completely inseparable for a couple of years. And then suddenly, he was gone. Unlike Bo Leach, he's right there at the top of Google. Alex Novak, financial technology consultant.

Alex Novak Consulting. Hi. Can I speak to Alex, please? He's just on another call at the moment. Can I take a message? Maybe it's time to give the truth a little go. It's Maya Prince, Alex's friends with my brother, Jake Dean, and I wondered if he'd seen him recently. Okay, let him know. And what's your name? My name. Why do you want to know my name? Just so I know who I've spoken to. You're a person in your own, right? Oh, it's Jess. My name's Jess. Okay. Thanks, Jess. Moments later.

No missed call but a voicemail appears. Hi there, this is Alex Novak. I haven't got much for you, I'm afraid. I haven't seen Jake for a while now. He... He started leaving me these weird rambling messages about some kind of secret organisation. It all got a bit dark and I had to block his number in the end. I hope he sorts himself out and gets the help he needs.

The police, Grace, Coyote, Alex, they're all saying the same thing. Jake had gone to a dark place. The only one who seems to know anything is Coyote, but he doesn't exactly seem stable. He's called Coyote for God's sake. I lie awake half the night trying to fit it all together with the Jake I knew. At 5am I've given up on sleep. The SUV is still there.

But there's a lot of SUVs around. How can I be sure it's the same one I saw at Jake's flat? This is Detective Inspector Corrin. Please leave a message. Um, this is Maya Prince, Jake Dean's sister. I need to speak to you. I was lying. Jake did get in touch with me. I've been trying to help him, trying to find out what happened to him. And I think he might have got mixed up in something dark.

Or maybe he just lost it. I don't know. An hour later, another call, another unknown number. I assume it's the detective. Hello? Hiya. Jake? Hey, Ryan Reynolds here. Wishing you a very happy half-off holiday because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50% off unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not... half the service. Mint is still premium, unlimited wireless for a great price. So, that means a half day.

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