Hartwell

Summary
Hartwell is an Ex-Military Strategist who was employed at Kirtland Air Force Base. He works as the advisor for Orvell. Hartwell often tends to antagonize Scott the most as Scott fears that he might one day become as cold and unforgiving as Hartwell.

Within the second Novel, Orvell is portrayed as the main antagonist, but in the background it's always been Hartwell who manipulates Orvell to achieve his goals.

Hartwell was directly involved in the nuclear and human experiments that caused the Rot.

We first see him when Lawrence makes a meeting with Orvell at Los Angeles Airport.

Physical Appearance
Hartwell is a middle aged man with slightly longer hair and often wearing a buissness suit despite the hot climate of Las Vegas. He has a large goatee that goes around his entire face. His clothes mostly consist of a large brown trenchcoat and black pants.

Personality
Hartwell is a cold and cunning man who has seemingly no moral compass if it means accomplishing his goals. He tends to be charismatic at times often only to manipulates those he needs to manipulate to achieve his goal.

Unlike the other characters who feel remorseful and guilty for the death's they cause, Hartwell doesn't fell guilty in the slightest, usually tending to shrug it off and act like it didn't even happen.

Hartwell is more than willing to backstab or completetly through anyone under the bus if it means saving himself, making him seem even more evil and despicable. He often shows signs of sociopathy and showing no signs of being even remotely sympathetic to those less fortuante to him, emphasized by when he doesn't react when Orvell dies, only watching him pass and not doing anything to at least try to save him. Simply walking away from him as the Casino burns around him, seemingly only slightly annoyed.

He has a slight tendency to tap his fingers together everytime he's thinking.

Becoming a Leader of A Faction
At first Hartwell wants to take up the role of leader by planning on killing Orvell by poisoning him, but Ryker did the job for him

Memorable Quotes
"''One person dies, it's a tragedy. Millions die it's just a statistic. Joseph Stalin." ''

Relationships
In the brief few scenes that him and Lena spend together, the tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. Lena and Hartwell almost seem parralel to each other, but similar to Orvell, Lena has difficulty reading him based on his movements, words, actions, etc. Hartwell seems to do this almost purposefully. Lena seems to hate almost despise Hartwell for this.

When Hartwell meets Scott during the food run briefly, Hartwell whispers in his ear that he knows Scott's in disguise, winks to him, and walks away. Due to Axel finding Scott, Scott at first thinks that it was Hartwell that sent Axel after him, but Axel tells him that Hartwell didn't send him, and that he was acting purely on his gut and instinct. Beyond this, they don't interact much.

Hartwell seems to tolerate Orvell on the surface, but secretely hates him for the way he acts, and is jealous of the fact that someone as psychotic as him could become a leader of a full faction but not him. However, he doesn't act negatively to Orvell as to not compromise his plan.

Hartwell and Ryker are at odds when he's eventually caught, but Hartwell secretly admires Ryker slightly for his dedication to keeping his friends safe and strict moral compass, thinking of him as a good leader.

Axel and Hartwell have a tightrope-esque relationship, Axel seems to know that Hartwell is up to something, but can't figure out what it is. Hartwell and Axel often engage in passive agressive arguments.