The Peacekeepers

Part Two; Chapter Twenty

New Challenges

I hate walking for this long. I had plotted the path north the day before. I found the YMCA Sheamas was talking about on a local road map and plotted the way there the hours before I left. Sheamas said "a day's walk". I'm just trying to figure out how the hell he knew that. No big deal. But I sure do wish I had a car right now.

The roads were abandoned. No wanderers, no looters, no Fallen Kings, no assholes that felt lucky, not even any animals that I could see or hear. I'm just walking with my thoughts. Thoughts of my little sister. The one thing in the world I actually give a shit about. Could that jerk-off had been lying to us? I didn't wanna think about it. Men stronger, faster and more skilled than him? If the Peacekeepers didn't improve their barely above mediocre skills these guys will wipe them out.

The road is long and abandoned. Faded and cracked. I could eventually smell the stench of death hanging heavy in the air. I manage to tune it out completely. I have to keep my composure. I just have to.

The further I walk the more overgrown the scenary around me gets. It slowly seems more and more menacing and primevil. The sun begins to set in the distance. I followed Sheamas' instructions. When the urge to turn back is beginning to take it's final toll on me, I see it. It was a large grey building with a huge faded "Y" on the front gave it a slightly eerie glow but what was in the yard outside was even more menacing.

There were over a dozen makeshift grave markers out front with a small white flower in front of each. Something in my gut told me to keep going. I kept walking closer and closer to the faded rusty door and opened it. I walked inside and the place looked abandoned. I'd never been here before but the layout was easy to navigate. It was dark but I saw a dull flickering light from the basketball court's half opened door.

I entered. It was empty with the exception of a thin figure sitting cross legged in the middle of the court. I slowly started approaching him. I wasn't making a sound. I stepped on a loose floorboard and a massive creaking reverberated throughout the entire building.

The thin man stood up silently with his hands together as if he was praying. I heard a raspy, old, silent whisper.

"Lord grant my hands be steady and my hands be swift..."

I walked closer and started to reach out to tap him on the shoulder, which was a terrible idea.

"And should I die. Grant me forgiveness."

Then with no delay and in a blur he turned and smacked my arm away. He dropped down and swept my feet out from under me. I landed on my back, the old man grabbed my wrist and twisted it hard and put his knee on my windpipe. I've never seen anything this fast in my life.

"Think this old man's going down this easily kid? You have a lot to learn!"

He put his hand on my jaw and violently moved my head side to side and looked carefully at each cheek. He loosened his grip on my windpipe.

"He didn't send you. Otherwise you'd be dead right now. Why are you here? Speak!"

It was hard to breath still, but it was harder to speak. "I need to be trained." I rasped, barely audible. The old man rolled his eyes and took his knee off completely. I rolled over and started coughing. It felt like breathing through a coffee stirrer.

I slowly stood up and faced him. "I wish for you to train me. Please." The old, wrinkled man looked at me seriously for a few moments and I saw his face wrinkle into a smile then into a loud mocking laugh at my plea.

"And why, child, should I train you? Give me a good reason boy. Why are you here?"

"There is a group of evil men on the way. I am a Peacekeeper from the southern part of Compton. We fought and killed one of them but he killed many of our men. With his dying words he told us of a dozen others better than him on their way."

I seemed to have his attention now. His eyes widened and his tone of voice became more assertive.

"Did he mention any names? Tell me!"

I think back for moment but there was something that stuck out. Something that freak said but I can't place it. I think harder and hesitate for a moment then I remember.

"Some of his last words were 'Crimson comes for blood' or something like that. It didn't make any sense to me. Does that have any meaning to you?"

I see the old man's wrinkled eyelids shoot open and he muttered something under his breath.

"He's coming back home. You! Stand outside. Leave the building."

I began to open my mouth to question his statement but was interrupted by him yelling at me to shut up and do as he says. I wisely turned around and left the building with the old man traveling behind me by a few feet. I walked about ten paces outside before being ordered to stop, turn around and put my hands behind my back.

"You are not to move from this spot until I come back. If you move from this spot, keep walking and don't come back. I'll be back out later."

It was twilight when I came outside. It's dark now as the sun made it's last lick on the horizon. It's dark but but the moon and stars are giving me plenty of light. It would be quite pleasent if I wasn't so damn hungry. I feel my stomach begging for food and my dry scratchy throat screamed and pleaded for water. I felt dry, hungry, weak, cold and downright exhausted. It simply got worse from there.

I wind picked up and clouds covered the stars and moon. My one source of solice. I felt something cold and wet hitting my forehead. Then another and another and another. After a short time there was a downpour with extreme gusts of wind. I was drenched, cold and seriously contemplated leaving.

I felt my head start to fall. Despite my hunger and cold the one thing that won over all the misfortune was my exhaustion. I shook my head so hard it hurt. I've come so far. I will not and cannot be sent away for collapsing and getting a few winks. I simply can't allow that.

"Wake up dumbass!" I shout t the top of my lungs before punching myself in the face so hard my head shook and the pain woke me up. My lip tingled and blood came down from it at a steady trinkle before slowing to a periodical drip.

The rain finally stopped. The wind, however, did not. Instead it picked up and stayed at a constant freezing breeze. I'm cold. So damned cold. I will not die like this.

I'm guessing an hour later I see the door open and the old man come out with an old oil lantern. The dim glow barely lit his face up.

"Come inside boy. You have showed me how determined you are to be trained. I will teach you. but what I say goes. Absolutely no exceptions whatsoever."

Thank god! I followed him inside the building. He brought me to what looked like an old staff breakroom. He had two cots set up on either side of the room. Each one had a thin towel for a blanket.

"Get some sleep boy. You'll need it."

With no hesitation at all I slid into bed and the second my head hit the firm canvas I was out like a light.

The next day would be much worse...