Proto-Human

Fire Fight

It was still early when I woke up but the sounds of the street were already in full swing. Deals were already being made for new turf and the construction on the building was getting ready to begin again for the day. 'The building I'm in' I thought sleepily to myself. I shot straight up "The building I'm in!" I shouted. I scrambled to get out of there before any of the men caught me and turned me in for trespassing. I got out just as the foreman walked in to start directing his men on the jobs that needed to be done by the end of that day. Lucky for me I walked right into a waiting cop. "So Ray what you doing around here?" the cop asked. "Oh nothing Josh just out walking," I said trying to cover my tracks. "Well I heard from wittiness that they saw a boy about your size climbing the fence to get into here, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" he asked. I didn't like the way he leaned on the word know, like my freedom depended on my answer. So I reported on a few of the high level turf wars around town lately. "Alright yeah I heard something. But you gotta keep it hush-hush alright Josh can you do that for me?" I had to ask even though I knew Josh would stay quiet. "Yeah man you know I can keep my mouth shut," Josh replied feigning hurt. I cut a look at him while saying "One of the street crews: The Sweepers use this place as local base to coordinate turf wars. From what I hear they only use each place once," I told Josh just as the first gunshots rang out. The Sweepers and The Nitrous were the two biggest street crews on Stanton Island. Josh and I ducked behind the fence as bullets tore up the ground we had been standing on just moments before. "See I told you!" I shouted over the gunfire at Josh. "Yeah, yeah you were right happy I admitted it!" josh shouted back. His car was just across the street but right now that street might as well be a million miles wide with the hail of gunfire and shrapnel. 'What do we do?' I asked myself. At that moment the gunfire ceased and it was quiet like they were waiting for us to come out to face them. "What should we do?" I asked Josh trying to whisper. "We go out there and face them see what they want," he told me also trying to whisper. "Come out now and don't try anything!" a voice called out to us. "I recognize that voice," I said raising my voice a bit. "Ray is that you back there?" the voice called out. "Yeah Al it's me," I called back. "Boys lower the hardware," I heard Al call out to his guys. Josh and I got up and walked out from behind the fence where Al embraces me warmly. "Hey lil brother nice to see you alive," Al said. Now you see Al's not my real brother but he took me in when my parents died and helped me get back on my feet. "Hey big guy same to you,' I replied. Did I mention that Al is also the head of the enforcer squad for Stanton Island. The enforcers were a crew of anti gang officers started by Al himself when his girlfriend was killed by a stray bullet meant for him. "Sorry lil bro we thought you were Sweepers hiding out here from Nitrous retaliation.," Al said holstering his gun and rubbing his head. "Why would the Nitrous need to retaliate?" I asked. "Well, other than the ongoing turf war the Sweepers have agreed to prtotect the President, undercover of course while he travels through this week," Al said. "Wait, what?! The President is coming through here, in the middle of a turf war, and you're letting one of the two largest gangs watch over him. You've got to be crazy Al!" I cried out. Josh started backing away since cops and enforcers didn't like each othe all that much. "Well alright Al when does the President get here?" I asked as Josh turned and ran. Al watched Josh go then siad "He's already here he should be rounding the corner any minute now." Now that was a shocker, but the big kicker came when I realized that all the the workers were Sweepers in disguise."Alright Al I should get outta here before the President shows up and sees a dirty street urchin hanging around," I said slowly. "Watch out for the Nitrous kid, they know you've got ties to the Sweepers," Al said as I walked off. I stopped when he said that, shook my head and walked on. As I walked Al's words echoed in my head 'The Nitrous know about my ties to the Sweepers' I thought and it scared me. "Who ratted on me?" I asked aloud to myself. No one answered as I had expected, but it was at that point that I heard the motorcade rounding the corner and out of the corner of my eye I saw The Nitrous line up with street guns. All single shot. I started running toward them and as the limo holding the President and his family passed by I took a bullet for a man I didn't even know. 'It was a low caliber and clean entry and exit so I would be fine' at least that's what I thought and hoped. In the enforcer offices Al and another man watched the traffic cameras I jumped in front of the shot to protect the President. "See what did I tell you Dr. Andrews? The kids perfect for this project. He didn't even know the President and still took a bullet for him," Al said looking excitedly at the doctor. In response Dr. Andrews looked at Al and said "Yes, you were right Al my old friend and I will use the boy for this project," That was last they ever spoke of it as they raced to the ER to be there for me when I  woke up.