Survival of the Toughest

Gang Business II

The Spikes were the scariest out of the social clubs and street gangs. They had multiple nicknames such as; The Nighthunters of Eldorado, The Shadow Kings of Beulah, and the Devils of Trolley Road. They only struck at night which is why they had nicknames referring to dark nature. Their turf was the Beulah Heights area and their "headquarters" was a spot in the woods lining the old train tracks off of Trolley Road.

They were insane. All of them. They already forced the Sluggers, The High King's Court, and the Railers into disbanding. They put people in the hospital and I heard some of them had actually killed.

We made it to Eldorado around 1:45. Looking at the map Nova had given us alone gave me chills. Especially the "DO NOT GO ALONE" written in black sharpie.
Alan parked in a church parking lot.

"We're on foot from here." He said. "However, we will go to that gas station over there to get a drink and a snack."

We went to the ROC One stop, got our stuff, and got out. We ran into Kerry and a couple of his guys in the parking lot.

The whole time Ken, Dustin, Alan, and I walked through the neighborhood to Trolley Road, we felt uneasy. Ken and I both feared that there was no talking to the Spikes and we were dead meat on sight.

We stopped at the first track by some storage units. It used to be the Railers' main turf. Every Saturday night, the Railers would party there. The Railers weren't like any other groups around here. The weren't a street gang or a social club, they were a partying gang. The railroad in Eldorado didn't run anymore so there was almost never a train on it. Whenever there was, the Railers used it as an excuse to party. They were harmless unless provoked. The Spikes came along and nearly wiped them out and all the members either moved away, were hospitalized, or just became too scared.

"Man." Ken said. "Look at this."

We walked up to a tree with a sheet of metal leaned up on it.

The spray paint on the metal read:

"The Railers"
February 4th 1969 - March 12th 2016

"I miss those guys." Alan weakly smiled. "They were good people."

"Yeah." Dustin said. "Katy wanted to be one of them but they were wiped before her and a couple other guys could be initiated."

We continued through the neighborhood. It was creepy. People on stoops and porches gave us odd looks, people were peering at us out of their windows, kids who were walking home from their early school dismissal gave us weird, skeptical looks.

We got to Trolley Road, at the edge of the woods. We stared at it, knowing we were about to enter No Man's Land.

"I hope you guys know what you're doing." A couple of school kids stopped us.

"We do." Alan stared down the tracks.

"I'd sure hope so." The kid with the short hair and black windbreaker said. "I don't think you know about how dangerous it is going that way."

"Look kid." Ken said. "We understand-"

"I don't think you do." The one with long hair and glasses warned. "I'd turn back while you still have your lives. There's a group of deranged guys in those woods waiting for their next victim. They're like the Lost Boys of the Bronx, or worse."

"We know." Alan turned to them. "We just have some personal business to discuss."

"Good luck. Come on, Kyle. Let's get away from here."