Kid Vigilante Series(Story#2)

Kid Vigilante

Extremis

The bus kept rumbling on, down the road. Extremis was only a few miles away. The land around is dry and barren. How do people make a living in this place?

The bus squealed to a stop at the station, which looked like a bombed out shelter to tell you the truth. A blaze heat comes over me. I feel like I’m being sucked into a furnace. Where was I. When I saw the brochures they described the city as the jewel of the desert. It had nice buildings, cars, restaurants, and so many other interesting places to see. What was this dump? I pull out my brochure and look again…the place is still called Extremis.

Me, and a group of about 5 people have gone to a nearby metal box of a building. It felt like a holding cell. The windows were dirtied, and the chairs were rusted to the ground. There was one little flier that hung In front of me.  It read:

Extremis

Since 1915

There was a dude standing at the door and watching us. All of a sudden he asks me, of all the people…

“Do you have someone waiting for you?”

“No. Just got here, and don’t really know where here is.”

“Well, kid you can just follow me then. I think we have a nice place for you.” The man replied, and just took me out of there. It was awkward. I didn’t even know this guy, and I bet he did not even know me, but he is just yanking me off.

The man was huge. Well, at least in height. He had a pistol in a holster. Looks like the name suited the place well. I am going to have to be extra sharp.

“Here, right in here, Rob… is it?” he asks me after looking into the bus sheet.

“Yes sir.”

“Well, in you go.” The man said, and I walked into another little “metal box,”  close to the one I was just in.  Almost instantly, I feel two people grab me from behind, and put a sack over me. I kick and punch, but nothing works. They cuff my hands, and throw me onto a hard metal floor. I hear an engine starting. Must be a truck… it sounds really low.

The ride was really bumpy. I was sweating five hogs. The truck, or van, or whatever it is. They yank me out, and throw me onto the ground. I feel winded. The sack comes off, and they uncuff me. In minutes they throw me into a cell. It is blazing hot, and for once I am “wet my pants” scared. Ha ha! That wasn’t really funny. The heat is even worse now. I hope it doesn’t get any worse. My shirt is soaked, and I am stinking like a pig. How the heck am I going to survive?

I open my eyes, and look around at the ululating darkness. I see the cell bars around me to some extent. Looks like nobody else is in here Heh! Talk about tough luck! I feel completely hopeless when,

“Hey. Psst.” Someone whispers.

“What?” I say, a bit too loudly. Right then, I realize the dozens of people in the cells around me.

“When did you get here?” a girl asked. She looked like she had been working in a mine. Her shirt was dirty, and she was covered in dirt.

“Right now. What is this place for?” I ask, still confused about why these people were talking to me so openly. Shouldn’t there be something sad in their tone.

“These people here are probably the largest group of criminals in the world. You came here looking at all of the photographs of Extremis, and all the nature parks right?”

“Well…”

“Well all you need to know is, if you don’t have a contact, you’re screwed.”

“Thanks… that is really reassuring.” I say, sarcastically.

“My name’s Rachel by the way. What about yours?”

“Rob.” I say, after a lot of hesitation.

“Okay, Rob, let me introduce you to the head honchos here. Here’s Joseph to my right… and Jane to my left, Patrick to your right. You’ll see him soon. And last but not least, Timothy. We like to call him Little Tim.”

“It’s nice to meet you all, but I still don’t know what I’m doing here. Maybe I should just wait.”

“No! Maybe you shouldn’t. This is a labor camp. They take kids ages 9 and above, and bring them here, once they have no parental relations. Most usually they are the ones that kill the parents too. The sometimes bring in adults, but they are off in another camp. We have to mine Melancholia. I know, the name’s weird, but that’s the least of it. Every 8 years they hold a contest. Well, two actually. One is where they put you in a sort of gladiator arena, and make you fight, till they call it off, which is not for a long time. They usually pick people who are good friends with each other. Trust me, they know. Everything is monitored on camera and audio bugs…”

“Why are you telling me all this then ‘cause it’s my first day here?”

“We have had only 2 new kids added in the past almost 8 years, you are our second. We are screwed. But we live in hope that one of you newbies could sneak out and spread the news of the horror these guys cause us.”

“Okay… so I’m like some sort of a prophet?”

“Far from it. You are our ticket out of this place.”

“So, you did not tell me about the second contest.” I say after a long pause. These guys seemed legit. Might as well make some allies while I’m trapped here.

“Yeah, that. In case you haven’t noticed, this place is in the middle of a desert. They pick two people, drive them to some “middle of nowhere” in the desert, and give them limited supplies. They are left for 4 days, and the one to survive, gets to leave the camp if he’s lucky, or gets a trip to town. Most people die though.”

“What’s the deal with the gladiator arena?”

“You have to win 4 fights to be free. And this time, you are free for sure. It’s not like they just give you a trip to town.”

“How much longer till the fight?” I ask.

“A week and a half.” Joseph answers.

               

Mr. Samson…Mr. Samson… why? Why the suffering?  This morning it was roll call, we were herded out of our cells, and put on a truck out to the mines. Rachel sat next to me, and for the first time, I noticed how beautiful she was. Under all that dirt, there was a slender, pretty body, that was punished. Joseph was like the Hercules of the squad. He was 6’2, and was 210 pounds of raw muscle. He was the one doing the heavy lifting. Rachel had more stamina than I did. She worked for 4 or 5 hours straight, and I was burned after 2. For 9 hours we had to toil, and at the end we were all too tired to talk. They drove us back and the ride felt longer this time. It was only the first day, and I almost felt like I was ripped in half. We got a little porridge, and a few small slices of bread, and that was it. Letters were forbidden for new comers. I did not have anyone to write to anyway. My hands and limbs ached like thunder, so it wouldn’t matter even then. I slowly went to sleep. For the first time in my teenage years, I broke into a silent sob, and the tears came. I cried myself to sleep.

                BANG! BANG! BANG!

                Someone is at my cell door right now. Seems like a wakeup call. I get up and knock back, to show that I am awake. The door flies open, and the two guards grab me like yesterday, but instead take me somewhere else. Rachel is nowhere near me. Before I know it I am in front of a basin of cold water. They grab me by my hair, and shove my head underwater. The water is stone cold. My skin is tearing off of my face. What do I do?! I struggle, but their grip is too strong. After what seems like an eternity, they yank my head up

.

“WHY WERE YOU LATE FOR ROLL CALL?! YOU WANT TO LOSE US SOME MONEY! HUH TOUGH GUY?!” one of the guards yells, and then shoves my head back in the water. I feel the same again. After several dunkings, they drop me on the ground and I catch my breath. One of the guards hits me with the butt of his gun, and I black out.

Things are becoming clear now. I can see in front of me. Someone is crouched there.

“Hello?” I say.

“Robert, you are okay. Just try and stay calm.” It sounded like Rachel was saying this. My vision slowly clears and I see a bunch of kids standing around me. I slowly get up and thank them. I am shown to my work spot by a really fat guard, and I start my work. Same nine hours go by. I just can’t stop thinking about Rachel. She is so gorgeous. I wish I could have a nice, deep chat with her one of these days.

Looks like I am lucky tonight. Apparently every Friday, they hold a milling session where the kids were free out of their cells to talk with each other. I rush out and try to find Rachel. She’s sitting all alone on a bench in the corner.

“Rachel!” I call, and I jog over. “How’s it going?”

“Rob, I’ve been here for six years, so don’t ask me how it’s going!” Rachel yelled. It was kind of a surprise. She was really nice to me at the cells.

“Rachel, I’m …I’m sorry I don’t ….”

“Don’t ‘sorry’ me!” she spat back.

“Rachel look… is it something I said?” I say. This must have been the trigger word. She pounced on me, and before I knew it I was on the ground, and Rachel was punching my face. The group of kids gather around, and encourage her. Blood is spurting from my nose. With all my might, I shove, and try to get her off. She keeps on hitting.

Joseph just stood there and watched. If I could see correctly out of the blood covering my eyes, he was smiling. What was this world coming to? I mean one minute they are my friends and the next minute they want to turn me into pulp. Seriously? My brain is bouncing around in my head now, because she’s been slugging me.

“RACHEL! RACHEL! RACHEL!”  the kids keep cheering. I look into the background, and see a guard walking up. He pulls out a Taser, and zaps her. Rachel screams in pain. It almost makes me wince, but she was the one beating me up. I get up, hot with embarrassment that I was beaten up by a girl. But then again it was a raw, hardened, worker coming at me, not exactly the tender high school poster girl. The world is spinning around me. I see Joseph in the background. He is helping clean up Rachel. Me, I guess I’m just chopped liver here. People give me awkward glances, and the guards smirk. Rachel turns back, and gives me the death stare. Looks like I had to play by their game.

I am in my cell now, all bruised up. I think over what I could have done to influence Rachel in such a way. Then it struck me. I remember the clock after work finished today. It was a whole 2 hours later. My arriving at work late had “earned” these poor kids more work time.

 “Listen guys…”

“Cut the flattery.” Joseph snapped. “We thought you were something, but you are no better than the other street trash that pile in here.”

I see Rachel’s hands. They are calloused and bandages are wrapped around. She is giving me a nasty stare. I eat my meager supper of cornbread and soup, and go to sleep.

This time, my body is in overdrive. I am the first one up.  I therefore am escorted out first. The nasty stares are aimed at me, but I ignore them. Instead I am observing my environment. It is 10:30 a.m. Security is doubled. The first guard to show up in the hallway always passes by this strange door. He has a ring of keys dangling from his utility belt. I had to do something for these kids.

                Next day, the truck ride is just like the previous ones. We are herded into the back, and taken to the mining facility. Today, I decide to step it up. I will work extra, I will help whoever I can, and even take some punishment if I have to. If I don’t prove myself to these kids, then they have no way of getting out, and if they don’t I don’t either.

                One of the guards shoves me over to my work station, and gives me a drill, and I start shredding away at the rock infront of me. You know these kids here are like these rocks. They have a hard outer shell, but on the inside they all have something really precious, but just like the rocks were squished and messed up underground, these kids were also abused, so they can’t show their true selves very easily. Maybe Mr. Samson did send me here for a reason. You know, I am starting to like that man more and more. 

Clank!

                Someone comes over next to me. It is Joseph.

“Got your butt kicked by a girl. She was my girl too.” Joseph says.

“Listen Joseph, I …”

“The one who needs to do the listening here is you. So listen up ‘cause I’m only going to say this once. If you lay another hand on Rachel or even think about coming anywhere near her…you and I will be having a little talk. You’ve seen what Rachel can do to you; I don’t think I need to tell you what I can do. So screw off.” Joseph says and continues at his work as if nothing happened. A guard walks by behind us.

AAAAH!

Everyone turns. It is Rachel. Her calloused hand just got jammed between two rocks. The guards tell her to shut up and keep working. She is sweaty, dirty, and bruised black and blue. I can’t bear to see her like this. I start to get up and walk to her, but that is my mistake.

WHAM!

Joseph tackles me, and puts me in a choke

“I told you not to go near her you stupid prick!” He says, and punches me in the chest. I feel like my whole chest just got turned inside out. Dang! He was strong.  He gets up and goes over there himself. He pulls her hand out gently, kisses it, and hugs Rachel. Joseph makes sure I can see him do this. He looks over at me and smirks.

This was going to be hard.

It is late night. I can’t sleep. The images of Rachel beating me up keep running through my head. I see her hand getting crushed, and Joseph tackling me. Why?! How much longer do I have to put up with this nonsense?!

(Everything is in slow motion now)

Roll call went by as usual. And we got shipped off. This time I was working at a different station. I got put next to the kid named Patrick, that Rachel had mentioned on my first day here. Maybe it’s time I start doing some inquiry.

“Hey, you.” I say.

“What?” Patrick replies.

“You’ve been around here for a while right?”

“6 years.”

“ Dang. Anyway, you’ve been talking with all these kids for quite some time then right.”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Listen, I need you to tell me a little bit about Rachel…you know, her background and stuff like that.”

“Why would I tell you?”

“If you want a chance of getting out of here, you’d best tell me.”

“Just shut up man. You screwed us over before when you were late for roll call. We’ve had to work extra for you.”

“Fine, we’ll all rot in here together. How about it huh? You, me, Rachel, and all the other kids just stay in here and fry ourselves. Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.” I say sarcastically. I have been soft all this time, it is time I start putting my stake down in the ground.

“Tell me one good reason why any one of us should trust you.”

“Why? Because you are all I have, as a chance of getting out of here, and I am all that you have as a chance of getting out of here. So we’d best work together and sort this thing out.”

“ Just what do you know man? You talk like some genius Houdini, who just escapes traps easily.”

“ I know some things, but like I said, if we work together, we can learn more. I have street smarts. I know how to talk my way out of things. Trust me man, the city where I come from it’s almost as bad as yours.”

“What is going on there?”

“I’ll tell you if you tell me what I need to know. Simple, you give and you get in return.”

“Fine. Rachel comes from a city a little bit north of here. It’s called Animus. The place is known for its peaceful way of going about things. There hasn’t been a single riot, murder, or any crime in the past 90 years since it was founded. Anyway, her dad was in the army before they moved there. The rule is that army officials are not allowed to carry weapons within the city. This is left to the police and the police only. They want to keep their peace. So Rachel, before she moved to Animus, had learned a lot of skills. Her dad taught her how to fight, how to work a radio, how to send a distress call. All that sort of neat stuff. But one day, Rachel’s dad is shipped out on duty overseas, and she is left alone…her mother died when she was young. The people that run this camp, I hear that they are all linked back to some mayor a little bit east of here. They have little bases like this all over the country. I bet that guy is starting with the kids, and before you know it all the adults will be in on it too. He’s already started I think. I saw a few adults on the north wing of this labor camp. So, Rachel was kidnapped by the people that worked for that mayor dude, and they brought her here, to Extremis, one of the worst camps of all.  She’s been here for a few years since then. That’s the story.”

“Uhh…how do you know all this?”

“When Rachel first came to the camp, she wasn’t as hard as she is now. She literally vented, the first day she got here, and bawled like an infant. For a while nobody liked her. Then, Joseph came along, and he got into a relationship with her. The two were, and still are quite close. So, if you are having trouble with them, it would be in your best interest to stay the heck away from them. Her relationship with Joseph caused her to shut out all other people, until you arrived, but she even hates you now.”

“Hm.” I answer, not really knowing what to say. I continue to work.

It is break time now, we are all hanging out. Moans echo through the room in which we sit. Kids stumble to their chairs, and rub the black bruises, and pained limbs they have. Sand, and dirt are encrusted on their fingers, and their faces are covered with dirt. I get up and start to walk around. I see Rachel and Joseph. They are making out. Joseph sees me, and whispers something to Rachel, she pretends to enjoy the moment more, and smirks at me as I walk by. I just ignore them. I have a more important job to do.

I’m on a truck back to the main holding area. Rachel and Joseph sit across from me. I am looking down, but can still sense that they are staring at me. There was only one way to get through to Joseph. It has been almost a week. So the mock fights are going to be starting soon. Kids are going to be training for the gladiator match, and the survival in the desert.

I lay in my cell, thinking. I need to fight Joseph, but only to prove to him that he is not the boss of anyone. I don’t want to win over Rachel, I just want to show him that he should stop being a bully like he is. Maybe in the process Rachel will change the way she thinks. I really hate what I am about to do, but, it is necessary.

The mock fights are on. Kids are pitted against each other in timed matches. Sizes aren’t taken into account. A kid that was about 5’5 just crushed a much taller 6’1 guy. Things are crazy. Fists smash at each other, kids take each other down, and fight on the ground. They are ready to do anything and everything to win this match. I signed up earlier today. The matches are randomly selected.

Robert Carver! And Joseph Anderson!

Finally, the moment I’ve been waiting for. Joseph looks at me with a burning stare. We walk into the ring. The “referee” comes in and starts the match. Joseph moves slowly. He is really big, and is bent over. Usually big guys are not easy to knock over. Suddenly, before I can do anything, he charges at me, and has me in the air. I am slammed to the ground. 

“AAAHH!” I scream.

“That’s right, idiot.” Joseph says into my ear. He rears back for a punch.

My stomach feels like its ripped in half, and my ears are ringing. As he comes in, I buckle back, and put my feet  in the way of his arm. This temporarily knocks him off balance. I slowly start to realize my own skills. Using my arms, I shift my weight, and flip him over. I’m on top now, but Joseph won’t give up. He starts choking me. I try to yank his arms off, but his grip is too strong. So, I lay in with a choke of my own. He doesn’t relent for a little bit, but then gives up. I don’t waste another second, and immediately lock his arm. Now is my chance to tell him.

“Are you done? Joseph?” I ask.

“Like hell I am!” He says and tries to break free, but I have him in place.

“What I have to say is very simple. I you don’t drop your macho attitude, you and the rest of us are all going to rot in here for the rest of our lives. Something else, I am not interested in taking Rachel from you. I know you have been friends for a long time. Am I clear?”

“Fine.” Joseph says, and I release him from the arm lock. He taps the mat, and I win the match automatically. Rachel is in the crowd, and she is just staring.

We’re about to head to the trucks to be taken back, but Rachel stops me.

“Robert, about that day … I’m really sorry. I just really am. Joseph just told me everything. I believe him, and he believes you. So I believe you.” Rachel says, and gives a nervous smile.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re here for each other. I think that is what we all need to recognize. We’ll talk about it in the cell room tonight. Alright?” I say with a smile.  “I just hope Joseph is okay.”

“He’s okay, but it will still take some more time for him to be fully accustomed to you. Help him around with things and what not. He’s a really nice guy…I promise.”

We’re back in the cell room now. I give Rachel the cue. I start tapping the bars of my cell. Rachel starts as well. Slowly, but surely everyone starts tapping. This way I know everybody has my attention.

“Alright everyone, as many of you know, I’m Robert Carver.  I’m new to this place, and have been here only for a couple of days, but trust me I know what you are going through. I see you kids toil. I see you in pain, and you know what? I think it’s about time that you’ve had enough. I am here to help.

But! Something else I’ve noticed… is the distrust amongst yourselves.  You don’t want to share information with people whom you have been stuck with for the past few years. Where have you gone?! Nowhere. You are not unified. You are not a group. And if we don’t form a group, and we don’t start working together, well I can only put this in one way, it’s going to be the end of us. They are going to keep us locked in here, and we are going to die. They won’t sympathize. Do you want that to happen? For Pete’s sake, you all have families out there. Think about them. Don’t you want to see them ever again? I do, and I know that deep inside you probably want to see them too. Now if you really can hear me, you understand that the stakes are high. We’re going to have to fight for each other, and breathe for each other. We are brothers and sisters now do you understand? But! Remember, I am not forcing you to join me. However if you do, I can assure you that you will be happy at the end. If you don’t well…then god save you. That’s all I have to say.”

Looks like I actually got to them. No one is saying a single word. Even Joseph is quiet in the corner, but I can still tell that he is not entirely sure. Rachel is calmly sitting in the corner, looking into the air.  I decide to go to sleep. Tomorrow, I start planning.

                As usual, a guard escorts me over to a working place. I am working, but at the same time thinking. I need to cause a disturbance. I have to see the layout of this prison. Maybe if I could…

“Hey,” I say to the kid next to me. “I need your help with something.”

(Everything is in slow motion now)

“Let go of me you idiot! Aaaah! Help!” The other kid yells, as I pretend to beat him up. The guards run over, and don’t hesitate to Taser me. It hurts, so I fall back, and just let them do what they need to do. Since everything is still in slow motion, I have time to analyze what is going on. The guards are dragging me by my arms. I pay attention to the hallways, and room doors. Oh! Looks like I got lucky. A guard just walked out of the room next to me, and I got to get a peek inside. There were….guns. I quickly memorize the location of the locker.  Armory, check.  I am dragged around another corner. I peek to my right, and I see the words Electrical Room written here. Might be useful.

                The guards have dragged me into a different room now. It wasn’t where they dunked my head in water. Instead, it was an office. The room was quite barebones in its set up. One of the guards pushes a button, and I hear a click at the door. These rooms had electric locks.

“So,” a random voice says from behind me, “you seem to have been eager to see me hm?”

“The man asked you a question.” One of the guards said. I still keep quiet.

“No need for any aggression, as I believe Mr. Carver here has endured more than enough troubles during his stay here. Hasn’t he?” the man asked, and now walked around me. He took a seat in front of me… I can’t believe who I am seeing.

“Who are you?” I ask, trying to look as tough as possible.

“My name is Dr. Frederick Mendel. I am a psychologist.”

“You are psychotic.” I say impulsively. I get hit in the back of the head with the baton which one of the guards behind me carried.

“You are not funny. Do you know why you are here?”

“No.”

“Perfectly alright.  You are here, Mr. Carver, because you were sent here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Does the name Samson mean anything to you?”

“Yes.”

“Well, blatantly put, he was the one that was responsible for sending you here. If it reassures you in any way, you have done nothing criminal to end up here. Plus you are benefitting the organization. We could always use an extra hand. Ah, how naïve, and dumb you children are. No wonder you make such a great work force. The adults we have here are a real pain in the backside.”

“I have a question?”

“I’m listening.”

“Why Samson?”

“Well, he told me many things about you, where you came from, your family, and so many things. And I just thought, why should I miss the opportunity to take in a child like that.”

“You are a sick minded… Aah!” another smack to the back of the head by one of the guards.

“The more you act aggressive like this Mr. Carver, the more worse it is going to get for you. I suggest you go along with what you are told. Take this boy away. Oh, and Mr. Carver, should I see you again, it will be for arranging your death.” Mendel said, and gave a cruel smile. The guards shoved me forward and out of the room.

                Today was pretty crazy. I can’t forget it even as I’m lying in my cell now. So Mendel, this psycho-maniac dude was running this joint. When we escape, we need to make sure we get at him somehow.

(Everything is back in real time now)

3 days later

Hey, how’s it going? Sorry I haven’t been able to keep up with you for the past few days. I’m kind of working on plans to get us the heck out of this place! I’ve literally gotten dragged around the whole place at least 5 times. I think I have the passages memorized, after all the crap I’ve gone through here. Rachel is okay. Joseph is not really an obstacle anymore, but he still does not trust me. I’m planning on telling the kids my idea tonight.

I’m in my cell.

“Psst. Rachel?”

“Rob? What do you need?”

“I think I may have a way to get us out of here.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s our only chance at making it out of this place. You have got to trust me on this one.”

“Okay, tell me the plan then.”

“It’s all dependent on how we manage the gladiator games that are coming up. We have to make sure that the place is as riled up as possible. The guards need to be so focused on the matches, and be in their own world, so that we can buy ourselves some time. While those morons are away, you and I will make it down to the weapons cache…”

“Wait? Weapons cache? Rob, we don’t have access to that place. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I know what you mean about the weapons cache. Something I’ve noticed about the doors is that they have electronic locks. I found the power supply room. I’m sure that they have switches to activate and deactivate the electric locks. Your dad was in the military right? He must have taught you some neat tricks.”

“How did you know…”

“That your dad was in the military? I’ll get to that later.”

“For now, we have to stick to the plan and get out. But here’s the catch. One of us needs to take a risk at getting out last. That is going to be the person fighting while we do our thing.”

“Hm.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Robert, you’re the one who has the plan you can’t. I’ll fight.”

“No! You haven’t seen your family in a long time.” I say almost too loudly.

“Robert, how…never mind. Joseph is the only one left here who is competent enough for the job.” Rachel replies.

“Fine.” Joseph replies out of his cell. “Tomorrow, we have milling hour. We’ll discuss it more then. I’ll spread it to the kids who are working near me, and you do the same to the kids working near you.”

                Yay! It’s another “fun” day at work. I’m assigned to the same job once again, in a routine manner. However, this time, I’m not too focused on the job I’m doing. The plan is running through my mind.

                Milling Hour! I quickly jog over to where Rachel and Joseph are sitting by the corner. The moans and groans of pain are sounding all around me. But I don’t let that bother me. I have a job to do.

“Rachel, Jacob, ready?”

“We were born ready.” Rachel said with a  weak smile. “Yes.”

“Okay, so here’s the game plan. The fight’s up in 2 days, Most of the kids are going to be in the bleachers. That will keep these dumb head guards occupied. The ones who are actually signed up to fight, will not be sitting there, but they will be at the entrances, and they will walk in. I’ve seen the mock fights. That is how they do it. So while the guards are occupied,  we slip away. I know where the armory is. But first we need to disable the power to the locks. Like I told you earlier Rachel, I also know where the power room is.

                More important than all of this are two things. One, the Doctor’s office, and two, our stealth. If even the slightest movement is detected, our plan is going to go haywire. “

“You mentioned the Doctor’s office, who exactly is the doctor?” Joseph asked. Just then, a guard starts walking in our direction. I give Joseph a look, and he changes the subject.

“So, I’ve been looking for her ever since.” I say to cover up. The guard gives us a stare, and walks away. We resume the conversation.

“The doctor is the head honcho here. I was taken to his office earlier. That place is stacked. It is filled with filing cabinets, Maps, and blueprints. It probably has all the connections. What we need to do is to get that stuff. You know how to use a gun right Rachel?”

“Learned to shoot when I was 12.” Rachel replies.

“Good…12 years old? Anyway, you and I are going there, and we’re going to hold the guy at gunpoint. It’s going to be hard on you, but we have to…”

“Robert, that maniac, whoever he is, he’s been holding me here for years. Nothing is going to stop me from hurting him.”

“Good, I guess. So, hopefully he’ll give us the files, and we’ll have to horde those things out of here. So are you with me?”

“Yes.” They both say in unison.

“Let’s get started.”

                It’s been 2 days, and the matches are today. Nothing is on my mind except the plan. I barely know what I am eating.

“All children, up to the front!” A mess hall guard calls out. All of the children, including me walk out up to the front. They have our hands bound in hand cuffs. I see Rachel and Joseph in the distance. We give each other the wink.

                So we are taken to the ring. This time it is for real. Life or death. Joseph, as planned, volunteers to go first. He is going to keep the fight going for as long as possible. Rachel and I have made a place for ourselves in the back, conveniently.

“Fighters! Get Ready! 3…2…1…Fight!” The guard calls out. The fight starts immediately. We can’t waste any time. Rachel and I slip away.

                We’ve been walking through the corridors for 3 or 4 minutes now. Blood gushes through my body, and I feel charged. We have to do this right. It is our only chance. Rachel and I find the power room. By luck, no guard has seen us. Looks like most of those morons are still stuck at the ring. We see the door to the electrical room, and dang! This has a power lock too. We’re going to need a guard’s key to open it. That would rid us of the whole need to deactivate all the security locks. Without wasting a moment, Rachel runs back. I follow. We are trying to stay as quiet as possible. There is one guard watching by himself, in a corner entrance. Rachel, gets ready. She looks at me and gives a nod. She runs up and sweeps the guard’s legs out from under him. She wraps her legs around his ribs, and starts to squeeze.

“Hey buddy, you’re going to help us out a bit.” Rachel says with a sinister smile. She’s even starting to creep me out a little.

“What?...Please…”

“You’re going to get us into the electrical room. Deactivate all power to security systems here.” I say.

Rachel squeezes harder.

“Fine.” The guard says, all choked up. Rachel lets the guard up, and he tries to attack. Now I really see Rachel’s expertise in fighting. She flips backward, and grabs his arm, and puts it between her legs, and has him down again.

“Listen here, maggot, she says. Try one of your stupid tricks again, and I’ll have you fried in no time.” She says. Before letting him get up this time, she grabs his baton, Taser, and pistol, and tosses the first two to me.

The guard cooperates and takes us over there. He opens the door, and turns off the security systems. The roar of the crowd in the ring can be heard even from here.

At gunpoint, the guard works away, and shuts off all security system power.

“Now, you’re going to take us to Dr.Mendel.” I say.

He gets up, and starts walking. We turn a corner. Another guard is doing his rounds. He turns, but we pull away in time. We continue up the stairs, which the guards had dragged me up earlier. I lead the way, and we arrive at the Doctor’s office.

“Now, ask if you can enter.” I say. The guard knocks.

“Identify.” A voice says from inside. The guard says his name. After a short pause he is let in, much to the Doctor’s displeasure.

“Hello.” Rachel says, as she puts the gun to the guard’s back.

“Now, now, let us not do anything we will…”

“Shut up!” I say. “You have been torturing these kids, and putting them through the worst time of their life. Some of them haven’t even reached 10 for Pete’s sake, you moron.”

“Robert, remember, I said that if you came in here again, it would be to contribute to your own death?” The doctor reaches under the desk, and presses a button. I can tell by the way his hand moves. He presses again and again.

“Surprised, butthead?” 

“You aren’t going to get anywhere with this.” The doctor says. He reaches into his desk, and pulls out a revolver. Rachel doesn’t hesitate, and shoots his hand. He drops the gun.

“Now, open up the filing cabinet, and give us any paperwork dealing with the blueprints, history, and connections involved with this camp. Simple. Do it.” I say with some authority which I never knew I had.

“Do it or the next round goes in your head.” Rachel says seriously. The guard is shivering off to a side.

“You stupid guard! Do something!” the doctor yells. I run forward and tase him. He falls unconscious.

“Now, you either get us the files, or she kills you. You’re losing either way.”

The doctor opens up the filing cabinet, and pulls out some folders. They have the words foundation, connections, and Project Iron Fist, written on it. He puts them on the table. Without hesitating, I grab the folders, and back away. The doctor pulls a pill out of nowhere and swallows it. Within seconds he is dead. Damn it! Rachel, get down to the electrical room now, and turn on the power I have an announcement to make.  Rachel runs down immediately. I see the lights surge on, showing that the power is activated. Rachel is back in a jiffy. She has an assault rifle in hand.

“I found the armory myself.” She says with a smile.

“Thanks.” I say, and grab the gun, though I don’t know how to fire the darn thing.

There is a microphone, linked to the PA system throughout the camp. I think carefully, and speak.

“We have your boss. Or should I say we had him? He is dead. Dr. Mendel is dead. Children, you are free! That word free was what these children wanted to hear for ages. I could feel the ground thundering. They were revolting. Suddenly,

Bang!

Some maniac guard pulled the trigger. Rachel is fuming next to me. I look at her and say,

“The armory. Now.”

We run down there and scoop up weapons in our hands. I grab a couple of rifles. They’re heavy, but we need them.

“Rachel, we need to find some responsible people to give these to. Look for some of the older kids. We have to break out today.”

In no time, we’re down there where the action is hot. The kids are crouching behind bleachers, walls, and whatever cover they can find.

“I’ve had enough!” Rachel yells, and fires a few rounds and takes down some guards in the process. This is a good distraction. I run across the arena where the fight started, and hurry to where the kids are crouching. I find some teenagers, 18 and above probably. I hand them the gun, and give them the same instructions on how to fire it that Rachel had given to me.

“We can’t die like puppies. Let’s go!” I say. I run back, and take Rachel’s side. To my surprise, Joseph is also there firing away. The guards are now at a weak point.

“Okay, we can’t stay here like this.” Rachel says. “Someone’s going to have to open the door leading out of this hole.

“You and Rachel go, I‘ll stay back.” Joseph says.

“Joseph no…” Rachel insists.

“Just go!” he replies, and keeps firing.

                Rachel and I charge out. She pulls out the folders we had picked up earlier. Looks like she is good at reading maps, because she has the nearest exit located in seconds. We head back to where Jacob is.

“Jacob, we’ve got the exit located. Now we just need to push forward. The older kids cover the younger kids, and we work our way out of this place.”

“Got it.” Joseph says and runs across to spread the word. In  a flash the kids are ready. They are walking out of their cover, this time, much more confident. Some of the older kids get shot. Rachel starts to tear up. Dang! I pick up a gun, and fire as well.  All the while however, I remember the fact that I can’t leave with these kids. I’ve got my own journey. At one point I’m going to have to split up. Take another exit perhaps.

                We’ve succeeded in getting the kids to the corridors, and are now herding them towards the exit. It is chaotic. I am still next to Rachel, and Joseph. I haven’t told her about what I need to do.

“Is something wrong?” Rachel asks.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Rob, tell me this isn’t the time to argue.”

“I can’t come with you guys.”

“What?!” She half shouts.

“I have my own city I need to go to. Animus.”

“Animus, that is my hometown.”

“I know, but do you really want to go back there.”

“No she doesn’t.” Joseph suddenly interrupts. “Rachel, you aren’t safe there.”

“Oh Joseph, I know, but it is my home. I need to see it once more. We’ve almost died here, I think any home would be great.”

“Fine.” Joseph says, somewhat upset. We pull out the blueprints and make our way to another exit.

“Wait!” it’s Patrick. “I thought you guys were coming with us.” 

“I’ve got my own thing to do now buddy.” I say. I give Patrick a wink, and he understands. We reach the exit, and push open the doors. Light floods our faces. It was something we hadn’t seen in years. The Mojave opened up in front of us.

“How are we going to get out of the desert?” Joseph asks.

“Yeah.”

“Are you guys really that silly.” Rachel says. While you sent me down to the electrical room, I found a radio. Probably one that the guard that sat in there listened to kill his stupid time. My dad taught me a few tricks with the radio, and I’ve had it send out a distress call. In fact, it’s in my pocket right now. So don’t worry dears.”

                Sweat is caked to the side of my arms. My shirt feels so sticky. We’ve been walking for so long

“Rachel, how much longer?” I ask. Even Joseph is struggling now.

“Don’t know, I thought the signal would have got to them.” Rachel says.

“We need to stop.” I say. I drop to the ground, and so do the rest. I look up at the sky, and the sun is beating down on me. I can’t take it anymore. The world spins around me. I lay down, and the last thing I see are a set of rotor blades in the air above me. Safety. Where will I go? I don’t know anymore? Is it dark, or is it bright? I guess life is filled with its twists and turns and we just have to be ready to face them. I learned many things at this camp. Hard work, perseverance, strength, discipline, and finally suffering. I suffered more than I had suffered before; it has hardened me on the inside. I don’t get affected by little things any more. I am a new man, and I think that’s what is important. With one last exhalation, I pass out.