The Destroyers 3
by fillups44
Two things were in Aaron's mind. Two things he cared about. Two things he held in his mind through the police interviews, the discharge, the show trial that led nowhere.
The first was Ben. Ben was okay and that kept Aaron sane, kept his rage from leaking through his steely eyes and lashing out and killing someone. Ben was many things to Aaron. One of them was the first man he had allowed himself to feel affection for but there were other reasons.
The second was revenge. Revenge, cold and brutal but in a way that would prove him right that would show his science and show what the military had thrown away.
And so he kept sane and his expression barely changed when the thugs who had almost killed Ben avoided any justice at all. When they posed in front of the courthouse for a photographer, mocking the very notion of justice. Aaron walked past without a word not looking at them and with almost a grim smile touching the corners of his lips.
Aaron had always been a calculating man. His research, his life had been lived in careful steps and he proceeded forward in the same careful manner.
He strode over the impounding lot where they were finally releasing his truck. The truck itself looked exactly the same. The windows had been smashed in and his stereo was smashed but otherwise the truck looked okay. Aaron shut his eyes briefly as he felt the memory of that awful night tearing through his resolve.
The truck drove all right and as soon as he was out of sight of the lot, Aaron pulled the truck over. He felt under the carpet and found the thin plastic of his drive. He pulled it out. He could see a jagged scrape on one side but otherwise it was fine.
He allowed himself to feel the pleasure of one triumph as he drove over to the hospital to pick up Ben.
He was already out in front sitting in front of the hospital in a wheelchair. He looked up at Aaron with open affection from his pain filled eyes. His broken and bruised face beaming a smile at Aaron.
"Did they get the book throwed at 'em," Ben asked, hopeful.
"Not even a slap on the wrist," Aaron retorted bitterly. "To tell you the truth, Ben I wasn't very hopeful and didn't put any money at all into prosecuting them. They'll get theirs."
Ben's eyes widened in surprise at the intensity of Aaron's expression.
Aaron suddenly flashed a smile at Ben. "Come on we have to get you out of here and get on with our new life. I have a lot of plans and you're in for a quite a ride if you like."
"Even if you was poor with not even a nickel, I'd follow you around, Aaron Barrett. You won't get rid of me so easy."
"So we're going to need some help on this..." said Aaron as the truck sped away from the town.
**************
Matt, Paul, Levar and Sean had been friends forever. Their parents had moved in on the same street and the boys instantly found a connection. They were all small guys and had been readers but as soon as they moved to K street they also learned to fight. The bigger kids would pulverize smaller kids and so the boys learned to work together to take on the bigger kids.
By the time they were nineteen they were out of school and looking for stuff to do. A sharp summer day found Matt, Levar and Paul walking down the street.
Matt was a short stocky pale guy. His hair in a buzz cut and his large brown eyes sparked with life. "Ya' know," said Matt his speech full of Brooklyn, "If we wuz bigger we could take this town." he made a punching motion in the air.
Levar, tall, skinny and black looked down at Matt with a smile and roughed his hair with his long fingered hands, "Settle down there, boy we can't even take K street much less the town."
"Yeah, Matt don't be stupid," chimed in Paul. He had a thick thatch of unruly black hair that showed off his Korean heritage and almost covered his dark eyes.
"What's the news, dudes," asked Sean sauntering up, his red hair shining in the summer sunshine. "Who got beat up today?"
All four of the young men dreamed of a day when they could take on the gangs. There was a neighborhood gang, The Colores. The gang did actually own the town with lots of merchants paying the gang for "protection" and a healthy drug racket as well. Each of them had been hurt more than once in their brushes with the gang's activities. It usually all ended with one or all of them being beat up and the other guys just laughing. They were arrogant jerks all the time and ranged in age from maybe 13 to some guys in their mid 30's. There were at least 90 of them and they usually were in groups of 2 to 6.
All four guys were pretty good looking. Matt, a European mongrel with a bright smile and dark eyes. Levar, with his beautiful dark skin and large liquidly deep eyes. Paul, had an intellectual beauty, his face looked like it was carved with its high cheekbones. Sean was the scrawniest with his shock of red hair and his wiry muscularity, he was also the most formidable fighter.
"Hey Sean, you made me think," said Levar tapping his head, "I saw something in the back of that little comic book rag I draw for. Back in the ads. I gotta show you guys."
They were feeling comfortable with the four of them walking around in the sunshine and walked through an alley shortcut to Levar's house. A 13 year old hispanic kid wearing the Colores red and blue rag on his neck ran out in front of them, "Stay out assholes. Keep your sorry asses out of here!"
Sean never backed down from a fight. He had black eyes and broken bones but he never backed down. "Yeah, we can were we want you little punk." and he pushed the kid aside. All of the sudden they were surrounded by about ten of the gang members. One guy in particular came in with big punches targeting the gut and the face. Pretty soon member of the gang held the young men down while the others took turns kicking them.
The first kid spit on Sean's face, "Take that you ginger, fuckface!" he yelled.
The gang broke up laughing and then they took off leaving the others broken and bloody.
Matt was rubbing the back of his head, "Man some of those little kids was tough. I guess cuz the gang controls the gym and all the supplements and shit they can train and get strong."
Levar was rubbing his bruised shoulder, "Yeah my brother joined a few years ago. Now you wouldn't recognize him, he's so big."
Paul spat some blood out of his mouth, "Sometimes Sean you need to back down."
Sean's eyes burned with anger, "Paul, I didn't want you to get hurt but someone ought to teach those kids some respect for other people. Anyway it's Levar's fault. We didn't even need to go to his lousy house."
Levar smiled widely all of the sudden, "Maybe it is worth it guys. Come on!"
They quickly pounded up the stairs to Levar's place and moved into his room. All over the walls there were sketches. Sketches of fruit, of plants, of women, of cartoon characters and of men, mostly of men. Paul gaped at one picture that almost showed part of a guy's penis, "I don't think I've seen your room for a while, Levar," he said.
Levar was thumbing through to the back of a magazine printed with panels of pictures and grunted something unintelligible.
"Yeah," said Matt looking at a drawing of a man in leather with a mustache, "some of these is pretty good!"
"Here it is!" said Levar triumphantly. He started to read, "Wanted: a few good men ages 19 - 30 to train for a 3 month period at a physical fitness camp. The training emphasis will be on muscle size, strength and the martial arts. Tryouts for this all expense paid experimental pilot program will be held June 17th beginning 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Bring gym clothing."
"The tryouts are gonna be in St James Park," said Sean reading over Levar's shoulder. "Aaah it sounds like a crock, Levar. Like your get rich schemes with your drawing. It's goin' nowheres."
Matt looked away from the muscular mustached man, "It sounds like our dream guys. We need to go for it, like we've never gone for anything else."
To be continued