Chapter 6 - Meeting

"Ejay wake up... Ejay can you hear me? Wake up."

A voice breakes through the darkness of my mind and forces my eyes open. Everything is blurry for a while, but I can make out somebody's outline hovering over me.

"Ejay open your eyes. Get up before I slap you."

Now I could distinguish the voice as girl's voice. Wait, slap me?

"Alright cool I gave you a chance."

"Wait sto-"

WHAP!!

Before I could've finished I was silenced by a slap that nearly knocked me out again.

"Why? That wasn't even necessary." I groaned while turning on to my side.

"Angie you could've held back a little." Dameer said looking down on me. "He is still injured yanno."

"I gave him a chance, like I said he asked for it."

I still feel dizzy. My nose hurts badly too. The last thing I remember was I carried Liam to the finish line before blacking out.

"Hey, guys where are we, and how long was I out for?" I asked as I stumbled to my feet.

"We're inside waiting for Rodney to address us." Angie replied. "We had a thirty minute break for lunch after everyone came back to the school, and you basically missed all of it."

"Your covered in sand and dirt." I said looking at her with a grin.

"Well thanks you look like shit too." She responded looking away.

"Anyway where's everybody else. What happened to Liam?"

"Liam's got a bruised left leg but he'll be fine." Dameer replied. "Everybody else is down the hall, they sent us to come and grab you."

"Alright then let's go."

We enter a large room with about one hundred people sitting inside. That's about two hundred eyes that automatically locked on to us for a few seconds before continuing with their conversations. Angie guided me and Dameer to a small section of chairs where some of the others were sitting. Alyssa, Victor, Lj, Regine, Miguel, and some new girl. Light skin, short dark brown hair, with some size on her but not a lot.

"Hello, you must be Ejay." The girl says greeting me with a smile.

"Um, yeah hi."

"I'm Damali or just Mali for short, which ever you like."

"Alright Mali nice to meet you." I respond while forcing a smile.

"Come come sit next to me." She says while gesturing at the chair.

"So that aint my seat? Everything cool Mali." Angie says while sitting next to Alyssa.

"Thanks but I think I'll sit here." I said while sitting between Regine and Lj.

"I'll sit next to you Mali since you want company." Says Dameer.

"No boy you already had your chance with me." Mali says covering the chair.

"Wait I already did what?"

"Good afternoon everyone." Says Rodney while walking onto a small stage in front of the room.

"For those who don't know I am Sergeant Rodney Bootle and I am apart of the searcher unit. I'm going to be quickly explaining a few things before letting you guys go home for the day. Now in this room we have approximately forty six rookie searchers and sixty one rookie guards, but by the end of this selection process both of those numbers will be cut in half. So look at the people your sitting with and view them as both comrades and adversaries. This is going to be the only time both the guard and searcher unit will be seated in the same room like this. This meeting is only to run over a few general things. Firstly the people in these units are the only people in the authorized to use any type of firearm. Weapons and ammunition are both very scarce resources so they have to be used only when necessary. Guards carry more high grade weapons such as your assault and sniper rifles to defend the city against any immediate danger. Meanwhile us searchers rely mostly on melee weapons such as knives, machetes and so on. Also a hand gun if things get out of hand.

"Excuse me sir but since searchers are exposed to more danger why don't they carry the bigger guns?" Victor asked.

"Like I said ammunition isn't of the abundance so we must use it sparingly. The cities safety comes first so guards carry most of it along with the stronger weapons. Also they create a lot of noise as you should know and that's something you want to avoid out there. Now, you will be trained to fight. You will be trained to be in peak physical condition. You will be trained not only to protect yourself but also to protect those around you. This is really all we have for you on the first day but tomorrow. Be prepared to work, your unit leaders will inform you more on the specifics in the incoming days. You are dismissed."

It seemed like he was rushing. I expected them to explain why they were cutting down the number of candidates so heavily this month. I guess we could still find out later. Our group was among the last people to exit the room. We're walking down the hall heading for the exit when I just felt the need to ask Sgt. Bootle something.

"Hey guys I'm coming right back I forgot something."

"You had nothing to forget." Says Lj

"You want me to come with you so you won't get lost sweety." Mali says grabbing my arm.

"Um, no I'll be quick." I replied freeing my arm and turning to run back to the room.

As I approached the room I stopped running and leaned in to open the cracked open when I heard a voice. I leaned in closer to listen.

"So Captain they're the set?"

That sounds like Rodney. Is Captain Nash in there?

"Some of them will be. The last group of searchers and guards. What do you think of 'em Sergeant?"

"Well it's very early to really make any strong inferences but there are definitely some stand outs. The kid who reportedly killed two infected a few nights ago. There's that Cory kid who survived that house fire five years ago. I also saw your daughter in here I'm guessing she's trying to become a guard?"

"Yeah, she still isn't talking to me a whole lot."

"She'll let you back in soon. Oh yeah I can't forget that crazy old man's son. You know they said he carried another kid five miles to the finish line today."

"Well he is definitely as crazy as his dad." Captain Nash says while chuckling. "I still can't believe he was right."

"Ejay Francis the kid's name is. Evan would be proud to know his son might be apart of the mission."

Crazy old man..... Evan... Francis.... They know my dad?

"Don't bring that up, we don't know who could be listening. We need to keep that under wraps until that day comes. Now let's go revise these numbers."

Damn they're coming. I turn and ran for the closest door in the hallway. I slip inside and quietly close it behind me.

"What's up newbie." Says a loud boisterous voice in the room.

I turn around to see a class full of people cooking. The voice was Nesha.

"Excuse me are you suppose to be in here?" Asked the teacher.

"Um I'm sorry I got lost and thought this was my room." I replied while slipping back out the door.

"Mr. Francis what are you doing still lingering around?" Said Captain Nash and Sergeant Bootle walking towards me.

"I can't find the bathroom in this place."

"It's the first left when you head around the corner back there." Replied Rodney.

"Thanks." I said while sprinting pass them.

I run around the corner and nearly fell leaning against the wall. They know my dad and didn't told me. Why are we going to be the last group of searchers and guards? What's this 'mission' they're hiding from us? Why did I have to hear any of that?