Apocalypsis 02 - Warpaint

places, thighs. The homeowners who used to live here would have been very upset to see their yards now. They looked nothing like the perfectly manicured, half-million-dollar homes and yards of the past.
    I looked back and saw two people following us several houses back. We’d all be at the canners’ house within fifteen minutes max at this rate. I thanked our good fortune that was keeping the day dark and the rain at only a light drizzle.
    We turned the corner once to the left and then the second one to the right, as instructed. I could see the seaside mansions at the end of the road now, looking small from here but probably at least ten thousand square feet each. These canners sure had decided to live in style. I wondered at their boldness, living so out in the open and in such an obvious place. They sure weren’t worried about anyone knowing they were there. It made me sick with nervousness, because I knew it was their complete confidence in their viciousness that made this attitude possible for them.
    Winky and I finally made it to the wall of bushes at the far east side of the canners’ house, burying ourselves in their leaves and branches, hiding from site. We were both breathing heavily and sweating. Now that we were here, I felt myself slip into a state of almost surreal panic. I had to take several calming breaths to chill myself out. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack, my pulse was racing so fast.
    I knew I had to calm myself or I was going to be useless. I pictured my dad with his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes, telling me I just needed to focus and remember my training. I closed my eyes and relived the moments before matches, when he would get me centered and ready for the fight that was to come. There was no point in wishing he were here, but that didn’t stop me from praying. Dad, if you’re out there, please watch over me and my friends. Don’t let anything happen to us. I almost asked for him to send me a sign that he’d heard my plea, but I didn’t want to suffer the painful disappointment when nothing came, so I didn’t bother. At least this way, I’d still have hope he was out there somewhere.
    “Are you okay?” whispered Winky.
    I opened my eyes, my heart not running nearly as fast as it had been. I was almost peaceful now. I’m not sure if it was from the prayer or the acceptance that I was really doing this thing that made it happen, but I wasn’t going to over-analyze it. “I’m good. You?”
    “Yeah. I’m fine. Look! Here come Bodo and Peter.”
    I got nervous looking at Peter carrying Buster’s struggling form. I knew our dog wanted to bark really bad, and we just could not afford that right now. There were only two more teams behind them and we’d all be ready.
    “Come on. Let’s move over to the other side of the wall, near the tree.”
    Winky and I stepped out of the bushes so we could move faster, and slunk around the side of the wall, running as fast as we could to the corner. I saw Bodo and Peter split away and head the other direction. They were going to get to the opposite side of the place as us as soon as possible, which was probably a good thing, even though I really wanted to see them one more time before our plans went down. The last thing I saw was Peter’s skinny back turning the far corner behind us, before I turned right and followed the north wall to the east.
    ***
    Winky and I stopped beneath the tree on the side of the wall. I looked up at it and nearly freaked. How in the hell had Celia climbed this thing with one arm and the other one bleeding? She must have been flying on adrenaline to have done it. The drop from the wall alone was at least fifteen feet. The tree was completely on the other side, so there would be no climbing it from here.
    “How are we going to get up there?” asked Winky in a tiny, quiet voice.
    I heard some rustling on the other side of the stucco wall, and put my finger to my lips. A muffled woof came from the other side. I shook my head so Winky would get my message: Do not move an inch! A dog stood on the other side from us.
    She nodded her head.
    We waited for what seemed like forever before the sounds ceased and moved away. I leaned in close to Winky’s ear and said as quietly as I could, “When we hear Buster barking, I’ll get up using your back as a step, and then I’ll lean over and pull you up to the top of the wall. Then we’ll get into the tree together.”
    She nodded her head again,