WARNING - SOME STRONG LANGUAGE AND ADULT THEMES. READER DISCRETION ADVISED.

The conversation carried on for a while and David sat back down. Some of the kids would come up to him and force him to talk and interact with them. Kids are that way. You can't sit down in the middle of a crowd of them without them taking interest in you.

David begun to feel comfortable even relaxed around them. They weren't out to get anything from him, and he certainly did not feel threatened by them. They were just curious kids who would come in, buzz around him for a minute or two and then leave to chase down the new interest that caught their eye.

After a while, David noticed Cheeto playing ball with some of the kids but he didn't see or hear Allen. The playground seemed a bit quieter as well. Not a lot but just enough for him to take notice. David got up and his Johnny Law instincts started to kick in again.

He begun to look around for something that stood out of place. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but his adrenaline started to pump. It was a small exercise for him, but still the hunt or proving his instincts correct was always somewhat thrilling.

In no time he found a hidden away section of the playground, behind a wall of the building and a fence for the playground. Near the spot, David crept along the wall subtly to ensure that he did not walk into anything unexpected. He heard murmurs and some whispers as kids do when they hide away in front of the world. This 'finding' only further reassured his suspicions and elevated his confidence.

He heard rustling of bags and the kids talking "Try it you'll like it," and "Don't be a bitch, just give me twenty." At this point David decided to step in.

"Hey guys what's up?" he said nonchalantly, startling the kids who ran off dropping small plastic bags and other items on the ground leaving the bearer to account for them. Allen being the unfortunate one left behind with the bags.

Bags of pills spilled on the ground as Allen did his best to retrieve and cover them up. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Allen scrambled to pick everything up. David had conflicting feelings for proving his suspicions right but also a sinking feeling of the situation before him. Seeing this little eleven year old scramble to pick up and cover up the drugs he was trying to sell to other kids was not something David wanted to be right about.

"What is all of this?" David asked as he picked up all the baggies with more disappointment than he had expected to have.

"No wait..." feebly pleaded Allen knowing it was futile to get his stash back. The baby face of a scared little boy replaced the brash hard look he had earlier.

"What are you going to do? You gonna turn me in? They gonna kick me out of here," said Allen hoping to dissuade David from it. Except David didn't know what to do with this information. So he just kept quietly picking things up. The silence and lack or reaction making it worse for Allen who didn't know how to read this still strange person who held his life in those small plastic bags.

"Are you going to call the cops on me? Come on man, please don't," begged Allen, his voice shaking. He was clearly nervous, looking around him embarrassed and frightened. "Come on man be cool," continued Allen.

"Be cool? Come on you know what you are doing?" David finally replied, sincerely wondering whether Allen realized the gravity of his actions.

"It's the first time I do something like this. I swear. Please man, don't do this to me. Let me go and I promise I will never do anything like this ever again!" the sincerity in his voice of a kid who despite his attitude had never done anything this severe and was clearly scared. Tears starting to choke him up.

David didn't reply. Just mechanically continued to pick up and collect the baggies along with Allen's bag. He did so focusing on the action still not knowing what his next move should be. David knew what he should do, and any other time, any other place, he would have no hesitation. But this time, on this day, he couldn't.

"Go on get out of here before I change my mind," said David.

Allen did not leave though. He kept looking at the bag with almost more fear instead of relief. The excruciating look of dread overcoming what David expect to be a sight of relieve. David soon realized this small child would rather throw way his future than leave this bag behind and he soon realized why.

"No, come on please don't take it. They'll kill me!" said a panicking Allen as David walked away in the direction he last saw them.

"Where are they!" demanded to know David.

"Why?" Allen asked confused and still frightened.

"Tell me where they are," demanded David.

"Why do you want to know?" asked Allen frustrating David more.

"Don't protect them and tell me now!"

"I'm not protecting them, but what you gonna do?" asked Allen with concern.

David searched for the group of teens and found them across the street in a small park.

"No wait, stop don't mess them. They'll hurt you!" begged Allen as David stormed off again in their direction.

David walked determined towards the three young men who upon seeing him heading their way greeted him.

"Hey pops aren't you a little old to be in school?" asked one of the youths cynically.

"You guys trying to push stuff in my center?" asked David authoritatively.

"I don't know what you are talking about," said one the young men not convincingly at all.

"So then this shit isn't yours?" asked David as he threw the bags of pills at them from Allen's bag.

"I wouldn't do that. That's bound to get you shot around here pops," said the older of the youths threateningly. The ironic tone now gone.

"Don't call me pops. I'm not your pop's. But I'll beat you like your pops should have," replied David defiantly.

"I don't believe this? Is this nigga seriously threatening me?" said the young man incredulous.

"You better believe it, Son," replied David firmly.

As he said this, the young man put his head down shifted it from side to side stepping towards David. The young man then quickly reached into his pants and pulled out a knife towards David. Anticipating these actions, David used Allen's backpack as leverage, throwing it up towards the rushing aggressor's face and tripping him and securing the hand with the knife. The other two young men rushed toward David who ordered them to stay as he had redirected the knife toward his attacker's throat.

"Back off! I'm getting really tired of you little shits pulling stuff on me," annoyance and anger mixing in his voice. The two other youths complied with David's demand but pulled out guns at the same time.

"Let him up," they demanded.

"You're going to shoot me in front of a building full of kids in broad daylight, me an army veteran? What are you guys stupid? You'll be in jail or dead before sundown," confidently said David.

The two goons hesitated and thought for a moment.

"We could shoot the boy. Nobody is going to miss another dead black kid," one of the youths said.

David not wanting to take any chances relented and let the youth up.

"You dumb fuck! You might have gotten the drop on T.J. and me but next time we gonna get the drop and you and you not gonna be getting up then!" said the agitated young man.

"You are using little kids to push your garbage!" said David.

"They gotta start working sometime," replied the young man cynically.

"Not anymore. You are not bringing that into my school," stated David.

"This is our turf nigga," scoffed the young man.

"Not anymore. This is off limits to you and your crew and any other crew! So take your shit with you!"" said David as he threw Allen's bag with all the pills at the group of young men.

Just then a police cruiser rounded the block prompting the group of youths to retreat.

"Let's go J. We'll be back," said one of the backups.

"Not while I'm here. I better not see you again,' relied David.

"You won't! You'll never see us coming bitch. But we'll be back, best believe that!" said J. as the three made their way out.

"Come on Allen!" said J.

"The kid stays here," replied David holding Allen back.

"You can't be everywhere power ranger wanna be. You started something you don't want none of," were J's partying words as the group scurried out.

"That was my bag. They took all of my stuff," said Allan sadly.

"At least that's all they took from you. Let that be a lesson that these types of things always end up costing you something," said David trying to comfort the child. Claudia who had arrived moments earlier to catch the end of the incident hurried over their way.

"What's going on? Why were you talking to them? Why were you talking to them!" demanded Claudia upset of Allen, ignoring David who tried to explain the situation.

"Allen are you selling for them?" she asked holding the kid by the shoulders.

"No I'm..."

"Don't lie to me Allen. Do you have drugs on you? Tell me!" she said. Concerned and anger frothing in her tone like a concern mother would be.

"No I don't!" defended Allen almost on the verge of tears.

"You know the rules Allen. If I catch you with any drugs you cannot be allowed back in and I'll have to turn you in to the police. Is that what you wan't?" she said.

"No!" replied the boy quivering.

"David what happened. Tell me the truth. Was he?" she couldn't finish uttering it and her voice was shaking too.

She had a look in her eyes that betrayed her demand to know the truth but she had to know.

"No...those kids looked to be bothering Allen so I came over to see what was the matter," said David.

"Are you sure? Positive?" she said pleading for his reassurance.

"Yes," replied David looking both at Claudia and Allen.

"OK. Allen listen to me," Claudia said kneeling down, cradling Allen's face in her hands, his eyes glossing over.

"Don't ever get involved with guys like that. You hear me? Those boys are not going to give you anything. Whatever they promise you, they will not give you. They will only take from you. They will take from you something you'll never be able to get back. They will take you," she said hopping that something of what she said made his young mind reflect, but not sure that he fully understood.

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