As David walked, he noticed a car that seemed out of place. Its lights were on but it wasn't moving. Initially he didn't pay much attention to it since there were many cars like this from time to time on the street. As he got closer, he noticed there was nobody around the car and that it wasn't parked, it was just cruising very slowly. Soon David realized the intentions of it, and he had to figure out a way to lose it.

David knew the street well. These were his old stomping grounds after all. He cut through the street and the car started to follow him. David knew this was a confrontation he would not be able to avoid. That was another reason he wanted to leave the party earlier, so as to not involve anybody further.

David had to find a secluded location away from the house as well to not involve Liz and grams now. Plus he had to figure out a way to get whomever was inside of the car out. David figured he had the perfect spot for this. He figured the occupant's goal was to scare him by tailing him even though he had spotted them, so he would use this to lure them away from the house.

"He made us man, we should just blast him!" said Q-ball.

"I know he's made us, that's the point. We aren't going to blast him here in the middle of the street and get all sorts of attention, but he doesn't know that," was Alex's response. Besides Alex wanted to see what David would do. David was not the typical gang banger Alex had dealt with before. Ever the true tactician, Alex also didn't want to rush in like T.J. and his boys had done earlier.

David begun to walk faster, less they decided to rush him or do a drive-by that would endanger others. This did not go unnoticed by the men in the car.

"See he spotted us, we need to go now!" said another one of the guys.

"No hold on, let's see what he does," was Alex's reply.

"What is this solder boy up to?" Alex thought to himself.

"He's gonna get away," said someone else.

"Where too? Tell me where he is going to run too? Nigga, we know where he lives, think!" sad Alex.

"Then where is he going?" asked one of the guys once more.

"Bitch that's what I'm trying to see," replied Alex.

"What if he goes to the cops?"

"He won't," said Alex certain of it.

David cut through the houses and made his way to the city over-run river basin, where he jumped over the fence and made his way to the bike trail. The car could not go in through this spot because it was blocked out by a rail but there was another entrance a few blocks away.

"Ha, nice," said Alex.

"You two get out and follow him, but don't do anything until we catch up with you guys," he ordered.

"Got it. We'll try not to kill him before you get there," said the two War Dogs as they exited the car.

"I'm not worried about him," Alex thought to himself as he speed off.

The trail was one part side walk and two parts dirt and overgrown brush, littered with more dirt. The smell of urine, beer and feces permeated certain portions where a lot of the homeless and addicts would seek their communion with nature or find relief at the bottom of a bottle. At this point David saw the two men quickly approach him from the fence so he begun to run.

One of the men drew his gun from his waist and was about to fire when the other stopped him.

"Alex said to wait!"

As David ran he saw a car pull up about two blocks from him.

"OK here we go," David said to himself.

David made a quick sprint towards the car which now faced and sped towards him. David rushed about fifteen yards then made a left and jumped a fence which took him to an empty lot. That lot had been empty since David was a kid. This however led him to a closed of space. From here the car and the other two goons caught up with him. If they wanted to get to David they had to leave the car and go on foot which they did.

The War Dogs got out of the car and they all had ski masks to hide their faces from what they were about to do. They slowly went over the fence while David waited for them hiding. Alex let his men go first, and as soon as the first War Dog hit the ground, David was upon him.

David went hard on the first man, trying to take him out before the rest made it. He managed to disorient his attacker with a barrage of well-placed punches to the head and face when the second attacker made it over the fence. This attacker charged at David, who hit him with a spinning kick to the stomach pushing the goon back to the fence. A third and a fourth man came in fast, rushing to grab a hold of David.

David knew he could not afford to let the War Dogs pin him or make him become stationary. He had to keep moving. David would wrestled himself free as soon as he felt hands on him. He then move back, reset and strike. He also knew he could not miss on his punches. He'd spend more energy on missed shots than those he landed so he had to make every punch count.

But the fight was violent. David was getting hit and every punches hurt. He already felt blood dripping from somewhere and his face was hot. There was dust being kicked up everywhere by the struggle. It was hot from the day sun beating on it without reprieve, and it was dirty from the smog and other toxins that covered the city and settle unbeknownst to the public.

His jacket got pulled and his shirt torn, but David managed to stay upright. He had landed multiple solid punches on his attackers but there were just too many of them, and they were not like the kids he fought earlier. Though still not technical in their fight, these men were much better prepared than his previous opponents.

They were bigger, grown men, not boys. They could take and had taken more punishment in their lives. They were seasoned. Not professional fighters from a gym or competitions, but men that had been in fights in the alleys and streets. Where the only overseeing body was the moon and the only intervening figure was your homeboy if you should be so lucky to have one at that moment. Still, David too had been in situations like this, though never as outnumbered and by himself.

It had only been a few moments since the encountered had started but already it felt like minutes. David fought himself too to control his breathing. He knew he could not gas out and it slowly begun to pay off. He noticed the rhythm of the attack starting to slow. His attackers were tiring, surprised at the amount of fight in this dog. But as David's senses focused, he noticed a fifth figure making his way through them.

Muffled sounds of "Move" were uttered from the imposing figure. David could not tell who it was. He could not tell who any of the men were. Finally this person made his way to David. He was taller than David and much bigger. This man stopped short of David, took on a very familiar fight stand with his hands up to his chin, and swiftly struck David. A clean stinging shot. It jerked his head back and forced him to take step back.

David realized it was a jab. David quickly threw a kick to the lead leg of the fighter but it was evaded, making David swing wildly. The unknown fighter moved in quickly with another jab and a follow with a right cross that David barely managed to avoid. David threw another punch but only hit air as the attacker stopped his charge and stepped back.

The attacker charged again with a jab-straight combination. This time David timed the incoming attacker and received him with knee to the stomach. This landed hard and just as before David heard the air rush out of Alex, only he did not fold over. Alex managed to grab David and both begun to throw punches as they held on to one another in one fast but vicious exchange. David was the faster puncher but Alex was the stronger one. Fortunately for David, an obscured punch landed on Alex's chin and stunned him.

The rest of the War Dogs, who were giving their leader a chance at his prey while catching their breath, now took the opportunity to jump in. David was now hurting, tired and becoming more desperate. But he had to keep cool. He had to be calm, even in duress.

David ate more punches as he covered his head with his hands. His attackers were surrounding him, pulling on him like lions on a buffalo at the Savannah. David again searched for an opening to run but he was being cut off. He went to the far end of the fence and put his back to it so to not let anyone circle behind him. From here he ducked some punched and landed one on an open fighter and tried to escape but he was again overwhelmed.

David was now trapped with no place to go. All five attackers were on him trying to hold him while they unloaded punches on him. David leaned on the fence, felling it begin to give under the pressure and found his opportunity. He used his attacker's weight and his own to break the fence and they all crashed through, rolling down into a small creek bellow.

David's legs were sore. They felt as if they were numb. His lower back was aching and his breathing was very shallow. He could not take more than a few gasp of air as it hurt his dry throat and chest to breathe. Yet he still scrambled to get away from the War Dogs. He had managed to get a good eight feet from them while his attackers recovered and got up to their feet. They too were tired and frustrated at this point.

"Fuck this shit!" said one as he pulled his gun out, aimed at David and fired. David dodged and creped low to the ground. It was dark, only the moonlight and a few street lights shown down upon them. The goon had fuzzy vision and was breathing heavy so he missed. David was also moving away. The others followed, taking their pieces out and shooting. Some shooting sideways which made their aim that much worse.

"Stop, Stop, Stop! Man you guys suck!" said Alex at the sight of his men's poor shooting.

"Can't even take a man out while he is down. What are you good for?" said the frustrated Alex to his henchmen.

"Well, my friend, you put up a fight and showed me what we need to do to play with the big boys, so I thank you. But I said I was gonna kill someone tonight and god dammit If I aint!" said Alex through the mask breathing heavy as well. He lifted his arm out and pointed it at David who laid in the ground not certain if he'd been hit or not but too hurt to move either way. He feared he would meet his end here in a lowly ditch under the cover of night.