Cindy, Natalya and Sheldon were startled as they heard the door being banged on from outside in a very rush movement.

As Natalya asked who it was, John-Tom identified himself, the door was opened and without waiting, John-Tom immediately took her by hand and looked over at Sheldon who was still recovering and Cindy.

“It is not safe here, we need to change apartments immediately.”

“What’s going on?” Sheldon asked but Cindy just nodded to John Tom and without much of resistance they were in John Tom’s apartment.

It didn’t look much different from the one they were in but John Tom’s behavior was strange.

Sheldon didn’t like this but since Cindy went along with it he said nothing.

Natalya on the other hand was far more concerned, she was constantly back and forth with John Tom in finding out what was going on.
Until finally he relented, “People are coming to kill you. Staying here will keep you safe for now, when the heat has passed we will move from here.”
John Tom took of his coat. Wrapped around him was a gun and a knife, he reached in the cabinet and took out something.

“What’s that?” Natalya asked
“Ammunition, this is just in case although I don’t feel it may come to this.”

“Can I get a gun too?” Sheldon asked boldly.

“Do you know how to use one kid? If you don’t, it’s only wasted on you.” John Tom replied.

“Seeing how everything is going when we get out of here and if we get time, I would teach you guys how to use one.”

Just, remember.

“Any man willing to take a life must be prepared himself to die.”

It was a long while before they heard bullets being fired outside. John Tom had directed them to remain prone on the ground. It seemed like it was going on for hours until it finally stopped.

When it was done it was quiet, extremely quiet. John Tom opened the door and in front of them was a man severely bleeding and on the verge of collapse.

When the man was about to raise his gun, John Tom shot him straight through the head. This brazen display of the violence caused Natalya to vomit. 

“Stay here.” John Tom said, as he went outside, “If I don’t come back in an hour’s time you have to presume I am dead and find your own way out.”

Sheldon went over to comfort Natalya but he didn’t know what words would be best to say at this point, so he just placed his arm around her as she sat there with tears in her eyes.
Cindy had closed the door after looking at the dead man. She then examined the various guns that John had left around.

It didn’t take long before John Tom returned and by this time Natalya had calmed down somewhat, however, she became nauseated again the moment they were about to leave.
They took various cases with them from inside the house although they didn’t know the contents in it.

The children automatically presumed they were just more guns that John Tom had them carrying.

The deaths he witnessed on his way out didn’t really faze Sheldon as he didn’t know them so he felt no attachment at least that’s what he thought.

In order to remain hidden, John Tom had them changed their looks by cutting their hair in to different styles. They changed their clothes and wore a hood over their heads. He even had them change how they walked by adding a rock within their shoes.
John Tom led them a great distance away but to where they were going they did not know.
Sheldon looked at Cindy for a sign to go by but she just seemed to follow along so he tried to keep the same faith in her as she had shown before.
They reached an abandon building that reassembled a warehouse, most of the glass windows had been broken out and it looked extremely lonely. It didn’t deter them since they were used to sleeping and living in harsh conditions.
“We are here,” John Tom said, “Don’t worry too much about it, I spend a lot of time here and no one really knows about this place. There are also plenty of traps outside, you guys should be safe here without problems. Try to get as comfy as you can. This is also where I will teach you how to defend yourself. We will start early tomorrow until that time let’s talk and try to get some rest, it will soon be dark and there is no electricity here. We barely have any food also, as we were in a rush didn’t take much but don’t worry. After practice tomorrow, I will personally go and take care of that.”
“Now then, can anyone explain to me why so many people are interested in you children? What really happened the other day? Is it far more than that? Did you steal something?” John Tom asked as he positioned himself by the entrance of the warehouse.
Sheldon was in the middle of contemplating how to respond to John Tom, when Cindy answered for him.
“They are after me,” she said calmly.

Why are they after you and just you?” John Tom asked as he shifted his body and looked at her.

Before she could respond, he stopped her and said “It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t change the fact that we have to do what we got to, in order to survive,” with that he waved them and left.

All three of them were tired, and they didn’t talk much despite the fact that John Tom left. They just found a comfortable area huddled together and before long they were all asleep.

“Wakey Wakey sleepy heads,” a voice said.

Sheldon open his eyes, he had not had a nightmare since that night when they were last at the school. He felt relieved when he saw it was John Tom looking over them.

“It’s time,” he said, “You had enough sleep come outside with me.”
Sheldon shook Natalie who was still sleeping.

Aligned on a table were a variety of guns, all of different shapes and sizes.

Sheldon wasn’t too familiar with guns or their names and he felt intimidated just by looking at them. The strange thing about it was that they all looked rather newish and clean; something quite unusual for being in this City. They were not like the makeshift stuff he saw the gangsters walking around with. Sheldon was knocked out of his thoughts as, John  Tom spoke.

“Today begins your training, John Tom said, These guns, that are laid out on the table, shall be dealt with last. First, to start of this training, we will work on your physical fitness. You see that obstacle course over there?

You’re going to go back and forth on it five times each day and you will strive to get it done faster each time. Then we will be doing self-defense technique training. This will consist of grappling, striking and ground work. You will also be thought how to fight with a knife, lastly, you will learn how to break down, rebuild and clean your gun. The names and ammunitions to use for your gun, gun practice and moving with your gun. It’s a lot to digest but it will be necessary in order for you to survive,” John Tom concluded.