THE PROTECTED CRIMINALS

I peered out the window of the enormous slow and steady bus headed to Downhill city; it is the only bus that runs from Heartrow village to Downhill city, so if you miss it in the morning, you have no alternative but to return the next morning. I didn't want to miss my bus, so I didn't stop to go after that man in black I'd seen in the bush trail. As I sat outside staring at the sky, a lot of thoughts passed through my head. "Who was the mysterious man in black?" And what on earth was he doing outside at that hour? "Why did he run into the bush from the bush?" I wondered. I asked myself the same questions again, but there was no response. "Your money, Sir" As she stood in front of me, a lady explained that she was in charge of collecting money from passengers before to the bus departure. I got out the agreed-upon transportation price and delivered it to her, and she smiled as she walked away. "Please fasten your seatbelts and relax; we'll be moving in approximately 10 minutes." As he sat in the driver's seat, the slow and steady bus driver shouted, and his voice alone was loud and clear enough for us to hear." I'd like to inform you that at various points throughout this journey, slow and steady may stop to take water," the driver remarked again, and I had no idea why he was informing us; we all know that slow and steady pauses for water about every two hours. I checked the time on my phone, and it was 5:15 a.m. Though the seat was made of iron, I had to manage it that way. I took a long breath and rested my back on the seat on which I was seated. The bus began moving at 5:30 a.m., exactly as the name implied, slowly and steadily. I repositioned myself because I couldn't take the pain from the iron chair any longer. Then I remembered Tonia as I laid my head on my right palm. "Hmm, I'll miss her a lot," I thought to myself, not caring who heard me. "Are you in love?" A man seated to my left inquired. I said, "Yeah," without looking at him. " That's the way things are. Is there a fascinating backstory to your love life?" The man inquired of me once more. He was putting on a white long sleeve shirt and white trousers when I raised my head and glanced at him. If you look at him closely, you'll notice that he's in his thirties or so. ” This isn't your typical love story you do hear." While I smiled, he insisted, "Let's just hear it." " I'd been away from Heartrow for almost six years, and I returned about five days ago and met this girl who I'd always desired since I was a kid, just as things were starting to get better, work called." He grinned and rubbed my shoulder as I spoke. " Every love story has its problems, and the finest part is conquering them. He whispered gently to me, "Make sure you return back to your love," and I nodded and smiled. "I will definitely return," I promised him, or more likely myself. "My name is Joseph, and I'm a researcher. I arrived to Heartrow a few days ago as part of my research," he explained. "Oh, that's good," I answered. "My name is Richard, and while I am not a native of Heartrow, I have lived there for the majority of my life." "Nice to meet you, Richard," Joseph remarked, reaching out his right hand, which I eagerly accepted. We talked for a few hours, largely about love and relationships, and Joseph was a lot of fun to be around. He was also incredibly brilliant and smart. No one in history has ever traveled on a slow and steady bus without falling asleep; it's almost as if the bus is cursed. Even if you don't want to, the sight of others sleeping will push you to do so at some point throughout the voyage. That point is dubbed "The Sleeping Point" by me. Except for the driver, everyone else on the slow and steady bus had fallen asleep. At this point, I had no choice but to join the league of sleepers as well. I rested my back on the seat's strong iron handle and closed my eyes, drifting off to dreamland. I'm not sure how long I slept, but I knew I awoke when the slow and steady bus came to a halt. I gathered my belongings and prepared to board the bus, but a hand, Joseph's hand, held me back. He smiled and added, "Calm down bro, the slow and steady has simply stopped to sip water." "So you're saying we haven't arrived in Downhill City yet?" I inquired in rage. "Nope, not even half of Downhill," he responded with a smile as I leaned back in my seat. The slow and steady bus finally came to a halt at 10:15 p.m., not to get water this time, but to make a final stop. We were now in the lovely city of Downhill, a city of the affluent and poor, of like and unlike minds, of milk and honey, the city of Downhill is truly a wonderful city. As I exited the bus, I stowed my luggage and carried my briefcase. "So, where do you want to go from here?" Joseph inquired, as he stood behind me with only a bag in his hands, not a briefcase. "Hmm, probably the mid-city," I answered him, as he looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" He inquired. "I have several locations in mind; my relatives are dispersed over the city," I answered, smiling. "OK then, pleasure meeting you Richard," he added, offering his hand for another handshake, which I eagerly accepted before turning to leave. I was also putting on a long sleeve, but it wasn't a white one like Joseph's, but rather a black one. "Sir, where are you?" As he pulled over in front of me, a biker inquired. "You haven't changed," I told the bike man, who isn't actually a bike man, but rather a spy who was ordered to pick me up that night. As I climbed his bike, he exclaimed, "Your bus took so long," and "I've been waiting here since 5 pm," he added. "Please turn it off; I need to sleep," I pleaded. Taking a look at James will lead you to believe that he is a biker. James was an expert on motorcycles, which explains why he drove recklessly, overtaking thrillers and large vehicles. We were soon alone on a long-forgotten road somewhere in one of the Downhills’ villages. "Hold on tight, buddy, we're about to enter the Jungle," James stated after about an hour of difficult riding when the only source of light for us that night was the light from the bike. "Let's get this party started!!!" James yelled as he made a fast curve, and the bike began to move on its own as if it were descending a hill. As the bike proceeded to slow down, I said, "James, control this bike to slow down!" James yelled at me, "Enjoy the journey baby!" ” "Watch out, James!!!!" As the bike approached a tall tree, I yelled. As he swerved around the tree, James said gleefully. " Sweet," he said as he swerved around another tree; I merely closed my eyes until the bike came to rest; we had arrived at the Fittest Zone. "That was a wonderful ride," James stated as he removed his ripped apparel and replaced it with a black thick short and a black thick singlet beneath. "All I need now is sleep," I replied sluggishly as I stretched and yawned. " Go to sleep, dude." "I'm sure you're exhausted from your long journey," James murmured as he walked by me, touching my shoulders. As I followed him behind, I thought to myself, "He couldn't even help me carry my suitcase." He continued walking without turning to face me, shouting, "I heard that." Welcome to The Zone of the Fittest, a unique training facility for spies and criminals. The Fittest is situated in the center of an Isolated Jungle, within one of Downhill City's settlements. Given that it was founded in 1884, you'll agree with me that it must have trained a large number of spies and crime fighters. The Fittest consists of over 50 different structures, each of which is designed to serve a certain purpose. Some structures, I'm not sure why they were built. All of these structures were centered on a sculpted Mark, a one-of-a-kind Mark, the Mark of The Fittest. That mark was drawn on the wrists of all trained and confirmed students, and all confirmed students received the Mark. I took a hesitant step into one of the buildings, the one that serves as our lodge. It's not dissimilar to a university dorm, except that it's considerably cleaner and more comfortable. I made it to the third floor before coming to a halt in front of a door labeled "Room 205." I unlocked my briefcase and took out a card, which I inserted into a machine on the wall next to the door. The machine responded with a written message, "Please input your code." I entered my code, and the door gently opened almost instantly. I walked into the room, and the door closed as quickly as it had opened. The lack of light in the room startled me because there was light throughout the structure. I attempted to turn on the light by finding the switch on the wall, but I gradually felt a hand around my neck and a sharp thing contact me; it was a knife placed right to my neck.