they put on us. It’s the time for us to rise, it’s the time for the world to feel our might, it’s the time for paint to be splattered upon those who have challenged us! On this day the world will be ours!” Eyes finished by slamming his fists into the table for extra dramatic effect.
The men replied with whoops and hollers to prove their readiness to follow their leader into the fierce battle of paintball with regular, everyday people. They were having far too much fun with this, but fun was what they needed. When they saw as much evil as they did on a daily basis, it was good to have some laughs.
“Just to make sure, I can order whatever I want, right? “Brackish asked when Eyes was done play-acting. He looked at his screen. “I can order it all right here and we can pick it up in an hour.”
“Order away,” Eyes said. “Whatever you want that won’t do actual harm.” This made them all laugh. They might be acting as if it was a real war, but they did know right from wrong.
“Better come over and put items in the cart,” Brackish said after a few more minutes. “I have all of my stuff loaded.”
The men crowded around the computer, sitting, and placing items in one at a time. The total was quickly rising, but they didn’t care. By the time they were finished they had fifteen grand worth of toys in the cart. They might’ve squirm at that, but Chad had challenged their manhood. They had to show him who the real special ops team was — and they’d have a hell of a great time doing it.
The single most expensive piece of equipment was for Green. A sniper rifle that cost as much as a real off the rack sniper rifle from a box store. Though the rifle that Green had used during his time in the military couldn’t be replicated for paintballs and could never be bought in the public sector, the one for this event was the best of the best.
“Ordered,” Brackish said. “It will all be together in about an hour. We placed a large order so I’m guessing more like two hours. Let’s get our gear together.”
It took them about an hour to load their gear, bringing boots, helmets, goggles, night vision gear in case the game went into the night, and a few more things they’d only bring out if Chad was planning some sort of sneak attack. They were prepared for anything.
They went to the store, where the owner came out to personally greet them, thanking them for their business and laughing at how much stuff they’d bought. “This seems to be one fun game,” he said. “I think you just might be crowned the winners.”
“We’ll see. We’re going up against good opponents,” Eyes said to the owner with a wink before they loaded up all of their stuff. Then they drove to a huge ranch and saw Chad, who waved them over to park near him.
“Good afternoon men, I hope you’re ready for a truly rare experience,” Chad said. There was a glint in his eyes that none of the men trusted. They moved to the back of their two SUVs and began unloading their bags.
“What do you think he’s up to?” Smoke whispered.
“I don’t know, but be prepared for anything,” Green said.
“This isn’t a test, is it?” Sleep asked.
“Everything we do is a test,” Eyes said.
It was a beautiful day, not too hot or too cold, a perfect day for a paintball fight.
“Follow me,” Chad told them. Then he led them around a curve, and the men were stunned by the sheer volume of people standing around in different stages of dress, from full on gear like the special ops team had on, to padded suits the kids were wearing. Some adults and children wore face paint, and others wore masks. There had to be over a hundred people there.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please join me at the front of the paintball course. We must go over the code of conduct and all of the rules. All children over the age of ten are welcome to join in on the fun. For those of you under the age of ten, you’ll get your chance later,” Chad said in a loud voice as he caught all of their attention, the crowd going quiet. “For all of you participating, come a little closer so you don’t