Madison walked to the microphone first, Grayson standing back a bit.
“Hello,” Madison said into the microphone. More cheers. “Thanks for coming,” Madison said, then stopped and smiled. Everyone laughed, even though it wasn’t really funny. “I won’t take up too much of your time. I’m here to introduce my brother. And to let you know that the rumors are true—I’m joining the recruits.”
“YEAH,” someone yelled. Laughter and cheers followed.
“So if you have any doubts about your ability, just look at me.” She swept her hand down. “Do I look ready to go off to battle?” More laughter. “If I can do it, anyone can.”
I hoped that became our official slogan. If we can do it, anyone can!
“But you’re not here for me. Without further ado, my brother, Grayson St. John.” Madison stepped back from the microphone, and Grayson took her place. We stood up and clapped again, in case he hadn’t felt enough love the first time.
“Thank you,” Grayson said with an embarrassed laugh as the applause began to die down. We all took our seats again. “I appreciate that. I’ve mostly been hearing that I’m an anarchist traitor these days.”
“They’re idiots!” someone yelled.
“Thank you. Agreed.” He smiled. “Just a note, you can feel free to film this and post it wherever. All our activities will be public. We don’t have anything to hide.”
A few people whooped. Several phones popped up in the front few rows. Noah whipped his out as well.
“First of all,” Grayson began, “welcome. And thank you so much for coming. I was worried when I put the call out that I’d only get a few hundred people. But I’m proud to report that as of today, we’ve had almost ten thousand people volunteer.”
My mouth dropped open as everyone cheered. I wasn’t the only crazy one, it seemed.
“We have tryouts happening in Los Angeles, Beijing, Paris, London, Berlin, Bangkok, Warsaw, Madrid, Sydney, and a few more I’m forgetting,” Grayson said. “We’ll be partnering with teams all over the world. The response has been incredible. Thank you.”
More applause. “So let me tell you what you can expect if you’re put on a team. This is a completely voluntary program. You are under no obligation to stay. But you will receive a stipend at the end of every two weeks of service. The stipend increases every week you serve. But let me be clear. This will be very dangerous. There are easier ways to make money. If you decide to walk away and just call this a free trip to Atlanta, I won’t blame you.”
He pointed to the men in blue shirts lined up against the wall. “These are your team leaders. We lost five guys a month ago when we went to Germany to finalize battle strategies. Five well-trained guys died fighting these things.” His face was serious. “Please understand what you’re getting into.”
The room had gone silent. I drew in a slow breath as I regarded the team leaders. One tall, thin man had a long scar down his face, straight through his right eye, and I wondered if it was glass. Another man wore a knee brace, angry red claw marks poking out from the edges.
“But if you choose to stay, you’ll be part of something special,” Grayson continued. “This is your opportunity to actually take action. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of sitting around complaining. I’m tired of watching our government make excuses for not helping people. I’m tired of watching them turn away from suffering.”
A few people murmured their agreement.
“Congress says it’s too risky to send Americans overseas to fight scrabs. But I’m of the opinion that we are plenty strong enough if we partner with people from other countries. We don’t have to leave them to do this alone.” He pointed at us. “It won’t be easy. In fact, it will probably be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. But together, I think we can kick some serious scrab ass.”
The room exploded with cheers, and he paused until they died down. “So, the particulars. We’re doing two days of tryouts. There should be a name tag with a number in your folder. Please attach that to the back of your shirt. We’ve rented out a few gyms, so you’ll need to take the bus over. They’ll be waiting in front of your hotel. We’ll evaluate you, then you’ll be divided into teams based on your native language and abilities. You’ll have an experienced team leader who will be in charge of your training, then your assignments. The length of training depends on how quickly your team progresses. But don’t expect more than six weeks.”
Terror unfurled in my chest. I’d be out fighting scrabs in six weeks? Less, maybe?
“Jesus,” Patrick muttered.
“Americans under the age of twenty, you can expect less, since you were required to take combat classes in school. All meals and lodging and transportation will be covered while you’re with us,” Grayson said. “You won’t need to spend a dime. But don’t expect high-class accommodations. We’ve rented a sports complex in Paris for training, and it won’t be nearly as nice as the rooms you’re in now. We’ve set up cots, and many of you will be sharing a room with at least twenty people. The schedule will be brutal occasionally, but I also hope we’ll have some fun.” He smiled. “Are you guys ready to get started?”
Cheers erupted all around me. It sounded like we were ready.
9
Buses were waiting in front of the hotel, and they took us to a large building with a sign that said BOXING, MARTIAL ARTS, TRAINING. We filed inside and through a lobby packed with workout clothes and fancy sports drinks for sale.
The gym consisted of several different large rooms, and the men in blue shirts
