Early the next morning, Lee and six hand-picked men got on a private plane and flew to Baltimore. While they were in the air, he looked over the list of names that Tyson had given him intently. He studied their locations and decided on a good place to set an example. He decided on Pennsylvania.
They landed at ten o'clock. When Lee stepped out of the plane onto the runway, he saw that Art and Chris were waiting for them. They came forward and greeted Lee enthusiastically.
"Hello, Mr. Harshaw," Art said and gestured to his car. "Please, come with me. I've already made arrangements for you."
"I'm grateful, Mr. Steadman," Lee answered. "But I'd like to pay my respects to my fallen comrade first."
"Of course. I'll take you there immediately", Art said.
Art, Chris, and Lee walked over to the car, and they drove to a cemetery on the outskirts of Baltimore. It was a cold and windy day, and the grass and the trees were beginning wither and lose their color. It was a desolate scene.
Art showed Lee where Damon had been buried. He had been given a large tombstone with the inscription "Here lies Damon Walker, our brave and righteous Brother in Blood."
Lee couldn't contain his grief. He started crying, staggered forward, and wrapped his arms around Damon's tombstone. It was as if he was embracing him again. The chill of the cold stone against his cheek only intensified the fire of vengeance in his heart.
"Damon," he whispered. "The one who killed you may be dead, but many more of our enemies remain. I will spill their blood for you. You just wait and see. I'll send them to wherever you are, and you can fight forever in the afterlife."
He wiped the tears from his eyes and turned to look at Art. "Mr. Steadman, I need you to get me a flight ticket to Philadelphia! I'm not here for fun, and I want to start as soon as possible."
"Yes, of course," Art replied respectfully.
"The Blood Brothers will return to the east coast shortly," Lee said. "As long as you remain loyal, we'll help you take back what you've lost."
"Thank you," Art said sincerely. "We're looking forward to your return, and we'll do whatever we can to help you."
They got back in the car, and Art made a few calls to arrange a plane ride to Philadelphia.
After a night's rest in Baltimore, Lee boarded a plane to Philadelphia. Art said he wanted to go with him, but he couldn't leave on account of his position. Instead, he sent Chris along.
When they arrived in Philadelphia, Art had arranged for local officials to drive them to the Black Swallow Martial Arts Academy just outside the city.
Lee kept his eyes closed for the entire car ride. All he could think of was how he would barge into the academy and make himself known. "The Blood Brothers are coming", he would say. "Now you will all pay your debts."
**
At the Black Swallow academy, a much-anticipated ceremony was about to begin. Zachariah Holbrook, the academy's headmaster, was about to emerge from eight months of self-imposed isolation. It was a punishment he had forced upon himself for the shame of having to expel his favorite student. The rumor was that he had spent the time in intense mental and physical training.
Everyone at the academy waited nervously for him to appear. The staff and the most accomplished students waited in the great training hall, and the rest of the students were gathered in the courtyard outside. The air was filled with tension. Everyone wanted to know what the master would say and do.
The sound of a door opening rang out across the hall, but the master's chambers remained sealed. From a door on the other side, a middle-aged man came wobbling into the hall with heavy footsteps. His eyes were sunken, his nose was cracked, and his loose, pale skin hinted at the previous injury.
As he approached the center of the hall, every eye in the academy followed him. He was the expelled favorite student of Zachariah. He was Cliff Munson.
Cliff had been seriously injured by Alex at David's wedding ceremony. He had broken several ribs, and there had been severe damage to his internal organs. The hospital couldn't help him, so he had been taken back to the academy. With the help of their herbs and ancient healing practices, he had survived.
But Zachariah had not been told. He had been in isolation, and there had been no time to lose if Cliff's life was to be spared. Today, they would all find out the master's feelings on the matter.
Cliff walked up to the front and waited with the others. A muffled noise came from inside the master's chamber. Everyone stood up more attentively. The time was coming.
They heard the sound of footsteps approaching on the other side of the door. It swung open, and Zachariah stepped outside. He was an old man, but powerful for his age. His hair was white with a few remaining streaks of black, and the wrinkles on his face hinted at a long and eventful life. He looked calm and at peace.
The people closest to him rushed up to receive him. "Master, you've returned to us," one of them cried. Another ran out onto the courtyard and called out, "The master has come out!"
The courtyard exploded in cheers, and cheers of Zachariah's name soared up into the sky.
Zachariah looked content and peaceful, but then his eyes fell on Cliff. He could only bring himself to say a single word. "You."
The memories and hurt came rushing back to him. He remembered how Cliff had been sneaking off to brothels behind his back. It was not something he could tolerate, so he summoned Cliff to face judgment. He had been forced to expel him. Cliff had broken his heart so thoroughly that he had gone into complete isolation for eight months, and now here he was again.
Cliff could see the pain in his eyes. "Master, please allow me to speak before you say anything," he said and went down to his knees. "I know that I was wrong. I know I betrayed you. I beg your forgiveness."
Zachariah looked down at his old pupil, and Cliff stared back at him pleadingly. If his master didn't let him back, he would be in deep trouble. When he had been expelled, he had thought that he could live on his own reputation. But Alex had beaten him and destroyed that reputation. Without the protection of the Black Swallows, he was as good as dead. Besides, he needed time and a place to practice.
Zachariah looked around him. From the looks on his students' faces, it was clear that they sympathized with Cliff. He stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, careful not to betray his thoughts.
"Please give me another chance," Cliff said. "I swear, I'll never let you down again."
Zachariah sighed. In his isolation, he had practiced calm, forgiveness, and goodwill towards all life. Those feelings remained with him even now. He smiled leisurely and said, "I will select a number of our most important texts, and you will transcribe them a hundred times."
Cliff didn't care about the punishment. He was ecstatic that Zachariah had accepted him back. He crept forward and took his master's hand. "Thank you, Master," he said. "I promise to reward your faith in me."
Zachariah smiled and gave him a faint nod. Then he turned to the other people who stood around them.
"What has happened in the world since I went away?" he asked. He had been isolated for eight months. There was no use in wasting time before getting caught up.
"Many things, Master," one of his disciples said. "First of all, Cliff was seriously injured in a fight. He almost died, so we brought him back here. But he refuses to tell us who it was that beat him."
"Is that so?" Zachariah asked and looked at Cliff with confusion. He had trained him and watched him for many years. If there was someone out there who could beat him so easily, he wanted to know who it was.
"There has also been a fight between the Clifton and Steadman families for control of Baltimore," the disciple continued. "The Steadman's got Damon Walker to fight for them. He was a member of the Blood Brothers from California. Right before the fight, he easily killed Paul Novak. But he lost the fight and was killed. An unknown fighter called Alex defeated him."
Zachariah raised his eyebrows. The surprises just kept coming. Paul was one of the few who he knew stood a chance against Cliff. "If this Damon could beat Paul so easily, he thought, then how could he have allowed himself to lose to this Alex?"
"There's one more thing, Master," the disciple said with a heavy voice. "The Blood Brothers have sent a message to every major gang on the east coast. They're after revenge against those who have wronged them in the past, and one of them coming soon. He's probably already here."