by S. E. Weir
Phina had four others in her group: Blayk, Savas, Felan, Jahlek. Glancing at them, she realized that they were all the more skilled hand-to-hand fighters.
“Let’s start with each of you telling me your weapons experience.” Jack stood to the back of the group nearly across from Phina and waved a hand at the numerous weapons on the wall.
They went around the group.
Felan shrugged. “I have proficiency in everything you’d expect of a Guardian Marine.”
“Swords and knives, both excellent.” Blayk spoke as if bored, but not to the point of disrespect.
“Excellent with throwing daggers. Passable, if not decent, with knives,” Phina offered casually but carefully. She knew she wouldn’t be able to hide her skill with daggers as well as she could with her skill in other areas.
Jahlek growled a little around his words. “Knives and claws, sir.”
“Guns, knives, daggers, swords. I don’t have any formal training. I just pick up what works and what doesn’t when I’m fighting.” Savas grinned fiercely as he admired the weapons on the wall.
“You will keep your bloodlust in check?” Jack asked pointedly.
Savas beamed. “Of course. The serum created by the Empire has been life-changing for all Shrillexian males.” He sobered a little. “This type of career requires subtlety, and that wasn’t something I could attain without the serum. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
The beta agent nodded curtly but with a small amount of respect. “See that it doesn’t.” Yup, very small.
Over the next several hours, the team squared off against each other or Jack, depending on the weapon and skill level. It became clear that Felan had been modest in his estimation. Blayk hadn’t exaggerated at all. Jahlek treated the knives as if they were claws and just as naturally, and Savas had far more skill than he had admitted.
Phina couldn’t blame him since she had done the same. However, the difference lay in that Savas wasn’t hiding his skill level in practice, whereas Phina worked hard to keep from getting hurt too much, but not show off all her skill either.
She figured it would be easier to explain away skill than how quickly she healed.
After watching them all, long after the other groups had finished and left, leaving only the assessors behind, Jack finally called a halt.
“Felan, you excel in wielding dual weapons, so that’s where we will focus your training for now. Batons, knives, swords, and pistols, I think. Jahlek, you’ll focus on short swords. Blayk, I’m going to move you to training with other weapons, such as guns of all types and staffs. Phina, I want you to train with shuriken, as well as guns, the crossbow, and both short swords and katanas. You’ll continue with your knifework and add batons as well. Savas, let’s focus on guns, knives, and swords.”
He gave them all a piercing glance and dismissed them. “Today was only combat assessments. Tomorrow we test your spy skills. Be in the gym at oh-eight-hundred. Dismissed.”
Ignoring the glances of the others in the room, Phina turned and headed out, wanting nothing more than food and a shower. She couldn’t help the smile that kept popping out despite her best efforts.
She knew this assignment would be hard, but if things continued the way they had today, it would also be fun.
Chapter Nine
Gaitune-67, Spy Corps Headquarters and Base, Training Room
Phina leaned against the wall opposite the room designated for the spy assessment, waiting for her turn. She had passed Felan in the corridor, each giving a nod of respect, and approached the room just as Blayk had entered.
She played with the idea of scanning the minds of those inside but decided that she wanted to pass or fail the assessment without her mental skills. To do otherwise felt like cheating to her, regardless that they had been told that morning to utilize any or all of their talents, skills, and abilities to complete the assessment.
However, she had no qualms about using them for her actual mission. Avoiding the minds in the room, she did surface scans of the surrounding area. She found nothing aside from a few people sneaking off for sexual encounters and some anger and resentment over not being chosen for a particular assignment or not doing as well on the assessment as they wanted. Certainly, nothing jumped out at her with a glowing sign that said “Find Your Traitor Here.”
If only this assignment proved as easy.
Phina sent a wave of love and appreciation to Todd through their connection. She wasn’t sure if he would be able to feel them over the vast distance, but she took steps to bridge the gap in some way, anyway. She missed him too damn much.
She shook her head in wonder at the realization that she, Phina Waters, the girl who had kept everyone at arm's length aside from Alina, now had a chosen family and a man who not only accepted all her quirks and crazy abilities but also cared about her chosen family.
Alina would be crowing with glee if she could hear Phina’s thoughts. She’d always told Phina it would happen when she found the right person. Alina had been so, so right.
Fudging crumbs. This solo assignment was so much harder after having had her chosen family and friends around her since this crazy journey had started. It was a good thing the goal had always been to join a team once she had finished her training.
That brought her right back to needing to complete this assignment. Not just for her graduation requirements but also to root out the traitor within Spy Corps.
Which began with passing this assessment.
Phina focused on staying clear-headed. She pictured the Etheric and sent all her stray emotions there, allowing her inner state to remain smooth and calm and ready for whatever came next.
She opened her eyes upon hearing movement. Blayk closed the door as he exited the assessment room. He turned a gaze full of raw emotion on her, his eyes trailing down her body in a way that made her skin crawl, her muscles tensing to act.
“One minute,” he told her before pulling his gaze away and walking down the corridor toward the living area.
Phina scrutinized Blayk as he left, making a mental note to place him at the top of the list when she began her deep scans.
When the seconds ticked down to zero, she walked across the corridor and opened the door.
The lights were out, and the room was completely dark. She slipped to the right and dropped into a crouch as she shut the door so she wouldn’t be silhouetted against the light in the corridor. She heard a soft plink as something hit the wall above, then fell on her head.
Pulling it out of her hair, she realized it was a dart. Hmm. Filled with a small dose of tranquilizer, perhaps?
Phina slipped it into a pocket as she carefully moved to the left. Now that she knew what skills this assessment was testing, she fully engaged her enhanced hearing, then pulled it back so she was only hearing what was happening within the room.
Sounds of movement gave away the positions of two people. Phina sent mental thanks to Zultav and Kuvaq for training her in the stealth techniques they utilized as assassins. As she crept around the room, she listened for the movement of a third person, but she didn’t pick anyone else up.
Deciding that offense would be the best defense, she tracked one person, keeping her movements slow and silent so as not to gain attention. When she reached a position behind the closest person, she pulled out the dart.
Phina estimated where the person’s head was and slipped her hand over the person’s mouth as she jabbed the dart into their neck. The gasp from her target sounded muffled behind Phina’s hand. After two seconds, she pulled the dart out and gently laid the person on the floor.
From the feel and weight, Phina reasoned that the person she’d just taken out was Masha.
Which left the two larger, and in some ways more dangerous, people left.
Phina turned the round lock for the dart’s contents back into place on the needle and slid the item into her pocket before moving quickly and quietly to the side of the large room. She realized that she needed to do something unex
pected to get ahead of the two men.
Picturing the room they had seen that morning in her mind, she smiled as a plan formed. Phina was on the side she needed to be to enact her plan. She crept along until she reached the rope that had been tied to the pipe grid on the ceiling and pulled herself up.
The muscle burn was negligible, but her bare hands began to protest as she continued her ascent. Finally, she reached the pipe grid and pulled herself up to lie on top.
She had only moved a few feet along the pipe when a light clicked on, destroying her night vision. She ducked her head and waited till her eyes had adjusted.
Once she could see well enough, she scanned the room, noting the desk underneath a lit lamp. A large, red folder sat in the middle of the desk along with a red disk to the side.
Even more slowly now that she could be seen, she advanced toward the spot above the desk, obviously her objective for the encounter. Glancing down, she saw words printed on the red folder.
Phina smirked and shook her head in appreciation as a large figure stepped forward into the circle of light.
“Your time is up, Phina.”
Shaw waited for Masha to turn on the light and begin the second part of the assessment. It took an extra minute before he realized that something had gone wrong.
After a few moments of listening, he heard nothing. He shuffled over to Masha’s position and found her on the floor, out cold.
Damn.
How had Phina taken her out without making a sound?
Feeling uneasy, he felt around for the switch and pressed it, lighting the lamp on the table. The folder and disk remained in their places.
Shaw examined the room after his eyes adjusted but saw nothing. Hmm... He wouldn’t believe she had given up.
He scanned the room again, hoping to catch sight of her movement. Finally, Shaw stepped into the light and called, “Your time is up, Phina.”
He moved around to the front of the desk, remaining on his guard. She would have to go through him to complete the objective.
He heard a light scrape and turned his head to search for the source. Without warning, a weight dropped onto his shoulders, driving him to his knees, and a heavy sting hit his cheek. As he struggled to put his suspiciously woozy thoughts together, Phina dove off his shoulders toward the end of the desk, then spun around to rush straight at the door.
“Fuckin’ whaaa? Fffeeeenaaaa.”
Shaw took a step to chase her and stumbled. He tried again but had to satisfy himself with staying put as he tried to find Phina’s position.
All the lights came on suddenly, flooding his vision with brightness. He shook his head in an exaggerated move and swiped at the itch on his face. A dart fell to the floor.
Huh. So that’s how she did it.
Shaw searched for Phina and found her standing calmly in front of Jack, who leaned against the door, glasses hooked in his pocket.
“Impressive,” the beta agent murmured, his gaze a strange mix of hot and cold. “But you failed the objective.”
“I accomplished the mission.” She held up her hand to reveal the small red disk. “Objective complete once I retrieve the disk and reach the door, as per the instructions written on the folder located on the desk.”
Jack raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And yet, you have not reached the door.”
Phina stood staring at Jack impassively, making Shaw wish he knew what was running through the woman’s mind. Finally, she gave him an implacable smile and a shrug. “As you choose.”
They stared at each other for a long moment before Jack nodded and stepped aside. “You are finished for the day. Report to training room A down the hall right after breakfast tomorrow.”
Phina nodded and handed Jack the red disk before walking out. Shaw didn’t think he imagined the frustration, given the way she thumped the door with her hand before exiting.
Masha groaned as she came to. Shaw attempted to stand again, this time with more success and only a slight amount of dizziness.
“I’ll trust you to walk the trainees through the first day of training tomorrow, Shaw. Let me know if any of them need more advanced weapons training than you or Masha can give them and I’ll work it into my schedule.” Jack’s piercing blue eyes bored into Shaw.
Shaw focused his struggling thoughts before responding a beat too late. “Yes, sir.”
The beta agent scowled at him, then turned and walked out, leaving just Shaw and Masha in the room.
Shaw took several deep breaths to steady himself before turning to assist Masha. “You all right, Beta?”
She got to her feet and leaned over with her hands on her knees with a grimace. “My nanocytes took care of it but I have a bitch of a residual headache. What happened?”
He let out a chuckle. “Phina happened. She somehow got the dart and stabbed you with it. That’s how she got me, too. I think you got most of it, and I got what was left since I didn’t fall unconscious. I just felt dizzy and shaky.”
Masha winced but shot Shaw a proud smile. “That sounds about right.”
Shaw frowned and put his hands on his hips. “You don’t seem at all surprised.”
She shook her head while stretching her body to loosen her stiff muscles. “I’m not. Come on, you have to have seen it by now?”
“Seen what?” Shaw pulled his eyebrows together in concentration, wondering if his suspicions had been correct. “Are you saying she’s an enemy spy?”
“Hell, no!” Masha stared at him in shock, then shook her head in frustration. “Damn it. You’re drawing the wrong conclusions. You should listen to what your training and instincts are telling you.”
“Ok, I’ll bite. What conclusions should I have come to?” Shaw crossed his arms, wondering what Masha was insinuating.
“That she’s an instinctual learner with raw talent and skills that very few people could ever claim.” Masha threw her hands up, growling as she lost patience. “That she comes by it naturally.”
“Whoa, what do you mean by that?” Shaw couldn’t deny that Phina had handled all the assessments well. She’d been the best at every task.
Surprise flashed on her face. “It’s in her last name, Shaw. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice?”
“Waters?” He lifted a hand to rub his head in the hope it could chase away his growing migraine. He froze. “Wait. Are you saying she’s Chris and Zoe Waters’ kid?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Masha stared at him like he was slow. What the hell, he probably was. Damn that tiny sneaky dart.
“Well, shit,” Shaw muttered, thinking about what Masha had just revealed. “It could be worse. Having them as parents doesn’t explain her skills.”
“That’s not the whole story.”
Of course, it wasn’t. He stared at her with bleary eyes and what little patience he had left until she relented.
“She’s not just Chris and Zoe’s daughter, but she’s been trained by Maxim Nikolayevich, Todd Jenkins, and Greyson himself. She’s got perfect recall, a gift with visual-kinesthetic memory. She sees a move done once and she can replicate it. Once she does it a few times, she doesn’t forget it.” Masha paced as she spoke, gesturing wildly. “I watched her fight five guys at a time, and she kept them off her almost the entire time. Five to one, Shaw, and they were all bigger than her!”
He didn’t want to call Masha a liar, but it sounded unlikely. “They must not have been trained, then.”
She glared as if picking up his thought and planning on getting payback soon. “They were all trained fighters, three of whom started back with Peter Silvers. The other two were Maxim and Craig. All Wechselbalg, though not in Pricolici form. Even their untrained fighters are fast and lethal.”
Shaw scratched his head as he thought this through. “If she’s that good, why is she here? She certainly doesn’t need any training in stealth. Don’t tell me this doesn’t look shady as shit, Masha, because I won’t believe it.”
Masha could have scalded him with her
glare. “So, what I’m hearing is you don’t trust Greyson Wells or me because one young woman could so easily pull the wool over both our eyes.”
“Um...” Fuck. He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out.
She stood waiting for an answer, her eyebrows raised.
He sighed, deflating as he took a seat on the desk. “Look, Masha. I was the youngest and smallest in my class. I was always the butt of the joke, the one the rest of the class picked on. There weren’t extreme cases of bullying, but it did occasionally happen in corners the cameras couldn’t reach.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Masha regarded him in confusion.
“Fuck if I know.” He scratched his scalp, then shook his head with a sigh. “I’m telling you that I learned early on to assess threats and how dangerous they could be. How the others treated me didn’t get better till I had a growth spurt right before I joined the Guardian Marines and matched their sizes. Once I got here, that threat sense only got better trained. I’m telling you that all of my years of experience are warning me that she’s a threat. I just want to make sure she’s not a threat to us.”
Masha considered that as she faced him with her arms crossed. “All right. With your experience, you must also have gotten a good sense of who would use their power or skills maliciously against other people.”
“I’d say that’s a fair conclusion,” Shaw responded cautiously.
“So, do you feel that she is a threat to us, or does she just feel dangerous?”
He nodded, appreciating the difference. “She feels dangerous. But her motivations are not so easy to divine, Masha. She might not use her skills maliciously, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have her own agenda.”
“Oh, I’m sure she does.” Masha shrugged.
Shaw stared at his boss. “And you are just...all right with that?”
She sighed and shifted her weight. “Shaw, you’re a damn fine agent and one of the best trainers we’ve had. So, take your time to figure out her motives if you need to. Just don’t skew your perception of her with fear and suspicion. See her for who she is. I know where her loyalty lies, and that means I have no problem with her having a separate agenda for being here since it will be for the good of the Etheric Empire.”
