by S. E. Weir
She gave him a scornful glare. “Because I find it suspicious. What does it matter what kind of pervert they are?”
Link deemed it a victory that she broke her icy calm and rattled off, “Because if they are the Blayk kind, I’m going to kill them. If they’re the harassing kind, I’m going to kick them in the balls and dump them planetside before blacklisting them, and if they are the sig-o kind, it’s just kinky.”
“Well, at least you have a plan.” Phina pulled out her tablet while Masha blinked in surprise. “I’ll send you a list. What about the others?”
“Others?” Link thought back through their conversation as he leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk, crossing his ankles. “You mean the tools and the pricks? Well, the tools can’t help themselves.”
“You only think that because you see one in your mirror every day. It’s the rest of us who have to put up with you all,” Phina muttered as she focused on the screen in her hand.
“Hey, now!” Link pointed a finger at his smart-mouthed protégé with pseudo anger. “I resemble that remark. You don’t have to be a brat and point it out.”
“I’m completely terrible,” she agreed as she tapped a few more times to finish her task. “You should flog me with stuffies and kittens.”
“That’s not a punishment,” Link complained. “I want real punishment. You were being mean.”
Masha shook her head in amazement. “Just which one of you is the grown-up here?”
“I am!” Link and Phina both spoke together before looking at each other and bursting into laughter.
“Well, that certainly cleared things up,” Masha commented dryly.
Link buffed his fingernails on his shirt. “It’s a gift.”
“Maybe you should consider returning it,” Masha suggested.
Scowling, Link hitched a thumb at Phina. “You’re going to turn into this one if you’re not careful.”
“I should be so lucky,” Masha muttered.
“So, the pricks?” Phina broached delicately, with a side glance at Masha.
Link thought about it briefly and shrugged. “Give them hell right back. Being mean isn’t a crime until it crosses into abuse.”
Masha pressed her lips together and grumbled, “You wouldn’t say that if you were on the receiving end of their comments.”
“What makes you think I haven’t been?” Link responded mildly, fingers splayed with the tips pressed together like a maniacal and pretentious movie villain.
“Oh, well...” Masha’s voice wavered with uncertainty. “I suppose I don’t know.”
He suppressed a smile. She had a bleeding heart. It wasn’t a bad quality, but it did occasionally cause her to react predictably.
“Or he could just be pushing your buttons,” Phina responded wryly.
“What?” Masha straightened in surprise and glared at him.
Damn it. Now both of them would make his life hell.
Chapter Eighteen
Gaitune-67, Spy Corps Headquarters and Base, Large Training Room
Shaw clapped his hands. “Listen up, trainees!”
The remaining twelve trainees stopped their morning exercises and moved closer to listen. He examined each of them in turn.
Since Blayk had died, things had changed. The trainees had changed.
Jahlek, Felan, Savas, and Balehn had taken the event as a challenge, wanting to be better, stronger, and faster physically, but also prove that they were better males and that they belonged here. For the most part, they had succeeded, but Shaw knew the most challenging tasks lay ahead.
Gina, Nodin, and Kabaka had grown as well, but their progress was more subtle. They tended to use their minds before their weapons, which Shaw knew would only benefit them once their skills were up to par. If someone won by a sneak attack, half the time, it was one of them.
As he appraised Cade, Jasper, and Ian, Shaw internally sighed. Jasper was focused, but he could be a hothead and a jackass, not welcome traits in a spy. Cade wasn’t much better, and his focus had become more scattered. He kept an eye on the other recruits’ progress and seemed to resent it when they excelled as if it were a personal affront. And Ian... Well, that young man was dismally average though he made up for it with enthusiasm.
Losing Blayk had been a catalyst for him as well as the trainees, none more so than the last trainee: Phina.
He hadn’t gotten the full picture from Masha and Jack—it seemed like not even they knew—but from what little Shaw had been told and what he deduced from Phina’s new withdrawn behavior, he could put the pieces together.
Shaw wished he could have ripped Blayk’s head off himself.
Where she had been vocal before, Phina had turned inward. Where she had been focused, she now proved laser-sharp. She never volunteered for anything anymore, but when pressed, she performed to the letter and no more. Her skills had steadily grown, and she no longer allowed herself to become distracted, always glancing around the room. She wasn’t cold, but she had become...contained.
He didn’t like it at all.
“You asked for a competition, and I told you it would happen when I deemed that you were ready.” All the trainees perked up in excitement except for Phina, who stood in the back, taking everything in.
“Are we ready?” Ian asked in nervous excitement.
Shaw suppressed a grimace. “You are ready enough not to be an embarrassment to yourselves.”
The lean man’s enthusiasm waned, but he still listened attentively.
“In one week, we will begin a week-long competition. To make it fair, you will all compete with every weapon and show every skill a spy utilizes. This will not only even out the field a bit as far as skills and scoring, but will also give us a more accurate assessment as to your growth.” His eyes raked the group and he was pleased to find them all paying attention, determined to do their best. “At the end of the week, we will reenact the sparring matches you had with the beta agents at the start of the training period, but with a longer time. Those sessions will not only be a large part of the competition, but they will comprise the majority of your next assessment. Any questions?”
He nodded in acknowledgment at Cade, who stood squarely with his arms crossed and a dark expression on his face. “Who will decide the winner?”
Shaw responded brusquely, “As I explained, there will be a winner of each weapon and skill. After that, we will see based on those results.”
“Who will be judging this competition?” Jasper stood proudly with his legs spread shoulder-width apart.
Shaw stared at the younger man with cold indifference. “You have forgotten that you asked me to judge you all fairly. Guess you will have to be careful of that in the future if you have a problem with it. The beta agents and I will evaluate all of you for each event. By the end, we will know where to rank you.”
He narrowed his gaze as he scanned the group again. “Any more questions?” When some of them shook their heads and the rest stood silently, he nodded. “Dismissed.”
The room buzzed with conversation as the trainees exited the room to find dinner.
Shaw called, “Trainee Waters?”
After a moment, he saw the young woman weaving through the exiting students, who turned to look with curiosity and envy. He hoped they wouldn’t cause trouble for her and resolved to keep an eye out.
Phina stopped a few paces away, showing patience and curiosity. “Yes, sir?”
He glanced to make sure all the other trainees were gone, waiting until the door was closed behind them before letting his gaze fall back to Phina. “I wanted to ask how you were handling everything.”
Her mouth turned down in confusion. “I’m doing fine.”
Shaw sighed while he lifted his hand to rub behind his neck. “Look, I’m just going to be blunt. I know a little of what happened with Blayk, and I’m observant enough to know that you were caught up in it. I just want to make sure you are all right.”
She smiled. “I am all right
. The first couple of days were rough, but I’m doing okay. Thank you for asking.”
He nodded, and though he felt a little awkward, asked, “Is there anything you need that I can help with?”
Phina opened her mouth—Shaw felt certain to say no—but stopped, thought, and finally nodded. “Is there anywhere I can go where there is no one around?”
Well, that wasn’t what he had expected. Eyebrows raised in surprise, he nodded. “There’s a place I can show you, or I can tell you where to find it if you would rather be alone?”
She hesitated, then shook her head solemnly. “I need some time by myself. It’s hard to think with so many people around.”
“I understand,” he assured her. “Out of curiosity, how did that work, living on the station?”
Phina smirked, more life filling her eyes now than had been there in the last week. “I snuck into places I wasn’t supposed to, of course.”
He chuckled. “Why am I not surprised?”
She shrugged and aimed a questioning nod at the door. He waved her on. “Go ahead. If you enter the hangar and go to the farthest right side of the large room, you’ll see double doors that lead to our outdoor training areas. It’s a biodome and the least occupied area on the base when we aren’t training. You’ve got about two hours before you should head back for bed if you want to go now.”
Face brightening, Phina grinned. “That sounds great. Thank you.”
“See you tomorrow.” Shaw nodded, and his gaze followed her until the door closed behind her.
He sighed and rubbed his face before turning to finish sanitizing and putting equipment away. Normally it was the trainees’ job, but he needed to do something to keep himself occupied.
He realized he had to face the facts and couldn’t lie to himself anymore.
Not only was he falling for someone completely inappropriate since he was her instructor, but she was off-limits and not even interested. Having feelings for her could also jeopardize his duty.
“Just making your life that much harder, boyo,” he muttered to himself as he stacked the mats together.
After finishing, he left the room, passing a couple of agents walking by as he stalked through the hangar, up the stairs, and into the staff gym.
One of the team leads was running on a machine that simulated varying terrains. Shaw waved and headed to the corner lined with punching bags.
He pulled on light gloves to protect his hands and got to work on one of the bags. He would have to set those feelings aside, Shaw decided. Nothing good would come from dwelling on them. He had won every battle and bout he ever fought except those against Todd Jenkins and Peter Silvers.
He would win this one.
Shaw spent hours pummeling the bag before he acknowledged this might be another battle he would lose.
Gaitune-67, Spy Corps Headquarters and Base, Dining Room
“Just two days before all of you feel the crushing weight of my boots when I beat you,” Cade crowed as he stuffed his face.
Phina yawned so hard her eyes watered. She dropped her knife so she could cover her mouth, blinking the involuntary tears away.
After leaving Shaw a few days ago, Phina had been in a hopeful mood and had spent time as far away from people as she could manage. She had needed that time to sort through things in her head. Piecing together everything that had happened was challenging when she didn’t have all the information.
Phina had enjoyed her time wandering the biodome so much that she had spent every evening after dinner out there before gearing up to do a few deep scans before sleeping. Tonight would be her last on spent scanning those who lived in the upper levels.
Since she knew the trainees weren’t involved in the treason, she didn’t feel all that bad about avoiding them during the evening when she needed a break. Of course, that could also have something to do with all the boasting and immature one-upping that had been happening ever since Shaw had announced the competition.
“Dream on, McFly,” Ian retorted. “You might be good with your weapons, but you aren’t the best by a long shot.”
“Like you have a chance, Ian.” Jasper sneered as he tossed his napkin onto his empty plate. “You’re a bottom feeder, and everyone knows it.”
Ian’s face turned red as anger and embarrassment washed over him. Gina delicately swiped some butter over a roll as she calmly stated, “It’s going to be Phina, of course. Some of us are good, but she’s better.”
Phina kept her focus on her plate as she shoveled food into her mouth. She wasn’t taking part in this argument. No, sir.
“You would take her side, wouldn’t you, Miss Suck-up?” Cade glowered at Gina.
Savas wagged his fork at the man. “Hey, don’t be bitter because Phina’s awesome.”
Jahlek shrugged as he finished his second plate. “She is that good. It doesn’t make sense that you won’t admit it.”
“See? It’s not sucking up when it’s the truth, Cade.” Gina’s words were calm, but her eyes lit up with an inner fire she didn’t show very often. “You aren’t as good as you think you are, and you’re jealous that Phina is so much better. Just get over yourself and move on.”
Cade’s face darkened with anger, while Jasper’s was filled with pure spite. “I hadn’t heard you were into women or aliens, but you must have a magical vag to get them all on your side.”
Gina gasped as the other trainees glared at Jasper. Cade smirked in his seat next to him.
Phina finished her last bite of food and stared at Jasper before giving him a deceptively sweet smile. “It’s delightfully magical, thank you, but no one at this table will ever see it, so it doesn’t concern you.”
“Come on, man. Just leave it be. We all know Phina is good. That doesn’t mean we can’t all have fun with the competition,” Kabaka urged.
“You too, huh?” Cade sneered. “I guess she is magical. Or maybe she’s just easy.”
“Enough,” Felan, who had been silent up till now, growled. “This conversation is finished. Arguing over the best is pointless since it will be decided in the competition. You are both being purposely rude and demeaning.” He scowled at Cade and Jasper. “Stuff it, or I’ll not only show you how wrong you are, but I’ll make a formal complaint to the beta agents.”
The admonition by the large Wechselbalg caused them all to fall silent. The man usually remained quiet, so it was a big deal when he did open his mouth. That Felan had the muscle and build to back up his words, aside from being one of the top trainees in the physical areas, made them shut up that much faster.
Phina let out the breath she had been holding, knowing how easily the argument could have blown up. She turned and gave Felan a smile of thanks. He gave a slight nod in return.
Phina already knew from his thoughts that not only did he not like how they had been talking about and to her, but he had no respect for the other men at all.
Sadly, she knew exactly what he meant. The two jackasses weren’t nearly as bad as Blayk had been, but they weren’t people she would choose to hang out with or trust to have her back. Unfortunately, they were all too eager to show their best selves to the agents and trainers, so their real selves weren’t a mark against them.
Huh. Phina made a mental note to suggest to Link that they plant a trained agent in future training groups for the sole purpose of seeing what the trainees revealed behind the scenes. Perhaps that would keep the more unsavory personalities from making it as far.
It would give her a certain amount of satisfaction if she knew that potential agents would be less likely to hide things. She knew all too well the sorts of secrets people tried to hide.
It sort of came with the territory of having to keep major secrets of her own.
Phina entered the double doors of the biodome after dinner and smiled at seeing the large area.
The octagonal biodome sunk into the asteroid was a half-mile in diameter. As she stepped into one side of the dome, she could see different areas sectioned off. Numerous s
teps descended into the middle of the dome. She had counted them once. Eight hundred and seventy steps gave one quite a workout. Most just took the escalator on one side or the elevator on the other.
The center space of the dome had been shaped into a smaller octagon and grown into a park or garden that was reached by ascending a few steps from the open corridor that surrounded it.
Around the middle, each side of the larger octagon had been sectioned out and made into a different terrain type. From left to right, there was a blue sandy desert, dry rocky terrain similar to the land surrounding the Grand Canyon on Earth but with a purple tone instead of red, underground tunnels that continued under the mountainous terrain across from her, a forest, grasslands with varying types and colors, and finally, a swampy area to her right.
All the terrains aside from the swamp and desert lands had wide openings into the middle corridor. The first was enclosed to keep the warm moisture inside, the second to maintain the dry, hot and cold environment needed to simulate the desert. Since the rest of the biodome didn’t depend on maintaining a certain temperature, they left it to be regulated similarly to the temperature of the planet.
As Phina descended on the escalator, she couldn’t help turning her face up to the large multi-planed window above that lit the space during most of the day. Since Spy Corps didn’t want to risk revealing their base, the outside of the window had been treated to blend with the rocky ground outside. However, as large as the window was, it only covered half the space of the garden below. The light was filtered through amplifiers that could be adjusted in brightness as needed.
Upon reaching the bottom, she stepped into the garden and felt much of the burden she carried lift off her shoulders. The weight of everyone’s minds wasn’t easy. The weight of knowing it was her responsibility to catch the traitor wasn’t easy, either. Together, combined with the stress of being apart from Todd, Alina, and her chosen family and the contention between the trainees, the tension was affecting her mentally, emotionally, and physically.
