Heat like she had never felt before blazed across her cheeks. She tried to keep the look of embarrassment off her face.
“Mr. Buchanan.”
“No, no, please continue. I have never seen someone enjoy a piece of meat so much.”
Shaking her head, trying to remove the redness on her face, she murmured, “Yes, well I do love a good steak.”
“That is just not any steak, that is so much more as Chef is the best in the world. Trust me, I have been to almost every country.”
“Is that so? I'll take your word for it.”
As much as she didn't want to eat in front of him, her rumbling stomach urged her to do so. She decided on delicately eating her steak and potato. He carried most of the conversation as she ate while she contributed with a nod here and there. He spoke of the many different types of foods and dishes he has tried when he traveled. Had she not been so hungry, this would have been a chat she would have been completely tuned into as she loved food.
“...German food is good too...”
Taking a breath from her lunch, which was now half gone, she noticed Mr. Buchanan was sitting with his hands folded on the table. She decided to contribute to the conversation.
“I have actually had German food before. I can't pronounce what it was I had, but it was very, very good.”
“Oh, have you been to Germany before?”
“No, but in my hometown they have an authentic German restaurant. My family went there once. We really enjoyed it.”
“Well, if we are ever in Germany together, I will show this awesome place I found. It doesn't look like much on the outside as it is a small hole in wall kind of restaurant, but oh man, mouth watering food. I love it.”
“Oh, you think we will end up there?”
“In this business, you never know.”
After she finished her meal, she wiped her hands, placed the napkin on her plate and pushed it to the side giving the man across from her, her full attention.
“I imagine that is true.”
“So, how were your classes this morning?”
“I have only had one so far today. Combat training with Hardass.”
She smiled at his loud happy laugh.
“Oh, you mean Haiden. Did he let you get away with calling that?”
“Yes he did.”
“Wow, how did you pull that off.”
“I kicked his ass in front of the class.”
“Whoa! What?”
“Here's the run down. When I first came in, he caught me off guard and slammed me into the mat, so when he turned to use that as a lesson to the class about not paying attention, I knocked him on his ass. Then he wanted to see what I knew, combat skill wise. I held my own enough, that he had Mrs. Travine put me in the advanced combat class.”
“Oh, just wait until I see him...I am going to have a lot of fun with this.”
Shaking her head and begging, “Don't go and make it harder for me, now.”
“Oh, I won't. Okay, maybe it might, but I can't say nothing at all. This is too good to pass up.”
“Well, if I get my ass kicked in class because of you, I am going to come hunt you down and give it right back.”
The wicked smile on his face had her heart in a frenzy.
“Feel free...anytime.”
Blushing once again, she averted her eyes from his gaze and noticed the time. “Snap! I have to go! I didn't realize we have been here for a couple hours. I have to run to my room and change and head to the grounds for field training.”
“Okay, I will see you later. Have fun...”
She got up from the table and rushed away, his comment barely audible.
“Oh, Vylette, don't get too muddy.”
Smiling, but not turning to comment, she rushed to the stairs and up to her room.
Chapter 17
After Vylette had checked in with the instructor, Mrs. Vallmore, she stood in formation with the rest of the handful of recruits facing a muddy obstacle course of ropes, buildings, trees and walls. For this class she had been assigned standard camo gear and boots, her hair twisted and bound to the back of head.
Mrs. Vallmore, stepped onto a high platform to the left of them, holding a stop watch giving instructions. “Okay, recruits, today is going to be a bit different. The person who gets through this course the quickest will get a free day on me. What I mean by that is this. You will get a day to do whatever what you. If you want to spend the day at the Spa, you shall have it. If you want to sit in the game room and watch football or play games all day, you got it. One day and one day only, out of class. All the down time you need. But today...today, I get to run you into the ground. So, on your mark, get set, GO!”
She bolted with the rest of them. The first part of the course was crawling through the mud, under and through tangled ropes.
I swear I see this in every army/spy/action flick I have ever watched. I wonder if this is really necessary or if the instructors just like seeing people struggle through mud?
Halfway through the web of rope, she came upon a girl next to her, stuck and on the verge of tears. She worked herself sideways until she reached her.
“Here, let me help you. Be still so I can see where the ropes are connected to the top.”
The girl did as she was told and stayed quiet other than saying, “Thank you.” She just about had her free when a shot rang out and everyone stopped moving...well everyone, but Vylette, gunshots didn't bother her, so she stayed working the knotted mess the girl was in. Finally, a whimper from the girl and a yell from the instructor caught her attention.
“Recruit!”
The girl indicated Mrs. Vallmore was talking to her, she spun her head around.
“Yes?”
“You are Vylette Echo?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Vylette, why are you helping that girl?”
“Because she is stuck.”
“So?”
“So...she needed help.”
“Did I say you could help anyone?”
“You didn't say I couldn't.”
She swore for a half a second, the woman was trying to hide a smile.
“Well, she is now your responsibility.”
“Meaning?”
“You are responsible for her from now on. You do not progress until she moves forward. You cannot leave her behind. If she gets injured, even in mock fashion, it will be your job to make sure you both get where you need to be. If she loses a mock limb, it is on your shoulders that she will reside while you carry her to the designated destination.”
Okay?
“Fine. She is my responsibility.”
“Not just today, but from now on, while you are in training, Every day when you come in here, you are to be by her side, making sure she completes the mission for the day...and do it in a timely manner. As all of these training challenges have a time limit.”
Well, damn.
“Okay. I get it.”
Mrs. Vallmore, grabbed her stop watch and prepared to hit the timer to get them going again. As soon as she heard the “Go!” she went back to untying knots and freed the girl.
“Can you move?”
“Yes.”
She followed quickly behind the girl as she seemed to make her way through easily now. Free of the rope maze, she jumped to her feet and swayed between trees and mock enemies shooting foam darts, her 'responsibility' tight behind her. They made it through the fake jungle quickly and headed through the house maze. She grabbed the girl's hand, just as the room filled with smoke and pulled her close to the ground.
“Crawl on your hands and knees and try and keep your face covered. Most of the smoke should rise, leaving a small pocket of air along the floor.”
Vylette moved them onward through the course once the girl was behind her, just as she told her. She moved them from hallway to hallway and through room to room, making progress for the most part despite the two wrong turns she made. They had reached the end of a hall, a shot up door a
few feet away, but the gap left them exposed to the enemy. She turned to the girl behind her.
“Stay here. I need to check it out before we go any further.”
The girl nodded, but just as she turned to glance around the corner, her responsibility shot up and ran for the door. Vylette jumped and sprang at the fleeing woman, knocking her to the ground and somehow avoiding an assault of flying paint balls. Pinning the girl to the floor, “What the hell are you thinking, Stay there.”
She popped her head up and took a quick glance around. She seen nothing, but heard footsteps heading her way which meant the mock enemy was closing in and they most likely had her in their sights.
Now or never!
She grabbed the girl by the hair, yanked her from the floor and dove through the shot up, half broken door, landing on her face in a mud filled pit that smelled like a mix of sauerkraut and dirty feet. She didn't stop. Checking her surroundings, she noticed the final wall, the helicopter blades beyond it, just a few inches higher.
Rendezvous point.
Girl in tow, she pulled them from the swamp of sludge and headed for the end of the course. The girl behind her, never slowed. She must have known what lay beyond that wall. Readjusting her hold, she traded a handful of hair with an arm and hiked the girl over the wall before scaling it herself. Landing on her feet and hands, she heard them a second before she saw them. The mock enemies had them surrounded, pointing plastic guns at them. One of the enemies spoke.
“Your mission has been compromised. Surrender or die.”
Slowly she stood, urging the girl to do the same. Never putting her hands in the air, she took in all her surroundings including her enemies. Where and how they were positioned, she gauged how far apart they stood. She felt the girl next to her bump into her. She turned and looked the girl in the face. Little miss helpless winked at her and they sprang into action. For a few minutes it was a blur of hands, hits and commotion before she and her partner had the enemies taken down, and they headed for the button on the small pad next to the helicopter.
Slamming her hand on the huge button, sirens and lights went off alerting everyone something was going on. The girl next to her spoke up.
“Did we just win?”
“I don't know.”
A second later, a smiling Mrs. Vollmore came around the corner.
“Way to go. You two make quite the team. Vylette, meet Jazmin.”
Jazmin, repeated her question, only this time it was directed at the instructor.
“Did we win or did we just finish?”
“Oh no, the two of you won. Very good, Vylette.”
She turned to Mrs. Vallmore, and explained, “It wasn't all me. She did her part. I swear though we were almost toast when she bolted out that door, but when all these enemies surrounded us, she was the first to throw punches. I just went along with it. I had the same idea, but I was calculating how to take most of them on my own without getting us killed. I had no idea she was going to go all 'Badass' mode.” She shrugged. “It worked.”
“Well, I said the winner got a free day, but I am sorry to say that only one of you can take it.”
Vylette threw in her suggestion.
“Give it to her. I am new, so...”
“If that is what you want. Jazmin, you get a free day. Please come with me and let me know what you want to do, so we can get it set up. As for the rest of you, I will see you next class session.”
Vylette shook congratulatory hands, as the other recruits gave her high fives and such for a good job done. She made her way through the throng of people heading toward the main house. Not everyone was happy about her win, as she passed a group of recruits she thought she heard “showoff” accompanied with dirty looks when she glanced their way. She kept walking.
I don't care, right now, I want a hot shower.
Outside the main doors, she sat on a nearby bench and pulled off her mud crusted shoes. A shadow of what looked like a man, blocked the warm sun on her skin. She glanced up.
“Yes?”
“Hi. I’m Mike. Don't mind those guys back there. They always act like that when they lose.”
“Nice to meet you, Mike. Thank you, but it didn't bother me.”
She scooted over a bit when he sat down next to her.
“How did you get through that house maze so fast?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that was the first time you had ever been in there...we have been practicing in that building for a week and you still beat us.”
“I just paid attention that's all.”
“Paid attention to what?”
“The layout. I followed the lines of the walls along the floor and what parts of the ceiling I could see, but I took two wrong turns. I’m not perfect. It was more an instinct than anything else.”
“Well, it was still a great job.”
“Thank you.” She stood, boots in hand. “Well, I don't want to be mean, Mike, but I really don't want to have to take a chisel to my skin when this crap dries, so I am going to go climb in a shower while it’s still wet enough to wash off.”
“Okay, I'll see you around then.”
“Bye.”
She walked through the door and headed to her room where the prospect of a hot shower was quickening her pace.
Chapter 18
Vylette stood just inside her bedroom, in her nice and clean jammie pants and tank top, scrubbing her wet head with a wet towel, soaking up the dripping water from her head.
Oh, it feels good to be free of all that mud. Ugh, nasty!
Flipping her hair to the other side, she worked at drying the underside.
Good enough for now, I guess.
She was folding the towel, prepared to hang it in the bathroom when she heard a knock at the door. Tossing it on the bed, she crossed to the door and opened it. Mr. Buchanan stood in hall, light splashing across his face as if he were in a spotlight, looking as handsome as ever.
“Mr. Buchanan.”
“Vylette. Call me Dorrian.”
“Um, okay. Dorrian, what are you doing here?”
A square piece of plastic surfaced in his hand from his breast pocket. “You forgot your badge and I.D. Card at the lunch table. I was returning it to you.”
Embarrassed, she took the card and invited him in, closing the door behind him. Walking past him to the night stand, she dropped her badge on top and faced him.
“Thank you. I was so intent on getting a shower after field training I completely forgot to stop by and get it. Vallmore pointed out that I had forgotten it.”
“No problem...”
She fidgeted with her hands when he took a seat on her bed instead of the chair by the door. His voice, sent excitement down her spine and butterflies sprouted in her stomach and his smile always stirred the beast of desire deep within.
Oh, he is so...yummy...and in my room. What's a girl to do? Wait, what is he saying?
“Vylette, you okay?”
Brushing it off, she said, “Yea, why?”
“I asked you a question and you look like you blanked out for a minute. I can leave if...”
Shaking her head, “No, that's fine, I am alright...” Just riding this heat wave you send my way. “What did you say? I am sorry.”
“I said, I stopped by to see how filed training went. I heard you did a great job. Mrs. Vallmore was more than impressed.”
She joined him on the bed, only she sat at the top and pulled the blankets over her legs.
This should be safe, right?
She watched the muscles under his shirt move and flex as he turned to face her and she quickly finished her thought before her mind went other places...other lustful places. “I just relied on what I was taught and used my instincts. I am surprised myself.”
“Vallmore tells me you had a partner?”
“Apparently. I stopped to help out Jazmin, and so now she is my responsibility. Speaking of which, she and I are going to have a chat before next class. If I am g
oing to be responsible for her, she is going to have to listen better. If we had been on a real mission, she damn near got us killed in the house maze, but completely surprised me by taking initiative to fight when we were surrounded.”
“Sounds to me like you will make a good leader, Vylette.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. I don't know. I’ve never been in that position before. I mean I did alright today, but in the back of my mind, I knew that girl wouldn't really get hurt. It was just practice.”
No one spoke for a few minutes and she was fully aware of his wandering eyes. It made her happy to see that he was interested and sent her mind into a frenzy of fantasies she knew she would never share. What she hadn't noticed was how much closer she was to him than she thought. She hadn't been paying attention to the fact she had folded her legs and moved closer while she spoke or the fact that he had moved to sit next to her on the side of the bed.
How can he not hear the jackhammer in my chest from my heart? Surely, he knows. It's beating so hard it feels like my pulse is going to burst through the skin on my neck. Oh god, he is looking at my neck.
She stopped her movements and stiffened, unaware of what he had planned when he reached for her. His hands were getting closer with each breath, and her heart beat even harder with every inch. Vylette just about exploded when the sensual heat from his hand caressed her neck, filling her pulse. She closed her eyes and swallowed. When she reopened them, his lips were moving ever closer, his gaze upon her mouth.
Oh my God, this is it. He's going to kiss me.
Afraid she would break the spell, she didn't move and she barely breathed. He got closer and closer, she could feel his breath on her chin as he closed the distance. She closed her eyes, prepared to fall into his kiss the moment his lips met hers.
Almost there...
Her body shook, she was so excited and nervous. She raised her hand and slid it across the back of his neck, and she felt him shudder then stiffen. It took a moment to realize the magic was gone. Again, what she thought was her heart, turned out to be someone pelting on the door.
Damn it!
She opened her eyes. His face was still close, not as close as it had been, and he was smiling. His voice was soft when he spoke.
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