by Diana X Dunn
“I can’t believe you worked on SunInc,” Tamara sighed. “It’s like my dream vacation spot.”
“Working there isn’t the same as vacationing there,” Luke replied.
Sara glanced at over at him. His sandy-brown hair framed a handsome face. When his green eyes met hers, he winked.
“If no one else is interested, maybe you could give me some extra tuition,” Mark said to Sara. “I know the basics, but I’m sure we’re going to use weapons I’ve never seen before.”
“We’re going to use weapons none of you have seen before,” Sara said brightly. “Robert has brought in everything from old twentieth century weapons through to some of the newest items that are being developed by police departments and law enforcement agencies around the world. There’s no need for anyone to worry about their experience or lack thereof at this point. We’ll start tomorrow morning with some basic testing and see where everyone is at that point.”
“There’s no point in testing me,” Lloyd complained. “I’ve never even seen a real weapon in person.”
“Then we’ll test you on your aim,” Sara replied. “No one is expected to know about any of the weapons, but those of you who do will be able to move through the different options more quickly than those who are new to weapon use. Weapons training isn’t just about firearms, of course. We’ll be training with knives, sticks, and a number of other offensive and defensive objects. I just thought you’d enjoy starting with firearms.”
Or rather, Robert thought they’d enjoy starting with firearms. Her initial lesson plan had them starting with self-defense using every day objects before progressing through basic weaponry and ending with firearms.
“We have to catch their interest in the first week or two,” Robert had told her when he’d gone over her lesson plans with her. “We want them shooting guns and finding their way out of locked rooms almost immediately. That’s the sort of thing they think they’ve signed up for and that’s what we have to deliver.”
Sara might have argued if she’d met the students first. Now that she’d gotten to know them a little bit, she didn’t really want to give them firearms. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, she thought as she watched the students gathering their things and leaving the classroom.
“Come on, Luke,” Tamara said. “Let’s have dinner together and see if we can crack Miss Bell’s code together.”
“You aren’t meant to work together,” Lacey said.
Tamara made a face at the girl and then rushed out of the room on Luke’s heels. The rest of the students wandered out slowly leaving Sara to gather up her things and follow them.
“Ah, there you are,” Jake said as she walked into the corridor. “I’ll pick you up at seven tonight.”
“What’s tonight?”
“You agreed to have a few drinks with me tonight.”
Sara shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I’m working with the class on the weapons range tomorrow. I’ll need as much sleep as I can get tonight.”
“Sara, Sara, Sara, you’re working too hard. You need a night out.”
“I need to be successful at my job.”
Jake laughed. “Be nice to me and you won’t have to worry about your job.”
“What does that mean?”
“That would be telling. Surely you can spare a few minutes for one drink?”
“I’m sorry, but I’d really rather have an early night. Weapons training is going to be a real challenge. Maybe another time.”
“Saturday night, then. I won’t take no for an answer.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to, actually, as I already have plans for Saturday night.”
“Really? What plans?”
“I’m not sure why that’s any of your concern.”
Jake frowned. “Remember what I said. You should be nice to me if you want to keep your job.” He turned around and walked away without giving Sara a chance to reply.
“That went well,” she muttered to herself. She didn’t want Jake angry with her, but she also wasn’t prepared to go out with him just to keep him happy. The last thing she needed right now was a man in her life, even one who was really only looking for sex.
In her suite, she ate a bar for dinner while working on her lesson plans for the weeks ahead. As she settled in front of the video screen to watch something mindless, someone knocked on her door. She noted that it was just after six as she crossed to open it.
“Ah, yes, Ms. Weber. How are you?” Dr. Freeman asked.
“I’m fine,” Sara replied, wondering what he was doing at her door.
“I wanted to take a minute to talk to you, if I may.”
“Sure, I mean, why not?”
“May I come in?”
She really didn’t want Dr. Freeman in her suite, even if it wasn’t anything like a real home to her. She hesitated and then shrugged. “Sure,” she said as she stepped backwards to let him into the room.
“I doesn’t look as if you’ve added much to the suite,” he said as he crossed to sit on the couch.
“Added much? What should I have added?”
“Personal touches, a few pillows, maybe. I was expecting to see pictures, too, of your family and friends.”
“Why?”
“Why? What do you mean why?”
“I mean, why were you expecting to see such things?”
The doctor looked confused. Sara was sure that he was used to being the one asking the questions.
“When people move into a new environment, it’s natural for them to want to make that environment feel like home,” he said eventually.
“For some people, maybe.”
“Do you feel at home here, anyway, without the personal touches?”
“Not at all, but this isn’t my home. I’m here to do a job, after all.”
“Yes, of course, but in your own room, you should feel at home.”
“What did you want?” Sara asked, tired of the conversation.
“I wanted to make sure that you were feeling settled and happy here. I must say, I’m disappointed in your room and in your attitude.”
“Dr. Freeman, I’m sure you mean well, but I’m not really your concern. You have eight students to work with, and I’m sure they’re providing plenty of challenges for you.”
“They’re an interesting group of men and women.”
“Yes, exactly. You worry about them and leave me to worry about me.”
“Are you worried, then?”
“No,” she lied. She was actually very worried that she might punch him if he kept asking stupid questions.
“How are you getting along with your co-workers? I haven’t seen you in the staff lounge very often. I do hope you aren’t avoiding anyone.”
“Not at all. I’m simply used to being on my own most of the time. When you’re in the field, you don’t get to spend much time with friends.”
“Do you miss being in the field?”
I miss the peace and quiet, she thought. “I’m enjoying the new challenges that this job is providing,” she said instead. “Teaching others is still new to me. So far I’m enjoying the change of pace.”
“You must have had friends where you worked formerly. Have you been able to keep in touch with them now that you’re here?”
“Field agents don’t have friends,” she said flatly. “I was just working on my lesson plans. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to that.”
“Of course, of course,” he said, not moving from his seat. “What about family? Your parents? Do you have siblings?”
“My parents live in Maine. They never approved of what I do and I don’t see them very often. I have three brothers and two sisters and I see them even less frequently. I was always the black sheep of the family.”
Dr. Freeman nodded. “We should talk more about your family. Tell me about your first memory.”
“I was little. My oldest sister was coloring and I wanted the red crayon. She wouldn’t give it to me, so
I broke her arm.”
“Really?” the man gasped.
“No, not really,” Sara snapped. “Look, my past isn’t any of your business. I’m going to ask you nicely to leave and then, if you don’t go, I’m going to throw you out.”
“I’m here to try to help.”
“If I get to three and you’re still here things will get ugly. One.”
“Sara, please, there’s no need to take that attitude,” Dr. Freeman said as he got to his feet.
“Two.”
“I’m going, and you can be sure that I’ll be reporting every word of this conversation to Robert. I don’t think he’ll be very impressed with your behavior.”
“Three,” Sara said. She opened the door and watched as he rushed out of the room. As she slammed it shut behind him, she sighed deeply. Getting along with her co-workers truly did matter to her, but Dr. Freeman was simply being rude and nosy.
Grabbing her M-ped, she dashed off a message to Robert, formally complaining about Dr. Freeman’s visit. If Robert got her message before Dr. Freeman talked to him, it might help. Sighing, she put on a video and then had an early night. It was just after midnight when someone started pounding on her door. She threw on her bathrobe and hurried to open it.
“There you are,” Jake said, leering at her. “I love that bathrobe. What do you have on under it?”
Sara tried to push the door shut, but Jake pushed hard against it. “Now, now, you can’t be trying to get rid of me already,” he teased as he shoved his way into her room.
“Get out,” she said flatly. “You’re drunk.”
He shrugged. “I had a few drinks, sure. You were supposed to have them with me, remember?”
“I’m going to call security,” she said, crossing to her M-ped that was on the living room table.
Jake laughed and then pushed her door shut. He tapped a code into the lock and the turned to face her. “I’ve scrambled your lock. No one gets in or out until I unlock it.”
Sara rolled her eyes. What was wrong with the man? “I suggest you unlock it, then.”
“Later, after we’ve gotten better acquainted,” he said, walking toward her.
“I already know everything I want to know about you.”
“You don’t know how badly I want you. As I was drinking tonight, that was all that I could think about. I’ll bet you’re amazing in bed.”
“I’m not interested.”
“I can change your mind.”
“If you touch me, I will hurt you,” she warned.
He laughed again. “I think you overestimate your abilities.”
“I’m sure you’re underestimating them.”
“Let’s find out,” he suggested, reaching for her.
She grabbed his hand just before it reached her. It only took her a second to twist his arm backwards and then sweep his feet out from under him. He crashed to the floor, knocking into a chair on his way down.
“Leave,” she said as he glared at her.
“You’re going to get fired. I hope you realize that.”
“Whatever, get out.”
He sat up and then very slowly got to his feet. “It isn’t too late. I won’t tell Robert what happened if you start being nice now.”
Sara stared at him for a minute. “Seriously? You’re still trying? As for not telling Robert, I’m going to tell him exactly what happened as soon as you’re gone.”
“That doesn’t worry me,” Jake said. He walked to the door and tapped a code into the security panel. Nothing happened. “I seem to have forgotten the code,” he said with a nasty grin. “Maybe you can help me remember. One kiss for each number, I think.”
Sara grabbed her M-ped and headed toward the door. “Move out of the way,” she snapped. He took a few steps backwards as she tried her code on the panel.
“I told you, I scrambled the lock. The only way out is with my help.”
“I’d rather starve to death in here with your rotting corpse.” There was a rudimentary security override program on her M-ped, but it was very basic and not up the challenge of unscrambling whatever Jake had done to her door.
“We could be really good together,” Jake said as she worked. “It isn’t as if you’re going to get involved with Robert or Slade. You really should give me a chance. I can do more than just help you keep your job, too. Do you want more money? A nicer suite? Do you want to teach fewer classes, or different ones? I know enough about Robert to get you whatever you want. All you have to do is ask.”
Sara ignored him, letting his words wash over her as she fought with the decoding program. A deep breath and quick backwards count from ten calmed her down and let her think. Jake was drunk and stupid. The code wouldn’t be anything complicated. She tried the first thing that came to mind and nearly laughed as the door unlocked. Pulling it open, she glared at the man.
“Get out.”
He sighed. “You’ll regret this later, when you’re all alone in your big empty bed. We’re going to be good together, one day, you wait and see.”
“Not even if Hell freezes over,” she replied as she pushed the door shut behind him. It took her several minutes of angry pacing before she calmed down enough to think about going back to sleep. Before she did that, she sent another message to Robert detailing exactly what had happened with Jake. Getting fired didn’t seem nearly as bad as keeping her job, she thought as she climbed back under the covers.
By three o’clock the next afternoon, she’d nearly decided to quit. As she headed back to her room, exhausted, frustrated, and angry, Ethel came out of her suite.
“You look upset,” she said.
“I am.”
“Come and tell me all about it,” the older woman invited.
“You were on your way out.”
“I was just going to have a chat with Robert. He can wait.”
Sara hesitated and then nodded. “Maybe you can help me decide whether I should stay or go.”
“I hope you aren’t serious about going. The school needs you,” Ethel replied as she led Sara into her living room.
“I don’t know.”
Ethel went over to the kitchen counter. When she walked back to Sara, she handed her a mug. “It’s tea. It will be soothing. Tell me everything.”
Sara quickly filled her in on the two visits to her room the previous day. “Robert hasn’t replied to my messages yet, about either incident,” she added.
“I’ll talk to him,” Ethel promised. “I hope today has been a better day.”
“Today has been awful,” Sara countered.
“Oh, dear.”
“I took the students to the weapons range today.”
“Perhaps it’s a bit too early in their training for them to be given weapons.”
“That was my thought exactly, but Robert didn’t see it that way. He insisted that we needed to give everyone a taste of what was to come.”
“Having spent the last few days with the students, I’m sure I can imagine how it went. Tamara couldn’t manage anything unless Luke could help her. Lacey tried hard but wasn’t as good as she wanted to be and got frustrated. Donna was good, almost too good, but no one wanted to take any advice from her. Mark will have done an adequate job, but only adequate. Jeff will have handled every weapon with scary expertise, all the while staring at the others as if he wasn’t quite sure how he’d ended up here. Lloyd will have been afraid of everything and probably went back to his room with a headache after ten minutes. Who have I forgotten?”
“Bill,” Sara said, chuckling.
“Ah, Bill, the overenthusiastic puppy dog of the group. He even resembles a puppy with that clump of floppy hair that falls into his eyes all the time. No doubt he tried too hard and probably nearly shot one of the others in his eagerness to succeed.”
“It’s like you were there,” Sara told her.
“And all of that upset you?”
“No, not really. It was annoying, but everyone behaved as expected, really. Lloyd lasted for a
n hour, rather than ten minutes, but that was mostly due to what did upset me, which was serious equipment failure.”
“Really?” Ethel said. “That worries me.”
“It was obvious when I arrived that the laser weapons were all second-hand, refurbished models, but as such weapons are generally illegal, I suppose Robert had to go with what he could get.”
“He acquired all of the weapons through legal channels.”
“Yes, well, he needs to find better channels. Three of the four laser pistols didn’t fire and one of the two laser rifles jammed the first time someone tried to use it. I could go on, but let’s just say that at least half of the weapons malfunctioned in some way and both myself and the students ended up nothing but frustrated.”
“That’s a problem,” Ethel said thoughtfully. “Did you let Robert know while you were there?”
“I rang the office. Candie promised to sort it out, but then she sent Jake to help.”
“After your issues with Jake last night, I’m going to guess that he wasn’t much help.”
“He was superficially polite in front of the students, but he made a few inappropriate comments. I think they were designed to make the students think that he and I were sleeping together, but I quickly cleared up any confusion.”
Ethel laughed. “I wish I could have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.”
“No doubt Jake will complain to Robert about it,” Sara sighed. “When he left, after failing to get any of the weapons working, he told me that he’d see to it that I was let go by the end of the day.”
“Nonsense. Jake has an overinflated opinion of his importance to this school. I suspect Robert will send him packing once he hears about all of this.”
“Jake told me that he knows enough about Robert’s past to ensure that Robert will never fire him.”
“While I’m sure there are some things in Robert’s background that he would rather keep quiet, I don’t believe any of them are serious enough to be blackmail material. I would hope not, anyway. This school is important to Robert. Letting Jake stay puts the whole enterprise into jeopardy.”
“Maybe he could just pay Jake to go away. It isn’t as if he’s actually doing any real teaching, at least as far as I could tell.”
