Chapter 10
The next two days and nights went by without incident. Paul sat in on a few of the training sessions, which were held both during the day and at night. There were many exercises that could only be done during the day, so training, although informal, was specific and regimented with nearly everyone attending each session.
He wasn’t given a schedule, and from what he could tell none of the other Walkers had one either, but he could tell classes were planned well in advance. On the first day, he asked for a schedule but the only reply he could get was, “Come on, I’ll show you where the next one is.” So he learned not to ask, and instead just followed along with everyone else.
Dr. Abrams headed a few of the sessions, but most of the time it was other Walkers who stood at the front of the class. Paul was stunned the first time the quiet and diminutive Liz stood up and took control of teaching on the subject of exact word recall.
Cleaning and general upkeep of the facility was shared by everyone, generally during the time when the Sentinels were asleep. Mostly, this only consisted of keeping one’s own room in good order as well as cleaning the training area after each session.
Meals were taken in the second-level commons room. Paul was told that it would be fine if he wanted to eat in his room privately, but since no one else did Paul didn’t either, even though at times he thought he might be more comfortable that way.
He wasn’t used to having people around him, interacting on such a nonstop basis. His time in school had always been spent in relative solitude with the exception of when he was with Steven and Stephanie. Once his sleep issues had begun, he’d retreated from social interaction almost entirely. The camaraderie and community that existed within this group of people was overwhelming for him.
But he had to admit—after a couple days, he liked it.
It was obvious that the people at Astralis counted on one another for support and friendship in so many ways, and on so many levels, that his awareness of it was only beginning. Watching them, he realized that while he had a bond with Stephanie and Steven that could never be broken, there was a different sort of bond that could be had here. This was inclusion in an elite group, one that was far and away different from anything he’d ever dreamed he could be a part of.
Even Hodge, who disassociated himself from everyone else with an aloofness that bordered on rudeness, still maintained his obvious membership within the group and was accepted by all of the other Walkers. Hodge always took his meals at the same table in the commons room, usually with Lisa and his Sentinel, Rex O’Brien. If they weren’t around to join him, he ate alone. He never once softened his attitude toward Paul, which seemed unsurprising to everyone else, as they never once remarked on the obviousness of his hostility. He continued to call him ‘new guy’ so often that the moniker began to get used familiarly by everyone.
He was an enigma to Paul, because although he was coarse to the point of abrasive, he was respected by everyone in the facility, which suggested there was more to him than just a bully. Every Walker at one point or another made it a point to say that Hodge was the one they’d most prefer as a Buddy on any mission.
Hodge stood at the head of the class for training sessions on two occasions, teaching daytime survival tactics and how to use the stars at night to tell time. His instruction was blunt and spoken in plain, unimaginative language, but as far as Paul could tell his tactics were spot on.
Lisa maintained the same bright, sunny disposition toward him, almost acting as if she was unaware of the way her boyfriend felt. She continued to make it clear that she thought very highly of Paul and, even when Hodge was around, made blatant innuendos that could only be considered flirtatious. Hodge made no attempt to hide his jealousy, but usually they were in class or in the commons room with a lot of people around, so Hodge kept it civil. Paul could tell, though, that Hodge wouldn’t always remain so passive.
Among all the Walkers, Paul was surprised to find that the closest bond of friendship forming for him with was with Kenneth, the oldest of them all. There was almost a fifteen year gap in their ages, but Kenneth made a special effort to take Paul under his wing and make him comfortable in his new surroundings. Paul recognized and appreciated the effort Kenneth was making, and from it, a friendship grew.
Paul called Stephanie each night before going to bed and although he didn’t tell her everything, he did tell her that he’d had ‘a bit of a break-through’ with regard to his condition, and that the clinic was already more than he could have hoped for. He told her there was more, but he wanted to tell her in person the next time he saw her.
It was in the commons room on the third day that Dr. Abrams joined Paul and the rest of what had become Paul’s regular lunchtime group; Juliet, Kenneth, Parker, and Liz. Setting down a plate of food, Dr. Abrams greeted everyone as if he ate with them every day, offering up chitchat and gossip.
“Allen and James should be back sometime tonight,” Abrams announced about halfway through the meal. “I’m told that they have acquired their Target and are on their way.”
Murmurs and nods from around the table were the reply as Paul asked, “So these are other Walkers, then?”
“Yup,” Parker replied through a mouthful of food, “Once they get back, that’ll be everyone.”
“Back to a full house,” Abrams nodded. “Once they’re back, I’m suspending operations for two weeks in the hopes that with everyone here, we’ll be able to get Paul trained up and ready to go out on a few jobs.”
“Two weeks?!” exclaimed Kenneth. “Don’t you think that’s a little rushed? I mean—it took Parker and I two months before you’d let us out on a job, and that was just a training job!”
“Yeah, and Lord knows you two were graded on a curve,” smirked Liz.
As Kenneth squinted in reproach at Liz, Abrams calmly replied, “I think we can all agree Paul has a bit of an advantage that he can draw upon. I expect that he’ll have no trouble coming through with flying colors.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Kenneth replied grudgingly. “In the end, as long as the team and the Target both come back intact, that’s all that really matters.”
Turning to Paul, Abrams said, “I would like you to join me in the welcome office after lunch. It is time that we assign you a safe room of your own, but before you can move into it we need to address the issue of the Sentinel you’ve chosen. It is time to make the call to Steven.”
At the mention of Steven’s name everyone at the table grew quiet, giving sidelong glances at each other and fidgeting with their silverware.
“What?” Paul asked to the table in general, but no one answered. Looking around the table, he turned in bewilderment to Liz, who was sitting next to him.
“What?” he asked again.
Looking apologetic, Liz answered. “Well, Paul—we heard about this guy. We know he’s a friend of yours and all, but it makes us a little nervous. I mean, he’s all that will be between you and anyone who wants to try and hurt you when you’re asleep.”
“I know that,” Paul answered. “Dr. Abrams explained the way it works. Steven would never do anything to get me hurt. I trust him completely.”
“Well…” Liz began, but trailed off as if she was having trouble coming up with a way to say what she wanted to say.
“What!” Paul blurted.
Hodge’s gravelly voice came from right behind Paul, making him jump a little, “I’ll tell you what, new guy, since everyone here is too damn scared they’ll hurt your precious feelings. The problem is this: we’ve all heard about your little redneck buddy—he was part of Lisa’s report on you and we all read it. Had his own section, in fact, because she was smart enough to recognize that you’d probably be stupid enough to pick this guy.
“A young, immature, hot-headed, chemically dependent, straight-C student. I believe I may even be reciting one of the lines of her report word for word, there.
“Now maybe he is one of your best buddies and maybe he knows how to give someone a
bloody nose in a high school fight, but that don’t mean he knows how to handle himself in a foreign country up against what could be trained killers. Maybe he gets you killed, maybe he don’t, and maybe you feel like that’s your choice and none of our business. But to me there’s a lot worse scenario, and that scenario involves me and Rex getting buddied up with you and your little redneck pal on a job, ending up dead because of the Sentinel you chose. That don’t sit all too well for me and I’m pretty sure it sits the same way with the rest of the people at this table.”
Walking around Paul’s chair to face him directly, Hodge leaned down so that his eyes were level with Paul’s. “I ain’t dying for you, new guy. In fact, I ain’t dying for anyone here but me.”
Standing up again and turning to walk away, Hodge added, “Best think real hard on that before you bring someone in like your little redneck.”
Looking from face to face, most of which were turned down toward their plates, Paul realized that although Hodge had done it in the most abrasive manner possible, he had spoken very plainly what everyone else was thinking. And he also realized they were all within their rights to be nervous about someone like Steven, who could justifiably be described exactly the way he’d been in Lisa’s report.
Sighing, he stood and picked up his plate. “I get it. I do. And if I were in your shoes, I would have a hard time trusting someone like Steven to safeguard me, too. But there is no one—no one—who has been a more steadfast ally in my life that could fit the bill for this. As soon as Dr. Abrams explained what a Sentinel does, I immediately knew it had to be Steven.
“But—I get it. So I will make you all this promise: if Steven doesn’t complete the Sentinel training to everyone’s satisfaction in the same two weeks that I’m being asked to complete training, I will allow you to choose a Sentinel for me that you do trust.”
He looked at each of them separately, “Does that sound like a fair deal?”
From around the table, he received reluctant nods. He could tell that none of them thought Steven would succeed and they were just delaying the inevitable. Looking over at Hodge’s table, Paul caught his eye. Hodge smirked. Paul knew Hodge had heard every word and was looking forward to making life miserable for both him and Steven.
Groaning inwardly, Paul thought to himself, When this is all said and done, I won’t be getting any thanks from Steven.
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