“Let’s eat,” Striker said, passing out plates, and then they sat down at the table when we heard a creaking sound from the door.
Everyone turned when they heard Alex, as he stood there with an angry look on his face. “We need to get her trained. Now.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and got up from the table. Fancy grabbed me by the hand, and I reached for the bacon on my plate. “No. You can’t leave bacon.” I grabbed it in my hand, and then she pulled me through the door as we all walked out of the warehouse. I tried to stuff the bacon into my mouth.
Alex placed back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back. “You have five minutes to get dressed appropriately and meet back here. Today she learns weight balancing and defense. There is no more time for delays. You are dismissed.” I was still chewing on the mouthful of bacon I had.
Fancy, Gauge, and I needed to get real clothes on while Alex and Striker stood there speaking quietly already dressed. I went with them into the dorms and started getting dressed.
“Hey,” Fancy said to get my attention.
I looked up at her. “Yeah?”
She continued to get ready. “Boots today.”
She had the same face as when I met her for the first time. “Okay.”
I hurried to get dressed and we ran back outside without much time to spare. Striker looked at us as we came outside. “Line up.” He stood next to Alex as he spoke. “It is imperative that training starts immediately. Up to now we have assumed that the Morrígan will attack before Shay is able to control her abilities, however, I have just found out that she is waiting. She wants you to have control of your abilities. She is focusing her energy on developing her army of hunters, and from what we’ve been told the plan is to perform the ritual the night of the winter solstice. Striker, you’re up.”
He took a step back and Striker walked toward me, he was just a foot in front of me as he spoke. “We will all be training with you. We will start with a two-mile run, followed by abdominal crunches, dead-hang pull-ups, weights, and then you will learn Jiu-jitsu style fighting. There is no stopping.” He stepped back and walked in front of Fancy and Gauge then yelled. “Do you understand?”
They answered with an in-sync, military-fashioned, “Yes, sir.”
I looked at them and Striker turned around to me. “Do you understand?”
I blinked in shock that he was really in my face and this was happening. “Yes, sir.”
He turned to Alex. “Let’s go.”
Everyone started moving quickly up the dirt road. The next few hours dragged on as we tortured the muscles that I didn’t know I had; I was sore and tired. They kept going even though I could see how exhausted they were, and that kept me going while we ran another mile and then went back to the warehouse. Striker and Alex were just fine. It seemed like this was in his normal activity that they did for fun. Fancy was sweating and physically looked ill, and Gauge was not far behind her. I felt like I could barely move my feet as we walked into the kitchen Fancy and Gauge walked over to the table and sat, the food was still there from this morning.
Striker walked in and over to the refrigerator and grabbed water bottles and threw them one by one to Gauge and Fancy and then one to me while he called out. “Heads up.” I just barely caught it as Alex walked through the door and Striker held out a bottle for him to take.
I took a deep breath and downed the entire bottle of water.
“That’s good. You need to keep hydrated.” Alex said as he grabbed another bottle of water from Striker’s hand without looking and tossed it at me, at least this time I was more prepared for incoming water.
Striker stood at attention as if he knew Alex was about to speak. “All right, fifteen-minute break, and then I will expect everyone on the mats.”
Alex turned to Striker and gave him a slight nod, and then Striker spoke. “And I want my kitchen cleaned during that time.” He pointed down at the stove and at the table where all the dishes sat with uneaten food. Then he left the kitchen.
“Seriously?” I asked looking at Gauge and Fancy.
“Yep, Striker is the resident chef. He cooks, we clean, that’s the deal. Oh, and he doesn’t do lunch.” I shook my head, thinking that there was a particular way that everything happens around here and I needed to learn it quick. Gauge went over to the refrigerator and pulled out some lunchmeat and then the loaf of bread. He threw together three sandwiches while we started picking up the dishes. He was careful not to need to use any utensils or plates that we would have to wash. Fancy started on the skillet Striker used that was coated in bacon grease; it still smelled like yummy bacon from this morning. We ate quickly, being careful not to drop one crumb on the floor. “Are we really going to have to keep going today?”
Gauge looked up at me then over to Fancy. “Yeah.”
I just stood there a second and then blinked. “Okay.”
We finished cleaning the kitchen right as Striker walked back in through the door. He looked over everything as an inspection; this was real serious.
Striker spoke loudly. “To the mats.”
They started to move quickly and then I followed them. Alex was standing in the middle of this black mats, facing away from us with his hands clasped behind his back. Striker came up from behind me with a quick pace.
“Jiu-jitsu. This is a method of defending oneself without weapons. You will be using the strength and weight of your adversary to disable them. Striker.”
Striker came up to him and they smiled at each other. They slapped each other’s hands and then bumped fists together, and they were on the ground rolling, moving their bodies to prevent the other from an advantage. It was a beautiful style of fighting, as they went back and forth trying to pin the other to the mat. They both have upper body strength as humans. I realized I was definitely out of my league. I kept watching them as they continued for several minutes then Gauge spoke. “Time.” They immediately quit, slapped hands, and bumped fists together again. Then they turned toward us, I had to have looked like a deer in headlights. This was close combat, which is something that I’ve never had to deal with. I know I would, but I have only been overwhelmed and killed my attacker or I have run away. I don’t know if I will be capable of this type of combat.
They stopped and Alex came over to me. “Your abilities will only get you so far in human form and when you are mac tire you must run most of the time. There are no extraordinary powers or abilities that have ever been seen in mac tire form. You are just mac tire.” He paused as I turned to him and he said, “Which is pretty extraordinary in itself.” He smiled and put his hand on my shoulder as he walked over to a cabinet and opened the doors digging for something. I turned back to Striker and Gauge. They looked just as puzzled as me. I knew that he was wrong. I had abilities in mac tire form. I didn’t know if I could trust them enough to tell them, though.
I heard a loud sound from that cabinet behind me. “You will use this.” Alex held out a jump rope.
“You want me to jump rope?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
He walked back to the mat. “You will jump rope until you physically can’t, and then you will keep going. You will also watch Striker and Gauge continue to roll on the mats. You will not look away. Remember everything you see.”
I looked at the jump rope. I hadn’t used a jump rope since elementary school.
“Start,” he said in a very firm voice.
I started to swing the rope to remember how the motion went, it was weird, but after about five minutes my arms hurt. I had to keep adjusting my grip on the wooden handles. As I watched Striker tap Gauge out and then Alex went back onto the mat with him. This continued for a long time, I was tired and I was ready to give up, I started to slow down and I could feel my biceps burning. Even my wrists were sore. The match stopped when Alex looked over at me.
He just walked off the mat toward me. “Are you tired?”
I had to lick my lips to speak. “Yes.”
; He folded his arms across his chest. “So are you ready to stop?”
I had to lick my lips again. “Yes.” I could barely keep going, but I was afraid to stop.
“Then stop.” He spoke in that firm voice. I couldn’t believe that I could just stop. I looked past him to the others watching me.
“What happens if I stop?” I had to ask him.
He looked me straight in the face. “If you stop you will die.” I tried to get saliva back into my mouth. “Are you ready to die?”
I looked at him. “How could you ask me that? I wouldn’t be here if I wanted to die. I could have just let the hunters kill me when they killed Tommy.” I looked away from him and continued to jump.
He smiled. “Good.” He walked away.
Striker looked at me. “You can stop now.”
I looked at him to confirm. “Are you sure?” I said with the last amount of energy I had.
“Yes.” He spoke with a smile.
I stopped and fell to my knees. “Oh my god. Can I get some water?”
They all laughed at me as I looked up at them. Fancy came over and grabbed my hand. “Come on, let’s go.” She helped me stand back up and we all went into the kitchen. Water was flung out to everyone except Alex; his gets handed to him. I was tired and I wanted to go to sleep. “Hey.” Fancy started talking to get everyone’s attention. “I think we should celebrate tonight.”
Striker looked over at me. “Yeah, everyone, get cleaned up. I’m grilling.”
I looked at Striker. “What are we celebrating?”
He outstretched his arms on the edge of the counter gripping the corners with his hands. “You.” He smiled and started to look around for whatever he needed.
Fancy looked at me as she walked past me. “Come on.”
I followed after her. She smiled. “You know what you did, right?”
I shook my head. “No.”
She put her hand on my arm. “You didn’t just give up because it was hard and you didn’t know what was to come.” She gave me a proud smile. “You’re in the pack.”
I smiled back at her. I felt happy. We all got cleaned up and I put on a faded red T-shirt and old pair of jeans. I looked around at everyone else and they all blended together khakis, greens, and blacks. They all looked very military-like getting ready. I walked out of the dorms and saw Striker walking through the warehouse with a platter of steaks going outside.
“Hey, you need some help?” Striker was surprised that I had offered.
“Yeah, grab the door.” I ran in front of him and opened the door so he could walk through. There was a grill just past the fire pit, he looked over at the pit and then at the sky.
“We should be good for a fire tonight. You want to get it started?”
I looked at him. “Yeah sure.” He pointed over to the stack of wood that was covered by a tarp next to the warehouse.
“Got it,” I said as I walked over and lifted one side of the tarp, grabbing five pieces of wood, then walked back over to the pit. He watched me as I set the wood down in a specific order.
“Did you camp a lot as a kid?” I looked up at him as he asked.
“No. My parents didn’t like for me to do any of the outdoorsy stuff. I see why now, but Tommy taught me a lot when he got the chance.”
Striker smiled at me. “Your brother sounds like he was a great man.”
I looked at Striker. “He was.” I looked down at the pit and then back to Striker. “Where’s the matches?”
He looked at me and kind of thought about it for a minute. “You can light it yourself.” Striker looked back at the grill and continued to flip one steak after another. I looked at him for a moment. He was quiet and didn’t look back over the lid of the grill. I stood for a second. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath thinking about Tommy. I had always felt like he gave me strength. Then I opened my eyes I pulled my hand down to my side as if I had a ball in my hand. My vision was red and I looked down at my hand see a wispy ball of fire inside my palm. I reached into the wood stack and it started to catch fast. I stood with the fire still in my hand and turned around looking at Striker smirking and Gauge, Fancy and Alex standing in shock. Striker closed the lid to the grill and grabbed a beer to take a sip in a nonchalant fashion. I think I surprised myself by doing this.
The rest of the night went quickly. Everyone talked and laughed and told jokes. It was the most fun that I’d had in a long time. I sat and laughed as the night went on, it was quiet for a while and I had decided to finally ask. “How did everyone get their code names?”
Everyone looked around at each other, and then Fancy spoke. “My real name is Francesca. I became Fancy for one simple reason. I’m a girl, and I do this even though I can’t transition. My mother is from mac tire bloodlines but my father is human.” She laughed at herself.
Gauge looked around. “Travis, I have always been a gearhead. I can fix just about anything with an engine.” He paused. “And some things without engines.” He smiled and looked at Striker.
Striker paused and looked around, debating, I think, how much he wanted to talk about. “William, I am the first in and the last out. Medically trained in the military and I will serve and protect my family until my last breath and I will strike those down that get in my way. I have always been the black sheep of the family.” Nobody looked at him after he spoke.
Then Alex looked around. “Isn’t it obvious? I’ve never had a home.”
Fancy smiled and chuckled. “Until now.”
He smiled back. “Until now.”
It was quiet and everyone watched the fire as it blazed in the air. Striker moved to the fire and lifted his beer in the air. “To family.” Everyone stood and walked in raising their beers.
“Get in here,” Striker said, talking to me.
I quickly got up and walked to the fire as we all lifted our beers. Everyone said it at the same time. “To family.”
➢27 Turning Point
It felt good finally having something for myself. I don’t know much about them, but as I looked around the fire pit at all of them they were a real family. No secrets, no drama, no hidden agenda, and no problems just being themselves and having fun. One of the best parts about real family is the way you can be an embarrassing dork, that we all can be, but not feel embarrassed in front of them. I hadn’t felt that way in a long time. Everywhere that I had been lately I had to hide something about myself, but I don’t feel that way here anymore. Gauge stood and danced around the fire pit, telling a joke with his beer in his hand. I laughed at him just like everyone else.
My mind had drifted off somewhere and everyone had just become these silent motions dancing, laughing and standing around with each other. I almost lost my footing as I heard a shot off in the distance. I jerked my head around toward the woods. I turned, letting my beer drop to the ground.
Everyone stopped and looked at me.
“Did you hear that?” I stood nervously, waiting for an attack. They stood silent and listened. Alex and Striker were in defensive mode and completely motionless.
They all looked at me, and Alex spoke. “There is nothing.”
Fancy took a few steps toward me. I took a step back from her. “No, there really was. I swear.” I looked back and forth between her and Alex.
“Shay? There isn’t anything out there. No one knows about The Farm out here. We are completely cut off from the rest of the world. Aodhan even put a protection around the property,” Alex said as he took a step toward me.
I was getting anxious. “Okay, umm, I think I’m going to go to bed. I must just be tired.”
Fancy took another step toward me. “Shay?”
I put my hands up and took a few steps to the side moving away from them. “No, it’s okay. I’m just tired, that’s all.”
I quickly walked to the warehouse and through the door that we propped open with a large rock. I just about ran when I got inside through the training room. I walked through to the beds and sat on the edge of my bed
and put my hands up over my eyes. I was truly tired. I don’t know how long it has been since I had normal sleep. Now all I can think about is the Morrígan, Declan, Duncan, and Tommy.
I was so distracted I didn’t even hear the door open.
“Hey.”
I didn’t look up. I didn’t want him to see that I was truly upset.
“It doesn’t matter that you have been through your own war, it matters that you can still fight in this one.” I looked up and saw Striker in a squatting position looking me straight in the face.
“Hey,” I said.
He smiled. Then he put his hand on my knee. “Life doesn’t have a manual. Sometimes even when you recover from something unbelievable your mind still isn’t ready to recover.” I shook my head. “Know that in our world there is still PTSD and that you have to let people in to help.”
I looked at him with a breaking voice. “You think it’s PTSD?”
He stood removing his hand from my knee. “Yes.” There was a pause as he sat next to me on my bed. “It can manifest in many different ways.” He paused again. “Shay, you have been through traumatic events in the last two months alone. Anyone would have psychological damage from that. You are only eighteen and should never have gone through the experiences that you have.”
I looked at him, and I didn’t know what to think. “What does this mean?” My voice was still breaking as I spoke.
He looked at me and sat for a moment in silence. “It means that you should not go through this on your own. I can be here for you.” He cleared his throat. “When I was exiled from my pack I had a severe PTSD and there was no getting past it.”
I was surprised he was so personal. “Can I ask why?”
He looked away. “Sometimes it’s best to keep secrets. If you hold onto a secret that can destroy the pride of your family, then it can’t destroy the people themselves.” He took a deep breath.
It definitely sounded like he was hiding something. “What do you suggest?”
He looked back to me. “I could work with you to control some of the anxiety that you feel and maybe it can help you control your abilities better. I also think that there is something blocking a traumatic event of some kind. There is something about your memory that is locked from even yourself.” He smiled. It’s weird to see him smile because when he does it’s not a real smile. He is holding back. I wonder what happened in his life to make him this way.
Crimson Secrets Page 27
