“Well...ummm...it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.”
“Man, I would’ve given my left arm to see that. Gosh, I’d give my left arm to do that.” Lena’s head snapped toward Birdee. “And then the Captain recruits you, instead of dismissing you. I bet Lucius was fuming.”
“It was Lucius who attacked me,” Lena said. “It’s him who should be sent home.”
“You’re probably right,” Birdee continued with a curious eye on the new recruit. “Course they wouldn’t do it with who the rat’s pappy is and whatnot.” They entered the hall and turned toward the barracks.
“His pappy?” Lena asked, remembering Gideon mentioning Nagar as part of the Priestess’ court.
“One of the Most Honored Priestess’ court of wannabes.” Birdee’s voice bordered on sarcastic.
Her traitorous remark caused Jonah to throw her a warning look. “Birdee, knock it off,” Jonah admonished. “You can’t talk like that around here.”
“You feel the same way Jonah, admit it.” Birdee claimed.
“Even if I did feel the same way, and I’m not saying I do, I’d know when to talk and when not to, and the middle of the Priestess’s army training center, most assuredly, is not the place,” he said, emphasizing the word not.
Lena listened to the remarks with a deepening curiosity. Who were these two?
“So, you really took Lucius down?” Birdee’s voice sounded calmer as they walked into the brightly lit corridor marking the entrance of the barracks.
Nodding, Lena felt self-conscious and tucked a loose hair behind her ear.
“Ah, you should have seen her Birdee,” Jonah answered. “Lucius was on the ground practically begging for his life.” Jonah wailed, pretending to be Lucius. “And there she was, boldly squishing him back into whatever hole he crawled from. She was so fast Lucius didn’t’ even have time to react.”
Lena felt the red rising in her porcelain cheeks. Shrugging her shoulders, she explained, “I didn’t know I’d be making such a mess of things.”
“Where in the world did you learn your moves Lena?” Birdee asked. “Don’t tell me you take extra courses in prick defense training?”
“I’ll bet she wasn’t always a servant,” Jonah said offhandedly. “Am I right, Lena?”
Tugging on a hair that had escaped her ponytail she slid it behind her ear. The last day spun her life upside down so fast that she never had thought of what to tell people. She said the first thing that came to mind.
“I’ve been around a while. You can’t work here without picking up a few thing.” Her answer screamed with weakness, but the words still glistened with drops of truth. She hoped it stopped any more questions until she came up with better answers.
“Gosh, if that’s the case, I better be treatin’ the help better.” Birdee laughed.
Jonah gave Lena a sideways glance, studying her demeanor. Clearly her story felt incomplete to him. Lena felt glad that he didn’t push it.
“So, what’s up with you calling Lucius a rat?” Lena asked, steering the conversation away from herself.
Walking across the corridor of the noisy barracks hall, Birdee punted at the empty ground. Her cheery demeanor morphed into the gloom of someone who had been wronged somehow.
“Cause that’s what he is.” She wiped her nose on the back of her hand then glanced around for a reaffirmation that no one else heard. “Though no one really dare accuse him of it.”
“What makes you say so?” Lena questioned
“Well, not jus’ one thing. He’s always throwin’ round his pappy’s title and then things go wrong.”
“What do you mean, ‘things go wrong’?”
“I noticed it first with my buddy Crowe. Only been here a few days, when he saw Lucius picking on another recruit. He confronted Lucius and the next day he got a message to report for questionin’. Never came back.”
“Sent for questioning? I’ve never even heard of that,” Lena remarked. “Where did he go?”
“No one knows, but he isn’t the only one it’s happened to. Before Crowe, a girl called Jetta embarrassed Lucius in class. Next day, got word her parents were missing. They sent her home after she failed a review. She’d been so worried about her parents, she didn’t study.”
“What makes you think it isn’t a coincidence?” Lena asked.
“Cause we’ve been here fer a month. The only ones who’ve been sent home or gone missing only have one thing in common. It’s Lucius.”
“But you and Jonah are still here, and it doesn’t seem either of you are on his good side.”
“That’s ‘cause, we have nothin’ Lucius can threaten,” Birdee answered. “And we don’ get intimidated by him like others do.”
Lena studied Birdee as they walked. She looked like she was telling the truth. No fidgeting or twitching eyes. “Do you have any proof it’s Lucius?” Lena asked.
“Seems to me that his name is wrapped around all of it. But no one dare question him, so nobody really knows?” Birdee replied, as they rounded a corner.
“That’s what you need to remember Birdee,” Jonah jumped in, speaking softly yet strong, “No one really knows. And to stay safe, Lena, you should probably keep from getting into any more arguments with the boy.”
“So you believe what Birdee is saying?” Lena looked at Jonah. His eyes held strength yet also knew when to talk and not to.
Jonah lifted his shoulder in a brief shrug. “Maybe, maybe not. But I’m not going to go around taking the boy to the ground. You already have a spotlight on you Lena. If you make any mistakes it’s not just Lucius you’ll have to be worried about. Some of the Priestess’s staff aren’t happy about the young Captain getting the job. They’ll use your success or failure as a way to judge the Captain’s effectiveness. If you fail, the Captain fails. And both of you will be gone.”
Lena felt horrible. How had her safe world been flipped upside down in such a short amount of time?
“Well, this is us,” Birdee directed, as a door slid open to a small room fitted with two sets of bunk beds sunken into the wall. Small like her previous room, it gleamed with cleanliness, “The bottom right is mine. The other three are empty.”
“What? You’ve had this room to yourself while I’m shoved in with three other very stinky guys?” Jonah ran and jumped on the bed opposite Birdee’s. “I’m bunking with you.”
“We also have a private bathroom, Ya jealous now?” Birdee added and then laughed the most carefree laugh Lena had heard in years.
“What? Seriously? Now I’m really staying.” Jonah half joked.
“Sure. Approve it with the Captain and it’s fine with me,” Birdee teased. “Just let me know what he says. If you’re still alive after approaching him.”
Turning back toward Lena she grabbed her hand with the insignia and pulled up Lena’s schedule. “So, it looks like you have the same schedule as me, for now anyway. We’ll be split in a few days when I select my specialty.”
“What are you specializing in?”
“Well, I’ve scored high enough in basic training that I can choose about anything I want,” Birdee admitted. “Jonah was right, that I can find just about anything. So I’m thinking of specializing in some kind of tracking. If the Captain approves it, that is. Haven’t narrowed it down quite yet though,” she explained, sitting on the edge of the lower bunk.
“What about you, Jonah?” Lena asked.
“Fighter pilot,” Jonah said. He lay on the bunk, hands behind his head, eyes closed. “Already tested for it. Just waiting the mighty Captain’s consent. And you, Miss Lena, what do you want to do?”
“Oh, I don’t really know if they’ll let me specialize with me starting late and such.” Lena answered. “I might just have to keep training with the recruits who didn’t score high enough to specialize. Plus, I have no idea if I’d be good at anything besides staying in the background and fixing things.”
“For you, espionage,” Jonah said, opening his eyes and turning toward her. “I think the Capt
ain would agree it’s right up your alley?”
Lena’s mind raced. Did Jonah know more than he was saying? She studied him curiously. No, there was no way he’d know anything. She relaxed a little.
“Espionage or wiping out red headed rats,” Birdee jeered, making Jonah laugh.
Lena didn’t know how to take these two, but she liked them. She liked them a lot. And they were against Lucius, which meant they couldn’t be all that bad, right?
Birdee stood and hit Jonah’s elbow. “Come on, we gotta go to physical defense training.”
Lena followed them out, wondering if she should be their friend, or if they also had ulterior motives.
Chapter Seventeen
Lena followed Birdee through a sea of gawking eyes toward the black edge of the training mats. She always loved this room the best. The room where she would spar with her hologram. But now, with eyes peering down on her, it felt claustrophobic.
Stopping at the mat,s edge, Lena peered down at the red insignia gleaming from its surface. The black and red always made her think of darkness, death and betrayal. “A fitting insignia for the Priestess,” she thought.
Ameena stood at the front of the class, her blonde hair tied in a bun on the top of her head. Her toned muscles spoke volumes about her physical abilities. “Ok, we all know we have a knew classmate,” she shouted across the class, “so stop gawking at her and let’s see what she can do.” Lena’s stomach clenched as Ameena continued. “Come on up and lets see if you can take Lucius out again.”
Lucius stood at the other end of the mat, his white face turning the ugly red she’d seen so many times on him already. Walking to the center of the mat he took his jacket off to reveal a black tank underneath. And though his face sneered like a devils, his arms were strong and toned. He smirked as if he’d been dreaming of this moment.
Pulse racing, she felt Jonah slap her on the back as she stepped toward her competitor. Catching Lucius unaware was one thing. But fighting him in front of the class, while he was on guard, told a different story. Removing her own jacket she heard a collective gasp. Mentally she kicked herself. How could she have forgotten her scar? Its red, jagged edges, shone brilliantly from the back of her shoulder. Too late to do anything about it, she shook her head clear of the surrounding speculations.
“Okay. Let’s see what you know, recruit. Defend yourself,” Ameena yelled.
Taking no time for Lena to prepare, Lucius swung at her, knocking her in the stomach. Gasping for air, she hunkered down and grabbed her stomach. Lucius took it as his queue to hit her on the back, knocking her to the ground. The black mat stared angrily back at her.
The sound of Lucius feet coming near pricked her senses, and instinct from years of practice with the hologram kicked in. His punch, swift and strong, missed as she summersaulted out of the way. Angry, he came back in stronger, swinging his fists towards her face. Dodging his blows, she studied his fighting style. He came at her with fast explosive movements, using only his fists as weapons but showed no other technique beyond his hard punches.
Coming at her again, she predicted his movements. Countering his force, she grabbed his arm as she twisted herself at an angle. Using his momentum, she bent over and threw him over her back. Rotating, she propelled him to the ground. Her knee pressed into his chest as the Priestess’ insignia shone blood red behind him.
“Good,” Ameena’s voice rang out. “It’s about time I had a student who knew what they were doing.”
Lena’s breath whistled and she looked down at Lucius whose air she had knocked out. Unforgiving she pressed her knee hard into his stomach as she rose from the ground. His moan caused several nearby to snicker until a vicious glare from Lucius cut them off.
Ameena raised her eyes towards Lena in approval. Birdee and Jonah cheered out loud, unafraid of Lucius’s hate-filled eyes. Lena wanted to melt into a hole. She hated all the attention.
“Where did you learn to fight?” Ameena asked. The class went silent, listening to the conversation.
“Umm.” She boxed back and forth with the answer trying to decide the safe thing to say. “I actually have watched your class before and have used the gym after hours.” It felt good to tell the truth. “I programmed a hologram to spar with me.”
“Hmm,” Ameena eyed her with curiosity. “I imagine that scar didn’t come from sparing with a hologram.” Lena stiffened, but Ameena didn’t wait for a reply. She turned away and started organizing the class into sparring groups.
Grabbing her jacket, Lena jogged to her assigned mat. Her sparring partner waited with a scowl. Her petite form and razor sharp features, made her look like she’d missed a meal or two. She was the same girl who had stood with Lucius when he confronted her in the hall the day before.
“What’s your name?” Lena asked, throwing her jacket to the side.
“Jenna,” she answered with sharpness.
“Ok, Jenna. Are you ready?”
“Are you kidding me?” she snapped. “I don’t need your mock chivalry. I can take a blow. So get on with it.”
Lena swung at the small girl, expecting resistance that never came. The girl flew to the ground. Landing with a groan she rolled onto her side gasping for air.
Alarmed, Lena reached for the girl. “I thought you’d block my punch.”
Pushing Lena’s extended hand away, the girl rolled to her hands and knees and then stood up slowly.
“I’m ready,” Jenna winced.
Going in for another punch, Lena stopped herself short. Jenna glared back.
“Just widen your stance, Ok?” Lena whispered. “And when I come at you, block me.” Raising her arms, Lena showed her what she meant.
Jenna continued to glower but took Lena’s advice anyway.
Lena knocked the girl to the ground, waited for her to get up, and showed her how to counter the attack. She sparred with Jenna through the rest of the class period. Jenna kept glaring, and by the end of the session, Lena was pretty annoyed at Jenna’s attitude.
Walking toward the exit, Lena noticed a person on the balcony. Raising her head, she saw Gideon standing against the railing, arms crossed, face stone, staring down at her. Frustration at Gideon bubbled inside her. She took a page from Jenna’s book and glared back.
The sound of footsteps approaching broke her glare. “Lena, I don’t think you understand that to stay at the top of the class you shouldn’t be teachin’ people how to beat ya, Birdee said, walking in step with her.
“I’m not interested at being at the top of the class.” Lena answered loudly enough that she hoped Gideon heard. Glancing toward the balcony, she saw it empty.
“Well, good. Cause nobody here is going to show you any grace when fighten’, and you better believe they’ll use what you taught them against you.”
But Lena didn’t care. She didn’t want to take advantage of anyone. If that put her at a disadvantage, she’d take it. Otherwise, she’d be no better than the Priestess.
***
Arriving at Tactics, Lena walked through the door. Officer Wetsel stepped in front of her.
“I’ve been waiting all week to have these removed from my classroom,” he sniffled, pointing to a pile of old hologram projectors.
“With all due respect, Officer Wetsel, I believe that is no longer my duty,” Lena countered.
“As your officer, I may assign what I wish to whom I wish,” Wetsel hissed. “It’s imperative that it’s done. And, since you’re most capable in this area, I assign you. Or do I need to report your insubordination to the Captain?”
Lena pressed her lips together and took a calming breath. “No, sir, you do not.” Anger boiled beneath the words.
“Well, then, get it done.”
Gathering the pile of old hologram projectors into a box, and hefting them into her arms, she exited the room. Entering the servants’ hall, she walked toward the storage room. Events of the last two days swirled in her head. The more she thought about her situation, the angrier she got. And th
e angrier she got, the more she blamed Gideon. Gideon shot her then hid her then recruited her into the army that had killed her family. She threw the box to the ground. Putting her hands on her hips she paced and took deep breaths. Looking down at the box, her anger reached its peak, and she kicked it. Over and over, she kicked it, with all the frustration she felt.
“Recruit Lena,” Gideon said from behind her. Her stomach clenched as she stopped her next kick, and turned toward him.
Gideon looked at the box then at Lena. His eyebrows furrowed. He took a step towards her. Lena involuntarily jumped back. Gideon gave her an incredulous glare and stooped to pick up the beat up box. She wanted to yell at him and hurt him. Hurt him like he had hurt her. But watching him, she couldn’t make herself move.
Straightening, Gideon’s face resumed its stoic expression. Taking a breath like he needed to say something, he paused, then released it without saying anything. Glaring, she felt the thickness of the unspoken words between them.
“You are dismissed, recruit.” Without waiting for her to respond, he walked down the opposite hall, taking the box of hologram pads with him.
Oozing with frustration, Lena returned to Tactics and found the door locked and the class gone. Exhaling, she turned and leaned against the door to wait for their return. By the time the recruits came back, class was over.
***
“Dorry,” Lena yelled, looking across the catwalk. She had skipped free study to come talk to him and felt relief when she saw him scurrying through the servers below her.
“Come on down, angel,” he yelled, motioning for her. “I didn’t expect your company today. Not with your new assignment and all.”
Just being in his presence made Lena’s anger dissipate a fraction. She walked down the stairs and through the servers, meeting him in the maze of machines.
“What can I do for you today? Not sure I’ll be much help with your weapons class though,” he said. “Never quite got the hang of a gun,” he added more to himself than to Lena.
She hadn’t planned on crying, but looking at him now, knowing that he watched over her, she couldn’t help it. Tears slid down her face. He walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her in a big hug.
The Mir Chronicles- The Complete Series Page 9
