Crap. I had a minute left before I had to report to my station, so I typed as fast as I could.
I shut down my TAB and ran as fast as my legs would allow. I booked it down the hall, the echoes of my stomping tennis shoes reverberating loudly.
Why were there so many damn halls?
Justine glared at me, pointing at the digital clock on the wall.
“Sorry,” I mouthed.
Standing next to Tamara, I examined Team Nine. They were muscular, bigger, and their eyes held no mercy. In the dead center stood Roxy. Roxy’s face paled sickly against her black hair. Her nostrils flared like a bull ready to charge, and her lips twitched when she spotted me.
Roxy lifted a fist and smacked it against her palm, as her dark steel eyes, hard and cold, gazed straight at me with purpose.
I swallowed, but reminded myself this was like sparring. Something I had done many times, and the size of the girls shouldn’t daunt me. So I squared my shoulders and I glowered back. Challenge accepted.
Lydia stood in the middle of the yellow ring, looking young enough to pass for one of us. I wondered if she had ever been an assassin who had switched to a different department when her time expired. Curious, one day I would ask her.
In one hand, Lydia held a digital stopwatch. In the other, she held two black vests. While Lydia paced, she scanned the workout room, then each of us, and then stopped in front of me.
“Glad your team didn’t have to have one less. Keep the time, Ava.”
She turned her back to me before I could explain.
Explain what? Someone had contacted me and I secretly wished the stranger was a hot guy? I had to stop thinking about the message and get my head in the game or my lack of concentration would hurt my team.
“We’re doing something different today,” she continued. “I’m not going to teach you any tactics or self-defense. I’m going to dose you with a small amount of Helix. Keep in mind, unlike when you get a full dosage, you will feel pain. And your team will lose a point for face contact. So be careful and remember the rules. One person will wear the vest from each team, and the rest of you will need to protect it. The team that steals the other team’s red X from the back of their vest is the winner. Your timing is crucial. I rank by time. Good luck. Do you have any questions?”
I stepped forward without making eye contact.
“Ava?”
“On the screen, a letter M was added to our team. Will she be joining us?”
“No, not on this round.” She examined me, her eyes lingering longer than usual.
Was something up?
Oh God. Was she the stranger contacting me on my TAB? My face burned at the possibility. Then I realized she had been busy with the girls while I had been talking to the stranger. My suspicion died.
“Is that all?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Return to your position.”
I acquiesced and took a step back into the line.
My team voted Tamara to wear the vest. I would stay behind and protect Tamara while Justine and Brooke went for the other team’s X.
Helix spread through my blood after Lydia gave me my dose. The red X on the vest grew vibrant. My mind clicked in full alert, strategizing, and my eyes darted back and forth.
Everyone’s unique pheromones whiffed through my nose. Tamara, closest to me, smelled like jasmine. Justine and Brooke gave off wild flower scents. But, oh God, the odor from the other team, something between sweat mixed with bad breath, made me want to vomit.
I winced and tried not to inhale deeply, and failed.
Tamara grimaced. “What’s that smell?”
Clearly their tactic had worked, but I needed her to focus.
“Tamara, it’s their plan. They’re distracting us with their stench. Don’t let it get to you.”
“Okay.” Tamara’s voice sounded off, like she had a bad case of stuffy nose.
Clever, Roxy. Let’s see if you’re smart enough to beat my team.
As if Roxy knew I was thinking of her, she pointed at me with narrowed eyes, and mouthed, “You’re dead.”
I scoffed. The nerve of her. Instead of feeding my wrath, I did something she never expected, something that might flip her switch. I winked and blew her a kiss. Then I gave her my back as if she wasn’t worth a second of my time and swaggered away.
When I turned back, Roxy’s face blazed with enough rage to start a fire.
Team Nine charged when Lydia gave the green light. My heart pounded against my rib cage. Justine ducked a swing and rammed her fist into the gut of a fighter named Carol.
Carol’s head thrashed forward while her body curved around her stomach. She recovered and swung higher, smacking Justine on the left cheek. I winced. Justine swore. Team Nine had lost a point for making face contact.
The wicked side of me snickered. Justine deserved that. How many times had I wanted to punch Justine in the face? Justine would have a bruise, but Dr. Machine could make her look good as new in a matter of minutes.
I shifted my eyes to Brooke.
Come on, Brooke. Do better than Justine.
A redhead charged like a jaguar toward Brooke. Brooke effortlessly leaped upward and landed behind the redhead. She swung her leg around like a baseball bat and knocked the redhead to the floor, face down.
Atta girl.
When the girl lifted her head, blood trickled from her nose. The smell of iron came strong, thanks to Helix. Then, Brooke charged for the girl in the vest, Faya. I itched to help when I observed Justine struggling with Roxy. But the X couldn’t be taken. I had to protect Tamara.
I extended my arms in front of Tamara as the other team advanced. The redhead wiped her bloody nose with her shirt and came for me. When I threw a punch, she got a hold of my arm and twisted it behind me. I groaned.
With my other hand, I reached behind me and wrenched a fistful of her hair. I landed on my back with a thud when she flipped me over, but I popped back up. Rage rushed through me, and I swung my leg as Brooke had and knocked the redhead over. Not realizing she had a grip on my shirt, I fell on top of her.
I bit my lip when my head hit hers and I tasted warm metallic liquid. After tumbling several times, my body came to a halt with redhead on top. When her hand wrapped around my throat, I lost my concentration.
What’s wrong with me? I’m stronger than this. Get the hell up. Your team needs you.
Tamara yanked the redhead off me and tossed her to the side. Coughing relentlessly, I got up to protect Tamara again. The room spun and I stumbled forward a bit. I scrubbed my face and shook my head, hoping to clear my vision.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I had no time to respond.
I pushed Tamara aside and dove for the redhead. I managed to get a grip on her T-shirt and shoved her across the polished floor. I’d predicted Roxy to be the troublemaker, but I’d thought wrong. The redhead charged, her eyes pinned on me with promise of death. Some people would do anything for a night on the town.
You can go with the black eye I’m going to give you, Red.
The redhead threw herself at me. Instead of blocking, I jumped over her. She stumbled, gripping only air, and fell. Growling at me, she got up and threw a sloppy punch. I moved faster, and she missed.
“We did it,” Brooke exclaimed.
Cheering and screaming erupted. Justine and Brooke gave each other high fives.
I glanced over my shoulder to the redhead as a cautious measurement, wondering if she would attack me. Though she didn’t, her gaze screamed bloody murder and held me on edge. I’ve learned through experience; some girls didn’t care about rules.
Roxy cursed under her breath, pacing the length of the mat.
I punched the air and gave Tamara a pat on her back. Justine and Brooke ran toward us. For the first time, I felt we were a unit. There was no yelling or bickering among my team. A sense of trust and sisterhood I’d never felt before wrapped around me; which I assumed was the reason for this specifi
c training.
One step closer to getting some free time in the real world. I especially wanted it for Justine and Tamara. They deserved some happiness, too.
“Congratulations, Team Ten. Let’s see what happens to the other groups.” Lydia tapped the small TAB device she held. “Team Nine, you need to stay for round two. Team Ten, go get some rest and report to Russ in half an hour.”
Team Nine kept their heads down. The redhead’s bloody nose became worse and Lydia offered her a towel. I felt bad for them, but one of us had to lose. Better them than us.
I shuffled out and past the guards, then separated from my team to head to my room. I rubbed my still-throbbing throat and sucked on my small split lip. No biggie. The intensity of the pain would have been a lot worse had I not received the serum. Besides, months and months of physical training had made me tolerant to pain. Pain or not, I felt the strong need to punch the redhead.
As soon as I entered my room, I went straight to my TAB. I had about five minutes left. I waved my hand to wake it up. My eyes zoomed down to the corner, and sure enough, a message awaited me.
Stupid answer, but a believable explanation. Why was I apologizing?
I shut down.
I didn’t know what frightened me more, getting caught or exchanging messages with Sniper. Sniper sounded more like a guy’s name, so I pretended he was. My sensible half didn’t want to talk to the stranger anymore, but curiosity about the mystery person ate me alive.
How had he tapped into my TAB when ISAN had a highly classified system deemed untraceable? I didn’t want the blame to fall on me if the person broke through the main system and crashed everything.
Sniper said he was an old friend, but I didn’t have any friends. No explanation how the stranger had found me was fathomable.
Why had it happened to me? I’d always believed nothing happened by chance. I thought about asking Brooke, or maybe Tamara, but definitely not Justine. As those thoughts circulated in my mind, I noted the time. I sighed through my nose.
“Open. Door,” I said.
When the door whooshed, I stepped out.
I sat on a black training chair and patiently waited for Russ. The large screen above reminded me of the last failed mental mission.
“Do you want the room brighter?” I raised my hand to wave at the sensor.
“No. It’s fine.” Justine leaned back in her seat. She placed her arms behind her neck for support and crossed her ankles.
I shivered. Unlike the just right temperature in my room, the sterile room seemed as cold as it felt. Bored out of my mind, I eyed the high dome-shaped ceiling and marveled at the sophisticated equipment that monitored me during mental missions. Then I examined the machine with countless switches and buttons. I yawned since there wasn’t much to see. A complex room, yet so simple and lackluster.
“So, what brought you here?” Brooke asked no one in particular.
“None of your business.” Justine twirled her chair and gazed up at the lights.
Justine was a tough nut to crack. One minute, she’d act like your best friend, and the next, she hated you. Everyone had a difficult past. Perhaps being insufferable was her defense mechanism.
“I didn’t ask you, Justine,” Brooke said. “You assumed I did and opened your fat mouth.”
Justine growled like a wild animal.
Brooke hiked her eyebrows. “What’s wrong, Justy? Don’t have anything intelligent to say?”
The mocking hostility in Brooke’s tone made Justine flinch.
“Easy.” I reached over and pressed a hand on Brooke.
Yep, I had a fantastic group. What happened to the bond we’d found half an hour ago?
“I killed someone when I turned sixteen,” Tamara said in a monotone. Her eyes were focused on the gray wall.
No way.
The room grew silent. Not even the machine hummed. Not only did Tamara appear fragile, she had a baby innocent face, and with one pout, she would more than likely get her way. Perhaps not in ISAN, though.
“My lawyer tried to win the case by presenting what I did as self-defense, but actually it was premeditated.” Tamara broke the awkward quiet. “I shot my boyfriend. He beat the crap out of me day after day. He deserved it.”
“He did deserve it, Tamara.” Justine sounded sympathetic—unusual for her. Whether it was the topic or she genuinely cared, surprisingly Justine opened up. “I know you’re from juvie, but how about your parents?”
“I don’t know who my dad is. My mom left me with my grandmother and took off somewhere. My grandmother passed away when I was in juvie. I never got to say goodbye to her.”
I sucked at comfort talk, so I kept quiet.
“How about you, Brooke?” Tamara swirled her chair to face Brooke.
Brooke idly ran her fingers on the lead tags, and then cocked an eyebrow. “I didn’t kill anyone, if that’s what you’re asking. I went through a line of foster parents. None of them could handle me. I sucked at school and got into fights. I beat the crap out of anyone who stared at me wrong. Hot Russ entered my life about six months ago. He did blood tests on a few of us at juvie. I had the lucky genes, and here I am.” She stretched her arms sideways with bravado.
“And you, Ava?” Tamara locked her eyes with mine.
I stretched my neck and cracked my knuckles. “I never knew my father. My mom told me he passed away when I was a baby, and my mom passed away when I turned thirteen. I didn’t even know she was sick. My foster father drank heavily and beat the crap out of me. I didn’t want to get smacked around anymore, so I ran away from home. I slept on the streets and stole whatever I needed to get by. I had become an expert at stealing, but I got careless. My foster parents never came for me, so they locked me up in juvenile detention. Then Russ came along.”
None of us had ever opened up about the past. Talking about it helped the hole in my heart heal a bit, but I didn’t let it go. My past had made me Ava the assassin. I hoped one day I would find closure. Through life lessons, I wished to become a new me.
“Wow ... our lives totally suck.” Tamara tucked her fist under her chin. “I guess we’re the lucky ones. At least we have decent food to eat and live under a warm roof.”
“Yeah ... but the kids—” I stopped when footsteps squeaked. The kids still in juvie are not assassins, I finished in my mind.
Russ entered, taking long strides across the room. “Sorry, ladies. I was in a meeting.”
“Wow, boss.” Justine jumped out of her seat. “You look like a hot angel with your white lab coat on.”
Indeed, he does. My heart skipped a beat, and I burst the bubbling feeling slowly rising from my stomach.
Color coated Russ’s face. “Very funny, Justine. Based on your cheerful mood, I’ll assume your team won the first round.”
Justine gave a sidelong glance and sat back down. “I’m always cheerful, boss, and we kicked their ass.” She paused. “I mean ... Yes, we won.”
Polite and ladylike wasn’t usually her style. I almost gagged at her change of words. Kiss ass.
“Congratulations. I knew you would. Today’s round will be more difficult than the last. You won’t be timed. You just need to make it out alive.” Russ knitted his eyebrows together, and then narrowed his eyes at me.
Brooke gulped and let out a nervous laugh. “It’s only a mental test, right?”
Russ picked up his hand-held TAB and a small black case from the table next to the screen. “It’s different.”
“What do you mean, different?” Tamara’s tone rose.
“I’ll explain after I introduce you to the fifth member of your team.”
“You mean M?” I asked.
Hopefully she would be easy going like Tamara and Brooke. God help me if she was anything like Justine.
“Yes, M. Come on out, M.” Russ whistled.
I gasped when a man appeared through the door—tall and built like Russ and sporting an ISAN black training uniform. The man’s light brown hair was brushed b
ack, revealing thick eyebrows and tantalizing blue eyes. I bent forward to get a better view of my team, and sure enough, they practically drooled.
“Ladies, this is Mitch. If your team gets chosen to go on special assignments, he’ll be your director, also known as field operative. Today, he’s going to assist you with Tasers and guns.”
“Hello, ladies.” Mitch grinned. He eyed each of us.
Justine leaned a hip against her chair, biting her bottom lip. “Hi there.” She greeted him in the most seductive way with those two simple words.
Russ coughed to interrupt her daze. “Make sure you pay attention to his instruction and not his face. When he feels you’re ready, your team will move ahead to the next stage of training. Though we mostly use Tasers, sometimes you might need to use a gun.”
“Or body,” Justine murmured.
Brooke removed her hand from the tags and sat taller. “Sounds exciting. I’m up for the challenge. When do we start?”
“Right now. Ladies, follow me.” Russ’s black shoes clicked along the polished floor.
“Gladly.” Tamara made an I’m hot for him smile.
Yeah, she had it bad for Russ.
Russ took us through the double steel doors, across the hallway, and several floors down into another dim room. The room was divided into five shooting ranges. A dummy stood at the back of each. A gun and a Taser lay on top of a table in front of each station.
“I won’t be staying.” Russ glanced about the room. When his eyes settled on me, he parted his lips like he wanted to say something, but then thought otherwise and gazed at my team. “You’re in good hands.” Then he locked eyes with Mitch. As if Russ could read Mitch’s mind, he nodded and walked away.
“Have any of you ever held a gun before?” Mitch asked.
One by one, my team answered they had.
“I have, but I mostly practiced with Tasers.” I lightly poked Brooke to get her attention. “Brooke and I used Tasers on two small assignments. Justine and Tamara have never been on one.”
Mitch nodded. “Tasers are easy to use. The laser marks your target. Since you’ve handled Tasers before, a gun should be easy to adjust to. You only need to work on your aim. But with Helix, you should have no problem.”