I wake up Friday morning at 6, and groan, getting up I go to my closet, I get dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, I walk out of my bedroom, and look up at dad, "Hey, Cami!" Dad greets, looking up from his twigs and bark.
"Hey, can I have real food today?" I ask.
"This is real food, Cami." He says, amused.
"No, it's not!" I say, grabbing a plate of bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs, I poured some syrup over it, and said, "This is real food." He just shook his head; I ate then walked down to the elevator.
I went down to the gym, and changed into a tight workout top and shorts, my sneakers staying on, I started running on the treadmill, after 5 miles, Striker stopped me, "Change into your water clothes, you'll be doing weight training now." He says gently, I nod, and go to the locker room; I change into a bikini, and come out without sneakers. I look for Striker and find that he's setting up the weights as Kyle walks in. They both scan me over and Striker resumes his work while Kyle smiled at me and gave Striker a hand when I dove into the pool. I'm not exactly model worthy, but I'm in killer shape. I can go up to five minutes underwater without coming up for air, I run a couple marathons a year, and pretty easily lift Ashley up.- The weights where nylon straps around weighted bags would have to be retrieved by me, some to be put on my shoulders, some on my arms, and some on my ankles.
"Let's start with 5 pounds on each arm, warm up." He says, I nod, diving into the pool; I swim a few laps, and then am told to retrieve the weights, put them on my arms, and start swimming. After I finish that, I pull myself up the side of the pool, wiping my eyes clear of water.
"Don't stop; put the small weights on your ankles now." Striker orders me. I slip the straps over my feet and slide into the pool, "Do a couple laps." He tells me.
After a few laps, he lets me quit, I take the weights off, and pull myself out of the pool again, "Really, Striker? I'm impressed." I say sarcastically, rubbing my eyes, he laughs, "I had to do it with weight bags in the basic army training, that's nothing." He says as I roll my eyes.
"This isn't the army though." I complain, looking at Kyle, "Hey, Guess you've met my trainer, more like torturer" I say, glaring at Striker, he smiles, "I'm not as hard on you as Tank would be, or Les…" He trails off.
"Lester would be easier, I could give him cake, and he'd let me off the hook!" I say, taking a towel to my hair.
"Speak of the devil" Striker mumbled as I look at the door.
"Hey Les!" I greet, drying my body off, "Ah, you're doing weight training, always fun." Lester says, coming over to us, "Lester, meet Kyle, Kyle meet Lester." I introduce, the shake hands and nod at each other, I roll my eyes, "What kind of torture next, Striker?" I ask him, looking at his amused face.
"Track" He says, I groan, and go change back into my workout clothes, I come out and Striker smiles, "Don't look so innocent, you're the one at fault here, why can't I swim last?" I ask him, making a gesture with my hand, "Because you'd be dead tired." He says. I roll my eyes, "That's why I want to swim last! If I pass out you'll have to give me the day off." I point out; he just chuckles, and says, "Three laps." Pointing to the annoying track around the gym, I roll my eyes, starting to run, when I come to where I can see them, they're reclined in beach chairs, "Really?" I ask Striker, slowing.
"Speed up!" He says. I roll my eyes, lengthening my stride.
Dad walks in the gym, "Hey dad." I greet, annoyed by Striker, he sits beside them, and "What am I, entertainment?" I say to them as I run past again, "Yes, actually, very good entertainment." Lester says from the treadmill, I hit him on the shoulder as I run by.
"Harsh" he says, acting hurt.
"You didn't even flinch!" I say, slowing to a walk my next lap, "Run!" Striker says "No, I've already run the three laps." I say, getting my water bottle.
"Okay, if you want to be smart, go ask Cal to help you in the range." He says, getting up, "I'll pass." I say, and he smiles, "Fine, another 5 laps." He orders, getting on a treadmill, I glare at him, and run the final laps, I end barely out of breath, "Finally, you don't pass out!" Ranger teases me, "Watch it!" I warn jokingly, escaping to the locker room, I get dressed again, and am slightly lightheaded, "Hey, dad, you got any Real food on 5?" I ask, walking out.
"No, just twigs and bark!" Lester says from across the gym.
"Okay, I'll go steal some from Ella." I say, then hear Ranger laugh, "There is food on 5, don't bother Ella," Ranger argues.
"No, there is edible stuff on 5, but there is no Food!" I say, Kyle laughs, walking towards me, Striker says, "You're not done yet, Cami!" over his shoulder, "Yes I am, see ya'll!" I say, ducking through the door I start up the stairs, pausing for Kyle at the top, he's laughing, and "Not funny if you're me." I say, he shakes his head, and we ride to 5, "We'll go to the Control Room first, Cal and Hal are on duty." I say, stepping out, I hear, "Who's here now, Cami?" From Tank's office, "Tank, I'll sic Lula on you!" I threaten; I hear the smile in his voice, "That's not punishment." He says back, "I'll send Grandma Mazur for you!" I threaten, he hushes, and I smirk, "Thought so." I say, walking to the Control Room, I steal a chair, "Hey Boys." I say, they turn around.
"Eyes on the monitors!" Tank barks, and they immediately turn back around.
"Cal and Hal, meet Kyle, Kyle meet Cal and Hal, they're Rangeman employees" I say, they turn around, and "I'll watch monitors for a little while." I offer, Cal jumps up, "Thanks, Cami." He says, walking to the break room, Kyle laughs, "We all hate monitors, it's boring." I say, he sits in Cal's chair.
"Who are you?" Hal asks Kyle, I internally wince at the tone of his voice, "Hal, be nice, or I'll sic Grandma on you." I threaten, glancing at him, his eyes widen, I smile, and "I'm not above blackmail." I remind, turning to the monitors, I put my feet on the desk, leaning back in the chair, Kyle and Hal get in a discussion about the Z, I zone out, watching the monitors absently.
I feel arms around me, and startle back to the world, "OH," I say, practically jumping, Mom laughs, "you need," She starts.
"Oh god, Dad's rubbed off on you." I say, looking up. I hear Kyle laughing and flip him off.
"To be more aware of my surroundings, ya da ya da ya." I say sarcastically, smiling at her, making her laugh.
"You do!" She exclaims.
"Why? I'm not under any threat right now, no one's mad at the moment." I say, she rolls her eyes, "I heard you wanted real food." She says, holding out a plate with red velvet cake, an evil smirk comes to my face, I take it, "Finally! Someone who understands what food is!" I say jokingly as I start eating, Cal comes back, "Hey, you never bring me cake!" He tells mom, I smile, "You're not her daughter!" I say, "You also don't have about twenty trackers on you." I say, getting up, he took his seat, he shrugged, "Trade." He says. I shake my head, "I'm good." I say, leaning against the wall.
He shakes his head, turning back to the monitors, "Come on, Kyle, let's go see Tank, I have something for him." I say, turning, Kyle gets up, following me to Tank's office, "They aren't as mean as they look, are they?" He asks me, I shake my head, "Nope, they're really big puppies that include you, Striker." I say, hitting the inside of his cubicle as we walk by, "Hey Cami." He greets, doing paper work, I walk into Tank's office, "Hey big guy." I say, sitting on the desk, facing the door, I nod my head towards the door to Kyle, he shuts the door, I lay down on the desk, and head sticking off the other end, Tank sighs, "Really? That my paperwork under you." He pretends to complain, I smirk, "I'm sure you wouldn't mind me crinkling it so you'll have to delay it, then," I say, he shakes his head, "Nope, whatcha need?" He asks, I shrug, "Got any reason I can take the day off?" I ask him he shakes his head, I nod upside-down, "kk big guy." I say, pulling myself up again, Kyle laughs, "I do this allot..." I say, and look at Tank, "You heard from Lula yet today?" I ask him, he shakes his head, I rub my hands together, and "I think I'll pay her a visit." I say, getting off the desk, he laughs, "You know she'll be pissed for interrupting her 'work'," He says to me, I look back over my shoulder, "What's the worst she'll do, sit on me, taze me? She loves me, she won't do either." I say, walking towards the door, "I'm going to talk to Binky for a minute, then I might go take my father, ya'll can chit chat, or whatever." I say, opening the door, Kyle sits down, and I close it back, walking down the hall, I reach Binky's cubicle, "Binky, can you deactivate my trackers for a little while?" I ask him, he nods, "How long?" He asks, I shrug, "the rest of the day." I say, he nods, deactivating them, "Thanks, I'll be hanging out with Kyle a little, and I hate it when the trackers go off." I say, and he nods, looking over his shoulder at me, leaning against the side of his cubicle.
"Where you going? Just for reference." He says, I shrug, "Track probably, I'll call ya'll later, I'm going to talk to Ranger, if I don't check in by tomorrow, call the FBI." I joke, he laughs, "We won't find you." He says, I nod, "True" I say, walking back to my dad's office.
I knock on the door, "Come in." He barks, I open the door, "Hey, I'm going to be off the grid for the rest of the day, see ya" I say, about to leave, when it sinks in.
"What do you mean, 'off the grid?' You know I don't like you not having trackers." He says, I look back at him.
"I'm hanging out with Kyle, I'll be fine. We're probably going to the track, and I'll turn the trackers on later." I say to him, he nods reluctantly, "And I'm taking the LFA, see ya" I say, finally leaving, I walk the three doors to Tank's office, and knock.
"Come on in." He says nicely, I open it, smiling at Kyle and Tank, "Hey, I'm going to take the LFA on the track." I say, Kyle gets up, "Okay, let's go." He says, I turn to Tank, "See ya, oh, and if I don't talk to Lula, tell her I have something I Need to tell her, please." I say, batting my eye lashes at Tank, "Yes, and Boss Lady." He says, I laugh, "I'm not your boss, that's Ranger." I say, and watch Tank tense at the name, "I thought he told you not to call him that." Tanks said, I smirked.
"Doesn't mean I had to listen." I say, closing the door behind us, Kyle laughed, "Why do you call your father by his street name?" He asks me as we step into the elevator, I shrug, "I do in the office, his 'men' don't really know his first name, and so I call him by Ranger." I say, stepping out, twirling the LFA keys around my finger, I unlock the car, and get in, Kyle gets in the passenger seat, "You ready?" I ask him, starting the car, I pull out of the drive, and drive to Newark and the track, the whole way we talked about our cars, of course.