"Thirty-one point sixteen." Yassen divulged in mild disdain, mouth set in a grim line as he reset the stopwatch.
Alex doubled over gulping down breaths, kneading the agonizing stitch burning just over his right kidney.
He wasn't in peak condition. That much was obvious. He wasn't fooling anyone, not even himself.
"Eight minutes slower than your last record."
"Eight minutes?!" he straightened himself back up, pushing spartanly past the painful twinges with a look of shocked disbelief.
"You realize now where you stand?"
Alex let out a disgruntled grunt of affirmation, painfully aware of just how bloody difficult it had been to get to where he was at his best. How much more difficult it would be to get back.
He snapped out of his morose thoughts as he caught sight of an incoming group, jogging in step towards the track.
"Count off ones and twos!" Puma barked from the front. The group complied, immediately sounding off loud and clear until everyone had a number.
"Ones, you lot are with me. Burpees. You know the drill." he instructed, looking a little too amused at the groans of despair.
"Twos, you're with me around the track. It's run until you drop. No cutting corners. No set laps. Just keep going." Wolf ordered bringing up the back.
Of course they'd send the biggest and meanest. It was just icing on top of what was bound to be a miserable time.
He jogged to a stop next to the two.
"There are always a few mental ones who think they can just keep going full sprint like I ever said anything about not pacing." Wolf cringed watching the group steadily separate.
"I assume there is an actual end goal?"
He tore his attention away from the track, turning it over to the assassin.
"Mostly endurance. Kind of a rough baseline as well for the 8km runs they'll be doing."
"In what scale?"
"The last time I checked, the cut off was right around twenty-eight to twenty-nine minutes."
"Duly noted." Alex grit out.
"Huh?"
"You will need the bag for the course." Yassen abruptly changed the topic, gesturing for the spy to grab the black duffle by his side.
"This will take some time."
"At the course?" Wolf glanced over to the course a few meters from where they stood.
"Cause if so, take your time. We're not doing the assault course today."
Alex grabbed the considerably weighty bag, bringing the strap over his shoulder and across his chest, tightening it as needed, preparing himself mentally for what was going to be a terrible terrible time if his memory served him right.
"I should probably warn you," he turned back for a moment.
"If this is what I think this is, you're probably going to hear shots fired. It's either a BB or a paintball gun most of the time."
"I thought you were running the assault course?"
"It's modified. Just keep that in mind" and with that, he jogged off leaving Wolf to return to (shouting) encouraging the poor trainees.
The course was bigger than he'd remembered.
Or at least, it felt that way after the fifth run-through.
But he knew the end was nowhere near.
So he didn't hesitate, dropping from the last high bar hurdle to jog back to the starting point.
"Start with the rifle." Yassen gave the signal, sending the spy sprinting forward, maneuvering around the bag while jumping through the tires.
Speed was important while he had both hands free, and he took advantage of it while he could, bringing the most of it together before having to reposition it in the bag to get through the wall climb.
All he needed to do was screw on the silencer and load a clip and he would be over the most difficult part.
Silencer and clip.
Silencer and-he fumbled dropping heavily from the top of the wall sending the clip flying forward.
Shit. Shit. shit!
He recovered quickly but the damage was done. It would definitely be noted.
The assassin was undoubtedly watching his every move like the formidable mentor he was and had been.
But he wasn't the only one.
A quick glance showed Puma and Wolf engaged in what looked to be a conversation of considerable confusion as they watched him shove the clip into one of his pockets before jumping up to the monkey bars, rushing through. He dismounted with ease, grabbing the clip from his pocket to load it in one swift motion, putting a burst of speed, rifle in one hand while the other reached in the half-zipped duffle for the silencer.
He used the speed to jump up atop the balance beam putting one foot in front of the other as he mounted the silencer, smirking in brief victory as he held the finished rifle.
They hadn't expected him to dive either, momentarily at a parallel midair with the ground, sniper rifle in hand before landing on the ball of his feet using the momentum to push him forward while giving himself time to readjust his hold.
And all of a sudden he was under the wire, crawling with considerable speed rifle in hand, popping out of the other side in an immediate sprint. He vaulted over the last three hurdles only to throw himself back down on the ground again, flicking the rifle's stand rail out before setting it down a finger on the trigger and safety ready to shoot.
"The time was good."
Alex breathed a quiet sigh of relief, getting back on his feet as he took it apart throwing the pieces back into the bag.
"You were lucky with the fumble. The zipper is a part of the bag. Be aware of it."
"Yes, sir."
"You won't be needing the bag this time around." Yassen twisted reaching for the waist holster under his jacket, pulling out a familiar gun.
He held it out by the barrel.
"The remainder of your automotive armory has been moved to the instructor's hut."
Alex hesitated, brows furrowing in noted confusion.
"Your car has been flagged by GCHQ."
"GC-MI5..?"
"SIS refused to elaborate. It is an open case. They are remaining neutral."
"Was no one going to tell me?" he balked.
"It is a case about your car. They have not yet found it necessary to open an investigation on you. And even if they did, you are in a secure monitored area and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. So all you need to do for now is focus on your training, and the job you were given."
Yassen pushed the gun into his hands.
"Focus."