13. A Swan's Talons (Speed Is the Ki)

After her shower, Mark led Kimi to a chart on one of the walls, where he took some measurements of the reach of her hands and feet, and the limits of the range of her legs - how high she could kick from a standing position and from a spinning kick. Craig recorded the numbers as Mark called them off. Afterward, they folded the table and chairs and loaded them onto the cart, which Craig wheeled into the equipment room while Mark went to the front counter, setting up a schedule for days and times when they would have exclusive access to the exercise floor.

The three left the gym and took the same Jeep to the Knick Knack Chick Shack inside the commissary to have their evening meal. Craig opted for a grilled chicken sandwich with barbecue sauce, while Mark granted Kimi's wish to let her order for him. She picked two Chick'n Bitz "combo" meals, each consisting of seven Bitz, an order of potato wedges, and choice of drink. They sat at a booth, and Kimi had the laugh of the night, introducing Mark to the chipoltle dipping sauce, the "heat" of which he was not prepared for. After recovering by drinking nearly all his cola after the first bite, Mark commended Craig on his choice of relatively "mild" barbecue sauce for his sandwich.

After the meal, they dropped Craig at the gym to retrieve his Jeep, and Mark and Kimi returned to the COTQ Building, with Mark informing Kimi of a 9 AM wake-up call as he escorted her to her quarters.

Saturday, June 22, 6:43 PM, Eastgate time
Sunday, June 23, 2:43 AM, Cairo time
-21 Days
Craig was waiting in the hall as Mark came down the stairs, and they entered Mark's quarters. Craig got a glass of water in the kitchenette as Mark emptied the last of the coffee pot into a cup and put it in the microwave, then opened a coffee decanter on the cupboard to pour a couple scoops into a compartment in the coffee maker. "Late night ahead?" Craig asked.

Mark pushed the "brew" switch on the coffee maker, and water began to trickle into the coffee compartment through a line from the wall. "After what I've seen today? be," he said, taking his cup from the microwave and walking to the desk, picking up his laptop case from beside it, setting it on the desk and pulling out the folder. "The training schedule I've put together isn't even close to following Kimi's capabilities."

"I just couldn't believe some of the moves Kimi did," said Craig.

"That's why I said to watch some of the episodes of her mother's show," Mark replied. "She inherited that kind of motion from Kim. Besides," he added, opening the folder, "you read her skillsheet. Did you think any of that was embellishment?" He glanced at the label on the front of the folder again. "'Steel Swan'," he smirked. "That fits so well. What was the other term you used? Something about her showing on the floor..."

"...Liquid murder?"

"Yeah! Did you see her face when you said that? What a confidence boost." Mark pulled a photo from the folder, handing it to Craig.

Craig took it, studying for a second. "Kimi had long hair at one time?" he asked.

"That's another reason why you need to see the show," Mark said. "That's a picture of Kim."

Craig looked again, then looked up at Mark, who was opening his laptop on the desk. "With the moves she displayed today...do you get the feeling that Kimi is actually a Celler?"

"No...she's a true mix between environments. She's got more cosmetic characteristics from her mother, but..." he hesitated, then brought his electronic notepad from his shirt pocket and scribbled on it. "I'm glad you brought that up. I'll contact Wade a bit later. Now that I think about it, I...just don't know how prevalent her Celler traits are, past outward appearances." Mark then took a sip of his coffee as he slid his printed training timeline from the folder. "I do know two things for sure," he said, placing his cup on the table. "One...I know that...deep inside, Kimi has what it takes to complete this mission successfully...Lord knows she's got the motive."

"And two?"

Mark turned to Craig and held up the paper. "And two...after the assessments today, I know that this, in its present form...is completely worthless," he finished by ripping the schedule neatly in half.

Saturday, June 22nd, 6:48 PM, Eastgate time
Sunday, June 23rd, 2:48 AM, Cairo time
-21 Days
Marcy rang the doorbell again and took off her burgundy blazer, feeling the meager breeze move her light shirt against her skin in the evening summer heat. She leaned near the door, listening for any movement from inside the house. Okay, Ki, she thought, reaching into her purse. Maybe you were out with friends today, and you're sitting at the restaurant, waiting for me. She opened her cell and punched a speeddial key.

"Tan Taco," a sweet voice answered.

"Hey, Karen - it's Marc."

"Hi there, Mrs. Delgado," Karen returned. "I thought you were dining here tonight with Kimi."

"Well I did too," Marcy said. "I've called Ki's house twice, left her a couple emails...now I'm here knocking on the door, and no answer." She began to reach into her purse again. "I was wondering if she had called the restaurant, or if I had missed her and she's already there."

Karen flashed a quick look around the restaurant. "No, she's not here, Mrs. Delgado. Hasn't called, either."

"Okay, Karen. I'll be down there in a little while. If she should call or come in before I get there, ring my cell."

"Will do, Mrs. Delgado," said Karen, hanging up.

Marcy closed her cell, slipping it into her purse, and pulled out a small key ring. She pulled open the outside door and inserted a key in the lock, opening the inside door slowly and poking her head inside. "Ki?" she called in to the darkened living room. She waited for a few seconds, then cautiously pushed the door open, the key dangling in the lock, and stepped through the doorway. "Ki?" she called a bit louder, thinking she might be in the basement exercising, or in Kim's office.

All the lights were off; there was no light seeping from under the door to the basement that might indicate Kimi was there. Marcy's wonder began to turn to worry. "One by one, this entire family is disappearing," she sighed with a mixed note of apprehension and concern. Kimi had said on Thursday that she was looking forward to dinner at the restaurant tonight, she thought as she turned to remove the key from the front lock and close the door. Surely if something had come up, Kimi would have called to let me know--

As she pushed the door closed, Marcy spied the envelope with her name on it, leaning against the table lamp. She picked it up, studying the front of it for a second as she turned on the lamp. She set her blazer over an arm of the couch and sat, slipping her fingers under the flap of the envelope and sliding the note out of it, resting her elbows on her knees while reading it. "Philadelphia," Marcy said under her breath as she read. "William's Aunt Julie."

Marcy read the last of the note. "Diamond burritos," she breathed through a smile as she sat back, feeling the concern become a welcome wave of relief. Marcy had never met Julie, but William had made passing mention of her in a couple of conversations. Julie was well-to-do and lived alone, Marcy thought as she folded the note - and staying with her would provide an isolated, calming environment during this unsettling and potentially catastrophic period in the life of Kim and William's daughter. She's not here, Marcy thought as she rose from the couch, but she's still safe, and at least a small bit removed from recent events for a while.

Marcy slid the note into her purse, put her blazer over her arm and took her car keys from her purse as she locked the front door, pulling it closed. "I'll cook you as many burritos as you want when you get back, Ki," Marcy smiled as she went down the walk to her Honda Accord H-FCV.

----------

The next morning, true to the schedule he set, Mark gave Kimi a wake-up call at "0900," and Kimi met him at the door of his quarters around 9:30. Just as the day before, they were both dressed in jeans and t-shirts, Mark wearing a "tourist" shirt containing the insignia of the Cairo West air base inside an outline of Egypt, and Kimi wearing a yellow t-shirt with a rather vicious-looking dragon silk screening.

They agreed the first point of business was breakfast, and the morning summer sun had already warmed the day into the mid-80's as they went to the Jeep for a quick trip to the BX. Mark had by now adjusted to the change in hours, and ordered a cheese omelet with toast and jelly, and coffee. Kimi, curious about true "military food," found herself in a quandary between a ham-and-egg "walkaway," and creamed chipped beef on toast - until Mark enlightened her of the true military vernacular for the latter dish - "S- - - on a shingle" - which he scrawled on a paper napkin and passed to her, jokingly adding that, if her parents were to inquire at some future point, he had never informed her of the term. Kimi settled on the walkaway, and orange juice.

Sunday, June 23rd, 9:38 AM, Eastgate time
Sunday, June 23rd, 5:38 PM, Cairo time
-21 Days
They sat at a booth, and Mark sprinkled salt over his omelet as Kimi peered under the top of the muffin of her walkaway. "So you spent a little time on the base intranet last night?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kimi said. "It's not the same as...like, the real net...but there are lots of things to do on it. I found an online backgammon forum, and even played a few games with some of the kids on the base. There's a small group that meets at the youth club on Thursday nights...they play backgammon and dance and hang out. They invited me this Thursday. I said that I'd ask you if it was alright...I didn't know if you had anything planned in the evenings yet." She picked up her "walkaway" and bit into it.

"Nothing that I foresee," Mark replied as he sliced into his eggs with his fork. "Unless anything changes, the evenings are yours to spend as you please. The only thing I ask is something you probably already know...don't discuss anything about why you're really here or where you're going with anyone."

"One of them asked if my 'rents are stationed here," said Kimi. "The sitch is, I told--"

Mark stopped his fork just short of his mouth. "The sitch?" he chuckled softly. "I can sure tell whose daughter you are."

Kimi caught herself, giggling. "I told them...that you're a friend of my dad's, and I'm staying with you while they're...on vacation. While I'm here, you're...helping me brush up on my karate skills."

"Nice job," Mark smiled. "Good cover. Did they ask anything else?"

Kimi smirked. "No..they were all about too busy being thrashed by me in the game."

"How's your walkaway?" he asked.

"Like I said when you and Craig were talking about it yesterday...it's all about Egg McMuffin...but it's good," she smiled.

Mark took a sip of his coffee. "So you're good at backgammon?"

"There's a club back home," Kimi replied. "They meet every Monday. Every now and then, I go down there with--" she stopped, her eyes dropping slowly to the table "--with Mom..."

"And you're planning to go there with your mom again, aren't you?" Mark interjected, trying to save Kimi's mood. "Just another good reason why we're here, right?" He patted her hand. "To save your family and your way of life from those who want nothing short of destroying it."

Kimi looked up at Mark, her expression showing her inner resolve winning over her fears, slowly becoming a smile. "You're right, Cap'n Mark. It's all about get my mom and dad back."

Mark sipped at his coffee again. "After the assessments yesterday, I'm even more glad you made that call." Mark's expression became a bit warmer, his voice a bit lower. "It's exactly like I told you last week, Ki...I wouldn't have even suggested doing this if I thought for one minute that you couldn't do it. I know you already have most of the skills you need to undertake this...and there's no question that you have the motive. What you need to do now...over the next three weeks...is concentrate on the result - on the completion of this mission...and put away the negative thoughts that might distract you. Just the fact that you're here training for the mission gives those negative thoughts that much less of a chance of becoming reality...and if you don't bother to lend the negative thoughts any credibility by thinking about them, they have even less of a chance."

Kimi let those words sink in for a moment. Before the night in Cairo when her mother disappeared, Mark had never met Kimi. On that night, her thoughts had begun to enter a tumult of emotion from the events in the restaurant - and the main thing on her mind was not where her mother might have gone, or why she was taken - but how to get her back. Mark had read that concern from Kimi from the moment he met her, and didn't dismiss her intensity as that of an irrational 15-year old. He didn't brush her aside as he conducted his investigation, but took time to not only acknowledge her concern, but to address it, even bolstering the advice from her mother. When Kimi had the revelation about how the kidnappers gained entry to the restaurant, Mark didn't caution her about "getting in the way," but welcomed it, even allowing her to take part in the discovery behind the wall which became the key to discovering the motive behind Kim's abduction.

Mark's confidence and trust in her abilities and resolve gained him a new respect from Kimi. She smiled as she took another bite from her walkaway, chewed and swallowed. "So what's on for today, Cap'n Mark? You didn't tell me to bring my gym bag."

"I wanted to show you some of the other aspects of your training," Mark said as he slipped a bite of his eggs around his plate, collecting some of the cheese that had seeped from a corner of the omelet.

Kimi had finished her muffin, and was brushing her hands on a napkin. "It's all about ready when you are," she said.

Mark drank the rest of his coffee and looked at his watch. "Yeah, it's a good time to go," he said, moving his chair to stand.

Kimi stood to join him, and motioned back to the table as Mark turned to leave. "...no tip?" she asked.

"Not at the BX," Mark smiled.

10:47 AM.
Building 41
Mark pulled the Jeep into a parking slot in front of a wide, low-slung building surrounded by other various military vehicles and mundane, non-descript sedans, all the same shade of royal blue with registration numbers stenciled on the doors in a yellowish-gold. He and Kimi got out of the Jeep and started up the walk.

"What's in here, Cap'n Mark?" Kimi asked. She stopped short, freezing in mid-step as a man in fatigues came through the double doors carrying a rifle. She then saw the printing on the doors:

"Firing Range."

Kimi could feel her pulse begin to race along with the pace of her speech, now wavering with a tone of apprehension. "W-why are we going in here Cap'n Mark? T-there are guns in there and it's all about I've never even touched any gun much less shot one and bullets are all about go through things and people and hurt way bad and--"

Mark placed his hand on her shoulder as she froze with a bit of a jump, and he could feel the teen's trepidation shivering under his touch. "Ki..." he started in a calming voice, "you asked me last week about 'dealing with people with guns'...now...I can sense your fear...but you've trusted me this far to give you the training you need...please don't let that change now."

Mark felt just the slightest tug of Kimi's shoulder from under his hand. "I--I know it's all about save my family...but I'm not sure I could...be all about, like...kill people..."

Mark squeezed Kimi's shoulder slightly in a reassuring touch. "You're not going to kill anyone, Ki," he said with a warm smile. "I'll show you when we get inside...trust me."

Kimi searched Mark's eyes again - and just as earlier this morning, the trust she saw in those eyes gave her inner control over her fears.

Mark could feel a bit of the tension slip from Kimi's shoulder as he lent a gentle guidance toward the door. "Besides," he added as he held the door open, "you surely didn't think you were going to go up against 'people with guns' armed only with karate...did you?"

Mark led Kimi to a large counter where a couple of men were standing over rather intimidating large-frame handguns, discussing the merits of "jacketed hollow point" ammunition and its potential "stopping power" in "field situations." When they mentioned the term "aiming for critical mass," Kimi did her best to be inconspicuous, moving slowly around Mark's back to put him between her and the men as he completed a form. He looked up first to the men, then turned to Kimi as a sergeant approached them from behind the counter. "You'll need to show your ID card, Ki," he said.

Kimi's attention flashed from the men for a moment as she slipped her hand into her back pocket and produced the card for the sergeant, who copied the number onto the form Mark had been filling out. "Be right back, Captain," he said, and stepped through a door behind the counter.

"...Cap'n Mark?--" asked Kimi, still with a note of hushed anxiety to her voice.

Mark stopped her and put up a finger. "Wait until the sergeant brings your sidearm, and I promise, I'll explain everything, and answer every single question you have."

Kimi brought her arms in front of her in response, looking at them as she slowly turned her hands over. "...sidearm...?"

The sergeant returned through the door carrying one box about eight inches square; another slightly smaller. On top of these were five even smaller boxes. Kimi's brow was furrowed as he set them on the counter, reading from the form Mark had filled out. "Here you are, Captain," he said, placing his finger on each as he listed them off. "One Ruger AT-213 pistol...one chest holster for same...three 10-round spring clips...one box Acepromazine CO2 carts...and one box inert target carts." He then set the form on the counter, turning it toward them. "I'll need you to sign here for the weapon and the narcotics, Sir," he said, pointing toward the bottom of the form and motioning to a pen on the counter.

Mark signed the form and slid it back to the sergeant. "We'll also need a couple pair of muffs and a lane," he said.

The sergeant reached under the counter and brought up two pair of devices that to Kimi resembled large headphones and put them on the counter next to the boxes. He then picked up the pen and slid it down a chart on a clipboard. "Lane 8 is open, Sir," he said, writing on a line: "CPT M. Broderson and Guest."

Mark slid one of the earmuffs to Kimi. "Put these on," he said. "They'll block out most of the sound on the line."

Kimi looked at the muffs for a second. "Ummm...won't it be hard to hear each other talk?"

"Not as hard as you think," replied Mark. "These are noise-canceling muffs. They don't just block all sounds. They have little processors and speakers inside. When there's a loud noise, like a gun firing, they send frequencies that mostly cancel it out...but not for softer sounds, like conversation." He then put his own muffs on, adjusting them slightly. Kimi looked at the insides of the muffs for a moment, then slid them over her head, noticing that the ambient noise of the room was only slightly muffled.

Mark picked up the boxes and started toward a door marked "Firing Line," turning just before it and seeing Kimi was still next to the counter at the far side of the room. "C'mon, Ki," he said, motioning with a slight tip of his head.

From the moment they had met, Mark had given Kimi the impression that he was not someone who would try to tell her something in a condescending manner, or in a way that he thought she would just "want to hear." Even when he told her and her father about the true nature of Kim's abduction and the motive behind it, he didn't try to "put a nice face on it" or present it with any less gravity than the dead level truth. From the beginning and even when telling Kimi about the plan to rescue her mother from her evil Celler captors, Mark had never tried to insulate her from any aspect of what she might face - but instead presented it to her with full honesty, and with the dedication to follow up on and answer any questions, doubts or fears that she expressed about any of it.

Even from the night they met in Cairo, Kimi came to realize that she and Mark shared a common ground - a common goal--

To see Kim return to her rightful place - as mother; as wife; as the calming, stable warmth and inspiration in the lives of those who love her.

Kimi repressed her intimidation enough to give a wan smile and walked across the room to join Mark as the sergeant pressed a button just under the counter. There was a click and a short buzz from the door, and Mark nudged it open with his shoulder.

11:26 AM.
Beyond the door was a long room, like a corridor, about ten feet wide. On the side to their right were partitions spaced about every eight feet that ran from floor to ceiling, perpendicular to the other wall. It almost looked to Kimi as if the wall was a large open set of Venetian blinds. Each of the partitions had a number in the upper left corner marking a lane. Kimi looked over at several men who were firing various weapons as they began to walk to their lane - some had handguns, others, rifles. While the sound of the guns was all but muted, Kimi could feel the percussion from each report as a small thump - but she could not decide if it was from the firearms - or her heart thudding in her chest.

"Here's Lane 8," Mark said, turning and setting the boxes on a counter next to the partition. Kimi took a place about four feet behind him at the rear edge of the partition as he arranged the boxes into a line. Mark looked back to see Kimi with her hand against her chest. "You okay, Ki?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kimi said. "It's just that, when we first came in here, every time one of those guys shot a gun...it's all about...boomp...right here. But between the partitions, it's not as bad."

"The partitions are insulated, for better isolation," said Mark. "Helps you to concentrate more on your targeting." Mark then turned a bit back to Kimi. "Come up here," he said, motioning to the counter with his hand.

Kim's voice began to waver again. "Ummm...isn't it safer back here? There are bullets all about zipping around up there."

"It's actually a little safer up here near the line. The partitions are lined with lead and titanium."

"But...what if a bullet bounces off the back wall and back up here?"

"Can't happen. The targets are a minimum of 50 feet from the line...and the backdrop is made up of steel panels, angled downward. The bullets ricochet down into big pits of sand." Mark punctuated the last with a smile that Kimi began to realize always accompanied the intrinsic value of Mark's trustworthiness. Kimi moved toward the counter, slowly at first, until she was standing to the left of Mark at the counter as he opened the largest of the boxes, pulling a black pistol out of a styrofoam form and setting it on the counter. Kimi's eyes widened with a hint of fear as Mark put the box aside. "Ki," he said, "this is the Ruger AT-213 semi-auto handgun. This is the sidearm you will be taking with you to Cairo."

Kimi studied the weapon for a moment as Mark opened another of the boxes. She leaned a bit to one side, looking at the muzzle of the barrel. "T-that's...a...big hole, Cap'n Mark," she stammered. "H-how big are the bullets for this thing?"

"They're not," Mark replied. "You won't be using bullets, Ki."

Kimi took a step back, eyes even wider. "W-what? A gun with no bullets against people who have guns WITH bullets??"

Mark lowered his brow slightly. "Ki...remember I said to let me explain everything? Please?" He motioned again with his hand, and Kimi stepped back to the counter, still apprehensive as Mark continued. "Because of some fine print in the CENAP pact, I am limited in the types of training that I can give you...but you won't be completely unarmed. This pistol fires tranquilizer darts."

He opened one of the smaller boxes containing several rows of yellow cylinders about half an inch wide. "This is one of the carts," he explained, pulling out one of the cylinders, which was nearly an inch-and-a-half in length, and holding it in the middle. "It's not covered under CENAP. Each of these holds3 cc of a powerful, fast-acting tranquilizer called Acepromazine, in concentrated form. In a much lesser dose, it's usually used before general anesthetic for an operation. Acepromazine puts the nervous system into a 'Delta state'...or deep sleep, in other words. This dose will put a horse to sleep in less than five minutes. But a human? It induces a mild form of paralysis right now. They freeze - and it's nappy-bye in less than three seconds. Doesn't matter where you hit them - they'll be out before they even hit the floor...and they'll stay out for 6 to 8 hours."

Kimi was letting the information that Mark had already given her sink in as he then gently twisted the front of the cylinder to expose a rather painful-looking needle. "This is a 12-gauge needle, one inch long," he said, turning the cartridge so Kimi could see the length of the needle clearly. "It will go through any clothing except bulletproof cladding, thick-soled shoes, or KISS suits." Mark then replaced the front of the cylinder. "The propellant is in the carts themselves, so you won't have to worry about how much is left in the gun...just how many rounds you have left. Each cart has two charges, both at the back. One is CO2, to propel the cart out of the gun...another just ahead of it injects the drug in just a fraction of a second once it hits its target."

Mark then returned the cartridge to the box and opened another similar box, putting an orange cylinder on the counter. "These are the 'inert' target carts you'll be using here on the range," he said. "They're just like the others, except no tranquilizer." Mark stopped for a moment, turning to Kimi, noting her continuing expression of reluctance. "Don't worry about remembering every bit of what I'm telling you," he said. "This is just to help you get familiar with your weapon, and for you to feel comfortable that you're not going to kill anyone." Kimi looked at Mark for a moment, searching his eyes - then nodded slowly.

Mark continued to explain as he opened yet another of the small boxes, removing a rectangular object and showing it to Kimi. "This is what's known as a clip," he said. "It's so you can have several rounds ready without having to reload the gun as often. Each of the clips will hold ten carts...and you'll have three clips for the gun." He picked up the orange cartridge on the counter. "The carts go into the top of the clip, like this." He pressed it against the open end of the clip until it seated with a small "click." Mark then removed another cartridge from the box and turned to Kimi, presenting both it and the clip to her. "Go ahead and load the cart into the clip," he said.

Kimi cautiously took the clip from Mark, noting the coolness of the metal against her hand. She then took the cartridge from him between her thumb and forefinger and touched it against the top of the clip, as Mark did - then pressed down on it with her thumb. There was just a second of mild resistance - then the metallic "click" as the cartridge slid into place on top of the other. "That's perfect, Ki," Mark beamed, putting the box of orange cartridges on the counter in front of Kimi. "You have two rounds in the clip...now load eight more."

Kimi reached for another cartridge from the box, loading it into the clip as she had before. Ooo-kayyy...It's all about Cap'n Mark says I won't kill anybody, she thought as she slid a fourth cartridge from the box. No bullets...they're just darts. Ace-pro-whatever. Ace darts. Ace darts to put the slugs that have Mom to sleep.

She pressed the tenth cartridge into the clip. "All done, Cap'n Mark," she said quietly, motioning the now-full clip to Mark.

Mark had picked up the pistol and was inspecting it as Kimi was loading the clip. Kimi immediately noticed how the gun looked like a toy in Mark's large hand. He looked up smiling, taking the clip from Kimi and sliding it into the butt of the gun through an opening in the bottom, using the heel of his hand to push it in the last inch or so, rather forcefully. Kimi watched as he slid the top of the gun back with his thumb and first finger at the back and let it go, the slide snapping back into place. "When you first put in a clip," he said, "You have to bring the slide back to put the first round in the chamber. Otherwise, the first time you pull the trigger, the gun won't have anything to fire." Mark then pressed his thumb against a button on the left side of the weapon, and the clip slid out of the bottom into his other hand. He turned the gun over and pulled back the slide again, and a cartridge dropped out of a hole near the top of the gun onto the counter.

"One important thing about guns, Ki--" Mark said "--always approach and treat any firearm as if it's loaded. Never, never point a firearm at anything or anyone you don't intend on firing on."

Kimi's eyes shot to Mark, as if he thought she would think otherwise. "Y-yeah," she stammered.

Mark then turned to Kimi and slowly extended his hand holding the gun, now on its side on his palm and pointed at a right angle, the butt turned away from Kimi. Kimi's eyes flashed from his own to the gun and back to him a couple of times. "Go ahead," Mark said. "It's unloaded. It can't go off. You just watched me unload it."

Kimi slowly brought her hand up to the weapon, sliding her fingers to the butt - withdrawing slightly at first touch - then moving them around the grip. Mark could feel the shaking in her touch as she brought the pistol from his hand. She turned her hand until the gun was upright. "It's...not as heavy as it looks," she said in a slightly weak voice.

"About four pounds," said Mark. "The frame and most of the moving parts are plastic. Since it doesn't fire bullets, it doesn't have to have the metal parts that most other firearms have. The grips are rubber-coated, so you can keep a good handle on the weapon. The clip will add about a half-pound to that...but it's a very light handgun...very easy to use." Mark then brought up the clip he was still holding. "Another thing to remember...your index finger is the one you use on the trigger. When you're loading or unloading the firearm, keep your index finger out straight...don't let it rest on the trigger. Less chance of accidental discharge that way." He then held out the clip. "Go ahead and load the weapon, Ki...just like I showed you."

Kimi didn't hold her index finger straight, but instead kept all four fingers wrapped around the grip as she moved slowly to take the clip, Mark again feeling the shaking in her hand as her fingers slipped over it. She tried not to let her expression show her trepidation as she tilted the gun slightly on its side, and touched the clip to the hole in the bottom as Mark had done. She slowly slid the clip about halfway in, her fingers on either side of the bottom. "Push it in with your palm," said Mark. "That way you won't get your fingers pinched...and push it in kind of hard, to make sure the clip seats." Kimi moved her palm against the bottom of the clip, and pushed it in the rest of the way, feeling the "click" as it slid into place which caused her to jump just a bit. Mark pointed to the button on the left of the gun that he had pushed earlier. "This button releases the clip," he said, "but don't push it now." He then pointed to another button. "This is the safety. This is for when you have the gun in your holster, or when you're not planning to use it. When the safety's on, the gun will not fire. You push it down to set 'safe,' and up for 'fire.'"

Mark pointed to ribbed surfaces near the back of the top of the gun. "This is where you grip the slide to pull it back," he said. "Remember? When you first put in a fresh clip, you have to pull the slide back to load the first cart into the chamber."

Kimi's grip on the gun tightened as moved her left hand to the back of the weapon, placing her fingers as Mark had on the back of the slide and beginning to pull slowly. The action was smooth, with less resistance than Kimi thought there would be. As the slide reached the end of its travel, Kimi could feel a slight, almost distant "shick" from inside the weapon. The action brought her to a realization which sent a cold shiver up the back of her neck--

Kimi was, for the first time in her life - holding a loaded gun.

Her hands now shook a little more, and her fingers slipped from the back of the slide, the mechanism returning with a jolt which startled her.

Mark took a step to his right, now standing on the left of Kimi. He motioned to the counter, placing his other hand against her back, feeling the shaking in her shoulders. "Go ahead and step to the line, Ki," he said, "and I'll show you how to hold and aim your sidearm--" Mark stopped, studying the teen for a second, noticing a slight glisten on her forehead, and small dark patches beneath her arms. "Ki...are you...sweating?"

Kimi's brow was furrowed as her eyes darted about, ending on Mark. "C-Cap'n Mark...I know it's all about you're training me and everything, but...aren't we like, all about rushing into this a little bit? I've never--"

Mark interrupted with a stern expression than she had not seen directed at her from the tall blond man before now. "Kimi..." he started in a serious note, deflecting his eyes slightly downward and to the side for just a moment - then back to Kimi, "I...don't want to have to take a hard line about this...and given your understanding of the situation, I don't really think it will come to that. I understand now that you have a fear of firearms. That was one of the very few intangibles in my mind when this idea first came to me. The other was whether you would even agree to take the mission at all...but the fact that you're standing right here with me now tells me you have a wish to see your mother alive again...and that you're willing to do what it takes to bring that result about." Mark then placed his hands on each of the teen's shoulders. "Ki, I know that I'm asking a lot of you...asking you to do things you've never been exposed to, and never thought you would do...I know that I'm asking you to grow up a lot faster than you want to. I know you've been through so much in the last two weeks...trust me, I know."

Mark gave Kimi's upper arms a light squeeze. "From the moment I was called in on the investigation into your mother's abduction, I've focused on a way to get your mother free of the people who have her. I think that...by calling me early yesterday morning and saying, 'green light,' that you want the same thing." Kimi's eyes were bright and still tinged with fear as she nodded a bit nervously. "Now...I've told you about the pistol...that there is no way you have to worry at all about killing anyone with it--" his expression softened now "--please, Ki...let's work together...tell me what is still bothering you...and I'll work you past it, and help you relax with this."

Kimi had almost forgotten that she was still holding the pistol - and she nearly did a double-take as her eyes flashed back to it. "I...do have a question," she said timidly. "How are you going to 'work me past'...when the gun jumps?"

"...jumps? Uhh-- oh! You mean recoil?"

"Yeah...when I saw other people shooting, their gun jumped every time they shot it."

Mark's expression now widened into that knowing smile Kimi had come to know. "Tell you what, Ki," he said, holding up his left hand, "give me high five."

Kimi closed one eye and gave Mark a perplexed look to his request - then put up her left hand, which Mark thudded lightly against with the heel of his hand.

Kimi retained her puzzled expression for another few seconds until Mark spoke. "That's it."

"That's...what...?"

"That's about how much recoil you'll feel."

Kimi's look of apprehension turned to one of mild disbelief. "You're...all about kidding, right? Cap'n Mark...this is a gun, not a feather."

Mark tried to hide a chuckle. "Ki, the AT-213 is a dart pistol, not a cannon...of course...if you'd like to feel the difference, I'm sure I can rent a real pistol for a bit, and let you shoot--"

"--Not...not...so all about not," Kimi interjected, causing Mark to respond with a smile and a light pat on the back.

Mark then motioned to the pistol. "The best way to hold your sidearm steady is to use a two-handed grip," he said, bringing his right arm out straight to simulate holding a pistol. "Your right hand holds the weapon--" he now brought up his left arm, cupping his left hand under his right "--and your left hand steadies it. You cup the heel of your left hand under the butt...like when you load the clip...and your fingers wrap over your other hand."

Kimi now brought the pistol in front of her, a slight shaking still present as she extended her arm, then brought up her left hand to rest under her right, her fingers curling around those already on the handle of the weapon. Mark placed his hand against Kimi's left elbow, guiding it toward her ribs. "Keep this arm in," he said, "and a bit bent." Kimi made the slight adjustments, and Mark noticed that her shaking eased somewhat. She then closed her left eye, sighting down the barrel of the weapon with her right at the far end of the range. Mark gave a short chuckle. "Both eyes open, Ki...you can't judge distance with only one eye on your target. Aiming a sidearm is basically the same as pointing your finger...think of the gun as an extension of your finger...targeting becomes that much easier"

Mark now placed a hand under Kimi's, bringing the pistol to her eye level. "When you fire, don't pull back on the trigger with your finger," he said. "Just curl your finger around it, and squeeze, as if you're tightening your grip."

Kimi now tried to put aside her fear, focusing on letting Mark's trust in her bolster and guide her resolve. She sighted down the rib of the pistol to a cardboard silhouette mounted on an overhead track that extended from just in front of the counter to the far end of the range - adjusted the pistol until the head of the silhouette seemed to rest on the rib of her weapon - and slowly curled her index finger past the trigger guard until it touched against the trigger itself.

Slowly curling--

Slowly tightening--

"...Ki?"

"hm?"

"It's...a little easier...if you keep your eyes open when you fire."

Kimi caught a small nervous giggle. "Oh...right, Cap'n Mark."

"Ki..." Mark said in a low voice, "if you don't want to put all your faith in everything I've told you about the pistol, I can't blame you...but...the only other way you'll find out if what I've said is true or not...is just to go through it, and see for yourself."

Kimi made a mental note to herself to try to adopt some of Mark's tactics of subtle reverse psychology.

She turned her attention back to the pistol; reset her stance and her grip; and once again curled her finger against the trigger, this time keeping her gaze on the silhouette hanging 50 feet downrange.

The gun fired with a "tfff" and a small jolt against Kimi's hand. She stood for a second, then slowly slackened her arms, lowering the weapon and narrowing her eyes to see where the cartridge had struck the silhouette.

Mark was also looking downrange at the target. "See the cart?" he asked. "Orange dot. Just near the top of the head."

Kimi squinted just a little. "Yeah. I see it now." She turned to Mark with a look of slight disappointment. "I...was actually aiming more toward the neck."

"Try it again," Mark said. "Tighten your grip a little."

Kimi set her feet again and brought up the pistol as before. She took a long breath, letting it out quickly and flexed her fingers a little against the grips of the weapon, wrapping them a bit tighter and once again curling her index finger to the trigger - "tfff"

Mark looked again. "Still aiming for the neck?"

"Yeah," Kimi beamed.

Mark now smiled. "Well, that's what you hit. Remember the tighter grip." He now looked at the smiling Kimi. "Not much recoil, huh?"

Kimi gave Mark a look that filled him with the pride of a father. "Thanks, Cap'n Mark," she said, her smile widening. "Thanks for believing in me, even when I didn't." She turned the pistol to look at it. "Can I try a couple more times, Cap'n Mark?"

Mark chuckled through a wide grin of relief. "Ki, you have an entire box of target carts. You can try as many times as you want."

Kimi went through the rest of the cartridges in the clip, and she reloaded, shooting another ten rounds at the target, eventually entering into a slight contest from Mark - with him naming off a part of the cardboard body silhouette, and Kimi seeing how close she could come to it.

1:32 PM.
Mark had pushed a button on the partition to bring the target up the overhead track to the counter. As he was replacing the pistol into its styrofoam forms and back into the box, Kimi was studying where the cartridges had stuck into the target, remembering selected shots, and how much the cartridge's final destination might have differed from her initial aim. She turned to Mark as he was securing the flap on the box containing the pistol. "How far will these tranquilizers go?" she asked.

"They have an effective range of about 20 to 25 yards," replied Mark. "Past that, their accuracy isn't as good...but you shouldn't have to worry about taking shots at that range."

Kimi then pointed to the other large box that Mark had gotten from the sergeant. "What's in there, Cap'n Mark?"

"That's your holster," he said. "It will strap to your left side, about here." He patted a place on the left side of his chest, just in front of his arm. "We'll fit it to you early this week, once we start actual training." Mark then glanced at his watch. "Ooo...we better get, Ki. The gym closes at 1430 today, and I still had something else to show you there."

Mark passed Kimi the smaller boxes containing the clips and cartridges, while he carried the boxes with the gun and holster. He took the cardboard target down with his other hand, and as they walked toward the door to the front, he slid it into the slot on a large box marked "Targets, Waste." They returned to the counter and removed their earmuffs, sliding them to the sergeant, who looked at Kimi for a moment - then reached under the counter and brought up a couple of paper towels, offering them to the teen. "Warm on the line?" he asked.

"First time with a firearm," Mark replied as Kimi took one of the towels, patting her forehead along her hairline. "She did well though, once she got past her initial fear."

Kimi disposed of the first paper towel and kept another, folding it in half into her hand as she and Mark left the firing range and walked to the Jeep. They placed the boxes into the back compartment and climbed in. "You'll get even more comfortable with your sidearm the more you use it," Mark said as he backed the Jeep into the street.

2:04 PM.
Mark had driven to the gym as Kimi enjoyed the open air after their time in the firing range. They climbed out of the Jeep and walked up the stairs to the gym entrance. Once inside, Mark led Kimi up a flight of stairs to the second floor past a row of weight machines, toward the back of the floor, and to a door marked "Reaction Test and Assessment."

The two walked into a room with a couple of computer terminals at a counter in front of several tall windows. On the other side of the windows was a room about fifteen feet square. The walls of the room were covered in a dark red material, which had a slight sheen to it. "This is another part of your training, Ki," Mark said as he sat at one of the terminals. "This is the Speed Room." Mark tapped at a keyboard and the lights in the room behind the glass came up. "It measures your reaction time. Look at the far wall," he said, tapping a few more keys.

Kimi watched as three rows of three spots of light appeared on the wall, spaced about four feet apart; the first about a foot above the floor; the second at about three feet; the last at nearly six feet. "When the test starts," Mark explained, "three lights appear on the wall...one from each vertical group, at one of these heights above the floor. The wall is covered with sensors that register when you strike it, either with your hands or feet." Mark then pressed a key, and the spots of light went out. Another key, and a buzzer sounded. Three spots appeared on the wall again - two at the six-foot level, and one at about three feet, farthest to the right. Kimi studied the layout of the spots for a short moment until the buzzer sounded again, and they went out. Mark pressed another key - another buzzer - and three more spots; the left one high, the middle one low and one at mid-height. "Each test randomizes the spots...and you will have to strike the wall at each of the spots hard enough to make the spot go out when you hit it."

Kimi looked to Mark with a grin as the spots went out. "It's all about doable, Cap'n Mark."

Mark pulled the grin from her face with, "You have to hit all three spots before they go out, Ki...within three seconds."

"...Three...seconds..?" Kimi stammered.

"It's tougher when you first do it," Mark said, "but it really sharpens your skills against multiple opponents. It randomizes every time, so you can't prepare for a certain sequence." His expression now became a bit more stern. "It's a pass/fail-level test I put into your training schedule, Ki...you have to be able to do this before you can go to Cairo."

Kimi's brow furrowed and her eyes widened in a bit of disbelief as she looked at Mark. "It's all about challenge," she sighed.

"Like I said before...this training is asking a lot of you...but I've got faith in you, Ki."

"You said something about my...training schedule..."

"Yeah," Mark said as he closed the program on the computer and all the lights went out in the glassed room. "Actually, I had a schedule printed up before we got here...but after seeing what you can do, I tore that up and redid it. Most of the stuff will be Monday through Friday...toning and weight exercises in the mornings...at least three sessions a week on the floor against opponents in KISS suits...and afternoons on the firing range. After you get more comfortable with your sidearm, there will be a couple of exercises under more realistic situations. I also want to concentrate on furthering your karate level."

Kimi gave Mark a puzzled look. "Furthering my level...?"

"Ki...when you go on this mission, I want you to be as well-armed and prepared as I can get you, to the limits of the CENAP restrictions. I can't give you the actual certification...but when you go to Cairo...you'll basically be a second-level brown belt."

Kimi tried to let the concept settle into her mind - a brown-belted swan of steel - with tranquilizer talons.

Mark broke her train of thought. "I'm getting kind of hungry, and I'll bet you are, too. Let's knock off for today, and go get some dinner."

Kimi narrowed an eye at Mark with the barest hint of a smirk. "I'd rather have some lunch first."

"That's what I said - dinner."

"Urrrrrggghhh..."

to be continued...