A/N Another update! Let me know what you think.
Weapons, they can either be a valuable asset or a nuisance. Here in the facility there's many to choose from when it comes to training. There's long distance, like guns and grenades, or short distance for if you preferred up close and personal. All of us here specialise in both, some a little more than others.
Personally, I find knives are more suited for my taste. For one reason or another I'd grown to love the way it feels; how my fingers wrapped perfectly around the handle and how the weight was enough to anchor my sense of control. A blade is also much more efficient as it has several uses other than killing or maiming. In the end, it comes down to skill. Patient became a virtue worth having and for me, I have all the time in the world.
The practice room is large and wide with the same grey cement covered walls and floors. Large L.E.D lights hung from above to illuminate all for clear sight. The ceiling is extremely tall so it can accommodate the variety of indoor obstacle courses. Military in design the obstacles cover a half portion of the room at the back end. At the front end are the individual stations with gun racks and ammo shelves so we could practise our aim and reloading.
Dressed in our familiar black sports bra and pants, we waited in line for our Instructor who stood before us. Positioned with his legs slightly apart and his hands behind his back, I could tell that there's something not quite right about the Instructor today. His eyes flickered over us as if he didn't know where to look, and even from this distance I could see the sheen of sweat gathering on his forehead.
I know it wouldn't be because of us. He's never been like this with us before, so why change now. It has to be something more, something that hadn't settled right by the looks of it. I cleared my head. It's frustrating sometimes when I'd catch myself analysing someone; the way they spoke, looked or moved. However, the natural reflex had been engraved into all of us in order to keep alert and ready. Although at times, I just want to shut it off.
Deciding to swallow the lump in his throat, the Instructor finally spoke "Today you'll be taking turns on the courses" while gesturing behind him "Doctor Krupin wants to make sure you're all fit and healthy for tomorrow. As always, I'll be monitoring your time. While you're not on the course you'll be making use of the other stations. Katlin, you're first"
An orange haired girl with freckles stepped up to the yellow line on the floor and waited for the Instructors signal. Average in height and weight, her build is petite which gives her a disadvantage when throwing punches or pinning anyone during combat. She also a little too kind in nature, but she takes training relatively serious as well as the advice given to her. Which I found is always to hit harder, but Katlin never could even when she tried.
Making my way over to the left side of the room, I looked at the weapon racks. Scanning over each of the guns, I chose the Heckler and Koch P30. Built with interchangeable back straps for a fine grip, the P30 is extremely reliable. With a slide lever and an ambidextrous magazine release, it's easy to handle. Checking the mag I clipped it back into place and walked over to one of the ranges.
Holding up the weapon with both hands and perfect form, I pulled the trigger and shot ten rounds into the silicon dummy a few meters away. Pressing the red button on the station desk, I started to disassemble my gun as the dummy came forward. As it reached me, I pressed the button again whilst still working at my gun.
If I could disassemble and reassemble in the time it took for the dummy to come to me and go back then I'm doing it in time. I didn't bother to check if I'd hit the target, I knew I had. Firing the gun a few more time, I placed it back on the rack and turned to watch as the girls raced around the obstacle course one after the other.
Most of them made it around with no troubles, their breathing controlled and their timing short. However, I noticed Rachael's run around had been better than anticipated. It's only been a few days and although her face was scrunched with concentration, she showed no sign of discomfort. It's odd for such a rigorous exercise. Her ankle wouldn't have healed enough yet for her to be doing what she is now.
From my peripheral a thin figure had walked up to stand on my right "Do you notice it too?" from the corner of my eye I saw it to be the girl with the orange hair and freckles – Katlin.
My face is placid as I crossed by arms and replied "Notice what?"
"That she's managing to climb the net without so much as a sweat" she was quiet for second before she continued in a hushed tone "I know about her ankle. I sore the bruises when she got out of the showers the night she fell"
"And you never told anyone?" I questioned. If it'd been anyone else they would have told somebody by now, but it wasn't. Instead Katlin's unmistaken kindness was shining through again. Maybe not now, but eventually that kindness would be the death of her.
"I didn't because you didn't" she replied. Her eyes widened a split second after the words left her mouth. Sighing, she confessed "One of the guards asked me to find you and when I did, you were helping her"
"If you kept it a secret, why wouldn't you use it to your advantage? You could have helped yourself get ahead, use her injury to get through training. It would've been a smart move on your part"
Katlin mumbled while shaking her head slightly "I'm not the type of person who sneaks behind and stabs you in the back. If I had, the others wouldn't have invited her into their group. I felt sorry for Rachel. The odds weren't in her favour and she was in constant pain – until today that is"
"If you want a chance to live you should consider tipping the scales in your own favour, not everyone else's. The next few months are going to be hard and nothing like we've been through before. Doctor Krupin will be testing us at every turn, circling the ones who have a chance and the ones that don't. I've seen you fight. You're not strong but your quick, and if you play your cards right you might just survive"
Katlin shook her head "There's only one person that's going to make it all the way" she uttered more to herself than me "And it won't be me and it won't be Rachael, or any one of those other girls out there. They may not remember what happened, it was years ago, but I do – which is why you can't stand there and tell me I'm going to live"
It had taken me a minute to process what Katlin had said to me. I was almost shocked. I didn't think anyone still remembered, even I barely did. I'd hoped deep down that that moment, that nightmare, had disappeared. I guess I was wrong.
"Katya!" hearing my name being called out by the Instructor, I unfolded my arms and walked to the starting line before leaning down in a crouched position. The Instructor stood to the side, holding the same clipboard and timer "You'll do one lap, make it fast. On my mark – Go!"
Bursting from my position, I ran towards the first obstacle; a solid concrete wall a few feet high. With the momentum I used my foot to push up and give me leverage so I could grab the top. Jumping off the ledge, my feet hit the ground below. The force vibrated though my legs and knees, sending a shooting pain up my body.
Ignoring it, I pushed on and stepped through the hollow insides of the tires that had been lain out on the ground in two tight rows. Raising my knees high to avoid tripping, I had reached the end and jumped up onto the platform to cross along the series of thin metal bars; swinging across two at a time.
Next is the wall of black netting that went half way up to the ceiling. I remembered when we were young that this used to be the trickiest of all the obstacles, as our feet continuously got stuck. Most of us fell off to the floor below, but if we were lucky the net would twist around our ankle; leaving us to hang there. Of course no one ever helped us down, the Instructor insisted that if you got yourself in this mess and you'll get yourself out.
Although not comforting words at a young and tender age, it was now remembered as a lesson; that someone isn't always going to be there to help you. Focusing on my breathing, I finished the rest of the course. I knew I'd completed it in a satisfying time, as usual. Collecting myself, I slowly walked past Katlin to stand in front of the station. There's no point lingering around.
Grabbing a set of throwing knives, I started to hurl them one after the other; each of them sound with a thud upon contact. Although their approaching footsteps from behind are faint, I still knew who ever it was is there "You're getting faster" came the pitched voice of Yelena. She was referring to my course time.
"Never fast enough" I replied while throwing another knife. It lodged in the 'brain' of the dummy, right between the eyes.
A tall and broad shouldered girl with short black hair and beady brown eyes, Yelena is quite strong and sturdy which makes it easier for her when it comes to hand-to-hand combat "We want you to join us. There's no point going alone. Right Mira?" she's Yelena's friend.
Since those two had first met each other they were rarely ever apart, always chatting and discriminating everyone that weren't themselves. They'd had it in their minds a while ago that they were the ones that were going to make it to the very end. It was stupid in my opinion. Only one out of the all twenty-seven girls is going to graduate. Sooner or later there going to have to face that fact.
"Yeah" Mira agreed "The rest are all pathetic. No potential or chance of surviving. I say we're doing a favour by getting rid of them first. No point in drawing it out" flicking her golden hair from behind her shoulder she was, in all intents and purposes, the doppelganger of Yelena; big boned and no brains.
I didn't turn around to look at them as the pair stood behind me. I don't need to in order to give them my reply "No" I said all too bluntly. I picked up another knife from the table in front of me.
"No?" Yelena scoffed, insulted by my rejection "What do you mean?"
Even with my back turned to her I could feel the anger rolling off in waves. She's certainly quick tempered. Ignoring Yelena as I focused on the target before me, there was one place left on the dummy that I had yet to hit – the heart.
"Hey!" Mira blared from behind "Its polite to look at someone when they're talking to you" lining up I'd went to throw when Mira placed her hand on my shoulder, ready to hurl me to the floor.
I don't remember what exactly happen, but it had clicked in my body and my instincts came over me. With the knife still in my grip, I reached up and twisted Mira's wrist and torso until she slammed against the table with such a loud bang everyone had stopped what they were doing to look at us. I could hear the Instructors voice in the distance, but I didn't listen.
Holding Mira down, the knife I had in my hand came down quicker that light itself; heading straight for the heart. But before I could reach it, a painstakingly tight hold had clasped around my wrist leaving the knife hovering just a few mere centimetres from Mira's chest. I glanced to see who was inflicting my sudden pain when I found my wrist clutched into that of a hand. It was made of metal.