Balance (7 page)

Rena’
s first act
ion
briefly
distracts the large Hispanic
standing before Michael, providing all the opening
need
ed. 
Without seeing what
’s happening
behind him
,
he
hears
the movement
and
reacts. 
Stepping
forward,
Michael
spin
s
his body
clockwise
and drops
his hips low,
at the same time,
his right leg
extends out
in a sweeping arc, catching
the
large
man just behind his right knee.  The big Hispanic’s leg swings up
,
like a chorus line dancer, t
hrowing
him off balance
into the
table
behind him
.

Michael rights himself just in time to see
the other two
‘roiders
leap from their seats
and run
at
he and Rena
. 
Grabbing
a small pl
ate
from
the table,
he
flip
s
it end-over-end
straight up in the air
.
H
e
spins
,
catch
es
the
dish
mid-flight, continues his rotation and throws it like a
saucer
at one of the advancing men.  The plate
soars
off his hand so fast it
’s
nea
rly impossible to track, hitting
the man
in the center of his face
.

The
soldier
’s
head snaps back,
and
he
crumbles
to the floor
.

Michael turns to
address
the last
‘roider
running at Rena.  A noise behind him alerts him to the first
attacker
regaining
h
is
feet
.
 
Before Michael has a chance to turn, Rena kicks a chair in front of her, sending i
t careening
across the floor toward the man bull
rushing
her.

The
charg
ing
aggressor
,
enraged, does
n’
t see the chair slide
beneath him, knocking his legs out from under him.
  Trip
ped
,
the soldier is
launch
ed out-of-control
headfirst
toward Rena.
 
L
ike a bullfighter,
s
he
pirouettes
to the side,
avoiding the wildly flaying mass as it crashes into the table behind them.

“That is enough!”
someone shouts above the chaos.

Michael, Rena and the lone standing Hispanic turn toward the balcony.

“Everyone return to your seats.  Someone pick up this mess.  Javier, help your team to the infirmary.” Still commands.

Rena
glances
at Michael
, exchanging knowing looks
. 
C
autiously
, they
return
to their table.

The
first attacker
helps the man tripped by the chair.  The two of them carry the remaining
two men out of the dining hall.

Michael looks around the room, ev
eryone
now looking at he and Rena, except the table with the
two pairs of
young men and
women.  The three forty-year olds are
in an animated discussion, all the while their gazes fix on them both
.

Michael
turns his attention to
Rena.  She looks pale and he notices her hands shaking. 
He glances arou
nd, worried for her health, realizing
she
’s
coming
down from the adrenaline rush.  Although she appears capable in a f
ight,
he suspects
she’s probably never been
in
a situation like this.  He’s seen first time fighters in the cages collapse after matches from over-excitement.
 
“Are you okay?
” He
asks
,
visibly
concerned
.

Rena looks up
, meeting his gaze and
nods
timidly
.

He
wants to reach out to her, a show of
comfort
, but refrains, probing
no
furth
er.

At that
moment,
Alexander joins them unexpectedly
.  He sits down at the table, smiling, shifting his gaze from one to the other.  “Well done
.  Probably the best exhibition I’ve seen.”

Rena, regaining her color rapidly, glares at
him
.  “You mean this kind of
shit
occurs
often
?
  What
the hell
do you mean
,
‘exhibition’?
”

Alexander regards her sternly,
“Listen you two, I may have seen something in each of you, but the rest of the people that
matter,
really
don’t give a shit what I saw.
  Rather than wasting a lot of time and effort on a couple of sandbags,
we hold
a tryout in front
of the evaluators.  Many of the
talents
we scouts deliver
don’t make it past the first night.”

Mic
hael looks around the hall, noticing
several physically lacking talents.  He immediately asks the question; “Are you saying
everyone
here
…
has
had this kind of tryout?”

A
p
pearing
amused by the implication,
Alexander
shak
es
his head,
“
No,
no.  Only the talents
considered
for
field positions.  As you two were.  Though, young lady I had no idea you could handle yourself
so
effectively
,
t
he whole head-butt and groin foray was amazing.
”

Rena
regards Alexander with a cocky
half smile
, effectively
convey
ing
gratitude
as much as
contempt
.

Alexander
’s
gaze passes from Rena to Michael and back.  “I gotta know.  Did you two kn
ow each other before yesterday?”

Michael
looking
at Rena, mildly embarrassed,
responds,
“
N
oticed her a few times at a couple of my
fights
, but n
ever
actually
met
.  She’s kind of hard not to notice.”

Blushing slightly,
Rena
,
uncomfortable be
ing
the object of a conversation
, replies,
“I
’ve
been at
a few of his fights.  His style
was fun to watch, e
legant,
efficient.”

Michael
grimaces
uncomfortable
with the use of
‘elegant’
,
in reference to his fighting.

“Ah yes, his style
… it
is unique.  Might I ask where you learned it?”

“Don’t really
know;
guess I just picked it up as I saw it.  You
experience
enough fights in the
Hustle
;
get exposed to a lot of different things.”

“Listen, y
ou two made an impression, a very positive impression.  Thank you very much
for making me
look
good
.
”
Alexander chides, “
Based on what I saw last night, I had recommended you for field operations, which prompted the tryout.
You passed
. 
Starting tomorrow, you begin
evaluation
.  They will test various
aspects of your person
,
both physical and
psychological.  After
that,
you will be educated in skills required for your projec
ted positions.  Become sponges;
absorb everything you can. 
Teach
each
other;
learn
skills
you are
not getting formal training
.  In other words, become as multifaceted as you can.”

“You talk
as if
the two of us are going to
be
allowed to work together.  I assume Rena and I are not intended for the same f
ield positions,
our training
regiments wouldn’t likely be similar
.”
Michael
questions.

“Correct,
y
ou are not
expected
to
perform the same
function
,
but
functions
that normally work
in the field
together
, as part of a team
.  As to your question about access to each other, I recommended last night that you two continue to work together.  Based on your tryout, I would find it difficult
to believe
the powers
-
that
-
be would not concur
.
There is something
going on
between you two, you might not see it, but those of us watching you tw
o
…
ca
n
.”

Rena and Michael exchange glances
.

Alexander studies them for a moment. 
“You two are f
ree to return to your
rooms. 
Tomorrow starts at 5:30AM,
back here for
breakfast
. 
A prep team will join you
.  They will find you, so
s
tick together.”

Rena turns to Alexander
,
“You said … ‘
Many of the talents
we scouts deliver don’t
make it past the first night.’
…
What happens to them?”

Alexander con
siders the question, deciding
how best to answer, then locking Rena’s gaze he responds
without emotion
,
“Many of the talents
we scouts deliver don’t make it past the first night.”
  He
stands
up and turns to leave, then
looks
back at the pair,
“
R
emember … s
oak up everything
…
sponges”

R
emain
ing seated, Michael s
urvey
s
the dining hall,
his
attention
moving
to the balcony. 
Commander
Still and a very fit
Asian
man, who stands a good foot shorter than the Commander
,
stare down
at he and
Rena
. 
Turning to Rena, he
nods
, directing her attention up. 

She
follows his gaze
to the balcony.  The four lo
c
k
eyes, captured in silent contemplation.  After several seconds of uncomfortable scrutiny, Rena
turns to Michael,
“I’m a
little tired of being
observed
,
I’d like to leave.”