-Worlds Apart- Ruination (25 page)

“Never hesitate. If I say fight, you fight. When you’re out there you won’t have the luxury of stopping. It’s do or die.” He paces around the hole as he talks. “Fight!” He screams, but we don’t.

Clint walks forward lining up to hit me again, this time I dodge it swinging my fist into his ribs, he stands up laughing. “Can’t hit like that, it’s too weak. No power behind it.” He grabs my hand closing it into a tight ball. He guides my arm through the motion once before he reaches for my hips, “Your force comes from here,” he squeezes my hips. “Not here,” he says swatting my hand away.

Repetition after repetition Ty and I practice our punches, leading with the hips and blasting through our arms. Half the morning’s gone and Clint’s taken us through punching, blocking, and now we’re onto tossing.

“Wrap her up in your arms,” Clint directs. Ty reaches his arms around my thighs squeezing as he lifts me up and over, tossing me to my back. I slam down, the winds knocked out of me again. Somewhere inside a fire’s been lit. With each crash onto the mat I no longer cower, I rage. Over and over Ty flings me down and at last I can’t take it anymore. I fall to my back and this time I react, kicking my leg into his gut. I throw Ty over my head and watch him sail to his back. He slams down with the wind knocked out of him. Ty pushes onto his hands and knees coughing.

“What the frig Nessa?”

“No, don’t question her,” Clint snaps. “That’s what you want. That’s what you
need
. You’re gonna need a partner that won’t hesitate, someone with that rage and courage.” I walk to Ty, my body aches. I reach my hand down to help him up. His green eyes piece mine as he ignores my help.

“Fight!” Clint screams.

Ty comes at me ready to wrap me in his arms. I drop to my knees and thread my arms through his legs lifting upwards. I drive him backwards until he falls. Something inside him lights and he barrel rolls on top of me, I drive my arm forward ready to block his punch but Clint interrupts, “Stop!”

Ty lowers his arms. Both of us are gasping for air. “That’s enough combat for today. It’s time for shooting.”

Just like that it’s over and my coursing adrenaline settles. Ty reaches down, his strong hand ready to help me. Seconds ago we were at each other’s throats and now here we are, ready to take hands. He helps me off the mat, steadying me as I stretch my sides. Clint leads us away from the pit over a concrete ramp. His body sways, cat like and frightening. Off to the side he grabs ear muffs from a table, handing us each a pair. The guns sit in a line across the second wooden table. My stomach tosses, I think of the regulators pointing them at me, like they did that night I snuck out of the house to meet Garrett.

“These are the bullets.” Clint rolls the brass shells between his fingers. “You load them into this,” he picks up the magazine. Ty and I mirror what he does. It takes us twice the time to load them as it does Clint. “Do it again” Clint demands.

Ty and I load and unload the bullets, with each pass we get a little faster. My fingers move quicker and my technique gets sharper.

“Never point this,” Clint points to the barrel, “at anyone or anything unless you plan on shooting them.” He slams the magazine into the gun, Ty and I copy him. Clint takes us into an empty room where three alleys sprawl in front of us, targets hanging at the ends. “You pull this back,” Clint directs dragging the slide backwards and releases it. “Now you’re live and ready to shoot.”

Ty and I pull our slides back but we’re both clumsy with it. “Again!” Clint barks. Over and over we repeat it until we’re efficient. “Now aim,” Clint staggers his stance pushing his arms forward as he looks down the sights. I notice him exhale as he shoots. The gun thunders even through our ear protection. The target sways, he’s landed a perfect head-shot.

Ty lines up to take his first shot. The gun jerks and the bullet drives into the concrete floor.

“Again!” Clint snaps. Ty tries again, this time the bullet barely strikes the target. Clint walks behind him and pulls the gun from his hands.

“Let the gun surprise you when it fires. Don’t be afraid of the shot. Every time you pull back on that trigger you want it to surprise you. The idea’s to pull the trigger without moving the sights.” Clint wraps his finger around the trigger pulling it back, landing another kill shot. “This time pull the trigger back as slowly as possible and embrace the sound.” He hands the gun back to Ty.

Ty lines his feet up and mirrors Clint. He draws the trigger back slowly, hitting the target in the gut.

“Again!” Clint yells.

Over and over Ty repeats. Clint props himself near the back, stalking forward from time to time to adjust Ty’s technique. Finally Ty’s gotten pretty accurate, his bullet holes group close together at least.

“You’re up,” Clint stares at me. I move toward the range with my stomach flip-flopping.

“Good luck.” Ty smiles stepping aside.

I’ve learned a lot from watching Ty. I copy his movements by opening my feet up wide. I pitch myself forward slightly and narrow my eyes down the sights. Exhaling I draw the trigger back. I’m immediately jolted by the sound and power. The gun jerks upward sending my bullet off course.

“Again!” Clint screams. I squeeze the trigger, this time better prepared for the force as I fire. The bullet flies through the air hitting the shoulder of the target. “Again!” Clint demands.

Over and over I shoot until I’ve finally gotten my gun sighted in. I aim and fire until the bullet holes bunch up around each other.

“That’s enough.” Clint strides over to me. I shoot my last round and set the gun on the table. “First day’s over. Time for you to get home.” Ty and I instantly look relieved, we must’ve been tensed all day because our shoulders instinctively relax. “Jon’s not coming to get you. You’ll run home.”

“What?” I ask.

“It’s four miles. You can make it. Consider it part of your training. I want you running here and back every day.”

“What if we get caught?” I’m in shock.

“Who’s going to recognize you? You’ve already been transformed.” Clint sneers as he walks back toward the hole.

Ty and I run home. The cool air constricts my breath. My sides split as I pound my way towards Jon’s loft. Ty’s faster than me and it’s obvious he’s slowing his pace to stay next to me. I should tell him to go on but right now I want his company.

Chapter 40

“Nessa time to get up, Clint’s gonna kill us if we’re late.” Ty says nudging my shoulders. I turn to my side feeling my ribs instantly protest. I pull at the hem of my tank exposing my bruised ribcage. “Ouch. That looks pretty grisly. I got some nasty ones too.” Ty grins drawing up his pant leg. The entire side of his calf is black and blue, marks I left during yesterday’s training.

I turn to my back lowering my shirt. “I feel like death.”

“Dead or not I don’t think Clint cares. We gotta head out soon, he’s already gonna annihilate us today since it’s our last session.”

The thought of training ending today is the only thing that motivates me out of bed. My body aches from the past six days of relentless drills. Clint took the second and third days to teach us grappling and engaging multiple targets. Ty was a better grappler than me but I beat him at shooting. The last three days Clint’s virtually been killing us by setting us up in two versus one combat scenarios. Yesterday we learned how to disarm our attacker and turn the weapon against them. Intense doesn’t come close to describing the level of training we’ve had. I roll out of bed letting my ribs scream as I push into standing.

Ty pulls my sweats from the closet and tosses them to me. “Catch,” he warns. I reach my arms out snatching the pants midair. My shirt drops to the floor. I crouch to gather it but my beaten ribs catch me and I wince in pain.

“I got it.” Ty scoops the shirt off the floor reaching under my arm he hoists me up.

“Thanks.” I smile weakly.

“Let’s get outta here.” He says before moving into the hallway to give me privacy.

I change and join him, grabbing my lunch on the way out. It’s still dark as we round the first corner towards the hole. We run, my legs reach forward trying to keep pace with his. My breath finally steadies a mile out from the hole. My body warms and the tension eases in my ribs. We run together until we make it to the broken-down building. Ty pushes the door open. The hole’s in absolute darkness. 

“Clint?” Ty shouts.

We circle around the hole haphazardly knocking into debris as we go. My ears pick up breathing, it’s shallow and steady. I make my way to Ty squeezing his forearm. Our eyes can’t adjust to the darkness, it’s simply too black. I lead him across the room toward the breathing. I tap his ears signaling him to listen. He follows my cues picking up on the sound. He directs me to approach from the right. We separate, Ty closes in from the left. Ty makes his way around when I hear the sudden exhale of air as someone drives a punch in Ty’s direction. Ty’s arm deflects the punch just like we’ve been taught.

I hurtle forward toward the fight. I focus my concentration and make my way into the brawl. Ty gets taken down and just as the attacker pounces on top of him I lunge forward, kicking him square in the face.       

Ty launches to his feet and wraps his arms around the assailant, pinning his arms behind him. I step forward ready to attack. My stomach heaves as the man drives his foot straight into my gut. He vaults Ty over his back. We both recover just as we hear the gun slide into firing position.

The first morning rays begin casting a dull glow into the hole, shining a light on the pistol pointed at Ty. Without thinking Ty reacts, hitting the man above his elbow, disarming him. Ty points the gun at the man just as I feel my body wrapped in powerful arms pinning me down.

“Drop it,” Clint demands. Ty turns seeing me held down. Clint’s gun’s pressed to my temple. Ty drops his gun and Clint releases me. “What did you do wrong?” Clint barks. We both hesitate. Clint cocks the weapon pointing it back at me. “Answer me!”

“We didn’t identify all the threats.” My voice resonates as I stare down the barrel of the gun. Clint lowers the weapon as the second assailant pulls off his night vision goggles.

“This is Liam. He’s one of my men, a graduate.” Ty and I nod at our attacker, both of us ashamed we were overpowered.

The rest of our day’s spent reviewing everything we’ve learned this past week. At days end my body trembles with exhaustion. I sit on one of the red benches gulping water from my green jug. Clint walks towards me.

“This is the end of the line,” he barks. I stand, half waiting for him to punch me. He reaches forward awkwardly patting me on the back. “You did fine. It’s vital you two practice while you’re in the wild.
Never
let your guard down. Not even for a minute.”

“Okay, got it.” I half smile as I begin gathering my things.

Ty bends forward packing his bags, “Nessa, I’m gonna head back on my own. I gotta do something first.”

“Sounds good.” I hoist my bag over my shoulder and look back at the dingy hole, somehow I know I’ll miss the blood, sweat, and tears we shed here.

I push through the door into the cold night. The dull streetlights hardly illuminate my path. I pump forward, pushing through the first mile with ease. I take the right turn onto Vance Ave when I hear a call from behind me.

It’s an unfamiliar voice but it’s human I know. I keep running forward moving out of the light into the half-a-block stretch of darkness. A call sounds again, this time in front of me. It’s close and my instincts tell me to prepare. I sprint forward.

I hear a man approaching from my left before I see him. I drop my bag, it will only slow me down. He looks barely older than me. His dark eyes dig into me as he runs straight at me. He leans forward ready to tackle me. I dance to the side shoving him forward toward the pavement.

“You little bitch.” He gets up, coming back at me. I ready myself for his attack.

He slams into me, his hands shove my shoulders in reverse. I let him drive me against the wall before I prop my foot against his gut and kick him backwards. He stumbles briefly, just enough for me to tie-up his legs and lift him off the ground. I hear his head crack as it slams into the pavement. My hand winds up as I throw my fist straight for his nose. I hear the bones crack.

Today’s lesson resonates as my body picks-up another assailant from my right. I stand ready for the next attack. This man’s bigger than the first, stronger too. He runs towards me and I remember his face. I’ve seen him before, sitting on the stoop to the brownstone building just up the street. He was watching me run with Ty. His eyes pierced me, my heart skipped uncomfortably hard in my chest. It must have been my intuition. I must have sensed the bad inside him.

He hits me across the face, my vision bursts like a bright light’s blasting directly into my eyes. His second shot is straight to my gut, I double over and roll missing his third strike.

I push to my feet, kicking him square in the sternum. He staggers forward but recovers before I get my next hit off. The dark-eyed boy rolls to his side with blood dripping against the pavement.

“Let’s teach this bitch a lesson,” he snarls as the two surround me.

My first attacker launches at me and I do my best to fight him off. I get one hit in before the second attacker pins me down dragging me into an alley. I try screaming but the first kicks me in my bruised ribs taking my breath away. They take turns savagely kicking my ribs, I do my best to block their blows.

The first’s breathless voice brings me back to the present, “Where’s your boyfriend? We’ve been watching you all week. Running past us, teasing us.” He grins. “You thinkin’ what I am Drew?”

“What’s that?” The other asks.

I open my eyes as the first smiles and undoes the belt of his jeans. I try pushing to my feet but the second attacker pins me down, forcing my jaw closed. The first one wrestles with my pants trying to tug them off my waist. I squirm and buck trying to fight them off. His belt clangs as he rips the top of my pants.