“Thank you, ma’am.” I sat and tried not to fidget.
She ran her fingers over her tablet, her piercing eyes lowering to the screen. “You’re our last interview, so you’re catching us at a great moment.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
The men didn’t speak.
It looked like the woman was running this.
“I’ll be honest with you, Ms. Carvene. I’m surprised your father signed off on your form.” Her dark gaze flicked up to my brown eyes. “You do know that we will verify all signatures, correct?”
I blinked. “Yes.”
I actually hadn’t.
But if he read my letter, he knew where I was.
There was a ten-year minimum jail sentence for anyone who forged a legal guardian’s name for entrance to the Corporate Army. I didn’t think my father would tell them he hadn’t actually signed it. I was twisting his arm, but it was needed for my freedom. I would apologize later.
I placed my hands on my lap and waited.
She continued to watch my every move. “Why do you want to join the Corporate Army?”
I nibbled on my bottom lip.
Her brows rose in the silence.
The truth was best here. “I don’t want to marry a stranger. I don’t want to be a parent right now. I want to run my own life.”
The soldier blinked. “Thank you for your honesty.”
I tipped my head in acknowledgment.
“Do you believe that you’ll pass the tests here?”
“I do.”
“What are your skills? Typically, women your size don’t stand a chance here. But seeing as your father is General Carvene, I imagine he had you professionally trained?”
“Yes, he did.”
“Your skills, please.” She tapped on her tablet, her finger poised over the screen.
I listed all of them aloud.
When her finger eventually stopped moving over the screen, her dark gaze peered up at me in surprise. “That is impressive.”
I shrugged and nibbled on my lower lip again.
Her gaze ran over my features. “I take it you want to be in the infantry?”
“No.” I instantly shook my head. “I’d like to go into your intelligence unit.”
She stared. “But your skills are infantry related.”
“I can hold my own in a fight. I agree. And, yes, I could be a major asset for the Corporate Army in the infantry.” I shrugged again. “But I like puzzles. When I pass these tests, I plan to test for the intelligence unit.”
Her lips twitched. “When you pass these tests?”
I hesitated, remembering what that guard had said. “Respectfully, of course, ma’am.”
There. That sounded nice.
She smiled, but it wasn’t pleasant. “Do you really believe playing with puzzles qualifies you for our most elite unit?”
“I think it matters if I pass their exam.”
Shit. That was a little rude.
Eh… I was being myself.
Her smile reached her eyes now, though. “Ms. Carvene, you may go back to dinner.” She tapped her screen. “You’ve passed your first test.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It was so early in the morning the sun hadn’t peeked over the horizon, but the sky was turning a beautiful pink at the edge. Early rising didn’t bother me. I was used to it living on military bases. But not everyone agreed with my living style.
The candidates near me were dragging their feet as we began our march down the walkway to the sidewalk. I’d finally showered, and I smelled decent. Everyone had been given uniforms consisting of black cargo pants, white t-shirts, and black boots. I wasn’t allowed to wear my ball cap, so I simply kept it in my left back pocket and pulled my hair up into a ponytail.
My hair swung back and forth brushing my shoulders with each bounce of my step. The girl next to me glowered at my perkiness. I smiled with cheerful delight to annoy her further.
None of the candidates had done anything horrid to me so far, so I had managed a full night’s sleep. The bed wasn’t big, but it was soft. I had fallen asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
We turned right outside of the gate and walked as a group down the sidewalk. The five CA soldiers who had interviewed us, and who were clearly our instructors, were leading our little event. They hadn’t said where we were going, only banged on our doors for breakfast when it was still completely dark outside.
A flash of silver caught my eye.
I narrowed my gaze on one of the small trees planted for decoration on the opposite sidewalk. There was a silver furry tail sticking out behind the trunk. I blinked in astonishment as my train companion stuck his head around the tree, his silver eyes watching the parade of candidates.
I pointed to where he was. “That fox is following me. I swear it.”
The girl I had annoyed snorted. “You’re crazy.”
“You see it, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s following me.”
She watched as the fox darted from behind one tree to the next, his silver eyes watching my movement. “Okay, that is a little weird.”
“Exactly.”
Then I remembered I wasn’t supposed to make friends, and I shut my mouth. But I kept a wary eye on my silver stalker. I had no clue how he had found me amidst the masses in New City.
Two turns later, our group stopped.
In front of King Corporation.
I squinted at the building.
People were already entering, the sun now rising.
One of the male CA instructors took the lead from the front of our group as we all congregated on the sloping hills of grass. “Listen up. We’re touring King Corporation today.”
Cheers erupted from my peers.
No. No. No. No.
This couldn’t be happening.
My chest constricted as my pulse raced. I did not want to go in there where he might be. That was the last confrontation I wanted right now in front of the instructors who would decide if I ‘passed’ their tests. I kept my gaze on the entrance of the building and shoved my hands into my pockets to hide their shaking.