The next four hours were challenging, even by Robie’s and Reel’s standards.
Swimming against machine-generated currents with weights on their ankles and wrists.
Rope climbing up six stories without benefit of a net while a wind machine did its best to blow them off two-inch-wide ledges.
The military functional fitness training done at triple speed until the sweat poured off them and muscles and tendons were pushed to their breaking points.
Next came push-ups and sit-ups and pull-ups in a sauna where the temperature soared well past a hundred degrees.
Then stair runs where the vertical comprised one hundred steps on a sixty-degree angle. They did it over and over until they were both gasping for air.
Then guns were tossed at them, they were shoved into a darkened room, and beams of light hit them from every angle. Then the shots started coming. And the fire was composed of rubber bullets, as evidenced by a slug ricocheting off a wall and nearly hitting Robie in the head.
Their moves were instinctive. Forgetting about their fatigue, they started advancing in seemingly choreographed steps, shooting target after target until the fire aimed at them stopped.
The lights came on and they blinked their eyes rapidly to adjust to the glare.
Two stories above them, an observation window made of polycarbonate glass slid open and Marks leaned out.
“Exit at the door over there. You’ll be escorted to your room. I’ll meet you there.”
Robie and Reel looked at each other.
“Nice first day,” he said.
“Who says it’s over?” she shot back. “Not the bitch up there.”
Their guns were taken at the door and a man in black cammies led them down a hall and pointed to a room at the end.
Robie opened the door and looked in. Reel stared over his shoulder.
It was about the size of a typical prison cell and just as inviting.
“Just the one room?” said Reel.
Robie shrugged. “Guess so.”
“Well, this will be fun. Comfy-cozy. I just hope you don’t snore.”
“Thinking the same thing about you.”
They walked in and shut the door behind them. There were two bunk beds with thin mattresses and a single sheet and flat pillow on each. There was a sink. There was no commode. There was nothing on the walls. There was a single metal desk. There was a single chair bolted to the floor. There was an overhead light. The walls were painted beige.
Robie sat on a bed.
Reel leaned against the wall.
The door opened and Marks stood there.
“You both did better than I thought you would. But it’s only the first day. And it’s not over yet, of course. Plenty of time.”
Reel looked over at Robie and hiked her eyebrows as if to say, I told you so.
Marks shut the door behind her.
“So what’s the deal here?” said Reel. “Did Tucker tell you to make sure we never left here alive? Are we going to end up maimed? Drugged out of our minds? Losing a limb?”
“Or all of the above?” added Robie.
Marks smiled. “What, from just those little exercises you divine some sinister purpose? Regular recruits go through far worse.”
“No they don’t,” said Reel.
Marks focused on her. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah, really.”
“And you know this how?”
“Tucker didn’t brief you properly. I used to be an instructor here. Recruits didn’t get hit with this much even on their last day. But it’s your program to run, not ours. So just save the bullshit for somebody who has her head up her ass.”
Robie looked from Marks to Reel and back to Marks. “What now?” he said.
Marks finally drew her gaze from Reel and looked at him.
“You get a little break. You’re both going to have physicals. So strip down to skin and follow me.”
“Strip down here?” said Reel.
“You have a problem getting naked in front of people, Reel?”
“No, but anyone that’s not a doctor grabs my ass or my boobs, they won’t wake up for a week. And that includes you.”
She shucked her clothes and stood there naked while Robie peeled off his own.
Reel said, “You joining us, Marks? Or you sitting this one out too?”
“I don’t have to have a physical,” she shot back. But as she looked over Reel’s lean, muscled physique, it was obvious she was impressed by what she saw.
She turned her attention to Robie. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on the man; he was in his early forties yet nearly as fit as an Olympian. But her attention was drawn to the burns on his arm and leg.
“I understand you have Reel to thank for those,” said Marks in a mocking tone.
“If you’re going to do something, do it well,” said Robie matter-of-factly. “Now, if you’re done eyeballing us, can we get our physicals?”