ring, but you need to take a breath.”
“You don’t know that.”
"No, but I choose to believe it. Most of the casualties have been radioed in. I think we would have heard something by now if it was bad news. Bear is out there with him. He knows what Will means to me. He would have told me if something bad happened.”
Janet’s calmness did little to put me at ease. In fact, it had the opposite effect. I felt like I couldn’t take in a full breath. The other girls were gathering around us and whispering, but I didn't care. I clutched the ring in my hand and twisted it around in my fingers.
“Look, let’s just get through practice and we can go find a radio. We will hunt someone down and try to get some answers. Okay?”
I nodded. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was okay. Either way, I would force myself through one more practice, and then we would try to get some answers.
Janet assembled the girls at the targets and gave me a few minutes to collect myself before I joined them. One of the girls, Ashley, a stocky brunette who seemed to get along with everyone she met, elbowed me when the others weren't looking.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Not really.”
"I know the other girls give you a hard time, but ya know, if you ever wanna talk, I'm here." She gave me a sympathetic smile.
"Thanks, Ashley. I appreciate that."
I didn't really expect that, but it was nice. Ashley was well liked among the other girls and if she was nice to me, I knew the other girls would lighten up. Well, maybe not Debbie and Donna, but I was so over those two at that point.
"Let's go, girls. We have a lot of work today." Janet snapped her fingers, and the first three hours of torture began.
“So, what are we covering today?" I pulled a canteen from my bag and chugged half the water. Janet worked the group nonstop the whole three hours, and I was already exhausted. Derek called her over a few times, and they talked about something that looked serious. I hoped it wasn’t bad news about Will, but at that point, that was exactly where my mind was going.
"I thought we'd skip the one-on-one today. I have something else in mind."
"Such as finding a radio?" It wasn't like Janet to skip an opportunity to torture me.
"Just shut up and grab your shit. You'll see when we get there." She started off down the hill in her usual long stride. I had to jog to keep up with her.
"You think maybe you could slow down just a bit? You did just kick my ass in training."
"You think you will ever grow out of this whining? It's not my fault you’re short." She picked up her pace, intentionally, I was sure.
Some things never change.
It looked like we were headed for the front gate. I hadn't been back that way since the day we arrived. There were more guards, and the fence on either side of the gate looked like it had been reinforced.
"Are we … going somewhere?" I eyed the gate and the armed guards along the perimeter.
Janet smiled and walked over to the small guard shed to talk to a tall man with dark hair smoking a cigarette.
"Holden, how ya been?" She smacked him on the arm, and he laughed.
"Janet, my love. Where have you been hiding?"
"Been keeping busy training the new girls." She shook her head. "You wouldn't believe this group."
"And who is this here with you?" He waved a hand in my direction.
"This is Andi, Will's girlfriend." She winked at Holden, and he gave her a knowing look.
"Very nice to meet you." He held out a hand, and Janet snickered. As soon as I reached out to take his hand, he pulled me into a tight hug and lifted me off the ground. "You are one of the family now."
"Um, okay," I squeaked out and tried to breathe as he crushed me against him.
"Okay, let the girl go. You know how far out they are?"
"I'll check." He ran over to the guys at the front of the gate and talked for a minute.
"What's up with him?"
Janet laughed. "He's probably heard a lot about you. He was on mission with Will last week."
"Oh." Will hardly ever
“You don’t know that.”
"No, but I choose to believe it. Most of the casualties have been radioed in. I think we would have heard something by now if it was bad news. Bear is out there with him. He knows what Will means to me. He would have told me if something bad happened.”
Janet’s calmness did little to put me at ease. In fact, it had the opposite effect. I felt like I couldn’t take in a full breath. The other girls were gathering around us and whispering, but I didn't care. I clutched the ring in my hand and twisted it around in my fingers.
“Look, let’s just get through practice and we can go find a radio. We will hunt someone down and try to get some answers. Okay?”
I nodded. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was okay. Either way, I would force myself through one more practice, and then we would try to get some answers.
Janet assembled the girls at the targets and gave me a few minutes to collect myself before I joined them. One of the girls, Ashley, a stocky brunette who seemed to get along with everyone she met, elbowed me when the others weren't looking.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Not really.”
"I know the other girls give you a hard time, but ya know, if you ever wanna talk, I'm here." She gave me a sympathetic smile.
"Thanks, Ashley. I appreciate that."
I didn't really expect that, but it was nice. Ashley was well liked among the other girls and if she was nice to me, I knew the other girls would lighten up. Well, maybe not Debbie and Donna, but I was so over those two at that point.
"Let's go, girls. We have a lot of work today." Janet snapped her fingers, and the first three hours of torture began.
“So, what are we covering today?" I pulled a canteen from my bag and chugged half the water. Janet worked the group nonstop the whole three hours, and I was already exhausted. Derek called her over a few times, and they talked about something that looked serious. I hoped it wasn’t bad news about Will, but at that point, that was exactly where my mind was going.
"I thought we'd skip the one-on-one today. I have something else in mind."
"Such as finding a radio?" It wasn't like Janet to skip an opportunity to torture me.
"Just shut up and grab your shit. You'll see when we get there." She started off down the hill in her usual long stride. I had to jog to keep up with her.
"You think maybe you could slow down just a bit? You did just kick my ass in training."
"You think you will ever grow out of this whining? It's not my fault you’re short." She picked up her pace, intentionally, I was sure.
Some things never change.
It looked like we were headed for the front gate. I hadn't been back that way since the day we arrived. There were more guards, and the fence on either side of the gate looked like it had been reinforced.
"Are we … going somewhere?" I eyed the gate and the armed guards along the perimeter.
Janet smiled and walked over to the small guard shed to talk to a tall man with dark hair smoking a cigarette.
"Holden, how ya been?" She smacked him on the arm, and he laughed.
"Janet, my love. Where have you been hiding?"
"Been keeping busy training the new girls." She shook her head. "You wouldn't believe this group."
"And who is this here with you?" He waved a hand in my direction.
"This is Andi, Will's girlfriend." She winked at Holden, and he gave her a knowing look.
"Very nice to meet you." He held out a hand, and Janet snickered. As soon as I reached out to take his hand, he pulled me into a tight hug and lifted me off the ground. "You are one of the family now."
"Um, okay," I squeaked out and tried to breathe as he crushed me against him.
"Okay, let the girl go. You know how far out they are?"
"I'll check." He ran over to the guys at the front of the gate and talked for a minute.
"What's up with him?"
Janet laughed. "He's probably heard a lot about you. He was on mission with Will last week."
"Oh." Will hardly ever
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