Then she handed him a second sheet. “And this is a list of phone numbers for some of my friends. I’ve been showing your picture around and they’re all interested in dating you. Don’t worry, I’ve already told them what you’re like and none of them are looking for something long term. I’m friends with them all on Facebook so I’ll show you their profiles later. Oh and those bottom two are actually a couple but they swing both ways.”
“Are you setting me up?” Jonathon was unable to believe what he was hearing.
“I swear on Alex’s grave, I’m not.”
“If this turns out to be genuine, I’ll get you your own set of car keys cut.”
Sarah could feel JD glaring at her. She spoke to him without looking around. “Stop looking at me like that Jason. I know you’re not happy with what I just did and you want to see me in your office later.”
“Am I that predictable?”
“Quite frankly, yes.”
“Glad to see you’re learning.”
It was Scott who picked up on something Sarah said. “Did you say you will show him your friends on Facebook?”
“Yes. Why?”
“You’re on Facebook?” Katie asked, her voice full of concern.
“Isn’t everyone?”
JD knew what was worrying them, but decided to let them handle it.
“You don’t ever mention us on there do you?” Simon queried.
“Of course not. I’m not that stupid. I got the social media lecture off Craig before I even met any of you.”
“He managed to do one thing right then,” Katie said, just loud enough for him to hear.
After dinner Sarah went to JD’s office before he sent for her. He did not look pleased when he told her to sit down.
“So you knew I wouldn’t be happy, yet you did it anyway. Why?”
Sarah decided to go with complete honesty. “I knew how pissed Jonathon would be at me for setting him up and I needed to make it up to him. Can you think of a better way?”
A thought suddenly occurred to him. “You didn’t really want to drive his car, did you?”
“Not really, but I knew you wouldn’t believe I could.”
“So you set him up to get what you wanted from me?” JD asked incredulously.
“That’s one way of looking at it I suppose.”
“You’re clever, I’ll give you that.”
“If I was clever we wouldn’t be sitting here now having this conversation. So what is my punishment going to be?”
“There we have a problem. You see, you have not done anything that breaks the rules as far as me being your trainer is concerned. And while I hate the fact that you’re encouraging Jonathon to sleep around even more than he does already, there isn’t actually anything I can do about it.”
“So why did you want to see me?”
“To find out what you were really up to. I’m still trying to figure you out,” he said. “The others I know so well they’ve become easy to manipulate and control, but you are still a mystery I can’t solve. You constantly surprise me.”
“Surely that’s a good thing.”
“Not for a trainer it isn’t, no.”
Nobody saw or heard from Jonathon the entire week he spent at Sarah’s place. By Wednesday, Sarah was regretting her decision to stay at the Sanctuary. She knew she would have to take part in the 5am session every day, but hadn’t been expecting to join in group training sessions after work as well. She was so tired that she was going to bed before nine each night and actually whimpered when Craig reminded her that she still had another three days to go.
Jonathon returned in time for dinner on the Sunday night. Without saying a word, he walked up to Sarah, dropped a set of car keys into her hand and took his seat.
“No need to ask how your week went,” she said as she put them in her pocket. They would still have their disagreements, but she was confident that she would be able to get away with almost anything with him now, for a while at least.
————————————-∞————————————-
One Tuesday night, a few weeks later, JD got a call from Sarah. “Sarah,” he said sternly as he answered the phone. He was expecting her to try to get out of training the next night and was pleasantly surprised when that turned out not to be the case.
“I have a problem,” she began.
“How can I help?”
“To be honest, I’m not really sure you can. I’ve been told by work that I have to take some time off as I have accrued too much leave. They’re demanding a week, but would like two by the end of next month.”
“So where are you planning on going?” He really did not want her to go away. He was so used to seeing her regularly that the thought of not doing so for a while made him feel uncomfortable.
“That’s my problem. There’s nowhere I particularly want to go, not on my own anyway, and I don’t really want to miss training for that long.”
JD saw an opportunity and jumped on it. “Move in here again,” he said. He waited for her to say no, but she didn’t, so he decided to push his luck. “I haven’t taken a holiday in a while so I can see if my firm will let me have some time off if you want to spend your holiday doing intensive training.”
He held his breath, expecting her to say he was being ridiculous, but instead she thanked him.
“You would really do that for me?” she asked, sounding more excited than he could have hoped for.
“I’m not making any promises. I’ll speak to them tomorrow and will let you know at training.”
“Thank you,” she said once more then hung up. For a long while he stared at his phone, unable to believe he might be able to have her all to himself, well during the day anyway, for up to two weeks.
JD’s work agreed to him taking the time off, on the condition he was contactable in an emergency, but only one week, not the two he requested. He wasn’t happy, but there was nothing he could do about it. He organised the dates with Sarah then began the countdown.
Seven days were not enough for him, so he persuaded her to move in on the Friday night and leave the Sunday of the following week. As predicted, the others gave her a hard time. They thought she was insane and took great pleasure in telling her so. She explained that taking on the extra training meant she could take her assessment sooner and JD would be off her back. When she had finished laughing, Katie reminded her that she had already explained that that wouldn’t happen.
Sarah just shrugged her shoulders. “You guys train with him a lot less,” she said. “Why should it be any different for me?”
“He cut down on our training when he took you on,” Scott said.
Everyone looked at him as they processed his words. “We have to stop her passing her assessment,” Craig said. “If not, he’ll increase our training again.”
In his office, JD was shaking with laughter as he listened in.
————————————-∞————————————-
Monday morning, after breakfast, JD told Sarah to put on sturdy walking boots as they were going hiking.
“Hiking? How is that helping with my training?”
“It will improve your fitness. Your fighting skills are really coming on, you just need to work on your physical strength and stamina some more.”
“Alright,” she said, but she didn’t sound convinced.
“Remember to wear a hat and bring sunscreen with you,” he said. “And we’re taking your car.” He knew where he was going to have to park and he didn’t want to leave his car under the trees, which were full of birds at that time of year.
While Sarah got changed, JD went to the kitchen and packed food and drink for them both. When he was done, he handed her one of the back packs and they went to the garage.
“What do you think you are doing?” he asked as she walked toward the driver’s door of her car.
“Getting into the car,” she said, a little confused by the question.
He held out his hand for the keys. “I said we were taking your car. I didn’t say you would be driving. I am never the passenger.”
She knew better than to argue. Music began playing as soon as he started the engine.
“Metallica?” he asked in surprise.
“What’s wrong with Metallica?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t picture you as a metal head.”
“Alex got me into it.”
He turned it down, but not off.
It didn’t take them long to arrive at their destination. “It’s quite a nippy little thing isn’t it,” JD said with approval as he pulled into a parking space.
“I’m happy with it.” Sarah walked over to the map, where a number of trails were marked. “Which one are we taking?”
“The bottom one.”
She lowered her eyes, read what it said, then read it a second time. “Nine hours,” she choked. “It’s going to take us nine hours?”
“Of course not. The pace I’m going to be setting, we should do it in a little over five.”
The look she gave him suggested she wanted to hit him.
Somehow she managed to keep pace with him. He was purposely going slower than he usually did, but not as slow as he was expecting to have to. He had underestimated her again. She rehydrated regularly without having to be reminded and she requested they stop for a break at the perfect place for a picnic. The view was spectacular and the waterfall behind them perfected the scene. All too soon it was time to head off again.
They arrived back at the car after five hours and twenty minutes. Sarah’s legs were hurting and she collapsed into the passenger seat. “I’m so glad you’re going to be driving home.” She closed her eyes and was asleep before JD had driven her car onto the main road.
He woke her when they arrived at the Sanctuary. “Get showered and changed. I’m taking you out to dinner.”
“Why?” she mumbled as she stretched.
“Because you’re way too tired to cope with the others tonight.” Sarah was forced to agree.
He took her to one of his favourite restaurants and they talked about everything except fighting, training, vampires or Alex. On the way back, Sarah fell asleep once more. As he drove through the gates, JD phoned Craig.
“Are you at home?” he asked.
“Yes, why?”
“Meet me at the garage.”
Craig was waiting for him as he pulled in and spotted Sarah’s sleeping form. “What did you do to her?” he asked as JD opened his door.
“I took her hiking.”
“Which route?”
“The long one.” That explained everything.
“That was cruel. How long did it take her?”
“Five twenty.”
Craig raised his eyebrows. “Not bad for her first time.”
“Not bad? That’s an understatement. From what I remember, it took you over six hours initially and you still haven’t managed to get it under the five hour mark.”
“I will. So why did you take her to dinner?” Craig asked as he undid Sarah’s seatbelt and gently lifted her from the car. JD wasn’t sure he liked the look on Craig’s face as he asked the question.
“She was too tired to handle you lot.”
“Sure, that’s the reason,” Craig murmured, keeping his voice so low JD couldn’t hear.
She did not wake as he carried her into the Sanctuary and up the stairs.
“Are you going to let her off tomorrow’s 5am session?” he asked when JD opened her bedroom door for him.
“You know me better than that,” he replied as Craig laid her on the bed. JD closed the door, giving them privacy while Craig undressed her and put her under the covers.
————————————-∞————————————-
A couple of days later JD told Sarah to pack a bag with a change of clothes and her shower things. He also instructed her to wear something loose and comfortable and shoes that were sturdy but she didn’t mind getting dirty.
“Where are we going?” she asked once they were in JD’s car.
“You’ll see.”
He drove her to an army base, giving his name and showing his ID at the security gate. He was permitted entry and given directions on where to park.
“How do you have access to an army base?” Sarah asked.
“The CO is a hunter and set this up for us.”
“Set what up?”
He pointed to her left. She turned around and her eyes went wide. “You’re taking me across an army assault course?”
“No, they are.” Two burly soldiers walked up to them and greeted JD like he was an old friend.
“So this is the outsider,” one of them said. “Is she as good as the rumours say she is?”
“With a weapon, yes,” JD said. “I’ll let you make up your own mind about everything else. Sarah, meet Colonel Southgate and Captain Fredrickson. Both are hunters.”
Sarah was a little nervous as she shook their hands.
JD took her bag from her. “Gentlemen, she’s all yours.”
The course was every bit as bad as she had been expecting. Having two large, frightening men shouting at her the entire time did not help. Completing it with some of the new recruits did though and somehow she manage to finish it ahead of most of them. She was exhausted and covered in mud, but felt proud of herself.
While she was showering and changing, the two army instructors went to speak to JD, who had been watching the entire thing.
“You’re doing a good job with her,” the Colonel said. “Not many women can complete that course on their first attempt. How long till she’s ready to be assessed?”
“It will be a while yet. There are a few more things she needs to learn. But she’s going to be a good hunter when she does qualify.”
“There are a lot of people looking at your reports on her. It’s the first time we have ever had someone start their training so late in life. Make a success of this and those higher up might consider taking on more outsiders.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” JD said. “Sarah is rather unique. The only reason I trusted her enough to train her is because of her close relationship with Craig. I would never consider doing it for anyone else.”
“Your concern is noted and will be passed on to the CO.” He spotted Sarah walking toward them, looking a lot cleaner than the last time he saw her.
“Good luck,” he said and shook JD’s hand. “Keep us informed of her progress.”
“And bring her back here sometime,” the Captain added. “I would like to see how she does once she’s a hunter.”
“Have fun?” JD asked her once the two soldiers had departed.
“If I never have to do that again I will die a happy woman,” she said, but the smile on her face told him she was lying.
Do you trust me
One Saturday morning, during breakfast, JD needed to speak to Sarah. He had already discussed his plans with Craig and he was more than happy to help out.
“Sarah, there is something important I need to talk to you about. We’re going to do something different this morning and I need to know if you trust me.”
“Of course I do,” she instantly replied.
“No Sarah. I need to know if you completely trust me. Today’s training session is going to be very dangerous. If you have any doubts about me at all I need to know. I won’t take offence, but it will mean Craig will have to take the lesson instead of me.”
Simon was the first to work out what JD was planning on doing. “Shit. You’re sending her blind.” JD nodded. “Is she really ready for that?” JD didn’t bother to answer.
“Sarah, look at me. I need to know. Do you trust me?”
She was looking him straight in the eye when she nodded. She looked nervous and he couldn’t blame her.
“Craig. You know your role. You’ve done it before.” Craig nodded. He was ready to do his part.
“How come you never asked any of us if we trusted
you when we had to go through this?” Jonathon asked.
“I didn’t need to.”
“Don’t worry,” Scott told Sarah. “Nobody has ever died doing this. Not recently anyway.” JD and Craig both looked at him in disgust. That was the last thing Sarah needed to hear. The fact it was the truth was irrelevant.
JD then had a warning for everyone. “Remember, nobody is to go onto the balcony for any reason while this is going on. If I hear so much as a rattle on the door, I will find out who did it and they will pay dearly for disturbing us. I’ve already warned Silvia and Doc.”
The warning had been for Sarah’s benefit more than anything. She needed to know that he and Craig were protecting her. The others knew exactly how dangerous the situation was going to be and wouldn’t do anything to make it worse.
JD led Sarah to the arena floor, while Craig took up his position on the balcony. JD then took a blindfold out of his pocket and placed it over Sarah’s eyes, making her tense up.
“Craig is watching from the balcony,” he said softly. “He won’t let anything happen to you. And neither will I, I promise.”
He then explained what was going to happen. A lot of the time they hunted in the dark, so she needed to get used to using her other senses. Often the fighting was in close quarters as well and she needed to know what it felt like to have swords moving around her. She had to learn to ignore them and not flinch away from them or let them distract her.
He kept his words as soft and even as he could, doing his best not to frighten her.
“All I need you to do is stay perfectly still. Do not move at all. I’ll be cutting around you from all directions. I will be getting very close, but I promise I won’t hurt you. Just concentrate on the sound of the sword as it moves through the air and the feel of it brushing past you. Are you ready?”
She wasn’t, but she nodded her head anyway.
“JD. You had better tell her,” she heard Craig call down.
“Tell me what?” She was pleased that her voice wasn’t shaking.
“I’ll be using a live sword.”
“Are you frigging kidding me?” she yelled out. “Why in God’s name do you have to use a live sword?”
“A live sword sounds different. We hunt with live swords so that is the sound you need to get used to. Now do you understand why I asked if you trust me. Do you want Craig to do this instead?”
Vampire Hunters, #1 Page 16