by Chloe Gunter
“You all are here today because you are some of the best at what you do. You have a diverse set of skills that made you a candidate to join our group. And that’s exactly what we are, a group. This isn’t some bullshit training you underwent before where you’re competing against the agent next to you for some coveted spot.”
He walked to the center of the room in a slow confident stride, sweeping his gaze across the entire class, making the silence impactful as we waited for his next words.
“The only person you are competing against here is yourself. You have to want this. And that means pushing yourself harder than ever before. We take on the cases and missions that the other guys can’t handle, which means you need to be smarter, tougher, and more persistent than anyone else we might face. The moment you give up will be the moment you are gone from this site. There are no second chances here, too much is at stake for that. When you get matched with a team after your initial advanced training classes, you will be expected to be field ready at a moment’s notice.”
He leaned a hand on the podium, breaking his formal stance before placing the other on his hip.
“When I said that GRAVITAS is a group, I meant it. I am just one of three Assistant Directors along with a handful of others here, under Director Wellington, helping coordinate things. The classes are taught by members of our organization. You’ll have a chance to hone your skills from the best of the best, and maybe, eventually lead one yourself. I don’t have to tell you that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Earn it. The last thing you need to know is that you will receive a weekly digital docket to your glass tablets detailing your schedule, any announcements we may have, and feedback on your performance. Hold yourself to the highest ethical, physical, and mental standards and buckle down.”
His stormy eyes locked on mine.
“You are about to be pushed to a whole new level. Dismissed.”
People pushed back from their chairs and gathered their belongings, no doubt rushing to their first sessions, wanting to make a good first impression and prevent being cut, regardless of the fact that we still had twenty minutes before they started. I stayed seated in my chair, waiting for the rest of the new recruits to clear out.
His footsteps fell heavily on the tile, marking his path toward me. I leaned back in my chair, enjoying the rising tension, and the tick of his jaw that showed that he was uneasy about the pending conversation.
“I have to say, this is already turning out to be the best decision of my life. I haven’t had this much fun in such a short amount of time, well, ever.” I gave him a smirk as he let out a harsh breath.
“And here I expected you to be somewhat put off,” he said, his voice dropping slightly.
“Let’s cut the bullshit. You knew exactly who and what I was before you ever uttered a single word to me yesterday. You just wanted to test me and see how much I picked up about you,” I raised an eyebrow, daring him to refute my claim. “Which, point for you, while I picked up your background and mood, nothing led me to believe that you were in charge here. Shame on me for that one, so I’ll consider us even.”
“I am but one of many Ms. DeWitt. That’s what this organization is all about. Though I’m pleased to see that you’re everything your file claimed.”
“I’d hate to disappoint you, Assistant Director Ridley,” I said as I looked him dead in the eye, giving him no quarter while locking down my regulators so I gave nothing away.
He placed both hands on the desk, leaning towards me, the tension between us palpable.
“Somehow, I doubt that you will,” his eyes creased in the corners, twinkling with unbeknownst mischief.
Over the years I’ve learned that one of the biggest assets I can have is knowing when to push forward, and when to pull back. I wrapped my hand through the strap of my bag, slowly standing up, not bothering to pull away from his leaned over figure. His warm breath was gentle against my face as I rose, standing till his gaze was eye level with mine.
“I’ll see you around then,” I promised, leaving our encounter open-ended for what was to come. I abruptly turned around, swinging my bag over my shoulder and headed to the door, resisting the urge to turn around and see his reaction.
My sessions that morning started with my strong suits, psychology and foreign language. The psychology class was pretty straight forward, nothing too riveting as it’s what I had my master’s degree in and had devoted my life to thus far. However, we were given a rough outline of the topics we were going to cover and I was excited for the non-verbal communication section. Supposedly our ‘test’, or gauging metric for operations, would be to go against the other members of our class and try to read them.
Needless to say, that was right up my alley. Hopefully I’d actually get a challenge out of it since I’d be going up against other agents who knew how to manipulate their regulators to project what they want. I made a mental note to practice on maintaining my own in stressful situations so I didn’t give anything away.
It was hard not to think of this facility as a school of sorts. But in reality, GRAVITAS functioned more like a think tank. The ‘classes’ didn’t have instructors, but were rather taught by senior level agents who had been on missions with the organization, as Ridley had mentioned, giving the whole thing a seminar vibe. After our first assignment we’d be expected to pitch in and help teach other agents in whatever field our specialty was in. That way everyone was essentially getting the best of the best when it comes to helpful instruction. I mean, to even get in with the organization was a feat. Everyone here was elite in one field or more.
I made my way to the small auditorium where my next class was. The foreign language seminars that were listed on my docket showed that the languages would rotate every week, starting with Italian, giving a wide variety of the most commonly used languages around the world, before moving into the more specialized ones. I took a seat on the edge of the middle row of the auditorium, noticing that the other seats seem to be filling up rather fast. It made sense considering that foreign languages can be useful across disciplines, whether that be intelligence, undercover operatives, or for profilers and interrogators like myself. Settling in, I reached down to grab my laptop out of my bag.
“Scuza, questo posto è libero?” Oh great, some guy was already trying to impress me with his Italian skills in an Italian seminar, how original. His tone and inflictions were so spot on that I was begrudgingly impressed. Without bothering to look up at him I went ahead and replied, in English.
“The seat is available and you’re welcome to it. Although I may have to ask you to tone down the Italian stallion thing you’re trying to work, so I can actually focus during the seminar.”
“But don’t you think it’s a beautiful language? How the tones are so distinct based upon region yet still seem to dance on your tongue?” I looked up to see who exactly was so passionate about Italian that they talked about it like a lover.
His eyes were alight with genuine excitement and he flashed me an easy smile as he sat down. I admired the way that he didn’t let my comment deter him from something he was obviously passionate about. His skin was slightly tanned, hinting of mediterranean origins, and his eyes were a sky blue. Tucking his honey brown jaw-length hair behind his ear, he raised his eyebrow waiting for me to answer.
“It’s a beautiful language, is it your specialty?” I inquired. He was the type of man who looked like he could fit in anywhere. His excitement, while contagious, was packed with his self-assured movements. Whoever this man was, he displayed confidence and was comfortable with who he was. Even I have to admit, his demeanor coupled with his radiant smile was really fucking attractive.
“One of them, my specialties in the broadest terms are foreign languages and culture. I like to think of myself as more of an immersion expert. I want to be able to travel anywhere in the world and seamlessly slide into their lifestyle. What about you? You’re in this seminar for a reason. How does this fit into your grand life plan?�
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“You like to immerse, and I like to interpret. Being able to speak a multitude of languages helps me to diversify my skill set.” I offered him my hand to introduce myself properly. “I’m Charlie, I know my Italian but if you're fluent in Farsi I could definitely use a practice partner.” It couldn’t hurt to start networking and making contacts. Plus, something about him spoke to me and made me feel at ease.
“Pleasure to meet you,” he replied shaking my hand. “I can definitely help you with that. I’m Gavin by the way, I started here last admittance cycle. I’ll actually be helping out with a few of the seminars later on.”
We talked a little more before class started and I could tell that Gavin was a sincere and authentic man. His passion for different cultures came through. While a bit geeky in that regard, he was unapologetically himself, something I found incredibly attractive. If I told Alicia about him she would ask me what the fuck I was waiting for. Hell, it's not like this lifestyle provided a lot of time for a personal life. Tabling my personal desires, I decided to focus on the rest of the seminar rather than whether I should just take Alicia’s advice and do what feels right for once.
The agent leading the class did a great job of explaining the differences between northern and southern Italian inflections. I could tell from the movement of his lips that he favored the southern dialect, probably hailing from the region considering his name and physical attributes. Before I knew it the class is wrapping up for lunch. I looked up to Gavin to find him already looking at me with a soft smile.
“Would you like to have lunch with me Charlie?” Absofuckinglutely.
Lunch was fantastic. We ended up grabbing some food from the cafeteria and sitting in the quad. Gavin was arguably one of the most interesting people I had ever met. The conversation flowed between us easily and we bonded over our love of language. He seemed to take an interest in my specialty of non-verbal communication, finding it fascinating how many nuances there were with languages besides the dialects and inflections that were spoken.
Gavin spoke with a quiet confidence. His smile seemed to come easily and when he was particularly passionate about a certain subject, he would start talking with his hands and his eyes would get a hint of a spark in them. By the end of lunch we were sitting side by side, thighs next to each other. I wasn’t just intellectually interested in him. And judging by the looks he was throwing me, he felt the same. Never had I ever gravitated towards someone as fast as I had to him.
We left lunch having exchanged numbers with plans to see each other in class tomorrow and to have a repeat of our lunch date. For once, I was proud of myself for letting my guard down and indulging in a little personal enjoyment. Plus, I couldn’t wait to hear what Leash had to say about the new development.
The sun beat down on my skin as I squinted to see the obstacle course that lay before us. I was gathered with about half of the people I had seen in orientation earlier, all of us now dressed in our active gear waiting for the pair of operatives upfront, conversing over familiar pieces of glass, to give us direction.
“If the sun doesn’t kick my ass, this course sure will.” The words came from a pale woman to my left, her skin so translucent that I could see the branches of blue veins underneath her skin.
“I’m pretty sure this was designed to kick everyone’s ass,” I replied looking over the field before me. Honestly, it was like some form of extreme sport torture. It looked like a scene out of American Ninja Warrior or one of those other intense physical game shows.
I wasn’t weak; all of the agents at the bureau were expected to be in peak physical condition at all times. I just never personally had to physically excel in a category in order to do my job. My personal brand of exercise was running.
“I’m Ash, by the way,” she offered me her hand, giving me a surprisingly firm handshake as I introduced myself in return.
“So what are you in for?” I asked. She definitely didn’t have the make of a field operative, so my bet was on a support role.
“Tech, networks, basically helping build Skynet,” she quipped and I laughed. I was spot on with her staying indoors, I could just imagine her in a decked out chair with six screens in front of her jamming away.
“What’s your poison, Charlie?”
“Uncovering the truth,” I said simply. That’s really the heart of what I did. I went to say more but was interrupted by the sound of a bullhorn.
“Alright, listen up. This right here is Scott and I’m Carrington. Don’t worry about title, I doubt you’ll be able to gasp our last names out by the time we’re done with you,” the female operative said through the bullhorn before handing it to the man, Scott, who had a no nonsense look on his face
“Here’s how this is going to work. You’ll start a minute apart in waves of two. You must successfully finish each stage before moving onto the next. If you fall during one of the balance stations, you need to go back to the beginning of that station. If you fail to complete this course, regardless of the time taken, you will be dismissed from GRAVITAS effective immediately.” Scott lowered the bullhorn before passing it back to Carrington.
I looked around at the others scattered around me. Some wore looks of determination, while others wore looks of fear.
“The only rules are that you need to finish the course. Preferably before dinner time people, I have a date with Napoli’s again,” Carrington said and I busted out laughing. She shot me a grin while the others looked confused; I guess they hadn’t gotten to experience some earth shattering pizza yet.
“Dwyer and Sanchez, you’re up first, get ready,” Scott called before listing the other pairs in order.
I was in the fourth wave, the middle of the pack, and not a bad place to be. I bent down, checking to make sure my laces were tight before lightly stretching out. Ash was at the starting line, the caramel tones and defined muscles of the woman next to her a striking contrast.
I stood with my partner, a fit Middle Eastern man whose expression read confident and calm. My lungs expanded with air, pulling in a deep breath and helping me calm my nerves.
Beeeeeep!
My feet dug into the earth, running as fast as they could to the first stage. Once I got there, my feet came together and my knees bent before I leapt onto the platform. It was a little over two feet off the ground, and the wooden box made a loud thump when I landed.
Centering myself, I navigated the crisscrossing beams, concentrating on the balancing aspect of the stage. Luckily, I was pretty agile so the constant inclines and breaks where you had to jump from one platform to another weren’t the worst I’ve had to navigate.
I had gained some ground on my partner when I approached the second stage. I threw on the protective glasses and shooting muffs before quickly loading the clip and sliding it into the base of the Glock.
I smashed the red button on the side of the station I was at, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
Targets popped up and blurred together as I zoned in, squeezing the trigger with rapid precision. When my clip was empty a green light appeared overhead at my station in the open-air booth. They must have had sensors to determine who hit what.
Following the marked grass, I shielded my eyes as I took a quick look at the third stage, a massive wooden wall, with five evenly spaced thick ropes hanging down. The only problem was the bottom of the rope looked to be about 10 feet off the ground.
Standing at 5’8” I definitely had my work cut out for me. I backed up, giving myself some room before I sprinted a few steps and extended, my fingertips stretching way above my head.
My shoulder slammed into the wall before I landed in a crouch, barely catching myself.
After two more attempts, I knew I needed to figure something out and fast. My partner had just made it to the station, and I watched him run, before jumping and taking a few steps on the wall, launching himself up to the rope, ascending the wall so fast I started to get disheartened.
Fuck that. I could do this. I would do
this. I prepared myself for the next go.
It took me a few more tries before I felt the rough twine underneath my fingers. A bead of sweat dropped from my face as I used every ounce of strength and will power I had before my feet were braced on the rope, crossed and locking it tightly in place.
By the time I heaved myself on the other side of the wall, I was holding on for dear life as I grabbed the zip line and shot down to the bottom again.
The next couple stages were a blur as I found myself covered in mud, only one more person passing me before I found myself at the final station.
In front of me was a rifle, something I hadn’t used in over a year or so. I loaded the shells until the magazine was full, then went through the same precautions as before.
My shots went wide, not hitting the longer distanced targets by inches. I emptied the casings and set the rifle down, shaking out my worn and weary limbs. My shoulder hurt from the unaccustomed recoil.
Closing my eyes, I counted backwards from ten. Breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth until I felt my body settle. I repeated the counts and breaths as I picked up more shells and put them in the magazine.
The gun reloaded, I braced myself, breathing evenly as I pushed the red button to start to sequence. The shots landed in the field, though they weren’t centered, and I breathed a sigh of relief as the green button lit up over my head.
Popping out the casings and flicking on the safety, I pulled off my glasses and muffs before racing to the finish line.
As soon as I breached the white spray painted line I rested my hands on my knees, catching my breath before a bottle of water appeared in my sight.
I looked up to see Ash, covered in mud from the pit crawl we did and looking every bit as exhausted as me. I was glad to see she held her own and made it.