Reditus

by Mary M Wallace

  “I’m going to give you guys what I’m calling a refresher course,” Lydia said. “This isn’t going to be an in–depth history class. Bree and Declan,” she looked directly at the two of them now. “I’m sorry. I know this puts you both at a disadvantage, but we just don’t have time to go into the entire Praetorian history. This is going to mainly focus on the past 20 years, the events that have relevance to what’s happening today.” Bree understood this but was secretly disappointed. She loved history and wanted to learn as much as she could about this group she now belonged to.

  “Now,” Lydia went on. “That doesn’t mean you can’t learn those thing on your own time. There are plenty of books I can loan you if you like.” Bree didn’t know how much free time they would have with the training schedule that Gwynn had devised, but she resolved to learn as much as she could.

  “Let’s get started,” Lydia said with a smile.

  The next two hours were filled with facts and names and dates. Declan’s head was spinning by the time they left the classroom. Lydia was an excellent teacher and had welcomed their questions and interaction. He found the subject interesting, but it was still hard to reconcile what he was learning with the world he was now a part of. He understood the need for them to learn the information but he was more interested in honing his ability and learning to fight effectively in the field. Still, he told himself that this was necessary to ensure that the team was all on the same page. He didn’t want to be just a mindless soldier in this war. He wanted to learn all he could so he would be a strong asset. If he was going to be a part of this, he was determined to give it everything he had. He wouldn’t be caught off guard again.

  Chapter 12

  After class finished, the four of them reported to the training arena for weapons training. Bree was clearly excited by this prospect. Declan smiled at her as they waited for the others to join them. She noticed. “What?” she asked.

  Declan shook his head. “You,” he said, grinning. “You’re like a kid who’s just been told she’s going to a waterpark or something.” He laughed. “You can’t wait to kick my ass.”

  Bree laughed and gave his shoulder a playful shove. “Not true,” she said. “But it is nice to be good at something.”

  Declan nodded his agreement. He remembered how it had felt when his ability had first made itself known. He’d felt capable, strong, powerful. He would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the feeling. “You’re right,” he told her. “And it feels good to know that we can protect ourselves if it comes down to it.” He remembered the night Benson had attacked them and the feeling that he wasn’t going to be able to keep Bree from getting hurt. They’d both come so far since that night.

  The others straggled into the training arena followed by Gwynn. Bree knew that Declan hadn’t been wrong. She was excited to flex her ability. She enjoyed the feeling of knowing she was good at something. When she took aim at a target, she loved the certainty that she wouldn’t fail. It was the only time she felt truly confident and in control.

  When Gwynn arrived, she motioned for the group to follow her. They left the arena through a backdoor Bree hadn’t used before. They walked down a short hallway and Gwynn pulled open a door, holding it for the others to enter ahead of her. Bree followed Sawyer and Corbin who seemed to know where they were going. The others trailed behind her. Ahead of them was a long hallway that seemed more utilitarian than the other areas of the compound she’d previously seen. The walls were stark white and the lighting was provided by harsh fluorescents. She glanced back to Declan with one brow raised in question. He gave a minute shrug of his shoulders to indicate that he didn’t know any more than she did.

  Halfway down the hall, Corbin turned and opened a door on the right. He held it open for the rest of them, nodding as they passed. Bree noticed that he studiously avoided looking at Sawyer who did the same as she walked past him. It was almost comical to witness how hard they tried to ignore one another. She shook her head slightly but decided that this was their problem to solve. She’d be better off staying out of it. The group filed down another shorter hallway that spilled into a large room. It took Bree a moment to register what she was seeing. The walls were covered with weapons of every kind. It was a lot to take in all at once. She stopped in the center of the room and let her gaze scan each wall slowly.

  One wall was covered with blades. There were knives and even swords of every length and style. She hadn’t even been aware that some of these items existed. There were rows and rows of handguns lining one wall. Bree was overwhelmed by the array of deadly items spread out before her. With the few numbers this compound housed, her mind couldn’t fathom the reason for such an arsenal. But then she remembered that this place had been designed and outfitted for a much larger population. Army, she corrected herself. They were an army and she needed to start thinking of them that way. This was their armory and she was now a member of this army. She had the very sobering thought that these weapons weren’t meant for target practice. They were for fighting, surviving, killing. Her fascination with the weapons was stifled now and she looked away from them to where Gwynn was standing near the doorway they’d entered.

  “If I could have your attention,” Gwynn said. When everyone turned to look her way, she went on. “As you can see, we have a variety of weapons. I’m sure that everyone will find one that suits them best. We have a shooting range down the hall. I think we’ll start with shooting first and go from there.” She pointed to a row of noise cancelling ear muffs beside the door and then to the safety glasses hanging on hooks next to them. “Safety first, guys,” she said with a smile. “Pick your weapon, grab some ammo and let’s see what you can do.”

  Bree tried to tamp down her excitement but despite her efforts, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Sawyer snorted a laugh and Bree looked away from the small pistol she held to see that the other woman was giving her an amused grin. “What?” Bree asked, confusion in her tone.

  Sawyer’s smile widened and she shook her head. “You look like you were just turned loose in the mall with Dad’s credit card.”

  Jon chuckled and mumbled under his breath, “Never again.”

  Bree feigned outrage at their words but couldn’t deny that she was a little giddy at the thought of being able to choose any of the weapons in this room.

  Rylee laughed at Jon as she lifted a small revolver, testing its weight in her hand before replacing it on the wall. “The house could only hold so many Build–a–Bears,” she said giving Bree a wry look.

  Bree rolled her eyes, feeling her face heat. “Oh, my god,” she said. “I was nine!”

  Declan laughed at them as he chose a full–sized 9mm that fit his hand perfectly. Bree looked over at him, his smile making her stomach do that annoying flip thing that she’d decided to ignore. She took a deep breath as she looked away from him and chose a gun at random. It wasn’t a model she’d practiced with at her parents’ house, but it didn’t matter. She knew she’d hit whatever she aimed at and besides, she wanted to become comfortable with as many weapons as possible. The black revolver was heavier than the smaller semi–automatic that had become her favorite during those previous sessions. She hoped the recoil wouldn’t embarrass her.

  They left the armory and followed Gwynn down the hall to the indoor shooting range. Bree didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but it wasn’t this. The large room was lined with soundproofing materials. There was a table that ran the width of the room. It was waist height and partitioned every few feet. Across from the booths were paper targets. Some of the booths were occupied with people shooting, but most of them were empty.

  “Okay Bree,” Gwynn said nodding toward an empty booth. “You’re up.”

  Bree nodded at Gwynn and pulled on her ear muffs. The world around her went silent. She walked over to an empty booth. She knew that the rest of her team was standing behind her, waiting to see what she could do. There were also people she didn’t know shooting at their own paper targe
ts at the other end of the line of partitioned booths. For Bree, there was only the gun in her hand and the paper silhouette in the distance. She took a deep breath and slowly released it, feeling the involuntary smile curve her lips as she squeezed the trigger.

  When the first round left the chamber, Bree knew it would hit its mark. The recoil was a little stronger than she’d become used to, but nothing she couldn’t handle. She adjusted her grip on the pistol and fired the remaining rounds into the target one after the other. When the revolver was empty, she laid it on the table in front of her.

  Bree turned to look back at the others. Her parents wore matching expressions of pride as they watched their only daughter showcase her ability. Sawyer's face wore an almost bored expression, but Bree saw her lips curve into a half–smile when she met her gaze. Declan smiled in a knowing way. He looked as though he were saying, “See? Told you so.” Bree shook her head with a smile and turned to look at Gwynn and Corbin who were standing next to one another. Both their expressions held looks of surprise. Did Corbin look impressed? It was difficult to tell. His gray eyes gave away very little, but Bree thought she detected a softening of the usual icy stare. His face had dropped its customary scowl and he looked thoughtful as he looked from Bree to the target. There was a large hole in the center of the silhouette’s chest.

  Gwynn broke into a smile and said, “Well, well. It's nice to know that Sawyer wasn't exaggerating in her reports. You're good.”

  Bree blushed at Gwynn's words. She mumbled a thank you and stepped back from the shooting area. The target was replaced with a new one and Rylee stepped up to take her turn. She'd been practicing since childhood so she had little difficulty hitting the target. Her shots were clustered near the center, though not as tightly packed as Bree's had been. Still, the rest of the group was pleased with her performance.

  Sawyer went next with results similar to Rylee’s. Jon did the same. When it was Declan’s turn to shoot, he wondered if he should show them his own mediocre shooting skill or showcase his Praetor ability. This exercise was meant to gauge each team member’s strengths and weaknesses. He decided to go for broke. As he donned his earmuffs, he turned back to cast a big smile at Bree. As he faced the target, he felt that familiar calm certainty wash over him. It was the feeling of his ability coming to the forefront. He picked up the gun and began to fire.

  Declan loved the feeling of using his ability. His mind was clear of everything except pulling the trigger in rapid succession and watching the hole in the target grow larger. By the time the magazine was empty, he was grinning like a fool. He did his best to make his face neutral before he turned around to face the others behind him. Jon and Bree were wearing matching grins. Rylee looked indulgent. Like a mother whose child had just brought home his kindergarten artwork for the refrigerator. “Isn’t that nice!” the look said. Declan secretly loved it. Gwynn was openly smiling now. She clapped her hands slowly for a few seconds.

  “Nice work, Thomas,” she said.

  Corbin was the only one whose face wasn’t smiling. He stood and walked closer to Declan, a look of curiosity on his face. He studied Declan for a moment without speaking. His icy gaze was on the verge of becoming uncomfortable and Declan opened his mouth to say something when Corbin spoke, his voice devoid of emotion.

  “Now let’s see if you can hit the target without mimicking Bree’s ability,” he said, his voice hard. “There might come a time when she’s not there to back you up.” His eyes shifted slightly in Sawyer’s direction but he stopped short of actually glancing at her. “Trust me. I know,” he finished, his voice even colder than before.

  Bree glanced at Sawyer who was actively not looking at Corbin, but she could see a muscle tighten in the other woman’s jaw. She wanted to hit Corbin. She was shocked that she could feel violent toward a man she’d known for less than 2 full days. After her conversation with Sawyer the day before, she knew how much Corbin’s anger hurt Sawyer. She considered Sawyer a friend and she didn’t like her friends to be hurt.

  “Well,” Bree said before her brain could get control of her mouth. “I have complete confidence that Declan can handle himself, even if I’m not there to hold his hand.” She’d emphasized Declan’s name when she said it, the implication clear. Corbin wasn’t the only one capable of casting thinly–veiled insults. His gray eyes shot to her but he said nothing. She raised one eyebrow at him in challenge but he turned back to Declan.

  Sawyer came to stand near her, leaning over to bump her shoulder against Bree’s. In a voice almost too low to hear, she said, “Thanks.” Bree didn’t say anything, but her mouth curved into a half–smile.

  Declan reloaded the gun and a new target was set in place. He prepared to shoot without tapping into Bree’s ability. What had Corbin called it? Mimicking? That was as good a word as any, he supposed. And he was right. There might come a time when he couldn’t rely on Bree being nearby. He needed to hone his own shooting skills. He tamped down the nerves he felt and slowed his breathing as he sighted the target. Falling back on the practices Jon and Rylee had taught him all those weeks ago, he fired the first round. It hit the target but was more of a shoulder wound than a kill–shot. He corrected his aim and fired again. This round was closer to the center of the paper “person”. He did his best to maintain that aim and fired again. He kept on in this way until the magazine was empty. He laid the gun down and flipped the switch to reel in his paper target. He hadn’t been close to his previous skill or even as good as the others, but he wasn’t disappointed. Every shot had hit the target, even if they hadn’t all been tightly clustered. He’d come a long way from that first day in the clearing.

  Declan turned and faced the rest of the group, removing his ear muffs. Sawyer gave his target an assessing look.

  “Not bad,” she said. “Could use some work, but it’s not bad.” Declan took this as high praise coming from her. He thought back to the night she’d yelled at him and Bree before storming out. This was a definite improvement over angry Sawyer. He gave her a crooked smile.

  “Thanks,” he said wryly.

  Corbin studied the target for a brief moment before dismissing it with a curt nod. Declan wasn’t sure what that meant. Maybe it meant that he agreed with Sawyer? If so, he hadn’t said it. Gwynn walked over to give her own assessment.

  “Sawyer’s right,” she said after a moment. “Not bad, but you need more practice.” She gave him a smile that seemed to transform her face. He nodded his own agreement. He’d thought he might feel embarrassed at his less skillful shooting, but he didn’t. In truth, he felt proud of how far he’d come. He was determined to shoot as well as the others, without using Bree’s ability. He’d practice as much as it took to get there.

  They each moved to individual booths and practiced. Gwynn walked along behind them, watching them. She’d stop occasionally and give a pointer, usually to Declan. It didn’t bother him. He knew he was the one who needed the most improvement. Each time she gave him a tip, he paid close attention and worked hard to do exactly what she said. Over the course of the practice session, he noticed an improvement. He was finding it easier to hit the same area of the target more than once.

  He glanced over and saw Bree shooting with her left hand. He knew for a fact that she was right–handed. He shook his head with a smile. It would be annoying if she didn’t look so happy while she schooled him. Eventually Gwynn tapped his shoulder signaling that target practice was over. He lowered his gun and pressed the button to eject the magazine, pulling back the slide until it clicked, verifying that the chamber was indeed empty. Then he laid the gun on the table in front of him and turned around. When he did, he was surprised to see the crowd of people that had gathered behind them.

  Rowan and Conrad stood along the wall behind them but they weren’t alone. There was a shorter, muscular man, his arm slung around the shoulder of a pretty young woman with olive skin and a fall of straight black hair that reached her shoulders. The man on the other side of the woman was taller
and wore a friendly smile. He leaned casually against the wall watching the remaining shooters finish practicing. Declan turned back to the range, following the man’s gaze as he did so. He seemed to be watching one shooter, in particular. Bree. Declan watched as Bree fired the last two rounds and lowered her gun onto the table before her. She flipped the switch to retrieve the target as the muffled sounds of firing from the others ceased. Declan removed his earmuffs and walked over to her booth.

  Her target had made it to her and Declan chuckled when he saw it. She’d shot a perfect smiley face into the head of the silhouette.

  “Nice,” he said, smiling. “You’re such a showoff.”

  Bree gave him a playful shove and laughed. “Am not,” she said.

  “Nice shooting, B!” Rowan yelled from his spot along the wall.

  “Yeah, B,” another male voice said in a quieter tone from closer behind them. “Very nice.”

  Declan watched confusion flit over Bree’s face before understanding seemed to wash over her. She turned to face the man and gave a small smile. “Oh,” she said. “Thanks.”

  She looked from Declan back to the man. It was the taller man who’d been watching her. Declan felt a sharp twinge of annoyance at this stranger but he shoved it aside. Bree gestured to the man. “This is Pax,” she said. “Pax, this is Declan Thomas.”

  Declan reached a hand out to shake the other man’s hand politely. “Nice to meet you,” he said. “Pax?”