by Adam Hiatt
Not knowing what else to do, Reddic stopped struggling and relaxed his neck. The dark blue eyes of the supine soldier glimmered. He pulled his heels back toward his waist to lift his body and gain leverage. In a desperate attempt to loosen the grip Reddic swung his right knee upward into the soldier’s kidney. Reddic felt an expulsion of hot air against his face as the fingers around his neck momentarily slackened. He swatted the man’s arm away and jumped to his feet.
Behind him he heard hard rubber soles thunder in his direction. He kicked the soldier below him one more time for good measure and leaped to his right. He spun to face his attackers, continuing to back away. Suddenly, the florescent lights mounted on the ceiling went out. The warehouse was pitch-black. Not even a sliver of light penetrated the darkness.
Instinctively, Reddic dropped to his knee. As soon as he did something clanked off the wall directly above his head and fell to the ground. He moved his hands across the smooth cement floor until he found the object. Picking it up, he silently rubbed his hand over it. A wave of fear rapidly came over him.
It was a knife.
Reddic’s mind raced. He didn’t know what to do. He was scared. He had survived many high pressure moments on the basketball court, but this was totally different. Basketball was just a game. A mistake here could cost him his life.
But why was he lied to? He couldn’t figure it out. What was his involvement? Only one person would know the answer to that question. Adrenaline flowed through his veins. The fear he had sensed before was replaced by unadulterated rage.
Pocketing the knife, Reddic stood and backed against a wall. He heard rustling noises coming from both sides. They were circling around him, herding him like a sheep. Reddic closed his eyes and searched his memory for a cerebral photograph. He only had a split second to see the layout of the room before the lights were extinguished, but it was enough time. He had already captured an image.
Behind his eyelids he stared at what appeared to be a storage warehouse. The ceiling was at least fifteen feet high with iron beam rafters. The walls were fifty feet apart and windowless, constructed of tan brick. Three paces directly in front of Reddic and the back wall was a group of fifty-gallon barrels. To his right were two parked Jeep Wranglers. The wall opposite was over one hundred feet away. In the distance, massive tanks stood atop iron stilts.
He refocused on his side of the building. In his mind he saw where he must have stood when the soldiers used him as a human piñata. Impulsively, he held the backside of his head where the first blow connected. He could feel his pulse throb through the lump.
He frantically searched the picture that was imprinted on his mind for an exit, but nothing came into focus. It had to have been blocked from view when he removed the hat. He knew it couldn’t be far away, however. The change in climate he had felt undeniably represented his entrance to the warehouse. From that point he remembered taking only fifteen steps, no more. Lying down prone on the floor, Reddic slithered across the concrete surface with his forearms and elbows. He moved in a straight line aimed at the storage barrels parked in front of him, forcing himself to forego speed and concentrate instead on stealth. Silent movement, Reddic knew, was the only advantage he had against professional soldiers.
His right hand made contact with the metal drum first. He pulled himself into a squatting position and placed his hands on the rim of the first container. Slowly, he lifted his right leg over the top of the barrel and then dragged up his left. He held his breath for ten seconds, afraid to move. He inched his inside arm over, feeling for the next row of drums. Where was it? Reddic stretched farther. With the tip of his middle finger he felt it.
Like a centipede, Reddic maneuvered his body one fraction at a time. Suddenly, a bright orange flare burst a few paces away, shining brightly in the blackness. Two soldiers stood in firing positions with their weapons drawn close to the spot that Reddic just vacated. Without thinking, Reddic rolled off of the barrel and fell to the solid ground. His left shoulder absorbed most of the impact, but his hip stung mightily from the crash. His body barely fit between the two rows of containers. He looked up and saw that the width gradually tapered farther down.
Popping up to his knees, pushing aside the pain, Reddic crawled toward the narrowing bottleneck. Behind him the flare fizzled, but he kept moving. After fifteen feet Reddic stopped. The width had closed too much. He heard the sound of boots bounce off the warehouse walls all around him. It wouldn’t take them long to find him. He had to get out.
Through a small space between two drums Reddic hoped to get a better bearing on his position. Less than twenty feet away to the left-hand side was a door. He almost jumped up and sprinted toward it, but his instinct told him to wait. Wait for darkness. As soon as the flare died he would move.
In what seemed like an interminable wait, the last strobe of light vanished. Reddic pulled himself out of the gap and over the second row of barrels. He crouched in a sprinter’s starting position and listened for nearby activity.
He couldn’t hear anything. His heart was pounding too hard. It was now or never.
He shot out of his stance, reaching the door in two and a half strides. He kicked it open and jumped out into the courtyard. The rapid change in illumination temporarily blinded him. Ignoring the retinal sting, he slammed the door closed. Down at his feet on a small square slab of cement was a wooden wedge used to prop open the door. Reddic reached down and stuffed it under the door, kicking it in to make sure it didn’t fall out.
That should delay them for a few minutes. He knew he had to get as far away from the building as possible. He nimbly spun on his heal and started to run, but he didn’t make it far. An unexpected sight stopped him.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. He felt paralyzed, unable to move his legs.
Standing in front of him was the woman who brought him here.
Chapter Seventeen
The slender woman looked conspicuously out of place. She wore a gray business suit, which probably wasn’t the preferred apparel of choice for military facilities, and she had her brunette hair up. She was tall and attractive, but not quite beautiful. She had sharp facial features and deep blue eyes. Reddic glared at her blankly, displaying no emotion. What was she doing here? Neither individual moved. Reddic’s fierce look was met with a haughty grin.
A crashing noise from behind spooked him. He looked back and saw the warehouse door pried open a couple of inches. Another crash came and the gap between the door and the frame increased to six inches. The block of wood lodged under the door was barely visible. One more vigorous push and the door would free the wedge.
Reddic thought of options. He considered fleeing the base on foot. The problem was he wasn't exactly sure where the front gate was. He was surrounded by what looked like warehouses. His hands twitched at his side contemplating how to get out of the mess he found himself in. He realized that he couldn’t run away from this deceitful woman. She could be his ticket off the base. There was no more time to plan. He knew he had to confront her.
With his arms extended in front, Reddic lunged. Only four feet separated them. Reddic’s body traveled swiftly through the air. He fully expected to grab hold of her suit and overpower her to the ground, but he wasn’t fast enough, he realized too late.
The mysterious woman opened up sideways just as Reddic was about to make contact. She grabbed his shirt and threw him to the grassy surface. Reddic hit hard, tumbling over twice. He jumped to his feet and faced her again. To the right the door to the warehouse flew open; three soldiers rushed out and started to advance. The unknown woman raised her arm without turning, and, like obedient dogs, the soldiers abruptly halted and stood at attention.
Reddic tried to make sense of the situation. Why were these soldiers taking orders from this civilian? He wanted answers and he knew that the person standing in front of him was the only one who could provide them. He moved in to attack again. This time he stayed low and refrained from lunging. He wouldn’t make the same mis
take twice. Faking right, he charged her from the left.
The tall brunette seized Reddic’s left wrist and twisted it backwards. Reddic felt the ligaments strain in his elbow. Desperately, he tried to punch with his free hand, but the more he moved the more off-balance he became. She kicked Reddic’s legs out from under him and threw him to the ground, again. Removing a gun from inside her jacket, she pointed it at Reddic’s chest.
Strangely, Reddic felt no fear. He stared down the gun like it was a snake about to strike him. Slowly, he sat up and placed his hands at his side. Lifting himself up, he stood with his hands to the sky. The woman stepped closer and waved the gun, signaling him to return to the warehouse. Indisposed, Reddic turned and faced the three soldiers.
It would be a fatal error to reenter the building. With that thought in mind he abruptly spun back around. His body uncoiled like a tightly wound spring. He chopped down with his right palm on the woman’s wrist, knocking it out of her hand. He violently hurled a fist toward her face but missed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the gun lying in the grass. It rested only two feet away from where he stood. He took a step backwards and bent down to grab it, keeping his eyes on the suited woman.
His fingers parted the soft blades of grass, but he couldn’t find the weapon. He had to take a quick peek to locate it. Deftly scooping it up, he held the cold metal firmly. He wrapped his fingers around the weapon and started to raise it when his vision suddenly seemed to cloud over, as if an object just passed in front of his eyes. He felt his body fall forward. He wanted to catch himself but his arms wouldn’t respond. Helplessly, his hand released the gun as his chest bounced off the ground.
Then there was silence.
***
The constant shimmer of light penetrated Reddic’s eyelids. He slowly cracked them open and saw the source of the brightness. Mounted at the center of the stucco ceiling was a single bulb with a string hanging from its base. To its right, directly overhead, was a five blade ceiling fan rotating steadily. The swirling blades produced a flickering sensation of light. Reddic turned his head to his left, grimacing as it passed over the thin mattress.
The pain in his head throbbed. Twice already he had sustained serious blows to its backside. Fatigue was setting in. He wanted to get up, but his whole body hurt. Plus, there was no reason to change positions. He was inside of a cell. There were no windows or vents and the walls were formed of cinderblock. Apart from the cot pressed against the wall there was not another piece of furniture in the whole room.
A jingling noise came from somewhere behind his head. A metallic door swung open, screeching loudly. Clicking footsteps entered the confined room. A woman wearing dark slacks and a white blouse walked passed Reddic’s head. In her right hand she carried a small stool. She stood it upright on the cement floor and sat down. Even without looking Reddic knew who it was.
“You look parched,” the woman said, throwing a bottle in Reddic’s direction. Reddic’s hand shot up and snatched the receptacle out of midair. He looked at it for a moment, unsure if he should drink it.
“It’s just water. As you can see it hasn’t even been opened,” she said, noticing Reddic’s hesitation. Reddic broke the seal and brought the opening to his mouth. The ice-cold liquid flowing down his throat immediately satisfied his thirst. He devoured the twenty ounces in a matter of seconds.
“You’re probably wondering why you’re here.” Reddic didn’t reply. He acted like he had heard nothing. “Do you know why you’re here, Mr. Smith?”
“Because you want to lose a few million dollars on the law suit I’m going to file?” Reddic said coolly.
“Don’t be so bitter, Reddic. Can I call you Reddic? You’re a very special young man, you know.”
“I’d hate to be normal then. I can’t imagine how I’d be received,” he said sardonically.
“My name is Madison Jenkins,” she continued, ignoring the sarcasm. “I’ve been following your progression for some time now. You possess a multitude of innate qualities that can never be taught or learned. Very few people have these gifts. I was sure that you were one of them when I first met you.”
“Hold it right there. Before our little run-in in New York I had never met you. I don’t want to hear any more of your lies.”
“That’s not true. We met once before. You’ve just forgotten.”
“Is this some kind of joke?” Reddic said, rising to his feet. He gingerly walked to the door and pulled on the handle. It was locked.
“Open the door!” he screamed, kicking it with the inner portion of his foot.
“Think back, Reddic. Before our encounter in New York I spoke with you. Don’t you remember?” Madison shouted above the banging. Reddic stopped kicking and leaned against the door with his back turned. There was something that the woman said that triggered a faint memory. Perhaps they had spoken before. Not as acquaintances, he would have remembered that, but as something else. But what was it?
Reddic’s head loosely hung between his shoulders as he poured over his memory’s database of names and faces.
Looking up, he muttered, “My parents’ funeral.”
“Yes.”
“You said you were a reporter for the USA Today. You looked different. You had blond hair then. I remember that you claimed to be writing an article about the tragedy, but I knew you weren’t a reporter. You didn’t take a single note. Beat writers covering anything remotely relating to college athletics have to take a slew of them. The irony is they misquote you every time.”
“Do you recall what I asked?”
“Vaguely,” Reddic said, turning to face his questioner.
“I asked you how many people were in attendance at the funeral. You know what you said? One hundred and three: forty-eight men, thirty-five women, and twenty children. You even looked out over the parking area and informed me how many vehicles were parked there, and their colors. Do you remember me asking where the silver Buick was parked?”
“I think I do. Wasn’t it in the fourth row, five cars from the right edge?” Reddic asked.
“Incredible,” she said. “After all this time you still remember. That was my car, you know?”
“I figured as much. So what’s the story now? Why am I here?”
“I wanted to do this differently. You have to trust me on that. But some of my associates desired an additional evaluation. I’m a recruiter, Reddic. I’ve been doing this for almost thirteen years. I know talent when I see it,” she said. Reddic carefully looked her over. She didn’t look old enough to have been recruiting for thirteen years. Her hair was full of color and life and the skin on her face was smooth and healthy. She appeared to be in fantastic physical shape and her hands were wrinkle-free.
“I’m thirty-five years old, in case you’re wondering,” she said, seemingly reading Reddic’s mind.
“Of course you are. You look good for your age.”
“As I was saying, I wanted to bring you in without all the charades.”
“So what stopped you?”
“Some people higher up than I didn’t think that my initial raving evaluation was sufficient. They never do. They were impressed with what I told them, mind you, but they thought a physical demonstration was necessary before you were invited to enter the program.”
“Are you implying that this was all a stupid game?” Reddic asked, feeling stress swell within.
“Not a game, a test. For the record, you passed. The objective was to safely escape the warehouse in any way possible. You managed to do that effortlessly.”
“What do you mean by safely? The soldiers weren’t going to harm me, were they?”
“Those soldiers were not privy to this operation. They received some misinformation and were acting accordingly.” Reddic’s eyes hardened.
“You put me in harm’s way for an idiotic test? Now I really hope you have a good lawyer, lady.”
“I think you’ll reconsider after you hear my proposal. By the way, the test was supposed to have con
cluded once you stepped out of the warehouse, but I wanted to see you up close. You’re fearless; I’ll give you that. But you’re also overly aggressive. I knew you would be too, based on your merits as an athlete. You’re an offensive player. It’s not that you don’t defend it’s just that you think offensively. You attacked me too quickly. Consequently, you put yourself in a vulnerable position. You exposed your weakness.” She lithely walked over to Reddic, stopping only an arm’s length away. She carried a graceful confidence about her, but there was no pretense, just quiet aplomb.
“I will teach you how to fight with your hands, with weapons, with your mind,” she said. “Couple that with your natural instincts and you could be extraordinary.”
Reddic thought about what this woman just said, wondering if she could be trusted. He wasn’t fully sure that any of this was real.
“I don’t know if law enforcement is my thing,” he said.
“Oh, we’re not cops and we’re not FBI. We’re with a different organization.”
Chapter Eighteen
Leaning back in his seat, Jaxon’s mouth was agape. Reddic knew he was trying to make sense of all that he had related. It was a lot of information, most of which he probably didn’t understand. His face looked troubled.
“So what did you do?” Jaxon asked after several seconds.
“I took her up on her proposal and trained all summer in between my basketball workouts. It was intense, almost unbearable at times, but I managed.”
“So are you, you know, are you…”
“No, I quit. I told the woman that it wasn’t for me. I was too focused on basketball to worry about those other things.”
“And she let you just walk away? This is the person that put you in a room with those soldiers to be beaten and possibly killed.”