Daisy | Simon Riley

|6|

When Drew arrived to the track for PT, she'd gone slightly earlier than before, able to get in a proper jog before anyone else arrived.

That meant she stood silently beside Ghost, watching as the troops trickled in and began running.

She tried not to pay attention to Fox; how he'd trotted past them to fall in with the others, but she couldn't help the annoyance that resurfaced at seeing him since their last training day. She said nothing of course, and wouldn't hold it against him—as long as he didn't act the same way again.

Like each PT, when they finished their laps, they arranged themselves in their squads, standing at attention for their orders.

"Morning," she called. "Today you're going to be continuing your sparring training and running through some exercises. You'll be paired with the person behind you. Everyone find a spot."

The same as the previous session, each pair was given a challenge, but without the preparatory spar—they had to jump right into fighting. This meant that as they dealt with their own hinderance, they had to pick up on their partners fighting patterns.

"Jackson, you're doing well. But remember to extend fully. You're not getting full range of motion," Ghost commented in front of a pair. He watched a few moments later, "there. There you go. Feel the difference?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good."

Drew flicked her eyes back to the pair she was watching, satisfied with both of their actions. They were senior privates, no doubt in for a promotion sometime soon.

As the Lieutenants passed each other, they exchanged their thoughts, whether someone should be pushed or how best to put someone's strengths to use. Then, as time reached the halfway mark of PT, they shuffled the groups around.

Someone blind folded with someone on their knees. Someone who had an arm behind their back with someone who had to hold their hands together. Each with their own disadvantage that they would need to overcome.

"It's not always about winning," Ghost said, walking between the groups. "It could be about outlasting. Finding opportunity. Creating opportunity. Know your opponent's weakness and use it to your advantage. Always be thinkin'. If they've got a bullet in their arm, you target the bullet. If you've got your hands cuffed, you get your arms around their necks. If they've got a foot and a hundred pounds on you, you make them regret eating their spinach," he barked, eyes flicking mockingly to Drew from the opposite side of the group.

She smirked over at him, but her ears piqued at the sound of a scoff.

Her eyes drop to her left, where Harvey and Fox battled it out; the former with his hands behind his back and the latter blindfolded.

She quirked a brow, realizing he must not know that she was standing there. He likely thought she was with Ghost a good twenty feet away. Out of ear shot.

"You prove to them that it's not a disadvantage. And you make sure they don't forget it," she added pointedly.

Ghost began moving in her direction, hands behind his back as he scanned each pair, but she caught the way his eyes flicked over her.

To her enjoyment, Fox faltered, giving Harvey an opening to knock him to the ground.

"Don't get distracted, Fox," she chided.

Between the heavy breaths and grunts, she caught the 'don't call me out' that he muttered under his breath. Although it wasn't her that responded.