The Agents

Chapter Ten

"When are we going to be done?" Victoria complained for the fifteenth time in the last hour.
I rolled my eyes. They had been shooting for three hours and did not hold back their feelings about that. To answer Victoria's question, I said, "When you can shoot a bull's-eye, you can be done."
"But that isn't fair!" Austin exclaimed from where he was standing in front of his target.
I turned to where Jaxon was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Taylor snuggled into Drake's arms as he sat on the floor with his back against the wall right below Jaxon. "Do you think it's unfair?" I asked.
Taylor and Drake both chuckled and said, "Nope," causing a smirk to cross Jaxon's face even as he kept his eyes closed.
I turned back to the recruits who had all stopped shooting to wait for my answer. "Well then, there you have it." The blank mask covered my smirk and I said, "Keep shooting."
An hour later, Victoria and Austin were still shooting.
Jennifer had been the first to get a shot in the center ring. She had turned to me, fear of being denied and having to keep shooting written across her face. I said, "Excellent job. Put your clip in the refill bucket you have been using and place your empty gun in the box under the desk full of weapons. Then, you can get some lunch. The kitchen is through that door." I pointed everything out as I said it. Her face turned into one of excitement, and she hurried to put away her gun and go get lunch and a bathroom break.
Surprisingly, it was Anna who got the next bull's-eye. She had only been with us for three months, much less than the other recruits. She was also very shy and usually hid beneath her red hair.
Stacey and Aaron got their shots after that with Josh following closely behind. Victoria and Austin were left the only two still shooting.
Jaxon leaned down from where he was sitting in a chair and whispered in Drakes ear, "We are going to run out of ammo before they shoot the target at this rate." I smirked; he was probably right.
"Alright!" Victoria and Austin stopped shooting, turning to look at me where I was still standing in my original position. "Since this obviously isn't working, I'll give you a deal." They nodded, thinking they were going to be done. "Whoever shoots their target first gets to keep their bathroom privileges." Their mouths dropped open in shock.
"You're really going to make us shoot to be able to use the bathroom?" Victoria screeched.
"Yes." I stated. "Oh and I'd hurry if I were you. You have ten minutes before you both lose your privileges." They both turned and starting shooting at their targets again.
Taylor stood up from her spot next to Drake and came to stand next to me. "Don't you think that's a little cruel? Threatening them with no bathroom?" she asked.
I just shrugged and said, "It's not cruel. I'm just giving them incentive."
She rolled her eyes, a smile on her face, before shaking her head and walking back over to Drake.
I stood watching them shoot for another seventeen minutes before they got their shots. I was about to call it when they both shot off the last shot in their clip. Both pierced the center circle at the same exact time.
They turned to look at me, their mouths hanging open in shock.
"You're late," was all I said. Their expressions went from happy to crestfallen in an instant. "Go get something to eat. Be back here in twenty minutes." With that, I strode away from them.

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"Alright, gather around over here." The recruits gathered around me, Austin still trying to eat the last of his sandwich. "We are going to start with some basic punches and kicks. I will demonstrate and then you will attempt them on your own." I turned to the line of punching bags behind me and stepped up to the closest one.
I stood behind it so I was facing everyone, and I showed them how to make a fist and how to swing. I hit the punching bag a couple times, making sure they knew how to do it. I then demonstrated a couple different kicks; first showing them how to angle their foot, and then kicking the bag. I backed up after that, standing so that I could still see everyone. "Pick a bag and start hitting."
They did as I said, each of them stepping up to their own bag. They were hesitant at first, just brushing the bag. After a couple minutes, they got used to the feel and sound the bag made when you hit it.
I watched them for a while, occasionally stepping up to correct their posture or critique their technique. An hour in, I stepped up to my own bag and started punching.
Where their hits were infrequent and made a soft thump on impact, mine were one after another and caused loud thwacks to go around the room. I settled into a rhythm; right punch, left punch, right punch, right kick, and right punch again.
I lost track of how much time had passed. It all just went by in a blur. The only thing that registered were the hits I landed on the bag.
I was brought back to the present by a hand landing on my shoulder. I turned in mid punch, my fist still flying out, my mind not entirely caught up yet. A strong hand caught my fist right before it made contact with its target.
The last of the numbness left my mind, and I registered what was happening around me.
Josh was standing in front of me, his arm still outstretched from where he had laid his hand on my shoulder. His eyes were wide and fearful, his mouth open in shock. Jaxon was wedged in the small space between us, his hand covering my clenched fist.
"I told you not to do that," Jaxon told Josh. Josh's mouth snapped shut and he nodded his head vigorously before backing up, away from me. Jaxon turned to me. Before he could start speaking, I jerked my hand out of his grasp and walked over to the rack of towels against the wall. I picked one up and wiped the sweat off my face before turning back towards where everyone was still watching me.
"What happened?" I asked, referring to Josh almost getting punched.
Drake answered, "You almost punched a recruit."
I rolled my eyes and said, "No shit, Sherlock."
Taylor cut off Drake's sarcastic response by explaining, "The recruits got tired. They've been punching the bags for four hours. They were trying to ask you if they could stop, but you weren't answering. Josh walked forward to shake you and Jaxon warned him he would probably get himself punched, though I noticed he left out the little detail explaining how he found that out." She looked at Jaxon as she said the last part, a smirk on her face. Jaxon just shrugged.
I nodded to Taylor before turning to the recruits. I said, "No. We've barely just begun."
"But Carter!" Josh started.
Drake quieted him with one glare. He turned from Josh to look at me, "Come on Jaycee, don't you think they've had enough for today?"
"No they haven't," I said, my heartbeat going crazier now than from the three hour workout I just had. "They need to be prepared, and we don't have a lot of time. That means we are going to work long and hard until they are prepared, even if it means punching that bag for twenty-four hours straight. Now get punching."
The recruits started complaining, and Drake went to cut in again when an unexpected voice interrupted. Wallace stood from her chair against the wall that she had been in all day, observing the activities. She silenced everyone with a wave of her hand before coming to stand next to me. She laid a hand on my shoulder and quietly said, "That's enough, Jaycee." I started growing frantic, and she saw it in my eyes. She gently squeezed my shoulder and nodded.
Turning to the recruits, I said, "Lights off in twenty." Then, I quickly walked away from everyone.
Memories were starting to plague me, and I needed to get out of there. I walked into the executive bathroom off of the main room and locked the door behind me. I went over to the single sink, quickly turning on the tap. I splashed cold water on my face and rested my hands along the sides of the sink. Looking up at the mirror hanging above the sink, I saw a girl with very pale skin that was shaking like crazy as water and sweat dripped from her face. The face faded as memories bombarded me.
"Carter!"
I shook my head, trying to get rid of the memory.
"Help me! Carter! Please!" I ran faster. I had to get to her. I had to.
No. I will not remember that.
"Carter!" She screamed one last time, before her voice faded away. I came crashing around the corner and skidded to a halt. Too late. I was too late. I stood there looking at-
*CRASH*
The mirror hanging on the wall in front of me shattered, bits of glass embedding themselves into my knuckles. I let out a strangled cry as I held my now bloody hand to my chest. I sank down to the ground, my back resting against the wall. I drew my knees up to my chest as sobs started racking my body.