Past, Present and Future - The Devereaux Case Files Book 6

Chapter 4

Two days had passed since Seth had explained the difficulties Sammy was having lately. And in those two days, Seth had called Murray and been denied access to 'old' and 'out of date' training techniques. He had demanded they come up with their own training procedures if they were so unhappy with the way things were going. He didn't want anyone being trained the way Rudy or Reed had been trained ever again. So Gideon and Seth and Sammy all got together and spent the next two days putting their heads together to figure out a new regime.

It wasn't easy and they didn't have a lot of experience, but they did have Reed's old training file that they all secretly borrowed from. They figured that what Murray didn't know couldn't hurt anyone and if he asked, they had come up with the idea together, because of their own training with Reed; and he couldn't be mad at that.

Once those two days were over, they got their recruits for the first time. They were currently running them through routine drills to test their stamina, strength, endurance and performance levels. Their exceptional speed and talents had already got them into training, it was time for them to prove themselves. And while they did, Gideon talked them into a frenzy. He goaded them and pushed their buttons, he talked to them of private things they thought no-one knew. He broadcast their faults and mistakes until they were screaming at him to shut up, and ready to retaliate with physical violence. But it was all part and parcel of the training.

"You cannot break down. You do not retaliate." Gideon shouted at them as they all stood at the finish line, bent over their knees, gasping from breathlessness and glaring at him as if they could rip him to pieces. But he didn't care. He had a few home truths for them, while Seth and Sammy set up the next assault course. "You think I'm trying to break you. I am. You think I'm trying to humiliate you and make you hit me. I am. You know why? Because that is what your enemy will do. Anyone ever been in combat? Or competitive, physical sports?" Gideon threw the question out to the room at large, with a total of fifteen trainee agents. Out of that fifteen he had only spotted three with obvious potential, Muhammad and Elodie who would both need some more work, and Maxwell who had, so far, exceeded at every challenge.

"Yes, sir." Maxwell and two other boys who sported tattoos nodded along in reply. One, at least, looked to have been in the army at some point, while the other looked more like a gang member.

"Then you'll know what I mean. If you are facing down a brick wall that refuses to move, you need to find another way through. When you are that brick wall, your enemy will do anything to knock you off guard. That included trash talking, that includes digging into your personal history from the present day to the day your great grandfather was born." He explained in frustration. Most of them looked confused and a little blank at his words, as if they didn't understand yet. But they should have. They had to have passed a medical and intellectual admissions test before even advancing towards the training ground. They couldn't be an agent with all brawn and no brain. They had to be machines, smart, quick and strong.

"Nothing is a secret anymore, ladies and gentlemen. Your private was taken away the moment you signed up for this agency. You do not keep secrets from your team or your team leader. To the rest of the world, you do not exist." Gideon continued his pep talk as he paced his way along the line, back and forth, watching them all for signs of understanding, for signs of disrespect or exasperation. But most of all, after the physical work out they had been through with no breaks, for nearly two hours, he was watching for exhaustion, knees shaking or thirst, which would warrant further attention.

"Sir?" Elodie spoke but didn't move, not even to raise her hand, which Gideon was glad for. So he asked her what she wanted to say, before walking back along the line and stopping right in front of her. Her tone sounded curious, but he could never be sure if it was curious over something she had thought about or curious about something she thought he had wrong. One was good, the other was bad. He and the boys had never dared question Reed until well into their career when they knew he was approachable, but even then they did it with respect. Gideon knew by now that there were leaders out there who ran their crews like military commandos and didn't accept anyone speaking unless they were spoken to by the one in command first.