We left school right after that. Their words stung a little bit, but I didn't let my emotions show. I don't want them to know that I am utterly terrified of what could happen not only to me, but to all of us.
"Where are we going?" I asked once we got to the car.
"Bubba's basement," said Chase. No one said anything else to me the rest of the way. They talked amongst themselves about what they felt I needed to be taught first, and they kept arguing.
Upon arrival, we made our way down to the basement where the equipment was all scattered around. There was so much stuff, I didn't know where to look first.
"It's all state of the art. Pop bought it for all of us when we still in the mafia to make sure we were in top shape all the time. Any piece of equipment you could imagine, we had it. When we left, Pop sent some guys to come get it. We moved before they could find us. Now, we're using the best to train you. You ready for this?" Bubba finished.
--
"The first rule in a fight is to never let your guard down. Hands up and ready to punch and block at all times." The first part of my training is how to fight, with Erik teaching me. "When your opponent tries to hit you, your non-dominant arm goes up to block, while your dominant goes to punch, like so." He demonstrated. "Understand?"
I nodded, even though I was incredibly nervous.
Before I knew it, Erik went in for a punch. Catching me off guard, he punched me in the chin and I stumbled backwards, falling on my ass.
"What the fuck, Erik!" I yelled, jumping back up and lunging towards him. I punched, and punched, and punched, until I could no longer feel my hands and Erik was on the ground moaning. Chase ran over and pulled me off of him.
"Kacey, calm down!" Chase screamed, struggling to hold me back. Erik sat up, spitting blood out of the corner of his mouth.
"Nicely done, K. I underestimated you. If anyone asks, I got in a fight with Ryan," Erik said, standing back up. "What's next?
--
"Weight training is essential to any fight, whether it be physical or even with a gun. You need to be physically fit at all times. We've been training for years, as have Austin and Ty. They're in top shape, and are 100% stronger than you. You need to be prepared. The more damage done to your opponent, the better." Chase is my mentor for the weight training portion of my training.
"There are three main things you need to do for weight training. We have the bench press, hand weights, and leg weights." Great. I can't even lift the bench bar without any weight on it. They're going to thing I'm such a fucking wimp.
"Every muscle needs to be tight and toned, as it helps to prevent injuries in a fight. The less toned you are, the more you'll feel the blows as you receive them. Toning your legs will make your kicks more powerful, and more damage can be done while punching when you don't have flabby arms." I looked down at my arms and tried to hide them. They jiggle. "Once we get you into shape, you could do some serious damage." Chase finishes.
I looked around, trying to figure out where to start.
"Bench press," Chase said, ushering me over to it. He began putting weights on the bar when I stopped him.
"Chase, those are going to have to wait."
"Why?"
"Because I can barely lift the bar by itself."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." The other guys were holding in some laughs, and I was embarrassed. Maybe they were beginning to regret their decision to let me in. I wouldn't blame them if they did.
I positioned myself under the bar, and slowly began doing a few reps. I struggled at first, but it got easier as I went. Chase stood above me as my spotter in case I needed anything. He slowly started adding more weight to the bar when I told him to.
"Not so many at once, or you'll hurt yourself. Rest for a minute then we'll go again."
--
"Kacey, agility is key. You have to be able to outrun your opponent, and you have to have good stamina. Bubba and I are the fastest of the five," said William. "We'll be taking turns trying to chase you down, and you try not to get caught. How much do you like to run?"
"I don't," I state.
"This ought to be interesting then," Bubba laughed.
He's not wrong. I'm so out of fucking shape it's unreal. I stopped playing sports once I hit high school, which resulted in my arms and legs becoming flabby. It's very unflattering.
"Wait a minute. Are we running now?" I ask.
They all just laughed, which gave me my answer. We all walked out of the basement and into the street, where they completely ignored the traffic whizzing by us.
Ryan and I lined up next to each other, with Bubba a couple feet behind us. The goal is for me to keep up with Ryan, while trying to avoid being caught by Bubba. Shouldn't be too hard, right? I mean, how fast can they possibly be?
"On three. One. Two. Three!" Blaney yelled. Ryan took off, and Bubba soon after. I sprinted off, desperately trying to catch up to Ryan and keep Bubba behind me, which was proving to be a difficult task.
"Kacey, pick up the pace, let's go!" Ryan yelled. I felt my chest beginning to tighten up and my asthma kicking in from years of not exercising. I turned around to see Bubba ready to pass me.
When I saw that, something ignited inside me. I pushed myself farther than I ever imagined it could go, and soon enough I was ahead of Ryan, leaving Bubba in the dust. My body felt weightless, almost as if I was floating.
"Slow down, K!" Bubba yelled. I didn't realize the race was over, and I was at the end of the block. I walked my way back to the guys, holding my sides the whole time. My insides were burning, and I felt like my heart was about to explode.
"You need some cardio conditioning before we try this again. You look like you're about to die," said Ryan.
"Yeah, I feel like it."
--
"The final part of your training is target practice and shooting. I'm assuming you've never shot a gun before, but this is the most essential thing you'll have to know how to do if you're going to be with us. To make a clean shot, concentration is key. You can't afford to miss your target. Missing them opens up a window for them to get you before you can try for them again. Any and all mistakes could potentially be fatal," said Blaney.
He's right. I've never shot a gun before, I've had no reason to have to. This is the part I'm most nervous for. I've never liked guns, even in movies, so the fact I have to use one is terrifying to me.
"Grab the gun off the table and a set of goggles." I walk away from him and do as I'm told, something that is very rare for me. "Before you do any shooting, I'll demonstrate. The main target points you want to aim for are the head, chest, and stomach. Head and chest will kill, but the stomach makes the death more painful and drawn out. Anywhere else is cosmetic. Aim to kill.
"I can see you're nervous, and don't be. Nerves will make your accuracy off, and forget trying to focus. Everything will be fine. All you have to do is relax. Just watch me."
Ryan stepped up to the line and held up the gun with both hands. Aiming it at the target, he fired. The sound made me flinch, and I heard the guys snicker behind me. Ryan fired two more times before finally lowering his gun.
"When you aren't firing, keep the safety on. The last thing we need is you shooting yourself when you're trying to load it." Ryan summoned me over to where he was standing. I looked up at his target, and saw he hit all three points dead on.
I clicked my safety off and raised the gun up to eye level. Aiming it towards the target, I placed my finger over the trigger. Taking a deep breath, on exhale I fired. I fired twice more before I lowered my weapon.
Ryan brought my target up and inspected it before speaking.
"Not bad, Roberts. You were a little shaky when we started, but I'll let it slide since it was your first time. Head shot was a little off, but chest and stomach look good. Nice job."
Wait, you mean I passed? Did he actually just acknowledge that I did something good? Pinch me, I must be dreaming.
"Now just so you know, we train every day after school usually for two or three hours. Sometimes more, but never less. From now on, you'll be here with us. I hope you're ready for this," Erik said.
I don't have much of a choice, do I?