“Come on, you can hit me harder than that. I hope.”

Luke took a step back and wiped his brow,

“I don’t want to hurt you, though.”

“I promise I will tell you if that ever becomes a problem,” I chuckled.

Luke narrowed his eyes,

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Because your instincts are a lot better than your right hook,” I snorted. “Look, for now, I just need to see if you can actually throw a decent punch. Come on, you are the one who wanted to spar, you’ve been pestering me about it for weeks, now.”

Luke had really committed to his training after the first session with Vicki. And he wasn’t the only one. The demonstration had served its purpose for many of the students. It had effectively showed them that I wasn’t just being hyperbolic, if they didn’t make an effort, they really were going to get themselves killed. My afternoons had gotten much busier at that point, as many of the kids suddenly wanted additional sessions. And it was working, too, if a bit slowly. Subsequent visits from the succubus had gone much better. For the students, at any rate. Vicki herself had been increasingly sulky and irritable. She was getting less and less out of the exercise, but it was better than nothing, so as I had predicted, she didn’t stop coming. I think that convinced some people that I might even know what I was talking about. Either way, a few more weeks of work and my students might be considered minimally competent in a fight.

“I know… It’s just, harder to hit a real person than I expected, you know?” Luke finally replied, biting his lip.

Then again, perhaps I was getting ahead of myself.

“You are going to have to get past that. Hitting people is the whole point of all of this.”

“They aren’t people,” Luke countered.

I sighed. Everyone here was very dedicated to clearly distinguishing between humans and ubarae. I suppose that wasn’t exactly surprising. But the thing was, even if they could easily separate the two, it functionally made little difference, no matter how much they wished it did.

“Except, some of your opponents definitely will be. Have you not been paying attention at all?” I rubbed my temples. “Thralls are human, and they will likely be doing most of the direct fighting. You need to be able to hit a person, however you choose to define that word.”

He considered that for a moment. Luke, more than any of the others, seemed to find violence distasteful. A surprising hang up, given the stated goal of everyone in this facility, but perhaps a useful one as well. Finally, he nodded, hesitantly,

“Right. Ok, let’s try again.”

We squared up, and I waited for him to make the first move.

“Tell me something,” I danced back, avoiding his swing. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what? Training? That was your idea.”

Luke stepped in closer and tried another highly telegraphed blow.

“No, not training,” I shoved his arm away and hit him in the stomach. “Why did you join this cause? No offense, but you don’t really seem like the type.”

“What is the ‘type’?” he grunted, drawing back to rethink his strategy.

“Someone less hesitant to hit me, for one.”

He seemed to consider that for a moment, then nodded.

“You are right. I am not normally a violent person,” he punctuated that with a series of quick jabs. They didn’t have much power, but at least they were accurate. “But I have siblings, nieces and nephews. Somebody needs to protect them, and people like them.”

I cursed internally, that was going to be tough logic to contend with. Often the greatest atrocities were perpetrated in the name of ‘protection’. Still, I could work on it. Outwardly, I just nodded, stepping in closer so his wide swing was cut off by my shoulder meeting his inner elbow.

“Can I ask you something, now?” Luke continued, breathing hard.

“I suppose that is only fair.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Tom asked me. Why wouldn’t I help?” I shrugged, blocking another jab with my forearm. It wouldn’t leave a bruise, but at least it stung a bit.

“Well, it’s just that you don’t seem to hate the ubarae, or to want them dead. So why did you agree to all this?”

That was the big question, wasn’t it? Obviously, I couldn’t tell him the whole truth. But, if I had any hope of changing anyone’s mind, I had to risk something. The question was, how much?

“I don’t hate them. How could I? I’ve known plenty, over the years, and for the most part they are just like us. They are just… people. Maybe not human, but still people. So, no, I don’t want to kill anyone. If this is the only way to keep people safe, then I’ll do it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. And it doesn’t mean I don’t wish we could find a better solution.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I don’t think that is going to happen.”

“Maybe not. All the more reason for you to focus on your training,” I hooked the back of his leg and knocked him to the mat, again.

Luke grunted and struggled back to his feet, preparing to square up again, but the sound of someone clapping brought him up short. I looked up to find that Tom had entered the room at some point and was sitting alone in the bleachers, watching.

“How long have you been up there?” I asked.

“Long enough.”

“You could have just spoken up, if you needed me for something.”

“I didn’t mind waiting, I was enjoying the show. And I am actually looking for your dance partner,” Tom nodded at Luke.

“Oh?” Luke dropped his hands. “Everything ok?”

“Yeah, no problem at all. Sorry to interrupt, but the boss wants to talk to you. You have a minute?”

“Of course. Let me get cleaned up real quick and I will be right with you,” he turned to me, “You don’t mind, right?”

“It’s the boss, what can I do?” I shrugged.

Tom jogged off to the back to change. I took a seat on the bleachers.

“You’re still holding your own pretty well against the kids, I see,” Tom observed.

“It isn’t hard. None of them know what they are doing.”

Frankly, I had been taking it very easy on him.

“Still, I expected to see you slowing down a bit, in your old age,” Tom smirked.

“First off, we are the same age, asshole. Second, I haven’t really had anything to do in here other than train the kids and work out. Someone has even been leaning on people, restricting my access to contraband.”

“What a shame,” Tom seemed proud of himself for that one.

“I’m not completely cut off, of course,” I continued, pulling the flask out of my beg and watched a scowl form on his face. “Still, I am honestly probably in the best shape of my life. Benefits of a lot of free time, and not being allowed to leave, I guess. I don’t even have internet access, so I have to keep busy somehow.”

“I am sorry about all the restrictions,” Tom rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s just, you are privy to some sensitive information, and Pete is worried that you might…”

“Blab about something I shouldn’t?”

“Pretty much,” he admitted.

“I know how to keep a secret, Tom. I’d think you of all people would know that by now.”

“I do know that, but lately you have been a bit… off your game, let’s say. Though, things have been improving the last few weeks. If you keep this up, Pete is talking about reading you in on more of the plan.”

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be earning Wallace’s approval,” I replied, dryly.

“I know you aren’t his biggest fan, but Pete isn’t so bad. He took control when we needed it. And he has a plan. It is more than anyone else has. Certainly better than Gail and her, let’s say naïve belief that things can go back to the way they were.”

“I can’t say I blame her. I mean come on, Tom, do you really want this to be the only way?”

Tom shook his head,

“It doesn’t matter what I want. This is the only way. Wishing doesn’t change anything about reality.”

I sighed. I had been trying for weeks now to subtly convince him that he didn’t have to go through with whatever he was planning. It wasn’t working. Tom, as far as I could see, was fully committed to his course, now. I no longer really believed I could change his mind, as I had hoped in the beginning. Some of the younger recruits were more amenable to persuasion, they had joined before they truly understood the situation, and with more information, some were wavering. But it wasn’t going to be enough to undermine what had been set in motion here.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Luke emerged and jogged over, saving me from coming up with a response.

“No problem. But let’s not keep him waiting too long,” Tom rose.

“Wait, you aren’t going to tell me what’s going on?” I asked.

“It’s nothing,” Tom replied. “Just a meeting. Pete wants to see a few of the top performers in his office, to congratulate them on all the progress they have been making, lately.”

Tom and I were going to have to have a talk someday, about him thinking I was stupid. Who pulls someone out of training just to give them an attaboy?

“Well, maybe I should come along, then. I’d like to offer my congratulations, too,” I smiled.

“That won’t be necessary,” Tom waved away my offer. “We don’t want to mess up your training schedule, after all. I saw another student outside on my way in.”

“They won’t mind waiting. I was supposed to do 10 more minutes with Luke anyway. Come on, let’s go,” I headed for the door.

“You should stay here, Ray,” Tom insisted. “Come on, Luke.”

Luke dropped his eyes sheepishly and went to step around me, but I moved to block his path. I fixed him with a stern look,

“How about you tell me what is really going on, before you go?”

Luke looked away,

“It’s nothing. Just a meeting, like Tom said.”

“Of course,” I rolled my eyes. “That is why you are being so cagey about it.”

“Look, it is confidential. I can’t say,” Luke was sweating more now than he had been while we were sparring. He was a terrible liar. I suspected his people pleasing tendencies played a role, there.

“Oh, come on, who am I going to tell?” I gestured to the otherwise empty room.

“She has a point, Tom,” Luke wavered. “She could help. She has experience in these things, and I know I could use some training for situations like the one…”

“Don’t say anything more,” Tom broke in. “Just come with me. Now.”

“Don’t listen to him. Tell me what is going on, Luke. I need to know, if I am going to prepare you.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Luke replied. “The boss just chose us to run a small operation, that’s all. Nothing shady. Like Tom said, I shouldn’t really go into the details, though.”

An ‘operation’? I did not like the sounds of that. No one here was ready for anything that could be reasonably called an operation. Which could only mean that Wallace had something very stupid in mind.

“Luke,” Tom interrupted sharply. “That’s enough.”

Tom pulled his keycard from his pocket and swiped it to open the door.

“We are leaving,” he paused in the doorway and gestured for Luke to follow him out.

“There is no rush,” I insisted. “Come on, Luke, you can tell me.”

“I can’t. I’m sorry,” the trainee went to step around me and head for the door.

But I got there first.

“Fine. If no one here will explain, then I guess I had better get it from the source.”

I plucked the keycard from Tom’s hand before he could react and stepped out into the hall.

“You said he was in his office, right?”

Tom opened his mouth to protest, but I didn’t give him the chance.

“Never mind, I can find him.”

Ignoring the two men’s shouts trailing in my wake, I strode off in search of Wallace. He and I needed to have a little chat.