Chapter 3 #2
Phoenix says, “Part of your training will be learning to be ready at all times. Your enemy won’t wait for you to change your clothes.
Especially for a smaller woman, you need to make use of your environment.
But looking unprepared is also a weapon.
People will constantly underestimate you.
You must also learn to use that to your advantage. ”
“Okay.” Ulayna nods in understanding. “Let’s get this show on the road, then.”
—
On the other side of the Bratva compound, Alexi steps out the front door of the mansion and confidently strides across the driveway toward the crowd of waiting men. He stops twenty feet from the loitering Bratva soldiers. Silently, he waits to be noticed.
“Pakhan.” One of the men nods in respect.
One by one, the men note his presence and turn to face him. After a few seconds, nearly all the men have stopped their conversations and greeted him. All but three.
When the last three men finally stop talking and turn to regard him, he pulls three bricks of $100 bills from his internal suit pocket.
“Leave,” he says, handing a brick to each man.
He turns his back on the three men, dismissing them.
“What the fuck is this?” one of the men asks from behind him.
Without warning, Alexi spins around and smashes his fist into the man’s face. The man stumbles back, clutching his nose. Before he can recover, Alexi punches him again, and again. He sweeps the man’s feet out from under him and sends him crashing to the ground.
In a heartbeat, Alexi is on the prone man. He rains down blows, one after the other, until the man lies still, unmoving and bloody, on the ground.
Casually, Alexi stands and turns to face the two other men he instructed to leave. “Your time of employment with me has ended. I do not tolerate disrespect. Now, thank me for the generous compensation I’ve given you and take your comrade with you when you leave.”
The two men mumble their gratitude and scramble to drag their unconscious friend with them down the driveway as they make their retreat.
Alexi straightens the cuffs on his suit jacket and walks to the front of the gathered men. He pauses, letting the impact of his actions sink in.
“My father, Boris, is no longer in charge. He has not been in charge for months now. Yet it seems his sloppy leadership continues to plague this organization. Thankfully, I have devised a way to correct that.
“Starting in one month, I will host a series of challenges.
The winners of each challenge will be promoted and placed on an advanced team.
To compete in the challenges, you must first get through training.
Training begins tomorrow and will be supervised by my elite team.
You will be tested in endurance and stamina, resilience, critical thinking under pressure, hand-to-hand combat, loyalty, and anything else I deem fucking appropriate.
“If you do not pass training or if you wash out, you will be given a regular position as a Bratva soldier.
Your pay and position will be determined by how far you make it through training.
Every man will have the opportunity to retake the training once a year.
From now on, this is how we will determine promotions and placement within our ranks.
“Every man in my employment is required to show up for training at 6 a.m. tomorrow. Anyone who does not wish to partake in this training may collect their $10,000 now and join the three other chmoshniki.” He gestures down the driveway where the two men are still struggling to drag their unconscious friend away.
Not a single man moves.
“I’ll see you all at six,” he says, dismissing them.
—
Ulayna follows the team out of the bunkhouse and down a short path to the training grounds. Various pieces of workout equipment form a rough circle around a clearing. The ground has been leveled, and wood chips have been spread to soften it.
Bill walks to the center of the space and gestures for her to join him. She looks the huge man over, struggling to imagine a scenario where she could take him down. He’s at least a foot taller than her and probably double her weight.
Seeing her hesitation, Bill smiles affably. “Come, little one. You will face many opponents of my size, and you must learn strategies to compensate for the height and weight difference.”
Ulayna narrows her eyes at him in determination and strides forward.
Quick as lightning, Bill lunges forward and snatches her off the ground. Before a scream can even leave her lips, he has her in a chokehold. Just as quickly, he sets her back on her feet and takes a step back.
“Your most important tactic when dealing with someone bigger than you is avoidance. Never let them get their hands on you,” he says. “Don’t assume that someone my size is slow. Anticipate their actions, and be one step ahead at all times.”
He lunges for her again. This time, she lets out a startled squeal and jumps backward. His grab misses her, but she lands on her butt on the ground.
He reaches a hand down to help her up. Smiling, he says, “You must also learn to stay on your feet.”
She glares at him and wipes wood chips off her backside.
Suddenly, an arm wraps around her neck from behind, and she’s hoisted off her feet again. Frantic, she clutches at the arm, attempting to release herself. But it’s like a steel band around her. After a few seconds of flailing, the arm releases her, and she drops back down to her feet.
She spins around to face her new attacker. Seeing Hawk smirking at her, she shoves him in the chest. “Hey! Not fair.”
“Who said anything about fair?” Hawk asks. “You also need to learn how to fight off more than one attacker at a time.”
Feeling mulish, Ulayna crosses her arms over her chest and frowns. “This is impossible. There’s no way I could ever fight off two men your size, let alone take them out.”
“Phoenix,” Shade calls from the side of the training grounds. “I think it’s time you show her how it’s done.”
Grinning, Phoenix walks into the center of the space. Both Bill and Hawk slowly advance toward her.
Seeming unperturbed, Phoenix stands there, loose-hipped and checking out her manicure. She looks like an average, bored woman who’s completely unaware of the approaching threats.
When the men are about two paces away, Phoenix suddenly bursts into action.
She races toward them. Diving low, she kicks Hawk in the knee, forcing him to spin away from her.
Using his body as leverage, she launches herself up and to the side at Bill.
Before Bill can grab her, she wraps her legs around him, squeezing with her strong thighs.
Suddenly, Bill’s body goes rigid, and he freezes, his eyes wide with surprise. He slowly lifts his hands in surrender.
Confused, Ulayna tries to make sense of why Bill gave up so quickly. When she sees the glint of metal at his throat, she puts the pieces together.
Ulayna watches as Phoenix hops off Bill’s back and casually walks toward her.
“Here.” Phoenix holds out her hand.
Ulayna takes the small knife from her and admires it. The blade is no more than an inch long, but it’s as sharp as a scalpel. The tiny jewel-encrusted hilt matches the cuff bracelet Phoenix is wearing.
Phoenix takes the minuscule knife back from her and demonstrates how it fits securely into the bracelet.
“Cool,” Ulayna says. “Where can I get one?”
“I have a local jeweler who makes me pieces. I’ll take you there sometime.”
Bill joins them, wiping a tiny smear of blood from his neck. “I’ll get you next time, you little devil,” he says to Phoenix, smiling.
Turning to Ulayna, Bill says, “Your goal, at least in the beginning, will be to avoid hand-to-hand combat whenever possible. Use shock tactics and distractions to avoid fights. But if you must engage, use every trick in the book.”
Ulayna nods, doing her best to absorb the lesson.
Phoenix says, “Aim for the soft spots—eyes, throat, and groin—go low, using their height against them, and always have hidden weapons on you.”
Shade steps up next to her. “From now on, you need to be completely aware of your surroundings. Expect attacks at any moment, because I’ll be testing you. Every day, I’m going to find you and attack you. Your job will be to see me coming and either escape or be prepared to defend yourself.”
Ulayna’s eyes go wide with surprise. “What? Everyday?”
“Yes.”
“But what if I’m sleeping? Or in the shower?”
“You’re vulnerable during those times. That would be the perfect opportunity for an enemy to get to you.”
Ulayna narrows her eyes at him. “You really want to bust in on me while I’m taking a shit or something?”
The corner of Shade’s mouth quirks up. A winning smile from him. “You’re a clever girl. Figure out how to keep me out, and that won’t happen.”
Annoyed, but also intrigued by the idea, she scowls at him. Her attention switches to Hawk when he pulls a necklace out from under his shirt. Dangling from the chain is a plain metal ring, like a basic wedding band.
“You see this?” he asks her. “Your job will be to get this ring from me. It was my father’s, so I will protect it at all costs.”