Chapter 14
Chapter 14
T he next six months with ZsaZsa passed quickly. It was now May and James had taken his last exam. He was done with school and had uninterrupted days of sleep to catch up on. Thankfully, he had been accepted into Georgetown, with a delayed entrance. The year long trip around the world with the guys was now scheduled and he was looking forward to it. He anticipated that breaking the news to his family about his change of plans was not going to be easy. However, he was confident that following in his grandfather’s footsteps into the area of civil rights and fair housing, rather than politics was the right move for him. The conversation with his grandfather about the way the Brooks family worked within the law to help people acquire and retain the rights to property, piqued his interest. To him, it seemed the country was going back to that time, only in a different way. His research showed that in the areas of student loans for those seeking an education and housing loans for those wishing to own property, predatory loans were creating debt that would keep families strapped for years to come. It seemed caucasians were able to get low interest loans, whereas interest rates for people of color were sky high. The current administration was trying to do something with the student loan debt, however, the housing prices were still way too much. Everyone should have a right to a decent home without it costing them an arm, a leg and both feet. This was the area he wanted to concentrate on. It wasn’t all worked out in his mind, but this was how he was going to make his mark on this world. He was excited about his decision and was anxious to make it happen. With everything in place, James believed his life was going as planned. With nothing on but a pair of gray sweat shorts, he crawled under the sheets, stretched out on his stomach, closed his eyes then dozed off into a nice sound sleep.
He had no idea what time it happened. He felt his body being jerked from the bed, something sealing his mouth, then a black cloth of some type was thrown over his head. He swung out, connecting with something hard, but it did not slow down their movements. His body was being lifted and carried by multiple people. He couldn't speak and try as he might to kick his legs or swing his fists, he was met with resistance. In fact, their grip tightened. What the hell was going on? His mind wondered as his heart rate increased. When the cool outdoor air hit his body, he knew he had been taken from his home. He was thrown into the back of what, he wasn't sure. He kicked out, attempting to hit something. That resulted in his legs and hands being bound with zip ties.
His mind was telling him to fight, get free, and get the hell out of this moving vehicle. The harder he fought against the restraints the tighter they became. He was alive, for now. That was a plus. There were people in the back of the vehicle with him. There were no voices, but he could sense their presence. Clearing his mind, he began implementing some of the tactics he had been taught. Being the son of the chief of staff to the president of the United States, there were training sessions he’d had to attend in order to know how to handle situations like this. He started counting the minutes. Counting the minutes would give him some idea of how far away from his home they may be. He had no doubt he would get away from whatever was happening here. That was the question, what the hell was happening? It was always in the back of his mind that something of this nature could happen. However, with the security that they had at their homes, he never imagined that someone could come and take him out of the house. Hell was everyone else in the house safe? He knew his dad could protect the family, but what if there were multiple people just as it was with him. He could only hope they were all safe. Thoughts of ZsaZsa echoed in his mind. He hadn't had the chance to tell her how much he truly loved her. He hadn't even had a chance to make love to her. It crossed his mind this may not have anything to do with his father. Could this have something to do with ZsaZsa? Her family was from another country and had orchestrated her kidnapping, why not his. This could be connected to her. Not hearing any voices, he could not confirm that theory. His mind was jumping from one possibility to another. Then he thought of his mom. Oh, God…his mom. He was her only child. If anything happened to him, she would have no one. He knew his father would make sure she would be okay. But she was still alone. He could not remember how many times he had encouraged his mother to let another man into her life, but she hadn’t. She hadn’t had a serious relationship since the divorce. There was the guy she’d met in the Dominican Republic, but nothing became of that. He wasn't foolish enough to believe that his mom was not going out with other men. But none of them mattered. Now he wished she had. He didn't want her to be alone. His father had Ashley; she should have someone too. His thoughts jumped to his siblings, the twins, Jayda and Jayden, his little brother, Anthony and now baby Avery. He had to be there to see them all grow up. James gave himself a mental shake. He cleared his mind of all of those thoughts then concentrated on how he was going to escape from his captors. He needed to remain calm until he found a way out of this.
The vehicle began slowing down as it went over a few bumps. Once he cleared his mind, he noticed the traffic sounds were no longer there. Were they in a tunnel inside a building of some type? Were they underground? The vehicle stopped. He told himself to wait, stay calm, because he would know soon enough what all of this was about. He heard the back doors open. The air that touched his skin felt warm. They were not outside, they were in a building, that much was evident. Struggling would have been pointless and he needed to keep his strength to escape. They pulled him from the vehicle, then carried him as if he was a football in their arms. In addition to multiple footsteps, he heard a door close. Based on the arms he felt around his body there were at least three of them. His feet were placed on the floor, then his body was thrown in a chair. He could hear slight breathing, indicating there were others in the room.
“Hey, you don’t have to be that rough with him.”
James recognized Elliott’s voice. “Elliott? What in the hell is going on?”
“We don’t know, yet.”
That was Calvin. James thought for a moment then called out, “JC?”
“I’m here too.” JC answered.
Hearing their voices let him know he was not in this alone. The hood was jerked off his head. He looked around the room and saw two women and a man dressed in fatigue-like outfits standing in the front. He then looked to his left and he saw Elliot, Calvin, and JC all bound to chairs just as he had been.
“It seems I’m the last one to the party,” James frowned.
“I think they were waiting for all of us to be here before they tell us what this is all about.” Elliot advised.
“Good morning.”
A male voice came from behind them. Unable to turn back to see who was talking, James kept his eyes on the three people in the front of the room. It was clear they were military trained by the lingo used. As the person continued speaking, he heard footsteps coming from the back of the room.
“It is my understanding that the four of you have requested to spend time traveling to other countries. To ensure your safety, I have been instructed to train you in the discipline of self-preservation. Each of your parents are involved in the highest level of government in this country. Any of the countries you plan to visit will see this as an opportunity to gain access to the President. Since we do not negotiate with our enemies, your parents have instructed me to ensure each of you can fend for yourself.”
The man continued to speak as the voice became clearer. The sense of panic James felt before began to ease as the man continued to speak.
“I will train each of you in the same manner I train my employees. For the next six weeks you will be here. For those of you who are furthering your education, your semesters have ended. For those who are employed, your employers have placed you on leave. Once your six weeks training is over you will be released back to your normal life, however, every waking moment until your scheduled departure in September will be spent with my team. It will be intense, physically and mentally. When you complete this training, you will know how and when to protect yourself. I know some of you may feel that you are grown men and do not need to have the approval of your family; however, when it comes to traveling outside of this country, it is important that your families know where you are as often as possible. You will find that the laws and rules that apply here in the United States will not apply in other countries. The protection that you have here from being snatched off the road and thrown in the back of a car never to be heard from again, it's not in place in other countries. You need to be aware of your surroundings at all times and it is imperative that there is always, always someone watching your back.”
When the man reached the front of the room, James gave an audible sigh of relief.
“Most of you know me as Luke Lassiter. Outside of this country I am referred to as Earthquake. When I speak with anyone on my team, I'm referred to as Earthquake. If I am being questioned by anyone in another country the only information, they will receive from me is the name Earthquake. When this training is complete each of you will be assigned a code name. That name will be how you will refer to each other. At no point in time are you to give your actual name, personal data or pictures of yourself, to anyone outside this country. It is imperative that each of you accept and follow that rule.”
James did not know Luke personally, however, all of them grew up with his brother Joshua. He also knew that Calvin worked in some capacity with his other brother, Adam. And of course, they all knew their baby sister, Phire. It occurred to him that the Lassiter family’s connections with the government went a lot deeper than any of them knew.
“The people in the front of the room are your trainers. They are trained assassins. They are not here to pamper you; however, they will always have your best interests in the forefront of their minds. You will feel pain and we will take you to the limit of your endurance. Our job is to prepare you for the unknown. The lessons you learn here will last throughout your life. You will be trained as a team and individually. So that is the deal. Now is the time for you to decide if are you in or are you out?”
There was a brief moment of hesitation.
“We are targets. Each of us understands our position in life and the reason why this trip is important.” JC asserted. “Whatever training is required for us to take this journey to prepare for our future, I’m in.”
James turned to look at JC as he spoke. He was older than JC and the next in rank as far as their father’s positions were concerned. He was as much of a target as JC.
“This may be considered arrogant to some; however, it is our belief that one day, one of us will be leading this country. When we discussed taking this trip, it was never about us seeing the world. It has always been about learning more about the enemies of our country. We need to know for ourselves, why they are and how deep their hatred is, as a means of being better prepared to protect our country. I’m in.” James affirmed then looked to Elliott.
Elliott glanced at him, then at JC. “These two cannot go without protection. While they may have Secret Service agents around, they will not watch their backs like I will. I’m in.”
They all looked at Calvin. “They would all get lost without my navigational ability. I do not want to be responsible for the president starting a war because his son got lost in some god forsaken country. I’m in.” Calvin stated.
James turned and looked at Luke expectantly for the next step. “Let’s begin,” Luke stated. “James, you are assigned to Tank. Elliott, you are assigned to Slay. Calvin you are assigned to Leo. JC, you are with me. We will begin each morning at 0300 hours and we will go until you have acquired the skill that we are teaching you on that particular day. If it takes us until midnight, we will still start the next day at 0300 hours. At any point in time, should you feel you no longer want to continue with this training, you are free to go. However, know this, Secret Service will be around. If they do their job correctly, you will not be aware they are there. But you will not leave this country without them. That is not up for debate. For the next six weeks you will be here training from sunup to sundown. If you have a significant other in your life, you should advise them you will be missing in action.” He stopped, took a deep breath, then spoke in a softer tone. “I believe what you are attempting to do is admirable. If you have any intentions of being a part of this government in the future, it is important to know how other countries live and how other countries view the United States of America. However, what you are about to undertake is dangerous. You are going through this training because we want to ensure that each one of you comes back of sound mind and body. This is not a punishment, this is to prepare you for your journey. Are there any questions?”
“Yes,” Elliott spoke. “Can I at least have a pair of drawers?”
James looked at Elliot and noticed his state of undress. Then he chuckled, “Damn man did they catch you on the down stroke?”
“Close to it, man.” Elliott shook his head. “Damn close.”
“If you are in another country, they will attempt to take you at your most vulnerable point of the day. That is what we did.”
“Understandable, and I’m cool with it, however,” Elliott glanced at the women. “I don’t think temptation is fair to the ladies.”
James, JC, and Calvin chuckled.
The woman Luke introduced as Slay walked over, pulled out a knife and spoke. “Allow me to cut that string off for you.”
James and the other occupants of the room burst into laughter at Elliott’s facial expression.
Luke chuckled. “All right, gentlemen. You will all be given the clothing for your stay. Follow your trainer to your quarters. You have 15 minutes to get dressed before your first lesson begins.”
The women removed the restraints from around their bodies.
“Ok kittens follow me.” The one named Tank ordered.
They all stood to follow the woman. “Kittens?” Calvin huffed.
“You have a problem being called a kitten, prove to me that you're something more and I'll change your name.”
They each were ushered to a different corner of the room. Walking out the door, it appeared to James that he was inside a tunnel. There was a golf cart-like vehicle parked at the entrance.
“Where are we going?” James asked.
“To make you a man,” Tank said then pulled off.