Chapter 15
Chapter 15
A pproximately five minutes later they stopped. There wasn’t a door, or an entrance point that James could see. He glanced around wondering why they stopped.
“Things are never what they seem,” Tank said as she got out of the vehicle. “What direction did we travel?”
James thought for a moment then replied. “North.”
“Things are not always what they seem,” Tank repeated as she walked around the vehicle. “Stop, take a moment. Look at your surroundings.”
James stepped out of the vehicle then glanced around. The area looked like an underground subway system, only cleaner. The walls were white subway tiles, the road was smooth, wide enough for two vehicles and extended until he could not see, which meant there was probably a curve further up. As he glanced around, he wondered why they had stopped in that location. There was nothing there but white walls.
“Now, tell me. What direction did we travel?”
James glared at her wondering what exactly she was asking. Then he slowly looked around. They were inside a tunnel. That he was certain of. When he was inside the vehicle he remembered hitting a hump, then the atmosphere changing. He could tell then that he was inside of something. They had been traveling south from his home, but they did not drive a long distance. In his mind he estimated they were still in northern Virginia but were south of where he was taken.
“We did not travel anywhere,” he replied. “We are still at the same location.”
Tank turned without any indication as to whether he was right or wrong. She placed her hand on the wall in front of them. To his surprise a panel opened.
James walked through the opening and found himself in the same room from which they had exited. He was right, they had not traveled anywhere. Then he stopped, that was not quite true. He looked around. He was now on the other side of the room they were previously in. While he thought they had traveled in a straight line, he now realized, she had driven in a semi-circle.
“We simply traveled in a circle,” Tank explained. “It did not appear to be a circle because to your visual eye, you only saw a straight path. Yet, with every minute there was a curve in the road. When you travel in other countries there will be many curves. If someone takes you, it will be their job to confuse your mind. Be aware and know, rarely is anything as it seems.”
As she spoke James looked around to see other panels opening. Elliott walked through the first one with the woman Slay, next to him. Then JC walked in from yet another entrance with Luke next to him. Then Calvin was the last to appear with the trainer Leo with him. They all entered from different points, but at no time did James see any of them on the road. How was that possible?
“That was a lesson in the concept of siloed,” Calvin stated.
“Exactly,” Luke spoke. “When in other countries, one of the weapons that is used is to separate you from each other so that you cannot communicate.”
“Just as they do in some businesses,” JC stated. “There are times when higher tiers of a business create barriers between departments. That way when it comes time to negotiate salaries or benefits, one department is clueless on what another department is receiving.”
“The same takes place in the IT world,” Calvin added. “There are data systems that do not communicate with each other.”
“Why would a company want to do that?” James asked. “I would think a company would want its departments working cohesively together for the greater good of the organization.”
“That’s just it, if we are captured, they do not want us to collaborate,” Elliott concluded. “If we cannot communicate, it is difficult to plan an escape.”
“So, this was a ruse to teach us that nothing is ever what it seems to be,” James nodded.
Tank pointed to a hallway at the far end of the large open area and walked in the direction with James and Elliott following her.
They both stopped to look back to see Calvin and JC were walking in the opposite direction with Luke, and the other trainers walked over to another door.
“Where are they going?” James asked.
Tank looked back. “JC has further instructions to hear directly from Luke. Calvin, as a member of the clandestine operations must also receive further instructions.” Tank explained. “The other trainers are preparing the main room for your first lesson.”
“Another room?” Elliott glanced around. “How big is this place?”
“Much larger than you could ever imagine,” Tank replied as she opened a door then stepped back. “This is your sleeping quarters. Your clothes are waiting for you.”
James walked into the room, or what he thought was just a room. As it turned out there were several rooms behind that door. Looking straight ahead he could see two sets of bunk beds, positioned horizontally to the left and right. There was a walkway between them. There was a desk at the head of each bunk bed on the left and right. From what he could see, there were also desks at the foot of the beds on both sides, giving them four desks in all. On each desk there was a single lamp with thick manuals next to it. Above each desk on the wall, were a variety of maps of each country they planned to visit.
Stepping further into the room to the right there was a cased opening leading into a kitchen. On the left, there was an opening into a bathroom. As he walked between the beds, checking out what appeared to be the sleeping quarters, there was another cased opening that led into what looked like a family room, with a sofa, chairs, an entertainment area with a television and other electronics. To the left was another opening that led into another bathroom. Walking closer to the far wall with the clocks, there were pictures of people he did not know.
James walked back to the bed where Elliott had stopped. Each bed had a pile of dark clothing, with a pair of black boots on top. Reaching on the top bunk, he moved the boots aside and picked up a black t-shirt with the name Kitten One printed in gold writing. James grinned, as he looked up at Elliott. The two looked at each other and shook their heads.
James held up the shirt. “I’m Kitten One.” He grinned.
“I have a feeling we are in for a hell of an adventure,” Elliott replied as he glanced around the room. “I feel like I’m back at the academy. I’ve seen this play before.” He picked up a shirt from the top bunk, then showed it to James. “I must be Kitten Two,” he looked at the lower bunk. “It has Kitten Four. I must be responsible for JC, he’s the youngest.”
James looked at the shirt on the bunk beneath him. “I must have Calvin. It says Kitten Three.”
Elliott nodded. “Okay, we are down to under ten minutes.”
The two began dressing in the outfits. The black t-shirt and sweatpants fit perfectly, however the boots did not. James looked up. “What size shoe do you have?”
Elliott looked inside the shoe. “Size fourteen. You?”
“Size thirteen.” They switched shoes. “Nothing is as it seems. I take it this is our first test. We should gather all the facts before we make assumptions,” James stated as he continued to dress.
“The clothes are the right size, however, they switched up the shoes,” Elliott exhaled. “I thought when I completed basic training for the FBI, I was through with these antics.”
“I can’t believe they approved your leave.” James remarked as he stood from putting on the boots.
“Yes, with a little encouragement from the White House,” Elliott stated.
The door opened to JC and Calvin walking inside. “That was an earful,” JC declared.
“Nothing we cannot handle,” Calvin declared. “None of us thought this trip was going to be easy, in fact we knew just the opposite.”
JC looked at his friends. “This was my adventure. After listening to Luke, I want to give each of you the opportunity to change your mind. The reality of it all is there is no guarantee any of us will be a part of the government in the future. We could all be going through this for naught.”
“What, you’re going old English on us now, lad?” James stared at JC ignoring what he just said then pointed. “Check the bunk for your shoe size.”
“Oh, I get it now,” Calvin laughed. “Naught means nothing. This could all be for nothing. Man, don’t be changing countries on us now.”
The guys laughed. “They are going to be coming for us soon,” James stated. “Get dressed. Let’s get this party started.”
JC and Calvin walked over to the beds. JC found his shoe size under the bunk James was now standing next to.
“I have JC,” James said to Elliott. “Another lesson.”
“That gives me Calvin,” Elliott nodded with a shrug. “We are running short on time. Let’s check out the rest of the place while they are dressing.”
“You take the right, I’ll go left,” James directed.
The two walked off. “I have a full bath with a shower on this end.” Elliott called out.
“Same here,” James replied as he continued to walk through the facility. There was a sitting area with computer monitors in the room past the shower. Then he walked into the kitchen just as Elliott entered from a different door. “Fully stocked refrigerator, coffee maker, a table that seats four, and a pantry.”
“Well, they don’t plan to starve us,” Elliott stated.
“Good to know,” James replied. “I counted four entrance points. One in the sitting room, one here in the kitchen and the two in the sleeping area.”
“There’s five,” Elliott corrected as he pointed to the floor in the pantry. “That leads to a crawl space.”
James looked closer at the floor. It took him a moment to notice the crack near one of the tiles. “Good eyes. I missed that one.”
“I’m sure there is another one. Probably in the sleeping area.” Elliott advised.
James turned then walked back into the sleeping quarters. JC and Calvin were putting on their boots. He walked slowly, studying the floor pattern. In the center of the floor between the beds, he spotted what he thought could be another entry point. He looked up just as Elliott stopped in the same spot. They both nodded.
JC looked up at Elliott. “You’ve been through this kind of training. What do we do now?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.” Elliott replied.
They all looked at each other. James held his fist out. Without saying a word, the others placed their fists on top of his, with Elliott on top.
“Friends forever.” They said in unison, then bumped their fists together then spread their fingers out. “Booyah.”
The doors to the sleeping quarters opened. Tank appeared. “All right Kittens, follow me.”
The four friends followed her to what appeared to be a computer room. They were all surprised to see Phire standing in front of the computer consoles, dressed in a black tank top, jeans, boots, and an open short leather jacket.
“Whoa,” Elliott spoke first. “Did we miss something? Are you the new Cat Woman?”
“Phire,” James raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”
“Well damn,” Calvin adjusted his stance.
James glanced his way wondering what Calvin knew that they did not. “You want to share?”
Calvin stood with his legs braced apart and arms folded across his chest. “I am not at liberty to share.”
“Good morning, gentlemen. Before you begin your physical training, I am here to distribute your communication devices.” She gave each of them a watch size box. “I will be your communication connection while you are away,” Phire stated as she stepped back. “Calvin, since this is yours and Zoe’s creation why don’t you take the stage and tell the other kittens how this works.”
Calvin opened the box that he held. “If I had known I was developing this device for our use I would have given it a little more style.” He opened the box then removed the band-like item. It appeared to be a basic black wrist band with a single round stone in the middle. “This really is a simple concept. The band is individualized once you put it on. It will detect your blood pressure, heart rate, basically all of your vital signs. It also acts as a communication device fueled by solar power.”
“This will allow you to communicate with each other even if you are not in the same room or building.” Phire stated. “Once you put on a band it is yours, they are not interchangeable. I need each of you to put on your bands for five minutes.”
Each of them did as instructed. Once the bands were on, the stone in the center changed color.
“The readings are coming through,” Phire remarked as she looked down at her tablet. “As Calvin stated, it is important to know that these devices are solar powered. If you are taken underground, you may be able to communicate in a limited fashion with each other, however, your location will be blocked from me. The communication between devices, at this time is limited to only sending messages, such as Morse codes. Each of you should know, when using Morse code the main thing to remember is that three dots separate letters while seven dots separate words. Tapping on the device will begin the message. Further instructions on the use of the device will be given when you take that lesson,” Phire explained as she collected the devices back.
James watched on, understanding that Phire was more deeply ingrained in government work than he had realized. He had known her for years and always recognized her ability to assess things around them in a different manner than her friends, however, it never occurred to him that she too, as did much of her family, worked for the government in this capacity.
“Kitten number one, come with me.” Tank smiled at James as he stepped forward.
James followed Tank out the door while looking back at Phire. He now had a newfound admiration for his friend. Turning back to his destination he wondered if ZsaZsa knew how connected her roommate was.
Taking in the surroundings, he noticed the area they entered was a good size workout room broken down into sections. The center of the room, which appeared to be approximately two thousand square feet, was completely open. In contrast, one area had the weight benches, plates, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, barbells, and battle ropes. Another area had treadmills, bikes, and stair climbers. However, it was the other side of the room that caught his attention. The walls were covered with weapons. Some he recognized as a variety of swords, knives, and nunchakus. There were others he had not seen before. Next to the area were guns. Large ones, small handguns, and all sizes in between.
Tank picked up an item that resembled a pool stick. She threw one to him. He caught it, as she began to slowly circle around him with one in her hand.
“James Avery Brooks Jr. born to Katherine Stallworth-Brooks and James Avery Brooks. Your parents divorced months after your birth leaving you to wonder most of your life if you were the cause. You were primarily raised by your father and grandparents. Your mother was an intricate part of your life, but it was your father who influenced you the most. Because of that connection you openly accepted his confidence that he was your biological father. The facts surrounding your birth were not definitively answered until a few years ago. Your drive to prove you were worthy of your father’s love weighed heavy on your shoulders, pushing you towards a life in politics. Now you are wavering on that goal. Your actions appear to be more influenced by the plight of the young woman in your life, Princess ZsaZsa Ashro of Emure. While your friendship with JC is the main motivating force behind your reason for agreeing to take this journey, your interest in her homeland has increased your resolve.”
James had a feeling something was coming. Her constant circling around him put him on alert that an attack may be imminent. He believed the conversation was to keep him focused on what was being said, versus what was being done.
“Why are you telling me my life story?”
He began to follow her movements more closely. Watching her hands more than listening to her words. When he began mimicking her movements he noticed a slight curve of her lips. She began tapping the tip of the stick on the floor in front of her. James now held the stick in a defensive manner. The anticipation of a strike was growing strong.
“It is important to know what motivates a person. You are not motivated by the promise of sex, money, or prestige as are some young men your age. None of those things interest you. You are motivated by people with a cause.”
The stick she was tapping twirled so fast he didn’t have a chance to respond. It struck his ankles, knocking his feet from under him. He hit the floor hard.
He estimated Tank to be around 5’8”, maybe 130 pounds. She wore her hair in braids similar to ZsaZsa, but free, loose. Dressed in attire similar to what he was wearing, she stood over him holding her hand out to him.
“Never take your focus from your attacker’s eyes. The eyes will always signal when they are about to strike.”
James accepted her assistance. “This room is filled with weaponry. Why did you select a stick?”
“Guns will be taken away at any border you approach. In addition, bullets are easy to track. When in other countries you do not want to leave anything that could lead to your country. Bows, knives, swords and stars leave no tracking element. Where you are going, you will have to know how to use an ordinary object as a weapon.” She held the stick out. “A stick can be found anywhere. If you are in the woods, a tree branch can be used as a weapon. If you are in a home, in a closet, the clothes rack can be removed and used as a weapon. A broomstick can be used…”
“The leg or arm of the chair,” James added.
“Exactly,” Tank nodded. “If you are ever taken you will need to know how to make a weapon out of anything. For example.” She walked over to the wall and pointed. “This can be made from a string, a bendable stick, and a pointed piece of wood. You can sharpen any type of wood into a pointed knife. This…,” she pointed to a star-shaped item, “can be made from bendable plastic. Shaped correctly, and thrown with the right amount of force, it can penetrate a man’s skull. All of the weapons on this wall are deadly. This…,” she pointed to a belt, “is one of my favorites. It can be used as a whip, or the buckle can be used as a stabbing device. All you have to do is be observant of your surroundings and know what can be. That is what I am here to teach you.”
Without notice James was knocked on his backside, from the sling of the belt. It wrapped around his legs with a speed he did not anticipate. Tank looked down at him.
“You were too busy watching what I was saying to notice my hands. You must stay observant at all times. Remember, watch my eyes. It will tell you my intentions.”
She pulled him up to his feet. He was face to face with her. “Your father is a fierce negotiator. Do you know why?”
“He’s knowledgeable and I know he studies the person who is across the table from him.”
“He does,” she nodded. “Before he sits down, he knows all there is about the person he is about to meet with. However, that is not his most amazing talent. He has a sharp mind, he thinks quickly on his feet. Has a calmness that never allows a person to know what he is thinking.”
James noticed she was constantly moving. Slow measured steps as if circling him. While he listened, he slowly mimicked her steps, keeping a peripheral view of the belt in her hand, but a straight view of her eyes.
“He never shows his face. He is expressionless, leaving his opponent wondering if he is even listening to what they are saying.”
This time when she swung out, he leaped forward, throwing his body into hers, successfully knocking her to the floor. He momentarily thought he had defeated her and let his guard down. She kicked upwards, throwing his body halfway across the room. She stood then walked over to stand over him.
“There are times when your father is so relaxed his opponent is unaware that they have lost the game.” She held her hand out. “That was a good move, kitten. You may have some lifesaving skills before this is over with after all.”
Damn she moved fast, James thought as his backside screamed from the fall. She held her hand out to help him up again. James hesitated. “Why stand if you are going to knock me on my ass again?”
“Because it is a more advantageous position to be in to attack.”
He took her hand then stood. “Thanks,” James said. A second later he found himself on the floor again.
Tank sighed. “Always…always, expect the unexpected.”
James was getting tired of being knocked to the ground, even if it was by a woman. This time, he did not take her hand, he kicked his legs out causing her to jump over his body, as he rolled from her, then quickly jumped to his feet.
“Ahh, you are clever, and analytical. You thought steps ahead that time. You might make it through this.”
“If I had known this was a lesson in combat I would have responded in kind,” James replied.
Tank stood straight chuckling at him. “What do you think, your enemy is going to come up to you and declare he is attacking?”
“That was on me,” James said as he then began circling what he considered his prey. “I will not make that mistake again.”
“Ahh, you are confident when motivated. That will fare well for you.” Tank nodded. “So, tell me, Kitten Brooks, what motivates you?”
“Family,” he replied, not sure where she was going with the question.
“What about them?” She walked over to the wall and replaced the belt, then pulled out a small package of stars.
“Our cohesiveness,” James replied. “No matter what is happening in our lives we always gather when one of us is in need.” He picked up the stick he had used before being knocked to his ass and placed it back in its place on the wall. “What do you have there?”
Tank smiled. “Stars, my favorite weapon.”
“Why?” he asked.
“It’s unanticipated, and one of the deadliest weapons in existence if you know how to use them correctly.”
“Which I am sure you do,” James stated. “Will you teach me?”
“You are a charmer,” she smiled as she pulled the items from their case. “Tell me, in your own words, why are you taking this journey?”
James took a moment then spoke. “I believe our country needs to be better prepared for the future. We have a weakness, if we believe all people negotiate honestly. We approach things in a diplomatic manner, always seeking peace. I have been around political figures just about all my life. From my perspective, many from other countries are not honest or seeking peace. Many are seeking to disrupt and cause chaos. We need a better understanding of how other countries see us in order to defend ourselves. The only way we can do that is to walk amongst them, listen and learn. As you said, knowledge of one's enemy is key to hunting them down. I do not believe we, as a country have a clear view on who is with us and who is against us. Taking an undetected journey to other countries will give us some insight on how other countries see us.”
“That sounds like something that was written down as a pact between friends. It does not tell me why you, as a man are going on this journey. Why is that important to you?”
James nodded. “It was an agreement the four of us talked about for years. Those are the reasons we indicated were important.” He hesitated as he thought, then spoke. “To be honest, I need this journey to grow into the man I want to become. Everyone in my family has reached for the stars and caught them. I’m not sure if I am able to do the same without disappointing them.”
She took one of the stars, with the flick of her wrist, it sailed past his head and landed in the wall. “Do you feel you are a disappointment to your family?”
James exhaled as he reached for one of the stars. She smacked his hand. He jerked back then cleared his throat thinking he really wanted to throw one of them at her.
“I don’t know. My father tells me all the time he is proud of me.” He stopped for a moment then continued. “No one in my family is putting any pressure on me to do anything. That is what makes life complicated. I am expected to succeed, but at what, is the question.”
“But you took the steps to apply to law school,” she said as she placed a star in his hand, moving his fingers to hold it a certain way. “Why?”
“Because I want to be a lawyer,” James felt the sharp edges of the star then understood why she smacked his hand away. If he had taken it and simply threw it, the inside of his fingers would have been cut. He glanced at her for guidance as he held the star in his hand. “That and the fact that I want to marry ZsaZsa one day are the two certainties in my life.”
She gently moved his wrist back and forth demonstrating the correct way to throw the weapon. “What type of lawyer?”
“Ahh, that is the million-dollar question,” James said as he flicked his wrist. The star hit the wall but did not stick. She put another in his hand. “Law is in my blood, but I have recently discovered a passion to help people. ZsaZsa and I have had many discussions about the people in her country. How they are treated as second class citizens. It actually opened my eyes to the fact that we do the same here. We call ourselves upper class, middle class, and lower class, but it is exactly the same as the royals and non-royals in her country.” He flicked the second star with a little more power. This time it did stick, but not as deep as hers did.
“Why should that concern you?” Tank asked as she secured the stars that had been thrown and selected another stack from the wall. “You are rich. You have the means to live a life of luxury.”
He turned to stare at her. “But others don't. There are millions of people in this country who do not have the means to protect them‐ selves. In my opinion it will take those of us with a little power to protect those who have none. I want to find a way to even the playing field. In this country, power is equated with money. My grandfather recently told me about the history of our family and how we acquired our wealth. It all began with property. I need time to figure out how to make our story, someone else’s story as well.”
She stared at him. “You want to bridge the divide between the haves and the have nots?”
He slowly nodded, “In a way, yes.”
“In order to do that you will have to change the way the financial system in this country works. I think the question for you to answer is how do you, a one-man regiment, change how our government treats people?”
James stared at her. “One step at a time. There are changes in different periods of our history where it was one person taking a step that led to a revolution. I plan to be that person for this century. And you are wrong. I am not alone. I have my brothers with me.”
Tank smiled. “How did someone as rich as you get such a fierce sense of leadership?”
“I think it runs in the family,” James replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “My grandfather is like that. So is ZsaZsa. She is all about her countrymen and how to make their lives better.”
“Is that the reason why you love her?”
“That and so much more,” James stated as he continued to practice throwing the stars. “When we first talked about traveling around the world, my reason was solely to support JC. Now, after meeting ZsaZsa and learning about the ways of her country, I want to know more, their enemies and friends. I plan to marry her one day. I will need to know how to protect her and our future children.”
Tank stared at him. “You are a wise young man. You do not wait for someone to tell you what will be needed for your future endeavors. You have a progressive way of thinking. That’s another thing that will do well for you in the future. For now, let’s get you ready for your journey.”