Super-Secret Club
That Monday, I packed up everything I needed for Christmas break. The semester was finally over. Luckily none of my classes had been unsalvageable despite my initial blasé attitude towards school. I had a four-point-oh for the first time in my life. The plan was to leave with Holly and check out what this group of hers was all about. She said they had a place for me to stay, but I could leave for home whenever I wanted.
Holly picked me up in an Uber. I loaded up all my luggage for Christmas break in the trunk and hopped into the back seat with her.
“Can I see your phone?” she asked me first thing.
I handed it over with a quizzical look.
She deftly took it apart. She placed the sim card into a small plastic baggy which then found its home in a larger plastic bag that had the rest of the pieces of my phone.
“Just precautionary,” she said with a wink.
“Here.” She handed me a flip phone. “It has your family’s numbers already programmed in!”
“Not disconcerting at all,” I muttered to myself while packing the remnants of my old phone into my backpack.
The rest of the ride only consisted of small talk.
We finally arrived downtown at an intersection that seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Holly paid the man, and we got out to walk the rest of the way. We made our way down the street in awkward silence.
I was waiting for her to say something when she stopped suddenly. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this certainly wasn’t it. There in front of us was an old three-story brick building. It was set between a warehouse and the same nightclub Tom had dragged me too. Maybe her presence that night hadn’t been a coincidence after all.
“Well, this is it.” She gestured grandly at the old brick building.
I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not.
“We do some of our training at night. They give us pretty good cover for any excess noise,” She nodded at the nightclub, “and everyone loves Sammy’s,” she continued, gesturing towards a deli at the corner.
“All the people don’t bother you guys?” This was not the type of place I thought of when trying to picture a secret hideout.
“No, we just keep the door locked and someone on post to discourage loitering. Being downtown, no one suspects a thing. Part of the cover.” She smiled.
A facility for training the most lethal operators in the country, downtown a Midwestern city. Yeah, no one was looking here.
We moved toward the entrance, and it quickly became apparent how this place was so secure. There was a single industrial door set in the old brick wall. It was completely featureless—no obvious handles on the outside.
Holly smiled up at a camera pointed down at the door. There was a short buzzing sound, and the door popped open just enough for her to slip her hand behind it and pull out. Just inside was a small foyer. Immediately front and center was an old oak desk that would have looked more at place on the fiftieth floor of an office building than in this dark entryway.
To the right was a set of stairs leading up, and to the left a hallway that led to the back of the building. Immediately behind the desk was one of the largest humans I had ever laid eyes on.
I had no doubts anyone curious enough to attempt to get past a door with no handles would be quickly deterred by this guy. He had to be close to seven feet tall, built like a tank. Dark eyes, short buzzed hair, dark skin. He was hard to see in the gloom, which only added to his intimidating stature.
He stepped out from behind the desk. His eyes and mouth lit up with a smile as he greeted Holly. He turned to me, and for the first time I felt maybe I was pushing my luck. Maybe my newfound abilities wouldn’t be enough to coast by on, not in a program like this.
“You the new recruit?” he asked, turning to me.
His voice was low, and even speaking softly, boomed around me.
“Y-yes.” I gulped, my throat dry.
I stuck out my hand in hopes of not looking a total fool.
“Name’s Ryan.” I tried to put on a confident smile, but I knew it must have looked nervous.
“Derek.” His hand enveloped mine.
Our grip was evenly matched. He grunted in approval and moved back to his post.
I breathed a small sigh of relief as we moved past him, and down the dark hall. Holly was looking at me curiously.
“By the way,” he called after us, “coming through that door with her was as good as signing your name in blood, I reckon.”
We both laughed, Holly’s all light and bubbly, mine shaky and quiet.
At the end of the hallway were three doors. The door ahead looked almost exactly like the one we had come through in front. The door to the left looked like an older garage door that required manual power to move. To the right was an old-school metal cage elevator.
“We get equipment delivered through the garage.” Holly gestured at the door to the left, then she turned right and opened the cage-like door, lifting up the old latch and sliding it across. “And this leads to our training and prep area,” she said while sliding into the elevator.
She turned to look at me expectantly. I barely hesitated before following.
She reversed her operation of the door before hitting a large button on the side panel. The elevator lurched into motion. I glanced up in surprise, the floor in front of me climbing as we descended. I had expected it to go up.
We descended past the bottom of the floor and the elevator grew even darker. Only a single, small incandescent bulb in the ceiling and the rumbling of the motor and chain to keep us company. The light revealed a concrete face in front of us and nothing more. What had I gotten myself into?
“Are you sure this is safe?” I asked.
The elevator sounded like a blender full of gravel and moved with the grace of a first-time driver learning standard.
“Of course! This thing’s rated to something stupid like ten-thousand pounds,” she replied, slapping the wall.
A metallic thump rang out in response.
“Maybe fifty years ago,” I mumbled.
She laughed softly.
If she hadn’t been there, I would have never made it this far. I would have turned around and walked right back out that front door. This wasn’t my world. I was in way over my head.
As if she could read my mind, I felt her reach for my hand. She gave me a reassuring squeeze, then suddenly stepped back, pulling me around and into her.
I was caught by surprise by the ferocity of her assault. Her left hand held mine down while her right secured me against her. I felt her body pressed hard against my own. I slid my free hand behind the small of her back, pulling her in. She let go of my left as hers roamed free. I slid my now unrestricted hand through her hair, pulling her to me. Her lips pressed to mine, her tongue wandered, exploring with purpose.
As suddenly as she had grabbed me, she spun herself free, leaving me grasping air and gasping for breath.
She smiled at me wickedly before turning to the front of the elevator.
“And here it is.” She gestured grandly with both hands as her reason for retreat became apparent.
From the bottom of the elevator the room slowly revealed itself. Though, calling it a room was putting it lightly. The elevator revealed what appeared to be a huge, underground cavern lit by bright fluorescent lights.
“What is this place?” My apprehension had departed for the moment, replaced by curiosity.
Below and to the left was what appeared to be a modern gym, set out in the open space. There were neatly organized rows of equipment of all different types—lifting machines, free weights, benches, and more than a few machines I didn’t recognized. Two women looked to be in the middle of an intense workout circuit.
The right side of the space was occupied by wrestling and judo mats.
Farther on was what at first appeared to be a movie set. Different rooms and halls all setup, but absent a ceiling. As I looked closer, I realized it resembled the training grounds from Call of Duty. Finally, my hours spent playing video games was paying off.
Lining the walls were at least a dozen doors, like the industrial one from upstairs. But these ones had handles.
Off in the distance there appeared to be a tunnel, and maybe even tracks? I couldn’t make sense of it.
“Impressive, right?” she asked.
“Definitely,” I replied.
Holly favored me with a quick smile.
“So what is this place?” It was my turn for questions.
“Our training grounds!” she laughed.
I rolled my eyes.
“Fine, what was this place?” I asked.
“It was originally planned in the late fifties and built in the sixties,” she responded as the elevator came to rest on the cavern floor.
I felt better once we stepped out of the cage that really was over fifty years old.
“It was built during the Cold War, after Russia successfully tested their first intercontinental ballistic missile. The elite of this country decided they were no longer safe. Mutually assured destruction is fine and dandy for all the common folk, but not the wealthy or those in power. They built these underground bunkers to retreat to in case of war.
“There are different storerooms and bunks all along the walls. Diesel generators in lead-lined rooms, environmental control equipment designed to keep radiated air out, huge tanks of water, tons of canned goods.”
She pointed out the different doors.
“There are suites and individual rooms. They were supposed to house the elite and their families, and anyone seen as valuable to restarting society, such as doctors and engineers.”
“Were those train tracks at the back?” I wondered aloud.
“Yes. There were three such bunkers in this city. They were all connected through an underground rail system. The tunnels have since collapsed, but this area is still usable. Best part is no one knows about it. All accounts of these places are undoubtedly lost in some dusty, old record book in a secret government facility somewhere. Or maybe they were destroyed. A lot of people would be unhappy if they knew there was an escape plan in place, but they weren’t on the list.”
“So they just forgot about them once the Cold War ended?” I asked.
“Some even before that. In the beginning it wasn’t a guarantee we could even hit each other’s cities accurately. Combine that with smaller bombs and lower rocket payloads… It was expected anywhere from sixty-five to eighty percent of people in these bunkers across the country could survive. But as technology increased, so the survival rate inversely decreased. Now? This would all be destroyed if it was targeted,” she stated rather cavalierly.
“But we don’t need to survive a nuke, just building inspectors who don’t know this place even exists.”
As she finished talking, a group of three guys approached. They had been sparring on the mats but stopped to watch our descent. They moved in a small wedge, led by the one in front. I was thankful none of them were as big as Derek, as they didn’t seem nearly as welcoming (which was saying something).
“You the new guy?” their leader asked, but it sounded more like an accusation than a question.
“This is Aaron, and his two compatriots are Logan and Michael,” Holly responded while stepping slightly in front of me.
Aaron was an inch or two shorter than me but more built. He had a shock of short brown hair, dark skin, and dark eyes. Logan stood the tallest, a few inches taller than me, dirty-blond hair standing in stark contrast with tan skin, and hazel eyes gazing back at me steadily. Michael was the furthest back, seemingly more aloof to the situation than the other two. He had a bored look on his face versus Aaron’s outright aggression or Logan’s intensity. It took a moment for me to recognize him. He was the nurse from the hospital who had prepped me for treatment.
They all had a hard look about them, all lean muscle and no nonsense. The way they moved, all fluid motions in sync, stance not exactly hostile but ready for action. It reminded me of the nurse—Michael’s actions from the hospital. While there was no mistaking a military background, they didn’t seem like the plucky Special-Forces heroes from the movies, who were always quick-witted and ready for anything. Instead, they had the appearance of battle-hardened, no-nonsense assholes. The type of person you gave a wide berth. They would have looked at home in a biker bar.
The hair on my skin stood up as they stepped closer. Was this the group of people I was joining? They were nothing like me…
“And this is Ryan,” Holly finished introductions with a wave of her hand at me.
I reached out my hand, which Aaron ignored. He looked me up and down.
“So, let’s see if you really are special,” he said as he turned back the way he’d come, toward the mats where they’d been sparring. The other two followed him without a word. I looked to Holly for direction.
“You’ll have to excuse them,” Holly said to me. “Our fearless leader seems to think you will be the key to turning things around for us. These three aren’t used to being upstaged. Especially not by the FNG.”
“Where is this leader?” I asked, looking around.
“He’s not here,” Aaron replied curtly, “so we’re going to try to find out what it is he sees in you.”
Was this really how the most secretive elite unit in the entire country, maybe even the world, operated? And weren’t we all on this team because of one reason, something entirely outside of our control? Because we won some sort of genetic lottery in reaction to a virus?
“Just ignore them.” Holly rolled her eyes at them and tried to lead me towards the weights.
I wished I could, but there was a feeling bubbling up from the pit of my stomach, rising up through my veins, reaching my head in a rush. An emotion, anger perhaps, or frustration. But it overwhelmed every rational sense. Maybe it was partly Holly’s fault for getting my blood flowing earlier. Perhaps I didn’t want to look weak in front of her. Or maybe I was just the victim of the biological processes that had dictated this type of behavior since we were all cavemen. Letting myself be led away by her felt like admitting defeat. I wished I would have been a better person and walked away. But I was only human, after all. I stood my ground.
“What did you have in mind?” My voice was flat, harder than I’d ever heard it.
My muscles tensed, I could feel energy rippling through my body. I would settle this now. Either they would respect me and work with me, or they wouldn’t.
They smiled to each other.
“Right this way.” Aaron again headed to one of the mats.
I followed.
They took up the far side, but this time Logan stepped forward.
The sounds of the other two women working their way through the equipment had come to a halt. A quick glance revealed they had chosen this time to take a water break, they were watching the proceedings with curiosity.
Holly stepped up behind me.
“You don’t have to do this.” She didn’t sound convinced herself.
These were the types to harass any new member of a team. I’d been in college for two years now, I knew a little friendly hazing could foster a stronger relationship. But no one liked to hear that they weren’t the best, especially from their own leader. Whoever he was, he had set the stage masterfully. They would never accept me unless the issue was forced.
Besides, I wasn’t even sure I wanted this. I had come because Holly had asked. So what did it matter if I burned a bridge or three by humiliating myself on the mats? And some small part of me wanted to test what I could do against someone else. Even Holly had said I was different. I might never get the chance again.
I stepped forward, mirroring Logan.
Some animal part of my brain burned hot. The rush from before grew in intensity. It filled my limbs with fire.
Logan advanced lithely. I matched his movement.
He assumed a fighting stance. I didn’t have any training, so I brought my hands up imitating him.
He circled to his right, and I copied his footwork. Quick as lightning, he leaped forward and unleashed a left jab.
I stumbled back in reflex, just out of reach.
Only not.
His jab came simultaneously. Maybe even slightly after me.
I regained my footing and reset, somewhat confused.
He took a second to reset as well, also looking slightly perplexed. The only sounds were our beating hearts and ragged breaths.
He resumed his circling. Again, he stepped right, no a feint, then left and went for a left hook.
It was perfectly placed on my kidney. I skipped to the side, easily dodging his shot.
What the hell was that? I could have sworn he was going to hit me.
This time he didn’t pause, despite striking nothing but air, and followed up with a straight right.
I stepped outside of his blow and hit him in the shoulder before stepping back.
It was a lame punch, but he spun around and reset. The look on his face suggested he hadn’t been expecting to get hit.
I promised myself I’d make the next one count. I watched closely.
A step forward, a left jab, a swinging right kick. Again I dodged everything with ease.
His movements were blindingly fast, but I felt like I was watching a movie in slow motion. Every move he made was preceded by something, almost a shadow of himself, moving first, and then he followed.
No, it wasn’t quite slow motion, more like reading the script, then watching the movie. Every scene played out in my head, then in reality.
What was going on? I hoped I didn’t look as bemused as I felt.
I easily side-stepped another kick.
He replanted, annoyance crossed his face. It was quickly wiped away by determination.
Two quick steps, he prepared a flurry of blows. I dodged them all again. I didn’t want to think what would have happened if they had landed.
Again a moment of respite. I could hear seven heartbeats, and seven sets of lungs pulling in air. Two beating and breathing harder than the rest. The slight electrical hum of the lights the only non-organic noise. There was no dramatic music punctuating the air, no grand crescendos leading to a final display.
I allowed myself a small smile.
Turned out I was different. Maybe even special. It was clear Logan could not see what I could. I also had no doubt I was faster. If I had known what I should be doing, I would have won by now. I resolved to hit him. Hard.
There. A step, his shadow moving forward, he followed its path.
The shadow planted, twisted; and a kick scythed through the air where I had been.
It wasn’t perfect. There were slight deviations, but they corrected themselves. Most importantly, all the big motions, strikes and blows, were clearly forecasted.
I did not know what was happening, or why, but I wasn’t about to let this advantage pass me by.
The next time his shadow stepped toward me, I moved forward to meet it. My elbow moved to intersect his shadow.
I quickly realized I had moved too quickly. His shadow started to bend; he was trying to dodge me. But it looked like he was moving in slow motion. I easily redirected and struck him. From the outside it probably looked like I had stepped inside his blow perfectly and struck him with an elbow.
Our small audience was not privy to this dance between his future shadow and myself. They had no idea that I could easily see what he was going to do before he did it.
As soon as his body, his muscles committed to a movement, my mind showed me a predictive path he would take. I simply followed along.
This time I had hit him with conviction. He began to double over, so I followed the elbow strike with a kick. My movement had carried me past him, so I planted and turned, kicking back at the same spot my elbow had struck.
The blow sent him sprawling. He attempted a half-roll to get up, but coughed up blood… and stayed down on a knee.
His two companions ignored me completely, moving past to go to their friend’s aid. They helped him to his feet and made their slow way back toward one of the doors along the grey wall. Perhaps a medical area.
Holly was watching me closely, but I couldn’t read her expression. The two women had begun exercising again.
A memory.
Dancing with Holly in a darkened room. The music booming around us. I could feel it in my blood, in my very bones. Through every fiber of my being. The two of us, moving in perfect harmony. She had said we were dancing together, but I had felt her leading me.
No.
Her shadow.
Had I been doing the same thing then? Moving with her because I could see how she would move?
Well, it explained how I was able to keep up, despite my mediocre dancing abilities.
Finally, she moved forward and reached out her hand. I hesitated but took it.
“I think that’s enough for today,” she said. “I’ll show you the upstairs and we can go out for some food.”
I nodded.
My stomach growled. I was starving.