The Recruit(45)

‘It still seems a little weird, or I suppose unreal, is the better word. It’s hard to believe all this goes on.’

‘I thought the same thing, Jaz. But I made up my mind to be aware of the world and to try and help make it a better place. Those were my reasons. Now you just have to figure out if it’s what you want to do. I won’t push you into it; it’s got to be up to you.’

Jaz nodded as she chewed on her fingernail on their walk back to the car.

Ryan waited until he’d pulled back onto the road before he spoke. ‘I will leave you to think on it for a while, but ask me anything, okay.’

She studied Ryan as he drove, his lean muscled arms, and she remembered his scars. The job came with consequences. Ryan didn’t have to tell her, she could figure that much out for herself. He stitched up his own cuts, for Pete’s sake. God, she was going to have some thinking to do. Well, she’d always said she wanted to do something important with her life after school. Maybe this was her chance?





Chapter 16


The Ring was already open when they arrived. Bags was giving lessons to a weedy kid who looked about fourteen. He was always picking up newbies, but most of them would only last a few sessions. Bags reckoned it was because it was all too hard as most of them played video games instead of doing any exercise. Only Bags would still call them video games!

Jaz and Ryan both headed for the change rooms. Like her shower, Jaz also had her own corner to get changed in with a curtain. Her locker was nearby and she quickly changed out of her school uniform and into her blue tank top and yoga pants. She was tying her hair up into a ponytail as she walked out, Ryan just in front of her. Without a word since leaving his car, they both began to warm up in their usual ways. Ryan was jumping with a skipping rope and Jaz with her salute to the sun routine. After about five minutes, they faced each other on the big mat. Ryan was just starting to sweat across the top of his chest and his dark eyes were hard to read.

‘So you’re ready for this?’ he asked.

‘Ready when you are.’

Ryan took a crouched stance and Jaz followed suit as they circled around each other. ‘I’ll try not to get your arm, okay.’ He glanced at her stitches that were healing up nicely.

Jaz, not wanting to pussyfoot around, threw out the first punch but Ryan blocked it with ease. She didn’t expect anything less from him. They kept circling around each other, taking a shot when they had a chance. Jaz could tell Ryan was holding back. She wasn’t sure if she was glad about that or not.

She surprised him by throwing in a kick, which connected.

Instead of doubling over in pain, Ryan lashed out one of his own but it met her body at only half force.

‘Good, surprise is handy, make sure you use it.’ He jabbed at her as if he had a knife. ‘If someone came at you again with a knife, what would you do?’

‘Kick it out of his hand, it worked for me once.’ Ryan smiled at her bravado. ‘But you put your jacket over your arm, didn’t you?’ she asked.

‘Yep, one of the first things they teach you is with a knife threat to use something to quickly wrap tightly around your arm so that you can lead with that arm. It lets you take the knife thrust on it while allowing your right fighting arm to strike without being cut.’

‘I see. And you also said something about maim?’ Jaz asked after tapping him on the head with a soft punch. He smiled at her mocking attempt at a hit.

‘Yes, to maim and not anger. If you make them angry it can give them extra strength, where as maim will take them out of the picture. It is a hard lesson to learn…’ Ryan blocked Jaz’s high kick. ‘…but the best thing you could do if caught is go limp.’ He was starting to puff as he spoke and fought at the same time. ‘A limp body is heavy and hard to handle and it gets you down low. They relax thinking they have you, but this is when you strike them.’

‘What, with my fists?’ Jaz said quickly as she ducked a punch.

‘With anything you have. Shoes, keys, rocks, sticks — anything you can find as it’s all surprise and unexpected. A high heel to the eye is very affective.’

Jaz screwed up her face at the mental picture.

‘I know what you’re thinking. You can’t imagine doing that, and it’s hard to hurt another human, especially like that, but when it’s you or them…’ Ryan dropped to the ground and rolled, taking Jaz’s legs out from under her.

They both lay flat on the mat catching their breath.

‘So would you be teaching me all this stuff or do you have proper teachers?’ she asked.

Ryan sat up and crossed his legs. ‘Maybe, if I wasn’t out on an op. Otherwise it would be other agents like me. They are great, you’d learn a lot from each one of them.’