Page 86 of Forcing Fate

“They can’t get in.”

The bugle call had me throwing my hair up in a knot and dressing quickly, as it beckoned me from my room. I had gotten no sleep. Whoever attempted to get to me last night didn’t give up. They tried multiple times, and I wouldn’t let myself drift off. At one point, I had to nudge my cot back into place when they managed to shove it to the side.

I pushed my bed aside and exited the room, standing just outside the door. The other recruits stood at attention near their bunks. I didn’t want to face them after last night. Even if those closest to the storage closet were not the offenders, they did nothing, knowing very well why men tried to get in.

“Recruits!” A bellowing voice drew out the word. The big, burly Sergeant Briggs stormed through the bunkhouse. “Bunks made in thirty seconds!”

I darted into the room at his orders and folded the blanket on my cot. Slipping back outside, I stood at attention at the door. Sergeant Briggs stomped to the far wall and screamed at those that hadn’t finished, and inspected the ones that had. He tossed a few bunks to the floor with demands to fix them, then neared my room.

He stood in front of me and looked down, scowling. “No bunk for you?” he barked.

“Storage closet, sir!” I said, sidestepping, so he had access to the door.

“Did I tell you to move, recruit?!”

“No, sir!” I instantly regretted my actions.

His lip curled as he glanced at my thin arms. “Can you even do a pushup?!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Then give me twenty!” he roared, then leaned past the threshold to inspect the space.

I dropped to the floor and heaved out twenty agonizing push-ups, panting with exhaustion by the time I finished.

He watched me complete the set, a vein on his temple popping out under his dark skin. “You will eat twice your rations today. You will lick your plate clean or you’ll be eating that as well, you hear me?!”

“Yes, sir!”

There went sharing my first meal with the bounty hunter.

With a brisk nod, he spun on his heel and moved down the line.

Sergeant Briggs dismissed us and gave orders to report to the training fields at the sixth chime. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and the chilled air nipped at my cheeks. As I walked to the dining hall, I noted the bounty hunter beside me.

“Rough night?” he asked.

I grunted in response, and he chuckled. I sent a vicious glare his way.

“You’re talking like us now,” he explained.

“Hmmph.” That was the best response he would get.

“From upstairs, it sounded like you had visitors. Take any to bed?”

White-hot rage blurred my vision as I turned on him. Clenching and unclenching my fists, my vision went red. I couldn’t hit him. I couldn’t alienate the only ally I had. “That bed kept them from my room,” I growled.

He took a step back and eyed me, mirth disappearing from his eyes. “That kind of visitor, huh?”

My teeth ground together as I pushed past him. My foul mood had me more jaded than ever. Last night’s events jerked me into reality, somehow making me feel older and more experienced—in a bad way.

I stalked to the dining hall and requested two portions of first meal, as Sergeant Briggs ordered. Sausages, eggs, toast, and an apple… times two. I couldn’t eat this much. I took my seat at the corner table, back to the wall.

The bounty hunter came to sit by me, eyeing my meal curiously.

“Two rations,” I grumbled. “Sergeant’s orders.”

“Switch.”

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