Page 92 of Snitches and Serpents

But that’s how it works.

I would like to think that I can just take one giant step out of the suffocating box I have lived in all my life. But it’s not as simple as that. Especially with something that I’ve spent years being trained into doing.

The past is a messy and complicated thing. And progress is not a straight line. There are some steps forward and some steps back. But at least I finally feel like I’m moving in the right direction.

A loud thud sounds from next to me.

It startles me so much that I almost jump.

The guy who hit the massive punching bag glances towards me when I flinch like that. Then he does a double take when he sees me. I quickly hurry past.

Crap. I need to act more natural.

When I finally reach the first door, I don’t pause and check over my shoulder. Instead, I simply push down the handle and open the door as if I’m perfectly allowed to do that.

Spare pieces of equipment stare back at me from inside the small room.

I quickly close the door and continue on to the next one.

More people have started to glance in my direction now. Their eyes burn holes in the back of my head, but I keep my chin raised as I stride to the next door and open that as well.

It’s a storage space full of cleaning supplies.

Frowning, I close the door and turn back towards the main training area. There is nothing of interest here. It really is just a gym full of guys who practice martial arts.

I’m not sure if I’m disappointed or relieved.

On the one hand, it means that I don’t have anything of value to report to John. But at the same time, it means that I don’t have to betray sensitive information about Tristan. It should?—

“Who the hell are you?”

I jump at the sound of a man’s voice behind me.

Whirling around, I find a muscular guy glaring down at me. He’s only wearing a pair of shorts, and his hands are wrapped like a boxer before a fight.

“I, uhm…” I stammer as all of my braincells suddenly freeze up in panic. “I’m a new member.”

Several other guys behind him laugh. I flick a quick glance over them. At least they don’t look angry. The man in front of me does.

“A new member, huh?” he says, his pale eyes locked on me. Cracking his knuckles, he takes a step towards me. “Then you know what you need to do, right?”

I stumble back as he continues advancing on me. “No. Look, I’m sorry, I just realized that I need to?—”

“All new members need to prove themselves,” he cuts me off while he keeps backing me across the floor.

“I really don’t think…” I trail off and blink in surprise.

Snapping my gaze down, I find that the ground underneath me is now softer.

Alarm pulses through me as I realize that the guy has backed me into one of the fight cages.

I try to dart back around him, but he’s blocking the way out with his body.

There is a dangerous glint in his eyes as he closes the chain-link door behind him, sealing us in. Panic courses through me like live wires.

Metal rattles as my back hits one of the chain-link walls. I cast a panicked glance behind me, but I’m trapped now.

The guy stalks towards me, a cruel smile on his face. “Like I said, all new members need to prove themselves.” He cracks his knuckles again. “So, let’s see what you can do.”

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