Alpha Squad: Boot Camp

Chapter Six

Chapter SixEric's heart sank when his one-to-one with the major ended. He did not want to leave her presence, but he had no other choice.

Hopefully, his answers had pleased her. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint this woman, even if he wasn't fully convinced of Alpha Squad's proposed relevance. Unfortunately, he had become so distracted looking at her that he’d found himself simply going through the motions during the whole assessment.

Had she felt it too?

Her bodily reactions suggested she was as attracted to him as he was to her; her elevated heartbeat, shallow breaths and dilated pupils were clear indicators. Still, the divide between them could not have been bigger. You did not date a recruit, obviously. It was unprofessional, and from the start, Eric had been able to tell that Major Williams took her work very seriously.

If only his inner bear could accept this fact.

Eric found himself lingering outside her office longer than appropriate. But the sound of her voice as she answered the phone kept him captivated.

Who was she talking to?

Oliver Teese.

She did not sound pleased. Sadly, Eric's hearing was not powerful enough to be able to make out the exact words spoken by the man on the other end of the line. He would have loved an insight into the goings on at Alpha Squad and the challenges the major faced.

With every further answer the major gave, Eric could hear her tense up more. She was being cryptic on purpose, as anyone would be in her situation. Oliver Teese might have spearheaded the initiative to set up Alpha Squad, but it was inappropriate of him to expect to micro-manage it.

Eric's protective instincts kicked in. He felt for her. If only he could step in and make things easier somehow.

If indeed she felt the same as him, that very thing would probably make everything worse.

Perhaps once they completed their training…

Or if Oliver Teese lost interest in his little project after realizing that he wasn't going to have as much oversight as he expected, perhaps the whole thing would fizzle out and they could get on with their normal lives.

Perhaps then the two of them would have a real shot.

Eric forced himself to move when he heard approaching footsteps.

"I finished my lunch and just wanted to see how you were getting on," Blackwood remarked as he spied Eric in the hallway.

"My assessment has just finished. I'm sure you'll be up soon," Eric said.

The wolf nodded at him as he passed by and knocked on the major's door.

Eric could just about make out the sound of the major's voice asking Blackwood to wait a moment, followed by a phone receiver being placed back in its cradle, as he walked back in the direction of the break room. Blackwood seemed nice enough, if a bit naive and overzealous. Hopefully he hadn't realized that Eric had been eavesdropping on the major.

Eric didn't have too much experience dealing with wolves, but he did know they were extremely loyal and could really hold a grudge. And if he took Blackwood's words at face value, the wolf's loyalties lay squarely with the squad and its leadership, not with any one of the individual recruits, least of all him, a bear.

"Please tell me there's food left," Eric remarked as he pushed the door to the small mess room open.

Adam grinned at him and held up a plate with a couple of fried eggs. "Obviously! But I don't think we can manage dinner with what we've been given."

Eric gladly accepted his share of the meal. "Perhaps we ought to do something about that, then."

Adam frowned. The two humans looked similarly puzzled.

"We're hunters by nature. Do I have to spell it out for you guys? If this training is all about us taking initiative, then we better get on with it."

Adam nodded slowly, but did not seem convinced. He was such a city bear! If they learned nothing else from this whole experience, at least Eric might end up taking his little brother out for a proper hunt in the wilderness. That had to count for something, right?

And if Blackwood was on board, they'd have half a chance of bringing home something worthwhile.

When Cadet Blackwood entered, followed by Callahan with her glass of water, Janine still didn't feel quite right. Her earlier conversation with Eric King had affected her, mainly due to the voice in her head that she’d been unable to place.

It was like a second presence had infiltrated her mind, seeking to influence her and make her do things she'd regret.

The phone call with Secretary Teese had only made things worse. It had reminded her of just how much scrutiny she would be under. No matter what her real orders were, supposedly, she would have to answer for whatever happened with Alpha Squad. Teese would not let the task force go down as a failure, and General Stone would not allow it to succeed. A rock and a hard place. And on top of it all, a sexy bear shifter who kept looking at her like she was dessert.

Janine swallowed hard and looked up at the wide-eyed werewolf who stood in front of her desk. Out of everyone, Blackwood was by far the one with the best attitude throughout the morning. Was this guy for real? It was her duty to find out.

"Let's begin, shall we? Please sit down," she said, though her heart was not in it at all.

Blackwood nodded eagerly. "Yes, Ma'am."

She picked up the questionnaire and read out the first item. The same thing she had asked Eric only a short while earlier.

"Why join Alpha Squad?"

Janine did her best to listen to Blackwood's answers, taking notes whenever appropriate. But her mind kept wandering back to Eric King, comparing Blackwood to King in every possible way.

If this was how every assessment would go, she was doomed.

Still, she forced herself to continue and finish the questions.

After that, she instructed Callahan to hold off on sending any more recruits in. She needed a moment to compose herself.

Just as she leaned back in the squeaky chair behind her desk, the wretched phone rang again.

Now what?

"Yes, Callahan?" she answered, wearily.

"I know you did not want to be disturbed, but I have General Stone on the line."

Bloody hell!

"Put him through," Janine mumbled as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Major Williams," the general addressed her.

"General. To what do I owe the pleasure of your phone call?" Janine tried not to sound sarcastic, even though pleasure was the last thing she felt right now.

"A status update. You might have formed some first impressions by now?"

Not this again!

"Sir, it really is rather early for that. I've only done the first two individual assessments so far." Janine tried her best to remain calm, but her heart was once again hammering away in her chest, and this time it was due to frustration, not lust.

"No matter. I mainly intended to confirm that we're on track," the general probed.

Janine shook her head. "I've prepared a standard boot camp training schedule for Phase One, Sir."

"And?"

"Physically, they're in decent shape, Sir."

"And mental assessments are not yet complete."

"No, Sir."

"I've had a word with Secretary Teese earlier today," the general said, pausing.

Perhaps that explained why Janine's phone had been ringing off the hook today.

"Yes, Sir?"

"We both agree that with a task force such as this, there is no need to hold back. He has approved my suggestion of incorporating a more rigorous course of training."

"Indeed, Sir?" They might have both agreed on something, but their motivations were the exact opposite.

"Once Phase One is complete, you are to incorporate aspects of Special Forces training into the syllabus."

"Yes, Sir." Janine made a note. Special Forces training. That was intense. "Any particular activities you propose, Sir?"

"Intense survival, advanced weapons, and parachute training."

The line went silent for a moment as Janine noted it all down. Why the hell would Alpha Squad members ever need to learn parachuting? The general was having a laugh, surely.

"You will be provided with the necessary equipment and be approved for use of the on base air strip by the end of next week."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Carry on. And don't forget your orders, Major." The general hung up and the line went dead.

Janine put the pen down and shook her head. Save for Bentley, none of the recruits were even remotely qualified for this.

The general would have sold his idea to Teese as a positive; Alpha Squad would be the most intensely trained domestic force of the country—provided the recruits successfully completed the course. Of course, the general's ulterior motives were still very much in play; he was simply setting everyone up to fail. Anyone with a shred of military experience could see right through this.

Of course, Janine did not have any choice but to obey, no matter how inappropriate the orders were. But she would not do so recklessly. Special Forces training was taxing and risky even for the most experienced and capable operatives. Lives were at stake.

A knock on the door interrupted Janine for the umpteenth time today.

"Who is it?" Janine asked, quickly closing the notes she had taken outlining General Stone's insane plan.

"Ma'am?" Private Callahan opened the door slightly and stuck her head in. "A quick moment, please, before the next assessment?"

Janine nodded at her and gestured at her to come in.

She closed the door carefully behind herself.

"Ma'am, I don't mean to be out of line…" she began.

"Speak freely, Private." Janine sighed and sat back. Nothing Callahan could say would make the day any worse than it already was.

"I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between General Stone and yourself."

Janine looked up and scrutinized Callahan's face. The woman looked skittish, as she usually did when faced with a superior, but that wasn't all. Her eyes were full of concern, perhaps even fear.

"Your thoughts?" Janine urged her to continue.

"Well, Ma'am, of course I don't have to tell you that Special Forces training is extremely demanding…"

"I'm fully aware."

"And the recruits are… well… for the most part not exactly…" She paused, as though she was looking to Janine for further reassurances.

"The recruits are not Special Forces material. Except for Bentley," Janine completed the private's thoughts.

Callahan nodded. "I was here last year when we lost two men to bad weather during SAS Selection training."

Janine folded her hands and stared down at them. This was exactly what had worried her too.

"I'm not looking to repeat that tragedy," Janine said.

"Indeed, Ma'am. I just don't think—"

Janine raised her right hand and nodded. "I understand and share your concerns. In fact, I have a few thoughts to minimize the risks."

Janine opened the folder in front of her and pulled out her notes. "Alpha Squad training Phase Two will be just a little bit different than your ordinary SAS Selection process. Especially for the purposes of extreme survival—arguably the most dangerous part of the training—we will not be sending the recruits out on their own."

Callahan raised her eyebrows. "No, Ma'am?"

Janine shook her head and a subtle smile formed on her lips. She wasn't sure exactly where the idea had come from, but it made perfect sense to her now.

"We will join them. If we are going to be a team going forward, we all have to play our part, don't you think?"

"Really?" Callahan's eyes widened further, until she caught herself. "I mean, yes Ma'am, whatever you say."

"What do you say, are you ready to participate in some advanced training?"

"But… This is quite irregular."

"Everything about this team is irregular," Janine remarked, mostly to herself.

She wasn't quite sure how far she was willing to take this, but this was the best way of making sure nobody came to harm. If Callahan and she accompanied the recruits on their exercises, they would be able to carry the necessary communications equipment enabling them to organize a rescue if things went south.

It was perfect.

Callahan blinked a few times, then she also smiled briefly. "Well, ever since the military has lifted its restrictions for women within the service, I have been wondering what it would be like to undergo rigorous training like that."

"I like how you think, Callahan. Glad you're on board. We will keep a close eye on everything from the inside and show the guys what we're made of as well."

Callahan nodded. "Yes, Ma'am!"

When Callahan left, Janine took a deep breath. Getting closely involved in the advanced training was the only solution that made sense and would keep everyone off her back. Just because General Stone had come up with this ridiculous plan to sabotage Alpha Squad in its infancy did not mean she had to send her recruits into dangerous situations on their own. In the end, their safety was her responsibility, nobody else's.