Her Corporate Takedown: Entangled with a Billionaire

*CHAPTER 46: PERILOUS DAY AT THE FBI*

After dealing with Tristan's pushiness and the two-day training camp, I was in no mood for Jeremy's harassment tonight.

Yesterday, my conversation with Tristan ended in a stalemate; he continued with his amorous appeals while I continued to dodge or ignore them. The girls couldn't have taken any longer to return to the room, but at last they did, and we left for a tour of the facilities.

We could have gone straight to our business, but I met Agent Granger who arranged the tour for us, more specifically me, since I was the only member of the group who had never been to the FBI headquarters.

After the tour, we did a light warm-up, then a heavier warm-up and then joined the recruits, who were about to start conditioning exercises.

Terrific.

Was it too late to ask to sit out, or for a different training menu that was actually manageable? I couldn't say anything against Shelli's twinkling eyes that looked forward to the training. So, out of consideration for everyone, I made sure to stay at the very back of the pack so that no one would worry about me when I passed out.

Five sets of the brutal workout later, I was awoken by a cold, soggy and suffocating feeling. I looked up at Tristan, who was holding a bucket in his hand, then I looked down on the floor.

I had actually passed out. I couldn't believe it either. I had never fainted before but it was a very unpleasant sensation when I woke up. Though that sensation might have been the humiliation I felt as I looked up at the faces laughing in mockery.

While the recruits cleared away for a break, Jayelle and Shelli crouched down beside me and did nothing but pat their hands on my shoulders. I took their hands which offered to help me stand up and they propped me up with one arm over each of their shoulders as we also left the grounds for a break.

Even with an extended break, I had still not recovered from the first session. My much-needed respite was cut short much too early by Agent Granger, who although looked accommodating on the outside, was a spartan trainer on the field. As I cried on the inside, we left the nice and chilly indoors and ventured through the devastating sun on our way to another field.

By the time we arrived, I was already drained of the little energy I had recovered. Not only did we walk a mile to this field, but the piercing rays of the sun also zapped my skin cells of their youth as it depleted my barely recovered vitality.

The recruits had already begun their next session on this field and completed two runs. We were told to join them on their next run of the course. I stared at the delightful, treacherous obstacle course that they had wanted me, a total 'chair-bot' for the last 24 years, to complete at the same pace as these fit, snappy recruits. I mentally prepared myself for another faceplanting episode where I would, once again, experience the stares of shame at my undisputed lack of physical ability.

Then the time had come. We were called to line up with the recruits after their five-minute break. Apprehensively, I looked at the obstacle course. The end was nowhere to be seen in the horizon from where I stood. A lump in my throat formed while I looked at the set-up that seemed near impossible for me. This time I gathered my courage to speak up about sitting out of this one but a stern look from Agent Granger froze my mouth and hand in place.

In any case, I decided to just take my sweet time and do what I could. It wasn't worth getting hurt trying to push myself in front of people whom I had nothing to prove.

The starting whistle blew and everyone spurted off. The first few hurdles were easy to get over. Then, they got taller; the final hurdle was above my head and I had to jump up and pull myself over it.

After the hurdles, came climbing the brick tower, which was missing pieces from other recruits who dislodged them and making those areas more unstable. One of the bricks I stepped on wobbled and I almost fell off the tower when I was half-way up.

Somehow, I made it over. The next obstacle was the classic wire trap. It wasn't as easy to glide under as the recruits in front made it seem. I was quickly left behind in this section as I struggled to wiggle my way through. At last, I got through.

Now, for the crazier sections.

Rock-climbing walls, monkey bars and rope swings, for which I had no arm strength to get through. Large box jumps, which were spaced so widely that I couldn't jump to the second box after trying for thirty minutes. I got a pass on the box jumps and instead was allowed to climb on and off each one before I could move to the next section.

After all of that, you would think that was the end, but no. Next came a very long net climb, in the middle of which I almost passed out and fell off. The obstacle course was so taxing, I almost cried. Not to mention, from the very start of the course, I was not spared the verbal onslaughts of 'encouragement' that the recruits usually endured. Since I was so far behind and took five times as long as the others to finish, the verbal onslaughts lasted even longer.

That was until I saw everyone else running past me while I was still climbing down the other side of the net. They had already finished the course and I didn't even know how much I had left. Did I have to do this again? That was the last thought I had before I got hit with a bout of nausea.

Then, my hand slipped.

I lay on the ground, watching the sky spin in a frenzy, trying to distract me from the sour taste of the acidic juices welling up my throat. Tristan came over to me in a hurry and gave me a bottle of water. I struggled to swallow the urge to throw up while my personally assigned verbal abuse agent continued to yell at me to get up because we didn't have all day, along with calling me all sorts of traumatizing names I would never say even to the worst person on earth.

Tristan helped me to stand up slowly and I collected myself. After a few deep breaths, I turned to face the obstacle course again and slowly got myself over each one. I didn't even realize that the verbally abusive commentator had stopped talking some time ago. I looked at him and he was actually smiling while he walked alongside me. When we made eye contact, he nodded and I felt a little more encouraged to power through.

What really gave me the motivation to face this again, was what Tristan said to me after my dizzy spell earlier. As I took a couple sips of water, he whispered to me, "Does this course hold a candle to the torment that Michelle put you through for over a decade?"

No, it did not.

And with that, I grit my teeth and gathered my strength to crawl through the dirt to the finish line if that's what it took to get there.

Although the recruits lapped me three more times on my way through the course, I managed to survive. I made it through my first ever and hopefully, last ever obstacle course. I crawled back to the start where I was greeted with a round of applause by everyone, including the recruits and other agents who were helping with the training.

Even Agent Granger and my personal verbal abuse coach were clapping. I finally fell to the ground in tears, but this time, I didn't have to walk the plank of shame. I owed that to Tristan, who again offered a hand to help me stand as we left the field that evening.

"Michelle doesn't have anything over a girl who survived this perilous course." Tristan whispered one final set of encouraging words to me before we retired for the night. After a well-deserved shower and dinner, I faceplanted in the right place this time, my bed, in the overnight room we were loaned.

The next day, we joined the recruits again under the scorching morning sun for routine field drills and, in the afternoon, for lessons in self-defence. The self-defence classes were arduous, but at least, they were indoors.

That wrapped up our long two-day trip to the FBI headquarters in Los Angeles. I was completely burnt out, Jayelle got in a good workout but was ready to leave and Shelli was amped up and looked ready to live there for another month. I was now convinced that Shelli was simply an exercise addict. Her statement about reforming my mind and body was just an excuse for her to pile on the workouts.

In a little over a month, I had already met five of the Undercode family heirs. I choked that up to my position as Andrei's partner of interest, but what would happen if I suddenly backed out? They all seemed to be genuinely nice people, so I didn't want to think badly of any of them. I mostly felt, though, that they were having fun bringing someone new into the fold of their small world, someone who they could share their secrets with.

Who was I kidding about backing out? At this point, I had pretty much made up my mind about Andrei, and about my future with him.

I said my thanks and goodbyes to everyone at the FBI and right before leaving, I gave Tristan a hug of friendship as a reward for helping me. We were given a ride back to the station and I endured all of the eyes on me again as I exited the black car and the men-in-black saw us off.

We arrived forty minutes later, and after another fifteen minutes, I was greeted by a box outside my apartment when I arrived home. I then went through the package Jeremy had sent in preparation for tonight. He sent a wireless transceiver set, a credit card, a list of nearby hotels and several single-dose bottles of some kind of drug.

I quickly got ready so that I wouldn't run late for the meeting time. Stumbling out the door with my bag, my joints creaked and my muscles cried in pain as I wobbled downstairs once again to my car.

There was one thing to look forward to. At least I would be having dinner with Andrei.

Wait, no, two things. Another treat to an irresistibly delicious meal. I can't believe I didn't think of food at first.

The food was the number one thing I looked forward to, of course.