Chapter 6: Saturday (1)

The next day, my father and I woke up early. We had breakfast at 6:30am. After we changed, Father went into the living room and entered a closet. Behind the many clothes was a hidden compartment with a fingerprint scanner. Father scanned his thumb, and, after a *click* sound, he shifted the movable closet to the right. The compartment inside contains several weapons, including sniple rifles, shotguns and pistols. Father took a Desert Eagle and a Glock before closing the compartment.

He put both pistols into a duffel bag, along with two sets of towels and spare clothes for him and myself. Then, he carried the duffel bag as we both headed to the garage.

The garage had 2 cars. One for my dad and one for when I get my driver's license in the future. We entered the slick silver colored Mercedes Benz, placing the duffel bag in the back seat. I rode shotgun while Father drove out.

****************

Before long, I nodded off and had a light sleep. We drove for 2 hours before arriving at a training facility located in the desert. I woke up and saw the gigantic sign that said, "Ares International. XX Specialized Training Center." There was a gigantic logo next to the sign with the symbol of a Greek Hoplite helmet [1].

The specialized training center is massive. There were a few obstacle courses; a long-range, mid-range and a short-range shooting range; multiple training rooms; a multi-function room for training the five senses and many more.

When we arrived at the entrance, a valet helped open the car doors. Father gave the car keys to the valet, and entered the facility after grabbing the duffel bag. The receptionist immediately greeted us warmly right after we walked in. "Good morning, Mr. Gray, Mr. Lee. Welcome back to XX Specialized Training Center." My Father nodded.

After going through security, putting the duffel bag through the x-ray machine and going through the metal detector ourselves, the receptionist gave us 2 keys. "Here are the 2 keys for your lockers."

****************

As we entered the locker room, we saw many young men with age ranging from the 20s to 40s.

"I'm probably the youngest person in this whole training center." I thought to myself.

My father's locker was adjacent to mine. He gave me a towel and my spare clothes. Father opened his locker and shoved the duffel bag in. He then changed into a military camouflage uniform that was already placed in the locker. The uniform fits him perfectly, making him seem like a fierce yet dashing man that had went through many hardships. He then wore a open carry belt and stuffed his Glock and Desert Eagle in the holsters.

I placed my towel and spare clothes delicately inside the locker and closed it. Unlike my father, I did not change.

After heading out of the locker room, there were directions to the multiple facilities within the training center.

"I have to go to the obstacle training course now." Father said to me after taking a look at his watch that was on his wrist. "Remember, you have close-quarter combat training with Instructor Harris at 11am and armed combat training with Instructor Evans at 2pm."

I nodded. "I'll see you at 1pm for lunch time then?"

"I don't know how long it would take to finish my session. You can eat without me if I'm not at the cafeteria." Father then ruffled my hair and gave a faint smile. "Remember not to over-exert yourself, okay?"

"Yes, Father." I replied obediently.

Father turned left at the intersection and walked away. I stared at his tall and wide back until my eyes could not see him anymore. Then, I turned right and walked the opposite direction.

*********************

I decided that I will go train my targeting precision at the close-range gun range. I arrived in front of the gun range where a whole rack of different sorts of pistols were displayed to be lent. A staff member sat in front of the rack, playing on his phone. I then asked the staff to lend me a Glock, 10 cartridges and an earmuff. The total lending (for the Glock and earmuff) and buying fee (for the cartridges filled with bullets) costs $500. I paid in cash.

"Are you sure you can handle a gun, kid?" The staff teased me.

I stared at the staff for a while, "You're new here, aren't you?" I asked in a monotone voice.

"Yeah, just got transferred to this department. Used to be in the war, but all the screwed up sh*t happening over there is messin' up my head, you know what I mean?" The staff said in a rough voice.

"PTSD?"

"Yeah." The staff nodded. "The name's Ben Warren. What's your name, kid?"

"Hunter Lee." I replied. "Also, thank you for your concern, but I think I can handle this." I gestured with the gun.

Mr. Warren shrugged and left me alone. I put on my earmuffs and headed in.

There were already a few people at the gun range. I grabbed a paper target with the silouette of a human being located on the pile of papers on a desk and headed to an asile.

I hanged the paper target and pressed a button, allowing the conveyor to move the target back. I moved the target back 100m before stopping. After that, I took the Glock, entered the cartridge and started shooting.

*********************

"The results were quite satisfactory," I thought.

I took a look at the several paper tagets, all of which have multiple holes at the center of the heart and head.

I returned the Glock, empty cartridges and the earmuffs. "Oh, can you also help me throw away at the paper targets?" I asked.

Mr. Warren took the papers and exclaimed, "Holy sh*t! You're good, kid!"

I turned my back and walked away, waving my hand. My lips slightly curved.

*****************

I headed to a function room for the close-quarter combat session. It was then that I had a slightly unpleasant feeling. I took a look around the room and there were only some equipment and Instructor Harris in front of me. Then, I noticed there was a large glass pane at the upper side of one wall. The glass was tinted so one cannot look outside, but those who were outside could look in. "Instructor, is someone going to be watching our session today?"

"No. I was not informed of this." The instructor shook his head.

I pondered a bit more but didn't have time since the instructor already started sparring with me, requiring my full attention.

*******************

After the end of the session, I headed towards the cafeteria hoping to see Father. I started walking along a long hallway, when I saw someone standing next to the wall in front of me. The man was wearing a blue suit, with a striped tie and black leather shoes. His face was cleanly shaven, making him look younger than he really was. His hair was brushed back, making him seem more vibrant. He tilted his head and took a glance at me. As I closed in on him, he took the initiative and asked, "Hello. Are you Mr. Hunter Lee?" He asked amicably.

"Yes...?" I replied warily.

"My name is Flint Walker, I am a military consultant that works for Ares International." Mr. Walker said in a soft tone. He reached into his pocket behind his blazer and took out a name card. He then handed it to me.

I took a look. The name card reads, "Flint Walker. Senior Military Consultant. 2nd Division."

I flipped the card to the back and saw the logo of Ares International printed on it.

"May I ask what you are looking from me, Mr. Walker?" I asked.

"Well, I was quite intriqued by your excellent shooting skills this morning and could not help but ask. Would you like to go on a paintball session with me and my friends?" Walker asked nicely.

My facial expression did not change. However, inwardly, I immediately became guarded. "This man was watching me when I was in the gun range and I did not even notice it. Was he the one gazing at me during my close-quarter combat session as well?" I thought.

"Mr. Walker, I'm sorry to inform you that I need permission from my father to do these sorts of activities, as I am still a minor." I reasoned.

Walker had a suprised look. "Oh, sorry. I did not realize. You did not look like a minor to me."

Walker then smiled again, "Oh well. It is nice to meet your acquaintance anyways. It is fate that we met today. If you have any problems in the future, please call the number on the name card."

After speaking what he had to say, Walker left in the opposite direction. I waited until he turned the corner before taking a deep breath and narrowed my eyes. I headed towards the cafeteria.

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