The Training Ground

Alvan just stood at the door of their room as he watched her sleep peacefully. Omar's voice still replaying in his head.

She's different now. I'm sure you can see that too he said.

A part of her died there

Omar said that no one knew the details of what really happened to her in that place because she barely talked about it. Avoidance was a coping mechanism for her. She was one to avoid her problems rather than face it.

He could never fully understand her and why she did the things she did. He could never understand how she could move from a girl worried sick about a stranger that ran straight into her car, a girl who almost puked at the sight of blood to a woman who could take a life in a heartbeat. A lot of things had indeed changed about her but he had changed too and he didn't know what to do with all the new information he had received and the emotions he was feeling.

With a sigh, he just lay down on the bed next to her and closed his eyes.

x x x

He slowly pried his eyes open when he noticed movement in the room. He silently watched her as she ran a comb through her thick wavy hair. She was sitting at the dresser, her face in a slight frown as she tried to untangle the knots of her hair. She blew a ragged breath in annoyance and tossed the comb aside. She spun on her butt and turned to Alvan but hesitated then turned back to the mirror.

"Do you need help with that?" he asked, his voice laced with sleep.

She looked at him through the mirror and nodded.

He dragged himself from the bed to where she was sitting and took the comb from her, their fingers brushing slightly.

He made eye contact with her through the mirror, unsure of what to do.

"I think you should start by parting the hair into six sections, it will make combing much easier," she said and started to part it by herself though he assisted in tugging the tangled hair more gently than she was.

They parted it into six sections and he helped her make six braids. She tried not to laugh at how ugly the braids looked.

"Is it that bad?" he winced.

With a teasing lilt to her voice she said back, "What do you think?"

He rolled his eyes at her, "Forgive me, I'm not a hairdresser."

"You are doing just great," she said, the smile still on her face.

"What am I supposed to do from here?" he asked, looking utterly confused.

She loosed one of the two braids at the back and said, "From here you can comb the hair out. Comb out the tips first to untangle it. Then you comb from the roots."

She picked up the comb to demonstrate but he took the comb from her hand and did it himself. He was gentle with her hair.

She watched him from the mirror as his eyes focused on what he was doing, his forehead furrowed with concentration.

"Am I doing it right?" he glanced at her and asked.

She nodded her head still staring at him, trying to read him.

He felt her stare linger for long and he met her gaze.

"What happened last night?" she asked softly.

He pressed his lips in a thin line, "Nothing."

"Now you sound like a woman. What happened last night?"

He said nothing, broke eye contact and continued to work on the second section of the hair.

Her lip twitched and she bit back her comment.

The tension between them was palpable and very uncomfortable.

He wanted to say something but the words were stuck in his throat, he didn't know what to say to her but he knew he had to say something or he'd be completely misunderstood. He managed to finish up, she just thanked him and walked out of the room.

"Gia wait," but she already slammed the door and was out of his sight. He sighed and went about his business.

For the rest of the day, he couldn't stop replaying his conversation with Omar again and again. He knew he had wronged her and he had to make things right with her but he didn't know how.

It was times like these that he missed Luca. Luca would always know what to say.

x x x

Dante walked briskly and Gia tried to keep up with him as they walked into a building that looked just like one of Omri's casinos.

"What are we here for?" she asked as they walked past the two bulky bouncers at the door.

She looked around in amazement at the training gears around and shirtless men around. It looked like both a gym and an arcade. "What's this place?"

"Training grounds," Dante said simply.

He barely answered her question but she knew that even if she pressed for more answers, she wouldn't get much from him.

Dante climbed the stairs to the next floor. On that floor there was only one huge room with glass walls and a glass door. He stood at the entrance of the simulated city environment, a sprawling complex of concrete buildings and narrow alleys. Gia stood beside him, her eyes scanning the landscape with a mix of excitement and nerves.

"This is where we test your skills in urban warfare," Dante said, his voice low and serious. "You'll be facing a series of scenarios designed to push your combat skills and tactical thinking to the limit."

Gia nodded, her jaw set in determination. "I'm ready."

Dante handed her a rifle and a pistol, along with a vest loaded with ammo and supplies. "You'll be playing the role of a solo operative, tasked with completing objectives while navigating the city. You'll face enemy forces, civilians, and unexpected challenges."

Gia slung the rifle over her shoulder and checked her pistol. "What's the first objective?"

Dante handed her a tablet with a map of the city and a series of waypoints. "Your first objective is to reach the city square, where you'll find a group of civilians being held hostage by enemy forces. You need to extract the civilians without harming them."

Gia studied the map, her eyes narrowing as she planned her route. "I'll take the alleyway to the east, then move through the buildings to get the drop on the enemy."

Dante nodded, a hint of a smile on his face. "That's a good plan. But be prepared for unexpected surprises. And from here forward, you're on your own. Good luck."

Gia nodded, then set off into the simulated city, her senses on high alert as she navigated the alleys and buildings.

As she moved through the city, Gia encountered a series of challenges, from enemy soldiers to civilians caught in the crossfire. She used her combat skills and tactical thinking to overcome each obstacle, her confidence growing with each success.

But the simulation was designed to test her limits, and soon Gia found herself facing a series of increasingly difficult challenges. She was ambushed by enemy forces, then faced with a group of civilians trapped in a burning building.

Through it all, Dante watched from the sidelines, his eyes narrowed as he assessed Gia's performance. He was impressed by her skills and her ability to think on her feet, but he knew she still had a lot to learn.

As the simulation drew to a close, Gia faced off against a final challenge: a heavily armed enemy soldier who had taken a group of civilians hostage. Gia used all her skills and training to take down the soldier, then extract the civilians to safety.

As the simulation ended, Dante approached Gia, a nod of approval on his face. "You did well," he said. "You used your combat skills and tactical thinking to overcome each challenge."

Gia grinned, her eyes shining with pride. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without your training."

Dante smiled back, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're a natural. But there's still a lot to learn. Let's review the simulation and see where you can improve."

Together, they reviewed the simulation, analyzing each challenge and identifying areas for improvement. As they worked, Gia felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. She had come a long way since her first days of training, and she knew she was ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.

The training session ended with a final nod of approval from Dante. "You're getting closer to being ready for real-world missions," he said. "Keep up the good work."

Gia grinned, feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation. She knew that real-world missions would bring new challenges and dangers, but she was ready. She was ready to put her skills to the test and prove herself as a valuable asset to the organization. It wasn't really about the organization, but it was about helping him.