Location: Classified
The entire squad stopped what they were doing and looked at Olesya.
'What are you doing here?' one of them asked.
This wasn't off to a great start.
There were nine recruits inside the compact living quarters. The quarters smelled of used socks and shoe polish. There was a pair of recruits to almost every metal bunk bed, the bed sheets folded with hospital corners and smoothed by a wooden ruler. The recruits wore nametags velcroed to their uniforms, a privilege reserved only for those in Combat Training.
A boy stepped forward, arms folded. Olesya recognized him as Ark, the squad leader. He was tall and thin, with curly brown hair and rounded eyes that looked too big for his head. He smirked as he approached.
'Take a wrong turn, Blondie?' he said. 'Which squad are you looking for?'
Olesya swallowed. 'Firebird.'
His smile dissolved. 'Uh, that's us.'
'I've been transferred,' she said.
'Not to Firebird, you haven't.' He lifted his chin. 'Must be some mistake. Where are you from?'
'English Squad.' Olesya noticed the empty bunk. 'Is that the spare bed?'
'Whoa, hold up there.' He stepped between her and the bed. 'That's for a proper recruit, not some little girl from English Squad.'
I'll show you a proper recruit, she thought.
'I don't know why they moved me,' she said. 'I'm just following orders.'
'From English Squad?' Ark laughed. 'Great, a recruit who can't even speak English properly.'
Someone else cleared their throat and moved nimbly forward. Her nametag read Xiu. Her large brown eyes flickered between Olesya and Ark. When she spoke, she was calm but sure.
'It sounds like she speaks better English than you,' Xiu said. Her accent was American, not Chinese. Her gaze lingered on Olesya for a moment, but not too long.
'I didn't ask you.' Ark focused on Olesya. 'I don't care about your language skills, I care about your combat skills. And you have zero.'
'I have basic training,' Olesya said. 'Did you forget?'
Ark almost laughed. 'Basic won't get you far in this squad.'
The rest of Firebird were whispering in their bunks. Olesya couldn't hear what they were saying. She spoke up, drowning them out.
'That's why I'm here, to learn,' she said. 'Everyone says you're the best leader of all the squads.'
Ark allowed himself a knowing smile.
She leaned in to whisper. 'But I think they're wrong.'
'What do y—' Ark said. 'What do you know, huh?'
'You can't handle one untrained recruit.' Olesya stepped forward. 'The best leader could do that, easy.'
For a fraction of a second, Ark flinched, as though he was about to be attacked from something high above. Then his bony arms locked at his sides. 'We have more important things to do than babysit you. We have training and tests to pass. You won't even last a day.'
'Then you have nothing to worry about,' Olesya said.
Ark smiled. 'Exactly.'
Olesya sidestepped him and threw her pack on the empty bed. She just wanted to get on with it and make this change as painless as possible. 'I'm from English Squad, remember? I'll only be here for one day.'
Before Ark could reply, an instructor in black fatigues stepped into their quarters.
'Firebird Squad,' the instructor said.
The recruits stood at attention, Olesya included.
'Today you move into your final phase of Combat Training.' The instructor eyed each of them with passing interest. 'Your first field exercise is tomorrow. Do you know what happens if you fail?'
'Corporal.' Ark cleared his throat. 'Those who fail to qualify go back to Basic.'
'Incorrect. Those who fail are disqualified from the entire program. Do you want to be disqualified, squad leader?'
'No, Corporal!' Ark said.
'Any further questions, recruits?' the instructor asked.
'Corporal,' Olesya said.
The instructor inhaled sharply. 'If this is about why you're here, recruit, it is not an administrative error. You will keep pace with your new squad or you will be disqualified, which in your case won't be much of a difference. But since Firebird would be disqualified along with you, they might disagree.'
Olesya shook her head. 'No Corporal, my question is different.'
The instructor was already turning to leave. 'What is it?'
'Do you know when we can make phone calls to our family?' Olesya asked.
'Outside communication is prohibited during FPCON Bravo,' the instructor said. 'Once the threat is downgraded to Alpha, you might be allowed to have outside contact. Any letters addressed to you will be withheld until further notice. It might not have occurred to anyone here, but our security is more important than your temporary homesickness.'
With that, he left.
Another recruit shrugged. His nametag read Jay. 'I think he seemed happier than usual,' Jay said.
Olesya noticed Ark stiffen. He swiveled and closed on her. His nostrils and eyes widened as he stared her down, which was difficult since she was a bit taller than him.
'Let's make this clear,' Ark whispered. 'We're qualifying. You're not going to screw that up for us. On the field exercise tomorrow, you're a shadow. You follow us and you do nothing else. You got that?'
'More than you think. I've seen your scores in Combat Training,' Olesya said. 'They say Firebird is almost the best. And I can see why.'
Ark's fists opened slightly. 'Almost?'
Olesya tried not to mumble. 'Next to Helldiver.'
'They're not bad.' Ark walked to his bunk. 'But my squad's better.'
Jay laughed. 'Yeah, we have a fresh recruit from English Squad and we still kick ass. Wouldn't that be something?'
Ark turned on his heel. 'If you need to aim your weapon, you aim it. But if you need to fire your weapon, you do what little English Squad girls do and pretend to fire.'
'What if she needs to, you know, actually shoot something?' Xiu asked.
Ark held up a finger. 'I'm trying to save our squad.' He focused on Olesya. 'Do you understand me?'
'I understand you're insecure,' Olesya said. 'And I understand that someone used to hit you when you were younger. Older brother, bully at school, maybe your father.'
Ark glared. 'Watch your mouth, Blondie.'
'Or maybe your mother,' she said.
She noticed almost imperceptible eye twitch on Ark's face. It was a flicker, and nothing more. Ark strode toward her, his lips curling to reveal a chipped tooth.
Olesya stood her ground and spoke without pause. 'My mother did the same to me. I think a lot of recruits here had that problem.'
It was a lie, but he didn't know that.
Ark stood, almost nose to nose with her, unblinking. 'You're going to have that problem in a minute.'
'Ark, don't.' Another recruit placed her hand on his shoulder.
Olesya read her nametag: Val. His shoulders relaxed. He seemed to listen to her.
'You're one of the best performing recruits here,' Olesya said to Ark. 'But you could be the best. If they see how much a recruit like me improves—under your command—they would be very impressed. You pull off the impossible, that guarantees your squad qualifies. Maybe that's the real test.'
'Wait, she has a point,' Jay said.
Ark glared at him. 'She does not.'
Xiu folded her arms. 'But what if she's right?'
'You're the squad leader,' Olesya said to him. 'You have to be right.'
Ark straightened up. 'Xiu, you like this new recruit so much, how about you train her in your free time?' He watched Olesya carefully. 'You only have today, Blondie. Don't waste it.'