Chapter 21

Training

“Sit down,” Rose said between mouthfuls.

Cate remained frozen in her fighting stance.

A tall silhouette loped through the bush, pushing branches aside as it advanced. The man raised his hands in surrender. “I give up—don’t hurt me.”

Relief flooded through Cate. Jonah was dressed all in black, his V-necked T-shirt pulled taught across his broad chest. As he moved closer, Cate and Rose both gasped. His face was bloodied and bruised.

“Hey.” He stepped toward Cate, arms outstretched. When his eyes fixed on Rose, he hesitated, indecision etched on his face. His arms fell back to his sides. “Hi ladies.” He nodded at each of them.

“What happened to you?” Cate asked.

“Mortez is none too pleased with me.” Jonah smiled and then spoke directly to Rose. “I had to keep something special safe for her, and I lost it.”

A big silence followed before Rose spoke. “That’s a pretty big thing to lose.”

Jonah shrugged. “I think someone took it.”

Rose continued to eat, her eyes fixed on Jonah. “I’d be making some finding plans ASAP.”

“What did you lose?” Cate asked.

Jonah grimaced. “It’s complicated.”

Cate dropped her head into her hands. “Isn’t it always?”

Rose walked over and placed her hands tenderly against either side of Jonah’s head. In seconds, his face was again beautiful and unmarked. The blood smears remained though. When Cate had healed him, all the blood disappeared and it was like his injuries had never happened. Rose must have a different type of healing power.

“Thanks,” Jonah said.

“You better find what you’ve lost, or there’ll be another beating around the corner.” Rose dropped her hands.

Cate shuffled her feet and settled cross-legged on the ground. She grabbed a stick and drew absentminded circles in the dirt. The connection between Rose and Jonah made her stomach twist. She grappled for some words to break the silence. “So...how’d you find us?” Her voice sounded tinny and overly bright.

He pointed to his wrist, where Rose had pressed the gun at the Shack. “Quantum microchip. Remember?”

Cate banged her hand against her forehead. “Of course, what was I thinking?”

The corners of Jonah’s mouth tugged up in a near smile.

“Lunch is over.” Rose brushed off her trousers, drawing attention to her long, athletic legs. Jonah followed her every move. “I want to see some board breaks, and then you have an afternoon hike.”

Cate motioned toward Jonah. “But...”

“UP!” Rose barked.

“Are you staying?” Cate scrambled to her feet and grabbed Jonah’s arm. He flinched and moved ever so slightly. He had distanced himself from her to show Rose she had nothing to worry about. Confusion and annoyance shot through her.

Jonah glanced at Rose, who shrugged. “Sure, I’ll stay.”

Cate’s irritation gave way to something surprising. Jealousy. She had a serious case of the green-eyed monster. Austin might be her kryptonite, but she was peeved Jonah preferred Rose to her. She loved Austin, but she also desperately wanted Jonah to choose her over Rose. Just because it was, well...Rose.

“Do fifty knuckle push-ups while I prepare the boards.” Rose upended the black canvas duffel bags from the Shack. Assorted knives and deadly-looking metal objects clattered onto the rock. A pile of pine boards fell out last.

“You want them in lots of two?” Jonah rummaged around among the weapons and produced black duct tape.

“Yep.” Rose lined up drums along the ground.

Cate started her push-ups on the grass.

“Do them on the rocks,” Rose yelled. “The grass won’t condition your knuckles, and get off your knees and up on your toes, child. Warriors never do knee push-ups.”

Cate stomped over to the rocks, which bit into her knuckles, breaking the skin the instant she started. She gritted her teeth and continued. Do it for Xavier, she chanted.

Rose placed one set of boards on the ground across some bricks, she and Jonah held the second set, and a third set lay at the end of five forty-four gallon drums lined up next to one another. “Spinning heel kick for the boards we’re holding, hammer fist for the boards on the bricks, and flying side kick over those drums to break the last ones. We’ll get there to hold the boards before you jump.”

Cate had never broken two boards together before. “Do I keep going if they don’t break?”

“Yes,” Rose and Jonah chorused and braced behind the boards, holding them at about hip height.

“Clear your mind. If they aren’t broken in your head, it’ll never happen. This is all about technique and commitment,” Rose said.

Jonah smiled. “Hard, fast, and loud. Ready?”

After a deep breath, Cate nodded. She kicked, and nothing happen.

“Again!” Rose and Jonah yelled.

This time the boards splintered, but didn’t break all the way through. The third time they snapped. She knelt on the ground in front of the boards resting across the bricks. She struck hard with a hammer fist and a searing pain shot up her arm.

“Get your weight over the top of it, or you’ll break your arm. Straighten your wrist. Now, go again,” Rose commanded.

Her fist broke the boards clean. Jonah and Rose held the last boards at the end of the row of drums. She needed to jump about six feet to clear them and smash through the boards.

She sprinted and jumped. Her foot hit the boards with a thud and she bounced butt first onto the drums. Epic fail.

Rose screwed her nose up. “The speed was fine, but your leg was way too low and straight. It’s not a flying leg raise. Technique is important. Get your knee bent and foot up and flexed, then kick out hard through the board. That’s what’s going to break it.”

“Show her how it’s done, Rose.” Jonah gave a mischievous smile.

“Add two more drums and hold up the boards.” Rose sauntered away and pulled hair into a high ponytail.

Jonah chuckled. “She loves a demonstration.”

“That’s because she’s an attention seeking warrior-goddess.” Cate hated Rose but the woman had perfect technique.

“Rose also likes to use her badass sparingly for maximum effect.” Jonah’s eyes twinkled. “You two are more similar than either of you would ever admit.”

“I hope that means I could kick your butt like she can.”

“I can match it with Rose in a fight, but Naitanui’s the only person who could take her down on any given day.”

“He’d be like a smooth black panther. No! A deadly tiger snake, all black and yellow. He glides around and bam! He strikes! You’re dead.” Cate danced around as she spoke. “Does Naitanui have a power?”

Jonah cleared his throat, and his eyes darted left. “He can erase memories. When Timesurfers are cast out or choose to leave, he erases their memories and sends them to a suitable time and place to live out their lives.”

“Impressive.” She thought on that for a minute. “What about the immortals? People would catch on that they weren’t aging.”

“Naitanui erases their memories, and they’re all sent to Isle de Pantheon to live. The North Island is for Timesurfers sentenced to incarceration, and the South Island is for immortals who want out of their Timesurfer duties.”

“Ready?” Rose called.

Jonah nodded. They braced behind the boards.

Rose ran with a fluid grace that masked her speed. When she jumped, her position through the air was flawless. The boards gave a sharp crack and ripped like paper. She landed perfectly balanced.

“Impressive,” Cate said reluctantly.

“Not perfect though.” Rose picked up a single board. “I want to check your speed. Shut your eyes. When I say, open them and pick the most appropriate kick to break the board based on how I’m holding it.”

Cate closed her eyes.

“And go!” Rose called.

Cate opened her eyes and panicked. What kick should I use? When should I time it? Seconds ticked by and she hadn’t moved.

Rose groaned. “Yes, do nothing...that will protect you from death. It’s time for a hike. Head south 125 degrees for about an hour until you see a huge cave. Tiger snakes hibernate there. Head east 125 degrees until you reach the ring-lock fence. There’s a thousand volts running through it. Head north 125 degrees to the rock shaped like a donut, and finally west 125 degrees. You should be heading in each direction for about an hour. Use the sun and this compass as a guide.” She handed Cate a shiny oval object.

“Rose...” There was a warning in Jonah’s voice.

“She’s mine to train,” Rose cut in. “Questions?”

Cate flipped the compass open. “How will I know I’ve finished?”

“You’ll know,” Rose said.

“Are you sure you don’t have any other questions?” Jonah pressed.

“No.” She marched off without a backward glance. The compass face glowed, mocking her. You’re missing something, a little voice chirped in her head.

Her feet wobbled on the uneven ground. “Arrgh...” She landed face first in the dirt and her ankle cracked. An excruciating pain roared up her leg, as her foot wedged in a hole. Something furry wriggled against her heel. She screamed and yanked her leg to her chest. Blue and white stars burst behind her closed eyelids. The world tilted for a few seconds until she managed to focus.

A rabbit now lay a few feet from her on the ground. She’d stepped in a rabbit hole, and on the rabbit that lived there. “Crap!” Her left foot was pointing in the wrong direction. Her toes were facing behind her calf. Nausea surged through her. “R—” She clamped her hands over her mouth to stop herself calling for help. She would heal herself.

A whimper escaped her lips as a fresh burst of agony surged up her calf. Should she try to put her ankle back in the right place before attempting to fix it? With Brittany, she put her hands on her, and it happened. It was the same after Polka Dot attacked her ankle.

She counted back from ten and forced herself to sit. Her ankle screamed with pain as she stretched and laced her fingers under her injured foot then waited. Nothing. Eyes closed, she tried again. A quick peek confirmed that there was still nothing. Heal, heal, heal, she chanted in her head. Bubbles of warmth fizzed along her leg and the pain vanished. Her eyes widened as her foot rotated inch by inch until her toes faced the sky and not the sand. The associated crunching noises sounded excruciating, but she felt nothing. She gave her ankle a tentative twirl. It was fixed.

A scraping noise caught her attention. The rabbit was attempting to flee, but its back legs remained limp and motionless while its front paws scratched desperately at the dirt. Blood trickled from the corner of its mouth. A poor innocent bunny was in pain because of her.

She gently picked up the spotted brown rabbit and stroked its coarse fur. The frantic thud of its heartbeat pounded against her palm. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. The rabbit became still. Its heartbeat stuttered and stopped. Her hands shook as she laid the rabbit on the sandy ground. Please wake up. Her fingers stroked the rabbit’s side. Don’t be dead. She held the compass near its nose and mouth. There was no sign it was breathing. With a sigh, she closed the rabbit’s eyes and rested her hand on its cold chest. Its back paw twitched.

With a violent twist the rabbit was on its feet and darted into the scrub.

“Hey! Come back.” Bewildered, but relieved, she stared at the space the rabbit had disappeared through. I need some company, come back.

A bush rustled and the rabbit was back, calmly contemplating her. The fading sunlight gave its eyes an eerie violet glow.

“You want to hike with me?” she asked.

The rabbit shook its head.

“I know that wasn’t you actually saying no, but I’ll take it as that. You can go.” The rabbit obediently hopped away, and she was alone. That thing she was missing earlier finally twigged. She wheeled on her heel and sprinted back the way she’d come.

***

“You sent me in a circle!” she yelled.

Rose sat on a boulder, ankles crossed, by the campfire, sipping something from a cup. “No, I sent you in a square. You cheated. You’re four hours early.”

Rose was so...mean. All the time. For no bloody reason. She smacked the cup from Rose’s hand. The aroma of coffee wafted through the air. “I broke my ankle and trekked through the bush for nothing but your entertainment. You can take your GTs and shove them fair up your—”

“Settle down!” Jonah stepped between her and Rose.

“She’s awful to me. I could have died!” Cate put both hands on his chest and gave an enormous shove. It was like pushing against an immovable brick wall. “You let her do that to me. Which makes you a son of a—”

“I had you under observation the entire time,” Jonah broke in.

“Oh.” That knocked the wind from her sails.

“The zombie rabbit thing was freaky. If you were more focused, you would have seen through Rose’s bogus request. Lesson learned. Constant vigilance.”

His condescending tone stoked the angry flames blazing through Cate. Resentment and frustration trickled along her fingertips, imploring her to hit him.

“I’m not Zach.” The quiet menace in Jonah’s voice pulled her up short. “You won’t get the opportunity to break my nose twice.”

She prodded at his chest. “Are you reading my mind?”

“I don’t need to. I know you want to smack me. You won’t move me, so stop with the shoving and poking.”

Jonah knowing her was becoming extremely annoying. “Shouldn’t you be training Zach for the GTs? He’s going to need a tonne of work.”

“He doesn’t need to train Zach, because Mortez doesn’t make her people take the GTs. She attends them all, of course, to identify potential recruits.” Rose patted the log next to her. “Come and sit, Jonah.”

He strode to the fire and assumed his arms-crossed commando stance. “I’ll stand.”

“Of course you will.” Rose pointed to Cate. “You’re making me uncomfortable. Park your backside on the ground.”

Every fibre in Cate’s body had a different curse word to yell at Rose, but she sucked it up and sat. “So Zach gets out of the GTs because he’s with Mortez?”

Rose nodded. She looked at Jonah. “How did you make the monumental gaff of planting a bomb under a bus that Cate would be on? Didn’t you research it?”

Jonah shrugged. “I researched it far more thoroughly than I’ve researched any other mission. She shouldn’t have been there. Someone or something altered her path. It was timed perfectly. A sneaky wizard put a popularity charm on Zach. I think that started the ball rolling.”

“I knew Zach’s sudden popularity and his cheerleading girlfriend weren’t right!” Cate exclaimed.

“Nothing gets past you, does it?” Rose rolled her eyes at Cate. “Any wizard suspects?”

Jonah scratched his head. “Catherine did a search for wizards in that area for me but it came up clean. Which is weird because I know Elias is there and I suspect there’s at least one other wizard present as well. Elias could have cast the spell, but he still would have needed someone close to Cate to manipulate her movements to that spot and the timing was so perfect.”

Cate’s mind ticked over. The paintball trip had been a total last minute decision. Eve insisted they join the last game of the season instead of going on their planned trip to the movies.

“Mortez has her pretty well covered.” Rose tapped her chin. “Maybe it was purely a coincidence she was there?”

“Unlikely. I don’t have a time tube for anyone to track, so how did they know the exact moment I’d be there?” Jonah turned to Rose. “How did Naitanui know I would be there?”

“That’s classified. I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you, so you couldn’t identify the mole we’ve had embedded in Mortez’s team for nearly a decade.”

Jonah shook his head and grinned. “Well we certainly wouldn’t want that!”

Rose touched Jonah’s arm. “I’m guessing Mortez made you bleed and killed a few relatives for that mistake.”

Jonah’s shoulders sagged. “Three. The child’s heart was still beating when Mortez lobbed it on the ground.”

Cate gasped.

“The last thing I saw was the heel of Mortez’s boot. I woke up to a frantic Zach. He said Mortez fed them to the fire ants and was terrified we were next.”

Rose laughed. “Word on the street is Zach fainted when he surfed the first time.” Jonah gave her two thumbs up, and for a moment they were two old friends sharing a joke.

“How come Zach could travel to the future, when he’s one of Mortez’s minions, and I couldn’t? The magic booted me back with multiple fractures and broken bones.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Think it through.”

It was infuriating how dumb she made Cate feel. The answer to the Zach thing was tantalisingly close. It flitted in and out of her head a few times before she was able to catch it. To have no aura in the future at Mortez’s Command he would either have had to have defected to Naitanui, runaway or...died. Rose would have killed Zach if he defected to Naitanui and Mortez would have had Jonah hunt him down and kill him if he had runaway. “Is Zach dead?”

Rose gave a noncommittal shrug, and Jonah shuffled uncomfortably. Their silence was as good as a confirmation. “How did he die?”

Jonah’s face looked drawn in the firelight. “The magic won’t let us say.”

“I hate magic more each day! Nearly as much as I hate preparing for your stupid GTs,” Cate muttered.

“You chose the GTs.” There was a matter-of-fact tone to Jonah’s voice.

“I’m only doing them so Naitanui helps me find Xavier.”

“How does that make you feel, Jonah?” Rose asked.