Being an American is a gift. Not appreciating that gift is a waste.
—American Gazette
The sounds stopped—at least Andrew thought they did. His head was so fuzzy he couldn’t be sure. If they hadn’t stopped, then his brain had shut his hearing off; either way he was grateful. Andrew looked at Carter for confirmation. Carter wore a look of confusion as well.
“Did it stop?” Andrew asked.
His voice sounded foreign to him. The simple sentence echoed through his brain. Carter had a similar reaction and nodded his head. Someone opened the door to their room. Both Carter and Andrew stood up straight as the sergeant walked inside, followed by two escorts.
“Well, are you going to wish me good morning?” he asked.
“Good morning, sir,” Andrew said.
It was morning? Andrew had gone forty-eight hours without sleep or food. He didn’t care at the moment, he was just grateful that the music had stopped. He looked over at Carter. If the other man didn’t greet the sergeant with a “sir,” Andrew would punch him. That was the thought Andrew had spent the last several hours trying to focus on.
“Good morning, sir,” Carter said.
Andrew let out a sigh of relief.
“Very good,” the sergeant said. “Get changed.”
Carter and Andrew had spent a little bit of time trying to explore the room. Each of them had a chest filled with clothing. Andrew had thought about changing last night but didn’t want to proceed without instructions.
“No breakfast today because you weren’t in your uniforms this morning,” the sergeant said. “If you want to eat you will follow the rules.”
“Yes, sir,” Andrew and Carter said.
While this was an annoyance, Andrew was happy to forgo food as long as the music didn’t turn back on. He assumed next would be some form of strength training. He hoped they would go outside. Andrew knew there was a reason he wanted to head out there but couldn’t put his finger on it. He let out a yawn. He was tired and didn’t think physical activity would do him much good today.
The boys were escorted down the hall. Andrew tried his best to keep up. Carter’s eyes had heavy bags under them. Andrew was sure he looked the same, but he needed to show these men how strong he was. That was the way to get respect. Andrew wanted their respect so he could survive, so he could . . . escape. Andrew’s eyes lit up. Mia, escape. That was why he needed to get outside. The music had clouded his mind so much he’d nearly forgotten.
The group stopped and another door was unlocked. It was a spotless, shining bathroom. The walls and floor were covered in white tile. There were three toilet stalls and a mirror with a sink.
“You two will clean this dirty room,” the sergeant said. “Once it is done we will start your training.”
Andrew saw the cleaning supplies on the sink, but he didn’t know what the sergeant was talking about. This room was flawless. Andrew didn’t think it had ever been used. The mirror didn’t have a single spot; everything was perfect. Carter’s mouth hung open and his forehead wrinkled.
“Get started,” the sergeant said.
“Where?” Carter asked.
“Call for me when it’s done,” he said.
With that he walked out of the room and slammed the door. A lock was flipped over. Andrew didn’t understand why a bathroom would lock from the outside. Then it hit him.
“Am I imagining this?” Carter asked.
“Don’t talk,” Andrew said. “Don’t do anything other than clean.”
“Clean what?” Carter asked.
“Shh!”
The lock was already turning back. Andrew winced when the door opened up again.
“Since you two want to stand around and talk instead of work, I guess I’ll need to motivate you,” the sergeant said. “You’ll work through lunch too.”
The door was closed and Andrew preemptively covered his ears. The same music from the night before blared into the bathroom, and just like in their room Andrew couldn’t find any speakers or figure out where the noise was coming from. This was a training exercise, Andrew knew. They were trying to break him, and he was scared because it was working.