The Traitor ✓ (Book Six)

Chapter Fifty Six

Twenty Years Ago

  Today is the day, I think to myself.

  The day where everything I've been working for becomes worth it, because today I fly to the secret service training facility, where they will determine if I belong or not. Since I was ten years old, I've done my best to stay in shape so it's easier, even though they say there's nothing you can do to prepare yourself for training.

  I sit up in bed with a jolt. I hear my parents whispering in the living room, and the smell of my favorites.

  At the bottom of my dresser, my bag sits, already packed. I slept in my airport clothes last night so I just walk the few feet to my bathroom and brush my teeth. I swing the bag over my shoulder and give myself one single second.

  I push my door open. Immediately, I'm bombarded with attention. My siblings sit around the tv, ignoring my presence. Pretty typical.

  "Hey-" My mom smiles, looking up from the pan she's working on. Beside her, both of my grandmothers stand, chopping things up. "How did you sleep?"

  "I...uh... not much." I admit, knowing what both of my grandmothers will say.

  'Oh come on you know sleeping gives you energy, my son.'

I love my family, I do, but they can be overwhelming.

  This is why I'm leaving.

  When the food is done, I sit down with everybody and fill my plate. Jesus- they've made just about everything I ever indicated I like even a little bit.

  This is why I feel bad for leaving them.

  For almost an hour they fuss over me, making sure I eat until I'm full, though I've told them the trainees will be pushed on the first day, and I don't want to puke. They don't care.

  When it's time to leave, I hug everybody.

  I breathe a sigh of relief when I get into my car, Knowing that was the last time I'll ever have to speak to them. I get to the airport early and wait nearly an hour, with a delayed flight. I become concerned that I won't get there when I told them I would, until they announce boarding .

  I'm in the fourth boarding group, and end up sitting near the front. I plan on dashing out the second it lands and almost running to the training facility.

  The flight is short, so there is no food. I just take sips of the water I filled inside the airport and hum to myself to pass the time.

  I fall asleep unexpectedly and wake up to a flight attendant tapping my shoulder.

  "Sir-" she says. "Sir!"

  "Hmn?" I try to rub the sleep out of my eyes.

  "You need to leave the plane now, okay? You're at your destination."

She finally gets through to me. I grab my bag from the overhead compartment and walk off. This airport  has a pho place near my gate, and the smells are so tempting, but I manage to refrain.

   I check my phone.

  Orientation starts in thirty minutes.

  The facility is thirty five minutes away.

No no no no no-

  I can't be late on my first day. I run through the airport like a maniac. It's a miracle I don't get stopped for a "random check".

   I look around frantically for a free taxi until I find and wave one over. When I get in, I lean forward.

  "I'll pay you fifty dollars extra and pay your parking ticket if you agree to speed to my destination as fast as possible." I hold the stack of bills out.

  "Yeah, whatever." The driver follows my instructions, and he gets his money.

  I run across the training fields and obstacles until I get to the building we're supposed to be at. I make it with just thirty seconds to spare, sweating and panting.

  The woman next to me is the first to acknowledge my presence.

  "Rough day?" She asks.

  "Late day." I reply, wiping sweat from my forehead.

  "My car broke down." She says. "I walked here."

  "At least you live close enough to do that. I was on a two hour flight."

  "And I had to walk ten miles in that same amount of time." She shrugs. "We all have issues."

  If that isn't the truth I don't know what is.

  "What starting position did you apply for?" I ask.

  "General protection details." She shrugs. "I don't know I just.... I'm not sure exactly what I wanna do yet."

  I nod. I understand that exact feeling. I have no idea where I'll be sent when I complete training. Washington D.C is still the most likely, but really- I could end up with any mayor or Governor in the country.

  "Do you think-"

  "I'd like to give a nice welcome to all of our new recruits." The voice I recognize as the secret service director's interrupt our conversation. "You have chosen a career path that you know is not easy. Even getting past all of the background checks, physical tests, lie detector and drug tests is difficult. So I applaud all of you for even getting to this stage.... But things are about to get so, so much harder. You will need every bit of strength you have, because at the end of the day the only person you have to prove anything to is yourself. If you give this your all, don't spend your time here fucking around just because training is paid, then I have do doubt at least..... half of you will survive until graduation. Because as fucked up as this sounds.... Even some of you who passed the initial tests will not survive. Now- as your first bit of training. Come on, get up. You will all go for a casual jog around the campus. Chop chop."

  I caught a glance at that trail on my way in here. It's hilly, has trees right in the path, and with how big the campus is- must be at least twenty miles.

  The woman beside me sighs.

  What the hell have I gotten myself into?