NERVES OF STEEL

CHAPTER 35- A GOOD JOB

               At 5am, the alarm went off, groggily bringing Diane out of her sleep. Rubbing her eyes, sleepily, she sat up on the bed and tried to get off the dizziness in her head. Her eyes darted to her uniform hanging over the wardrobe.

"I didn't pull you out of there so you could go take another vacation. I'll see you tomorrow."

                  Screw the arrogant punk! She cussed as she got out  from the bed and headed straight into the shower. She wasn't going because he asked her to. Make that 'ordered'. She was only going because...well because.....

"I could watch you waste away thinking you're happy."

               True, she was happy at the old home but her potentials were wasting away. Shit! She couldn't believe she was actually going back because somehow, he actually made her see sense. Urgh! Even when it hurt her ego to admit to it. 

               Getting out of the shower, she got into her robe and decided to prepare breakfast for herself before leaving. She couldn't help but remember all the times she made breakfast for the elderlies at Silver Oaks. How terribly she was going to miss them but this was probably the best.....For her. Just then her phone started ringing. Who could that be? She thought as she reached for it.

'Yena'>>>>>>>

"Good morning, sweetie." She called out from the other end.
"Good morning." Diane smiled softly. "How are the others doing?"
"They kept asking if you were gonna come back and honestly I had no idea what to say."
"Me neither."
"You're honestly never coming back?"
"I don't think so." She let out a sad sigh.
"I had no idea you were that close with the General."
"I'm just one of the countless Soldiers around him. We're not close."
"Mhmm and does the General come into other areas of their life and pull them out of there just to get them back in the force?"
"What are you getting at?"
"Just saying."
Diane shook her head as if she was there to see her perform the action. "We're not close, Yena. If for anything, he's only trying to appease the guilt he's probably feeling."
"What guilt?"
"The people might not know but his family was responsible for my father's death."
"Oh my God!" Yena gasped. "How did this even happen? I knew Marcov Fedorcenko wasn't the best ruler we've ever had but to kill someone....that's one hell of exessive."
"Yeah." Diane breathed.
"I'm so sorry. What are you gonna do about it now?"
"I don't know just yet. For now, I can only wait for the perfect opportunity."
"You can't fight him alone, Diane."
"I know goddamn it! I know he's powerful and all...." She let out a sigh, calming her tensed nerves. "I know the Fedorcenkos are hiding something from the public. Something that can strip him off that title and from that seat but I just have to find concrete evidence first."
"Good luck, sweetie."
"Thank you, hun. I'll need it."

                As she made her way into the building for the first time in over a month, Diane could feel a mix of emotions swirling in her gut. The familiar landscape of the base unfolded before her- the cluster of low-slung buildings, the watchtower and the radio antenna slicing into the sky.

                She made her way to the armory, a converted storage room dubbed "The Vault." This was where the militants stored their weapons. Inside the Vault, the air was thick with the smell of gun oil and metal. She sniffed in, pleasurably, causing her to smile. It was more than welcoming.

"Welcome back, Serg." She felt a hand patting her on the shoulder. Turning around, it was Ryan. "We've missed you." He added with a warm smile.
Diane returned the smile, feeling a sense of belonging wash over her. "It's good to be back."
"I should leave you to it then."
"Yeah, see you around." She waved him off.

              Diane reached out to the door of her personal and pulled it open, scanning the roll of rifles, pistols and explosives before her. She could see the photograph of her family plastered on the inside. A faint smile crossed her lips as she took out her very own customized M4 carbine, sleek and oiled. A sense of reassurance flooding through her.

              She was right to have come to the locker room first. This was her sanctuary, her haven. She ran her hand over the rifle's stock, turning around and aiming blindly only for a fellow female Soldier to raise both his hands in surrender.

"Sorry. Didn't see you there, bud." She apologized.
"Careful next time." The latter smiled.
"I'll try."
"Good to have you back." She shared a brief hug with her before leaving.

               Putting her rifle back in place, Diane closed the door to the locker and grabbed a plastic Mannequin standing by the side. She dragged the oversized doll to the fields away from other trainers. She placed the mannequin in front of her, her eyes locked on its blank expression.

               She exhaled and charged at the mannequin, her leg extended, striking its chest. Her foot whirled, connecting with the mannequin's head, sending it almost flying off. Her hand chipped downward as she targeted the neck.

            Her elbow smashed into the mannequin's rib cage. She could feel her breaths rising with every attach. Next, she pivoted, her foot slamming into the mannequin's back. She struck its temple sending the whole plastic human crashing down to the ground. She let out a contented sigh as her eyes darted upward to the large glass window of the command center and she could see someone watching her-

Russo.

                There was a proud smile on his face as he watched her training on the field away from the others. He hadn't realized she had come back that day. He watched her methods, closely. Her attacks were hard but predictable. She was fast but in his point of view, she was still a bit slow.

               Leaving breaks in between was dangerous when facing a real life opponent. No matter how minute. When she glanced up and saw him watching, their eyes met and he nodded. 'Good job.' She watched him pick up the telephone and spoke into it, though she couldn't hear a thing.

"Fetch me Sergeant Alvarin."