The Daughters of Men

Chapter 15

"We have good news and we have bad news," Samuel explained. "The good news is, now that all five of you have technically been registered in the Daughters of Men program, we're an official team and that means we can finally get going on the mission that we were all brought in for. We'll begin training shortly, although we've only got a week until the first part of our currently classified mission, we're going to do our best to make the most of that week. The bad news, however, is that the first part of the mission is going to be something of a trial run. Secretary Christie and the President were not very pleased with the events in Chicago. We're being watched, very carefully this time, to make sure we don't make as big of a scene. We can only hope. But enough about all that. It's time to undergo a series of training exercises."

Samuel gave a big smile. The girls were standing in front of him, each looking tired and a little frustrated. Mara's big brown eyes were covered by slightly droopy eyelids, the young woman dressed in a baggy pair of pants and a hoodie; Elizabeth was sitting with her legs crossed about two feet in the air, yawning frequently, clad in her running shorts and a form-fitting tanktop; Zoe was sitting in her wheelchair, her lifeless legs adorned in simple dark blue jeans, a red-tinted leather jacket over her shoulders and a scowl on her face; Holly was next, wearing an Aerosmith t-shirt and jeans, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail and dark bags under her eyes; and finally there was Tanya, literally wearing pajamas in the form of red pajama pants and a much-too-large men's dress shirt.

"We're going to be going over a number of things," Samuel explained. "Speed tests, strength tests, shooting, running, acrobatics, climbing, all sorts of fun and exciting things."

"I've done most of those," Holly reminded him.

"You'll do them all again," Samuel promised. "Now. For the first part, let's go upstairs and run."

The group headed to the elevator and made their way to the surface. Holly, Elizabeth, and Mara ran around the block, Holly finishing first and easiest, Elizabeth behind her breathing a little harder, and nearly five minutes later, a wheezing Mara came through. Afterwards the team went and did shooting, wherein Holly once again proved herself to be a perfect shot. Elizabeth went second and did the best job she had managed since she had arrived at the Thatcher Building. Mara went third and only managed to hit three of the targets, although she was only able to graze the final target. Zoe went last, taking the gun in her hand, and taking a deep breath. As she exhaled, she fired the gun multiple times, and at the end of her breath, she threw the gun back at Cutler. The rest of them looked to see she had managed to take out all of the targets.

"What on Earth was that?" Holly nearly spat. "How in the world did you take those targets out like that?"

"I know how to shoot," Zoe replied casually.

"Obviously," Holly grunted. "How? Why?"

"Because I do. Drop it."

After leaving the makeshift shooting range, the girls were allowed to take a lunch. The five of them shuffled their way into the lunch room, taking their trays of varying foods. They eventually found their way to a small silver table at the end so that Zoe could wheel her way at the head of the glimmering beast of furniture. The girls all began to eat their food quietly.

"How do you even fight crime?" Zoe asked Tanya suddenly. "I mean, with the whole blind thing?"

"One could ask you the same thing," Tanya replied. "I've been told your legs don't work."

"I wear a mechanical suit of armor," Zoe explained. "It's not hard to figure out. I just slide my legs inside and voila the suit moves them for me."