Two (Countdown Book 5)

Chapter 4

Twenty laps. No problem. It's not too hot, I don't have anything heavy to run with and I just had a nice healthy breakfast to get me going. I can do this.

Oh, how wrong I was.

Just as I'd suspected, the weather wasn't too hot. It was actually pretty chilly. It got progressively colder, and, on lap seven, I noticed the big grey clouds that were brewing overhead. By lap nine, it was pouring down, so much so that I could barely see where I was supposed to be running. Since it was summer, I'd made the mistake of wearing a pair of knee-length shorts, a vest top and trainers.

I was instantly drenched through.

By lap eleven, I was exhausted, dragging my feet through mud that was more like quick sand. My body was at odds with itself, sweating from running and shivering from the rain. By lap fifteen, I was struggling to keep walking.

By lap seventeen, Vasim was outside, waiting for me by my start point. Just when I was hoping that he'd let me inside, he told me I had another twenty laps to do for walking. And he said that if I didn't pick up my feet, he'd double it again to eighty laps.

Of course, I couldn't do forty laps.

Ten laps was five kilometres. Now, I wasn't the best mathematician, but I figured twenty kilometres was pretty far to run, freezing cold in the rain. I collapsed on my thirty third lap, and when I dragged myself round to the front of the compound again, Vasim was waiting for me.

"Eighty laps." he said coldly. "Just forty seven left to go." Again, he threatened me with a double that if I didn't run.

I almost made it this time. I was on lap seventy nine, when my legs gave out on me.

As I lay in the dirt, unable to move, I couldn't help but wonder how long I'd been outside. It was getting dark, so I knew that I'd missed lunch and dinner. My stomach growled, and I felt weak and tired.

Again, Vasim was stood over me, looking cold and disappointed. "Do not expect me to pity you," he said. "I will not waver. You now have one hundred and sixty laps to complete. You have eighty-one left. If you drop bellow a jog again, I will ensure that you have three hundred and twenty laps to complete. That's one hundred and sixty kilometres. It should only take you around twenty hours, overall. So, unless you want to be running for the next twelve hours or so, I'd suggest you wise up and get moving."

"Please," I groaned. "I can't." He was suddenly right in my face, his eyes hard.

"Don't you ever use the word can't with me, boy." he shouted. "I have seen some of the missions that are ahead of you. And you won't pass them without intense training. Now get out of the mud, pig, and move!" He grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. I almost collapsed back down again, but the fire in his eyes held me in place.

He shoved me forward and I started jogging again, my legs feeling heavy, like lead pipes strapped to my hips. I could barely feel anything now, and I was shivering like mad. I knew I must have hypothermia.

Somehow, I did the hundred and sixty laps.

Maybe it was just sheer will and determination. I'd like to say that, but the truth was that I didn't know how I did it. The whole night was fuzzy. I remembered only vaguely lifting one foot after another, my body numb, everything aching. And then, there was Vasim again. I thought I must've stopped without realising. I thought he was going to make me do more laps.

I'd forgotten how many I'd done, but he'd kept count for me.

He put a hand on my shoulder, leading me back to the house. He took me into the dining room and forced me to eat some food. I didn't remember what it was. It was forced into my mouth. I just swallowed it down.