Becoming Agent Rider

Jungle Phase

Bright and early the next morning, Alex, Treat, and the soldiers were given jungle boots and fatigues, both lighter and faster drying than the standard ones, before being hustled onto a small passenger plane after a hurried breakfast. Each of them were equipped with a seventy-pound bergen filled with five weeks' worth of jungle survival supplies. The only one who wasn't allowed to go with them was Zebra. With the medic's leg still in a cast, the doctor at the infirmary had refused to clear him for any military exercises.

During the fourteen hour flight, Alex caught up on some more sleep and read the textbooks that Treat had given him when they took off. Everyone else just slept or joked around with each other. Sometimes, they talked to their pilot, who was a retired SAS soldier. Apparently, the SAS had agreements with some airlines to employ their retired soldiers to make military transportation easier.

By the time they reached their drop off point, the sky was pitch black as it was around 0330 hours, Brunei time. Everyone got into position and jumped out at their turn, pulling the parachute's rip cord on their cold descent. They landed in a clearing of the Borneo rainforest, surrounded by tall trees with a river nearby, and Wolf did a head count once they had all gathered around.

"Alright, Cub," Wolf said gruffly once everyone had been accounted for. "The jungle phase is usually six weeks, including the test week. You have five weeks to finish it. We will be with you for four of these weeks, two of which are a part of our own refresher course. During these four weeks, we will be training you in drills, patrols, combat, and survival skills. The fifth week is your test."

"Throughout this phase, you will be expected to keep up good hygiene practices," Tiger took over. "Illnesses and other medical conditions develop much more easily and much faster in this environment than they would back at the Brecon Beacons. A part of this is because too much exercise, like we'll be doing here, can lower your immune system's function and it's common for recruits to lose about ten to fourteen pounds in this phase of training."

"We're lucky that it's not raining right now. It's impossible to stay dry in the jungle but it's important to dry off your skin and let it stay dry whenever you've stopped to make camp. Otherwise, there will be rashes and fungus forming on your skin," Otter added.

"You will also be expected to keep up with your schoolwork and keep your kit in good condition," Lion added tersely.

The soldiers glanced at each other to check if they had missed anything. Not thinking of anything else, Wolf asked, "Any questions?"

"No, sir," Alex responded. They weren't telling him anything that he didn't already expect. Although it was cooler in the night, he could already feel the heavy air that would only get worse during the day and make them feel lethargic. That wasn't even counting the fact that they would have to fight through nature every step of the way to survive. Like the hills phase, it would be a test of mental strength and perseverance. He'd do just fine as long as there weren't any illegal organ harvesting hospitals around, he thought darkly, remembering the one in an Australian rainforest on his mission for ASIS.