THE AGENCY

Chapter 45: TRAINING TRICKS

TRAINING TRICKS

"What did you just say?" I ask with an enraged flare to my tone.
"I don't fight, women." He says. "It goes my ethics. I don't want to hurt you." He says.
"Excuse me? Hurt me? What makes you so sure that your capable of that?" I retort.
"Sky, let's be realistic. You know that I can..." He starts, but I cut him off.
"Realistic? You don't fight women, Mr. Smith? What about the women you've killed in missions. I'm sure you've come across such circumstances..." I say to him.
"Yes, but that was part of the job, dearie. You know you're different." He says and it ticks me off.
"Why is that? Why am I so different? It seems this way to you and John...oh please explain this dreading difference. I'd love to know." I say venomously.
"Sky, we love you." He says.
"And love is the difference? That doesn't mean I'm different from anyone else. And you might as well say you won't fight me. There's no need to generalize and use the term women. Women can do anything and I mean anything a damn man can do. Don't you dare disrespect this fact. You will not put us below you as we are all equal people." I say confidently. He smiles down at me as he suddenly pulls his lips to mine. I step back with a gasp. "That's all you got out of what I just said?" I ask breathlessly. His smile doesn't waver.
"You took the bait." He says. "Nothing I can do about that." He states.
"What the hell do you mean by bait?" I ask carefully and a bit confused.
"Bait...I purposefully put out a bait to make you mad or to aggravate you." He states with a sly and mysterious smile.
"So you will train with me?" I say.
"Yes," He says. "Now let's start. Okay take your position." He commands. If I didn't love him I would have argued.
"Let's do this," I sigh with a determined glint. He takes his position a few feet away and starts to pace a bit in front of me as he studies me. His left arm droops a bit where as his right arm is more tense and steady. Same with his legs, I guess he has a weakness. I smile to myself. His right hand flinches and I anticipate his move as his fist comes to jab me in the chin. I easily dodge it as I kick behind his left knee. As he falls off balance, I immediately tackle him to the ground. I laugh as my hair comes loose of my bun and falls against his chest. My chin rests on his chest as well and I look into his eyes.
"Game over." I say with a laugh. His cocky grin doesn't shake.
"I wouldn't be too sure." He whispers as I feel the joints of his arms clamp around my neck and he rolls us over. I feel him hover over me instead of putting his full weight. Then I feel him slide a knife out of his waistband. Then the blade presses up against my throat. I panic. No...not like in the dream.
"Xander? What are you doing!? Let me go!" I scream as I shove against him. I shove and shove at him harder, but he doesn't budge. "Let me go!!" I yell again. Then punch him right in the throat and he rolls of to the side choking. I scramble up immediately gasping, but his hand catches my leg and I fall back to the ground.
"What are you talking about? Sky...what? Sky, I just pulled out the knife for special effects. It was a joke." He soothes.
"Don't you dare joke about such things!" I say clearly in my tone.
"You don't think...You know I wouldn't hurt you! Dammit! This has to do with your nightmare doesn't it?" he asks with a sigh as he rubs his eyes.
"I...uh...uh...maybe?" I say unsurely with a frown.
"You need to tell me what happened."
"No...no I don't." I say as I brush myself off.
"Sky, what did I do to you? Just tell me that much." He asks as he lets out a cough. His voice sounds different...
"You...you...had me up against a wall..." he cuts me off.
"Not in the way I'd imagine, I'd assume?" He says with the smile I know and love.
"Xander! You...well...I was chained and you were going to kill me. You held me so tightly as you kept the knife to my throat...and I couldn't escape...I was so confused and I was yelling at you." I say as I look up at him. "You were cutting my throat, Xander." I say solemnly.
"I know...that you know..." He says as he walks towards me. "That that isn't real." He says as he pushes me against the wall much more seductively than he usually does...
"Yeah, but that feeling...that trapped feeling." I start.. as I shove him off. He gives me an annoyed grunt as though he's disappointed.
"I forgot your claustrophobic, but you know...you need to get over it." He says gruffly.
"What the hell do you mean by get over it! I've had this phobia since I was 5, when I accidently got locked in a closet!" I yell at him. "Oh, and I won...by the way." I say snidely.
"How do you manage to get yourself locked in a closet? I mean...how?" He asks confused. "What do you mean, you won?" he says in some attempt of distracting me.
"I won our little hand to hand battle." I exclaim.
"No...you started to panic and by reflex punched me in the throat..." he says a matter-of-factly.
"Yeah...yeah...whatever you want to say to protect your ego...go ahead." I respond. "What else are we doing for training?" I ask with a bored tone.
"We're going to get over your fear," he says as he grips my wrist hard with annoyance.
"Xander? What's gotten into you? What's wrong?" I ask suddenly. Then the lights go out and I'm slammed straight into the wall. My head spins a bit, but I try to focus on what's going on. Xander is pressed up against me and he rubs my arms more longingly than usual.
"What the hell is going on?" I ask him seriously. As much as he would seem to make a move he has more respect for me usually.
" I just love you, Blue." He says with a low tone. That's when it hits me.
"Liam! What the hell!" I yell as I try to shove him. I can't see him, but I feel his grin.
"Clever, dearie." He says and I feel him grip my shoulders tightly.
"How!? How did you do it and why the hell are you here?!" I question.
"I switched roles while you changed." He says snidely as his hand grasps the back of my neck. He pulls me until our noses are touching. "I thought to pay you a little visit. I just couldn't resist the opportunity." He says seductively. I struggle against his grasp.
"Where is Xander!?" I accuse him
"Oh, I locked your boyfriend upstairs in a closet." He says snidely.
"Where exactly!? You didn't dare touch him!" I growl viciously at him.
"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't risk encountering your wrath. He's in closet 308. Just a bit out of it otherwise fine." He assures.
"Why?! As if you're scared of my wrath." I reply as he leans into the crook of my neck.
"Games need players, Sky. Wouldn't risk the fun, darling." He says with a cocky tone.
"You're saying, that the only reason you wouldn't kill my boyfriend is so you can have fun?" I ask stricken. "You're a damn sociopath, Liam!"
"Well, that's just nice of you." He comments.
"I thought you had a girlfriend." I remark softly. If I can trick him, I can escape his grip...I just have to fool him.
"We have our ups and downs...until you die however,...we'll be on the down side." He says back. "You know, I really don't want to kill you darling." He whispers in my ear. I give him a stricken glare.
"Then don't." I say helplessly. He kisses my neck and I shove him hard. Forget about fooling him. Nobody damn kisses me except Xander. It's too dark to see his face clearly... He stumbles back and I take out my knife. He laughs as I start towards him. I jab aimlessly as he dodges my efforts with a another laugh. "What do you want from me!" I yell at him! He only laughs harder.
"Why don't we continue training, perhaps?" he suggests.
"Why would I ever train with you, especially when you're trying to kill me!" I exclaim.
"You were just training with me. Because we used to train together. Why not go back to old times for once." He says cheerily.
"I thought it was Xander and because old times are painful." I mumble.
"Oh, come on dearie...if you plan to play the game...you've got to be prepared. Why don't we hit the shooting range. That always boosts your ego." He says as I feel a hand on my wrist. I immediately try to jab it, but he escapes the jab.
"I want Xander. Do we have to keep him locked up?" I ask.
"Stop whining like a petty child. Last time I checked you didn't want to train with him." He says as he leads me out of the training area.
"I was just afraid that he'd judge me. I felt self- conscious." I say.
"Well...last time I heard you...you were denying that." He remarks.
"I'm not letting you keep him in there!" I yell at him.
"I'm sorry, did I say you had a choice, dearie?" he asks.
"No, but there's always a choice and I choose to do this." I say as I jab his shoulder from behind. He grunts as I take off running. I glance to see the blood dripping and splotching his shirt. I can't see the doorframe clearly, but I feel against the wall for the protrusion of the frame.
"Didn't think you had it in you." He says as I stumble out the door.