A Pride of Lions Page 4

  Towards the end of their runs they were often herded aboard small inflatable boats and taken out to sea. Deprived of their packs and other paraphernalia, they were dumped over the side and told to swim the mile or so back to the beach, where rowdy instructors awaited them. Coughing and spluttering the recruits crawled up the beach, only to be forced to their feet and onward once again, exhausted and to the point where Selena felt she would collapse at any moment. When they thought they were finally at the end of their tethers, the instructors made them do bunny hops between lamp posts, or to carry their team mates over their shoulders in a fireman’s lift. It often got to the stage where they swopped places with their burdens at every lamp post. Other times they were made to leapfrog each other down endless roads, thighs aching.

  Their joy at reaching their quarters turned to despair as the smirking instructors ran them past and on to further tortures. They passed their team-mates lying unconscious, or vomiting, in the gutter; others often trying to help them to their feet until they themselves collapsed. It wasn’t unusual to see Bones, who always ran beside them, suddenly trip someone or thrust one of them, Yung mostly, towards the side of the road, so that they missed their footing and tripped and fell. Bones laughed and shouted for them to catch up, hitting them with his club until they did so.

  One day after an exhausting pack-laden run they were brought to attention in the parade square. Bones strutted between them, glaring at them one by one. “You’re a disgrace,” he bellowed, tapping his stick against his leg. “Look at the state of you, breathless, your clothes are a mess. They should be smart, even at the end of physical exercise!” He stopped in front of a panting Yung and snarled menacingly, prodding her in the chest with his stick. “As for you, Yung, there’s a real cunt on the end of this stick.”

  “Yes,” Yung snapped back, “and not at this end either!”

  Bones went berserk and punched Yung twice, straight in the face. As she fell he began kicking her in the stomach and back, even as she doubled over and retched. Selena and the others daren’t move, they could do nothing, as the other instructors stood watching their faces intently. Then Grunty strode out of his office, took one look and shouted, “Corporal, stop that immediately. You two, take Yung to sick bay and get that nose and jaw fixed. Corporal, I want a word with you, in my office, now!”

  Selena, Kes and the others watched as Bones marched into the sergeant’s office and Yung was helped away by two of their team-mates. They exchanged worried looks, for they knew there was nothing they could do. The next time they saw Bones, they noticed that the two stripes on his arm had been reduced to one, but none of them dared say a word. He paraded back and forth in front of them, shouting and bellowing, as if daring them to say something. Selena was desperate to ask him if he’d lost anything, but she knew it wouldn’t be worth incurring his wrath. So, despite the telling off Bones had obviously received, the brutality continued and gradually their ranks thinned.

  * * * *

  Towards the end of the course Selena had never felt so fit or aware of her body and physical abilities; so alert, so alive! She began to thrive on the course and threw herself body and soul into it. As her fitness peaked she found herself physically dragging other members of her team and urging them on, more often than not it was now her who was dragging Yung or Kes on their runs. Kes bulked out, his muscles seeming to grow and define over night. They jumped to orders as if they were no longer in control of their bodies. Pain became irrelevant, ignored. On parade, when told to turn and fight each other, they did so, and fought like animals until they fell. Through it all Selena began to detect a method in the instructors’ sheer brutality, noting that some picked on certain individuals more so than others. One such instance would remain in her mind for ever.

  Bones had obviously taken an intense dislike to Yung, despite her strenuous efforts to ensure her kit and work were impeccable. His sexual comments and unnecessary cruelty were constant, often he’d hit her with his baton for no reason at all and sometimes came up behind her to cup her breasts, then squeeze them while whispering in her ear. Then she disappeared from her bed one night, but was back there again when they awoke. No one knew where she’d gone and she refused to speak of it.

  The next morning on parade, the corporal was all smiles. “Good morning all!” he greeted them. “What a fine day, don’t you think? The sun’s shining, the birds are singing – and just smell that fresh air.”

  They were instantly on their guard. The platoon knew him well by now. He only smiled when he had something particularly nasty planned for them and this morning an unpleasant gloating expression painted his chiselled features as he inspected them, hands clenched firmly behind his back as he strode up and down their ranks, noting their hair had started growing back into a light fuzz. His chin stuck out, as if daring anyone to even glance at the skull and crossbones tattooed on his earlobes. For the first time ever, he failed to pick up anyone for a dulled blade, creased garment or grimy weapon.

  At the end of inspection he strode to the front of the platoon and stood there leering in what he thought was a smile. Raising his chin, he said in a clear gruff voice: “Well, I am impressed! There’s a definite improvement here. Well done. It’s a shame that some of you don’t want to work as hard as the others and will try anything to gain an edge. For instance, do any of you know that Private Yung wasn’t in her bed last night? No? Well you should have! She’s in your platoon; you need to know where she is at all times.”

  Selena cringed inwardly, anticipating the public humiliation that would doubtless precede Yung’s punishment and wondering what the effect might be on her and the other members of the team. What the devil had Yung been playing at, where had she been?

  Bones paused, a smirk creeping over his face. “Well, to put your minds at ease, for your information Yung was in my bed, satisfying me.”

  There were gasps of disbelief from the troops.

  The corporal’s grin grew at their expressions. “She’s an interesting screw, I’ll give her that. Not the best I’ve had, though. Mind you, beggars can’t be choosers, eh? And as they say, any hole’s a goal, ha ha. So, Yung, how about a gang-bang next time? I’m sure the other instructors would be willing; particularly as you’ve got nipples like a blind cobbler’s thumbs.” His cruel barking laugh echoed around the parade ground, his breath white on the crisp morning air as the sun slowly rose over the battlements behind him.

  Then he saw that Yung was smiling too.

  His expression changed; he reddened and thunder rumbled in his eyes. “What are you grinning at, bitch?”

  Yung’s quiet but somehow rough voice carried nonetheless. “You of course, dickhead; you’re just so fucking stupid.”

  Despite themselves, Selena and the others turned to stare at Yung in disbelief. What the hell was she playing at?

  Bones’ face whitened and his eyes bulged as he spluttered: “What did you say?”

  “You heard me, Lance Corporal. By the way, I certainly wasn’t enjoying myself at all. You’re the worst screw I’ve ever had. Forget him, girls, he’s crap,” she shouted, turning to the others. “Mind you,” she added, dropping her voice conspicuously, “I did get some satisfaction from it, but not in the way this moron thought. Lance Corporal, didn’t you even wonder why someone like me would offer themselves to a pig like you?”

  Selena kicked at Yung’s heel. “For Christ’s sake...” she whispered through the side of her mouth.

  “Shut your fucking head, Dillon!” Bones screamed, spittle flying as he thrust his nose millimetres from hers, eyes bulging furiously as he punched her viciously in the stomach, doubling her over.

  He strode right up to Yung and clenched his fists, glowering down at her. By now the other instructors from the hut across the parade ground, including Grunty, had wandered over, no doubt intrigued by the racket. Seeing the sergeant, Bones bit back his rage. Muscles bulging, he clenched and unclenched his fists, practically frothing at the mouth while his eyes almost bulge
d from his head. The other instructors arrived just as Bones poked his stiffed fingers viciously into the softness of Yung’s right breast, making her wince.

  “What are you on about, slut?”

  “You didn’t know that I trained as a chemist, did you? Well, I’ve been putting in extra time here at the labs, working in their biological weapons facility. I was hoping to get to work there when I finished the course. Unfortunately there was an accident, a vial of Herpes 12 I’d been working on burst and vaporised. Yes, that’s right; I’ve just given you the worst case of the clap in history. It’s vicious, fast and extremely painful and no doubt you know it’s terminal. So I thought, hell, if I’m going to die, I’m taking you with me. It’s payback time you bastard.”

  The corporal went even whiter and he stepped back two paces. “Why?” he managed to croak.

  “You’ve got the sheer neck to ask me why?” Yung snarled huskily. “You drove me to it. You’ve done nothing but drag us all to the shores of Hell and left us there to bake!” She paused for a moment, as if short of breath. “But what they say’s true, revenge really is sweet. It’s only been two days since I was infected though and I’m already falling apart inside. I’ve got ulcers everywhere; my nose is blocked with scabs and my throat’s so raw that I even have trouble swallowing water. On top of that, my bits feel like they’re on fire. It’s as if I’ve been fucked by a chainsaw and, no, it’s not your doing. It’s getting worse all the time. I have sores breaking out all over my body this morning, so obviously I don’t have long. Didn’t you notice the blood on your cock last night, fuck face, or did you really think I was a virgin? This morning it’s pouring from every hole I’ve got, and as you penetrated them all last night you have a great deal to look forward to.”

  No one said a word. They could all see the truth of it etched on Yung’s face, the blisters she’d so cleverly disguised and the comprehension slowly dawning in the corporal.

  “Your eyes look red, Corporal. Tell me, are they sore? Could that be the first sign of the ulcers that could eat away at your eyes and soon make you blind? That’s just one of the many things that can happen, you know.”

  Yung coughed into her hand and stared into it. Then she raised her eyes and looked at Bones, turning her palm out towards him, so they could all see the blood trickling between her fingers. “Hurts like hell, you know. I really hope you suffer.”

  Reaching for her holster, Yung produced one of the pistols they were to have used on the ranges later that day. No one tried to stop her as she cocked the weapon, put it into her mouth and then pulled the trigger. There was a loud retort and the back of her head exploded, blood splattered over the wall of the fort behind them as she collapsed.

  For several seconds, Bones stared down at the girl’s body and the pooling blood; then he slowly reached down and picked up the gun. An instant later, his body lay twitching besides Yung’s.

  For a while there was only the sound of another platoon on the far side of the parade ground to disturb the eerie quiet. Then an aircraft flying overhead and the distant roar from the spaceport of a starship lifting broke the silence, an occasional rattle of guns from the ranges. Coming to his senses, one of the corporals bellowed, “Right, you pile of crap, I want your full kit laid out on your beds for inspection in fifteen minutes. Now move it! You, get a decontamination team over here, pronto!”

  Doubling back to their dorm, Selena brushed a tear from her face, determined now more than ever not to let the instructors win. She was going to get through this, no matter what.

  Chapter Five

  Three weeks later the depleted remnants of another class joined them, to make up their numbers for their qualifying survival exercise. This was to be held on one of the other planets in the system and much to Selena’s delight she recognised one of the newcomers.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. Linda McKenzie!”

  The girl gasped. “Selena, is that you? This is fantastic! I was there at your trial.”

  “Yeah, I know. I heard and saw you, so did the rest of the planet. If I remember correctly they threw you out of the courtroom.”

  That same old smirk graced Linda’s face. “It’s a shame you didn’t manage to kill that bitch of a queen. I’ll be frank, Selena, and say a lot of people were shocked when you took the Penal option. But when they thought about it, most of them didn’t blame you at all. Naturally there were some that hated you for it, particularly the Queen, but it’s becoming common practice now.”

  “What do you mean ‘common practice’?”

  “More and more people are getting sent to the regiments these days, some for things that would have only received a small or medium sentence a few years ago. Guess they must be strapped for soldiers, huh?”

  “Or something’s going on we don’t know about…” Selena replied, thoughtfully.

  “Yeah, makes you wonder what’s got them all so worried.”

  Selena reached out and hugged Linda, looking up at her green eyes and pitch black hair, remembering back to when they attended the same school on Capulet and had similar interests. Her friend’s ready smile and easy-going manner were to prove a balm to Selena’s sometimes fraying nerves and flagging spirit. It turned out that Linda had been caught red-handed committing armed robbery, to help fund the freedom fighters back home. One of the gang had been killed during a shoot out with the police, while she and two others were captured and volunteered for the Penal Corps. One of the other gang members had been killed only a week ago in a freak accident, leaving just her and a guy called Fish out of their original gang.

  “Damn, Linda, it’s so good that you’re here. I was beginning to think I would never see a friendly face again. You’re joining us for the final test, huh?”

  “Yup, we’ve had a few fall by the wayside, as no doubt you have. We’ve also got one guy in hospital at the moment, the bloody fool. At least he’ll remember to check his weapon next time before firing it, and that breech explosions tend to hurt. I’m looking forward to getting through this test and into the proper army. This shit is starting to bore my tits off.”

  “Yeah, but its merits from the complete course, particularly this part, that determine what post we get,” Selena mused. Of course they could volunteer for a specific job, or role, if they so wished. Most would be sent to the battle units on ships or bases that were scattered throughout the galaxy, but a few would find homes elsewhere. Some might become pilots or navigators for the many starships or landing crafts, perhaps even the new class of fighter that was coming into service. The list of positions seemed endless.

  “Do you have anything specific in mind that you’d like to do?” Linda asked.

  “Not really, just want to score high so that I get a decent choice. Has to be something exciting. An office job would bore me to death.”

  “Ha, an office job sounds perfect for me,” Linda retorted. “I just want to get my time done safely and get out alive, then figure out a way to beat the system and get home to see my parents. And that queen still needs killing.”

  “That she does,” Selena replied, looking into the distance. “That she does.”

  * * * *

  Dumped naked on an unknown and unnamed world, they stared in silence at the craft hovering just above them, their bare feet scrunching in the frosted grass. All of them shivered and rubbed at their arms. Nakedness no longer bothered Selena. She knew it was only a tool used by the trainers to empower themselves and to put the trainees at a mental disadvantage. Long ago troops in battle often stopped fighting to help an injured woman, and this ploy was designed to get them over that, to inure themselves until the sight of each other’s bodies no longer bothered them and to realise that they were all soldiers and should be treated as such.

  “Right guys, listen in,” the instructor standing in front of them began, hands clasped behind her back. “The weather’s been seeded, so you’ve only a short time before the rain starts.” She pushed back the hood of her thermal waterproofs and peered at them through
the dark.

  “Remember what you’ve been taught. Take only what you need. Don’t burden yourself with things that may cost you, and perhaps others, your lives.”

  The heavens suddenly exploded with rain, the stinging downpour lashing at their unprotected skin. Still the sergeant kept her hood down, grinning at them through the flurry.

  “You’re lucky; it’s quite mild here tonight. Don’t forget to be at the rendezvous point by eighteen-hundred hours the night after next, or you’ll have to walk home.”

  The instant the instructor turned away and began climbing the short ladder dropped to her by the hovering shuttle, Selena and the others turned and dived towards the pile of kit behind them. As they rummaged through the garments, a beam weapon spat from the shuttle once, twice. No one asked the obvious question, what the hell they were shooting at, or whether it was just a ploy to unnerve them. The bay doors closed behind the instructor and, with a rising whine, the ship’s nose rose. Then it punched upwards through the gathering clouds and inclement weather.

  Someone found the flares and ignited a couple of them, illuminating the area.

  “What the hell?” Linda cursed. “They opened all the suits and left them like that, so the rain could get in. Can you believe that? The bastards.”

  “Don’t worry,” Selena replied as she struggled into one of the suits. “They’ll soon dry out, the thermal heating and water repellent will see to that.” Grabbing a rucksack, she carefully selected spare clothing and boots, a first aid kit, an extra torch, food, drink and water sterilisation tabs. The list seemed endless.

  “I’ve got the extra fire kit and power cells,” Linda remarked.

  “Good, I’ve got the spare food and lights. Come on, guys, get a move on!”

  They split into groups of four, each of which was subdivided into two “buddy” teams. The other two in the group were Kes Philips and Fish. They had the medical kit and the communications gear between them. By the time they got around to selecting their weapons, their clothing was warm and dry. The choice of weapons was sparse, as expected.