The Tower Grave (8 page)

             
The team looked around at each other grinning at the aggressive introduction, then proceeded to warm up for twenty minutes with Pete leading them through a range of exercises. They moved through a number of strike drills, swapping partners as they went, and used both gloves and bare hands for their basic training. John relaxed his effort as he moved across to Chris, but despite dripping with sweat, the young man maintained a one hundred per cent effort throughout each exercise leaving John having to work hard to match him.

             
“You ok, Chris?” he asked, impressed with his attitude.

             
“I’m not much of a fighter, John, and I don’t want to get killed. I’ve got to learn quickly or I’ll be dead in a month.”

             
“The way you’re going you’ll be knocking us all out within two weeks!” John said as he moved around the punches.

             
Chris grinned back at his boss and attacked him with renewed energy as John relaxed, trying to re-establish the motions back into his body. He’d boxed for a period with his father as a teen, and then both boxed and wrestled in his first few years with the Met Police; but it had been a long time and he felt older and out of practice as he danced around with the young, eager technician in front of him. He watched David and Jake from the corner of his eye as he picked up the focus pads and continued with Chris. David looked awkward but was trying his best, while Jake moved so slowly that he almost looked bored. He accepted David’s attacks with politeness and encouragement, but put no effort back into his own returns.

             
As they swapped partners, Jake looked up to see Charlotte approach him.

             
“Jake,” Pete called out, making him look round. “Is there any reason you’re not working to improve in this? You don’t want to get hurt out there, do you?”

             
“I’m letting you all get your practice and putting back what you require,” he shrugged. “No point me going mad and hurting someone in practice is there?”

             
Pete laughed out loud.

             
“Who are you, Bruce chuffing Lee or something?” he shouted. “Arrogance can get you killed, mate. Right, everyone, begin!”

             
Jake turned to Charlotte, shaking his head at the accusation and saw her grin up at him as she fastened her gloves.

             
“Oh I get it,” he said. “You get to beat me up now?”

             
She nodded with a glint in her eye.

             
“But I don’t want you to
hurt
me, do I?” she replied, sarcastically.

             
“Go on then,” he said, ignoring her tone. “One shot in the face and we’re even.”

             
Without needing another prompt, she stepped forwards and jabbed him gently in the face with her gloved, left hand.

             
“Was that it?” he asked, chuckling softly. “I was expecting to be knocked out for yesterday. I’ve been let off lightly after all.”

             
With another grunt she stepped back in with her left foot and jabbed him again in the face with the same hand. As his head rocked back stunned, she stepped in closer, drove her knee into his thigh then slipped back and twisted her hips to sweep away his feet. His feet slid out from underneath him as his thigh buckled from the knee, and he landed on his hip with a shocked and painful cry.

             
“Stop!” he called from the floor, both chuckling and grimacing at the pain. “I give up! Where did you learn to do all that?” he asked as he rubbed his dead thigh and pulled himself to his feet. “You nearly did knock me out!”

             
“I decided against it,” she replied, smiling. “But you’re lucky, now stop trying to wind me up and get over yourself. Start trying and learn how to fight or you’ll get killed when we go back and we’ll be one team member down.

“
Oh and of course I don’t fancy you, you tosser,” she added angrily but unconvincingly in her semi-posh tone.

             
A chuckle sounded around the matted dojo and Jake stood, staring at Charlotte, unable to read her expression. She appeared proud and pleased with herself but also embarrassed and upset. He opened his mouth to say something but fell silent again before he spoke.

             
“I think we’ll have a two-minute break,” said Pete, breaking the silence and moving to the side of the mat as the rest of the group followed.

As they moved to the benches
and took sips of their water, Charlotte noticed Jake’s embarrassment and pulled him aside.

             
“Are you ok?” she asked, reaching up to his reddened cheekbone.

             
“Of course, Charlotte,” he replied. “And I agreed to let you pommel me, but I didn’t say you could scream and abuse me in front of everyone!”

             
“Alright, that was a bit harsh,” she said kindly. “But anyway you deserved it! And Jake, you must start trying. You mustn’t get hurt. You’re the key to this job, you really are.”

             
“I’ll be fine.”

             
“No you won’t,” Pete interrupted, “I’ve trained and worked for twenty years with martial arts and weaponry and even I would be concerned with going back there. You have three weeks, pal. Where do you get this attitude from?”

             
Jake glanced around at each face in the room watching him curiously, and made a decision to himself walking back onto the mat without saying a word.

             
“Well that’s two minutes, I guess,” Pete said, shrugging, and walked back on to the mat with the rest of the team. As they re-paired, he stood in front of Jake and smiled as he took a deep breath. “Same again,” he shouted once. “Begin!”

             
The rest of the team set about their drills as Pete threw a relatively hard jab at Jake who blocked it easily and stood still, rooted to the spot. Pete watched him closely as he stood with his arms by his sides and then went in again with another punch. Jake once again moved minimally and blocked the punch with ease then stood still, staring blankly at his instructor. Pete smiled, then threw a series of punches at him, causing him finally to move from his position in order avoid them. He did so, but moved fluidly from one place to another, blocking and moving from the strikes and avoiding them without worry. Pete paused only for a second before lunging into Jake with a series of fast and hard strikes using both his arms and legs. The determination was clear in his eyes as he tried to hit the man, but Jake still reacted quickly despite showing strain and concentration in his defence. He moved at a blinding pace to block and dodge the strikes, but still refused to fight back and stood still between each burst to wait for the next. As the pressure stayed on and his options to avoid being hit dwindled, Jake deflected a wide kick with his thigh and stepped forward to hammer Pete in the mouth with his elbow. The sweating instructor stepped back and stopped, lifting his fingers to feel the touch of blood dribbling from his lip. He smiled at Jake with a grin that the younger man hadn’t expected, and then burst into a short bark of a laugh.

             
The rest of the team stood around watching the exchange, and Pete kept his grin as he took off his gloves and nodded for Jake to do the same.

             
“Grappling,” he said as he lunged at Jake once both of their gloves were off.

             
They moved around for a moment until they collided and locked up in the centre. Their arms entwined around each other’s, slipping in and around their waists and necks. Pete attempted to trip Jake with the inside of his foot but failed and allowed himself to be moved off balance in the process. He quickly managed to recover but was kept off centre and one more failed attempt to trip was enough to allow Jake to turn inside and attempt to throw him over his hip. He turned and pulled, getting close to the throw, but lost his grip as Pete dropped into a squat and lifted him clear of the floor from behind. He twisted his body as he hoisted the young agent, and then landed on his shoulder as Jake slammed squarely onto his back on the mat. Pete quickly moved on top of Jake but found his head tucked into an armpit as a sweaty forearm slipped under his chin and tightened, locking him down and choking him simultaneously. His breath was sharply cut off as the arteries of his neck were blocked, and he tapped his hand on the mat, signalling his submission. Panting with exertion, Jake released the big instructor immediately and allowed him to roll onto his back next to him. After a few moments of silence, they both began to laugh out loud and Pete jumped to his feet, pulling Jake after him.

             
“I’m impressed!” he exclaimed in his big, broad accent. “How long have you trained?”

             
“Judo and karate all my life; jujitsu I learned on the job.”

             
“Grades?”

             
“No grades, no comps,” he replied, still panting. “My Dad taught me and my brothers from the moment we walked, and it’s always been just us.”

             
“Wow, I must meet this father of yours.”

             
“He would’ve liked that, but put it this way, it may be me who meets him again if this operation goes wrong.”

             
“Ah, I understand. Sorry, pal.”

             
Jake shrugged in response, smiling and putting his hand on Pete’s shoulder.

             
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, and then turned to his team. “Come on you lot!” he shouted, grinning widely. “Let’s get training! You don’t want to die, do you?”

             
Charlotte smiled back kindly, meeting his eye for a moment; then laid into David, laughing as he flapped in panic to protect himself from her flying fists.

Seven

              John made the most of his first drive alone in the Range Rover. He’d chosen the black Range Rover Sport and taken the long route back and forwards across the fields as he headed towards the outbuilding that housed the gym and pool. He hadn’t had the chance to train for a week, so made sure to fix a quick two-hour gap before they were called for dinner.

             
He pulled up outside the building and left the keys in the ignition as he walked into the gym and put down his bag. The place seemed empty and bigger than he’d expected, but with a fully equipped gym, he got straight to work until the aches and pains of the two day’s riding and sparring started to come out. He persevered through a few moderate sets of weights before dropping the iron and searching out the pool for some rehab instead.

             
Through a door from the gym, he came to a rectangular, twenty five metre pool with changing rooms along its edge and what looked like a Jacuzzi and sauna in a recess at the far end. Rehab was what he needed, so as soon as he had changed into his swim-shorts, John walked straight past the pool and round to the Jacuzzi for a soak. The sauna door opened as he approached and Jane stepped out making him jump and rendering him speechless. She wore her hair down for the first time since he had known her and it was wavy and damp, falling gently around her flustered and smiling face. Her body was tanned and glistened with the heat of the sauna making John fail miserably in keeping his gaze above her neck. Her delicate shoulders tapered gently into full breasts, sitting discretely but temptingly inside her understated bikini. The dark, pink top matched her small and neat bottoms, tied in bows at her hips; and the contrast of the bright pink continued against her tanned and smooth legs, which clearly held toned muscle from riding.

She smiled nervously as he looked over her body, but didn’t shy away.

“I was just thinking the same about you,” she said, trying to catch his eye.

“Sorry, Jane,” he replied. “
You look, well...”

             
“I was just getting in the hot tub. I take it you were too?”

             
“Yeah, I was. Here, let me give you a hand in,” he said as he stepped over the side with one foot.”

             
Smiling, she took his hand and stepped in, sitting down next to him. John became aware of how long he had been without intimate contact with a woman. But he was a free man, he resolved, and he knew that he wouldn’t be facing many opportunities like his present one.

             
“How are you finding the course?” she asked.

             
“Tiring!” he replied. “But it’s good fun so far and it’s nice to meet new people.”

             
“Yeah it is. Where I normally work, I coach riding competitors and haven’t gotten to train anyone new for a long time.”

             
“Does your husband ride?”