The huge bell in the training centre rang at the strike of 6.50 by the morning. The girls previously thought it was for a church service or something but it was for waking those who had the habit of sleeping in. An announcement on the kind of punishment given to the unfortunate person to come last to the field sent the dormitory in frenzy. To save time, Dana and the girls all shared the bathroom at once giving Jasmine the opportunity to see Dana's weakness. Her boobies.

“Has anyone seen my lotion?” Cathy asked searching frantically for it

“Yeah” Chelsea answered

“Really, please where?” Cathy asked

“In my nostrils” Chelsea said laughing hard. Cathy stared at her and wondered if the late coming announcement didn't send shivers down her spine. She was probably thinking her Officer Uncle would get her out of trouble. Ha!

“Here it is” Jasmine said holding it up

“Thanks, you are of some use today” Cathy said 

They hurriedly walked out along with other girls in their dormitory to the field. Their uniforms had their names, country and state written on the back. There were fewer girls than they least expected. Some people weren't up for the job. As they walked together like a clique they soon became the center of everyone's attention.

“We are the center of attraction” Cathy sang happily. She loved being in the spot light.

“I hate unnecessary attention” Dana grumbled

“Yeah, I agree with Dana” Jasmine said. She grabbed Dana by the arm and smiled with her big swollen eyes. For whatever reason, it appalled Dana.

“Just act your normal way, Dana said, your character now is really eerie” she added

The Instructor took his place on the platform in the field and began giving the orientation. 

“Listen up, I won’t repeat myself” 

“You already share a room right now 5 to one and that is the way it is going to be from now on. You will wake up as early as 5 in the morning and run around this vicinity. Don't think it won't be monitored because it will. After that, you have your breakfast at the dining hall before you come out for your training” he said. He made way for his colleague to talk.

“As for the training, I would ask every one of you to brace yourselves because we wouldn't be putting into consideration anyone of you. Be you a boy or a girl. If any one of you feels the training would be too much to handle I kindly ask that you leave immediately because there would be penalties if anyone tries to withdraw during the training. In conclusion, no one is to leave these walls till the training is over. That is to say, you are only allowed to move about within these walls” he said

The girls couldn't believe their ears. They come to a foreign country only to get locked up. Cathy was preparing to ask for their vacation days but was hit hard by the news. No sightseeing. No dating. Little or no calls. It was literally a prison.

“I really wonder how the training is going to be” Izzy said

“No joke, I’m really scared as it is” Cathy said

“Cathy, we left the comfort of our homes. Our families and even the chance to study in the University to get this training so why the hell should you be scared?” Dana asked

“I’m not saying it like I’m scared scared. It just feels different. Girl you know me, right? I’m not scared of shit” Cathy said

“That’s good. Come on, let’s get breakfast. We don’t want to miss out on the good stuff” Dana said

They turned around and saw the other trainees listening in on Dana’s pep talk with Cathy. They nodded their heads positively at her and walked into the dining hall one after the other.

“Did they just steal our pep talk? They have no right to use it in boosting their morale. Horki’s kids are thieves” Jasmine said

They walked into the dining hall as well, got their food and a spot where they planned to always eat but Dana couldn’t swallow her food well because everyone was staring at her. If the man in uniform wasn’t standing so close she would have flashed them her middle finger but she couldn’t because she’d end up getting penalty points. And what her future would be with penalty points on her first day.

One of the onlookers walked up to her with a smile on his face. There was an empty chair close to Dana and she wondered why there were 6 chairs when they were only 5 of them. Jasmine had pulled on closer when she saw the boy approaching.

“Hey! I’m Daniel” he said and sat beside her

“Okay. I don’t remember giving you permission to sit there” she said

“Yeah. Anyway, I kinda liked what you did back there after Instructor Philips gave his announcement. You boosted a lot of people’s morale. That was cool” he said

“Thanks” Dana said

“Okay, I’m from Horki so if there is anything you’d want to ask about the country you all can feel free to do so” Daniel said

“Let’s see. I have a question” Dana said

“Ask away” he urged

“Do the people in Horki not know how to take clues when in a situation like the one we’re in now?” she asked

“I’m not following” he said

“I mean, do your people not know how to take clues like you? It’s pretty obvious I don’t want to spend a minute talking to you but here you are, still talking” she said

“I get it now. You want me to leave” he said

“From the moment you sat here” she added

“That’s kinda cute. I’ll see you around” he said and walked away with a bamboozled expression on his face. Never had he met someone, a girl who would ask him to leave. Was it because she was from another country? No, her friends welcomed him with a smile but she was full of hostility.

 “Babe what was that all about?” Cathy asked

“It seems like he likes you” Izzy said smiling at Dana

“I don’t trust that guy” Jasmine said

“And how would you know, huh? Do you know him?” Chelsea asked

“No but he looks all handsome and from my experience, handsome guys are roguish” Jasmine said

“So a lot of guys have dumped you huh?” Dana said as she drank some water

“Kind of” Jasmine replied.

“Are you done?” Cathy asked as Dana got up

“Yeah, I don’t want to gain weight so I’d be able to move freely during the training” Dana answered

“Really, I think we should do that too” Izzy suggested

“Um, some of us need the nutrients” Cathy said

“Okay. We’ll know during training” Izzy said. Cathy groaned and threw her leftovers along with the others.

“Let’s go” Dana said as they walked out of the dining hall together with all eyes on them.

Training officially began for the trainees at Horki’s Defense Academy. The trainees all looked excited and some of them even did a few jumping jacks. Dana and her clique along with the new members stayed attached to the hip throughout. They didn’t want an addition to them and it was all Dana’s idea. Honestly, the others wouldn’t mind if they had new friends.

Commander Swart walked up to the trainees and ordered them to be on a straight line. The girls facing the boys. He walked down the space they provided in the middle and began scrutinizing. He had a trainee had a piece of printed paper around. On it was what seemed like an oath.

“Repeat after me” he said

“I, place your name there, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of Horki against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and adherence to the same; I will obey the order of the President of Horki and the Military Officers appointed over me, according to the regulations and the Country Code of Military Justice. So help me God” he said

He closed his eyes and expected to hear the trainees saying what he had just said but the place was more silent than a graveyard.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” he asked

“Are we supposed to like say it now?” a trainee asked

“No. Wait for the sun to set first” he said sarcastically

“Ooh. Till the sun sets” the others said. He stared at them wondering how their brain functioned for them not to get his simple use of sarcasm. Dana seemed to get it though. She took her right hand in the air and began reading from the printed paper. The others after a short period of silence followed suit. 

At least someone knew what they were there for. The trainees finished saying the oath but it was then Dana and the others noticed there were no other Officers other than their Commander.

“Dana, I can’t see any of those old wrinkly men in Military uniforms here. Aren’t they supposed to be here for an occasion like this?” Chelsea asked

“There are always present in the movies” Jasmine said

“That’s why it’s a movie and this is reality. Live with it” Dana said. She was bothered by it too. When she was saying the oath she noticed she had sworn to protect Horki but she was from Bunya. It was disturbing but decided to brush it off. Training was going to start at anytime.

“Now the main training starts!” Commander Swart screamed

 “Gosh, can’t he just talk? Must he scream?” Cathy complained

Swart had the boys punch the girls on their stomachs first and then the girls retaliated. They didn’t find it fun when he asked then to go behind the dorms to some sort of mini stream and asked them to bury their heads underneath. He stepped on the heads of the trainees who tried to get out of the water. They ran around the field and the ones who came in last were asking to start all over. They did a couple of press ups and a full routine work out session on the field. It left them breathless, sweaty, sticky and angry. But why were they angry? They wanted to become Military Officers.

As if the whole punishment in the disguise of training wasn’t enough, Swart had the trainees clean some portions of the training center. Dana was unfortunately assigned to the toilets and their partner was the boy who couldn’t take clues.

“Hey, so no guy came with you girls from Bunya?” Daniel asked

“No, just 5 of us. All girls” she replied

“So since we're cleaning up this place for a week when do we get to see each other and start?” he asked

“Just do your part and don't wait for me” she said

“Okay, so it's me and you for the next couple of days” he said

“Just work and stop trying to start a conversation” she said as she picked up the trash can and walked away. She didn’t travel from one country to another to begin to make friends with hot looking boys. How did she know he was hot? When they were all sweaty on the field she saw his uniform become glued to his body. It took the grace of God and Swart’s loud whistle to get her eyes away.

By evening, Swart finally decided to let the trainees go back to their dorms. They went back in with one complain or the other. Either a pain in the eye or in the teeth or in whatever odd part of the body you can think of where you shouldn’t feel pain.

Dana had something close to sea sickness since she had her head returned into the mini stream severally by Swart’s foot. She ran into the bathroom and threw up salt water.

 “Gosh! My belly hurts like mad” Chelsea complained 

“Speak for yourself” Jasmine said

“It was not like I used force on my partner but when it was time to hit me back he acted as if he was possessed” Izzy said

“Dana, what’s up?” Cathy asked

“Nothing” Dana replied

“Yeah, you’ve been quiet all this while, what’s the problem?” Izzy asked

“I told you nothing already!” Dana said curtly

“And what do you mean by all this time, huh? We only just came back from the field and you are already making a hell of a noise and you expect me to join you?” she asked

“Dana, come on, it was just a simple question I asked and you are getting worked up over it” Izzy said

“What’s simple about the question, huh?” Dana asked

“That’s enough now” Chelsea said as Dana got up and walked out of the room

“You know you aren’t supposed to leave!” Jasmine said after her

“Don’t think too much about it, that’s just the way Dana, behaves” Chelsea said

“Yeah, she could just wake up in the morning and be mad at everyone for no reason” Cathy concurred

“That’s weird”

Later, Dana walked back into the room and headed for the bathroom. She shut the door and turned on the tap. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she tried to remember what she heard before she left the Officer’s dorm. She wondered if she was having a heat stroke and it affected her hearing.

 “Did I hear right or was I hallucinating?” she thought 

“I’m pretty sure I heard him say ‘kill them’ or didn’t he say that?” she splashed water on her face and she heard a knock on the bathroom door

“Are you alive in there? I want to use the bathroom” Cathy said 

“You can come in” Dana said

“What’s up with you, huh? You’ve been acting peculiar lately” Cathy said as she sat on the toilet

“It’s just…… never mind” Dana said

“It’s just what? Why did you stop at the middle of a sentence” Cathy asked as she let out gas

“You are disgusting” Dana held her nose and ran out of the bathroom

“Why are you acting like you don’t pass out excreta” Cathy said after her

Training continued for days, weeks, and then it was a month. The whole workout routine became a regular thing for the trainees and they didn’t find it difficult anymore. Infact, they acted like Swart was wasting his time whenever he asked them to do a hundred sit-ups. It was a piece of gun for them and they sure as hell were proud of it. When he noticed they were way past that training he decided to move on to the next and get a new partner. He was just the drill instructor, the one that loved to punish them. 

“Identify the gun on the table” Philips said. He was the new instructor.

They were taking a test. A gun test but they had attended classes and read ahead for the test so still, a piece of gum for them.

“Beretta M9 pistol” Jasmine said

“Correct” Philips said

“What bullet is this?” he asked Dana holding it up to her face

“M48 spotter and tracer” she answered

“Moving on....

“Run Peter, run!” Swart shouted

“Sir yes sir!”

Training continued and the instructors were training the trainees on their speed and agility and they were performing poorly. Some were moving as if they had sticks up their butts. Izzy was literally showcasing the fact that she was a lazy trainee. Running a hundred meters was a problem for her so Phillips had to sit her down. And sitting her down meant she was going to do sit-ups

“Izzy, get over here and do a hundred sit ups!” Phillips instructed

“Yes sir!”

“Dana step on the brakes before you crash into into the barricade!” Swart said

“Yes sir!”

“Chelsea jump over the wall again and this time do it swiftly!”

“Yes sir!”

“Cathy don't be a lazy bone and finish up your press ups. Do you want to sleep on that?!”

“No sir!”

Horror. That was what the training had turned into as they clocked one month as trainees. It was as though they expected heaven and earth from them. Shouting, flogging, punishing, threats. That was what it turned into.

“Now, it's time to see your shooting accuracy! You have been training for over a month now. Let’s see what you can do”

“Everyone in batch B pick up a gun! You have three choices for your stance, I don’t want to see any other stance formulated by you nut jobs!”

“For the Isosceles stance you have to face the target squarely. Your feet should be set shoulder apart; your toes should face your target. You should lean forward from the waist towards the target. Your arms should be extended and form an Isosceles triangle!” Swart yelled out

“For the weaver stance, you should place the foot on the firing side back and turn your support side towards the target. Your firing arm should be extended and your supporting arm should be bent” Phillips said

Compared to Swart’s voice, his was like a bird singing and the trainees were grateful that he wasn’t shouting but they needed him to be a bit audible. They had heard the Weaver stance was the most popular so they all wanted to try it.

“Commander, we couldn’t really hear you. Can you repeat it one more time?” Cathy asked

“You can ask goggle” he said

“The last is the fighting stance. You the shooter should be squared to the target. Your feet should be shoulder width and the firing foot should be behind the support side foot. Lean forward and extend your arm out” Swart looked up to find only Dana doing the Fighting stance. The others were trying to perfect the Weaver stance.

“When that is done you’ll be bringing sights to your eyes and your head should be kept level to maintain balance especially when moving. Try the different stances and see which one is most comfortable for you. Once you’ve made your choice, practice and practice. Muscle memory is needed. That way, you don’t even need to look at all your attackers when you fight” he concluded

“Man, my throat is sore” Swart said and drank some water

“You're the one taking this instructor thing too serious. I'll take over” Philips said