Dark Weapon Book One: Time of Bombing

Chapter 3

After several months of anticipation, the day of departure finally arrived. Families of Defense Academy students gathered at the airport to bid farewell.

'If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me, okay?' Nate said, his voice filled with sadness and pride.

Dana replied with a peace sign. 'Sure thing, Dad.'

Rose's voice was laced with exaggeration. 'Don't dare come home with bruises, cuts, an amputated leg or hand, or even a broken neck, okay?'

Dana rolled her eyes. 'Yes, ma'am.'

Emilie embraced her tightly. 'Take care, and call me when you arrive. Don't forget to call if you need anything, okay?'

Dana joked. 'Only if you promise to get married and have lots of kids before I return.'

Martine's voice was filled with longing. 'Take care of my sister, please.' As they prepared to part, Martine's eyes welled with tears. 'Oh God, I'm going to miss you all so much.' She looked at Cathy, Dana, and Chelsea. 'I'll take the exam again next time, I promise. I'll prepare harder so I can join you guys, okay?' Her voice cracked.

Cathy playfully hit her. 'Oh come on, it's not like we're going to the grave or something.'

Martine's voice was barely audible. 'Too bad. See you guys. Please call.'

Emilie teased. 'Well, this is what happens when you don't study hard.'

The group erupted in laughter, masking the sadness of their farewell. As they walked away, Martine called out, 'I'm still in awe of how you guys passed your finals!' Her words hung in the air—a reminder of their journey and their friendship.

*

As they stepped into the Defense Academy Headquarters in Raseth, the girls' hearts raced with excitement. Officers in diverse uniforms hurried about, leaving them in awe.

Their wonder faded quickly when they were led to their dorms. Reality hit hard. The room was a mess—dust and cobwebs coating every surface, a putrid smell hanging in the air. The officer abandoned them without explanation.

Dana's phone rang. Emilie's cheerful voice came through. 'Hey sis, we're here, and gosh, this place is a nightmare!'

Emilie's response was laced with amusement. 'If it's bad, just do your best so you can get your job immediately.'

Dana chuckled. 'Yes, ma'am. When Mom and Dad wake up, send my love. Bye.' She hung up, meeting her friends' eyes—they looked equally frustrated.

Cathy spoke up, her voice sarcastic. 'We're very punctual, which is why we're cleaning the dorms ourselves.'

Chelsea chimed in with humor. 'This is military training. This is like dessert being given to you before the main course.'

'Wait,' Cathy said. 'Isn't dessert supposed to come after the main course? That means this is the main course, and the real dessert is even worse!'

Dana's response was firm. 'Whatever. Let's just prepare ourselves to work hard and achieve our aim. I know what it took me to get here.'

Cathy eventually agreed, though reluctantly. 'Fine, I'll manage.'

As they set to work, dusting and cleaning with determination, their complaints never ceased. They had no intention of sharing their room with anyone else. Then Francis, Chelsea's uncle and their revered mentor, walked in with a hint of a smile. 'Wow, I can see you girls are doing a good job, huh?'

Chelsea glared at him. 'We're just doing what's expected of us, Sir.'

Francis dropped a bombshell. 'Well, I came to inform you that the training is actually at Horki. Get rest today because we're taking a flight there as early as possible.'

The girls erupted into cheers. 'Yes!' they screamed, jumping around the room.

'Thank God we came early; we would have missed this golden opportunity,' Cathy exclaimed.

Dana raised an eyebrow, teasing. 'Didn't you say silver opportunity before?'

Cathy looked sheepish. 'Really? When did they change it?' The girls laughed, their excitement building.

The girls kept awake all night, talking about traveling out of the country for the first time. They were so excited, they practically dragged Francis out of bed at dawn.

'Sir, we're ready to embark on our journey to Horki,' Chelsea said, maintaining a straight face.

'Have you informed your parents yet?' Francis asked, yawning.

'We'll call them when we get there,' Dana said. 'Otherwise, they might try to stop us from leaving.'

While they were still contemplating whether to call, two girls walked in dragging their bags. They looked like first-year recruits. Dana and the others had gotten past that initial phase since they'd arrived first.

'Excuse me,' the girl with curly hair said.

'Yes, how can I help you?' Francis asked. 'You seem to have lost your way.'

'On the contrary, sir. We're here for the Military training,' the other girl answered.

'Is that so? Then why are you late?' Francis asked.

'Our flight was delayed due to technical issues with the plane,' Curly Hair answered. 'It's not like we meant to arrive late.'

Cathy wasn't buying it. 'I bet they came just now so we'd do all the work. How sneaky.'

'You're lucky you made it on time,' Francis said. 'Only these three would have gone to Horki for training if you hadn't.'

'Thank God we're here,' Curly Hair said.

'Why don't you exchange pleasantries,' Francis suggested, then walked out.

'Hi, I'm Izzy,' the curly-haired girl said.

'And I'm Jasmine,' the other said.

'The name's Dana, and they're Chelsea and Cathy,' Dana said.

'Let's get along well,' Izzy said, flashing them a smile.

'Girls, come now, we're leaving for the airport,' Francis announced.

'Wow, this means no rest for us,' Jasmine said, picking up her bags again.

Cathy looked at her suspiciously. She didn't like them, or the fact that they arrived just as they were leaving. It was like everything was served to them on a silver platter.

While the other girls called their parents, Dana waited until the plane was in the air before calling her mom. There was no stopping her that way.

Rose was as dramatic as Dana had expected when she broke the news. 'What! I thought you said training was at Raseth! Why Horki all of a sudden?'

'Specific reasons best known to my superior. I'll call when we get there,' Dana said, and ended the call.

Her ears were ringing, and the look Jasmine was giving her was becoming annoying.

'I believe your parents are aware of this, right?' Francis asked.

'Yes, sir,' they replied.

'Are they okay with it?' he asked.

'Well, the rest of our parents are fine with it,' Jasmine said carefully. 'Except Dana's.'

Dana sent her a look sharp enough to cut. That was the reason for Jasmine's smug expression since Dana's call.

Dana recognized her type—the kind who talked a big game but couldn't back it up. She'd wait until training started to show Jasmine what she was made of.

'My family is fully in support of it,' Dana said coolly. 'But I'm sure your family understands how uncomfortable it might be if they actually knew what their precious Jasmine was really like.'

Jasmine's face flushed, and she looked away. Dana hadn't even waited for training to begin.

The girls dozed off, but Jasmine spent the entire flight thinking of ways to retaliate. She didn't even realize they'd arrived in Horki until Francis announced it.

'Here we are. Welcome to Horki,' Francis said as they disembarked.

'It's not that impressive,' Cathy muttered as she looked around.

The capital of Horki looked nothing like she'd expected. To her, Bunya was far better.

Francis took them to men in dark suits and sunglasses. Izzy wondered why they wore sunglasses when it looked like it was about to rain.

'My work here is done,' Francis said. 'They'll take you to the training center where you'll meet people from different countries with different characters but one dream—to become a Military officer. It's going to be competitive as hell. But don't worry, I can tell you'll all do a good job.'

'Cut with the talk, Uncle, and let's get going,' Chelsea said.

'Wait, Uncle?' Dana asked. 'That's the Uncle you've been talking about all this time?'

'Yes,' Chelsea replied.

'Okay, get going, girls,' Francis said as they hugged him one by one. 'Remember to do a good job and make a good impression on the Generals.'

Forget the Generals—he'd left a good impression on them. Their hero.

'Goodbye.'

*

In the Military van, the girls were instructed never to speak to the press or even glance at them. Horki had never trained officers from another country in years, and they didn't want media attention. Everyone stayed silent as they made their way to the training center.

The heavily tinted windows made it impossible to see where they were going. Kidnapping? Rituals? They had no clue. They had to trust Francis.

When they finally arrived at the training center, they saw other recruits their age already settled there. It looked like a huge boarding school, surrounded by massive walls that Jasmine said resembled the walls of Jericho from her Sunday school book.

'Go to Dormitory 8. That's where you'll be staying,' an officer said curtly, then walked away, leaving them standing in the middle of the field.

'We've been given our first mission, guys. Let's work hard,' Dana said.

'Finding Dormitory 8? We can just ask someone,' Cathy said.

'What if it's a rite of passage? Don't ask anyone. The officers could be watching,' Dana said.

Cathy had none of it. She stopped a boy walking past and asked for directions, then led the group.

'This place sure is secure,' Chelsea commented as they walked. 'If anything goes on here, the outside world would never know.'

When Cathy saw their room and cafeteria, she finally smiled. 'I take it back. Horki is okay. This place is better than I expected.'

'Wow, our room is bigger than my room back home,' Jasmine said.

Dana shot back, 'Of course it's big because five of us are sharing it. Did you need that explained?'

'Hey! Don't call me dumb,' Jasmine said.

'And if I do, what are you going to do about it?' Dana asked, making as if to shove her.

'I'll report both of you to the authorities if you don't comport yourselves,' Izzy warned.

'Tell that to this girl who doesn't even know her left from her right,' Jasmine snapped.

Dana's jaw tightened. Before anyone could stop her, she shoved Jasmine toward the bathroom, and Jasmine quickly slipped inside, locking the door.

'Why didn't you stay out here? I would have taught you a real lesson,' Dana said, pounding on the door.

'You guys should stop this instantly,' Izzy said, already annoyed.

'Let them go at it. Dana needs to teach Jasmine some manners,' Cathy said.

'I don't need anyone's pity!' Jasmine screamed from inside.

Eventually, Dana calmed down. When Jasmine emerged, she kept her hands near the door in case Dana escalated.

'I'm taking the top bunk,' Dana said.

'And I'm taking the one under hers,' Chelsea said.

'That leaves the bottom bunk on the left for me,' Cathy said, dropping her bag.

'As the oldest, I get my own space,' Izzy said, and they all ignored Jasmine completely.

'You guys, I'm sorry if I've been difficult, but ignoring me isn't helping,' Jasmine said quietly.

'If I was talking to you,' Dana said, 'I'd say ignoring you is exactly what helps. But I'm not talking to you.' She grabbed her towel and fresh clothes, heading to the bathroom.

'Dana is really mad at you,' Chelsea sang.

'I think you should apologize properly,' Izzy said to Jasmine.

'And don't say things like "ignoring me isn't helping"—trust me, it is,' Cathy added.

'I'm sorry. I really mean it,' Jasmine lamented, lying on Dana's bed.

'What are you doing on my bed?' Dana asked when she returned, annoyed.

Jasmine jumped up. 'I was just waiting for you to come out. Sorry.'

'Did they inscribe your name on this bed?' Dana asked coldly. 'What happened to yours?'

'I said I'm sorry,' Jasmine replied.

Dana pushed past her and sat on the bed, drying her hair with a towel. If they were going to share a room every day, Jasmine had better learn to keep the peace.

'I shouldn't have said anything about your family to Francis,' Jasmine said carefully. 'But you also called my head a coconut.'

'And I wasn't wrong,' Dana said. 'I'm glad you apologized, but if you keep acting like that, we're going to have serious problems. Understand?'

'So we're friends now?' Jasmine asked hopefully.

'You wish,' Dana said, a slight smirk on her face.