Chapter 7 - The Arsenal
The quiet moments of vulnerability were short-lived. The reality of their situation demanded action. The next morning, Maya found Marcus in the subterranean training facility of the compound. The massive room was equipped with shooting ranges, heavy bags, and tactical mats.
“I need you to teach me,” Maya said, her voice echoing in the concrete room.
Marcus paused his assault on a heavy punching bag, wiping sweat from his brow. He looked the small, slender woman up and down. “Teach you what? How to bake? Helen’s upstairs.”
“How to fight,” Maya corrected, her eyes flashing with defiance. “Julian is desperate. If he breaches these walls, I refuse to be a helpless victim again. I won't cower in a corner while you and Victor bleed for me.”
Marcus smirked, a rare expression on his hardened face. “Victor would have my head if I put a bruise on you.”
“Victor isn't here,” a deep voice interrupted.
Both turned to see Victor standing in the doorway, dressed in a sleek black tactical shirt. He walked down the metal stairs, his eyes locked on Maya. “If she wants to learn how to survive in our world, Marcus, she learns from me.”
For the next two hours, the syndicate boss became her personal instructor. Victor didn't teach her complex martial arts; he taught her lethal, brutal survival tactics. How to break a grip. How to strike the throat. How to disarm an attacker who had a height and weight advantage.
He stood behind her, adjusting her stance, his chest pressing lightly against her back. “Balance is everything,” Victor murmured, his breath warm against her ear, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. “Use their momentum against them. Don't fight their strength. Redirect it.”
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Maya focused intensely, throwing a simulated elbow strike backward. Victor caught it effortlessly in his palm, but he smiled. A genuine, dangerous smile.
“Good,” Victor praised softly. He stepped back, handing her a sleek, compact Glock 19. “Now, we teach you how to shoot. Because if Julian gets within arm's reach of you, I have already failed.”
