Heaven in Hell

DEBT UNPAID

UNKNOWN LOCATION:

AGENT PRESCOTT:

FIVE HOURS LATER

After doing some more push-ups, dips, lunges, sit-ups and being cursed around, I thought the worse was over. Boy, was I wrong.

Hades, as if my back were his throne of hell, just sat cross-legged on me and announced, "We have greeted each other lovingly, discussed the weather and shared old memories. I think we should start now. So, Prescott, when shall we start this training?"

If you thought planks were hard, you should try one with a person sitting on your back. My voice was broken, when I said, "Neeext moonttthhhh, Chief Darhk"

"Push. And tell me, how do you plan we start that when I have 6 more months to go here?"

Struggling to keep pushing, I reply, "I'll complete the initial months' training, Chief Darhk"

"Did I give you permission for that?"

Why would I need his permission for training my own team? Yeah, right, he owns me "Negative, Chief Darhk"

"Plank again. So, you won't delay the timeline?"

"Negative, Chief Darhk"

"Won't or can't"

"Can't, Chief Darhk"

"Push. Ok, I'll find a way. But I preside over the training, until I say otherwise. And you will be the leader of the bunch. Are we clear?"

Yup, so that you can screw me as a leader of the team, a member of the team and as his first runaway trainee. I figured that much, Hades. "Yes, Chief Darhk"

"Do you have the equipments ready?"

"Negative, Chief Darhk"

"Plank again. So, you have no location, no funds, no equipments! Do a commando crawl to the surf"

Shit. Trying to salvage the situation, I say, "Permission to explain, Chief Darhk"

"Let's get you some cold drink. Then, we can continue this useless meeting"

I don't think I have an elbow anymore. It is lying in strips here somewhere. Just as I reach the surf, Hades gets up from my back and says dramatically, "Go ahead, mister. Drink it. It is specially ordered for you"

I dive in knowing that the salty water is going to burn my wounds like hell but what choice do I have.

"Strip to the shorts and stand in front of the fan with arms spread wide. And then explain how you propose this to work"

Non-stop chattering of the teeth made it impossible for me to say a complete understandable sentence. I stuttered as loud as I could, "I'lllll arranngee thhe fin-finance sooonnn. Neexxttt wee-weekk, it will-ll b-be doo-ne. Yoouu cann tell in-instru-mennnts, I'lll buuyyy themmm. I I havvvee a loocaation inn m-min-d, I'lll geet itt confirrrmmeed fir-st thiing I'm ouutt off hhh-ere......Chieef Darhhkkk"

"Move away. Dress up and run back to where we were before"

With that, he left me to my trembling hands. I am never more thankful for wearing a zipped track. Buttons would have been impossible right now. I decided to run back as fast as I could to produce some heat and stop the incessant and uncontrollable shivering I was going through.

Barely warm, I reach before Hades, who looked ready to fry me in his fiery pit. "Drop"

Assuming the push-up position, I wait for him to declare his method of torture. I know he won't be so easily satisfied.

Again, making himself comfortable on my still wet track, he shouts, "PUSH"

Shit, I think he shattered my drums. Push keeps ringing in my ears.

Pushing with shaking hands, I manage to do a few before losing my balance and falling face first. Lucky for me, Chief Darhk had managed to wedge himself on me in a way that ensured that he did not fall. Nevertheless, he could have.

Getting off my back and squatting to my eye-level, he says, "Keep pushing. This is pathetic. Is this the best you have got to offer? Then, let me tell you, not a single one of your men will survive the training."

I could feel my hackles rising. How dare he say that! He knows nothing of my men. And he sure as hell knows nothing of my best. I can walk away from here anytime I like. I followed orders of my Commander-in-Chief. I'm not a runaway he makes me to be. I could and would have owned his course had I stayed. My performance in Hell Week and other things are a proof of that.

"Negative, Chief Darhk" The anger has me surging at a great speed pushing up and down as I imagine ripping every single hair on his body one by one and showing him the middle finger where I super-glued his pulled hairs.

With my poker face still intact, I continue push-ups, sit-ups, squats, flutter kicks and occasional cold water dips. I'm nowhere close to calm but Chief Darhk seems to be done for today.

"You still owe me 3 uninterrupted days of ass kicking before the training starts. You better show up to pay, or else, I'll find an ugly way. Dismissed"

"Hoo-yah, Chief Darhk"

With that, I ran right outside the place and caught the first flight back to UI. I need an infirmary and some rest.