Heaven in Hell

SWEAT ENOUGH?

SECRET LOCATION

2230 HOURS

OFFICER SIDDHARTH MISHRA

Today morning Roshesh informed me about the trainer we were going to be training under. While Roshesh seems terrified of him, I fail to see how he could be any worse than Agent Prescott. He keeps muttering how I should have seen how Agent Prescott looked yesterday morning.

If he can be up whole night kicking our asses and doing push-ups with added weights, I don't think his situation is bad. However, there is no point in arguing with Roshesh. Silently, I prepare myself for another night of working out without an ounce of sleep.

Once the daily dose of 200 push-ups, 150 crunches, 150 sit-ups, 50 pull-ups, 1500 burpees, 50 laps in the swimming pool and 5 km run is over, I sigh in relief. 

All three of the cadets had managed to keep their time same, though barely. With a lot of begging and promises to improve their time by least 20 seconds tomorrow, they are let go without any extra punishment, if you don't count the hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups they did while begging.

I know the night is far from over. Roshesh told me that minus three hours of sleep, we would be staying in this gym every night decorating it with our sweat, vomit, groans and curses. But at least, I can drop the poker face, look tired and groan and curse to my heart's liking with the cadets gone.

Roshesh let me decide on today's form of torture. So, we decide to do suicides. I love running, even when I'm tired. The burn and ache of muscles release endorphins that make me want to run faster and feel happy, ignoring the pain. However, Roshesh releases a string of curses at the name of suicides. 

Taking the chess clock and putting it near the edge of the basketball court, we start our runs. 

In an hour, we are both on our backs, trying to desperately catch our breath. 

I have managed to keep each of those 60 suicides within the minute and I'm glad that I won't have to pay for any late ones.

Roshesh, on the other hand, takes a minute and start running 5 more before joining me at the edge of the court. It seems that he came late in one of those suicides. 

Whoever named them suicides have done it aptly. This old court has more cracks than the new one and therefore, instead of running from the start line to centre line and then, from the start line to the end line for one suicide, we have 8 cracks which serve as a line for 8 sprints in each suicide. I wish the new cadets were brought here for their suicides!

When we look like we won't pass out from the lack of oxygen, I announce duck walk and crawls as the next and last form of torture for today. Thankfully, Roshesh agrees to end the session early. We have pushed ourselves pretty hard and we need to catch on some lost sleep too.

We start with classic crawl around the gym for three rounds followed by one round of duck walk across the length of basketball court and keep repeating this process with each type of crawl.

I had vowed to never do a duck walk after my training. I shudder remembering how we spent the whole night in the training grounds pretending to be ducks. Getting down in the squat by keeping your upper thighs parallel to the floor, normally, people use their hands for balance and walk on their heels. Our seniors had decided that it wasn't punishment enough so our feet had to waddle like a penguin or a duck and we could not use just our toes or heels for the walk. Oh, and our hands had to be clasped tight behind our back, near our buttocks. If they were released or moved, more time got added. Damn, my thighs and knees had turned jello and hurt like hell for quite a few days.

Today proved a very good reminder on why I was avoiding duck walk. My legs seem dead. I'm not sure how I'll manage to do sit-ups tomorrow with a faster time. God bless me.

Just as we step out of the gym with the support of the walls, I'm greeted with the sight of Agent Prescott doing weighted one arm pull-ups. Saluting him and standing in attention, I barely manage to keep my mouth shut at the sight of his back and torso. There are red marks on them with some bruising around the abs. Is this what Roshesh was talking about?

Only because of my training, I manage to follow his 'At ease' command.

His next words, though, has every nerve of my body in attention, "You don't decide if you have sweat enough or not. Go back in and continue."

With our heads down, we answered a 'Yes sir' in unison and got inside to complete our time of today's workout. I thought this was a self-imposed workout by Roshesh. I guess not.

When we walk back in, Roshesh grits out, "It is a self-imposed workout and yet he thinks we can't decide when it is over. Let's get to 0200 hours with some laps in the ocean. I need to cool down."

Crossing the old gym, we get in the ocean for a cooling swim time. It is more like freezing and turning to popsicles time if you ask me, but I guess both father-son duo do not feel cold so easily.

--

0400 HOURS

AGENT PRESCOTT

Sneaking off from UI, I manage to stay incognito despite my huge frame. My body is one of the reasons I am not a preferred choice for any undercover operations. My height and my bulging muscles makes people look twice. However, my training has made me learn how to walk like I'm a little shorter and hide my muscles to look like masses of excess disgusting fat. With baggy clothes and a dirtied look, I appear to be a factory worker waddling his way to work.

Taking different modes of transport and changing my appearances various times, I reach to a well maintained three storey house in one of the counter magnet cities of northern India. Checking out the location and readiness of the place, I cover everything up and slip back out to continue to the next part of my journey.

Checking that electricity and water is in order at the second location too, I return back to the academy exactly 24 hours later and call Chief Darhk.

"Prescott reporting, Chief Darhk"

"Hoo-yah, Chief Darhk"

Gulping, I say, "I'll come every Sunday, Chief Darhk"

"Negative, Chief Darhk. I can come three consecutive days."

"I have arranged for finances and location, Chief Darhk"

"Hoo-yah, Chief Darhk."

"Chief Darhk, you can send your list.... Negative...I'll do it, Chief Darhk"

"Hoo-yah, Chief Darhk"

Putting the receiver down, I sigh and allow my body to deflate for a second. Gathering some strength and taking a deep breath, I square my shoulders and slip the mask back on, ready for whatever may come next.