ANA Reborn by Carl Facciponte - HTML preview
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Chapter 9
ance picked up his phone at the Pentagon and L called Francine Dracus.
"Good morning, General Coopers. This is Dr.
Dracus. May I help you?" Francine answered in the formal tone she reserved for situations where she expected the conversation not to favor her.
"Francine," Lance answered, "you sound tense.
Relax. It's a straightforward request. We're not pushing any schedules today. How are Ana and Rhett coming with blending in with the population? Do they do anything pointing them out as different from anyone else? I see the computer printouts on them, but it's nice to talk to you once in a while. We've always gotten along very well in the past, haven't we?"
"Yes, they are right on schedule. Thank you for asking." Francine said without addressing his last question. "Do you need specifics?"
"No, I don't. You can handle the day-to-day routines and training. I have a special training request for you, though. I would like you to sign 85
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them up for a mixed martial arts class in the little dojo on Lexington and Fifty-sixth Street. Same one as Gabriella and Martha attended for their woman's self-defense class. "
"Okay, that's not too hard," Francine said.
Lance continued, "This time, though, I want Martha to go along only as an observer. She will document everything they do and how well they do it. The class starts on Thursday, so you have three days. Shouldn't be a problem, should it?"
"No, General. Would you like an all-women class again?"
"I doubt there is an all-woman MMA class.
Besides, Rhett looks like a man, so I want him in with men. Someday Ana may have to fight men, so it would be good for her, too."
"Ana may have to fight men?" Francine questioned, shaking her head for understanding.
"Why would she have to do that?"
"You understand that military money funded their research and development, right? The military fights wars. At some point, we will expect them to handle assignments overseas, just like any other soldier."
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"Lance," she said, slipping into a familiar address, "can't you send them to a boot camp or something for the training, so they learn like other soldiers? Why a dojo here in New York?"
"That's beyond your need to know, but to answer the question, I need them to work as a team. Sending them to a military training school would necessitate breaking them up into different classes, or at the very least, would raise questions if they trained together. I'm not too fond of questions. Remember, by Thursday. I appreciate your efforts."
The call suddenly disconnected. Francine stood there glaring at the 'Call Ended'
announcement on her cell phone. "Just who in the hell does he think he is? Why not have his admin do it for him?"
She paced her office floor with angry steps, tipping at the waist, head down. "Just who the hell does he think he is," she repeated with venom in her voice. "He wants to let me know he is in charge, and because we accepted the contract for Ana and Rhett, he now has power over me.
God, how I hate people who use power like that!"
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Francine walked to her desk and mashed the intercom button with her index finger. "Martha, come to my office, now!" she barked into the microphone, then released the button. "I just hate people like him. So disrespectful, and he thinks everyone is to jump and obey his every whim and order. What an ass."
Martha appeared at Francine's door, breathing as if she ran to the office. "Yes, Francine. What can I do for you?" she panted.
"I've been talking to Lance."
"Oh, no. Now what?" Martha moaned, closing her eyes and shaking her head.
"He wants to enroll Ana and Rhett into a mixed martial arts class. He said they might need it for an assignment. He said nothing else."
"When does he want them enrolled?"
"He wants them in this Thursday's class. It will be in the same place as where you and Gabriella took the woman's self-defense course."
Martha's face contorted in a look of disgust.
Before she could say anything, Francine added,
"And he requested you audit the class to track their performance. I have a feeling when we call 88
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to enroll them at the last minute, there won't be any problem at all. Just a hunch. Lance seems to do his advance work to ensure nothing is standing in the way of what he wants."
"What about the sweating issue, Francine.
Those two don't sweat. Will that be a giveaway something is odd with them? With Gabriella, we just had her spray herself down like she was cooling off then towel dry. Will we be doing the same with Ana and Rhett?"
"We can start with that strategy. Monitor the rest of the class and see if they notice our two don't sweat. Give them towels and have them dry off frequently. It may cover the issues. Can you let Ana and Rhett know? Thanks."
***
The class started at 7:00 PM. Ana, Rhett, and Martha arrived 15 minutes early. Martha wore her gray off-the-shoulder Angora sweater dress.It molded itself pleasingly around her contours.
"Revealing, but not slutty," she would say when people commented on her clothing. Ana and Rhett wore workout clothing.
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As they entered the lobby, Martha exclaimed,
"They still don't have a working elevator. The dojo is on the third floor!"
"What's the big deal?" Rhett asked. "It's pretty easy to climb three flights."
"It's like I told Gabriella one time when we came for the woman's class, "A proper woman of color don't go backward and have to walk up no damn three flights of stairs!"
"It's okay, girlfriend. We got you with this. We together." Ana quipped.
Martha laughed. "Ana, please don't try to talk black. It just isn't coming out right, but I love you for the effort." They all laughed and walked up the three flights.
Someone appointed the waiting room for upscale clients. Two gray leather couches sat against adjoining interior walls while matching overstuffed chairs flanked the corners of the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Coffee tables provided a writing surface between the couches and the window chairs. Someone strategically placed ornate wooden chairs with embroidered Asian rural scenes around the rest of the room. Wall sconces provided soft, indirect lighting.
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"Wow," said Rhett. "This place isn't cheap, but what's that smell?"
Martha answered. "It's a blend of the fish oil in the rubber exercise mats combined with sweat and aftershave."
Rhett wrinkled his nose. "That should keep the werewolves away," he muttered.
"Pardon me?" Martha said.
Ana spoke up, "He's still using phrases from TV and movies. Just ignore him for now. He's still a work-in-progress."
They opened the door to the training room and placed their gym bags next to a wall. Martha walked to a chair she noticed along the back of the room and took a seat. A dozen well-muscled men and three well-toned women stood in the middle of the room on the mats, chatting and trading stories.
At precisely seven, the instructor walked into the room from the office in the back. Martha let out a restrained squealing gasp.
"Hello, class. I am your instructor, Sensei Ralph Thornton," the athletic, muscular black man said. "Welcome to MMA training. Your 91
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scheduled instructor, Sensei Yurogamo, is recovering from a home accident. Unfortunately, it seems his dog tangled Sensei's feet with the leash, and he strategically used his forehead on the corner of a coffee table to break his fall. He's okay, though. Just taking a little time off."
The class chuckled softly.
"If any of you would like to withdraw and sign back up when Sensei Yurogamo returns, I will understand. Any takers?"
Two men raised their hands. "We're friends with Sensei and wanted to be instructed by him.
No disrespect at all to you, Sensei Thornton. We hope you understand."
"It's all good," Ralph responded. "No problem.
It will delight him to hear you wanted to wait for him. Now, since this is an intermediate class, who of you have either taken part in MMA events or have completed the basic fighting course?" Ralph tried not to notice Martha, Ana, and Rhett.
Every hand rose except for Ana and Rhett.
Martha waved her hand in the air and shouted with a laugh, "I'm here just to observe. Do I have to fight too?"
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The class laughed. Ralph chuckled and said,
"No, Martha, you don't have to fight. Class, in case you haven't figured this one out, I know Dr.
Martha Robinson very well." Ralph improvised,
"She is a psychologist who will observe the class for a paper she is writing. She promised me she would use no names of any participant. Is it okay if she stays to watch?"
The class agreed she could stay, especially the men, stating it would do her good to see real MMA men in action. Chuckles rippled through the students.
"Now, you two," Ralph said as he pointed to Ana and Rhett, "neither of you raised your hands.
Does that mean this is all new to you? Any fighting experience?"
"I'm Ana, and I've had a little experience on the street."
Martha cringed. "I wish she wouldn't do that.
This girl always plays so close to the edge. She drives me crazy," she whispered to herself.
"It's a start, Ana. Thank you. What about you, sir," he said, pointing to Rhett.
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"I'm coming in green, but learn fast. If I can't cut it, please drop me from the class. I don't want to slow anyone down."
Ralph smiled. "Actually, someone I know called about the two of you and asked us to include you in these sessions. He assured me there would be no problem keeping up with the rest of the people here. Let's get on with it, then."
"Sensei," one woman in the class said, raising her hand, "My name is Julie. I appreciate they come recommended, but I don't want to temper my training with newbies slowing the class down."
"No problem," answered Ralph. "If they look like they are bogging the class, we will schedule them for the beginner sessions. My first duty is to my primary students. Would this be a satisfactory solution for you?"
"Yes, thank you," Julie said, looking at Ana with no attempt to cover her contempt. "As long as they can keep up with the rest of us."
"Okay, gang, this is an accelerated 7-week program meeting three nights per week from 7:00
PM to 9:00 PM. I need you to practice what we learn in class when you are home. Every class will 94
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begin with a warm-up and then focus on training in one of the following areas for the rest of the first hour: working with your pads and bag work using your hands, feet, shins, elbows, and knees.
We will spend the second hour with a partner, gently sparring while using the techniques we just learned in class."
Most of the class gave an excited; "Yes!"
hearing they would spar for an hour.
"Glad you're all enthused," Ralph said. "The important thing to remember is we will focus on the techniques and will not be beating our partner to a pulp like we would in the octagon."
Then he laughed and added, "Our goal is to have all of you graduate while standing on these mats, and not from a hospital room, okay?" Although several men and Julie seemed disappointed they could not all-out fight with an opponent, everyone laughed.
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