Getting Started

The alarm feature on the digital clock on her nightstand hadn’t been used in ages, but the next day it was used to wake her promptly at six o’clock in the morning. After rolling over and shutting it off, she stepped into the shower. She then spent most of her time under the sprays of water not doing anything but staring at the little porcelain squares on the wall and tracing over them with her fingers. When she was finally finished she dried off and went back into the bedroom.

She opened the closet door and dug through all the items inside until she found a large black luggage case near the back. She yanked it out and closed the closet door, then placed the case on the bed and unzipped and opened it. She then stared at its contents for the longest time before removing them and laying them out neatly on the mattress.

She started with the uniform.

She fit her legs inside and pulled the suit up to her waist, then fit her arms into the long sleeves and shrugged her shoulders to squeeze her way into the rest. Though she hadn’t gone through the routine to zip it in almost two years, she didn’t miss a beat. The first step was to reach straight behind her and pull the zipper from her lower back up to the middle of her spine. The second step was to reach over her shoulder and pull it from the middle of her spine all the way up to the very top of the collar. The tight, clinging feeling of the suit on her skin was something that she was still familiar with. After sticking a finger down the front of the collar to loosen it from her neck, she moved on to the next step.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and put on a pair of everyday socks, then worked her feet into the black boots that accompanied the uniform. They reached halfway up her calf. Except for the shiny metal heel portion, they were completely dark and solid.

Next came the thin, nearly weightless belt. It fit almost as tightly as the uniform. She wore it low on her hips, which made it more comfortable since it wasn’t constricting her belly. A V-shaped strap fell across her hip on the left side and another square-shaped strap with an empty holster fell across her hip on the right side. This one had a belt that buckled around her leg to help keep it tight and secure.

She took the wakizashi from off the mattress and unsheathed it for a quick inspection. The blade was still sharp and shiny. She fit it back into the scabbard and fastened it comfortably on the tip of the V-shaped strap on her left hip.

Next she opened a small metal box and took the .45 from the recess within. She screwed the silencer onto the barrel, loaded a fifteen-round clip into the butt, then switched on the laser sight. She pointed the gun at the wall. Upon seeing a red dot on the wallpaper, she flicked off the laser sight and tested the flashlight pod. After seeing it shine a light on the floor, she shoved the gun into the holster on her right hip. She took three extra loaded magazines for the .45 and tucked them into pouches sewn onto the belt behind her left hip.

She then went to her knees and dug a long case out from under the bed. She placed it on the mattress, then unsnapped the hinges and opened it. She took the rifle from inside and pointed it at the glass in the window, viewing through the scope at a tree some fifty yards away. She flicked a switch on the side and the morning daylight outside turned from bright and shiny to a rather bland shade of green. A slight humming sound could be heard emanating from within the scope. She then flicked the switch off and the colors outside returned to normal and the humming noise ceased. She took five bullets from the case on the bed and loaded them into the rifle, then slung the rifle over her shoulder and her head, letting it hang comfortably across her back. She took five more bullets and fit them into slots on her belt just above the area where the wakizashi was dangling.

She took one last thing—a small white container less than an inch square—and tucked it into her boot.

Finally, after slipping her hands into black gloves and fastening the velcro tightly around her forearms, she picked up the copper visor and the black beret and made her way to the front door.