'Special design. You’ll find it regulates your body temperature; I mean, it’s not perfect but it’ll help. Also designed to support your muscles. Your stamina is a little better in this.'
Johnny did not fare as well. 'Dear Lord, this thing is cutting off circulation in my ass.'
For his part, Trevor said, 'I'm good here.'
Okay,' Nina said. 'Slip out of it and we’ll have it delivered to your quarters.'
Johnny protested, 'Hells bells, my thighs feel as if they’re being wrapped by a boa constrictor and the devil’s-'
'I think my friend here needs some help,' Trevor spoke to the quartermaster who nodded and attended to Johnny.
Nina said, 'Why don’t we move on. I think the Reverend is going to be tied up for a bit.'
'Good Lord, I fear she speaks the truth. Carry on, Mister Stone, I will join you when-uggg-my new suit fits.'
Trevor spent two minutes changing out of the armor and into his sweat pants again. He and Major Forest left the shop to the sounds of Johnny’s grunts and groans.
'What now?'
'Like I said, ammunition doesn’t grow on trees around here.'
'So?'
'So,' she said. 'You need to learn what to do when your rifle runs out of bullets.'
'Or,' he joked. 'When that lousy bullpup design jams.'
She scowled, 'Yeah, that too.'
Trevor followed her through the complex. He saw more people-soldiers-walking the halls. Men and women. Most appeared to be in their mid twenties to early thirties. Some wore battle-weary expressions others looked freckled-faced and new. Regardless of the universe, it required only a glance to tell the rookies from the veterans.
Few of these people gave him a second-glance. They appeared too wrapped up in their own thoughts to worry about their surroundings.
They came to a small room with a padded floor. Nina opened a locker built into one wall that appeared to contain assault rifles but he saw them to be wooden replicas with flexible-maybe rubber-bayonets affixed to the barrels. She handed one dummy to him and retrieved a second for herself.
'Bullets are at a premium. If we can kill something with the bayonet, that’s what we do. Save the rounds for things you wouldn’t want to get close to.'
Trevor’s mind paged through his mental Hostiles Database. He figured Land Jellyfish, Gremmies, Eels, maybe even Rat-Things could be dispatched using the bayonet. He would never want to be stuck without bullets against a Troll, DevilBat, or a pack of Ghouls. Then again, he remembered, it had not been bullets that routed the Vikings at the Battle of Five Armies.
'I know you’re used to your big rifles and tanks and stuff, but maybe you’ll let me show you how to fight with your hands,' her words served as a shot across the bow.
He smiled. 'Yeah, well, gee, don’t hurt me, okay?'
He looked at Major Forest. She had Nina’s body but so far he was not convinced she had Nina’s instincts.
'Okay, look,' she instructed. 'Start with the attack position.'
She demonstrated by standing slightly hunched over with her left foot a step ahead of her right. This created a good center of gravity similar to a boxer’s stance.
Trevor imitated her movement.
'Make sure you’re on the balls of your feet. Yeah, that’s right. Flex your knees. Do you feel comfortable?'
'Just peachy.'
'Hold your rifle diagonally across-'
She stopped because he already held his rifle across his body in the proper position.
After a moment, she continued, 'Okay. Well, great. Um…the first attack you need to learn is the thrust. Now what you need to-'
He stepped forward with his left foot and jabbed the fake bayonet over her shoulder with his weight behind the strike. Again she paused, this time biting her lip and crinkling her brow. He saw a shade of red in her cheeks.
'Slash movement.'
He drove the bayonet across the front of her body-not quite touching-up and down. A real blade would have eviscerated her.
Trevor laughed. He laughed because he recognized the expression on Major Forest’s face. It was the same expression that the Nina Forest of his world showed when she had tried to dupe him with tactical hand signals, only to find that he knew them by the book.
'Okay, I guess you know how to use a bayonet, huh? Did I teach you on your world?'
He shook his head and told her the truth, 'Actually, I picked it up from a guy who fought for the Germans in World War One.'
She, of course, did not have the slightest idea what he meant. She did not care, either.
Sarcasm oozed, 'I see. Fine. Well then, maybe you can show me some pointers?'
Nina tried to surprise him, bringing her dummy rifle at him in a slashing maneuver. Trevor stepped backward and barely avoided the strike of the plastic mock up.
She continued forward with a thrust. The butt of his rifle accidentally deflected the charge.
He saw she had a head of steam going but, damn, she was going. It was possible he had underestimated her instincts.
Nina executed a perfect parry-left and knocked his mockup aside, she then slashed at his chest, followed in a fluid motion by the butt of her wooden rifle striking him in the kidneys.
Trevor fell toward the mat. Even before he hit the ground, he felt her bayonet zooming toward his exposed back.
He rolled away. Her rubber weapon hit empty mat.
Nina thrust again and again as he rolled across the floor. She made the mistake of moving too fast and lost a little balance. He took the opening and swept his foot into her calf and sent her to the floor.
That bought him one precious second to get to his feet; rifle and bayonet in attack position.
She faced off against him. 'Well, you have done this before, haven’t you?' She hissed but the anger appeared to be leaving her voice. She seemed to enjoy the fight.
'Once…twice…maybe a hundred times or so, yeah.'
He tried to slash at her. Nina effectively executed an upward block. The two pieces of wood thudded together then apart.
She swung the butt of her rifle toward his groin. He brought his weapon down and met it.
Nina grunted, from either pain or frustration. Trevor felt the sweat on his brow and back. Yes, he had underestimated her instincts.
More thrusts, more parries. They danced across the room, huffing and puffing and exhaling in bursts. The rifles and bayonets went high, then low. Finally they locked weapons and hesitated. The bayonet fight reached a stalemate.
Suddenly he tumbled backward with his rifle falling out of his hands, the result of a fast and effective leg- sweep.
Oh, how clever.
But, again, she acted too rash. He managed to catch her legs in a similar sweep as she closed in to drive her fake bayonet home. This time he did not go for his own weapon, he went for hers
She panted in surprise as he pried it loose from her grip. The fake gun fumbled about before spinning off to the side.
Nina scrambled to her feet and he grabbed her from behind…only to find himself going feet over head as she judo flipped him. His hand had a grasp on her shirt, however, and as he came down on the mat he pulled her along, over top of him, then rolling on the mat.
More grunts. More gasps.
