Sam moved carefully down to the next plateau, where everything but the scaling and grappling on the great wall would take place. She was soaked to the skin, her clothes cleaving to her body, her hair plastered to her head. Her feet were numb from the blisters and raw skin rubbing inside the combat boots. She was tired and wondered if it showed. Well, she couldn’t worry about that, and she shouldn’t be worrying about Havapopulas and his scorecard either, but she was.

The hours wore on until the last event loomed. Sam would be the eleventh recruit to attack the wall. By then the wall would be slick with mud, as would the rope. She’d be lucky if she managed a two-handed pull-up. She took her place in line, pleased to see that none of those going ahead of her had as yet scaled the wall. Why didn’t that Greek jerk call this off? It was an impossible feat, and he knew it full well. Humiliation was the answer. She knew because that had been the answer back at the Academy. There was no reason to believe it would be any different on AFJ’s mountain.

Sam’s feet burned with pain. She had never learned how to step outside of the pain the way the instructors advised her back at the Academy. Pain was pain. When it was her turn to attack the wall, she moved forward, knowing what was expected of her, her eyes glinting with anger and determination. What she wasn’t prepared for was Havapopulas’s cutting words. “Okay, Rainford, show us what the FBI failed to teach you.” His tone said it all. She wanted to cry. She was at the foot of the wall. It looked as high as the sky as rain pelted her. Her booted feet screamed with pain as she sought for toeholds and proceeded to attempt the climb. She was four toeholds up, her hands reaching for handholds when she slipped and landed in a puddle of mud and rainwater. Cringing with shame and humiliation, she struggled to her feet.

“Do it again! This time pretend you know what you’re doing, Rainford,” Pappy shouted to be heard over the rain.

“Screw you, you military reject,” Sam muttered as she sought a toehold on the wall. She started to climb.

“Say again, Rainford, I can’t hear you,” Pappy shouted again.

“I said, screw you, you military reject!” Sam shouted so loudly she thought she damaged her vocal cords. And then she slipped and was in the mud gain.

“Time’s up. You got zip in points. Go to the rope. Let’s see some muscle this time. You academy wimps are all alike. That was pussycat training. This is the real thing. Move your ass, Rainford, or are you waiting for a bus?”