Whisper (Part 9)
Lexington and Mark exited the pool facility through a pair of hydraulic doors. A blinking sign above stated, “Combat Personnel Training Facility” in bright red lettering. Inside was another humongous cavern area. A small suburban city complete with office buildings, houses and even a refinery, were laid out before them. It was like a town had been transmitted through space and recompiled inside the cavern. It looked like a model city, only full scale, or the set of an elaborate war film set somewhere in Eastern Europe.
Mark was astonished. Burned out vehicles blocked some of the roadways and tires were strewn about haphazardly. Some of the buildings were heavily scorched and the windows were shattered. There were crumbling buildings of rubble, some with graffiti and scorching, and others looked pristine. Potholes and craters ruptured the asphalt leaving jagged cracks and fissures.
There were bullet holes in everything including a doughnut shop, which caused Mark to laugh aloud, as they passed. “Is this for real?” he said. “It’s like we just entered the aftermath of WW3 or something.” “You might not be too far from the mark.” Lexington replied gravely. “It is your namesake after all,” he said with a smile. He directed his gaze away and maintained a focused expression motioning Mark to follow.
In a room adjoining the battle scene was an enclosed dojo with dark wood flooring that shined with fresh wax. There were bamboo mats piled in the corner but they looked unused. Along a wall of the room was an armoire filled with weaponry. There were 3 bamboo archery targets and a rack containing composite bows. A woman wearing a kimono stood with legs bent slightly for balance. She held a large rectangular martial arts pad wrapped tightly in a parallel series of strong wooden dowels.
A slender man attacked the pad repeatedly with arms, legs, knees and elbows. THWACK! He executed a jumping sidekick. “What is this Mortal Kombat?”, Mark thought. The woman holding the pad bounced backwards but recovered dexterously. A beautiful woman stood nearby. She wore baggy cobalt pants of cotton folded over her waist and it was secured with an embroidered black belt. Golden threaded dragons were embroidered across his black and cobalt vest. Her arms were folded across her chest as she carefully watched the men spar.
Lexington explained, “They are trained in many different types of martial arts as well as non-traditional styles of fighting.” He told Mark he would have the opportunity to train here as well. “It is important you are capable in all forms of combat if you wish to be part of the covert strategy of this organization,” he said. Mark had some previous training and experience with the police force he’d worked for.
He was aware of the men performing grabs, throws, arm and shoulder locks and even pressure point attacks. Uniforms swirled and swished as them men practiced graceful forms. Their appearance was serene and determined. There was no hastiness or anger in their actions. Their jaws clenched in concentration. Mark and Lexington watched the men a few more minutes before proceeding with the tour.
They moved back into the cavern with the mangled war torn city. Lexington explained that it was a to scale model city used for practice in urban warfare and other combat training exercises. They walked quietly through the streets and Mark felt a twinge of sadness creep into his heart. He knew it wasn’t a real city but the effects of devastation cannot be ignored. They approached a small warehouse and Lexington motioned Mark inside. He ran his hands over the railing as he descended into the warehouse.
Storage bins were positioned around the room creating an intricate maze-like pathway. Twenty feet above was a steel walkway bolted to the walls of the structure. Steel pylons cross-crossed forming supports for the ribbed steel roofing. Across the room a circular staircase spiraled upwards and fused to the walkway. Lexington looked at Mark before commenting, “As you can see we have developed an excellent training ground which allows us to prepare for almost any urban combat situation and test possible scenarios.
Mark looked down at the scene his thoughts and feelings mixing. He wanted to choose his words carefully. The organization was far more established and advanced than he had ever imagined. So much had changed about his life since he arrived and he knew he had only just begun. “Why do you need such a large facility and so much training anyway? What do you hope to accomplish here?” he asked. Lexington replied, “That is a complex question which I cannot answer in entirety here.
I think in the coming months you will begin to understand more about our mission. However, I will attempt to explain a little more to ease your mind” he said. “The operation has been expanded by the government in the past few years. There are now hundreds of people being tested. They’ve two new gigantic facilities and expanded active training of military and security forces.”