C.R. Daems - Kazak 2 - The Unthinkable (2 page)

"I doubt more than twenty five will be here three days from now, and that number will decrease over the months. As for help, hire whomever you need to help you prepare the meals and clean up. I've set up an account for you at the Nevada State Bank." I handed him a sheet of paper with the information he would need to access the account.

"You very tough lady." Fredric stood shaking his head as I left. I could understand his confusion. Generally, chefs were expected to create meals that were a treat to the eyes as well as the taste buds. I wandered over to another slightly larger prefab, connected to the dining and workout buildings. It would provide sleeping and bathroom facilities for the women. Again, the lights were on. When I entered five women looked to be almost finished making up the thirty beds I had requested. A tall, gray-haired woman looked up and began walking towards me.

"Are you the Kazak Lynn?"

"Yes. I just stopped in to see what the sleeping quarters looked like."

"I'm, Jessica. I'll be taking care of the... barracks. Do you have any directions for me?"

"Just change the bedding every other day and keep the floors and toilets clean. I will let you know the hours the barrack will be available for cleaning. For now, you can expect it will be free from 9:00 a.m. until noon and 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. The women will be returning Wednesday, probably starting in the afternoon."

"You don't have enough beds for all those women," she said, concern written over her wrinkled forehead.

"Don't worry, Jessica. Most of them won't return. I doubt there will be thirty. I will make sure you know when their schedule changes."

***

When I returned to the gym, I was pleasantly surprised to find fifty-four women remained. They returned to the bleachers when they saw me. One young woman, who looked like she'd belonged to at least one street gang, remained standing.

"Were you trying to scare us?" she asked in an "I'm as tough as you" tone of voice.

"Scare you? You need to face reality. They gave me documentation on each one of you: where you were born, the application you filled out, and other background information. I had it shredded. I don't care where you came from, your reasons for applying, or whether you stay or go. If someone cares, it has to be you. Before the year is out, many of you will leave because it's not the life you imagined; others I will tell to leave because they aren't what the Kazaks are looking for. The life requires many sacrifices. Myself, I don't regret any one of them for a second. And although the benefits are substantial, I'd pay to be a Kazak.

"For the next year, I'm going to try and give you insights that will hopefully level the playing field for you in your competition with the men. Even so, unless you want to be a Kazak more than you want anything in life, you will fail." My eyes came back to the young woman.

"This year is to help those of you who want this life to achieve your goal. Enough. It's Monday. You're free until Wednesday night to say goodbye to friends, relatives, lovers, get drunk, laid, or whatever. Because until this year is up, or you are told to leave, you will have no outside contact." The look on most of their faces was priceless-another reality check.

"Those who are determined to continue will be back here before 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Allow yourself plenty of time to get back. Anyone late will be terminated from the program. You will find in the years ahead, that either you obey the rules or you will be told to leave. We don't care whether you like them or think they are fair." As I exited the building, the room erupted into chaos.

***

I left and headed to Master Jianyu's Martial Arts studio. It didn't look very special on the outside, just an old, rundown looking warehouse building, but inside it was a magical place for me. If it hadn't been for my friend Gabe introducing me to Kung Fu and Master Jianyu's instruction, I wouldn't be a Kazak today. When I entered, two classes were in process and several persons were sitting in chairs in what amounted to a small spectator's area. Gabe was teaching a bunch of pre-teens a tiger form from the five-animal system. Master Jianyu was working with a man and woman on Tai Ji. Judging from their reactions, the audience appeared to be parents or friends of the students. I stood and waited. When the classes were over Jianyu walked over to me. We bowed to each other out of respect. I will never get over Jianyu bowing to me. He will always be my Sifu and deserving of my respect.

"Master Lynn, please join me for tea in my room. Gabe will see to closing up as there are no more classes today." I followed him back to a good-sized room, which functioned as his home. It contained a kitchenette, small sitting area, and a bedroom and bathroom partitioned only by curtains. Jianyu was a Taoist from the old school and his simple quarters reflected his teaching. Gabe entered while Jianyu was pouring the tea. He grabbed me in a bear hug.

"I hardly recognized you without bandages or favoring some body part."

"I know. I feel like I'm retired. It'll give Witton time to get me off some of the government shit-lists. Apparently they find me difficult to work with." I couldn't help a small snort. In reality, they didn't like the fact I wouldn't allow them to order me around and that the powers-that-be felt they needed a Kazak to help guard someone or other. "I'm delighted that Master Jianyu and you are willing to help me train these women. I know the only reason I was able to compete against the men was the training I received here. If they are to have any chance of becoming Kazaks, they will need the same training. I only hope a year sufficient."

"We will do our best." Jianyu said. "Whether that will be enough will depend on them."

"Their first challenge will be a lot easier than that climb." Gabe said. For a second his eyes turned slightly downward. I knew he was reliving his own attempt those many years ago. "I'm glad I failed to make the climb. Master Jianyu's advice was right for me. I'm much happier here. I have a beautiful wife and a wonderful son."

"Kazak life isn't for everyone. I've already lost forty-one women and many of the remaining ones won't return to begin the training. I'll be happy if I can bring five women to the Hill. Most will be unwilling to make the sacrifice and many others aren't suitable."

"Don't you want as many women as possible to make Kazak?" Gabe asked looking surprised. "Otherwise, why help them with special training?"

"No. We want Kazaks. This special training will merely give them a fighting chance. On the Hill there are no men or women, just candidates. We look for reasons to send them home. Kazaks are the ones we can't break." Gabe shook his head in disbelief. Jianyu nodded agreement. Before I left, we discussed class times and schedules. I encouraged Gabe to bring his wife, Lauretta, and told him I would pay for a baby sitter for his son, Daro. The Kazaks were providing him a salary for teaching.

***

The next day, I decided to look up my old roommates. Four had married and had either left the state or lived well out of town. Since I hadn't been a close friend with any of the four, I decided a visit wasn't warranted. My friend, Sally, had been married but divorced a couple of years ago. Ironically, she still worked at the Golden Nugget as a waitress. Since she now worked the day shift, I decided to have lunch there. I recognized her immediately although she had thinned down, giving her a nice shapely figure. I didn't say anything, as I sat waiting to be served. Several minutes later, Sally came over to my table.

"Can I start you out with something to... LYNN is that you?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed me around the shoulders and gave me a big hug. "I can't believe it's you. Gabe told me you're a Kazak now. That's great. I followed your example and pursued my dream. A year of singing lessons and I'm now part of a small band. Gabe managed to get us a gig at the new Cosmopolitan Casino. We perform in one of the small bars, in the early hours of the morning. It's a start." Sally bubbled with excitement. Just like the old Sally I remembered from our days waitressing together on the night shift in this very cafe. "We're playing tonight. Will you come?" She stood holding her breath, looking like a teenager asking for her own cell phone.

"Tell me when and I'll be there." The cafe was bustling and Sally was too busy to talk, so I finished my Tortilla wrap and left.

***

I spent the rest of the day back at the complex going over the tentative schedule I had prepared for the next twelve months. I wondered how many of the fifty-four would return, now that they realized this wasn't a college, with its few hours of classes each week and parties every night. Like Gabe, many saw only the prestige of being a Kazak. Unfortunately, if recognition came, it would be after years of hard punishing work. After a short nap, I dressed casually in a flared skirt, loose fitting blouse, and for accessories a Glock and two throwing knives. Although Nevada's gun law was very lax, it wouldn't have mattered. Kazak's have diplomatic immunity and can carry a gun or any weapon anywhere-without restrictions.

I arrived at the Cosmopolitan Casino just after 1:00 p.m. Sally and her crew had just finished setting up, and she began with Because You Love Me. I was pleasantly surprised. She sounded a lot like Jo Dee Messina. I bought myself a Shirley Temple, after a ten-dollar bribe. Bars frown on serving non-alcoholic drinks. After that, I expected to see the waitress back at my table every ten minutes. I had to admit she was very discrete. I had been listening for about an hour when some semi-drunk and his friend sat down at my table.

"It's red hot Charlie to rescue you. Can I buy you a drink, sweet thing? You look lonely," he said leaning towards me, which I wish he hadn't. If he brushed his teeth in the last week, it must have been with whiskey mixed in a spittoon. His buddy stood behind his chair with a toothy grin plastered onto his face.

"No, thank you," I said as nicely as I could. I'm not use to being nice to idiots, but I didn't want to cause a scene, which would detract from Sally's performance.

"Oh, come on. I won big at the tables and got lots of money to spend." His friend nodded, I think. It was kind of like trying to decide if the bobble-head doll on your dash was agreeing with you or just looking you up and down.

"No. I'm waiting for someone. Please leave." It took all my will power to be civil. Deep down I knew it wasn't going to work, but for Sally's sake, I had to try.

"He ain't here but we are. Two real men." As he reached for me, I slid sideways out of my chair and headed for the exit. His attempted grab for my arm missed and knocked over my drink.

"Damn, Samie, the little lady's playing hard to get. Let go before she disappears." Charlie rose and the two lurched after me. I weaved my way through the casino and out the back door into the parking lot and waited. They came running out a few minutes later. They weren't smiling and didn't look even a little drunk. I wondered how many times that little act worked: pretend to be drunk with lots of money to throw around, lure the sweet thing someplace, and get ugly. Since I wasn't protecting a client, I guessed I couldn't justify killing them. The Committee that is the sole judge of a Kazak's conduct probably wouldn't see it as self-defense. And if I just beat them up, the idiots might come back for more. So...

"You're lucky sweet thing. Charlie and I are free tonight to show you a real good time," Samie said, while his eyes undressed me. Charlie reached me first and grabbed my arm. When he did, I clamped my hand over his, rotated my wrist so that I grabbed his wrist, and twisted. When I had his arm totally extended, I drove my forearm into his elbow and at the same time executed a sidekick into his knee. His elbow and knee joint dislocated simultaneously. I stepped back, as he collapsed onto the pavement screaming. Samie had reacted to the situation faster than I expected. He advanced slowly waving a six-inch knife back and forth. He wasn't smiling anymore. I stood waiting. He hesitated for a moment, probably because he wasn't getting the response he expected. Then he lunged at my stomach. I twisted ninety degrees, letting my right hand guide the knife by me as my left arm snaked around his neck. As I rotated into him, my arm at his neck forced him to bend backward. I felt his vertebrae snap as he fell onto my bended knee. I doubted he would ever be the same again. I made my way back to the lounge and stayed until Sally finished. Afterward, we went back to the Golden Nugget for an early breakfast and talked until late into the morning. Like me, Sally had found a life she loved. I would have liked to visit longer, but I needed to get back to my training facility, to prepare for the returning women. I lied, telling Sally I was scheduled to leave town. I reached the facility around noon.

***

Around three p.m. the women began arriving in ones and two. By eight fifty-five, twenty-two had returned. I walked out to the fence that enclosed the three buildings and exactly at nine p.m., closed and locked the gate. No one was in sight. When I returned, the room became silent.

"You shouldn't have locked the gate, Nora's on her way back," a tall, young girl with long red hair said.

"She has been eliminated from the competition along with the other thirty-one who failed to return."

"But...she'll only be ten or fifteen minutes late." The redhead again.

"Nora has provided you with a valuable lesson. If I or any Kazak on the Hill tells you to do something, you either do it or you will be told to leave. Some of you are thinking that isn't fair. Maybe not, but if you don't like the rules, you are free to leave. If you don't like me... that's all right. There's no rule about liking your instructor." That elicited a few smiles and a snort or two. I led them on a tour of the dining facility and then their sleeping quarters. "Tomorrow, I will ring this bell at 8:00 o'clock. You will have one hour to eat, wash, dress, and get to the main building. There's a stack of clothes over there. Find two sets that fit. Place you current clothes and personal articles-all of them including cell phones-in one of the bags on the beds and write your name on it. They will be returned to you if you choose or are told to leave. There's also a bag of toiletries on each bed. Write your name on it. We'll provide everything you need this year. If you feel we haven't, tell me. As of now, you are no longer women. You are objects for me to test and determine your value or lack thereof. Get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day."