Days Since...: Jenny: Day 986

Chapter Six

Trudging forward, Jenny pried each boot loose from the snow—one miserable step followed by the next. Danny and Sherman seemed unhindered in their movements. Jenny, however, was falling behind, winded already from her effort in keeping up. Getting close. Just suck it up a bit longer. She took a deliberate eye to her surroundings. I think… With each bend in their path, she was beginning to doubt her judgment. The wooded trail to the training grounds seemed longer than before. Nothing seemed to trigger familiarity. Any landmark hidden or disguised by snow. The little nuances gone. Everything changed by the season. Danny knows where he’s going. Focus on you—what you need to be doing.

“You look good with that rifle,” Danny called back to her.

“I know.” She canted her M1A Scout rifle, admiring it—the walnut stock, polished, beautiful. A little heavier than an average rifle, but she loved it.

Over a month ago, when they first went out to fire it, Danny tried to warn her. But of course, Jenny thought he was teasing, or simply overexaggerating what was to come. Unsurprisingly, he let her try it her way—the way she insisted—with her sloppy stance, her loose grip. It took only one press of the trigger and she found out the truth while falling to her ass. Danny never teased when it came to firearms.

Luckily for her, it didn’t take long for Danny to fix her issues and the bruise on her face to heal. The lesson was learned. Now, the rifle was hers. Assigned to her. Perfect for her. Efficient and deadly with her.

While walking, she tried to cover the endless list of things Danny inundated her with every day.Finger off the trigger unless you’re ready to shoot your target. Keep it at a low ready, but able to snap on target in an instant. Be vigilant, but not scared. Breathe. Reload behind cover. Know what cover’s available. Always know your next move, where you’re going.

Danny stopped and turned back toward her, squinting into the sun. “Only a little bit longer.” He watched her as she made up the ground between them. “Good grip. And, not pointing it at the people in front you. Things seem to be finally sinking in with you.”

“I learned from the best…” She slid the kerchief from her mouth and leaned in toward him, whispering, “Or is it just the only person left? I can’t remember.”

“Both?” He chuckled, flipping the kerchief back over her smiling face. “Better tighten that thing up. Not even your big nose can keep it in place.”

“Big nose? You’re one to talk…”

“Maybe you’re right…”—he pinched along the bridge of his nose—“Oh, well.” Shrugging his rucksack to the ground, he began sorting through his equipment. “Alright, kiddo, you ready?”

Jenny nodded, struggling to convey a cool exterior. Why does this happen every time? Her nervousness, her fear of failure took grip. Get it together, Jenny. It’s just Sherman. It’s just Danny. It’s training, Jenny, training.

“Do me a favor and take a couple breaths,” Danny said. “Long ones. I can see it in your eyes already. Don’t be too eager for this, alright?”

She did as she was told. Long, biting breaths, driving air deep into her lungs. The cold was too much, and she coughed.

“Maybe not so much,” Danny said. “In… Out… There you go. In… Out… Good. Keep that up.” Danny wiped a few strands of hair from his forehead. “So, I know we haven’t been getting out here as much as you’d like. Sorry about that, but you’ve been getting your reps in elsewhere. Well, kinda. We’ll forget these last two weeks or so that you’ve been draggin’ ass on us.”

Jenny narrowed her eyes at him while he chuckled again.

“I know why. I’m not trying to start anything, okay? All I’m saying, or trying to say, is that besides those two weeks, you’ve been doing great. All these scouts we’ve been doing are keeping you fresh. Or, hell, making you better. The other day, when those shots came out, I…” He paused, seemingly unwilling to let what was to follow leave his lips. “I… I was impressed. All I can hope is that what we train for becomes second nature. The stuff that happens without thinking. What you and Matt did was pure reaction. It was great. Nothing like some of the idiots I’ve seen before. Some might have just sat there in the window. Frozen. But not you guys.”

The kerchief kept Jenny’s blushing cheeks hidden. “Thanks, Danny.”

“Welcome. Now listen up, from here on, I’m gonna let you take Sherman. Take him across the flat and down the hill to get the feel for him again. Remember, he needs to be handled. For the most part, he can be pretty self-sufficient, but if he needs corrected, do it before shit goes bad. Once we get to the training grounds, you’ll need to be a little more thoughtful. Take your time with your technique, with your gun work.

“Here, you’ll need this.” From his ruck, Danny took a leg holster and handed it to her.

“Awesome.” She smoothed her pant leg and wrapped the holster around it. “That look right?”

“One sec…” He stretched her cargo pants pocket further down, and Jenny cinched the holster tighter. “There. And, now just the top loop through your belt here. Good. Looks good, but it’s missing something pretty important.” Danny held out the Glock he’d found on their last scout, magazine ejected, slide locked to the rear.

“Well, yeah.” Taking it, she checked that it wasn’t loaded, then popped in the magazine, worked the slide, and dropped it into its holster. “Now, I’m ready.”

“Not quite. I got you something else.” Danny dangled a brand-new canine lead from his hand. “I prefer a leather lead, so now you prefer a leather lead too.”

Proudly, Jenny squeezed it in her gloved hand. Man! I can’t believe I finally got my own lead. The black leather felt tight, crisp, rigid, nothing close to Danny’s worn lead where the slack bounced nicely with Sherman’s pace. This one was hers to break in. Hers to put the miles on. She wrapped it around her wrist a few times and jerked it with her other hand. Sturdy. “This means everything to me, Danny.” Their rifles clacked together as she leapt into him, squeezing him with a big hug. “Seriously, you didn’t have to do any of this. Thank you.”

“We’re not having a moment here, so don’t get too whatever with the sappy stuff.” He peeled her from himself. “It’s not yours yet. You’ve got to earn it to keep it. It’s just for training today.”

“Right!”

“I’ll be covering you now.” He unclipped his lead from Sherman’s harness and ruffled his fur, riling him up. “Ready, boy?! You ready?!” Sherman sprung up from the ground, circling around Danny, splashing through the snow. A whine. A few barks. “Alright, alright, Sherm’.” Danny gripped the harness, clipping Jenny’s lead to it. “You’re listening to the lady now.”

Jenny forced a deep, frozen inhale to try and calm her nerves again. This is it, Jenny. You got this. Get this training done. Show Danny you still know what you’re doing. Own this. You can’t afford to slip up. “Hier.” Sherman took to her side, and Danny took to his rifle behind them.

Through the twist of branches below the crest of the hill, sat the Depot’s training ground—a cul-de-sac with houses in various stages of construction. Jenny had cleared those homes before, more times than she cared to remember. She knew the layout. Knew what to expect for the most part. Even with Sherman, this wasn’t much different. It might not be the most exciting training, but it was this or daily checks, and she’d take most anything before that. Don’t make Danny regret this decision. Don’t give him a reason to send you back.

“Let’s go, boy,” Jenny said.

Sherman bounded off, and Jenny suffered a quick jolt when the lead reached its limit. With him, there was no in between. He was all-go, despite Jenny pulling him back. His legs churned at a vigorous clip, his paws shooting puffs of snow into the air behind him. Some chunks thrown so far back they struck against her pant legs. Damn, pup! You’re making me look bad. She didn’t want to say anything. Didn’t want to give Danny the impression she was hurting to keep up. And to her fortune, he didn’t seem to notice, or at least didn’t say as much.

After half a mile of fighting through his exhausting pace, they met the hill’s descent, and Sherman finally slowed. Phew! He was relatively surefooted and seemed almost annoyed at Jenny’s tentative, choppy steps down the face of the hill. She found staying balanced difficult, one hand outstretched, pulled by Sherman, the other pressing against the ground or grabbing hold of brush to help regain her footing. When the hill bottomed out, they came to a small creek winding its way through the beginnings of an open field which led to the training grounds. Jenny brought them to its edge, wiping the snow from a large rock so she could sit and rest while Sherman drank.

“Okay, kiddo?” Danny’s breathing seemed heavy too. “This snow’s deep, huh?”

“Yeah…” Jenny gazed out at the training grounds. The yards. The houses. Familiarizing herself with the path she’d be taking.

“Never seems to bother him, though. He’s always loved the winter.” Danny balled up some snow. “Right, boy?” Sherman turned from the creek, and Danny tossed the snowball toward his mouth. He caught it, enthusiastically chewing through the powder. “Always willing to play.”

“He seems to like the work too.”

“He doesn’t know the difference. Work is play to him.”

“That makes sense.”

The two of them chatted a while longer, allowing Sherman to get his fill. Once the sound of his tongue lapping water ceased, Jenny got down from the rock, dusting her pants off before kneeling next to Sherman. “Ready, boy?” she whispered to him.

“He’s listening to you better lately.”

Jenny simply nodded, trying to regain her focus.

“Seems you’re ready then. I want to see what you can do with this pup.”

“Let’s go!” With her first step, Sherman took many, skittering across the creek, not paying any mind to getting wet. It left Jenny with little choice but to follow, hastily placing her feet across the stones. To her surprise, she made it with little difficulty, although soggy from where her boots had slipped once or twice. In the openness of the field, the lead’s slack quickly ran out, and she fell behind again. I can’t keep up. Why can’t I think of the damn word to get him to stop?

“Platz!” Danny called. Sherman responded immediately, laying down, but his paws kneaded at the ground, still wanting nothing more than to go.

Jenny threw her head back in disgust. “Damn it, Danny,” she huffed. “At least give me a chance.”

“You have to correct him.”

“I was about to do—”

“Was that before or after he started pulling you around like a sled?”

“Before…” she muttered, hustling through the calf-deep snow to Sherman.

“I gave you a little leeway up top with him, but not here. You need to treat this as the real thing. There can’t be any excuses. You’re in control. He’s your dog right now. Act like it.”

He’s right. Sherman’s my dog right now. My dog. I’ve done this before. Act like it! Jenny swiped the fresh powder from her eyes as she came even with Sherman. Kneeling down, she scratched under his muzzle then across the top of his head and ears. “Come on, boy, you’re making me look bad.” He whined while still pawing at the ground. “The better we work together the more we can do stuff like this.”

“He’s ready,” Danny said impatiently.

“I know—” Jenny turned, only to find Danny essentially on top of her, watching her every move. “How about some space?”

“How about no? We’re close to home, but not close enough. If the wrong sort of person comes through here, then we have to be ready.”

“No one comes through here anymore.”

“I’m not taking that risk.” Danny shook his head. “Just… Jenny, I’m giving you the chance to train outside of my better judgment. Take this blessing and for once, just once, quit fighting every damn thing I say and think for a second. What’s stopping someone from coming through here?”

“I…” Jenny looked around her. Sure, this was their group’s training ground, but there was nothing that secured it. It was an open street with open houses. Only a few of them even had the ability to be locked. And that wouldn’t really stop anyone. To a stranger, there would be no way of knowing the Depot used this cul-de-sac for training. Anyone coming through here might decide this was their new home. It didn’t take much. A person only had to throw their bag down and it was theirs. “I understand.”

“Again.” Danny nudged Jenny with his elbow. “Let’s go.”

Jenny gave the lead a few tugs, and Sherman rose from the ground. This time, she wrapped the lead around her balled fist to keep him closer than before—not willing to let him get out of her control again. They pushed on through the snow at a much slower pace and into a backyard of one of the more complete houses. With Sherman at her side, Jenny leaned into the wall of unfinished brick near the back door to the house. “What do you think?” Jenny asked, looking back toward Danny.

He remained stiff, standing to her rear, rifle up and ready for whatever might wish them harm. “You tell me. You’re in charge.”

“Alright then…” Grabbing the screen door, Jenny tugged, but it was locked. This one’s always open. Uneasiness fell over her. “What the hell?” Would’ve been nice to clear the street from inside here. She groaned, giving the door another quick jerk. “Someone might be inside…”

“So, what do you do now?” Danny asked.

“No choice but to go around front, right? Check and see what all we have.”

“Don’t want a different house?”

“If someone’s inside here, we don’t want them having an advantage on us if we’re moving around the street. This house has the best concealment. We’ve gotta clear it.”

“I knew you liked this house.”

“What?” Jenny bent an eyebrow. “Why you say that?”

“No reason…”

They took off toward the front. Past the back door and below the windows. Between the pallets of bricks. Over and around trees that hadn’t been planted, lying on their sides, root balls still wrapped in brown canvas. After rounding the rear corner and nearing the front of the house, Jenny startled. “Platz!” The three of them came to an immediate stop. Pain shot through her chest—her heartbeat racing. Her eyes darted back and forth along a stretch of footprints coming from the end of the street. Shit! She slammed her back against the house.

“What you got?” Danny asked.

“Footprints come— coming from the dead end of the street.” She pointed, her finger nearly shaking loose from her hand. “Between those houses near the woods. They come this way, but— but I can’t tell exactly where they end up.”

“Find out!”

Jenny closed her eyes, collecting her thoughts, her bearings, searching for the word she needed to ensure Sherman wouldn’t move. She kept the lead tight within her hand, fearful of letting it go. Then, it came. “Bleib,” she ordered, glancing over to Sherman. Worried he wouldn’t heed the command, she only inched her foot forward half a step. He didn’t move, didn’t even seem to consider it, so she dropped the lead to the ground. Can’t risk you yanking me if I’m aiming at something. Stay put for me boy.

Creeping toward the front corner of the house, Jenny rocked her rifle up and into her shoulder, clearing the far end of the street. Working her way across, she steadied the muzzle over the houses opposite them. Two of them were merely frames, no basement. However, the house next to those was nearly habitable, similar to the one Jenny was currently hunkered down against.

Take it slow… The garage was open. No one inside. Each window appeared vacant, but she had no choice but to take several passes—her attention slow and methodical in clearing every perch, every nook that someone could settle in. Each additional pass over the house convinced her it sat empty. Nothing seemed disturbed. No real sign of life. No footprints across its yard. But it was always possible someone could’ve snuck through from behind. She had to consider the possibility. After all, they had done the same.

“Okay…” She puffed a few breaths. She retreated from the corner only slightly, angling back to pie off the nearside. Piece by piece, her muzzle revealed more of the same. The stillness of the street. Lifeless. I really don’t think anyone’s here. “These footprints have got to be old.”

“You willing to bet your life on it?”

No… “Alright, boy,” she said. “Seek!” The canine sprung from his position. Jenny and Danny followed—rifles back in position, covering Sherman as he rushed straight to the cut of footprints through the yard. Amazing! These police dogs don’t mess around. His nose hovered just above the snow, deliberate. He straightened up for a split second then turned away from the far end of the cul-de-sac. “Can he tell which way the prints are going?” she asked Danny over her shoulder.

“Something like that. He can pick up on where the scent is stronger, but we should probably look at the prints and see which way they’re pointing. Give him a little help.”

“Doesn’t look like he needs it,” she said, impressed with the fact Sherman was now scurrying for the house. Jenny hugged the front wall, taking a beeline to meet Sherman on the porch. Upon approach, she immediately noticed the fractured jamb, the door ajar. “Platz.” From outside, she visually cleared what she could of the front rooms and held her position against the jamb, rifle out, sights aligned, targeting the inside. “It’s been kicked in.” Her words were quick and low to Danny.

This… She struggled to gather her thoughts. To her, this was supposed to be a training exercise. Practice. Something to hone her skills, to show Danny she’d been paying attention. It all became too real in too big a hurry. She swallowed, her breaths speeding uncontrollably from her gaping mouth. The handkerchief gathered moisture, becoming uncomfortably cold against her skin. Briefly, her eyes searched for advice in Danny’s face, but there was nothing offered. He simply dipped his chin, pushing her to go on.

Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this…? Maybe Danny was right. She couldn’t help but think this kind of stress, this rise and fall of adrenaline, of her heartbeat, was bad for the pregnancy. “Danny…” It pained her to finish what she was about to say. “I—I can’t do this.”

“You asked for this now finish it.” He gestured toward the door.

Jenny shook her head. “No. The baby. I can’t… I can’t risk getting hurt.”

“Damn it, Jenny! You dragged us out here in the damn snow for your selfish— whatever the hell the reason was. You’re not backing out now. Sometimes we don’t get a choice. Sometimes you just have to handle what comes your way. That baby isn’t an excuse. She’s gonna be your reason to live. To push through. You either want to fight and survive or not. And whatever your choice is will affect your baby! So it’s time to grow the fuck up!”

She swallowed. The truth hurt going down. The mix of emotions that had swelled inside her throat pained her to ingest. He’s right. I have to learn to protect my baby. I don’t have a choice. She stared blankly into the house. The rifle shook in her hands, her muscles beginning to burn from its weight. I just have to train until I’m the best. I have Danny. I have Sherman. I can do this. “Danny, hold the entrance.”

“There you go.”

“Sherman, seek!” she called out.

The retired police canine curled to the right and through the foyer toward the back hallway. Jenny went left into a living room. Drywall, absent paint—no carpet or hardwood, simply plywood subflooring riddled with wet footprints. Someone had certainly been through here. Fairly recent by the looks of it. Luckily for Jenny, if anyone was still here and absent-minded enough to move, there would be no hiding it. The clacking of Sherman’s claws echoed around the corners of every room. There was little doubt that any other movement wouldn’t be so easily heard.

Stealthily, she advanced through the unfinished living room, past a fireplace, posting up at the corner with her eyes floating over the rifle’s sights. The wet prints tracked through a galley kitchen and cut right to a door sitting partially open. Jenny pulled it wide, then descended a flight of stairs leading into the basement. Bare walls of the foundation. Concrete floor. Studs separating what would have been different rooms. A waste of time. No one. It was cleared within a minute of entering.

Back in the kitchen, she turned right from the basement, continuing into the dining room. More of the same. Nothing but bare walls and plywood. In the family room, at the rear of the house, she double-checked the backdoor. Still locked. From there, she came full circle into the foyer. A flight of stairs to her right and a hallway that led into two first-floor bedrooms. “Hier.” Sherman promptly exited one of the back rooms and went to her, settling in at the foot of the stairs leading to the second floor.

“Bleib.” Sherman held his position while Jenny went and searched the first-floor bedrooms for her own peace of mind. “All clear down here.”

Danny threw a thumbs-up over his shoulder, still holding the rifle pointed out the front door.

Upstairs, the floor creaked.

Shit! Jenny spun her rifle toward the top of the stairs. Sherman barked, but stayed put. “If you’re up there, announce yourself!” Jenny shouted. “If you don’t come down on your own, my dog will find you, and he will bite you! No one needs to get hurt!”

Another creak of the floor.

“You’re not leaving me with much choice!” She kept the muzzle trained at the top of the stairs. “Last chance!” Nothing. She readied herself with a few breaths. “Alright, boy… Seek!”

Sherman shot up the stairs. Jenny crept behind him, working her rifle along the unpainted walls atop the landing. Where the hell are they? The house had fallen into silence, giving nothing away. No clues to her adversary’s position. Sherman cut left from the stairs, and Jenny held the top, focusing the rifle toward a closed door at the end of the hallway to the right. Come on, boy. We got this!

Once Sherman returned, he and Jenny took to the last room in the house. He tried nudging it open but couldn’t. Jenny braced herself against the wall and steadied the rifle, forward and level toward where the door would open. She stood listening, nervous. This is it. The last place in the house.

With one hand, she flung the door open, banging it against the wall. Sherman wasted no time storming through. Briefly, she saw that the left side of the room sat empty, but the door’s recoil from hitting the wall blocked her view of the nearside. She stepped through the gap and backed into the far corner, her rifle fixed on the nearside, her only unknown. Again, nothing. Another empty room. Only the stiff wind from an open window gave the room any life. Sherman had his paws on the windowsill. “What you got, boy?”

Below the window, on the roof of the garage, distinct bootprints led into the backyard and disappeared up the hill toward the Depot. Jenny leaned against the window frame in an attempt to see if she’d missed something. What the hell just happened? Only a single trail of prints. She pulled the window closed. “Danny, we gotta get back! Whoever it is left for the Depot!”

“Just hold up a sec!”

“Didn’t you hear me?!” She shouted, rushing from the unfinished bedroom. “They’re heading back to the Depot!”

“I heard you. Just sit your ass down in that room. Show me what you’re talking about.”

What the hell is wrong with him? She returned to the window to verify what she had seen. Again, just the single trail of footprints through the yard and up the hill. At least I’m not going crazy. Dumbfounded with Danny’s indifference to the threat, she slid her back against the wall and sat, waiting with Sherman’s head in her lap.

The front door slammed a few times—a futile attempt to close it with its broken frame. Eventually, Danny gave up, and the clopping of his boots echoed up the stairs. “Where you at?”

“Where you told me to be.”

“You find anyone?” he asked, smiling as he entered the room. She still felt herself shaking from the adrenaline dump and didn’t appreciate the blithe look on Danny’s face. “You catch the guy?”

“I said they got out and were heading for the Depot.” Her face was stone cold. “We need to go and warn them.” She tried to stand, but Danny palmed her head, keeping her from getting up.

“Relax, kiddo.” Danny tousled her sock hat then sat down beside her.

“I should have moved faster. Shouldn’t have second guessed myself so much. Now, they got away.”

Danny couldn’t help himself any longer and began laughing. “Training. It’s all training.”

Annoyed, her eyes caught his. “You’re playing me?”

“Not exactly…” He smiled again. “Someone was here. Once you got inside, he went out the window and down the garage. So, you did what you were supposed to do. Great job.”

She stood. “You’re a dick.” Her eyes went back to the window. “Who was it? Who’d you talk into risking a broken leg sliding down the roof here?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Matt?”

“Why’s it matter?”

“Because it was stupid.” She continued staring out the window. “At least let them know I appreci—” Jenny’s stomach twisted into knots. Her eyes went wide. Oh, shit… In the distance, four strangers traipsed down the street from the mouth of the cul-de-sac. Black uniforms. Unmistakably Second Alliance. She felt faint, touching her hand to the wall, sinking slowly toward the floor.

“It’s…” The room began to spin. “It’s…”

“What? What is it?”

Danny’s feet scraped against the plywood as he clambered to his feet to help ease her to the floor. “You okay?”

“It’s…”

“It’s wha—” He took a moment at the window. “Who the hell are those people Griffin’s with?”

Jenny couldn’t answer. Again, darkness had fallen upon her. She could only imagine what was to come. After seeing the takeover of River’s Edge… Now, Griffin leading them to the Depot. It was happening all over again. Why? Why again? It was too soon. Too soon to face Xavier’s murderers. Too soon to have to deal with them again.