Training Rain by A. S. Fenichel Read Free Book Online

training hold
up to as much physical strain as you have the last few days. I’ve seen marines
fall under these conditions. You are extraordinary. Adianca saw that in you and
that’s why she talked you into this. You’ll never be satisfied with an ordinary
life. Once you believe that, everything will fall into place.”
    The calm, rounded tones of his voice lulled her into slowing
her breath. The more he spoke the calmer she became. The pain in her chest
subsided to a dull ache and her body stopped trembling.
    Jess didn’t let her go. “Any better?”
    “Yes. I don’t know what happened. You said we were going to
stay out in this, and I lost the ability to breathe.”
    He released her and sat back on his heels. Immediately, Yas
was in her lap pawing her and trying to lick her face. Rain hugged him and
scratched his ears until he settled down. She knew she’d scared him.
    Jess said, “I understand. From where you grew up in LA and then
Nevada’s heat, this must be very frightening.”
    A short burst of laughter escaped. “This is what I would
call Hell.”
    “Do you think you can walk? It would be a shame to give up
now.”
    Rain looked across the snowy hills toward the trees. Could
she do this? Could she actually become an agent, or was this all a waste of
time? “Did you mean what you said about me being able to succeed or was all of
that just bullshit meant to calm me down?”
    A slow smile tugged at his full mouth. “When you know me
better, you’ll learn that it’s never bullshit.”
    “But I have no offensive skills.”
    He pointed to the weapon she’d dropped on the ground. “You
just have no attacking psychic skills, at least none that are obvious at this
point. Besides, it’s more important to defend yourself and your team.”
    “I don’t think I’d be much good as an assassin.” The idea
turned her stomach, but he didn’t need to know that.
    All expression drained from his face. It was as if the
lively man she’d spent the past week with did not exist and a robot had been
left in his place. “Is that what you think we do?”
    “I know it’s part of what you do.”
    “A very small part and those types of assignments are
generally handled by specialists.”
    “But you have killed people.”
    There was a long hesitation. “Yes, I have killed people.”
    She wanted to ask him more questions, but the set of his jaw
warned her, the question would not be appreciated. She didn’t need to be
telepathic to figure that out. “I’m freezing. We should go find a place to make
camp.”
    She got no argument, but his demeanor didn’t improve. There
was no resemblance to the man who had just held her and talked her out of her
panic attack. This Jess McMean was a Psi Agent and nothing more. Rain blamed
the cold for the goose flesh prickling her skin, but his attitude was the more
likely cause.
    “Come on, Yas. It’s going to be a long afternoon.” Giving
the dog one more scratch behind his ears, she got up and followed Jess toward
the forest.
    There was a mile-wide stretch of flat land between them and
the cover of the woods. The wind had picked up and snow blew across the wide
plane. The pack on her back weighed her down after an entire day of the
torturous training. All she really wanted was a hot bath and a place to lie
down. Not that she would get that anytime soon. No. It was going to be a long
time before creature comforts were coming her way.
    Jess bounded ahead. He wasn’t running, but his long legs
pulled farther away from her. The comfortable rapport they had built was
destroyed with one unwanted comment from her. Rain reminded herself that they
were not friends. It had started to seem as if they were, but she could see now
she was just an assignment for him.
    She pushed away the sweet memory of his voice cooing to her
and being in the cradle of his arms.
    Rifle fire rang through the air.
    Jess turned toward her. “I guess that was a hunter’s camp
you saw.”
    Yas barked and jumped up