Tammy and several others come walking in looking red as a lobster and exhausted. She watches as Sophie drag her backpack in. Tammy felt sorry for her. She had thrown-up everything in her stomach the first few days they were on the life raft.

“I’m going to kill my uncle Jack when I see him.” Sophie barely makes it to her bunk, before she collapses.

“You signed up for this program.” Dave was taking his bloody torn t-shirt off while wincing.

He had to fight a shark while they were out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They just came back from a two-week survival training course.

“He could have done it without knocking us out and leaving us on a life raft in the middle of nowhere.” Sophie strips out of her clothes and heads towards the shower. She was as red as a lobster from being stranded for two weeks on a life raft with everyone from Golden Eagle squad.

She couldn’t believe her uncle’s trainers knocked them out and placed them on a freaking life raft out in the Pacific Ocean for two weeks. They were given minimum survival rations and no radio or anything. If it wasn’t for Tammy’s training, she got from her father and some of the other guys. She, Becky and Greg would have died out on the raft.

The objective of the survival training had been to not only survive on the raft but make it to a port. A cover story had been made available for why they were on the raft without their passports or Ids.

“Here, stand still Sophie.” Becky sprays her sunburned skin with some Solarcaine.

Sophie moans when the spray hit her poor sunburned skin. She started feeling better after the spray hit her exposed skin.

“Here, let me spray you.” Sophie takes the can of Solarcaine and sprays Becky’s sunburned skin.

“Thanks.” Becky felt better after Sophie started spraying her.

“Hey, don’t use all of it up.” Greg wanted to spray his sunburned skin as well.

“Come here and I’ll spray you as well.” Sophie waves the can at him.

Greg walks over and Sophie starts spraying his skin. Sophie bonded with the team during their two-week training out on the ocean. He felt better afterward.

“We have the day off to recover from our ordeal.” Tammy and Stanley come walking into the showers.

“How did the other team do?” Dave was curious.

“They had arctic survival training down in Antarctica. They won’t do the ocean survival till next week.” Tammy turns the water on and stands
under the shower head as the water comes out.

“I wonder what they have planned for us?” Stanley turns the shower on next to Tammy.

“You guys will be either going to Africa for Jungle training or the states for desert training.” Larry comes limping into the shower. Most of the people in his team had dropped out of the training. He and one other were all that was left of his team.

“Have you been to either of them?” Tammy looks towards Larry as she rinses her hair.

“Yeah, most of my team washed out in the jungle training. I and Frank were the only two that survived the training. We made it to Angola,
where the retrieval team was waiting for us.” Larry couldn’t believe his other teammates had quit and contacted the retrieval team.

“So, who do they have you and Frank teamed up with now?” Stanley was curious.

“With the team from Germany. Were working out pretty good.” Larry starts his shower.

The group finishes their shower and head back to their bunks to get dressed. Sophie crashes as soon as her head hits the pillow. Dave gets dress and grabs his training gear and head to the gym. Zak accompanies Dave and several others from his team. He looks over towards Tammy before he leaves.

“Are you coming?” Zak was curious about what Tammy was going to do.

“Nope, I’m going to take a page out of Sophie’s book and catch a nap.” She covers up a yawn.

“Your lost.” Zak heads towards the gym.

Tammy lays down on her bunk and gets some shut-eye for a while. She barely got any sleep while they were on the raft. She lays on top of the blankets and falls asleep.

“Hey, Tammy. Dinner is being served.” Sophie shakes Tammy gently.

Tammy slowly opens her eyes and looks at Sophie “how long have I been asleep?”

“You slept four hours. Come on, the mess hall is serving Mexican tonight.” Sophie has come to enjoy the Mexican food the mess hall makes.

“Alright, I’m getting up.” Tammy climbs out of her bunk and slips her shoes on.

She and Sophie walk to the mess hall. The place was crowded as they walk in.

“I think everyone had the same idea as you, Sophie.” Tammy looks at everyone in line.

“Don’t worry, we have enough for everyone to get seconds.” Training Sergeant Lechon had sneaked up onto the two women.

Sophie jumps slightly when the Sergeant spoke. She just glares at Sergeant Lechon “don’t do that. It’s not nice to sneak up on people.”

“That’s why you are here. You are supposed to be aware of your surroundings, Mrs. Bounty.” Sergeant Lechon looks at Sophie.

“Is everything a test here?”

“Yes, everything here is a test.” As he follows behind them through the line.

“So, does that mean you’ll poison the food as well?” Sophie wonders how far the training went

“No, we don’t go that far, but you should be aware that some assassins use poison to end their victims.” He grabs a tray and walks through the line.

Sophie and Tammy go through the dinner line getting their meal. They head over to an empty table, while Sergeant Lechon joins the table where the other instructors were. The rest of Golden Eagle squad joins Tammy and Sophie.

“Well, I got the word. We start desert training next week. We’re going to Australia for our desert training. We’re going to be dropped out in Alice Springs and we have to make our way to Ghan.” Stanley had talked to one of the Instructors.

“Who’s our instructor?” Tammy was curious.

“A person named Lucas White. He’s going to be our instructor.” Stanley wanted to know what their next survival training would be.

“So, what are we doing the rest of the week?” Sophie was curious.

“More physical training and mountain climbing.” Stanley now knew who of their group were experienced climbers.

“Finally, something I excel at.” Sophie was happy that they were doing mountain climbing.

“You’re good at mountain climbing?” Dave and Zak look at her.

“I do tight rope walking in the circus and climb the tents poles. Plus, I’ve gone with some friends and climbed Moldoveanu Peak in the Fagaras Mountains. “Sophie loved it and enjoyed herself immensely.

“I thought you said you were a clown?” Dave looks at Sophie suspiciously.

“I am. I also do trapeze acts and tight rope walking. Circus people do all sorts of jobs.” Sophie grew up in the circus while traveling with her mother and other family members.

“Well, it looks like we are going to be counting on you to help us.” Stanley just grins at Sophie.

“No problem. If you do what I say during training, you should be able to pass.” Sophie couldn’t wait till they started training.

“How are your wounds, Dave?” Tammy looks towards Dave since he got hurt while catching fish for them to eat. A shark almost got him.

“I’m fine. I never want to come face to face with a shark again.” Dave fought to keep the shark from getting him and Becky.

“Hopefully, you won’t encounter one again.” Tammy covers up a yawn. She was still tired from their ordeal.

After dinner, Becky spends time on the internet, catching up with her emails. Zak and David play chess against each other. Jerry goes to the
weight lifting room to work out.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m turning in.” Tammy heads back towards their barracks to her bunk.

“I’m going to go and stretch.” Sophie heads for the gymnasium to work out and stretch.

Sophie stops by the barracks first to change into her workout leotard. The clothes she had on weren’t meant for working out in. She walks into the gymnasium and stretch before she starts the routine she normally does when she is performing in the circus. She does a few cartwheels, somersaults and back flips. She repeats the routine repeatedly.

By the time Sophie stops, she was sweating and a little exhausted. She just looks around the gymnasium as she catches her breath.

“That was impressive. Is that what you do for a living?” Master Sergeant Wright had spotted the lights on in the gymnasium and came over to investigated why.

“In the circus, yes. I sometimes walk tight ropes.” Sophie looks at Master Sergeant Wright. She knew he was of Irish descent and served in the
British military.

“Your workout looked impressive.”

“Thanks. I try to make my performance unique.” Sophie does a handstand on one hand.

"Well keep up the good work." Master Sergeant Wright turns around and walks out.