Code Name: Camelot (Noah Wolf #1)(28)
Jackson nodded. “Five days a week,” he said. “We’ve found that there is absolutely nothing that can keep a man in better shape, as well as keeping you ready to move on a split second’s notice. You get good at this, and you’ll find that you’ll see escape routes that no one else would believe, or ways to reach a target that anyone else would think was untouchable. This discipline is a lot more than just exercise and fun; it changes your entire way of thinking. Where other people will see obstacles, even blank walls, you’ll soon start to see pathways you can use to get where you want to go. It’s awesome.”
Noah nodded. “Like I said in the beginning,” he said. “This is gonna be fun.”
NINE
“I’ll let you get to your room and get a shower,” Marco said, “while I go grab one myself. Soon as you’re done, come on out by the car, because you’ve got weapons class next. I’ll drive you over, but I got something else to do after that. Someone else will show you how to get back.”
Noah nodded, and as soon as the car was parked, he got out and jogged over to his door. He opened it quickly and slipped inside, stripping off the sweaty clothes he was wearing as he walked toward the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, quickly showered and dressed, he pulled the door shut behind him once again.
He was sitting on the hood of the car when Marco came out of his own room, and they got in without saying a word. Both of them were still feeling the effects of their workout, and Noah was honest enough with himself to admit that he wished he had time for a nap. He leaned back in the seat as Marco drove, but the ride was far too short for any real rest. The car pulled up in front of a large brick building, and Marco pointed at the door.
“That’s where you go,” he said. “Your instructor in there is Daniel, and you’ll know him because of his German accent. He’s a good guy, and if there’s any kind of weapon he isn’t an expert with, I’ll guarantee you it’s not one you’ve ever heard of. I’ve gotta get to a class of my own, so I may not see you again today. Take it easy, and we’ll probably see each other tomorrow.”
“Later,” was all Noah could manage, as he got out of the car and walked toward the door. He opened it and walked inside, and immediately realized that he must be late. There were quite a few people seated at long tables, all of them facing toward the front of the room where a tall, dark-haired man was pointing at a projection screen.
“Well, it seems we have a visitor,” the man said, and the accent told Noah that this must be Daniel. “You would be Noah, then?” Daniel asked.
“I am, Sir,” Noah replied. “I apologize for being late.”
Daniel pointed at an empty seat at the front table. “Please sit there,” he said, and Noah moved to take the seat indicated, on the right side of the center aisle. The seats were benches, wide enough for two people, and Noah’s seatmate was a young black man. The fellow nodded at him, but didn’t say a word as he took his seat.
Daniel tapped the screen with a finger to draw everyone’s attention back up to it. Noah looked up to see a diagram of what appeared to be a Bowie knife.
“We’re starting today with our section on knives,” Daniel said. “With all of the high-powered, high-tech weaponry that is now available in this world, it may seem strange to you that we put such emphasis on something as simple as the knife, but you should not find it so. When everything else you might use can fail you, the knife is a tool that is easily concealed, easily maintained and easily used.” He pointed at the diagram. “It was an American who created what is still considered to be one of the finest designs for the knife, and we all know it as the Bowie knife. By giving the full length of the blade a single edge, rather than the double edge of most knives throughout history, the majority of the blade was much stronger due to its thicker back edge. The dipped and curved point of the blade, the edge of which was also sharp, allowed the knife to pierce more easily, and could be used as a skinning edge for those who carried this knife when hunting. In addition, this narrowing groove that runs the length of the blade allows blood to flow past the knife when it is used for stabbing, hastening death as the victim can bleed out more quickly.”
Daniel turned back to face his students, and clicked a remote to turn off the projector. At the same time, the lights came up so that everyone could see him clearly. “There are two very important things you must remember about your knife. The first is to never leave your knife in your victim, and there are two reasons for this. Reason number one is quite obvious, in that the knife would leave a clue that someone could use to identify you as the killer. Reason number two should be even more obvious, but for some of you idiots I have to make sure you understand it. You do not leave a knife behind in your victim, because a good knife is very difficult to find. Once you have found one, don’t let it go.”
There was a ripple of laughter through the room, and Daniel’s grin said that he was expecting it. “The second thing you must remember about your knife is to keep it well sharpened and maintained. While it may seem to you that a knife is so simple that it does not require much in the way of maintenance, you should be aware that many things can affect how well a knife serves you. If an edge becomes nicked, for instance, it may drag when used for cutting, and slow you down. A deep nick of the blade can catch on bone, preventing you from removing the knife from the target.” He clicked the remote again, and the lights went down as the projector came back on, showing a new image of a knife with a rough and chipped blade edge. “Flaws like these can cause the knife to hang up even in softer tissues, so it is always important to maintain a smooth, very sharp edge.” He clicked again, and a new knife appeared on the screen. At first glance, it seemed slightly misshapen, but Daniel pointed at its grip. “If the hilt of your knife becomes loose, then the tip of the blade is no longer where you expect it to be. With every motion of the hilt inside the grip, the tip is moved away from the centerline of the knife, which is where you have always expected it to be. While it may seem to be only a slight difference, that slight difference can cause you to miss a critical organ or artery, meaning your target does not die. In addition, a loose grip can throw off the balance of the knife, affecting how you handle it in many ways. This is unacceptable.”