The Kazak Guardians (3 page)

"You will? Great. We leave as soon as we can give everyone notice and get the necessary items together. Maybe Master Jianyu can give us some advice before we leave."

***

Two days later, Gabe and I sat in front of Master Jianyu. We had asked him if we could talk to him after class.

"Yes?" Jianyu said after he had made tea for us, and we had settled down around the table. He seemed to understand that whatever we wanted to talk to him about was important to us, and planned to take the time necessary to discuss it.

"Lynn and I are planning to go to the Kazak school and compete for a position. We wondered if you would give us some advice," Gabe said, leaning eagerly toward Jianyu.

"Don't go."

"Why? Even if we don't last but a few years, we'll learn some of the Kazak's fighting techniques."

"They eliminate most of the candidates the first day. Those will have disrupted their lives and learned nothing except that the Kazaks care little about you or your wants. If you survive the first day, you'll spend your time learning how to live on only a few hours of sleep, ignore pain, and to give up your life to watch over people, who also don't care about you.

"Yes, you might learn how to kill with your body and an assortment of weapons. In seven years, you could learn the same skills studying with me or another master, without the pain you will have to endure at the Kazak school or having to dedicate your life to someone. I don't mean like a marriage, more like a slave." Jianyu delivered his synopsis in a soft, quiet voice that sounded sad. I wondered how he knew so much and advised against it, while Gabe knew very little, yet he was ready to run off and apply. Knowing Gabe, I imagined he thought only about the glory of being a Kazak and not the sacrifices required to achieve that goal, and the life afterward. Maybe he didn't expect to make Kazak. He just wanted the training it would provide.

I sat mesmerized as Jianyu talked. I wanted the life of a Kazak-not to learn how to fight, but to protect others from men like those who had felt they had the right to kidnap me and amuse themselves at my expense. During his description of the Kazak school and its training, Jianyu watched us carefully. I would have bet that he knew what each of us was thinking.

"Lynn, I know of only two other women over the many years of the competition who had the ability to be a Kazak. They both decided, prior to the fifth challenge, that the life of a Kazak wasn't for them. Gabe already knows that life isn't for him but seeks the skills that Kazak training would bring him." Jianyu seemed concerned when he looked at Gabe; he seemed resigned when he talked to me. "The training you will get at the Kazak school will be little more than what you would learn here, unless you survive the first five challenges. After that, the training changes and your survival depends on avoiding serious injury. Or being killed."

Gabe sat there in shock. I don't think he had thought it through. Glory had a steep price.

"I know you don't believe I'll make it through the five challenges. Nor do I. And I doubt I would like the life of a Kazak; nevertheless, I have to see the school and experience it, no matter how stupid." Gabe shrugged. I knew he intended to go, no matter the cost.

"I've told you what I know. You each go, knowing the consequences of that decision." He turned toward me. "Lynn, I hope you find what you are looking for." He gave me a small bow. At first, the bow bewildered me. Students bowed to Master Jianyu. He didn't bow to students. Then I realized what he saw. He had looked into my mind and knew I saw the Kazak Guardians as a way for me to survive. I didn't care about the consequences and he knew it. The nightmare of my younger years and the abuse of the Assassins could never be forgotten. I had only learned to go through the motions of living a normal life. I needed a cause that obliterated Lynn as a person-a life dedicated body and soul to something challenging, worthwhile, and rewarding. Death would eliminate the need. The Kazak Guardians would achieve that goal.

Two weeks later, Gabe and I waved goodbye to Las Vegas. I had withdrawn five hundred dollars for expenses and opened a checking account into which I transferred fifteen hundred from my savings account. By creating a separate account, I could only lose fifteen hundred if I were coerced into using my ATM card. I threw a small going-away party for my roommates at the Four Queens' Chicago Brewing Company. I wasn't sure whether they were going to miss my share of the rent money or me the most.

"Lynn, that's the dumbest thing I think I've ever heard. I know you take some kind of kick-ass class, but spending years fighting men only to risk your life for a bunch of rich people seems stupid," Sue said after a sip of her third Bacardi Zombie. The other four nodded their heads in agreement. I admit it sounded stupid, but it was all I could think about since Gabe and I had talked with Master Jianyu.

"Some of us dream about being singers, or dancers, or marrying someone rich. I'm dreaming about being a Kazak."

"Marrying a rich dude sounds good to me," Mary said while chewing on a shrimp loaded with cocktail sauce.

"I'd like to be a singer," Sally said, gazing off as if she could see herself on the stage singing.

Although I hadn't formed any close relationships with my roommates, I would miss them. We left late, singing boisterously all the way back to the apartment.

***

It was midmorning by the time Gabe and I turned onto Interstate 15. We planned to spend the night in Nephi, a leisurely six-hour drive. While Gabe's Hyundai Tiburon looked beat up, it was comfortable and the miles flew by. Neither of us talked much. I sat trying to envision the Kazak school, its masters, and the seven years I hoped to stay. I thought Gabe was probably thinking of the weapons and fighting secrets he would learn. We stopped at the first town we hit in Utah, St. George, for a bite to eat, and were off an hour later. I should've been anxious to get to the school. Instead, I felt at peace for the first time in my life. It never crossed my mind that I could fail and have to go back to just surviving a day at a time.

I had told Gabe that I would pay all the expenses, but he probably wasn't sure what I had meant or what that included. I knew he must have brought some money with him just in case. When we stopped for the night at Nephi, I repeated my promise.

"Gabe, don't worry about money. I'm paying for all the expenses: gas, food, motel, and anything else we need. You're providing the car." Ironically, for most of my life I'd had nothing. I'd lived at the whim of others, who weren't inclined to be generous or even charitable. Today, I had more money than I needed or wanted. In Vegas, I had made a good living and my needs were simple. The money went into the bank and kept piling up. Besides, Gabe was not only a good friend; he felt more like a brother.

"Thanks, Lynn. I'm glad you're stupid enough to come with me to the Kazak competition. Our talk with Master Jianyu scared me, and I'm a man. According to him, the odds are poor for men but much worse for women. Like the two women he mentioned, I know I wouldn't like the life, but I'd like to experience at least a couple of years there."

I'll survive because I want it ten times more than you or any man who will be competing
.

We stopped at the Best Western where I rented two rooms and then treated Gabe to a
home-cooked
dinner at a nearby Country Kitchen. It was a small restaurant, which looked to be a favorite of the locals. I had a liver dish with fried onions, which Gabe turned his nose up at. He had a rib-eye steak.

After a leisurely breakfast the next day, we left Nephi and were in Pocatello, Idaho, by six. Although we left late each morning, stopped for lunch, and quit early each night, we were fast approaching our destination. The following day would take us to Missoula, Montana, our last stop before the Hollister Mountain range where the competition would be held.

Gabe and I were quiet at breakfast on the last day of our journey. Today we would reach our destination and an unknown fate-a sobering thought. It took only three hours to reach Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, and two hours more to reach the small dirt road that wove into the foothills. An hour later, we saw an iron gate and behind it hundreds of cars of every make and model. At the gate stood a small wooden shack and three armed guards.

"Names?" a burly man with a disheveled beard and an unfriendly frown asked.

"Gabe Wilkenson and Lynn Sagal."

The man typed something on his hand-held device and a sticker from a nearby printer emerged, which he slapped onto the windshield. He then handed Gabe and me each a token. As the gate opened, another man appeared next to Gabe's door.

"Take your stuff out of the car. I'll take it from here. The trail to the competition is over there." He nodded back to a dirt path two young men had just entered. Gabe and I got out and retrieved our bags. We had only brought one each, because we had heard the school would provided the necessities if you passed the first challenge.

We weaved our way up a narrow, steep trail until we reached the sheer granite face of the mountain, which looked twice as tall as the Stratosphere in Vegas. At the base hung a large net, stretching a hundred feet or more across, with two men bouncing up and down on it. On the ground, twenty feet below the net, were four-foot square air mattresses. Forty feet off to one side of the net, medics were crowded around a man lying on the ground. Several minutes later, two medics carrying a stretcher arrived and carried him down the trail.

"My God, Lynn. I think he fell and missed the net. It appears we have to climb that cliff to qualify. Jianyu wasn't kidding when he told us about the potential dangers associated with the challenges, and that they eliminated most of the candidates the first day." Gabe looked a bit pale.

I couldn't help staring at the mountain. Twenty or more individuals were currently working their way up the cliff. They looked like bugs against the gray face of the mountain. Every now and then, one would fall and land in the net. The higher they were when they fell, the closer the net came to the mattresses. Most of those who fell looked to have suffered only minor injuries to arms or legs; however, a few appeared to have injured their backs or necks and had to be carried off by medics. When I looked away, a small crowd had accumulated around us. Like us, they appeared mesmerized by the sights. Just then a man walked up and waved his arm for us to gather around.

"Listen up. The only way to qualify for admission to the Kazak school is to successfully climb to the top. The risk is totally yours. As you might have noticed, you could be killed if you fall and miss the net. Even if you land in the net, you could sustain serious injuries. You'll be allowed only one try and you must start your climb before five p.m. tomorrow. After that the qualification period closes for two years." He turned and walked away. Half of our little group turned around and headed back down the trail.

"Well, Lynn, are you going?"

"Yes."

"Let's get started." His jaw clenched tightly in determination.

"I'll wait, Gabe. I want to watch others climb, before I try."

"Having second thoughts?"

"No, I want to see which climbers make it to the top." I wondered if some approaches might prove better than others. I decided to wait and watch which paths the successful ones traversed.

"Well, watch me," Gabe said as he walked up to a makeshift gate and handed the man his token. Then he walked to the base of the mountain and stood for a while looking up. Finally, he grabbed onto a small ledge and started up. For the next few hours, I watched as he and several others negotiated their way higher. Even after the sun had set, the moon provided sufficient light to see the climbers. Five men had fallen during the time I had been watching. Suddenly, Gabe seemed to lose his grip and hung onto a small ledge with only one hand. Then he fell. Although I knew it wouldn't help, I crossed my fingers. He hit the net and bounced up and down several times before stopping. A medic helped him out and they stood talking for several minutes before walking over to me. He was holding his arm.

"I tried. It's a bitch, Lynn." He held up his injured arm. It was badly scratched and his hands were bleeding. "Are you sure you want to try it? It's a long way down, although that was kind of fun-sort of."

"Come on, Gabe, I'll walk you back to the car. I want to borrow your driving gloves." After having seen his fingers, I hoped the thin gloves might help. It certainly couldn't hurt. We walked in silence. I knew Gabe was disappointed. He had hoped to spend at least a year or two there. Now, it had been a long drive for nothing. Jianyu's
don't go
advice had been right for Gabe. I knew I wouldn't be going back. I had watched the route three of the four successful climbers had used to reach the top. It turned out to be the most dangerous as it forced you outside the area the net covered. While I watched, a man taking that route had fallen, missed the net, and hit the rocks below.

"The gloves are a good idea. I hope they help. I'll cross my fingers that you make it. In any event, I'll wait to see you over the top or down at the bottom. Good luck." Gabe probably had mixed emotions. We were friends, therefore, he wanted to see me succeed. On the other hand, it would make him feel inadequate if a woman made it when he couldn't. I had promised myself I'd be a Kazak or die trying. The time had come to prove I meant it. I gave the man my token and began the climb.

Never having climbed before, it was a lot harder than it looked. Several times, my foot slipped off a ledge. Fortunately, I had a good handgrip each time. The gloves helped, but over the hours, they had ripped in several places and my fingers began to bleed, making it difficult to get a solid handgrip. When I reached a small ledge where I could maintain my balance, I removed the gloves. Turning them around, I put them on again with my index and middle fingers in the glove's ring and little finger slots, which were in better condition, and left the thumb outside the glove. Then I continued climbing. When I finally reached the top ledge, the sky had begun to brighten. So close and yet so far. I found I was too tired to pull myself up the last few feet to the ledge. I panicked. I couldn't feel my hands and my legs were cramping. I was going to fall. Then I saw someone reaching down to help pull me up the last few feet. Relief overwhelmed me. Then a shout echoed in the silence.