Part 10 (1/2)
”I'm going to show you a training hologram,” Eric said instead.
”Final level,” Grace replied, hoping he couldn't tell what she'd been thinking.
Eric went to the wall and clicked a b.u.t.ton. Multicolored particles tingled in the air and formed into the shape of the gray-hooded young Postman Eric had spoken to in the subway.
”He's not actually here, of course,” Eric explained. ”But he made the video and is the model for the hologram. His name is Javaun.”
The hologram of Javaun began running very fast around the gym. Grace was amazed as he ran up the side of a padded wall, nearly to the ceiling, and then back down again. Launching himself over the pit of foam blocks, he spun in the air and rolled to a standing stop on the other side and kept moving to the parallel bars, which he spun on, changing hands several times before shooting over to the balance beam, executing a backward walk-over, and spinning to the floor.
”Wow,” Grace breathed, genuinely awed.
”That's just a training session. Wait until you see it in real life. People think the Postmen have gone away, but we haven't. There's more need for us now than ever. In fact, we've stepped up our game by adding free running.”
”Can you do all that?” Grace asked.
”Yep,” Eric said with a nod. ”And soon you'll be able to, as well.”
”I don't think so.” Grace couldn't imagine it.
”You will, because I'm going to teach you and I'm one of the best teachers around,” Eric insisted.
”Modest, too,” Grace teased.
”No reason for modesty at this juncture. It is what it is,” Eric said.
For the next five hours, Eric and Grace went outside where Grace experienced the most grueling training of her life. Despite her years of experience with gymnastics, she felt like a beginner.
”Grab hold! Pretend you're a bug on a wall!” he instructed her.
”You can run faster than that! Race up that wall before gravity knows you're there,” he shouted.
”Roll! Roll! And on your feet!”
At the end of the training session, Grace felt sweaty and broken. ”Not bad for the first session. Tomorrow we'll try some basic urban free,” Eric said.
”How long have you been a Postman?” Grace asked Eric as they returned to the bas.e.m.e.nt, safely underground.
”Just for the last year,” Eric replied. ”I love it. It tests your body and your mind to the max. Plus, I'm helping people to not have their every communication monitored by Global-1. That makes me feel good.”
”In what ways does it test your mind?” Grace wanted to know. The ways in which it tested the body were obvious.
”You have to look for the links between people, as well as between places,” Eric replied. ”Ever hear of six degrees of separation?”
”No.”
”It's the idea that everyone in the world is connected to everyone else in six moves. Say I have to get a note to a guy in Brooklyn, New York. I search him on the Internet, and for most people there is a ton of info there. Sometimes I can find the address right online. In that case I just find a Postman heading that way and pa.s.s on the message. If I can't, I start looking for people with the same last name, people who work in the same business, have similar interests, who went to the same school, and on and on. Lots of the time you wind up finding the friend of a friend of a friend who worked with a guy who knows the person's sister. The Postman's goal is to do it in no more than six moves.”
”It doesn't sound easy,” Grace remarked. ”How do you know which Postman to contact?”
”You hear things and talk to people. After a while, you'll get to know. I'll help you,” Eric a.s.sured her.
”Do the Postmen all know each other?”
”Yeah, but it takes a while,” Eric replied. ”It's better if we know Postmen to hand messages off to, but there's no central directory or anything. You just have to get to know people.”
”What about the Postman who said he knew where my family was? Do you know him?”
”That guy who poses as a subway nut? His name is Darrell. Javaun is a friend of his. They work the subway a lot. I'll find him for you.”
”Do you think you could?”
”Sure. I'll ask him what he knows,” Eric a.s.sured her. ”Grace, you're going to be good at this. I think you'll like it, too.”
Grace was excited to try being a Postman, but it still sounded daunting to her. The long hours of training had taxed her to her limit and she couldn't quite imagine doing it again in the morning. ”Can I rest now?” she asked.
”Find a piece of foam and settle in,” Eric told her.
Dropping into a pit of foam blocks, Grace piled some blocks under her head and stretched out. She was aware of every muscle of her body because each one felt hot and stretched to its limit; each joint ached.
Eric piled three mats down and lay on his stomach. ”Are you still mad at me, Grace?”
”I don't mind working hard,” she answered. ”I want to learn it.”
”Not about that. I know you're not mad about that,” Eric said. ”But you were angry when you learned I was the one a.s.signed to follow you.”
This wasn't her instructor talking. Or a Postman. Or a Decode operative. Suddenly, Eric was a guy again - the guy who went to her high school. The guy she'd liked.
The truth was, Grace wasn't mad anymore. Just sad. Still.
”I thought we were really ... friends,” she said, ready to leave it at that.
”We've become friends. I really like you, Grace. I think you're smart and brave.”
”Thanks.”
”And pretty ... beautiful, really.”
Grace drew in a long, slow breath. Beautiful. He thought she was beautiful. She had never thought of herself that way but it was enough that he did.
”I mean it, Grace. I'm not just giving you a line. Being a.s.signed to follow you was like a gift. It's been the best a.s.signment I've ever had.”
”Thanks, Eric ... for saying all that. It means a lot for me to know you're not just spending time with me because you have no choice.”
”I hope you'll always spend time with me,” Eric said softly. ”I don't like the idea of being separated from you.”
His words made Grace take a short, quick breath of surprised delight. Did he mean that? ”Me neither,” she replied, suddenly certain that she meant it. Being with Eric was so natural. His confidence made her feel that everything could be managed and would come out all right in the end. Even with so many things going so wrong.
Eric yawned widely as he stretched. ”We should sleep. Tomorrow will be just as hard as today.”
”Can't wait,” Grace replied without a trace of sarcasm. ”Good night,” she added, drifting off to sleep with a smile lingering on her lips.