★Memorable Author: [El_Roy_1999] And Tomorrow...The World! •22pp•

[El_Roy_1999]

The shooting range lit up. The Colonel had it set up for his retirement and for occasional practice. It was fully electrical and even had moving targets. Constructing it had been a two-year-project and it had become his pride and joy. The Captain was still in excellent spirit and joked on the way to the range. He seemed not to take the whole situation seriously. Gladys had exchanged her dress for a set of long, light pants and an airy blouse. She also had arranged her long hair in a tight bun. She asked:
"Shall we?"
"With pleasure. What do you want to try?"
"I'd say pistols at 25 yards, then rifles at 50 yards and finally pistols at running targets."
"You do seem to know what you are talking about."
She frowned:
"I try to."
The Colonel was now visibly annoyed and decided to get this over with. He said:
"Positions. Be careful and do not get hurt."
Gladys opened the box she had brought and quickly assembled two handguns. Every movement was intuitive. She handed one of them grip first to the Captain. He examined it, impressed by the quickness of her movements. Maybe there was more to her than he first thought. On the other hand, women had a knack for handicrafts.
She gave him the other gun and said:
"Choose."
"Aren't you going to take a smaller one? This is a M1911. It has quite a recoil."
"I know. Choose."
He slid back the action, took a look at the barrel and settled for one of them. Both guns were immaculately kept. Whatever he thought of her, she was as clean as she could be. He smiled to himself. Excellent marriage material.
They took up their places, loaded the guns and the Colonel said:
"Whenever you are ready."
The air filled with the bangs of the guns.

[El_Roy_1999]

"I must say, I am impressed."
The Captain stood next to the young woman and stared at the paper targets. She had easily surpassed him with the rifle and the moving targets. Only with the handgun had he managed to hold up. He made a mental note to spend more time at the shooting range. The fact that the moving targets had not been regular bull's-eyes but rather silhouettes of men and that she had firmly planted several of the bullets in its head and chest had impressed him further. He felt a little humbled. On the other hand, he'd had a few drinks and a long day. He also was unfamiliar with the range. And the guns.
What was he doing? He shook his head in disgust with himself. Trying to justify his failure would only belittle her skill. Instead, he turned to her and bowed.
"Your skill with firearms is only surpassed by your beauty."
She blushed. He nodded to himself. She was a woman all right. A true Madonna of the Trail, if you will.
"So, Captain, when shall we have our race?"
He shot a glance at the Colonel.
"If you don't mind, we should move it to tomorrow. It has been a long day and it is now quite dark."
The Colonel, who was somehow bursting with pride in his daughter, said:
"You are our guest. I am eager to see the race. Have you already decided on the kind of competition?"
Gladys said:
"I thought, maybe a footrace? It seems to be the simplest."
"It's hardly fair, though."
She grinned cheekily:
"For you or for me?"
He nodded:
"A footrace it is, then. I'll call my adjutant to bring me my running shoes and we'll be ready in the morning."

The Captain woke up at night. China again. He had spent the better part of the last decade protecting American interests all over the world, but his time in China had been the hardest. It also had had its good things, he thought back of Jinhua and the time they had spent together. Still, the chaos had been overwhelming. Bandits, Japanese, Russians, Gangsters, you name it, the country had it. He got up. Walking around a little would help him calm down.
He stepped outside in the dark floor and looked for the bathroom. Stumbling about in the dark, he found a room that seemed about right. No. This one had a wooden floor. Maybe somewhere else. He hit his foot on something. The Captain, now wide awake, focused. A dumbbell. He looked for the light switch. When the lamp came on, he saw that this was a true gymnasium. He was impressed. The Colonel had even more money than he thought. On the other hand, the old man did not look like someone who'd exercise too often. Or at all, for that matter.
He switched the light back off and went back outside to find the bathroom.

[solitariodude]

Girls with big "guns"

[El_Roy_1999]

When the morning came, he found the parents and their daughter waiting on the sidewalk in front of the house. The Colonel and his wife were still trying to convince her to stop this. The young woman was running on the place where she stood and was spinning her arms, apparently to warm up. She wore the same outfit she had worn yesterday, this time completed by a pair of stable shoes.
He stepped outside and wished them a good morning. The Colonel's wife answered:
"Good morning, Captain. Could you please try and convince her to stop this? It is unbecoming for a young woman to do such gyrations in public. Also, she should not do such horrible things." She turned to her husband:
"Jacob, why couldn't you just let my little girl be a girl? Why did you have to turn her into such a tomboy?"
The Colonel was annoyed by her grievance and said:
"Emily, I tried. She won't listen. What can I do?"
The older woman stared at him in despair and started to cry. The Captain could see that the whole display was making Gladys uncomfortable and he said:
"Well, Mistress van Rothe, in the military, there's a saying: 'If it's going to be bad, get it over with quick.'. Let's try this."
She looked at him with tired eyes as he asked Gladys:
"So, what's the route?"
"We're going to go cross-country. Here's a map."
She handed him a folded sheet of paper.
"I asked Geoffrey, our butler, to draw this for us. I don't know the route either, but I know the terrain, so this is going to put me at an advantage."
"You're going to need it, if you want to keep up. Still, it's fair of you to tell me."
"I'm not going to insult you by offering you a head start, Captain."
He smiled:
"Thank you."
The Colonel embraced his wife and said:
"Let's get this over with, shall we?"
"Certainly."
They took up positions. He waited for a moment, then said:
"Ready ... Set ... Go!"
They ran off.

[El_Roy_1999]

The Captain ran off. He knew from experience that the best way to loose a race was to look back at the competition, so he just concentrated on running. He had taken a look at the map and knew roughly where he had to go. He'd follow the street for a few minutes, then turn left into a dirt road, then through a small forest, over a few fields and then back. He'd have to look at the map then. There was some brook in the way and he'd have to find a way of crossing it safely. He ran on, his feet pounding on the gravel. He was quite sure he had left her behind by now. He was quite tall, so he'd be able to use the length of his steps to gain a further advantage.
He reached the dirt road and passed the corner. The Captain decided to slow down a little so as to conserve his energy. After all, the ground was rather unstable and he didn't want to slip or fall. During an operation in Chengdu, he had twisted his ankle on a flat stone as he was scrambling for cover. He had managed to shoot the machine gunner that was suppressing his column, but two men had to carry him back after his fall. It had been a case of bad luck, but he had become cautious.
The dirt road ended and he entered the forest. Instantly, the air became cooler. He felt refreshed, at the same time, his sweat began to cool. He ran on, keeping his pace. There was a small trail through the woods. He concentrated on skipping any low branches or roots. He had to slow down a little and keep an eye on the ground. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw someone approach from the back. He looked up and just saw Gladys overtake him. He blinked. This wasn't happening.
The young woman had taken it easily. She had given him time to familiarize himself with the environment and had just chosen her own pace to reach a speed she could keep up for hours. She knew she was at an advantage, but she hadn't expected to overtake him so soon. The cold air in the woods gave her a sting. She smiled as she passed him, then concentrated on maintaining her pulse. After all, there were still a few obstacles before them. Still, she was quite proud of herself. She had been active all her life, but over the last few years, she had intensified her training, running, lifting weights and sparring with Geoffrey, a former marine. She had even read the books by Eugene Sandow and Charles Atlas and had incorporated their ideas into her training regime. Her father had silently accepted this development. After all, he had always wanted a son and she was somehow fulfilling this wish. She had tried her best to keep this from her mother, asking Mary, the maid, to let out her clothes whenever they became too tight for her growing body.
She left the forest and vaulted the fence that separated it from the nearby field. The farmers wouldn't like it to see her run through the freshly sowed furrows, but she didn't care. The next fence came, once again, she jumped over it. The next ones would be made of barbed wire. Those were a bit trickier. She damned the fact that she had to wear the wide shirt and pants. Tighter clothes would be so much easier to handle, but society had its reasons.
Behind her, the Captain could finally recover his speed. With a burst of power, he jumped over the fence and crossed the field. Another jump, and he was closing on her again. He was impressed. The blond woman kept up her pace and cleared the obstacles with perfect ease. They had been no problem for him, but he hadn't expected her to be so good at this. Still, he was ready to pass her. With a jump, he threw himself over the barbed wire, leaving her behind. She had to use the post to get over it, so he won precious seconds. Time to gain ground. A glance at the map showed him that a hill was next, then the brook and then, some open ground to finish it. That was doable.

[El_Roy_1999]

The climb turned out to be harder on him than he thought. The grass was slippery with dew and the mound was steeper than expected. Also, he realized that years of work and the last months of good eating had taken their toll. He was surprised. Normally, he should have expected his lungs to work at their best, after all, he smoked a pack a day. This should clean out any noxious particles. Still, he fought on. He vowed to start training again more regularly. At half the height of the hill, he could feel his lungs burn and his body ache. He hadn't slept too well in the last years and all the fighting probably took its toll. Just as he was slowing down, she passed him again. He was amazed. She ran like a machine. Perfectly calm, keeping up her rhythm. No sudden changes, no sprinting. She just kept up her speed and climbed the hill without losing any speed. He was astonished. Of course, she was now sweating all over, but she soldiered on. He did what he could and forced himself to keep up with her.
They reached the top of the mountain roughly at the same time. Suddenly, she turned to him and smiled right at him. Her cheeks were read, her body was glowing and glistening with sweat. Only then did he realize how young she had to be. She was in her late teens, probably. No older than eighteen. He nodded to himself. A good age to fight a war. Maybe he should consider her. She might not be actual soldier material, but no one was before first seeing a fight. Sometimes, you needed someone who was more experienced to show you the ropes and she was serious about it. He'd have to think about it.
They started their descent. Below them, the landscape spread out. New England had its beauty. The Captain had to slow down not to loose his footing. He stayed calm. He'd catch up with her once the ground was even once more.
Gladys ran on. She just had to smile. She had fought and won during the hardest part. The hill was hard. She'd have to scold Geoffrey for this. The old man had had her train that part forever, sometimes even with a fully loaded backpack on. Still, overtaking the Captain at this moment felt like a triumph. She just had to finish this and be done with it. She could feel her body beginning to ache. That was normal. She'd be tired in the morning, but she was literally running for her life now. The life she wanted to live. It was odd. Her father had brought her up to be a soldier and now that she had her chance, he wouldn't let her take it. She couldn't help shaking her head.

[El_Roy_1999]

The pair was now entering the final part of the race. Gladys was first right now, but the Captain was in hot pursuit. He had summoned his last reserves and was now fighting to catch her. They reached the brook and Gladys suddenly fell into a sprint. She could feel her body drain if its energy as she gathered speed. With a desperate jump, she threw herself over the small stream and flew through the air. She landed awkwardly, rolled and got back up again. The Captain stared at the rising amazon and almost fell into the creek's ditch. He dropped down, jumped from one stone to the next and crossed the waters. Climbing back out again on the other side, he was now sweating profusely, every part of his body hurting from the strain. He stumbled out, struggled to get to his feet, managed to get back up and started running again. He found his pace again and sped after her.
Gladys ran and ran. Her shoulder was hurting, her clothes were sticking to her skin and she was thirsty. She knew she was almost done. She just had to keep up for a few more minutes, then she would be home safe. She'd win. She'd beat him. The idea gave her a jolt of power. She struggled on. Her feet started to hurt, the shoes clearly not perfect for such an exercise. She could hear him pant behind her. He was close. She knew she shouldn't, but she desperately wanted to win. She decided to push herself further and increase her speed. She knew it was stupid, but she was angry at this whole situation and she just wanted it to be over.
He could now see that she was struggling as badly as he was. He saw she had now increased her speed and he realized that this was a bad idea on her part. He decided to slow down, to conserve the last remains of his strength and wait for her to overdo it. Instead, he moved into her slipstream and waited for her to tire.
Unsurprisingly, she began to slow down as the finish line came into view. He could see she was pushing herself more and more. He feared she would hurt herself. Still, this was the moment he had waited for. Summoning the very last of his reserves, he went for a final push.
The young woman could feel the exhaustion. She suddenly understood she had made a mistake. The Captain was slowly overtaking her. She fought as hard as she could, but this was the end. The finish line was right in front of her and she could see him passing her. With a final push, she tried to catch up with him, but it was too late.
They crossed the line within two yards of each other. The Captain almost collapsed at the end, while Gladys gritted her teeth in frustration. She managed to hold back her tears and shook her head.
Once they had recovered enough to speak, the Captain said:
"I am impressed. I didn't even think you'd finish the race, but you almost beat me."
"It was a tactical error."
"That's all you can say?"
"Also, congratulations. That was impressive."
"Quite a race, yes. Whoever came up with the course must be some kind of a sadist."
"Absolutely, he is."
Her parents looked at the sweaty pair in confusion. Neither of them had expected their daughter to accomplish what she had just done. They both began to have serious doubts about their erstwhile opinion. Finally, the mother recovered enough to hand them both towels and usher the contestants into the house to take a shower.
As they walked inside, Gladys said:
"Let's do the third part in the afternoon, unless you're too tired."
The Captain blinked. The fistfight.

[solitariodude]

Intense... but what fortitude!

[El_Roy_1999]

Gladys' mother begged her to reconsider. Her father was somehow embarrassed by the whole situation. The Captain could see how he tried to find a way out of this mess. Gladys, on the other hand, insisted on the fight. After all, it was now a tie. She had won the shooting competition and would have triumphed in the race if he hadn't managed his forces, so she saw her chance to win.
The Captain was conflicted. He didn't want to hit a woman, even if she asked him for it. He also didn't want to fight right now. He was tired and busted. The race had actually taken its toll and he was now seriously exhausted. Of course, he couldn't let this become apparent, so he shook his head and said:
"Miss van Rothe, I have to insist on not fighting. It is not acceptable for a gentleman to strike a woman, even in sport."
She stared at him blankly. He saw that she was devastated. She had fought hard for this chance and now he was denying it to her. He could tell she was both disappointed and angry. Suddenly, she took a big step forward, stood up straight and said:
"You are aware that I would have beaten you in our race. It was a miscalculation on my behalf, I lost my temper."
He gave her an evasive look. She came even closer:
"You will not deny me my chance to prove my worth. I want to fight for my country and do my duty. You are an officer, it is your duty to risk the lives of your soldiers and to calculate the risk. You have seen what I can do. Can you honestly accept not to fight me and get a glimpse at my skill?"
He had to admit he was a little surprised. Somehow, he had expected her to provoke him or even to cry. Instead, she had challenged him. He nodded slowly.
"I get your point. Well, you'll have your wish. We will fight. What do you have in mind?"
"Pankration."
"What?"
"It's ancient Greek. You fight with all your might. Everything goes, except for biting and eye gouging."
His mouth dropped open.
"Are you serious?"
Her mother interrupted.
"But Gladys, dear, you can't just do this! You could get hurt!"
"Mother, I will, but so will he!"
"Why can't you be more of a woman? Why do you have to do such horrible things?" She turned to the Colonel: "This is your fault, Jacob. Couldn't you just accept her as a girl?"
The old man suddenly burst out in anger:
"I will not tolerate this. If our daughter wants to fight to be happy, she will."
His wife stared at him, but remained silent.
The Captain recovered and said:
"Fine. Where do we start?"
The young woman smiled and said:
"Behind the house. I'll be ready in a minute."

[El_Roy_1999]

The Captain warmed up in the backyard. He did his best to loosen his limbs and recover his flexibility. He was wearing his undershirt and some wide pants. He had taken off his shoes and socks and stood in the sand, testing the ground for any unevenness. Satisfied, he took up position opposite the back-door and waited. There was some indistinct shouting coming from inside the house. The parents were apparently just getting angrier. Somehow, he was happy he had resisted at first. Then, finally, the door opened.

[El_Roy_1999]

Sorry for the short part, I will continue soon. Something came up. Happy new year to all!

[solitariodude]

And Happy New Year to you as well and thank you for your continuing stories

[El_Roy_1999]

She walked out in the afternoon sun, wearing a sleeveless shirt and a pair of tight pants. She had bound her hair into a big tress, then twisted it on itself and fixed it in a bun. As she walked on the sand, stepping out of her soft shoes and took up position.
"Let's fight."
He nodded and went into the basic boxing stance.
"Are you ready? You can still back out if you prefer."
She sneered:
"Hit me with your best!"
He was reluctant at first, but she suddenly advanced on him and sent a flurry of blows at him. He had done a bit of bare-knuckle boxing in his time, but he was surprised by her recklessness. He twisted and evaded her blows, but she managed to land a hit on his shoulder as he hunkered down. It stung a little. Only now did he realize that her body was odd. Not only for a woman, but for any person. The Captain was a large, brawny man. He had the big muscles of a laborer or prize-fighter, with a solid layer of fat on him to give him a big frame and the weight to pull off his fights. The young woman, on the other hand, had a weird physique. It was hard for him to find a word for it. She was clearly well-trained, her muscles thick and strong. However, she was also quite thin, which meant that they were easily visible under her skin. As he looked at her, he couldn't help being reminded of an artist's model, though not necessary a female one.
In this moment, her fist hit his cheek. He was called back to reality as she hit him again. He got his guard back up and blocked her onslaught. She ducked and weaved, evading his defense and closing in to strike him again.
The Captain realized that his opponent was dead serious about this fight and changed his stance accordingly. This was not a friendly boxing competition or some kind of play-fighting. The young woman wanted a real challenge, she'd get it.
He evaded her blows, amazed by her speed and strength and ducked in front of her, then grabbed her. He stepped into her guard and lifted her, using his superior height and weight to render her defenseless. Instead, she clapped his ears. He barely managed to turn his head and prevented the worst, but he was surprised by the reaction. Most regular soldiers or street brawlers would not have thought of this. He held her fast and began squeezing her.
The Captain was dimly aware of the parents shock as he tried to force the air from her lungs. Suddenly, the young woman slung her legs around his torso and locked them behind his back. Then, she squeezed herself. He gasped as her vice-like grip enclosed his abdomen and made him throw up a little in his mouth.
He released her and she rolled expertly on the sand. recovering into a defensive stance. He had to end this soon.
The young woman had already decided to attack again and lunged at him.

[solitariodude]

hardcore no-holds-barred

[El_Roy_1999]

Losing his balance, he dropped on his back, catching himself with his elbows. He tried to get back up, but she climbed on top of him, twisted him around and put his head into a lock. He struggled to get on his knees, trying to break her hold and get some air. In the end, he decided to use his only advantage. She was quite a bit lighter than him, so he tensed his feet and jumped up with a grunt.
He could feel his muscles ache as he landed on his feet, his opponent now hanging from him and unable to put her strength to use. He widened his stance, grabbed her and lifted her above his head. She growled angrily, dropped sideways and slung her legs around his arm, toppling him sideways.
Gladys landed in the dust. She tried to hold him down , but he forced himself on her and looked at her in fury. He was about to unleash a flurry of punches at her face when he suddenly hesitated. She seized the opportunity and slung her powerful legs around his waist. Then, she squeezed. He gasped, unable to respond.
She didn't let up and instead continually increased the pressure. He put up his hands, grabbed her face and would have done something he'd have regretted if the young woman's mother hadn't intervened.
She threw herself between them and shouted:
"Stop! Don't fight. Please. You have proven what you wanted."
Both the Captain and his opponent breathed deeply as they recovered. Finally, he turned to the parents and said:
"Sir, Madam, I believe it would be a shame if we were to pass on someone like your daughter to defend our nation. I would be very glad if you were to allow her to join."
The parents nodded with stone faces.
The young woman, on the other hand, could barely conceal her joy. The Captain, however, said:
"As far as I'm concerned, you're in. But you'll still have to go through basic training. Got that?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"