Free Jar of Souls by Bradford Bates

wore something tighter to keep those things in check, she would be able to defend a little better. Granted, the last thing I wanted was for more men’s eyes to pop out of their sockets when she walked by. If our lives didn’t depend on fighting, I would have been jealous, but those big bouncy breasts that turned men’s heads were just a hindrance here.
    Her punches were well aimed but easy enough for me to block. Still, the force behind them surprised me, though I guess it shouldn’t since we were all here training to do the same thing. I also noted that the last thing I wanted to do was get in close to her. If we ended up on the mat, she may actually have the strength to hold me down even with her half-assed technique. Blocking her next punch, I pushed her past me, landing a blow to her back before dodging under the kick she aimed at me. Coming up from ducking the kick, I landed a left hand to her stomach and a quick right to her ribs before spinning just out of reach. I had to give her credit; she was willing to take a few hits to try and keep me close.
    She was starting to close in again when Sarge called a halt to our match. “Nice work today, ladies. Britta, when we get the chance, I would like to work on your speed. Your power and movement look pretty good. April, I’d like to get a look at what happens if she does take you to the ground, so next time we will work on that as well.”
    “Thanks, Sarge,” Britta chimed. She seemed to bubble over at the compliment.
    “Why don’t we start working on that stuff now?” I asked.
    “Well, that brings me to why I interrupted you in the first place. Adam wants to see you in his office.”
    “Which one of us?” I asked.
    “Actually, both of you.”
    I gave Britta a quick glance to find she was already looking at me. She mouthed, What the hell? I shook my head, letting her know I had no idea.
    “He asked that you grab a towel and head there right away.”
    “Gross. Sarge, can’t we clean up first?” Britta asked, placing a hand on her hip. She used the other hand to wipe away a few strands of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. I hated to admit it, but even covered in sweat, she still looked like a supermodel.
    “He wants you in his office now, so get moving!”
    I started to chuckle.
    Britta let out an exasperated, “Sarge.”
    “Get a move on.”
    We slid out of the ring, both of us grabbing our lightweight jackets and tossing our extra gear in our bags. I still wasn’t sure if I should have laughed when Sarge made that comment. On one hand, I liked seeing Britta brought down a peg. On the other hand, I wondered if I should care more about how I looked all the time. I mean, she made it look effortless, but I knew the girl had to be putting some serious time into everything she wore. It really wasn’t fair for me to judge her too harshly. In fact, it was kinda catty, but she just seemed to have that effect on me. For the most part, she actually tried to downplay her appearance, probably tired of every knuckle-dragging jerk that ogled at her boobs as she walked by. I hated to admit it, but the more time we spent together, the more I actually liked her.
    “What do you think Adam wants?” Britta asked as we walked out of the gym.
    “I’m not sure, but he sent for Jackson earlier and I haven’t seen him come back yet.”
    “I hope he is ok?” I could just hear an edge of panic in her voice.
    “I’m sure he’s fine. Adam would never knowingly place any of us in danger. At least, I don’t think he would.”
    Britta gave a weak smile. At least, she tried to smile, I think. I had been hoping to ease her fears, but I didn’t do a very good job of it. I had never been great at relieving the tension that other people felt. Maybe it was in my delivery. If I had to, I could probably find a way to get better at it. Placing a hand on her back, I said, “I’m sure everything is fine. Who knows? Maybe this is our chance to get out in the field and do