She couldn’t really blame Ranger. Undercover cops worked to achieve a greater good and had to use whatever tools were at their disposal. Ranger was trying to find Hastiin Sani’s killers, and he’d known she was holding out on him. He’d simply done what he’d had to do.
As her anger faded, an unexpected sadness took its place, filling her, and draining her of all other emotions. Thinking that he really cared for her had given her comfort in a time of violence and fear. Now that comfort had been taken from her.
“There you are,” Ranger said, coming out of the kitchen and giving her a once-over. “I think the dark-haired wig you had on before was a better disguise. You’re going to attract attention no matter where you go because of your looks, but a light-haired wig in a community filled with mostly dark-haired women and men will make you stand out too much.”
Earlier she might have thanked him for the compliment, but now she only saw it as insincere flattery. “I’ll put the other one back on before we go to the bars tonight,” she responded without expression.
“Good. For now, why don’t you change into something loose and comfortable. Then I’ll teach you some moves.”
“Excuse me?” Her heart automatically started thumping overtime, but she forced herself to calm down. She couldn’t allow him to play her like this.
“You need to know how to defend yourself in case someone comes after you and I’m not right there to help.”
She’d already seen what the men after her were capable of doing. “I dislike violence, but that’s a good idea.”
“Just remember that this is about survival, not choice.”
Dana nodded once, bracing herself. Like her mother before her, she’d learn to do whatever was necessary to keep going.
“There’re some jogging pants and sweatshirts in the chest of drawers in the bedroom. Pick a fit that’ll give you maximum mobility and plan on a workout.”
The promise of a workout with him teased her imagination but, with effort, she banished those feelings to a dark spot in her mind. Survival was all that mattered now.
By the time she joined him again, she’d already done some stretching exercises. It hadn’t been to loosen her muscles, but more to focus her mind. Now, she finally felt ready.
“I’ve set things up for us in the garage,” he said. “It’s unheated and cold in there, but after a few minutes of heavy exercise, you won’t notice it.”
Dana followed him, her gaze straying across his shoulders and strong back. She’d seen how he’d made short work of those men who’d run them off the road. Ranger’s body was well-toned and hard as steel. Suppressing a sigh, she trained her gaze on her shoes instead.
As they entered the two-car garage, she saw that he’d rolled out a large mat that covered half of the area not occupied by that deceptive-looking car. Ranger kicked off his shoes and she did the same.
“Okay, to the mat,” he said.
They’d both stepped onto the soft surface when he suddenly took a step forward and swept her legs out from under her. She went down hard.
“Hey, I wasn’t ready,” she said, catching her breath.
“That’s your first lesson. Never lower your guard. Your enemy will always use it against you.”
Chapter Nine
When Dana got back up, she kept her distance from him. “Bully. I won’t repeat the mistake.”
As he looked at her, he knew she’d be a quick study. Her eyes were focused now and she was watching him carefully. “Before we get to some of the basic moves, I have to teach you how to fall.”
“I’ll get my practice every time I hit the mat. Maybe you should teach me how to keep from falling.”
Ranger didn’t answer. In a dazzlingly fast move, he tried to sweep her legs out from under her again. This time, she jumped nimbly to one side.
“I told you, I don’t repeat mistakes.”
He gave her an approving nod. “That was very good. Now let me teach you a basic but effective defense move. Make your opponent sing.”
He grabbed her from behind in a loose choke hold and pressed her against him. “Sing-first jam your elbow into your opponent’s solar plexus,” he instructed, bending her arm at the elbow and showing her how to aim. “The i is for instep. Stomp down hard on his foot with the heel of your shoe, then when he bends over, use your fist and slam it into the bridge of his nose. That’s the n. The last part-and be careful now-is to take your fist and slam it hard into his groin. Sing. Get it?”
She nodded, then made a fist.
“Wait…let me see how you make a fist,” he said.
She held it out. “A fist is a fist. So what?”
“Ever notice a boxing glove? There’s a place for just your thumb. You only put your thumb on the inside of your fingers if you want to break it in a particularly painful way. Make a fist like this,” he said, showing her how to place her thumb over her coiled fingers.
She imitated the position of his fingers, then went through the Sing exercise in slow motion.
“You need to practice this, because speed and surprise are your greatest allies,” he said.
She loosened up, bending her neck to one side then the other. “Let’s give it another try.”
She went through the routine quickly, pulling her punches so she wouldn’t connect and hurt him.
“The more speed you build up, the better off you’ll be. Practice it in your head when you’re not on the mat.” He was pleased with how quickly she learned. She was fast, but not so much as to make him suspect she might have been taught all that before.
He showed her a few other moves, then grew serious. “There are two kill moves I’d also like to teach you.”
“Kill?” She shook her head. “No, I don’t think I could kill anyone. Even under direct threat, I’d hesitate.”
His admiration for her grew. She’d been brutally honest-with herself, and with him.
“You managed to fire that handgun yesterday in self-defense, didn’t you? You’d be surprised what you’re capable of when fear mixes in with the need to survive, or you’re forced to protect an innocent.”
Despite her protests, Ranger taught her how to deliver two fatal blows, one to the chest, and the other delivered to the nose. Although she learned both quickly, he could see she wanted to move on.
They spent the next two hours training in the garage. Though he’d thrown her to the mat several times, she always came back up ready to learn more. He had to hand it to her. Dana didn’t give up, or hesitate to get right back into the fray.
“Okay, that’s enough for now,” he said at last. “Let’s get something to eat. You might want to soak in the tub after lunch, too.”
“I’m just catching on to some of this. Couldn’t we train just a little longer?” she asked.
He shook his head. “You can’t learn it all in one day, and tonight you’ll have to be limber, not sore, in case something happens. I’ll be within reach all night, but the bars I’ve got earmarked are rough places.”
After eating a light lunch, Dana managed to talk him into giving her a few more lessons. This time, they mostly worked on techniques for breaking an opponent’s hold.
Once he saw how tired she was, he moved away. “That’s enough for today. You can think about what you’ve learned, and go over things in your head, but you need to rest.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have to access some Web sites and do more research,” he answered. “After that, I may try to get a couple of hours sleep since I’m not sure when we’ll get that chance again.”
The day passed quickly. Around three, while he worked on the computer in the living room, she went into the bedroom and stretched out on the bed. Within minutes she was fast asleep.
When she awoke a few hours later, she found Ranger asleep on an easy chair he’d positioned between her and the door. Her first thought was that he’d been protecting her-putting himself between her and any potential intruder. But then another thought came to her. Maybe he’d just been making sure she didn’t leave the house again without him knowing.