this?” he asked, darting with faster-than-human speed to pick out a ziplock baggie of powdered grey material from Mack’s pile.
“Homemade Tannerite, sir,” Mack said. “It’s still separated, so it’s not activated.”
“Tannerite… anyone know what it is?” he asked.
“A commercial binary explosive formed from ammonium nitrate and powdered aluminum. It’s set off by a high-energy kinetic event, such as a rifle round impacting it,” Caceo said.
“Yes, of course you would know that, Miss Jensen. So you have a legal explosive, but how will you set it off?” he asked, pocketing the baggie.
“If I have access to a rifle, then it’s easy. If not, then each baggie has a .223 round in it, which I can use to improvise a firing mechanism. It’s a little tricky, but I’ve done it before. I’m a pretty fair machinist.”
“I hope you are paying attention, class. Parabellum—to prepare for war,” he said, wandering over in front of Caeco’s pile. Hers had a more professional look to it.
At least six knives—two of them ceramic—in flat kydex sheaths, a collapsible steel baton, a set of lock picks, a coiled wire garrote with t-shaped handles, plastic triangular darts, a small black micro flashlight—probably for signaling, as she came with excellent night vision—an expensive butane lighter that I knew burned really hot because she’d shown it to me, a disposable cell phone, a small wad of twenties and fifties, Kevlar cord, gloves, and a vial of e-liquid for an electronic cigarette.
“Smoke much, Miss Jensen?” he asked, holding up the vial of liquid nicotine.
“No sir, but it’s a high concentration of nicotine and poisonous to most humans. Not sure of its effect on weres or vampires.”
“I don’t think it would do much if anything to a vampire, but it would make me lightheaded for a bit. Maybe enough to disorient me. It could possibly kill an adult human if you got the whole thing into them. Nasty, Miss Jensen, nasty,” he said.
He looked around the room, visibly coming to some decision. “This is as good a time as any. After discussing it with Mrs. Velasquez, we are agreed that this class will benefit from having Miss Jensen assist me in teaching you. In case you haven’t caught on, she has a wealth of training and experience that will benefit all of you. So effective immediately, Miss Jensen is my Teaching Assistant.”
“I Challenge,” Delwood immediately roared. “I should be assisting and I’ll prove it in combat.”
Chapter 8
“This isn’t a pack, Mr. Singer, and there are no Challenges here,” Jenks said, looking angry for the first time.
“I’ll fight him,” Caeco said calmly. “If it will settle his concerns about his status, then fine.”
I expected Jenks to shut her down but instead, he studied her carefully. Then he nodded.
“Okay. So be it. But everyone in this class needs to know that this is a one-time exception to shut Singer up. You all will be doing plenty of fighting… so much that none of you will want to Challenge for anything. Now clear the floor,” he said.
My shocked classmates climbed to their feet, tired expressions changing to either fear or excitement.
“Rules: strictly hand-to-hand. No Changing, Singer, or by God you’ll regret the day you were born. No kill strikes or major crippling moves. First incapacitated or first to tap out,” he said as he cleared the floor, making all the kids back up to the walls.
Delwood was stretching and flexing, looking more apelike than wolfen. My girl was standing relaxed, watching him with narrowed eyes. She glanced my way and let a small grin slip across her mouth before compressing her lips. She was absolutely enjoying the hell out of this.
I knew she was good—really, really good. She regularly beat the stuffing out of both Levi and I at the same time, never really breaking a sweat, but I was still concerned.
“Alright, let’s get this train wreck over with. Begin,” he said, backing away.
Caeco never hesitated. Before his lips formed the n in begin, she was moving arrow straight at Delwood, who was caught off guard.
It made sense, as the big lummox had probably intimidated the hell out of anyone he had ever fought, leaving time and initiative on his side. Caeco gave him neither. She blurred straight at him, fist cocked to punch his face. His guard started to come up, disbelief all over his face. At the last instant, she crouched low and punched straight to his groin, then roundhouse kicked the side of his right knee. He blocked the punch but lurched