Page 5 of Meet Odin

Theyweren’tkiddingwhenthey said I was going to be given an aptitude test. I was shown to an empty classroom, where they promptly sat the test in front of me. I hadn’t eaten anything since the burger and fries, and no one had offered breakfast. I was starving and rushed through the test. I didn’t care. If they wanted me to do it over, I would, but my mind was on my rumbling stomach.

As soon as it was over, they took the test to grade it, and a butler brought in a plate of eggs and bacon on a tray. Finally! I took my time and savored it. I didn’t know when I would eat next.

Mr. X walked back into the room with another man.

“Odin, this is Mr. Y, our school’s headmaster.” Mr. Y looked like a nerd. He was thin with a suit that didn’t really fit him. I couldn’t tell if he was wearing a toupee, but I refrained from trying to grab it. It was hard.

“Odin, how much school do you have?” Mr. Y asked me.

“I already told Mr. De Angelis. Year eight.”

“Tone it down. This isn’t the orphanage. I won't throw scripture at you when you're disrespectful. I will beat your ass."

Kinky. Too bad Mr. Y looked like he’d blow over with one good push.

I had been sitting at a long table, and Mr. Y sat in front of me on the other side. I watched as Mr. X stood off to the side of the door.

“You’re smart. Too smart. You have the highest test score of any boy we’ve seen come through the Syndicate’s doors. Did Mr. De Angelis give you the basics of this place?”

“He said I’d be paid.”

“Is that all that matters to you?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting, well, at least we won’t have to worry about a shrink.” Mr. Y continued, “The Silent Syndicate is exactly as it sounds. Men who silently hide in regular society. We have police men, teachers, retail clerks, anyone you can think of. They all start here. Once they pass their aptitude test, we make a plan for their education.

"The only profession we don’t have is a medical doctor. We've never had anyone we were confident would complete the required education. That all changes today. You’re going to med school, Odin.”

“How? I didn’t graduate.”

“We’ve sent that test off to cover the diploma and to accept you into college. This is merely a formality. We have contacts. You’ll spend roughly three years there, and as long as you’re still doing well, you’ll move forward. Mr. De Angelis will cover the costs.

"You’ll be expected to study during the semesters and summer school to complete this stage as quickly as possible. Every break, you’ll be here at the compound. The Syndicate are hitmen at night. They rid the earth of the vermin. You’ll need to learn weapons training, the art of disguise, and much more in order to become silent. If you’re caught, no one is going to rescue you.”

No wonder they had picked me. I didn’t have a family, and no one would come looking if something went wrong.

Mr. Y stood up and tucked the chair back in under the table. “Eat your breakfast, and then you’ll join the other boys for class,” he said as he walked towards the door. Turning around, he watched me as I shoveled toast in my mouth. “You’ll need a surname. Do you want anything specific?”

“Nystrom. I want Nystrom,” I said.

He nodded his head to acknowledge that he had heard me, and as he walked out the door, he took one last parting shot. “Chew with your mouth closed.”

I smiled at Mr. X as I leaned back in my chair. Nystrom - the dark storm.

I liked it already.

***

Mr.Yhadbeenright. They had sent the aptitude test off, and within a few weeks, I received a diploma. It didn't matter that I hadn't been to a traditional school in years. From there, I spent three years in college, earning some bullshit science degree.

It had been a cycle. I went to the college of Mr. De Angelis's choice, and every break I was back at the Syndicate compound.

The day I was accepted into med school, I walked into my room at the compound, and there was a gift sitting on my bed. It could have only been from one man. Mr. De Angelis had bought me my own medical bag with a false bottom. I wasn't going to be a regular doctor. I was going to serve the underworld. Lucky me, but at least it would pay well.

Chapter 2

Odin,32

---