Chapter 60 – The First Days of Training
LAPD SWAT Headquarters – First Day of Training
The sun had barely risen when Jason Gibbs and Ziva David arrived at the LAPD SWAT training center. The weather was cool, but within a few hours, the Los Angeles heat would make the environment even more challenging.
Before them, the operators of the 50-David and 20-David teams were lined up, ready for the start of what promised to be one of the most rigorous training sessions of their careers.
Jason walked slowly ahead of the ranks, his eyes sharp as a predator's, analyzing each operator as if he were on a battlefield.
Ziva, arms crossed, watched intently.
She recognized good soldiers simply by the way they carried themselves.
Jason stopped in the center and spoke, his voice firm and authoritative.
"You're used to being the best. The elite." But I'll make something clear from the start… Here, you're not special. Not yet.
There was a brief silence, broken only by the distant sound of Los Angeles traffic.
"What you think you know about combat… isn't even half of what we're going to teach you," Jason continued. "In the coming days, we're going to test your physical and mental limits. We're going to break your bad habits, rebuild your mindset, and transform you into true tactical operators."
Ziva stepped forward, her sharp gaze sweeping across the team.
"That means there will be discomfort. There will be frustration. But if you pay attention… you'll come out of here better than you ever imagined you could be."
Sergeant Hondo Harrelson exchanged a brief glance with Mumford.
They both knew this wouldn't be ordinary training.
Jason stopped in front of Cris Alonso, the team's sniper, and stared at her.
"You're the sniper?"
Chris straightened up.
"Yes, sir."
Jason smiled slightly. — Great. Let's see what you're made of.
The first day began with a series of brutal physical tests.
Long-distance runs in heavy vests.
Push-ups and sit-ups under the scorching sun.
Hand-to-hand combat exercises to the point of exhaustion.
Cris sweated profusely, but kept up the pace.
Street and Tan groaned with effort, but didn't give up.
Deacon, a veteran and always disciplined, maintained his form with controlled breathing.
Jason and Ziva watched each of them attentively, mentally noting who stood out and who needed more adjustments.
When the physical training ended, Jason looked at the operators, now panting and covered in sweat.
— That was just a warm-up.
The team let out a collective sigh, knowing that this wouldn't be easy.
After a brief hydration break, Jason and Ziva began the hand-to-hand combat module.
"What we teach here isn't traditional martial arts. It's not boxing. It's not jiu-jitsu," Ziva said, walking around the operators.
"This is fighting to survive. To kill, if necessary," Jason added.
Ziva positioned herself on the mat and gestured to Cris.
"Alonso. Come here."
Cris hesitated for a second, but then walked to the center of the mat.
Ziva assumed a neutral stance, analyzing her opponent's movements.
"Attack me."
Cris advanced quickly, attempting a direct hit.
In a single fluid movement, Ziva dodged, spun, and locked Cris's arm in a painful hold, slamming her onto the mat with controlled force.
Cris groaned as she felt the pressure on her shoulder, slamming her hand on the ground to indicate surrender.
Ziva released her immediately and offered her hand to help her up.
— You're fast, but predictable.
Cris accepted the help and nodded, taking a deep breath.
— What should I have done?
Ziva smiled.
— I'll teach you.
The operators watched attentively, seeing how Ziva mastered the combat with precision and efficiency.
On the other side of the mat, Jason demonstrated advanced disarming and neutralization techniques, using Street and Tan as demonstration partners.
— When someone is armed and close to you, reaction time is everything. If you wait too long, you're dead. If you move wrong, you're dead.
Jason picked up a training knife and handed it to Street.
— Try to hit me.
Street didn't hesitate. He advanced with the rubber blade, simulating a real attack.
Before he could blink, Jason dodged, controlled the blade's arm, and turned Street onto his back, immobilizing him in less than two seconds.
The operator tried to break free, but couldn't.
"That… was quick," Street said, impressed.
Jason smiled and let him go.
"Now you try."
On the second day, Jason took Cris and Luca to a special shooting range, where she would undergo her first practical sniping test.
Cris prepared her rifle and positioned herself on the ground, observing the target 800 meters away.
Jason knelt beside her, observing her posture.
"Are you comfortable?"
Cris adjusted her grip and nodded.
"Yes."
Jason picked up a pair of binoculars and assessed the target.
"Wind speed: 6 knots. Adjust the scope to compensate."
Cris turned the scope dial and took a deep breath.
Jason watched her for a moment before saying,
"Shoot."
Cris held her breath, aligned the sights, and pulled the trigger.
The shot echoed across the field, and the target was hit exactly in the center.
Jason smiled slightly.
"Good shot. Now let's see if you can repeat that with a moving target."
Cris smiled determinedly.
She knew she would have the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the world.
And she wasn't going to waste it.
In the first few days, the SWAT team already understood that Jason and Ziva weren't just ordinary instructors.
They were warriors who had been through extreme situations and were now shaping a new generation of operators.
The training would be intense, brutal, and transformative.
And they had barely begun.
Chapter 61 – The End of Training
LAPD SWAT Headquarters – Last Day of Training
The Los Angeles sun was beginning to set, casting golden hues over the LAPD SWAT training yard. The day's heat still lingered in the air, but the physical exhaustion of the 50-David and 20-David operators was much more evident.
They were exhausted, but for the first time in their careers, they didn't just feel like elite police officers they felt like true warriors.
Jason Gibbs and Ziva David watched the teams from afar, arms crossed, both satisfied with the results of the last few weeks.
Jason took a deep breath, knowing that this was one of those moments where you could see the difference between before and after.
Ziva smiled slightly, noting that everyone, without exception, was more focused, more disciplined, and more dangerous than ever.
To conclude the training, Jason and Ziva prepared a hostage rescue simulation, utilizing urban combat tactics, infiltration, and the elimination of threats with surgical precision.
This time, it wouldn't be a simple exercise.
"This mission will be a real test of what you've learned," Jason said, walking through the group of operators. "No guidance. No tips. Just you and what you've absorbed from training."
Hondo and Mumford looked at their teams, both aware that this would be the moment to prove they were ready.
Ziva approached Cris Alonso and whispered,
"Are you ready?"
Cris smiled slightly and adjusted her rifle.
"More than ever."
Jason then picked up the radio and gave the signal.
"Let's see what you've got. Begin."
The SWAT team moved with absolute precision, like a true elite unit.
Cris positioned himself on a rooftop, using his newfound sniper skills to provide cover and eliminate priority targets.
Deacon and Street led the entry from the front, utilizing advanced CQB (Close Quarters Battle) tactics.
Hondo and Luca performed the lateral infiltration, silently neutralizing threats.
The level of coordination, speed, and efficiency was something they hadn't experienced before the training.
In a few minutes, all the hostages were rescued, and the threats completely neutralized.
No excessive gunfire.
No unnecessary movements.
Just absolute precision.
Jason and Ziva exchanged glances, silently approving of what they saw.
After the simulation, the operators gathered in the courtyard, sweaty, tired, but with proud smiles on their faces.
Jason walked over to them, stopping in the center.
He looked at each of the operators, his eyes steady but satisfied.
"You guys were good before." "Now, you two are exceptional."
Ziva crossed her arms, a wry smile on her face.
"If there's one thing we've learned in life, it's that true strength comes from preparation. Today, you are more prepared than ever."
Hondo took a deep breath and smiled.
"This training was the most intense we've ever had, but it was also the best."
Mumford nodded.
"I have to admit… you two know what you're doing."
Cris Alonso, still holding his rifle, looked directly at Jason.
"I've never shot so well in my life. Thank you."
Jason smiled.
"The credit is yours. I just showed you the way."
Luca, always playful, patted Tan on the shoulder.
"Now we can say we were trained by a legend."
Tan laughed.
"And by a former Mossad agent who could kill any of us in seconds."
Ziva raised an eyebrow. — What makes you think I still can't?
The team laughed, feeling more confident and prepared than ever.
That night, Jason and Ziva were invited by Hondo and Mumford to a bar frequented by operators.
While they drank beer and laughed about the most intense moments of training, Jason looked around and realized something important.
Even though he had retired from special forces, he was still a soldier at heart.
But this time, he wasn't fighting alone.
And that made all the difference.
The LAPD SWAT team would never be the same again.
And Jason Gibbs and Ziva David knew they had accomplished their mission.
pat/SHADOWGHOST07