Dragon Flight Academy 2, page 16
“I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Pierce murmured under his breath when I sat down next to him.
“You and me both,” I replied. “But Brie’s smart. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.”
“Yeah, maybe she’ll convince them to buy us drinks with the money they’re about to win off us,” he grunted.
“Winners first,” Brie announced with a wave toward the pool table.
“Now this is how you do a break shot,” Carlos boasted. “Watch and learn, kids.”
He leaned down, aimed his cue stick, and fired a shot that spread the rest of the balls around the table. It was impressive, but none of them actually landed in a pocket.
“There,” Carlos said and stepped back.
“Nice break, man,” one of the sailors cheered from the bar, where he and the other two were watching the game.
“Your turn.” Carlos nodded in our direction.
“I’ll start,” Brie volunteered before Pierce and I could say something.
“Try not to hurt yourself,” Ray taunted when Brie stepped up.
She ignored him as she studied the positions of the balls. After a few moments, she took aim at the one ball, which was in the middle of the table.
“The one in the top right corner,” she announced as she bent down.
My brows shot up while the sailors laughed and cheered. They probably thought that Brie was way ahead of herself, and I couldn’t blame them for it. There was a lot of traffic in the way, and it would take some serious skills to drop the one without knocking one of the other balls.
I groaned when the cue ball rolled past the one, and the sailors laughed at her. I got to my feet to tell them to fuck off, but I stopped in my tracks when the cue ball hit the opposite corner and rolled back toward the middle of the table. It hit the one ball and sent it flying toward the top right corner. The sailors’ laughter died, and an uneasy look crossed all three of their faces as the ball dropped into the pocket.
“Lucky shot,” Lance murmured.
“Yeah, no chance it’ll happen again,” Ray agreed.
Brie gave them a brief look before she assessed the table again while she moved around it like a lion about to pounce on his next meal.
“The five in the middle left pocket,” she announced.
She took her spot, lowered her stick and sent the cue ball toward the solid orange. There was a clack as the two balls collided, and then the orange one went straight toward the middle left pocket.
“What the…” Carlos trailed off.
His eyes widened comically, and I would’ve laughed if I weren’t so dumbstruck myself.
“I guess watching and learning really does help,” Brie replied. “The six in the bottom left.”
She executed her next shot to perfection, and the green ball dropped with a solid thunk. We were ahead by three balls, so there were only four more to go before we could attempt to pocket the eight ball. I wanted to believe it was all luck, but I had a feeling that this had been Brie’s plan all along.
“She’s hustling them,” Pierce whispered in my ear. “Damn, the girl can play.”
I was too dumbfounded to say anything in return, and I could only watch as Brie pocketed the next two balls. She was always a force to be reckoned with, and our harmless game of pool was no exception. Ball after ball, she was precise and meticulous, and I couldn’t look away from her. She held my entire attention, and I found myself grinning as I watched.
Brie was down to the last solid ball, and there was a satisfied smirk on her lips. She didn’t gloat or taunt the sailors, who looked like they were about to shit themselves. They’d grown quieter with each ball that Brie pocketed, though I could see anger starting to appear on their faces.
I cast a furtive look at the locals and saw the Hawaiians were keeping a careful eye on us, as if they were expecting a fight to break out soon. I noticed that the sailors at the bar had slowly inched toward the pool table, so they were close enough to lend support if something did happen. Luckily, the cadets were still gathered around, so we had our own support group.
“Bottom left,” Brie announced as she walked around the table to face the two bottom pockets.
As she leaned down, she glanced up, and our eyes met. She winked and smiled, and I knew that Pierce had been right. This had been Brie’s plan all along.
The last solid ball ended in the bottom left pocket, and the cadets cheered while the sailors slowly shook their heads.
“And now, for the eight ball,” Brie announced gleefully as she strutted around the table.
The eight ball curled around the nine and dropped into the corner pocket. The game was over, and the sailors hadn’t even taken a shot after the break.
“You cheated!” Carlos bellowed angrily.
He slammed his fists down on the table and threw the redhead a vicious look. Spit gathered at the corners of his mouth, and suddenly, he looked like a raving lunatic.
“How did I cheat exactly?” Brie asked innocently as she opened her mouth in mock-surprise and placed a hand over her heart. “There’s no way to cheat when playing pool, doll. Now, I believe that this belongs to us.”
She grabbed the two hundred dollars, folded the bills into a tidy wad, and then tucked it between her breasts with a smile.
“You hustled us!” Ray fumed.
“I’d never do such a thing,” Brie protested, but the massive and satisfied grin on her face gave her away. “Looks like the Dragon Corps is better than the Navy, after all.”
She winked at Ray, and it must’ve been the last straw because he let out an enraged growl and threw a fist at her face. He was so inebriated, though, that Brie ducked out of the way easily. He stumbled forward and fell face first on top of the pool table.
“Oops.” Brie chuckled and turned to face the five other sailors.
For a moment, the room was still and eerily quiet as we gauged each other, and then in a flash, it was on. Carlos went straight for Brie, while Ray rolled off the table and charged at me. I was vaguely aware that the other sailors and cadets had started to brawl, but I focused on Ray and Brie. I knew she could handle herself, but I still kept an eye on her just in case Carlos fought dirty.
“You little fucker,” Ray growled as he took a wild swing.
I stepped back just in time to avoid a collision with his fist, but I wasn’t fast enough to duck out of the way of his other fist. It collided with my shoulder, and I winced as pain erupted down my arm. Ray was much bigger and stronger than I was, but he was also a lot more drunk than me, so I used it to my advantage.
I blocked his next attempt, ducked out of the way, and spun behind him. I landed a strike between the shoulder blades that sent Ray tumbling forward for the second time.
He tried to turn around, but the booze made it hard for him to stay steady when he moved too quickly. He had a fist like he planned to punch me as he came around, but instead, his arms flailed in the air as he tried to catch himself.
It was the perfect opening, and I moved in and nailed him with an uppercut to the chin. He stumbled back and landed on one of the tables behind us, and though the table held, the drinks crashed to the floor.
The guy who’d been sitting at the table kicked Ray to the floor and then offered his hand to the woman with him. The pair stood up and headed for the doors to the garden without a backward glance.
When Ray didn’t get back up, I spun around to check on Brie. She was managing on her own, but Carlos was faster than Ray, and he was relentless as he launched punch after punch. She barely had time to block, much less retaliate.
My vision turned red, my blood boiled, and my heart howled with fury. Everything and everyone around me blurred as I let my anger take control of my entire being.
“Hey, amigo!” I shouted as I ran toward him. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to hit a woman?”
“Don’t you drag my mother into this,” Carlos snarled as he spun toward me and threw a punch.
I managed to block it with my arm, though the impact sent a ripple of pain all the way to my shoulder. The bastard was strong, but also very drunk, so he didn’t retreat fast enough. I hooked his arm before he could pull away, and then I jerked him over my shoulder and dropped him on the floor.
Carlos fell face first on the dirty, sticky ground. He groaned and tried to get up, but a quick kick in the back kept him down. I looked around for Lance, and that’s when I realized the whole place had descended into chaos. It was hard to tell who was fighting whom anymore, though it looked like the rest of the cadets were holding their own.
“Cops!” someone shouted.
I finally heard the sirens then, and just like that, I was sober. We couldn’t afford to get arrested, or we’d never make it back to the base on time, and that would mean we’d be subject to a disciplinary hearing, which could very well end our careers.
“Dragon Corps, we’re outta here!” I shouted.
The cadets started to run for the back doors, though I saw Brie pull the money from her shirt and toss it on the bar for Luana.
“That’s for your trouble,” she called as she ran by.
I grabbed her hand, and together we ran out the back door. We raced through the garden, past the gate, and then we sprinted uphill to where we’d left our dragons. I could see some of them in the sky, so I whistled as loudly as I could to get their attention. A roar soon answered me, and I knew it was Storm even though I couldn’t see him against the dark sky.
I had no idea what time it was, but it didn’t matter. A laugh bubbled in my chest, and soon I was in complete hysterics. Beside me, Brie began chuckling, and her chuckle turned into a fully-blown fit of laughter as well. My sides were in serious pain by the time we climbed the steep hill.
“Quick!” Alistair shouted. “Everyone up!”
Blue-and-red flashing lights appeared down below just as two police cruisers pulled up in front of the bar. The cops took their time getting out of the cars like this was just the usual routine, but then someone ran outside and pointed to the hills.
“We have to leave, now!” I yelled and whistled again.
Storm appeared from behind the mountainside, and as soon as he landed, I jumped on his back. There was no time to put my flying gear on, and I noticed that no one else had bothered changing, either. Nick climbed behind Byron, and one by one, all twenty-two dragons launched into the sky.
I steered Storm in the right direction, and he raced southward through the night. Unlike earlier, none of us bothered with formation. We were simply flying as freely as we wanted, and I loved every moment. Flame appeared in my peripheral vision, and Brie grinned at me.
“That was so much fun!” she yelled.
“You’re full of surprises, you know?” I shouted back. “You handled the bastards like a pro.”
“I was mostly raised by men,” she laughed. “Playing pool was one of the only ways to pass the time that didn’t involve wrestling.”
“We’re gonna get in so much trouble,” I laughed.
It was most probably the inebriated part of my brain that didn’t care if the cops would contact either Hale or the academy to put in a complaint, but it was worth it just to see Brie hustle the sailors. That was something I’d remember forever, and if I lived long enough, I’d probably tell my grandkids the story.
And tomorrow, once I was sober and had enough sleep, I’d worry about the consequences of our actions, but for now, we were young, free, and drunk.
When the Marshall Islands came into view, it felt like we’d just left Kauai Island. It was disappointing to realize we were already back at the base, but Alistair and I exchanged quick nods, and then we ordered the two squadrons to land.
It was chaotic with twenty-two dragons trying to land at the same time, but the tarmac was wide enough that we could do it without crashing into each other, even if we were still buzzed. Once my feet touched solid ground, I thanked the soldiers who’d guided us down and then quickly rid Storm of his saddle and reins.
“Hope your night wasn’t as eventful as mine,” I told him.
I patted his shoulder, and I’d barely taken a step back when he spread his wings again and took off. A goofy grin curved around my mouth as I watched him lazily fly away, and then I quickly put the tack away.
I was still on a high when I bid goodnight to the other squadron and walked with my friends to our sleeping quarters. We were still raucous and drunk, so I tried to order everyone to settle down before someone came out to investigate. That worked for all of two minutes, and I didn’t try a second time.
“I can’t believe what happened,” Byron laughed. “You destroyed them.”
“I did what I had to do,” Brie replied. She sounded proud of herself, and a grin appeared on my face even though I was shaking my head.
“She was amazing,” I admitted. “A heads-up would’ve been nice, though.”
“I thought the sailors were going to piss themselves,” Caleb cackled.
“They only got what they deserved,” Pierce added smugly.
We were so hyped up by our victory that none of us noticed that the lights were already on when we reached our building. I pushed the door open and nearly stopped in my tracks when I spotted Captain Hale on one of the couches. He was facing the door, and he looked decidedly less impressed with our success.
Conversations stopped mid-word as the rest of the team realized why I’d stopped so suddenly. I heard someone gasp behind me, and another pilot gulped loudly.
“Fun night?” Hale asked.
His hands were crossed over his knees, and he didn’t make an effort to stand up. When our eyes met for a second, I knew he’d already gotten a call about our trip to Kauai.
“Sir, we can explain,” I began, but he held up a hand for silence.
“There were only two rules to follow,” Hale growled a moment later. “Respect the curfew, and don’t embarrass yourselves or the Dragon Corps. You’ve failed at both.”
He finally got to his feet, stepped around a table, and marched toward us with a look that promised retribution and pain. It was my turn to gulp, but I didn’t look away.
I hated that we’d broken the rules, but I didn’t regret the fight. The sailors had taunted us from the moment they’d arrived, and while we would’ve been happy to exchange a few insults and let it go, they’d kept at it. It was pure gold to see their faces after Brie had hustled them, and I was just glad I’d been there for that.
“I expected better from y’all,” Hale resumed as he glared at us. “Especially you, Cadet Randall.”
“I’m sorry, Sir,” I said.
“You should be,” Hale replied. “Now, can one of you explain what happened? And don’t think you can sugarcoat this one, because I’ve already gotten an incident report from the police.”
I started to reply, but Brie spoke first.
“We were having a nice time, Sir,” the redhead said. “And then six sailors came in. They harassed us and said… not so nice things about the Corps.”
“And what?” Hale demanded. “You had to defend the Corps’ honor by throwing punches?’
“No, Sir,” she assured him quickly. “We ignored them. And then Jake, Pierce, and I were playing pool in the back when three of the sailors came over and challenged us to a game. We agreed, and we lost the first game.”
“The first game…” Hale muttered.
“Yes, Sir,” Brie replied. “So we challenged them to another game, which we won. They accused us of cheating, though I don’t know how that would’ve been possible. That’s when they started throwing punches. We just defended ourselves, Sir.”
Once Brie stopped talking, Hale remained silent for a moment. He looked deep in thought, but he quickly snapped out of it and clapped his hands together.
“Well, the police considered this matter closed since no one knew the names of the dragon pilots involved, and we were unable to provide them with any leads since there aren’t any Dragon Corps stationed in Hawaii,” he announced. “So consider yourselves the luckiest fucking bastards on the planet right now and go to bed.”
“Yes, Sir,” we said in unison.
My friends scrambled from the room, and I was just about to follow when Hale stopped me.
“Next time, try not to win so convincingly,” he murmured.
The ghost of a smirk played on his face when he squeezed my shoulder. The subtle compliment was impossible to miss, and Hale’s smirk grew an inch before he left the building. I stared after him with a slack jaw and a dumbfounded expression.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I murmured once I found my voice.
Chapter 11
A chuckle rumbled from my throat. I shook my head at Hale’s parting comment, and I was still grinning when I went to bed a few minutes later. Hale knew exactly what we had done, and he was proud that we’d beaten the sailors at their own game, even if he’d never admit that publicly. He had to keep up his stern facade, but the fact that he let me know how he really felt spoke volumes.
That night, I slept like a baby, and I only woke up to the sound of the usual reveille performed by Hale. When I checked the time, I noticed that it was eight o’clock, which meant that he’d let us sleep in, possibly as a bit of praise for what happened at the bar.
As soon as I got up, I jumped straight into the shower, and then I put on my flying gear. I could hear faint conversations from the living room, and when I joined the other pilots, I found that my friends were reliving last night’s events.
“I can’t believe Hale was just waiting for us,” Caleb was saying. “I mean, I know he got a phone call, but still--”
“Kinda creepy if you ask me,” Pierce grumbled.
“Hey, he let us sleep in,” Xander argued. “That’s nice of him.”
“Morning, guys,” I greeted my friends. “The Brits are leaving today, so we should say goodbye.”
“I need food first,” Brie replied. “Then I’ll be ready for everything else.”
The others nodded in agreement, so we went to have breakfast in the dining hall. There were a few soldiers still lingering over coffee, but the Brits were there, so we joined them.
