Dragon Flight Academy 2, page 2
“Shut up,” I laughed.
When we finally got back, it was time for dinner, so we headed straight into the crew mess with the older cadets. The atmosphere between us and the second and third-years had shifted for the better since our showdown against the Soviets a couple of weeks ago. They’d always given us pointers and useful advice since they had the experience that we lacked, but now, it felt like we were a more cohesive unit.
The other squad leaders, Jonas and Bailey, had taken me under their wing and given me advice on how to be a good squadron leader. It was always good to talk to them, and I often spent part of my mealtime with them.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Jonas said the moment I sat down across from him with Caleb to my right and Brie to my left.
“You heard right,” my friend said and slung an arm over my shoulders. “Our Jake’s the first one who completed the Dead Man’s Turn. He’s awesome, isn’t he?”
“Thanks, man,” I chuckled and patted his arm before I threw it off of me.
“Well done,” Bailey said. “Didn’t I tell you just to wait until your dragon was older?”
“You did,” I agreed. “And you were right. Storm’s got the strength to pull it off now, and his fireballs were a lot bigger, too. They’re probably the size of a human head now.”
“I noticed that, too.” Brie nodded. “They’re all getting bigger and stronger.”
“And their saddles are getting too small,” I added. “I don’t think Storm’s too happy about being cooped up in the stables overnight, either.”
“They won’t have to remain in the stables for much longer,” Jonas assured us. “Usually, the academy waits a couple of months, three sometimes, before letting dragons have the freedom to roam around campus and the hinterlands.”
“Let’s hope it’ll happen sooner rather than later then,” I said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Storm decided to burn the stables down.”
Bricks couldn’t burn, but that wouldn’t stop my stubborn dragon if he thought it would get him moved to the yard ahead of schedule. Honestly, I was surprised he hadn’t tried it yet, but if it was another two or three months of life in the stalls, then there was plenty of time for him to try.
“If anything, he’d hurt himself more than the stables,” Jonas replied.
Both squadron leaders shared their own stories of when they realized their dragon was ready to move out of the stables and into the paddock, and I listened, enraptured, to their tales. I had no idea what their first names were. Both Jonas and Bailey went by their last names and had done so since they joined the academy, so I’d gone along with it just like everyone else had.
We were nearly done with dinner, and Bailey was in the middle of revisiting a story about his dragon’s first injury when the rest of the room fell silent. I glanced up to see that the double doors were open, and a moment later, General Harlow entered the room.
Harlow rarely ever came into the crew mess since it was mostly a dining area for the cadets, not the faculty members, and I grew even more concerned when I noticed the solemn and serious look on the general’s face. Like always, he carried himself with a straight back and with both arms at his side. His head was held high, and since he was inside, he wasn’t wearing his cap, so I could see how his salt-and-pepper hair was perfectly trimmed and combed.
He walked to the middle of the crew mess and stopped in between tables. Every cadet had stopped what they were doing and now paid him their full attention, myself included.
As soon as he stopped, I got to my feet and noticed how every other cadet did the same. We saluted him and waited for his orders before we dropped our hands.
“Attention, cadets,” Harlow said in a loud and steady voice. “You’re all expected in the main hall in five minutes for a mandatory meeting.”
“Yes, Sir!” the whole room replied at the same time.
The room remained deadly quiet as Harlow walked out, and it wasn’t until the double doors closed after him that we even dared to look at each other. At our table, everyone started talking at the same time, and while we used different words, we were all wondering the same thing.
Why did Harlow want us in the main hall?
“Jake, what do you think?” I heard Byron ask me.
“No idea.” I shrugged. “Let’s go find out.”
In the two months we’d been at the academy, General Harlow had never requested a spontaneous and mandatory meeting, so I knew it was big. Of course, my first thought was that the Soviets had breached the flimsy peace we had, and we were going to be deployed in the next hour. But the realistic part of me knew that was unlikely. A member of the faculty would’ve come to get us in that scenario, because the general would’ve been too busy dealing with the top brass to warn the cadets. So it must’ve been about something else.
My mind reeled with endless possibilities as we walked out of the crew mess toward the campus’ main hall. It was situated right in the center of the academy, so it only took us a minute to reach our destination. The room was built like a theater, with black chairs everywhere and a mini stage right at the back.
Faculty members were already seated in the first row, though from the way they leaned over to talk to each other, it didn’t appear that they had any idea what the meeting was about, either. Since my squadron was first-years, we had to wait for the upperclassmen to take their seats before we could.
Once everyone was seated, General Harlow walked onto the stage, but he wasn’t alone. Three men dressed in business suits joined him, and I had to admit, I was impressed that these strangers managed to look so fresh in the heat.
“Who do you think they are?” Caleb whispered in my ear as he leaned into me. “They look serious.”
“Something must’ve happened,” I whispered back, though I had absolutely no clue who these men were.
General Harlow stepped up to the microphone, while the three men in suits stood on his left but two steps behind him. They looked perfectly comfortable being on the stage, which was the first red flag.
“Cadets, I regret to inform you that an investigation has put the academy under scrutiny,” Harlow revealed in a somber tone. “Meet Special Agents Hensley and Lansing, and Mr. Thomas Vexler, who is one of Senator Denton’s top aides.”
What I wanted to do was turn to my friends and share looks of disbelief with them, but we were in the general’s presence, so the room remained still and eerily quiet. I was barely breathing as I waited for Harlow’s next words, and when they came, they knocked the breath out of me.
“The FBI has received intelligence that a Soviet spy may be hiding in our ranks,” Harlow continued. “As you can imagine, we take these claims very seriously, and we expect everyone to cooperate fully. You’ll still be expected to continue your schoolwork during this time, though we understand that the Agents will need access to continue their investigations, so you may be excused from some classwork if necessary. Interviews begin tomorrow.”
Chapter 2
At a regular college, an accusation like that would’ve sent a ripple of shock through the crowd, and the students probably would’ve started to protest loudly. But DCA was a military academy, so no one spoke up, though a few people exchanged quick glances. I kept my eyes forward, though in my head, millions of thoughts bumped into each other, though the big two were who were they investigating and who had talked to the FBI?
Beside me, Caleb’s leg began bouncing up and down, which was his usual nervous tic, and on my other side, Brie’s arm very briefly brushed against mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her shake her head just once, but that was the only reaction she had.
“I expect each cadet to answer every question these gentlemen might have,” Harlow said after a brief pause. “DCA will cooperate fully with the FBI, and I won’t tolerate any dishonesty.”
Harlow’s eyes swept across the room, and while he didn’t specifically target me, it felt like his words were aimed at me. Of course, I had nothing to hide, except for my forbidden relationships with Gracie and Brie, so I knew that it was my brain simply playing tricks on me, but it didn’t help ease the sudden knot that had formed in my chest.
I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but it wasn’t the time nor the place to do so, so I bit my tongue and clenched my fists.
“That’ll be all,” Harlow said after he’d raked everyone across the coals with his gaze. “Your supervisors will give you more information tomorrow morning.”
After that, he walked off the stage, and the three men in suits followed after him. Instead of leaving the room, they huddled together in a corner and exchanged what I could only assume were political pleasantries. Then one by one, the faculty members stood up, and the third-year cadets imitated them. While the students left the main hall, the faculty members stayed behind, probably to receive more information about the FBI’s presence at DCA.
I itched to stick around and eavesdrop on the upcoming meeting, but I’d be crossing boundaries, so I forced myself to follow the throng of people out of the room. I bid goodnight to Jonas and Bailey, who each headed toward their own common room, and then I joined my squadron in the first-years’ common room.
As soon as the door closed behind the last cadet, everyone began talking at the same time. Questions flew around the room, and everyone kept looking at me like I had the answers. I let them shout for a few moments, and that’s when I noticed that Pierce wasn’t saying anything, which was completely out of character.
“What I want to know,” Byron bellowed loud enough to be heard over everyone else, “is how the heck the FBI came to suspect DCA might have a Soviet spy hiding in plain sight?”
His harsh tone was sarcastic, and after a heartbeat had passed, every eye turned toward Pierce.
“Why are y’all looking at me?” Pierce grunted and crossed his arms in displeasure.
“Because you’ve been accusing Nick of being a spy since day one,” I replied. “And we all know you’d do anything to move up the ranks in the class.”
“Oh, please,” Pierce huffed. “I’m so far ahead of Nick--”
“Why the fuck would you do that?” Nick suddenly shouted as his fists clenched. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not a spy?”
“So you can’t take a joke, big deal.” Pierce rolled his eyes. “But that doesn’t mean that I called the FBI. I wouldn’t even know how to reach them.”
“You know they have hotline numbers,” Brie said coolly. “They’ve advertised them on every social media platform imaginable, so don’t pretend you didn’t know that.”
“Alright, fine,” Pierce sighed and threw his arms in the air. “I do know how to get in touch with the FBI to report a spy, but why are y’all accusing me? I’m not the only one here who’s made their views known.”
“No, but you’re the only one who’s been a dickhead from the start,” Nick argued.
Pierce rolled his eyes again, so I wasn’t surprised when Nick lunged for the other cadet. Luckily, Byron and I were able to get there first, and we held Nick back before he could do something stupid. Nick struggled against us, but we didn’t let go. I’ll admit, I was tempted to let Nick beat the crap out of Pierce, but I also knew that would only divide our squadron and give the FBI more ammo for their investigation.
“Ouch,” Pierce grimaced and placed a hand over his heart in a dramatic gesture. “Okay, that’s true, I’ve been a dickhead to every single one of you, but that doesn’t mean you should all jump the gun and point it at me.”
“That’s exactly what we should do,” Nick countered. “You’re lucky I haven’t beat the shit out of you yet.”
“Guys,” Anji said in a calming voice. “Fighting isn’t going to help us nor the academy.”
Nick grunted, but I felt the tension slowly drain out of his arms. I didn’t release him just yet, but he seemed to understand how bad it would look if he beat Pierce to a pulp.
“You’re right,” Nick said and shook off me and Byron. “You’re not worth my time.”
He stalked away to the other side of the room, dropped down on one of the couches, and turned the TV on. He kept the volume at a reasonable level, but it was clear that Nick was done talking. The rest of us, though, weren’t. I turned back to Pierce and leveled him with a long, angry look.
“Tell me the truth, Pierce,” I said. “Did you call the FBI?”
Pierce suddenly looked uncomfortable, which was a new look for him. I didn’t think it was even possible for him to experience self-doubt. But apparently it was, and he’d also apparently grown a conscience because he sighed heavily as a sheepish look crossed his features.
“Alright, fine, I did it,” he admitted as his usual smirk emerged. “But it was just a joke. I figured I’d get Nick in a little trouble, maybe put a little more distance between us in the rankings… I didn’t think they’d actually show up here.”
“You told them there was a spy at the Dragon academy,” Brie growled. “Of course they’d send someone to investigate.”
“It’s not as if I begged them to come and arrest Nick, alright?” Pierce snapped. “All I said was I suspected one of my fellow cadets was a spy.”
“What did you think would happen after that, Pierce?” Byron demanded. “That the FBI would just blow it off? Or maybe you were hoping they’d congratulate you for serving your country?”
“Listen, I made the call, like, on the second day,” Pierce said. “Of course I don’t think Nick’s a spy.”
“Anymore,” Nick called from his spot on the couch.
“Anymore,” Pierce amended with an eye roll. “Besides, I made that call ages ago. If it was my fault, they would’ve been here sooner.”
“So, what, you think someone else called them?” Brie asked in disbelief.
“Uhhhh, don’t you remember the almost battle against the Russians we went through just two weeks ago?” Pierce reminded us. “That’s probably the real reason. They probably think someone told the Russians that we didn’t have any Dragon Corps in the area who could match them.”
That made the room go quiet for a moment.
“Listen, guys, there’s no point in arguing about it,” I sighed. “We’ve all had a long day, and we won’t get any more information tonight, so let’s just drop it.”
The rest of the team slowly nodded, and after a few moments, we spread out around the room. No one used the words FBI or investigation the rest of the evening, but the tension they created was still there.
Nick and Pierce ignored each other, and the rest of the cadets ignored Pierce. The smug bastard finally got fed up and announced he was heading back to his room. As soon as Pierce disappeared, I joined Nick on the couch, even though his eyes never left the TV screen.
“Hey, man,” I said. “How are you holding up?”
“Fine.” He shrugged, but I could still feel the anger that roiled around him.
“So trying to attack Pierce is you being fine?” I lifted a brow, and I saw Nick’s mouth twitch in an effort to contain his smile.
“Alright, maybe I’m not fine,” he conceded and let out a sigh. “It’s just that I thought we were past all the Soviet spy bullshit.”
“We are,” I insisted. “You heard Pierce. He made the phone call two months ago.”
“I know,” he sighed again. “But how sick can someone be to do that?”
“I know he’s a dick most of the time, and trying to get you in trouble just for fun is a new low, even for Pierce,” I agreed.
“He hasn’t even apologized,” Nick blurted out in anger. “He could destroy my career before it’s even started, and he didn’t even say sorry.”
“I’m sure he will,” I assured him, though I wasn’t actually sure of that. “It might take time because Pierce’s not the brightest bulb, but he’ll apologize.”
“Is this the friend talking or the squadron leader?” Nick asked as he finally looked at me.
“A bit of both.” I smiled and clasped a hand on his shoulder. “You good?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He shrugged and offered me a wan smile. “Well, as long as my interview with the FBI goes well.”
“It will,” I said a little too heartily. “There’s no reason why it won’t. Unless you’re actually a spy and have been lying through your teeth since the beginning.”
“Fuck off, Randall,” Nick laughed and pushed me away.
I laughed as I left him. If Nick was able to take a real joke, then I was certain he was alright. He had nothing to hide, so he’d get through the interview and then refocus on what was really important.
As I looked around the common room, I debated whether to stick around. It’d be nice to spend some time with Brie, but I was feeling exhausted after my success at the Grand Canyon and then the announcement from Harlow. I’d done what I could for my squadron for now, and as Jonas and Bailey liked to remind me, a good commander knew when he’d done all he could.
Besides, it wasn’t like I could hold Brie in my arms or kiss her goodnight. So I went around the room one more time and offered a few words of encouragement before I headed back to my own room.
I’d just finished getting ready for bed when Caleb came in. My friend looked like an excited golden retriever as he bounced toward his bed and plopped down.
“Man, what a day,” he whistled. “I can’t believe the freaking FBI is here.”
“And Senator Denton’s rep,” I added as I turned to look at him.
“I have a feeling the situation’s bigger than just them investigating a phone call from Pierce,” Caleb said thoughtfully. “I mean, why would they send someone from Washington to… what is he even going to do? Assess the situation? Supervise the FBI?”
“I honestly have no idea,” I said around a yawn. “The whole thing’s fucked up.”
“The guy’s a jackass,” Caleb sighed. “But I guess we’re stuck with him.”
“We are, and he is,” I agreed and then paused for a moment. “Though, to give Pierce credit, he’s been trying a lot harder recently. He’s not quite the dick he was before.”
