“Ah, I see. Because I’m luring The American closer.” His face flinches. “It’s okay, Keith. I get that I’ll be here for a while, and I’m on the top of ‘The American’s most wanted to re-kidnap’ list.” I sigh, taking a sip of the beer. “Any word about the poison?”
“Cole is the one you should be talking to about that. Sorry, Savannah, but we have rules.”
The conversation around the dinner table is pretty interesting tonight. Cole has yet to join us.
Abigail is floored that I had participated in ‘the battle,’ as they call it.
“You think that was a wise idea, Mark?” She narrows her eyes at him.
“It was worth the punishment.” He winks at me.
I love that Mark took one for me so I could have a little fun. I’ll have to make it up to him somehow. I heard that he took all the heat, not wanting John to get in trouble as well.
“What you get, anyway?” Keith asks, chewing on a roll.
“Three nights at the Peak.” He shrugs.
“Shitty,” Keith responds.
“The Peak?” I ask, not following.
“It’s the worst post to be assigned, and it’s normally reserved for the rookies,” Keith explains, “especially this time of year with the wind and rain. Makes my bones ache just thinking of it.”
“Oh, Mark, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. The look on the guys’ faces when you took off your helmet is worth every minute up there on that cold, cold hill.” He holds his beer up. “To Agent Black, someone not to turn your back on.” He eyes Paul, who I had hit two times in the back. Everyone raises their glasses to me as we all start laughing.
“So, when is the next battle?” I’m joking, but everyone grows quiet. “Come on, you said I could shoot.”
Cole comes to the head of the table, looking less than impressed. “Sorry I’m late, Abigail. Dinner looks great.” He glances around the table. “Please don’t stop the conversation on my account.”
“Tell me, Savi, how did you manage to pop me in the back?” Paul bravely asks.
“Hubcap. I could make out your movements in the reflection.”
“Impressive.” He chuckles.
“Paul,” Cole wipes his mouth with his napkin, “tell Savannah how you hurt your neck.”
Paul sighs loudly. I guess I won’t like this. “Keith dropped from twenty feet above me, slipped a disc in my neck. Hurts like hell when it rains.”
“Keith, tell Savannah about your knee.” Cole turns to where Keith is sitting.
“I got plowed from the side by Mike. We both fell ten feet off a beam, and he landed on my knee.”
Cole points to Mark. “Left shoulder.”
Mark turns, pulling up his shirt and revealing a jagged scar across his shoulder.
I gasp and cover my mouth. It looks terrible.
“Fell on a metal peg, got dragged a few yards. Tore right through my gear.”
Cole focuses back on me. “My point, Savannah, is all this happened during our training in paintball. We didn’t know it was you in Black’s uniform today. Any one of us could have seriously injured you. You will be involved in no more battles.”