Apocalyptic Pirates 5, page 18
When I put down the razor and surveyed myself in the mirror, it was like looking at an entirely different person to the guy who’d stepped into the elevator less than twenty-four hours earlier. That guy had been a wild adventurer with his gun and his knife. The guy before me looked like a secret agent. Sharp suit, scrubbed face, tidy hair. The change was remarkable. I hadn’t looked like this in weeks.
I gave my reflection a thoughtful nod before I went out of the bathroom and back into the lounge.
There was no sound from the women’s rooms that might indicate that they were ready to go, so I walked to the lounge window and tried to look through the shutters that covered the glass. It was dark outside, so I couldn’t see much at all. I must have slept for the whole day. That explained why I was so hungry.
There was a knock at the door.
I walked quickly across the room to open it, and then I just stood there and gawked at the sight before me.
Ally, Shannon, Letty, and Dia were standing in the corridor, and they looked like fucking goddesses.
Ally was wearing a long, strapless emerald-green dress that poured over her curves like water and contrasted with the milky domes of her cleavage. Her red hair tumbled free in loose waves about her face.
Shannon wore a short, silky black dress with thin beaded straps that crossed over the back and wrapped around her waist to emphasize her hourglass hips. Her glossy hair was slicked back in a high ponytail that left her pouty lips and sharp cheekbones on full display.
Letty wore a pale pink dress that hugged her figure closely and then flared out at the bottom of the skirt. Her black skin shone against the pale fabric, and she’d pulled her dark ringlets into a braid that hung like a heavy rope over her shoulder.
Dia was wearing a dark red dress that wrapped around her body like a second skin. Her breasts strained against the tight bodice, and the smooth, olive skin of her thigh peeped through the slit in the skirt. Her wild curls sprang loose and rebellious around her face.
“Gee, Drew, it’s like you’ve never seen a girl before.” Shannon grinned.
“Wow.” I finally found my voice. “You guys look stunning.”
“We clean up nice, I have to say.” Ally looked around at the others with a pleased smile on her face.
“It makes a change from cargo shorts, that’s for sure,” Dia said, and she struck a dramatic pose.
“You can take the girl out of the cargo shorts, but you can’t take the cargo shorts out of the girl.” Shannon shook her head.
Dia flipped her the bird with a cheeky grin.
“It’s reassuring to know that the glamor hasn’t gone to your heads at all.” I chuckled. “Shall we go down?”
“You look very nice, Drew.” Ally linked her arm through mine. “Though I miss your beard.”
“It’s still there,” I said and demonstrated that fact by rasping my hand against my bristles.
“I like stubble,” Shannon declared.
“Why? Is there an old soldier boy who has stubble?” Dia asked with a wicked gleam in her eye.
“Oh, my god,” Shannon exclaimed. “Can we please not talk about old military men anymore, please?”
“I think there’s a young military man who might want your attention instead,” I said with a grin, and I nodded toward Cadet Abrego who was standing at the end of the corridor and hopelessly staring at the women with his mouth hanging open.
“Poor boy,” Letty murmured. “Look at him drooling.”
“Be nice to him,” I chided. “He’s very young.”
“You don’t say,” Ally murmured as we walked up to the young cadet. “I feel like I should be tucking him into bed with a mug of hot milk.”
“Uh, ladies,” Cadet Abrego stuttered. “Uh. Hi. Yes. Um. Dresses. For dinner. You dressed for dinner. Good.”
“Hey.” I gave him a wave. “I’m here too, you know.”
“I’m sorry?” The cadet’s face flushed dark red as he managed to drag his eyes away from the women.
“Come on.” I shook my head and went to stand by his side. “Lead the way to the dining room.”
The women followed us, and Cadet Abrego continued to blush and start at every giggle and whisper they gave.
I had to feel sorry for him, but also a secret part of me was enjoying this a little bit.
We took the elevator down to the fifty-second floor and came out in a little anteroom that had a padded bench running around the outside. There was an open doorway that led through to the main room, which was the biggest dining room I’d ever seen.
There was an enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling above a wide dining table made from warm, shining wood. The walls were covered in dark red wallpaper, and there were dozens of little brass light sconces dotted around that bathed the room in a cozy, ambient glow.
There were about a dozen men seated at the table, one of whom I recognized as Sergeant Rodriguez. Now that we weren’t in a dark boat and I wasn’t busy wondering about what the hell was going to happen next, I was able to focus on him a bit better, and I realized that he was probably about the same age as me. He was tall and thin, clean-shaven with dark wavy hair and large hazel eyes that met mine with an intensity that was bordering on anxiety.
At the head of the table was Commissioner Hernandez. He stood up from his chair as we entered the room, and all the other men followed his lead.
A ripple of whispers spread around the table, and I felt all eyes in the room turn to us. To be fair, most of them were instantly focused on the women behind me, but some of them were scrutinizing me as well, and I straightened my posture and drew myself up to my full height as we crossed the floor to reach the table.
“Drew,” the Commissioner greeted me. “Thank you for joining us. And these are your crewmates, I take it?”
“Yes.” I looked around at the women. “This is Ally, Shannon, Letty, and Dia.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The Commissioner actually gave a little bow.
Ally, of course, gave a perfect curtsy back, while the others just gave him grave nods of greeting.
“Please, take a seat,” the Commissioner said.
We all sat down, and several men in smart suits who I assumed were hotel staff approached the table with serving trolleys. The table was set for a meal with shining silverware, glasses, and plates made from delicate white China. The waiters moved along the table with their trolleys and served us from the covered dishes they carried.
The meal was a simple dish of rice and chicken. I was a little worried that it might be too spicy for my tastes, but maybe the kitchen had been given advance warning that there were Americans in the building, because I found the spices warming and flavorful, rather than the intense burst of hot peppers that I’d expected.
I was starving, so that might have had something to do with it. It wasn’t as good as one of Letty’s meals, but it was full of flavor, and I couldn’t take down mouthfuls of it fast enough.
I was so focused on the food that for a moment I almost forgot about the other people at the table. Then the Commissioner spoke while I was busy shoveling rice into my mouth.
“Drew,” he said. “These men here are the soldiers who will be accompanying you on your mission tomorrow.”
“Oh, right.” I looked up hastily and surveyed the men on the other side of the table.
They were all watching me, some with neutral expressions and some that suggested more hostile feelings.
I hoped they were just wary of a stranger coming into their midst. After all, they had no idea what kind of person I was, and whether I was the kind of guy whom they could safely take into the middle of the dragon-infested rainforest.
I inclined my head.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” I said. “We appreciate your bravery in going with us into the forest.”
“Surely it is we who must appreciate you,” the Commissioner said with a little chuckle. “It’s you who is venturing into the lion’s den.”
“But with firepower,” Sergeant Rodriguez clarified. “We might not have the might of the United States military, but we do have enough guns to fully equip you, your crew, and the squad going with you.”
“We’ve been trying to avoid using our guns as much as possible while we’re going through the Canal,” I told him. “It’s hard, but the dragons are so sensitive to sound that it was a sacrifice we had to make.”
“No guns?” The sergeant’s eyebrows rose. “What have you been using as weapons instead of guns?”
“We have our knives,” I replied. “And when we passed through Gatun Locks, we traded with the workers there and they gave us spears that they had made themselves.”
“Knives and spears?” One of the other soldiers grimaced. “I wouldn’t like to go up against a dragon with anything less than an AK-47.”
“It hasn’t been easy,” I acknowledged. “We’ve lucked out so far with narrowly slipping by the dragons since we switched to our blades.”
“Tell them about the crocodile, though,” Dia urged with her mouth half-full of chicken.
I was glad to see that neither a pretty dress nor distinguished company could put Dia off her food.
“Which one?” I gave a half-laugh as I realized what a prominent part crocodiles had played in our journey over the past few days. “There was the crocodile that attacked the boat under Puente Atlántico. Then there was the crocodile that ate a howler monkey right by our boat. And then there’s the crocodile that attacked and tried to kill a dragon.”
“A crocodile attacked your boat?” The soldier’s eyes widened. “And you fought it off with knives and homemade spears?”
“That’s very impressive,” Commissioner Hernandez noted. “Very impressive indeed.”
“Actually, at that point we hadn’t got the spears yet,” Shannon said. “So we just had to use our knives. Oh, and Drew used the butt of his gun to hit it in the face.”
“Brave,” the Commissioner murmured. “Brave, very brave.”
“It’s just what had to be done.” I shrugged and took a mouthful of rice.
“Nevertheless.” The Commissioner pointed his fork at me with a raised eyebrow. “It’s clear that you’re a force to be reckoned with. You and your crew.”
“Thank you, Commissioner.” Shannon inclined her head graciously.
Dia caught her eye and waggled her eyebrows at her meaningfully.
Shannon blushed and looked down as Dia exchanged a cheeky grin with Letty and Ally.
“So,” I said quickly to move away from the subject of Shannon’s preferences in men. “All of you will be coming with us tomorrow?”
“Yes.” Sergeant Rodriguez nodded. “I will be in charge of the troops, but obviously that will not apply to you. And the Commissioner has advised that we are to follow your guidance in all matters concerning dragons in the jungle.”
Maybe that was why some of the soldiers looked a bit wary of me. For all they knew, I was some soft civilian who didn’t know the first thing about fighting dragons. If what Shannon had said earlier about Sergeant Rodriguez was true, then these soldiers might know nothing about me except that the Commissioner was ordering them to take my orders.
I’d be wary of those circumstances, too.
Even if they were aware of my videos, they might not have made the connection between us and The Good Pirates.
“I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes here,” I said. “I’m not going to muscle in and take over.”
“But you do have more experience than anyone else here when it comes to fighting and killing the dragons?” Sergeant Rodriguez questioned.
“Well, uh, I don’t know,” I said. “How much experience have you guys had with killing the dragons?”
“Some.” He looked down briefly at his plate. “The Coast Guard has made it a point of pride to capture any dragon that comes too close to the coastline. We killed a few dragons at the beginning, but soon they made it clear that killing them wasn’t the preferred option. We don’t have the equipment that they have for capturing the dragons, so we ended up just leaving them alone for the most part. And now they tend not to roam too close to the coast because they’ve settled down in the Metropolitan National Park.”
“The Commissioner told me a bit about that.” I nodded.
Shit. It really did look like we were the ones with the most experience here.
“Any pointers you can give us about facing the dragons head-on would be very gratefully received,” the Sergeant said as he took a mouthful of rice.
“Well?” I looked around at the women. “Have you got any tips you want to share?”
“Shoot them hard and run away quickly?” Dia suggested.
“Aim for the eyes,” Shannon said more helpfully. “The eyes, the snout, and the throat are all vulnerable spots for them.”
“They’re not fast, but they’re not slow, either,” Ally said. “You can generally hear the adults coming, but the babies are freaky little things. They’re mostly quiet, so they sneak up on you, but they also make this horrible high-pitched chittering sound.”
“The babies are super fast,” Letty said. “Sometimes it’s easier to wing a baby rather than try to shoot to kill. Once they’re on the ground, they lose some of their speed and mobility, so they’re easier to kill.”
The soldiers were exchanging glances among themselves. I wasn’t sure what their problem was, but then one of them leaned forward.
“You were scared, though, yes?” he asked in a low voice.
“Well, of course.” Letty laughed. “They’re scary creatures.”
“But still, you fought them,” he persisted.
“Well, yes.” Letty raised her eyebrows, and the man quietly sat back in his seat.
I thought I could guess what was going on inside his mind. He was trying to marry the incongruous image of the beautiful, poised, perfectly groomed women in front of him with the mental picture of the blood-stained Amazon warrior that their words implied.
“And you’ve killed dragons yourselves?” another soldier asked.
“Yes.” Letty pointed toward Shannon. “Shannon probably has the highest score out of all of us. She’s just such a good shot.”
“Oh, come on, don’t be modest.” Shannon chuckled and reached for her glass. “We’re all good shots.”
“I’m not,” Ally volunteered, and she let out a sudden giggle as the men turned to look at her. “Well, I’m getting better at it. But still, Shannon is a crazy good shot.”
“She is,” I confirmed. “Her sharpshooting has got us out of more sticky situations than I care to count. And Letty’s used kettles of boiling water against a jaguar, Dia’s used guns and knives. And Ally, don’t forget when you used that frying pan.”
“That’s hard to believe.” The soldier was looking the women up and down with his brow knitted in a puzzled frown.
“Really?” Shannon flashed Dia a smile, then turned back to the soldier with her best haughty stare on. “Then I guess we’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow, won’t we?”
The soldier’s face blushed dark red as he realized what an ass he’d been. The soldier next to him nudged him in the ribs with his elbow and whispered something in his ear.
“Apologies,” the first guy mumbled. “I didn’t mean to doubt your skills.”
“I understand that you might be feeling a bit cautious about going with us into the forest,” I said in a tone that I hoped was both placatory and confident. “But make no mistake about it. We’ve faced more of these things than we can count. We’ve killed them. We’ve come out alive and unharmed. We know what we’re doing.”
There was a general nodding among the soldiers.
“I must apologize again,” the soldier said with a shamefaced gesture. “We’re all very tense and on edge here. But that’s no excuse for rudeness on my part.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Shannon told him as an easy smile lit up her face.
“What’s your name?” Dia asked him with her characteristic boldness.
“Second Corporal Perez, miss,” he replied.
“Oof.” Dia pulled a face. “Don’t call me miss. It’s just Dia.”
“Dia,” he repeated. “I am sorry.”
“This might be a good opportunity to go over a few preliminaries,” Sergeant Rodriguez suggested. “That way we can clear up who is doing what and what the general plan for the mission tomorrow is.”
“But we haven’t had dessert yet,” the Commissioner protested.
It was such a comically out of place thing to say that I couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter.
The Commissioner looked up quickly with his eyebrows knitted together.
“It’s good for morale,” he rebuked me, but he had a twinkle in his eye that made me think that, despite his grim exterior, he still saw the funny side of it.
“Yes, sir.” Sergeant Rodriguez nodded with absolute seriousness. “You’re right, we will wait until we finish the meal to discuss the operation.”
“What is for dessert?” Dia asked in interest.
“I believe it is mamallena,” the Commissioner told her. “Bread pudding.”
“Oh, sweet!” she exclaimed in delight. “I love bread pudding.”
Dia’s complete lack of decorum was such a funny contrast to Shannon’s manners that always came out when she met anyone from the military. With Dia, I guessed it was a case of familiarity rendering her immune to the power of a military insignia. Her grandfather was a retired general, but to Dia, he was first and foremost her Papi, not a renowned and respected figure in the American Army.
But for Shannon, any military figure was one step away from her father and her grandfather, who had both seen active service. Respect for the armed forces had been drilled into her, and familiarity couldn’t be further from her mind.
Even now she was eyeing Dia with a mixture of amusement and outrage at her cheekiness.
“When the bread pudding arrives,” the Commissioner assured Sergeant Rodriguez. “Then we can discuss tomorrow’s mission.”
