Out of the Ashes (The Game 5)

Lee joined her side. “We have a saying in the Navy. ‘The only easy day was yesterday.’ Meaning, it’ll get much worse after you’ve visited me.” He smiled.

I swallowed. I’d heard stories about his recruit training. If his station was “easy” in comparison, I was screwed.

“The next station will be hosted by Colt,” Ivy went on. “Sir?”

Colt smirked. “In the Air Force, we have a running joke. ‘Never fly with anyone braver than yourself.’ With that said, I’ll be your copilot for my station. Up there.” He pointed toward something in the dark—a fucking cliffside. Oh my God, we were jumping, weren’t we? The black water was completely still some twenty feet below.

“Fuck my life,” someone whispered behind me.

So basically, as long as we were braver than Colt, we’d be fine.

Great!

“River and Reese are up after Colt,” Ivy continued. “Sirs?”

River nodded slightly. “An old Army general once said, ‘They have us surrounded again, the poor bastards.’”

Reese went next, having recovered from the House-Mclean-House trauma. “Colonel George Taylor said something to the same effect at Omaha Beach on D-Day. ‘They’re on our left, they’re on our right. They’re in front of us, they’re behind us. They can’t get away this time.’”

We got it, we got it. Brats were the enemy.

“But even when we’re outnumbered, we come out on top frighteningly easily,” Reese said. Cocky son of a bitch. Frighteningly easily, my ass. “You’ll get your chance to prove me wrong at our station. We’ll face you in the mud.”

It was going to be a long, painful night.

I was ready.

“Last but not least!” Ivy declared. “Master Greer will run the final station. Sir?”

Greer didn’t leave his spot slightly behind the others. He merely folded his arms over his chest and grinned a little. “We’re men of action and few words in the Marines.” That earned him an Okay, buddy look from both Colt and Lee. “‘You don’t hurt ’em if you don’t hit ’em.’ It’ll be my pleasure to make sure you’re not leavin’ this place without the proper amount of marks and bruises.”

“You’re such a flirt, boy,” Noa said.

And Noa was a bit of a troll.

Greer shifted his gaze to Noa. “I hear you love restraints.”

“You need to check your hearing, then,” Noa snapped.

The Sadists chuckled.

“If we’re done flirtin’, let’s continue to the foreplay,” Colt announced. “Welcome to the boot camp, brats! The event is being filmed for the enjoyment of those at the house, and the only thing left before we begin is group assigning. Ivy has a list where you’ll find your name teamed with three or four other subbies. The first group, get ready—you’ll start in ten minutes.”

Like the flip of a switch, my body tensed with nerves, bottled frustrations, and the desire to lose my shit completely. Knowing my Owner, he wasn’t gonna let me get away easily tonight, and I didn’t want him to either. I just hoped he’d give me the chance to fight back. Hard.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Kingsley Madden

“Have I ever told you those are bad for you?”

I took a drag from my smoke and side-eyed Greer. “Get outta town. Really?”

“It’s true.” He nodded.

I chuckled and jumped down a rocky ledge on the path down to the smallest beach in Virginia. Or narrowest, I should say, because it was fairly long. Perfect for an obstacle course.

“I promised Tate I would quit before I turn forty, so you don’t have to worry much longer.” I clapped Greer on the back.

When the bonfires from our meetup location no longer offered any light where we walked, we brought out our flashlights and ignited the torches along the uneven path. Fifteen of us had been coming and going to this quarry all week, preparing for tonight. We’d tested the courses, we’d checked the water, we’d taken all measurements and minimized every hazard. The last-minute details today had revolved around lighting and recording. We’d stuck torches into the ground, we’d set up tripods and checked angles, and we’d put up warnings and reminders. It was gonna be a nice little outing.

My problem right now was that my focus was super fixed on my task. I didn’t hold an ounce of semi-forced anger toward Tate from his bold stunt with Franklin earlier, but I hoped I could summon it once the event began. Which meant I was gonna goad him to the extremes and push every button I could find.

Everything was set up at the bottom of the quarry. A fifty-foot sand crawl under a grid of barbed wire would start us off nicely. Despite it being made of rubber instead of steel, the sharp points weren’t pleasant to get tangled up in. But rather than facing punctured skin and rust, the brats would emerge with scratches and presumably sand everywhere.

While I finished lighting up the torches along the beach, Greer cracked a dozen red glowsticks and threw them into the water.