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“Yeah. I win, we get to play insubordinate sergeant versus CO. You win, we’ll play whatever game comes with these overalls.”
“You’ve got a deal. I’m coming for that ass of yours,” I tell her.
“I sure hope so, Chris. I sure hope so.”
I can’t stop the smile that’s splitting my face. She’s a firecracker, all right.
The flag is dropped, and we all run for cover. The venue is right in the middle of someone’s property, with dense trees and manmade hiding places such as barrels and walls. Jess’s team has yellow protection gear, and my team has red. Hardly colors to make hiding easy, but I guess it makes it all the more fun. I hide behind a wooden barrel and see Jess head for the thick brush. I check my surroundings, making sure I’m not in anyone’s line of fire, and run across to take cover behind another barrel. I see a flash of yellow peek up from behind the wall to my left and aim my rifle. I shoot, hitting him square in the chest. A red stain like real blood takes him out of the game.
Only five more opponents to go, including Jess. I crawl from my barrel to a dilapidated wall and lean against it, getting closer to where Jess is hiding out among the trees. Another flash of yellow appears in my peripheral vision, but one of my teammates nails him on the inside of his leg, right in a spot that has no protective gear, and he drops to the ground. I feel bad for the poor bastard—he’s gonna be in a lot more pain later—but nod at my guy. He nods back and points to a spot behind me.
I slowly turn round and look to where he’s pointing. I don’t see anything. Just as I think that, though, I spot the shoelace trailing on the ground from behind the bale of hay. I get ready to make my move when Jess pops her head out from the brush and shoots the guy who saved me straight in the gut.
She whoops and does a happy dance. I chuckle quietly to myself. She may have annihilated a member of my team, but she just showed everyone where she is.
Rookie move, angel. Rookie move.
The guy with the shoelace makes a run for it, and I chase after him, ducking behind another barrel as yellow balls whizz past my head. I raise my gun to point it at Shoelace Guy when I see Jess hiding behind a tree and staring in my direction. She’s so busy watching what I’m doing, she doesn’t see one of my guys sneaking up behind her. I react on reflex, jumping over a barrel and rushing through the trees.
Before the guy has his weapon properly trained on Jess, I nail him in the shoulder and jump in front of her, taking the ball flying at me from the other guy hiding behind a tree behind Jess’s. It hits me in the chest.
After the game, we’re back outside the changing rooms, and Jess smirks at me. “Did you sacrifice yourself for me, sir?”
“I guess I did.”
“How very chivalrous of you, but now I don’t get to win our bet.”
“I’m afraid not, since my team did go on to wipe yours out after I gave away their hiding places.”
“That feels like cheating.”
“And that feels like insubordination.”
“I guess I get to wear my camo again.”
