Page 82 of Alpha Gray

Reid and Jax are captaining the other team, and Brock’s going to act as a referee of sorts. Once we’ve all donned our vests and have gathered with our teams again, we head for the gate and down the forest path to the war games area.

My team takes the first wooden bunker and the black team continues on to gather by theirs. We circle up to go over our strategy, but I’ve already got it down and I spend most of the time eye-fucking Gray instead. He’s so damn sexy when he’s in command. After a few minutes, we’re turned loose to get into position.

As always, I’m on offense. I’m arguably our fastest runner, so it makes sense to utilize my speed. Boyd and Judd are on offense too, and- much to my chagrin- Hannah. I know she won’t actively workwithme, but I hope she’ll stay out of my fucking way.

That flag ismine. With training camp winding down, this could be our last shot at war games, and I’ve been dying to get that flag and claim victory since the first week. I need it now more than ever and this is my time to shine, baby!

I’m perched to take off when Jax whistles loudly to signal the start of the drill. I spring forward, sprinting as fast as my feet will carry me to a grove of trees across the boundary line. My strategy is always the same for these games- lie in wait, take down my opponents, and rush the bunker. It has gotten me close several times and it’s bound to pan out at some point.

Judd and I have a two-man approach this time. We’re going to travel to the black team’s bunker together, on opposite sides to cover one another. I’m glad he’s got my back when I see the first black team member approaching- Davis.

Not that I don’t think I could take him down on my own, but Judd’s the only one who matches Davis for size. When he draws closer, taking his time, I choose my moment carefully before springing out from the cover of the trees to attack.

I’m planning to come up behind him, jump on his back, but Davis wheels around at the last second like he was expecting me, throwing me off my game. I duck and try to go for a sweep instead, but he moves with me, lunging forward and taking me to the ground on my back. The momentum sends us sliding across the dirt, Davis on top of me, grabbing for the patch on my right shoulder.

I’m digging my fingernails into his arm, trying to fend him off when Judd comes through with the save. He launches himself at us from the side, tackling Davis off of me. They hit the dirt hard, which gives me enough time to find my footing and hop back up. Davis is writhing underneath Judd, kicking and flailing and trying to fend him off. I lunge toward them, sticking an arm in the tangle of their limbs to go for Davis’ patch.

I hear the sound of tearing Velcro as I remove it from the shoulder of his vest, putting him on a one-minute pause. Davis stops fighting and Judd climbs off of him. Then Davis whips his head around to look at me and I just stick out my tongue, waving his patch in the air.

“Time out, princess,” I taunt, tucking the patch into my pocket.

Judd and I lock eyes and take off again. Time for us to find new hiding places, catch our breath, and prepare for our next ambush.

I find another thick clump of trees, disguising myself among their trunks and leaves. Bex is the next black vested player to approach, and Maxwell is close on her heels. It’ll be trickier to take down two, but I’m ready.

So is Judd, because he’s the first to pop out from hiding this time, heading straight for Maxwell. I guess he’s leaving Bex for me. I launch myself out of the brush, tearing toward Bex. She’s wily- she tries to juke right, left, right, thinking she’s going to trip me up and then outrun me. I’m fast on my feet, though- I match her movements, then lunge at her, delivering a slick right hook that catches her so off guard that she almost goes down.

We both grab for each other’s patches at the same time and I let out a shriek as she gets a fistful of my hair instead, pulling it so hard that it tugs my ponytail loose. I’m not getting anywhere with my arms, so I use my legs instead, stomping on one of her feet and kneeing her hard in the abdomen. As Bex doubles over from the impact, I snatch one of her patches off of the shoulder of her scrimmage tank.

“Thank you!” I chirp, spinning around to see where Judd and Maxwell ended up. Max is jogging off in the direction of the gold team bunker, while Judd sits on his butt in the dirt, scowling. Looks like he lost one of his patches.

“Go on, I’ll catch up,” he grumbles, folding his arms across his chest.

No need to tell me twice. I sprint forward, scanning my surroundings for another grove of trees I can use to take cover. I don’t see any more black team members coming my way before Judd reappears, free from his pause for losing a patch. As he draws closer, I whistle softly to clue him in as to my location and he finds his own spot to hide.

This strategy is totally paying off. Judd and I continue to make our way deeper into the black team’s territory, picking off their players one by one. I’m practically giddy by the time the bunker is in view- I’ve still got both patches and that flag is as good as mine.

It’s now or never. Judd and I exchange glances from our hiding places, communicating our next moves with our eyes. We’re gonna make a run for it, cover one another, and hopefully one of us will make it to the flag. They may as well have left it unguarded, because only Mara’s standing on their platform and she’s a total layup. All brute strength, zero finesse. I could run circles around her.

Judd ticks his head in the direction of the bunker, then pushes himself off of a tree trunk, launching into a sprint. I’m right with him on the opposite side, bounding out into the open, my feet pounding the dirt as I sprint toward the bunker. Judd and I draw closer, running side by side, and as Mara sees us, her eyes widen, her mouth slightly agape.

For a second, we think we have her- but we didn’t account for their defense. Two black team members hurl themselves out of the brush in our direction, then two more. Too many to fight off- we’ve just gotta be faster.

“I’ll cover you!” Judd shouts as we near the platform, and I grab onto one of the wooden beams, kicking my legs up and swinging onto it. I land on my feet on the platform and the only thing between me and the flag is Mara.

She draws up her fists, poised to attack. When they start to fly, I bob and weave, dodging her blows until she lands one right on my cheek. It fucking burns- like I said, the girl is all brute strength- but I don’t let it knock me off kilter. Instead, I try to outmaneuver her with my new favorite takedown- right, left, sweep.

It works like a damn charm and I snatch Mara’s shoulder patch right as her body drops to the wooden platform.

Flag time, baby!I step over Mara, reaching for the black team’s flag. I grab it from its post, tucking it into my sports bra before I turn around to plan my escape.

Incredibly, Judd is still holding his own, fighting off three of the four defensive players. One of them is sitting on the ground in time-out for having a patch pulled. We lock eyes, and he whispers ‘flag!’ to his teammates- which shouldn’t be legal play since he’s on his minute suspension, but referee Brock is nowhere to be seen.

Another black vested player’s eyes fly up to me and I know it’s now or never. I grab the beam of the platform again, swinging myself down. I come down clumsily, nearly twisting an ankle, but I’m able to regain my footing right before the other player is on me, darting out of the way. Judd’s still keeping the other two at bay, for now, but I have to make a run for it.

I take off in a dead sprint, leaving Judd and the others behind, grabbing the black team’s flag back out of my bra and waving it as I run.

Holy shit. I did it! I put more and more distance between myself and the black team’s player giving chase as I run. My thigh and calf muscles burn, but I’m feeling positively euphoric as I make my way closer to the boundary line with the opposing team’s flag.Finally!

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