Risk and Rebel's Guide Book

PRIDE > EXCERPT

SOMEWHERE IN THE EVERGLADES

--

"Remind me what they think your name is, again?"

Pride and Team Delta were currently working their way through the Everglades. In spite of the fact that Pride had warned them that gators lurked everywhere, Outlaw was visibly undeterred, and had asked multiple times if she could swim, anyway. (This had only been prevented because Slick man-handled her into the canoe.) Apparently, since she couldn't try to make friends with the alligators, she had decided that pestering Pride was the next best thing.

Pride wished he could say he was surprised. He could, at least, say he wasn't annoyed. As the oldest agent in LASAR, he frequently found himself feeling like the older brother of the agency. Not that the agency functioned anywhere near close to a family system -- much less a normal agency -- but still, in some twisted way, the feeling was there. Probably, he figured, it was the age difference. Though truth be told, there were days he looked at some of his fellow agents and couldn't bring himself to believe they were actually teenagers. But he digressed.

"My alias," Pride corrected gently, "is Julius King. Though most of them are just going to call me Captain."

"Right," Outlaw drawled, almost trailing one of her hands through the water before Slick swatted at her. "Okay, but it even sounds fake, I mean-- Quiz couldn't have gotten more creative?"

"Law," Slick sighed wearily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're going to alert every fish in a mile radius of our presence, not to even mention the people."

"I'm not that loud," Outlaw scoffed. "Don't be overdramatic. Seriously though, Pride."

Pride was glad for the darkness, which mostly concealed his smile of amusement. "I'm pretty sure Boss was in charge of coming up with the alias, not Quiz. But yeah, it does sound extremely fictional. Kind of fits the nickname Pride, though, don't you think?"

Outlaw hummed contemplatively at that, though from what he could see, her expression suggested she was far from convinced.

"We're almost there," Pride said then, his voice lowering. "Remember, they're going to accept you because you're with me -- so don't start anything." 

"Don't worry," Slick whispered, shooting her partner a near venomous look, "we won't."

"So thoughtful of you to always speak for me, Slick," Outlaw muttered, but she made no further protests. Pride accepted that as her agreeing to what he had said. 

The closer their canoe got to the shoreline, the easier it was to see the campfire that had been set up. Pride could vaguely make out figures standing around it. Assuming the contact he had made had been genuine, the three figures standing there were men he had connected with in his time overseas. It was odd, he realized, to see them standing on American soil. Granted, he was no more American than they were, but it made him extremely aware of the fact that he was currently engaged in something purely LASAR oriented -- all under the guise of a former Army Ranger captain. 

Pride was the one that climbed out of the canoe when they reached shallow enough water. He dragged the canoe towards the shore and up onto it, and even went to offer a hand to help the girls get out of it. Outlaw blatantly ignored his hand and climbed confident from the canoe on her own, her heavy boots landing on the rocks with a loud crunch. Slick accepted the hand, and with Pride's help made a much lighter landing than her partner.

The three men watched Slick and Outlaw with open suspicion before their attention moved to Pride. One of them stepped forward and offered a hand. When he spoke, it was with a heavy accent. "Captain," he said, "a pleasure to see you again."