Read Online ATLAS 2 (ATLAS Series Book 2) by Isaac Hooke - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Isaac Hooke
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. . .
“TJ, bro, you eaten yet?” Skullcracker asked again.
TJ leaned past his girl, spread his fingers in a V, and darted his tongue through the crack.
Skullcracker glanced at the rest of us, an amused light in his eyes. “That means no,” he joked.
My gaze was drawn to Ghost behind him, who, in the black light, looked like a glowing demon with his pale skin and white hair. He had attracted his own type of woman: a lithe, pale beauty with black hair. She lay in his lap with her eyes closed, her head resting on his chest, a contented smile curving her plump lips.
The woman’s smile reminded me of Shaw. It was the same smile she would wear after our lovemaking.
On the main stage, Fret’s girl ended her set and the cantina band took over.
“You’ve been pretty quiet tonight, Rade,” Tahoe said abruptly, leaning close so that his voice carried to my ears alone. He was seated beside me, and up until this point he’d had his eyes unfocused, a sign that he had been inside his Implant.
“What about you?” I said.
“Writing the wife. My little girl turned three yesterday, you know.”
“ That’s great.”
Tahoe nodded slowly. “Is it? I sometimes feel like I’m missing out on her life.”
I had nothing to say to that.
“But enough about me,” Tahoe said. “Obviously something’s got you down tonight.”
I pressed my lips together and looked away.
“We all miss them,” Tahoe said suddenly.
I was glad I’d looked away, because I didn’t want him to see the rapid blinking those words brought to my eyes.
We all miss them .
He didn’t have to say who. I knew. I’d always know.
I heard laughter to my right. From Dyson and Meyers. They were the new caterpillars assigned to the platoon, and they sat apart from everyone else.
I didn’t like them.
Actually, that was too mild a term.
I hated them.
What right did they have to come in here, thinking they could replace Big Dog and Alejandro? No one ever could.
I had to remind myself that of course the caterpillars didn’t believe that. They were assigned to Alfa platoon by Lieutenant Commander Braggs and Chief Bourbonjack. But still, whenever I looked at them, I felt anger. I truly resented them.
Dyson had two girls sitting in his lap at this moment, and he was smiling and joking away with Meyers. Skullcracker was allowed to have two girls in his lap, but not Dyson. Never Dyson.
He thought he could laugh and have fun, did he? When good people had died so that he could be here?
I’d see about that.
I got up.
“Rade,” Tahoe said, warningly. “Leave it.”
I ignored him and stalked over to Dyson.
“No girls for you tonight,” I said, forcefully hauling the dancers off him.
“Hey!” one of the girls said.
“Here.” I transferred some microcoins to her via my embedded ID. “Go play with yourself in the corner or something.”
Dyson stood up angrily. “What are you doing?”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” I said, shoving him back down. “What right do you have to be here? You’re laughing, huh? It’s all fun and games, huh? What right!”
Dyson stood up again. “I’ve paid my dues to get here,” he said carefully.
My hand curved into a fist and I almost punched him right there. “You haven’t.”
We stared at each other, our faces only a few centimeters apart as the cantina band played in the background. His Asian American features were bunched up into a scowl.
I was seconds away from starting an all-out brawl with him. Seconds.
My fist tightened—
Then his face softened, and he looked down. “Sorry, sir.”
“That’s right. You’re a little caterpillar and I’m a seasoned MOTH. Now sit down and shut up.” I shoved him back into his seat and stormed away.
I went to the men’s restroom and splashed my face in cold water.
“You’ve had too much to drink.” Tahoe’s voice came from behind me.
I dried half my face, and stared at my reflection in the mirror. “I don’t know who I am
“TJ, bro, you eaten yet?” Skullcracker asked again.
TJ leaned past his girl, spread his fingers in a V, and darted his tongue through the crack.
Skullcracker glanced at the rest of us, an amused light in his eyes. “That means no,” he joked.
My gaze was drawn to Ghost behind him, who, in the black light, looked like a glowing demon with his pale skin and white hair. He had attracted his own type of woman: a lithe, pale beauty with black hair. She lay in his lap with her eyes closed, her head resting on his chest, a contented smile curving her plump lips.
The woman’s smile reminded me of Shaw. It was the same smile she would wear after our lovemaking.
On the main stage, Fret’s girl ended her set and the cantina band took over.
“You’ve been pretty quiet tonight, Rade,” Tahoe said abruptly, leaning close so that his voice carried to my ears alone. He was seated beside me, and up until this point he’d had his eyes unfocused, a sign that he had been inside his Implant.
“What about you?” I said.
“Writing the wife. My little girl turned three yesterday, you know.”
“ That’s great.”
Tahoe nodded slowly. “Is it? I sometimes feel like I’m missing out on her life.”
I had nothing to say to that.
“But enough about me,” Tahoe said. “Obviously something’s got you down tonight.”
I pressed my lips together and looked away.
“We all miss them,” Tahoe said suddenly.
I was glad I’d looked away, because I didn’t want him to see the rapid blinking those words brought to my eyes.
We all miss them .
He didn’t have to say who. I knew. I’d always know.
I heard laughter to my right. From Dyson and Meyers. They were the new caterpillars assigned to the platoon, and they sat apart from everyone else.
I didn’t like them.
Actually, that was too mild a term.
I hated them.
What right did they have to come in here, thinking they could replace Big Dog and Alejandro? No one ever could.
I had to remind myself that of course the caterpillars didn’t believe that. They were assigned to Alfa platoon by Lieutenant Commander Braggs and Chief Bourbonjack. But still, whenever I looked at them, I felt anger. I truly resented them.
Dyson had two girls sitting in his lap at this moment, and he was smiling and joking away with Meyers. Skullcracker was allowed to have two girls in his lap, but not Dyson. Never Dyson.
He thought he could laugh and have fun, did he? When good people had died so that he could be here?
I’d see about that.
I got up.
“Rade,” Tahoe said, warningly. “Leave it.”
I ignored him and stalked over to Dyson.
“No girls for you tonight,” I said, forcefully hauling the dancers off him.
“Hey!” one of the girls said.
“Here.” I transferred some microcoins to her via my embedded ID. “Go play with yourself in the corner or something.”
Dyson stood up angrily. “What are you doing?”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” I said, shoving him back down. “What right do you have to be here? You’re laughing, huh? It’s all fun and games, huh? What right!”
Dyson stood up again. “I’ve paid my dues to get here,” he said carefully.
My hand curved into a fist and I almost punched him right there. “You haven’t.”
We stared at each other, our faces only a few centimeters apart as the cantina band played in the background. His Asian American features were bunched up into a scowl.
I was seconds away from starting an all-out brawl with him. Seconds.
My fist tightened—
Then his face softened, and he looked down. “Sorry, sir.”
“That’s right. You’re a little caterpillar and I’m a seasoned MOTH. Now sit down and shut up.” I shoved him back into his seat and stormed away.
I went to the men’s restroom and splashed my face in cold water.
“You’ve had too much to drink.” Tahoe’s voice came from behind me.
I dried half my face, and stared at my reflection in the mirror. “I don’t know who I am
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