Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 92392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
I moved past them toward the tree line, and then the open space beyond the trees stopped me.
A landing zone was up ahead. Exactly as Reo had planned it. The cleared ground ran wide under the moon, and it already held one of Akiro's transport planes at the far edge—ramp down, engines still turning, heat distortion shimmering above.
Men poured from the huge plane, armed and forming up in tight columns that broke apart the moment the first fire found them from the tree line and many of the masked Scales raced out of the forest.
Akiro’s men looked shocked out of their fucking minds. Surely, they thought the Scales were insane.
They were masked and everywhere, screaming out their dismay.
The fight moved in bursts—advance, fire, fall back, fire—and the noise was enormous, a concussive wall that pressed against the chest and made the back of my teeth ache.
Muzzle flash strobed the dark in white and orange. Tracer rounds drew long red lines through the black. Shell casings caught the moonlight as they arced, fell, and disappeared into the grass.
Many of Akiro's men went down.
Many of mine moved forward and then hit their demise.
Our Roar is behind and to the left.
I turned around and found Reo several yards behind the front line, deep enough into the trees that the canopy closed overhead again. Someone had placed a table in the dirt and on its surface was a map of the island.
I hurried to Reo and gazed at the table. From what I could see in the dim lighting, all was painted on there—every road, building, tree line, ridge, landing zone, and even my mansion was rendered in miniature across a flat surface.
And on it, wooden pieces moved in the hands of four men who stood at the edges of the table with phones pressed to their ears. Every few seconds, they listened to whoever was on the phone and then moved the pieces without looking up.
Reo stood behind the table with his arms crossed and his eyes moving along the surface. He heard me before I reached him. "Kenji?"
I got beside him. "What is this?"
"The war." Reo did not look up. "Every piece is a unit. Our men on the ground are calling in position updates. These four relay them to the table.”
“How are we doing?”
“Our guns took out two planes and fed them to the ocean.” His hand moved over the surface without touching it. "But another plane made it to the South landing zone and was greeted by the kill box. Almost all of Akiro’s men have been killed in that area.”
“And the North?”
“We’re at the North landing zone now, but I came up with a new strategy.”
“What new strategy?”
“I figure that if your father and Akiro come to the island, they will need a safe place to land, or they won’t land at all.”
I stared at the map.
“So here in the north, I have fewer of our men than usual going out to fight them. They’re told to retreat like they’re scared and overwhelmed.”
Tension gathered in my shoulder. “Okay.”
“That gives Akiro’s people a false sense of confidence for the North landing zone.”
“Akiro will think that his men are in control of it.”
“Meanwhile, we have hundreds more men hiding within the forest waiting for the main show.”
“Good.”
“The rest of the island is protected. The mansion perimeter. The ridge batteries. The Bamboo Garden." He tapped each cluster of pieces in turn. "I know where everyone is at all times."
“Good. The antiaircraft guns did their job.”
“And now we’re out of them.” Reo let out a long sigh. "I keep seeing the wedding hall in my head."
I swallowed. “I made that deal with the Lion, not you.”
“Still.”
My Roar was efficient and highly intelligent, yet his heart was too big and his soul always yearned for the least casualties possible.
Reo gazed at me. "The Claws will need to be told."
“I am the Dragon. I don’t need to explain every part of this war to them, especially when we have victory in the morning.”
"They watched Tokyo burn. They think Akiro did it." Reo’s hand rested flat on the painted island. "We have to tell them the truth one day because. . .that is why I serve you."
I pursed my lips.
“Because I believe in you and know my loyalty within your hands is safe from corruption, evil, and deceit.” Reo’s mouth tightened. “Sure. It will be a hard conversation. The Fangs will understand. The Claws will not. Hiro especially. And every day we let that lie sit in their chests is another day the truth grows bigger than the lie and. . ."
“Again. . .” My hands found the edge of the table and gripped it. "I made the deal and only I will carry it. I will not hand it to the Claws and ask them to carry pieces of it for me. I will not hand it to my brother. That weight is mine."