Dagger Squad

Chapter 5

"Remind me why you invited him again?" Rooster asked, looking at the blond across from him.

Phoenix shrugged, her hand propped up underneath her chin. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh, I don't know." He said bluntly, watching him sway his head to a Metallica song Rooster couldn't put his finger on.

Phoenix couldn't help but grin, keeping in her laugh as she looked to Jake. "He's enjoying himself." She turned back to Rooster

He was a child in his own little world.

Rooster rolled his eyes.

Coyote shook his head with a smile, walking over with two beers in each hand, dealing them out to the table.

He sat down next to Rooster, "He's always like this if he isn't talking to some lady or showing off to everyone."

Phoenix looked down to her bottle and Rooster laughed.

"You mean he's not just being arrogant all the time? There's actually a time he stops and goofs around?"

"Yep." Coyote nods, sitting the beer bottle down.

"Not just being a jerk kinda goofing off?"

"Nope." He says quite proudly.

"You seem to have a lot of pride in telling Rooster that." Phoenix murmured, tracing the outline of sweat the bottle produced onto the table.

"I do. He's my best friend." He smiled.

There wasn't any response from Jake, though.

Rooster chuckled, "Seems like he doesn't agree with you." He turned to Coyote.

The man waved his hand in dismissal, "Pshh. Yes he does."

Without the motormouth pilot speaking, conversation wasn't made often at the table for the time being.

The other three aviators just sat around their company, people watching.

The bar was hopping as usual, customers filing in and never seeming to go out. Pilots and other members of the Navy, tourists and hometown people, friends and families. They all swam past tables and chairs, beers in their hands, giddy smiles on their faces. However, it was a lesser amount of people than normal. If that was even possible.

"You think the owner if this place is mega rich?" Rooster asked, looking around the area.

"Definitely." Coyote said with a nod.

"It's a bit odd, though. It's a weekend and there isn't near as many people here as normal." Phoenix noted, getting another nod from Coyote.

"I was watching that myself." He told her.

After the short conversation, they turned to Jake as he sat back down at the table.

If he wasn't humming along to the music while fiddling with the bottle opener, he was walking around the bar.

Hangman was earning questionable looks from the group since he still hadn't said much at the table. Rooster had asked if he was sick, or having some sort of bet, but that only got a no from Coyote, and zero awsner from Hangman.

"Hey, I think this Tabasco is spoiled." Jake finally commented, looking at the glass bottle in the middle of the table.

"How do you-"

"You mean that's all you're going to say after being quiet the entire time here?!" Both Rooster and Phoenix yelled in question.

Hangman looked at them, unsure what to say.