The Falcon Ridge Series Book 1 She's Not For You

(Chapter song ‘Fortunate Son' by Creedence Clearwater Revival)

ANNA

I watch River intently as he tells us what’s happening. I’m excited for this. He dragged me here thinking I could do well and after1 our talk, I’m going to prove to him that he was right. I want to do this. I need this for me.

I'm a yellow shirt for this paintball war game. Michael immediately recruited me for his team. I don’t mind, we always made a good team.

After being told how we were all going to play this, we take our positions. Infiltrating the woods at our starting point. There's no real base to defend. So, the plan is just to push the other side out, taking as many out as we go.

Once the games begin, we skulk through the trees quietly.

Michael is the leader of our little foursome. He takes point. Davis and myself are in the middle and Franco is covering our rear.

We were all moving with stealth through the brush when Michael throws up his hand, stopping us in our tracks and signalling to crouch.

I hear twigs snap and pop up from behind the bush were hiding behind to try to sneak a look.

Three green shirts appear. Thankfully we were upwind and our location wasn't made.

I aim my rifle. I've got a shot on the leader. I slip the barrel of my rifle quietly through the middle of the bush and squeeze the trigger. My yellow paintball nails the leader in the chest. Splattering him in yellow paint.

"Argh..." He falls in a seemingly dramatic death scene. His teammates scramble for cover.

Michael fires and yellow paint smears across the arm of another green shirt member.

"Damn it!" He yells and trudges out of the woods with the leader in tow.

The third slips into the trees and escapes.

Michael high fives our victory and pushes us forward.

We walk from behind a group of trees and a paintball whizzes by Michael's head. It hits Davis in the leg.

"Fuck!" He barks. Glaring at the green paint on his calf. He sighs and gives a two-finger salute "Later."

We scramble for cover. Michael peeks out behind s tree trunk and turns back to me. "Rez at 2 o'clock. " He whispers.

I nod and look, but I don't have a clear shot.

I turn to Franco, motioning for him to hunt Rez.

Franco squat crawls over to another bush and peers through it.

Rez is too focused on Michael to notice Franco coming for him.

When he's in position, just a few feet away, Franco pops up and fires three shots into Rez's back.

Rez goes down. His back splashed with yellow paint.

Michael stand up, laughing and pointing at him.

Rez gets up. "You son of bitch." He smirks.

Michael smirks back. "Gotta keep those eyes open, Rezy."

Just as he says that, Zeke steps out from a group of trees and fires a shot that hits Michael's shoulder with blue paint. Michael lurches forward then looks st his shoukder. His eyes turn to where the shot came from.

Zeke is sporting a cocky grin, holding his rifle in front of him and arching a brow. "You were saying?"

Michael’s shoulders drop, he hangs his head and shakes it.

Zeke grins. "You're mine, Dorian. 4 hours after training." He runs off, laughing through the trees.

Alpha blue shots aren't kill shots. It's just to tag us for their punishment later, but the red balls 'kill" the Alphas. Take them out of play. They're all cocky right now, but they have surprises waiting for them later.

I chuckle. "Have fun." Slapping him on the shoulder as I walk back.

He bites his cheek, standing there with his hands on his hips.

****

Two hours in, we've bagged another five green shirts.

We decide to take the high road. Climbing a small hill for an ambush and some rest.

When we get to the top and find our position. I look around the area. Under a bush, I see a yellow bucket.

I run over and grab it. "Ammo!" I whisper. I bring it over to the guys.

We reload our guns. Just as I reach for another ball, I see something in the bucket and pull it out. My face fills with shock and all the sinister places I could shoot this

I hold up the red ball marked with a B.

"Damn....Let me have it. It would be awesome to plant that in his face." Michael says with in evil grin.

I squint at Michael. "Be nice." I warn.

He leans into my face. "You don't like me because I'm nice." He smirks.

I sit down, putting the ball in my pocket. "Nope, this is mine. I want a day off."

Michael groans.

We see a group of green shirts on the trail at the base of the rocks. We take aim and fire. Knocking out four as the rest scramble in the confusion.

Since we've been made, we move on and climb down the rock. Just as Franco was reaching the bottom, he's hit three times in the back. "Ahhrg.." He arches his back and jumps to the ground. We all turn once we notice the paint is blue.

Blade is standing on a small hill, grinning. Resting the but of his rifle on his hip.

Franco hangs his head. "Fucking Jesus."

Blade snorts. He has an unlit cigar in his mouth. "See ya later, Frank." He smirks with the cigar in his teeth and runs off cackling.

"Goddamn it." He shakes his head.

I look at him. "Don't worry, the way we're going, this game will be over soon."

"Yeah. Still sucks." He grumbles.

Michael claps his shoulder. "Let's keep moving."

We come to a clearing and decide it might be a great place for an ambush. We reload with the rest of our ammo and wait. Sure, enough a couple of green shirts enter the clearing.

I motion the guys to follow me. We circle around until we're behind them. We pop out of the treeline, firing in a line, covering their backs in paint.

They dramatically go down whining and pretending to be hurt. "Son of bitch." One yells.

"A bit of overkill, don't you think, Anna," Mark stands up.

I laugh. "Never. Bye, bye now." I rest my rifle on my hip, waving at them.

Just then, I feel a sharp sting on my ass. "Ow. What the fuck?!" We all turn around, and River's standing behind us with his rifle in his hands.

"Your ass is mine, Riker." He winks, turns and disappears into the trees.

I twist my body to see and my but cheek is covered in blue paint. "Fuck."

I turn to Michael whose scowling.

I shake my head. "He's enjoying this way too much. Let's go."

****

Another hour and five more green shirts later, Blade sends out a mind link to return to base to regroup.

We all trudge out the woods. All of us are a complete mess.

The graveyard as we call it, is looking pretty full.

A total of twenty-five have been 'killed'. Fifteen green shirts and ten yellow.

Both teams started with fifty members.

We go to our bases and remove our team shirts.

Zeke waves us all in. "Ok. Great start. To the graveyard, sorry about your loss." The Alphas all chuckle and the graveyard groans.

Zeke continues. "So, round one is over. Everyone, except those who have been tagged by an Alpha, can go get some much-needed food and rest."

The Alphas stand together with evil looks on their faces. Michael, Franco, and I reluctantly walk over. We're joined by four others.

River grins. "Alright, you suckers, come with us."

They lead us across the complex and around a storage building.

River turns, walking backwards with his arms outstretched. Presenting a massive lot filled with logs, brush and debris. "Welcome to your job for four hours every day."

Michael looks at the mess. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Blade walks up from behind Michael, slinging an arm over his shoulder. "Oh, Mikey. You know I don't kid." He tucks his cigar in his teeth and grins.

Michael shrugs him off as River snorts.

"Get to work." River grins.

We grab at the pile of tools River was standing next to.

The seven of us spent the next three hours digging, raking and sweating our asses off in the blazing sun.

At some point, Zeke got the Alphas some lawn chairs and Blade produced a cooler of beer.

The three of them sat watching us suffer their torture with giant smirks on their faces.

River rolls his head over to Blade. I'm just off to the side moving brush into a pile. "Pass a beer, buddy. It's hotter than he'll out here."

Blade smiles. "Sure thing. Good thing they're ice cold."

I stop and turn to him with my arms folded. I'm drenched in sweat and hurt everywhere. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I squint my eyes.

He smiles, trying to stifle his laughter. "You have no idea..."

"Well, enjoy it now because tomorrow, I'm wiping that smug smile off your face." I challenge.

He arches a brow. "Oh yeah? How you gonna do that?"

I go back to work, "Oh, with a little something I have in my arsenal."

He sits in silence for a moment and then sits up, eyes wide and leaning on the arms of his lawn chair. "You have my ball." He realizes.

I stand up and shoot him a smirk. "Yep. I have your ball" I bounce my brow and bite my cheek.

Blade arches his brow. "Your what now?"

River faces him. "Anna has my Alpha ball."

Blade snorts. "No wonder you're such a pussy."

Rover punches him in the bicep. "Shut up, dickhead."

Blade flinches, laughing.

Michael is trying not to bust a gut laughing. He comes over, stands next to me and digs his shovel into the dirt. He leans on the handle. "I tried to convince her to give it to me, but I guess you're her public enemy number one." He smirks.

River raises his brow. "So, you think you're going to take me out?" He folds his arms.

I stand, put my hands on my hips and kick out a leg. "Oh, I know I will."

He stands up and walks over to me. He stops and mirrors my stance. "Ok. I'll tell you what. You hit me, right here..." He points to his heart. "With your little paintball, before the end of the game tomorrow and.....I'll do your bidding for four hours a day."

Michael arches his brow. "And if she doesn't?"

River ticks the corner of his mouth up slyly. "You and me, 8 hrs, Saturday. Right here."

I look around the mess and then to Michael.

Michael opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, I whip my head back to River. "Deal."

Our conversation has attracted the attention of the others who have now joined us, watching the bet. Franco holds up some cash in his fingertips.. "I have a hundred big ones that says she puts you down in the first two hours."

Zeke pulled out his wallet. "I'm in." He hands Franco a hundred.

Michael pulls out his wallet and pulls out a bill and holds it in his fingertips in front of River's face. "She'll do it in one." He hands it to Franco.

"Three hundred bucks, Sloan. You in?" Franco says.

Blade rubs his chin, flicking his eyes between River and me. He pulls out a money clip. "I got two that says he doesn't make it past the first half hour." He slaps the bills to Franco.

River puts his hands out to the side, scowling at Blade. "Really? Whose side are you on?"

Blade smirks. "Always bet on the sure win, buddy. Sorry."

River groans. "Ok. Are we done?"

I stand there, reveling in what just happened here. "I guess we are. You and me, tomorrow. You're going down, Alpha."

"We'll see." He squints. "You gotta survive the green shirts first."

I head back to my pile of brush. "Watch your back, buddy because I'm coming for it." I warn.

He chuckles and walks back to his chair. The rest of us get back to work.

I glance at River and he smiles. He turns back to talking to Blade. I may want to be friends, but how long will River want to be?