Page 34 of Dragon 7

I turned toward the guns.

Come on. Do your fucking job! We need a win in this night of losses.

The antiaircraft shells streaked into the sky. They were bursts of white flashes that lit the clouds and went dark just as fast.

Come on. Please!

One shell hit the plane.

Fuck yeah.

Kenji let out a long breath.

The plane spasmed in the sky and its engine's roar broke into a high, ragged scream. Metal tore against metal.

Is the plane completely fucked?

My heart slammed against my vest.

I came up out of my seat to get a better look.

Go down, you piece of shit.

Far past the tree line, out over the black water, another shell hit the plane head-on.

There we go.

The scout plane bucked. One wing tore loose. Spun away. End over end. For half a breath the plane remained suspended in the sky, burning from the inside and lighting up the dark around it.

Seconds passed.

It rolled sideways and fell toward the sea. Fast. Raging flames and smoke trailed behind it, and the sea opened and swallowed the plane whole.

For one breath, Kenji and I watched the dark water where the plane had been. The waves rolled across the surface. The current pulled the wreckage beneath the darkness. The sea accepted the offering, and a realization probably settled between us like the final stone placed atop a grave.

We finally got a win.

Beside me, my brother's mouth slightly curved.

Most people would have missed it. I knew Kenji and every version of his silence. That slight curve of his mouth carried relief.

A small amount.

He kept his eyes on the water.

Yoichi even let out a long breath.

For one selfish second, I embraced this victory and began to imagine a different ending to this war.

We could win this.

Hope stretched its wings.

But then fear and reality returned. One plane represented a beginning. The war demanded more. Nyomi still remained on this goddamn island. More of our enemies were on their way.

Danger had embedded itself into this night.

The relief faded from me.