Against the Tide Imperial: The Struggle for Ceylon (The Usurper's War: An Alternative World War II B by James Young (story reading txt) 📕

Patricia saw a number of emotions cross over Sam’s face as Jo continued to glare at him.

“It wasn’t like that exactly…” Sam began, holding up his hands defensively.

“That is a lie, Sam Cobb,” David snapped. “Major Haynes was enjoying a nice dinner with Nora and you completely invited yourself to their date.”

“You make it sound like I stepped right up and just started taking food off their plates, David,” Sam said. “I merely asked him if he could use a pair of experienced pilots.”

Patricia watched Jo’s face throughout the entire exchange.

I’ve only read about volcanoes in books. But if Vesuvius looked the day before the eruption like Jo looks right now, every single one of those people in Pompeii deserved to die for not paying attention. Patricia leaned forward in nervous anticipation of what was coming.

“Do you ever think of anyone besides yourself, Sam?” Jo asked, her tone clipped. “Just kinda, maybe, sorta consider the feelings of people around you rather than whatever impulse just pops into your fool head?”

Sam looked at Jo, his expression hard.

“In case you haven’t heard, there’s a war on,” he said lowly.

“Hadn’t noticed,” Jo replied, adopting an expression of mock shock. “Oh, wait, there’s a lieutenant who your sister’s been pining over that hasn’t been around for a few weeks. So, yeah, I guess I remember something about a war being on.”

Uh oh. The vein in Sam’s temple was starting to throb.

“I was thinking the dead bodies piling up amongst our friends might be a clue as well,” Sam replied coldly. “Or has your Uncle K and Peter been by since we’ve been gone?”

There was a stunned silence in the kitchen. Patricia stood from where she’d sat down.

That was utterly unacceptable.

Patricia saw Jo’s mouth working but nothing coming out.

“Get out, Sam,” Patricia snapped.

“You’re going to kick your own brother out, Patricia?” David asked.

“Yes. I believe I’ve done it before.”

“Jo started it,” David said evenly. “I didn’t agree with what Sam just said, but I understand why he did it.”

“And why was that, David?” Jo asked angrily. “Wanted to make Sadie a rich widow?”

David glared at Jo, then turned back to Patricia as if to say ‘See?!’

“We were going crazy on the tour. Did you really want us to have to relearn how to fly after the Navy decided we’d made them enough money?”

“I mean, our squadron commander is only the deadliest American pilot in history,” Sam chimed. “Not like we just decided to fly with some random bunch of yahoos.”

“Wait, what?” Jo asked.

“Major Haynes tied Rickenbacker’s kill total a couple nights ago,” David explained.

“How in the Hell did he tie Rickenbacker’s record?” Jo asked. “Did you guys take a side tour to Tokyo over the last couple of days or something?”

“That’s not important,” Sam said, brushing aside the question. “The fact of the matter is, we both agreed that if anyone has a chance to get out of this war alive, it’s Major Haynes.”

“Even if he can’t find a carrier,” David muttered, causing Sam to shake his head.

“So no, neither one of us are glory hounds or bounty seekers,” Sam continued. “We’re trying to figure out how to get onboard with the best man possible.”

“Plus he’s not going to try to split us up like seemingly everyone else wants to,” David added.

“That’s called safety, David,” Patricia said. “Safety, you know the kind of thing you guys should try out once in awhile.”

“How is it safe to split us up?” David asked. “We’re both the best wingman the other one has ever had and ever will have.”

“Look, there’s no safe place in this war,” Sam broke in. “Hell, for all we know, the Japanese could show back up here tomorrow.”

Actually, two of us in this room can tell you that’s highly unlikely.

Patricia fought hard not to look over at Jo.

“Yes, but they’re a lot less likely to show up in Seattle, Sam,” Jo retorted.

Patricia sighed, causing them all to turn to her.

“Enough arguing,” she stated. “What’s done is done, and I don’t think you guys came to visit us to get read the riot act. How long are you on liberty?”

“Two days,” Sam and David said in unison.

“We have to work tomorrow,” Patricia said. “You both know how the foldout couch works, and I promise I’ll make you Mom’s pancakes when you get up.”

Patricia could tell from the long, strained silence of the first fifteen minutes of their walk to work that something was eating at Jo. The click clack of their heels on the sidewalk seemed to beat a steady increasing pressure.

I can’t take it anymore.

“Why is it that you and I are thick as thieves for weeks, months even,” she began, “but the minute my brothers show up, we’re at each other’s throats?”

“Because for some unknown reason you seem utterly convinced you have any say in which of your brothers, if any, I fuck,” Jo snapped.

Patricia gasped at Jo’s directness.

“Then there’s the fact you also try to mother the shit out of them,” Jo continued, her swearing drawing a disapproving look from a woman walking past them.

“I don’t think swearing is necessary, Jo,” Patricia said angrily.

“I also think you must have a very low opinion of me if you think I’m going to complicate your family by having sex with Sam,” Jo replied. “For God’s sake Patricia, he and I are friends. Friends”

“But…”

“But we flirt? Talk to each other like a couple? Are utterly comfortable with one another in a way that most husbands and wives never achieve?”

Well, I see that I’ve struck a nerve.

“Yes, all true,” her roommate continued. “But I’m smart enough to know that Sam, out of all your brothers, is an absolute coward when it comes to commitment.”

“What?” Patricia asked, aghast.

“I did not stutter,” Jo replied. “If you asked that man to fly to Tokyo right now, he’d do it. If you asked him to run into a blazing building to pull out women and children, same.”

Oh dear, she’s crying, Patricia