Chapter 19 #2
“Godspeed,” Valor said, as he always did when he was watching over someone on mission, then ended the call.
“And plenty of it,” both Feral and Frenzy said, stopping to grin at each other before Frenzy ended the meeting.
“Okay, sounds like an easy trip, at least there are not aggressors on the ground. Let’s do this,” Frenzy said, tucking his phone back into his pocket.
“Are you telling me that you people have permission to reposition satellites at will?” Jack asked.
“Nope. We only borrow them. And when we reposition the National Safety Administration’s satellites — most of the time they don’t even know,” Frenzy said.
“You’re hacking into them?” Jack asked.
“No, I am not. Valor is. And for the record, he leaves most of them pointed where they’re supposed to be. We only need one or two from time to time. We never turn them all away from where they’re supposed to be looking,” Frenzy said. He grinned at Rance. “Let’s go, people!”
“I’m driving my truck,” Rance said.
“I will, too,” Dane said.
“Take the Pride’s Suburban, it’ll fit more males,” Jack said.
“I can do that,” Dane said.
“Let me run upstairs for a second and I’ll be ready,” Rance said.
Jack glanced around the room at those still there. “Fucking National Security satellites,” he said, shaking his head.
~~~
Rance paused outside Gwen’s door and tapped lightly.
“Come in,” Gwen said groggily.
Rance opened the door and peeked around it before stepping inside. “Were you sleeping?” he asked.
“No, just resting a bit. Findley took Beau and Beck to play on the splash pad again.”
“And that’s why I hear so much squealing and laughter outside,” Rance said.
Gwen smiled tiredly, as he walked over and sat down on the chair he’d left by the bed.
“We’re leaving momentarily. I brought you a phone.”
“That you happened to have?” she asked.
“No, we’ve got several. I keep burner phones ready to go. You never know when you’ll need one. Running security it’s important that I’m ready for anything.”
“I can see that,” she said.
“I activated this one on my plan, though. It’s not a burner anymore.
It’s yours.” He handed her a slip of paper.
“Here’s your number, and my number, though I’ve already entered mine in the contacts.
My brother, Vance’s number is in there along with Jack’s, Bonnie’s, and Findley’s, too, since I know she was helping watch the boys.
You might want to ask Bonnie to add anyone else’s you might need when she comes up again,” Rance said.
“Thank you, Rance.”
“You’re welcome. Anything else before I go?” he asked.
Gwen nodded. “Come back safe.”
“I’ll do my best,” he said.
Gwen shook her head. “Do better than that. Make sure you come back.”
He reached out and laid a hand on hers. “I will be back. And don’t you worry about a thing.
I’ll take care of everything.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, then walked to the door, throwing one look back at her before he walked out of the door and pulled it gently closed behind himself.
~~~
“There’s no reason for you to have to go. They’ve got plenty going,” Titus said.
“It’s my duty. The first time we’ve really been allowed out in a formal capacity other than baby sitting Brinnley on the way home. I want to be a part of this.”
“I want you to be a part of this,” Titus said, pointing at the ground to indicate the here and now.
“I have other commitments.”
Titus nodded as he looked her in the eye, then took a slow, deliberate step backward. “Take care of yourself.”
“Titus…”
He took another step back, his eyes locked on hers, but completely unreadable.
“I’m glad we had some time together,” Hail said.
Titus nodded again, but didn’t reply.
“You’re really going do it this way,” Hail said.
“I’m just a bystander, watching you make your choices,” Titus said.
“You know it’s not what it looks like.”
“Apparently not. You take care, now,” he said, turning his back on her as he walked away.
Hail shook her head, then got in the car.
“You ready?” Storm asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “Get me off this mountain.”
“You know, you don’t have to stay off this mountain,” Storm said.
Hail looked over at her. “I made promises to you and to Athena, and Torrid and Flash, too. I’m not letting any of you down.”
“You have a right to be happy. Athena’s having a baby with Scorn.
It’s not like she’s going to be interested in going out on mission.
Torrid checked out long ago, and I think Flash is just waiting for the rest of us to choose our futures so she doesn’t have to feel like she’s walking away from anything she was ever a part of.
And even if none of that was a fact, there’s nothing forcing you to honor a promise you made before we ever knew freedom was an option,” Storm said.
“You’re doing it,” Hail said.
“I’ve weighed my options, Hail. Nothing else makes me feel safe. All I know is the military. All that makes me feel alive is the military. Alliance and the Variant is as close as I’ll get to the real military ever again.” She snorted a laugh. “Thanks to the military.”
Hail laughed, too. “Ironic, isn’t it?”
“Very much so,” Storm said. “My point is that no one is going to think less of you for going after what calls to you instead of remaining loyal to a team that never should have existed.”
“We’re the only females left, though.”
“And?”
“People expect us to fall short.”
“No, assholes expect us to fall short. There is no ‘short’ in doing what you want instead of what others expect, and fuck them anyway!”
“And not in a good way,” Hail said.
“Amen to that,” Storm said.
“Alright, let’s go,” Frenzy said, as he, Feral, Valid, Fierce and Steve got in the Suburban Hail and Storm both waited in.
Fierce started the car and put it in reverse to pull away from Jack’s house and get them back on the drive that would take them down the mountain. “Y’all good back there?” he asked.
Hail and Storm both nodded.
“No shame in getting out right now,” Frenzy said.
“And miss all the fun? Not a chance,” Hail said, her gaze on the males standing near Jack’s house, instead of Frenzy as she answered.
Savage and his team got in the second Suburban.
Jack, flanked by Niko and Three walked out to the edge of the drive to see them off as Rance, Slade, Dean and Ted got in Rance’s truck, and Dane waited in the Pride’s Suburban while Tate, Noah, Dillon and Hugh got in.
Titus stood apart from the others, his eyes glued to the door he’d last seen Hail get into.
As the vehicles took turns backing up and turning toward the drive that would take them away, Frenzy rolled down his window and made kissy lips at Jack and the rest of the males standing with him.
Jack laughed.
“There is something wrong with that boy,” Niko said.
Jack gave him some side-eye. “He’s only slightly worse than you, on a good day.”
“I don’t see it,” Niko said.
“We do,” Three said.
Jack couldn’t help but notice Titus while Hail drove away. From his posture, the interaction between them had not been what he’d hoped for. The shared night between them must have meant more than anyone expected — at least to Titus.
“You good, Titus?” Jack called out.
“Never better! Time to get back to work,” Titus answered as he walked away without looking back.
“He alright?” Three asked.
“I’m not sure,” Jack admitted. “I’ll talk to him in a little while when I go meet him about new builds.”
“Since I’m no longer needed, I think I’ll take a quick nap and a shower, and then I’ll take Griffin and his mother on a tour.”
“Don’t play with that woman, Niko,” Jack said.
“I’m not! Griffin wanted to hang out so I offered to give them a tour,” Niko said.
“If you don’t plan to mate her, leave her the hell alone, and her kid,” Jack said.
“I can’t be her friend?” Niko demanded.
“That’s totally up to her, but if you take advantage of the situation and then pretend you don’t know her, I’ll hand you your ass. She’s been through enough and she’s a single mom with a kid that for whatever reason has decided you’re going to be his new daddy.”
“He knows I’m not his daddy. And I wouldn’t do that, Jack. I wouldn’t take advantage of either of them,” Niko said, all seriousness now.
“I would hope not. But it bears saying anyway.”