Chapter Three
San Mateo BSC California
Cruise ship dock
One week
Hud
Stepping onto the ship, I feel the little President wiggle, so I stop and bend before he asks.
He slides off my back. “I walk to Pres Jordan side.”
I throw him chin and stand. “Signal me for a ride.”
He nods and runs up to the Alpha President. I do a quick step to walk behind them and wonder where Stella is.
“She’ll be flown over after work.”
The answer to my thought causes me to turn fast. I’ve seen this Brother before. “President at Guardian?” His name is Indian.
“Citiali Nanyehi, I’m VP of Teach out of Guardian Rising. Badass likes making life confusing for Brothers while we make it better for civilians.”
I nod watching Alder answer the Alpha Pres. “The teaching messenger and powerful reader. Citiali, I didn’t know how it was said, Boss. Do I call you VP, or your name?” I never made it to the Teach training. I got the week of shadowing with Tats and Teller Knight training me for VIP.
“All Presidents are by name unless they’re your mother chapter and they’ll tell you. Nova told me to call him Nova. I just use Boss for everyone else. VPs don’t care either way.” He’s a reasonable Brother.
“I will, Boss. You’re not here for the cruise; do you have something for me?”
He smiles but doesn’t turn my way. “I’m not staying but wanted to meet the Protectors here. If I ever talk to you, listen.”
“Roger, Boss. Should I expect that conversation here on a cruise ship?”
He chuckles. “I love military planners, you’re all always ready for something more.” He steps closer to the two Presidents without giving an answer.
The Presidents are Protectors. As soon as I think it, he turns.
“I’ll talk to the other Protector Leads.”
I guess that’s answer enough. With a nod, I keep my face blank because talking to the teams was a thought I was just forming. Readers can be scary people.
Barber and Silva fall in line with me. “Did you get a warning?” Silva asks.
“The messenger said if he talks to me, I need to listen and he’s meeting the other Protector Leads.” They’re two Leads so he’d talk to them directly. I don’t have any more than that.
“Is he going to shield the ship?” Barber asks.
“He didn’t say. He’s not staying. I think that means that he’s not shielding anything.” Not that I get what shielding means but it is his wording.
Silva surprises me. “He doesn’t have to be here to shield the ship. He shielded Badass and dicks all the way in Rhode Island dropped dead.”
That has me turning toward him for a crackpot check. “He’s like Zeke from Flight Guard at Elan?” I ask for clarity.
“Stella said Zeke suspends time, Citiali makes a shield that covers across the country.” His answer doesn’t help me understand a damn thing.
“Is there a book about all this Native magician shit?”
Silva moves forward as ship uniforms come our way. “Ask Sophie. Stella sent her a workbook or something. They call it freaky.”
Great, she’s the last one I want to ask for more information. I stand behind Alder and watch the greet with the captain while thinking back. The robot explanation took forever because they have three sheets filled with information.
I never thought about robots in real life, then thought they’d be great, only to realize this could be a societal breakdown, economic disaster and wealth shift that guarantees poverty worldwide — if it’s not kept to some kind of regulations.
I smile watching Alder charm the captain.
He sees the whole picture and is going to prove it right here on the ship.
The LP amazes me with his understanding, he said the Alpha-Bits were slaves, so I guess he’s making sure the rest of us stay purpose filled and free to live our lives.
His, ‘Accented by robots and not slaves to them and corporations,’ words sounded good.
He said, ‘Happy’ and it’s cute the way the Brothers answered it back, but I’ve never been a slave.
It’s another wonder I got now that I think about it.
Presidents were there and I know they’ve never been slaves.
“Silva, Hud, Peggy, follow the Ensign to the cabins. Second team Leads, stay with your packages.” The voice isn’t new, but I turn to see who is delivering it. I didn’t know Jack from Bravo was here and move with Jordan and Stella’s Leads to clear the cabin for Alder.
§*§*§
Cruise ship
Sophia
Seeing the quick turn of Hud’s head to VP Jack, I smile.
His surprise shows in little signs that don’t register unless you know him well.
We’ve been partnered for a few days now and I know him pretty well.
New people throw him, I think as I step up to follow Alder.
Hud looks back to make sure I’m in place before he turns toward the big stair case.
I know someone is stationed at the top because I approved the Security Brothers before it was submitted to Asa and he passed it on to the Presidents.
No changes were made to it so the chameleon drones are in the cabin hall and transmitting to Asa and his Alpha-Bit surveillance.
“They’re working.”
I smile turning toward the little wind shift I felt. “Thanks. The other Leads wouldn’t be up there if they weren’t.”
He smiles. “You never jump when I show.”
Shrugging as my eyes scan back to Alder, I explain, “I feel the shift in air, it’s like a light breeze.”
“You were a sniper.” He isn’t asking, but he is.
“You’ve seen it. It wasn’t my job but I note small changes in everything. Why are you here?” I don’t know if he’s seen it, but he told me about Brothers I’d know here and in Virginia so he saw some of my classified past.
“I saw. I have a room here. I’ll bring Aurora later.”
Righty then. I guess Mucimi is another Protector here.
He walks closer to the Indian VP from the Protector training Club I never trained at, then turns toward the stairs while we all go past them to an atrium.
This is a shopping deck that I know we won’t be spending much time on.
I’ve learned very few in Badass are shoppers.
I catch the Captain’s words here and there confirming that the ship isn’t full, it’s shuttling up the west coast to a world tour ship that lasts over 90 days. I can’t imagine a three-month vacation. What the hell do you do for three months?
“Boss Sophie, I go to cabin. Head procure Brother show to dinner.” Alder isn’t into the shops or sightseeing apparently.
I nod. “The team is behind us. Mucimi and the Teach VP went up,” I tell him as he walks away from the captain and Jordan.
“Boss Mucimi, here?”
I nod catching Barber’s eye. “He said he’d bring Aurora later but he went up when we walked by the stairs.”
“Elevator, we two flight up, Navigation deck.” Alder’s not into stairs, or maybe being carried today.
I nod and step to his side guiding him with my steps to the rest of my team. “Elevator it is, LP.”
Barber nods for me getting the Mucimi and Citiali info for Jordan as my second, Picard, hits the elevator button.
While we’re on a ship, our three-man teams seem excessive but even half booked, there are a ton of people onboard.
Picard goes in first and I follow Alder.
Acosta takes a backward step in, just when I hit the door close button, but never turns our way so he’s alert while waiting for the doors to open.
I like the way this was planned but like it more that they follow those plans with confidence.
They’re Enforcers from Badass Security Company that are switching to ABSZ Protector from Ari, the Teach President.
I was told Teach trains Protectors for Alpha-Bits and Family.
If you’re named Teach, I guess family Security is a job that definitely needs teaching.
Badass doesn’t skimp on protecting the ones who need it.
I don’t smile, thinking Alder isn’t one who needs it, but he shouldn’t be battling his way through anyone, anywhere.
I can be his shield. The little President should have a red carpet unrolled for him wherever he goes, but I know he wouldn’t like that.
He insists he’s equal to everyone no matter how deadly the little President is. The doors open to a waiting Mucimi.
Acosta reaches and I stop him with a hand over his. “Mucimi is a Protector, the Prophet from the Prince Protectors.” I hope he knows the Prince history.
He relaxes but still never looks my way. “Brother, good to meet you, I’ve heard and read about you.” Acosta has me relaxed. They’re new but said Ari is a reader so they’re not fazed by it. His words prove that true with a surprise popping up and no faulty reactions.
“Boss Mucimi, you stay to cruise vacation?” Alder doesn’t seem to care about the new members of this three-man team being easy with the freaky Brothers. It makes me smile.
Mucimi bends and Alder climbs on his back while I hold Picard back with a hand up.
“I’m not here full time but I’ll be here. Aurora is working during the day but says she’ll stay over if I get her a room. Jeti or Nash can get her home for work if I’m needed at a Club,” Mucimi explains.
We follow them down the hall seeing the other Leads and teams in the hall. Hud opens a door for Alder and Mucimi telling them it’s clear.
When it closes, he turns our way. “We’re all in connected rooms, you’re there, it sleeps two with the connector for one.” He points across the hall with cards in his hand.
I take a card and slide it on with my ID. “Thanks. Mucimi will show on and off. Who is at the hall?”
“Two from the Training class. Vetted and approved. They’ll be on our new teams when we get back. All military.”
I didn’t see them. “Mackie and Edwards?” I picked them too.
His eyes land on mine. “You know them?” He juts his chin the other way.
I see them move into position and nod. “By bio, I approved them but didn’t get a roster.”
He reaches down and pulls a roster out of his side cargo pocket. “I got it from the Teach VP, Citiali.” He says it like ‘sǐ-she-alley’.
I nod. “I wondered how you say it. Thanks. Did he leave one for me?” I read the list and hand it back.