Chapter Six #3
His hand takes my forearm and I hold his for a few seconds. “Sorry, Brother. I’m glad you made it and by now you’ve seen Sawbones.”
I throw him chin. “I have and met his boy. He’s a good Brother.” He fed me the first morning I woke up here. His boy is quiet but watchful.
“He is. Mucimi got Hannah and Aylen to help with a cloak for him. Aiyana came and said he kept what he needs but the cloak veiled his pain. Sawbones said it worked, he sleeps, he made friends with the Club kids and he’s doing well in school.”
I don’t understand ‘cloak’ but all those people he named are magics from the Indian worksheet.
Covering pain for a kid sounds like a good thing to me.
Leaving what he needs, to me, sounds like the danger that brought him pain should never be forgotten.
I used drinking, kids have no shield. The pain for me was still there but for a while it was dulled.
For a kid, a veil sounds like what alcohol did for me without being signed up for the Army or made an indentured servant.
He laughs so I lean bumping his shoulder. “Get out of my head.”
“Citiali is sitting right there.” He points to the seats. “I’m not trying to read.”
Magic is weird.
“We’re landing at SOAR and I’ll fly us to Sentinel.”
My eyes go to LP. “I’m on Alder until he’s at Bravo.”
His eyes go around the plane before he says anything. “I thought Sophie would have him to the ABSZ but he’s going to Bravo too. He needs to see his Ford and Bravo Brothers after being away for more than a week. You’re off for three then back at Sentinel.” He’s my new VP so he’d know my schedule.
I nod and lift my foot, to make sure it’s ready before I take a step, then move to the end of the couch.
Citiali asks as I pass his chair. “Is it bothering you?”
I’m close to the end of the couch so I sit across from him. “What?”
“Your leg.”
“No.”
He looks away then back. “You lifted it before you took a step and I noticed the chain on your boots.”
I smile. He’s a fixer, like me. “It’s new to me, guess I’m still following the list.” He didn’t read me. I like that he didn’t but don’t ask why when he seems to cause everyone else to read me or everyone close.
Nash laughs causing me to look back to the wall by the doorway but he’s turning before I can glare at him. When I turn back, Citiali has a faint smile on. Indians perfected the serious look but I know he’s amused.
“I am and I do block or shield what I can regularly. Your head whipping that way alerts me and I guess the ancestors figure I need more info. I don’t and would bring it to them but they ignore all but my appreciation, or requests that save lives.”
I laugh noticing everyone on the couch is laughing with me.
“We’re landing.” Nash sits and grabs for the belt.
I reach under the cushion and adjust mine. Almost home or at my old home, sort of. Once I’m belted in, I order my gear box and a room at the Club. The confirmation comes right back with a high room number showing I'm close to the main stairs, which is good.
§*§*§
SOAR Rising
Hud
Nash’s chopper is waiting but we’re brought into an Ops room that I never guessed the old barn-looking building would hold.
Everything is like their hologram boards but Ops is real-time right in the middle of the action.
The technology here is beyond anything I’d have thought up.
My eyes catch the Charlie’s Angel, Sophia Michadeau’s reaction and wonder how she’s not as surprised as I am.
She goes right to a woman at a computer and laughs when the woman jumps up to hug her.
Mase and Nash pull me to a different side where the island we were on yesterday shows.
The asshole is running from what looks like a movie of lasers being shot from a UFO shaped drone that’s chasing him.
“Enough playing with him.” The voice is the Phoenix POT.
I look around seeing Masters but he’s filmy and in a different Ops room.
A woman pilot pops up inside a chopper to the right of the giant POT. “Lerch.”
The next laser that’s shot is a very defined beam and the asshole hits the ground rolling the rest of the way down a steep hill.
Hells Bells. I watch a big guy looking down the hill then see the view from his perch.
“Looks dead to me.” His name, Mader, and words show on the side.
I keep watching but listen to the words spoken.
They’re leaving him food and water in a cooler with no ice. The food is birds and some rat looking thing. I stop listening and look at Nash who I notice is built like Mase but has dirty blond hair. They’re close to the same height too.
Mase looks right at me. “We’re Blackhawks. Nash is my nephew.”
I nod. “Got it.”
Nash laughs. “I need to check the chopper. Asa and Alder are headed to Bravo.”
“I have Asa and Sophie’s gearboxes. She put in for clothes at Bravo and Asa had the Prospects pack instruments for him. He’s at Bravo until a build is done. Alder is working from the ABSZ.”
Nash starts jogging but turns while still heading for the door. “I’ll get their boxes and stop at Sentinel for Hud’s. You got Alpha?”
“Yeah. Hud has a box at Bravo. You have no stops. I’ll meet you there after I drop Kateri and the kids at ABSZ.”
“Roger, Brother.” Nash turns then he’s gone, he didn’t open the door, he just vanished.
Mase shakes his head.
I don’t since he did. “You wear buckskin pants when you’re off?”
That surprises him. “Always.”
I nod and walk to the next section. Nash was in them with a Sentinel Rising polo when I met him at Bravo. It must be a Blackhawk thing.
“Tribal.”
I look around but don’t see anyone. Tribal thing, I think and shake my head watching the mission happening right in front of me like this is all normal and part of my every day. It is neither.
§*§*§
Bravo Rising
Hud
Nash slaps my back. “Later, Brother.”
I turn and slap a hand on the stool he just left so I don’t land on my ass. “Later.”
The Club is still packed. I didn’t notice the new faces I see now. Charlie’s Angel’s eyes lock on mine as she nods for something Nash said as he walked by. I don’t know what he said but watch her walk my way a little unsteady.
As she gets within ear shot, I ask, “You okay?”
“Yeah, the blond Indian said to stick close to you. I don’t know all these Brothers but I’m Honor.”
From what I’ve seen, she’s all about honor. It dawns on me she means the Club. “No, some are California, I don’t know the others. You know SOAR members?” I’ve been dying to ask that since I saw her talking to a few of the members.
“Yeah, joint operations paired me with the Stalkers a few times. The President, Vapor, was a Commander and pulled me to a few of theirs for consult.” She’s tight lipped about classified.
“I saw a face or two that I knew.” For the life of me, I can’t see them now. I put my glass down and raise a hand, then sign for water.
“I’m a little cloudy too.” She has me signing two. “Why don’t you like pretty women?”
What? I take the waters and hand her one. “Pretty women keep me on alert. No dislike, or hatred, but alert.” Since she’s from Honor, I give her honesty.
“That was rude. I don’t know what to say so slop comes out.” She looks right at me.
I like that she’s honest and owns it. “Not rude, just a question.”
“Yeah?” She looks hopeful. Bet she’s got a hundred questions.
Deciding I’m game, drunk or an idiot, I nod. “Ask away.”
“Wait.” She looks at my drink then raises her hand at the bartender closest. He rushes over, I bet because of the crystal blue eyes on that heart shaped face. “One more for each of us and another set of waters, please.”
“Roger, Boss Sophie.” The Prospect knows her?
She doesn’t wait for the drinks but turns with her blue eyes on me. “Why are you alert for pretty women?”
“Shit.” I did tell her to ask. I didn’t think she had the balls to go there. With a deep breath I tell her about Mika dropping me for a fake ‘sniper’ that turned out to be an infantryman.
She looks horrified so I make her laugh. “I thanked him for his service and closed the door on him when he saluted me. I was thanking him for moving her shit out. It saved me from alimony.”
Those blue eyes shine bright when she laughs. “How’d you get into Badass?” I throw my own question out there.
She shot for it when she got advice from different country commanders on being promoted to the job she wanted. She was smart enough to go outside her country. US is recognized as the best but they are because they use other countries expertise and manpower.
I like hearing her talk and get all my questions answered while she asks me hers. It works well until I can’t think of a reason we’re still in the bar.
“Rooms upstairs.”
I stand and forget the ankle joint falling forward. “Hey, Brother.” My head turns and I’m held up by someone grabbing the back of my shirt. “Stop, it’s the ankle on my foot.”
“Sorry, Brother. She looked nervous.” He let’s go and moves to my side. “Girard. I didn’t know it was you. Aren’t you in Colorado?”
“Boulder, thanks. I might have fallen on Charlie’s Angel here. I’m at Rescue, LP’s second home.”
He laughs. “You’re both drunk. What room are you in?”
I smile seeing the Charlie’s Angel nod for him. “I can make it. I got the new foot and have to remember the list.”
He knows I wouldn’t make that shit up. He threw a trainee out for lying. I helped. “I’ll get you up there without falling on your Charlie’s Angel.”
“Thanks, Man.” The stairs throw me but Boulder helps. Charlie’s Angel, Sophia, holds my hand and in the room falls on the bed with me. I wave a thanks to Boulder.