Chapter Eight
Bravo Rising
Three days
Hud
“I need to call for the Honor transport.” She’s leaving?
“Why?”
“I have shifts starting tomorrow. My house is in Honor, Hud.”
“You need more time after all the questions?”
Her blank look makes those eyes freeze in what looks like a dead eye stare. “I know what I want and believe you have the same discipline to make it work. I made that clear when I said it right to you.”
I nod. “You did. I’m not challenging it. I’m asking if you need more time for me to claim you.” Two days of us hasn’t shown her my intentions?
Now she’s surprised. “So soon?”
“Yeah.” I shrug seeing her relief, she doesn’t need much to see that us as real. “You’re not sayin shit that you’re not feeling. You know I’m not. Will dinners, more rides, meets, or Club dates change anything?”
“You make a lot of sense when you’re steamrolling me to make a decision.
No, I knew when you reminded me the first time I woke up on your chest. Nothing changed but me seeing you from a different angle.
The Bits love you, Justice and Mucimi said it’s right.
I didn’t ask but feel it.” She smiles through every word.
I feel that deep and take a breath to settle me. “So, I’ll claim you tonight. Where are we living?” She said she’d keep her house at Honor so we could bounce from Club to Club.
She laughs with those blue eyes shining bright. “Everywhere and you know it. Don’t waste our day on what’s decided. Did you get Alder’s schedule?”
I shake my head. “Tats has two days so far.”
“Come to Honor tomorrow night. The house is in the K9 section. More Air base than Badass but most are Badass. Seamus moved closer to his K-9s in a house that is more suitable for his chair if he needs it and the boys.”
I do not move a muscle. I wasn’t going to ask but feel incredible relief that she thinks like me. I nod slow. “I’ll get some clothes from Sentinel and fly over tonight. This room here okay for you?”
“Yeah. I’ll come with you so I can see your house at Sentinel. I just get a room at Bravo if Asa stays at the ABSZ.”
“Yeah. Told you it would be like shipping out but shorter and closer.”
Her giggle has me smiling. “Way.”
What’s that mean? “Way?”
“Yeah, way shorter and way closer. I don’t fly so I’m glad you do.
I like time at ABSZ because we can ride the towns there.
They redo shit regularly. The town before the greenhouses was old west before it turned to a Mayan replica.
Asa said the old west is at Veritable now.
They incorporated the town left behind into a working old western town with the latest technology behind the authentic antiques. ”
I nod. “Read about it. I want to ride up my next three day off cycle. If LP is scheduled somewhere else, I’m on a Bit, VIP or Rescue shift. Keeps me busy.” That surprises her.
“I didn’t know that. Is this moving fast to you. I don’t know a lot about you.”
I pay close attention to what’s next. “You know the important shit. You need more time?” I’m done waiting. Every minute of the last two days showed me who she is and I want who she is for life.
Her pretty eyes are locked on mine for a good ten seconds. “I do know the important. I’ll learn the rest as we go. Honor and Sentinel aren’t that far apart. Pres Spano and Pres Kristos are real close and Natalia’s cousin is VP Keylan’s ol’ lady, Firefly.”
I give what I know. “Sentinel works Honor Club Ops while Honor works FBI and BSC. They cover each other. Cort said they’re the same brain in different bodies.”
“Pres Spano is a Wright Brother grand kid or relation.”
I nod. “Read that too. So, claiming you tonight and will fly you to Honor, or you on Asa transport?”
“No drink rule gonna mess with your flight plans?” She’s cute.
“Nope. Won’t be drinking. Think we did enough of that at Bravo. Need a sober day for us to remember and Brothers to rag on us for the drunk one at story times. Drinking isn’t more than a beer here and there. Your shots and drinks aren’t my normal. Gotta say I like the results.”
She pulls my shirt and I bend for the giggly kiss she plants on my lips. “What are we doing today, since I’m not flying to Honor.”
“ABSZ? Told Beacon I’d take a 2-6 shift for D’Ability at the Vision. Need to be there at 2. He said they’d be up by five.”
She doesn’t look pissed. “I have the Bits and babies at the pool at four for music. It’s about an hour.”
This is going to work well. I lift her up to her laughing and carry her out. “Like the way it works. I need breakfast. Diner on ABSZ is good?”
“I’m in.”
Kissing her head, I smile as I set her down, because I know she is and to her, that in is all in.
§*§*§
Alpha-Bit Security Zone
Sophie
We eat at the diner by the bakery and he ignores the women here.
I point out the window toward the compound.
“That is the rescued women’s compound. The bakery, Diner and little smart car hub are all run by them here.
The hub ships their food all over the ABSZ then Phoenix and Bravo.
Closer to Phoenix is the air field. There’s a town right before the Phoenix gate wall.
They call it the north wall, anyway, the women send bakery boxes to all the Clubs by chopper on the regular supply runs. ”
“Rescued?” He asks. I was giving him all the info that Falcon missed on his tour. He’s a president that doesn’t explain much so he missed quite a bit.
I lean closer. “The slave trading they shut down. Kids and women that don’t remember where they’re from were brought here. We have kids at Honor. The kids were adopted by Badass Officers all over the west.”
He nods. “D’Ability is the same. A lot went to Officers.
The shift today is the two houses left. One Phoenix, one Champion.
The third closed, not enough kids. Badass is into everything.
Beacon said they shut down trafficking out of foster care.
States didn’t know the traffickers were pulling kids out while D’Ability were getting double paid for, under their name, then a trafficked kid’s name. ”
I shake my head. “I am so lucky I never got trafficked.”
He just looks at me and I see concern.
“What?” I ask.
“Do I need to talk to the women here more? All I see here are Prospects or waitresses.”
“The Prospects are Security. Now they have the drones so IT has them on Surveillance too. The reason I tell you is you look through women. It’s unnerving to skittish women.
If they make eye contact, they’re working hard to move out of their past. Some won’t look at me, so they’re definitely not looking at you.
You don’t talk much so pushing it will alert them.
I’m just telling you so you get why they aren’t overly friendly.
They take classes from Zion to help them interact with people. ”
He nods slowly. “You mean men so they see what normal is?”
I giggle like a teenager. “Yeah, but I’m serious when I say some won’t look at me if I'm in uniform.”
He gets up with the bill and puts his hand out for me.
I take it and stand by him loving this. He pays without looking at me for my half.
I like that too since he didn’t let me look at the bill.
He asked about me being ready like he didn’t want the extra time but the dating would get us more comfortable around each other in these situations.
He didn’t have a problem talking to me over breakfast and definitely not the last two days.
I did say I’m ready. I breathe deep while we wait at the counter.
Our waitress comes over quick. “Sorry, the girl is helping in the back.” She doesn’t look up.
“It’s okay. I don’t know her and don’t talk much. You don’t ask me a million questions. It was good and we’ll come back.”
The woman looks up fast, then back at her hands pulling change. “Thanks.” She looked at him. This woman was a basket case in the bakery. She hid from everyone.
Asa always stops to get Falcon six mini cupcakes.
I think Asa eats two but I’ve never asked.
He always gets two PB&J and four vanillas with chocolate frosting.
This woman hides until she sees him through the glass from behind the case.
She never looks at me, or she didn’t until today.
I nod letting her know he doesn’t talk much.
Hud slides the change back across the counter. “Tip.”
“Thanks.” She looks up again. Unbelievable. She doesn’t look at me but looks at Hud.
He nods and turns me around.
Outside, I ask him. “You got her to look at you.”
“Yeah. I don’t talk much and never look at the women. It’s not about you or anyone but me. Women in Badass work the service jobs or mostly do. Here they’re townies looking for Brothers to claim them.” He raises my hand in his so I get on the bike.
I do then ask. “Mika was a townie?”
His body freezes under my hands on his stomach. “No, met her at a bar, not the Club, a military hangout. She didn’t like the bike. Wanted me to sell it when I got out of the hospital.” He should have dropped her then.
“I’m glad you didn’t. Riding behind you is my new favorite. We should stop at the school on Web’s compound.” I add the last so he doesn’t have to comment on my new favorite.
He doesn’t answer, he grunts.
I smile and hold on tighter when he guns it. We ride the whole ABSZ stopping at Web’s compound. “Alexia works at IT and drops the babies. Aris said I can come to the school here and he brought me to meet Garren.”
“I met them. Alder made something for Garren’s brother. It works by taking water from the air so plant walls will grow where water is scarce.”
I nod. “Michael showed me. He’s working on ways to get clean water to the towns where water was poisoned. He’s done it before in whatever country he was in. He doesn’t talk much and Garren isn’t good with details when he’s excited.” I swing my leg over and move to take a step.
“Wasn’t Michael born here same as Garren and the FBI Training Commander?”