Chapter Eleven
The Rescue Club at Sentinel Rising
Four days
Hud
My girl is sitting with Mrs. Stone on a bench at the back walkway. I like how it winds through connecting the elders to Rescue. Bending to her, I get my kiss in and jog to catch-up to Havoc who didn’t stop. His chuff makes me smile.
Alder stops at the pool gate and turns our way. “VP Keylan, Boss Racks here. Pres Harky test Ramsey to Alpha-Bit Protector. He bring him tonight.”
I nod. “Yeah. He called earlier. He’s here in about forty-five. I’m leaving Havoc with you until you approve your new K9 at this Club.”
He turns to the dog. “You tell Boss Hud when I approve. You don’t approve, you tell to me. Ramsey chip to server, he have same to you.” He lifts his foot but I put my arm up before he can run.
“Ramsey was one of the first K9 switched to the server. Doesn’t chipped to the server mean they have training to all positions like Havoc without the connection to Seamus?”
He puts his foot down and turns toward me.
“I honor to you concern. I have A7 explain chip to you question sheet. I give Barney explain. Pres Seamus chip connect to Shadow, Light, Max, Ranger, Fairy, Izzy. Boss Light stop connect to chip K9 I build server. All new chip K9 find way to Badass only connect to server I code. Code to Pres Seamus and first six K9 block connect to new K9.”
Okay. “So, they get the new K9 server intel but none connect directly to the six and Seamus?” There’s got to be a reason for that.
He nods. “Pres Seamus chip to six K9 to life. Six connect to other on server learn life to no connection Pres Seamus, they still okay to live.” That to life looks like it hurts him.
What did Katie and Mark say? They’re one mind? Oh shit. “The chip connection is that deep, fuckin’ hell. The CIA is crazy. I’ll read the rest from the sheet. Thanks for breaking it down for me.”
He nods once but isn’t moving so I wait down on one knee glad for the new robotic.
“CIA experiment to men, grow kid, cyborg, clone, dog, dolphin, mind control, drug, behavior, too many to name all. Experiment okay subject agree. I experiment to dog is food, herb I use to stop chemical for bug bite, flea, tick, heartworm. Vaccine to Brothers, K9, all vitamin, herb, natural same to Indian. I give you cream to heal, no chemical. You agree, you know reason. I make chip to exoskeleton, prosthetic, implant to body, Brothers know. Pres Jinx know he have chip to eye. Tracking, jammer Brothers know. Tattoo to kid tracking, parent agree. All I do, all Badass do, we give choice. We no live you life. You decide. We agree. Maybe I agree to mind read, vaccine, behavior, drug, CIA no ask me permission. Grow me to slave labor, no ask me. Fill me with chemical, no ask me. President give money, no tax to us work, property, secure travel, live…no ask me. I want real citizenship. Senator Baxter fight to give Ford passports no birth certificate.” He shakes his head and takes a deep breath.
“I give choice to all because no one give choice to me. CIA miss Badass lesson,” he says it all slow and doesn’t miss words.
“I’m so fuckin’ glad you didn’t, LP. You created a world of equality in Badass.”
He smiles blinking his tears away. “Badass teach to me all I know.”
“Alright, then you made it better by showing what that equal looks like. I’m honored, Brother. Let me be.”
He leans in trying to get his arms around me, so I hug the little guy. “You okay, Boss Hud, I honor you mine.” He lets me go and runs. “You better than robot.”
I laugh at the little President with a giant heart. “I love the LP,” I say softly.
Havoc chuffs and follows Alder.
I go back to find my ol’ lady. We’re heading to Delta for dinner with Finn from Virginia. I don’t remember him but Mase and Kateri are riding over with us.
§*§*§
Delta Rising
Sophie
Mase is not talking. Kateri has looked at him twice now and it’s the what’s going on look I’ve seen when something is going on.
He looks at Kateri then me. “Try for the Rescue gate. Sentinel is handling it. Nash and Mucimi are on it.”
My head snaps to Hud who is looking at Mase. “Alder and the Bits?”
Mase nods. “Harky, Zeus, the whole rescue Club is on alert with the Alpha-Bits at the simulator pool. Stan is out on a fire rescue but the other teams are in and know the try is for Ford’s.”
I pull my phone and look for Asa. He’s at Bravo. I check the Honor Fords seeing them all together with Pres and Natalia.
Mase laughs drawing my eyes to him. “I was looking for them at each Club too. Justice sent the alert to every Club and got confirmation for every BSC territory. Alder put it in the chat so all Fords have it and will stay with Officers or in their houses. Pres Falcon sent it to the military at ABSZ, they’ll keep the gate closed until IDs get checked.
Seamus has the chipped K9’s running perimeters at Honor and on Alpha-Bit alert at the rest of the Clubs.
Last, Alpha-Bit IT has those little butterfly and ladybug drones everywhere and work robots running ID recognition at the Clubs they’re in.
There isn’t a thing I can do to help so I did the tracking check. ”
I smile. He’s right and Badass knows the drill. The little Fords have more eyes on them than… Mase is up then gone.
I stand and freeze.
Finn is reading his phone so I wait for why he’s standing but not walking. “Anton’s got Pax and Lance. Chang is following their Flight Suit tracking. I need to get to Ops. Adrian is hunting.” He holds the keys hanging against his hip and runs.
I ask Finn’s girl Chara, “Adrian is a Prince?”
“Original Mass Club. His twin Brother is the President of the Teach Club.” She’s not worried but she’s an engineer.
Hud relaxes and moves my chair against my legs, so I sit. “Space engineer or engineer that builds space shit among other things?” He asks.
It’s a good question and the Clubs know their shit so I try to relax.
I’m not listening to the answer but watch every move made and Hud knows that try for relaxed is not working.
I know this because after three minutes he’s rubbing my back in a slow as hell circle.
I breathe deep and glance over trying to focus, Kateri laughs softly.
“I want to check on the Bits and kids. Our kids can take care of themselves but Kristos has the Fords, the Blackhawks and his two boys.” She knows exactly what’s going through my head.
I nod. “The K9’s and your wolves too.”
Chara smiles and points. Mase is walking our way from the front of the dining room.
I laugh when I see three Bits holding what looks like one of those retractable dog leashes connected to Mase’s cargos. “I like the gear.”
Mase laughs at everything. “I got it for moving groups on a freaky ride. Citiali said something about the rope when we were doing the Georgia rescue. It worked so I got this.”
Kateri shakes her head.
I agree but need to know. “Where were you, Anton, and did anyone tell Adrian?”
“VP Mase tell Boss Adrian and Pres Maverick. We fly to laser tag.” Anton is cute.
“I bet laser tag is fun at night.”
The littlest guy is nodding like crazy. “Are you Pax?”
“I Pax Ford, Space IT tech.” He looks about four.
I nod and look at the next boy that looks about seven. “Lance Ford, Space IT.”
“Nice to meet you. Do you live in the tree house by the lake?” They have a compound to die for. I love the tree house but never would have seen it if Josephine hadn’t pointed it out.
Pax tells me all about his treehouse, I guess there’s more than one, I saw the bridge but only one house up there.
§*§*§
The night was good and Hud had his hand on me all night like he needs the contact.
When we get to the Sentinel gate Mase goes to the chopper pad and we go to Rescue.
I wave to Kateri who is always sweet, quiet and very smart.
Natalia said she doesn’t know how smart she is.
I see it. She follows all kinds of conversations and asks questions that show her understanding.
Tonight, she got Chara thinking about Seamus’s ramp that changes from stairs.
Since we’re going back to Sentinel, I’m going to ask Alder about tracking on the chair so the ramp shows when he’s in the chair like the doors opening for him when he’s in it.
Keylan would know, or Anchor, or Racks, damn, they all would know, I bet.
I still would need Alder’s okay to do it.
“Penny for your thoughts but I don’t have a penny. Can’t remember the last time I held one.”
I laugh but he’s got a point. “I have a full bottle of pennies.”
“I know. The glass five-gallon bottle is like an old water cooler. It’s almost full. I didn’t say saw one, held one is different.” He sees everything.
“Yeah. I was thinking about the ramp. I can code it but need permission from Alder.”
He slows for the gate to be opened. “Bet it will be done when you get back to Honor.”
That’s true. If it’s not I’ll do it. “Whatcha betting?”
He flips his visor up and I do the same so the Brother sees me. We get nodded through. “Bet you a dollar in pennies.”
I laugh squeezing him a little tighter. “You’re on.” I’m asking Alder to hold the job for me to do when I get home. I’ll even tell him why.
The house here is comfortable with an office and Havoc’s bedroom that has the K9’s chosen pictures.
Hud said his bathroom is outside but I thought he was kidding or playing on the words but there’s a square of grass that gets washed and a little red fire plug that Havoc pees on.
I asked if it’s red because it can’t put a house fire out and had to explain the color coding for the fireplugs.
Red is 499 or less, orange 600-999, green 1000-1499 and blue 1500 gallons per minute or higher.
I asked nothing else because dog’s bathrooms are the kind of crazy that’s deep set.
The kitchen and living room are decent sized but the patio out back is what I like most. There’s a fire pit table and the deck is screened in which will make nights outside perfect.