Chapter Twelve
Two days
Liminal Rising
Hud
“Mmm. I think we need to thank Keylan. I wanted to kiss his feet last night.” She stretches and rolls off me.
The loss of her skin against mine usually has me pulling her right back. Not today. Time is short if we ride the winding national forest road up to Honor and kissing anyone anywhere isn’t happening. “Don’t talk about men in our bed.”
She thinks I’m kidding and her smile shows it.
I roll then lift her. The shower is filled with her monologue.
I let it go and wash her, then me. Dressed, robotic on and out of the room, I make coffee, fill two travel cups and roll the bike out for the ride.
While I’m waiting, I send a chat to Done about breakfast. He'll meet me at Dunkin in an hour.
Sophia runs down the steps with her bag and cup. “Thanks for filling it.” She leans and I kiss her lips then drop the helmet on her head and my visor down. As I swing my leg over, she says, “We’re leaving early. Do you have a meet?”
“With Done.”
“I thought he’s not due here until tonight?”
“You’re right.” I start the bike and she slides against me.
The monologue starts again so I listen and make sound but I’m pissed so I have nothing to say.
Our new house is perfect. It has an office big enough for her desk and mine.
Havoc has his room and a bathroom so when it snows, my partner isn’t out in the cold.
The carport in front of the garage is great so the bikes can stay out when we’re in a hurry or just being lazy.
It meets up with the side deck so weather doesn’t make grocery runs a chore.
I’m not sure that’s a thing here, I’ve never done a grocery run here because I eat in the dining room and pickup takeout when I don’t want to.
The Clubs send whatever I need up to the room.
My house on Sentinel was stocked but I didn’t do it.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I was thinking about groceries. The carport and roof over the deck make the run easy. I never went on a run here.”
She laughs and talks about the Prospect app.
It makes the grocery runs a moot point. Officer in Badass is going to make me lazy.
This isn’t just a member working in a Club, this is busy in a way that everything you need or desire is brought to you.
It reminds me of the robots. Pretty soon I won’t remember how to shop or change my oil, then change a tire probably.
She’s quiet so I tell her, “I’ll find out the stores when I’m with Done. We can shop so we remember how to.”
She laughs. “I’m not a shopper but don’t think everything in my life should be automated. It’s like the ship, after the glitz, it’s ho-hum.”
She’s not wrong but moves on to the ride.
The view from the rise is like a painting of a mountain road that snakes its way around hills and quick valleys that lead you to higher hills and quick valleys.
It’s an impressive ride that feels longer than it is.
We’re in Honor before I’m ready to be done.
The gate opens like the ABSZ and Bravo. Our ID is picked up with recognition, plate and tracking.
I got to see it with Mag at Bravo. They check everything with different sensors as you get closer.
I pull up to the Officer road and stop at the little Bit two story house.
It’s between Kristos and Mase’s bigger versions.
My girl giggles seeing it. “They keep everyone equal and it never strikes anyone as unusual here.”
“It’s always been. One furlough in Virginia I was in the dining room and a girl came over filthy dirty to tell an Officer she was in and fine.
She was coming off a shift and had to change because she was blood splattered and smelled like a Billy goat.
Her words.” I take her helmet and hang it on the bar.
Her giggle is back until I hook a finger into her cargos and pull her closer.
That gets her attention on me. “No one is named in our bed, you never kiss feet, that includes mine. I will never say anything but your name in our bed so you never have a reason to doubt that you’re the only woman on my mind. ”
I wait patiently while her eyes close and she takes a deep breath.
Her pretty eyes show that love so I’m not doubting my place. I wasn’t but I’m glad she feels it. “You did say that with the list. The disrespect…”
I pull and kiss her like she is the only woman on my mind.
“You’ll remember.” Her dazed look makes me smile.
She’ll remember. “Let me know if I’m sleeping here or you’re back to Liminal later.
We can eat in Utah at the place Mase and Kateri told us about.
She nods so I kiss her head and drop my visor down. “Later, Charlie’s Angel.”
Going out the Colorado gate, I get to the Dunkin in minutes seeing quite a few bikes in the lot.
“VP Girard.”
I turn fast and tip but Nash steadies me. “Thanks. Are you on Ops?” It’s early for him to be flying from Sentinel already.
“I’m on my way to work, I slept here last night.”
I nod seeing Mase and Seth walking out. “That wasn’t you calling me.” Nash points across the lot. “Who is it?”
“Your new IT Brother. He was meeting Logan but has to get to Liminal for a meet with Web.”
I nod. “It’s a nice ride on the back road.”
He smiles. “It’s a ride we take a lot. You have some good places to eat and the Dunkin. Mase had them put it up for our rides. The Club is a five-minute ride from the door to the gate.”
They like their Dunkin. “We’re riding later to get a layout.”
He nods. “I stayed to get the business plan to Logan. I didn’t know he’d be here but I had some businesses already up because it’s a stopping point for Brothers at Honor. I gotta go. Pres scheduled an early meet.”
I throw him chin and go to find my new President. In a month, I think I’ve had three.
Mase laughs walking by me. I peg him a finger without looking. Done is at a table with two cups.
“Pres, you know how I take my coffee?”
“Not before today, but Mase and Nash did, so I know now. You’re older than me, Brother.
Don’t call me Pres, Done or Logan is fine.
I’d prefer Logan, the Get R Done jokes are old.
Mase said Kristos said he needs someone that’s willing to say when he fucks up and it can’t be as Pres.
” I can see that and nod. “I met with Stan and Spano yesterday. They did the name thing too. I’ll use Logan so I’m already on the good side. ”
He laughs bowing his head. “Thanks. I was a VP so if you have questions, just ask. Here my job is close to the same but with a training focus. I’ll be doing the Surveillance and Small Job training but we’ll be getting Brothers to run Ops.”
I nod. “From the candidates we train. Keylan does it for Rescue. He’s open to help and will meet with us this week.”
He lets out a breath. “Good. I asked Seth and Nash to show. I’m a reader but have a lot going on. During training is the best place to see issues but if I’m fighting to get this or that done, I’m going to miss shit.”
I nod. “Do you do the rides at night?”
“The Brother time, yeah. I did group rides to get Pres a breath away from the Club. Clean air always worked.”
“Good. We have a nice backroad to do that. Pick the nights and time you’re open for it.”
We get through a bunch of decisions for the two towns then take the backroad down to the new Club. Pres–Logan likes the backroad and wants to see the towns after his meet with Web. Since it’s not a meet I’m in, I go to check out the new building that’s being printed to house surveillance techs.
The building is huge and walls are up but there’s no roof on the shell of a building. I see a Bit with a hard hat on and walk his way. It’s not Asa but the boy is close to his size without the ink and earring.
“Brother, are you here alone?”
The boy turns fast and drops his clipboard. “VP Girard. I check window.”
I lift the clipboard seeing a printout of the floor plan. Bits have an office and bathrooms on this side. “How do you know me?”
He whips his phone out and taps it showing me my ID. “Elijah, Wesley, and me, Drexel here to Surveillance.”
I point to the floor plan. “You covering windows?”
His head bobs up and down fast. “All window UV, Alpha-Bit get tint safe to our eyes. Little desk, chair, toilet, sink to us. Locker have step up save office space.”
That’s smart. “Sounds good. Who is here with you?”
He points. “Protector team to Alpha-Bits.”
I look and see a Brother watching another Bit then he turns to check on Drexel here. I throw him chin and stand to see the team. Mackie throws me chin. I didn’t know he moved.
“Did you get what you needed here, Brother?”
He looks up then shades his eyes. “Yeah, VP. Sun to morning. I chat VP Asa.”
“You need anything else here?”
“Pres Alder say we check to plan. Elijah do furniture, Wesley do bathroom. We go to Club. Boss Web come see Alpha-Bit house.” He’s excited.
“I’ll follow you back.”
Mackie and another Protector are here. I follow the little guys back to the big Club just in time to see Web and Logan walk out the Club doors. They’re going back over to the Club being printed. Once the Bits hug Web, I wave them off and head in behind the Bits.
My office is next door to the Bit office. This is where Alder will work from when he’s here I’m told. I’m glad I’ll get to see him. Mackie stops me before I scan in.
“Boss, I asked for the new Club. Pres looked for who signed off. I just want to say thanks.”
I nod. “Michadeau did originally. I agreed based on the cruise. You got read by Citiali and Mucimi which holds a hell of a lot more weight than me. I’m glad you’re here and felt it when I saw you.
The Bits here will need a team while they’re going back and forth.
I’ll breathe easier knowing you’re on it”
“Thanks. These three will be here but a help to the others in the little Club.”
I smile. “Club in a Club. Someone will name it soon.”
He nods. “Vigil.”
Okay Vigil.
“VP Hud! OPs room, Boss Ranger say Stat!” A little guy runs by me. I follow with Mackie following me or more likely the Bit.