Chapter Twelve #3
Seamus laughs behind me. I turn so he can move but Ben Knight is standing there with Asa. Okay. Jesus. He holds Asa out, so I take him. Ben is gone again. “That was smart, Brother.”
He nods. “Boss Sophie block tracking. I get drone for cover.”
I hug Asa before he’s pulled away from me.
“Brother, you had us all mystified,” Cort tells him but the ground starts shaking.
“Back up! Get back in the gate.” That’s Teller? “Cort. My dad is pissed. Mase is coming. Get the chopper out of here.”
That’s not Teller. Cort turns. “Luke Rayne, do whatever you can to help.” Cort herds Brothers back and military away from the gate. I follow him since I was told to get to them at the east gate.
Once the Brothers and K9 Security dogs are behind the open gate Cort asks Seamus what Ben needed. He points to me.
I shrug. “The drones can swarm. Alder said something about it and Raid said they just vanished. It stuck.” He rolls his hand in the air for me to keep going I guess, so I do.
“Alder said he coded drones and bots to stop a kidnapping when the Clubs were under threat. I asked the K9’s to see if there was a swarm of drones and we found three quickly.
We mapped the last tags on them and used Jack’s close call sighting to get where they would be swarming to.
Logan said to get to you and Prince’s Prez and he’d see it. ”
He shakes his head. “You should be a President. Use everything and keep your Brothers back is in you deep, Brother.”
“Cort! It’s a fuckin’ trap. Mase!” Luke Rayne makes it to the cliff fast as hell and jumps like he’s a diver in the Olympics.
I close my eyes. A trap. They just vanished and the magics are needed.
Holy Shit. I yell, “Boss! Secure the gates and we need to be in the canyon.”
Cort looks at me for ten long seconds. “Hay-bale, lower and pick us up. Citiali cover the chopper. Raid, tell Alder I said he’s fuckin’ Badass to the core.”
I don’t hear Ops but he smiles and moves for the chopper. I follow him with dogs that must be his, Havoc, Seamus and Shadow. Teller’s look alike closes the door. I didn’t see him in front of me but Knights all have magic.
He smiles my way. “All but my mom but she’s scary with what she does have.”
I stop thinking. He laughs getting Cort’s attention. He’s surprised but covers it quick. “What’s the trap and why do we need to be in the canyon?”
“That’s where the fight is, Boss. My dad lost it. Mase is with him and it looks like they’re setting fire to the desert.” Phoenix Knight answers.
He looks out the window then turns back. “Justice, Putam, Mikey, Dakota, Ginny, Jessie, Uncle Danny, and Kyler are on bikes. They’re pissed. My grandfather…Mucimi said he’s going to be okay. Mucimi’s moving bikes from Bravo down. Pres Falcon is coming next.”
Fuck. My girl wasn’t mentioned.
§*§*§
Alpha-Bit Security Zone
Sophie
I hear the chopper and I’m relieved. This has not been my day right from the start.
“At Princes, the crazy ‘rents started the Do Over. Perhaps we can use it tomorrow and it will cover the bad of today.”
I turn and see the Indian but don’t recognize who it is because he’s shimmering in the drones’ flickering reflections. “Dakota?”
“It is good that you see me. Yes, I am providing you a shield with Citiali.”
Looking around, I don’t see the Teach VP, but the butterflies make it look like we’re under water that’s loaded with glitter. I turn back and Ben Knight is here. He takes Asa and disappears. I shake my head. That does not make my day any better.
“Dakota, where did Asa go?”
“To Cort who is with Hud and Seamus at the east gate. Prez will see that his father was shot. He will be fine but Prez loses his temper over much less and this is not much less.”
“What exactly…” I stop to watch the drones that cover us shimmer more than they were.
“You will get to see Prez decimate the men who bring the worn out laydar, guns and old-fashioned man-portable air-defense weaponry.” He said that here, under the weirdly working shield of butterfly drones Asa had swarm over us.
The other men are sitting like this is just the way it is and war time weapons are normal in civilian areas. Maybe this isn’t civilian.
“I do not believe they see me. You may want to call them to attention.”
I don’t waste time. “Get up. Stand readied!” I yell as the shimmering butterfly shield jumps into sonic speed.
I don’t think I did more than blink but bikes are here, men are here and Justice is sitting beside his dad who looks like an older version of himself. I’ve seen him before but together it’s just weird.
He tries to smile but it doesn’t reach his normal happy look. “GS was shot.”
Shit. I nod and get on the bike Picard points me toward. “How can we help?”
“Don’t miss.” Justice isn’t playing so I nod as it’s the only thing that feels true and constant under the weird glimmering with Brothers that just appear.
“Where’s Asa?” Picard asks.
I’m starting to wonder about my second.
“He didn’t see LB take him to Cort and Hud.” The patch guy, Justice’s Uncle Danny, says from behind me. Uncle Danny is not smiling. We need to find his partner, Knight.
I nod and get on the bike without shaking my head. More Princes, Mass Badass and BSC Brothers are here but I am not asking and may never shake my head again.
The bikes roar to life so I start mine and follow the men in front of me.
We get a plan through the ear piece and I follow Justice, while Mase on fire and Uncle Danny ride with Ben Knight off to the right. Cort will be joining them, apparently.
Justice calls names in groups of four. I turn from them when he tells me and ride through the orange dust cloud before I know what I’m riding toward. Picard almost slides to my right before I see the chopper that’s causing the red cloud. Men are dropping but they’re not our men.
Me: “Ops, chopper dropping men. Tracking is off but I have drones following me. This is Michadeau, I have a full team of four.”
Ops: “Your tracking is working. I’m sending a BSC chopper to your location. Work with the chopper, drop the pussies and keep your Brothers back. Logan will pick you up when the chopper shows. That’s in three.”
Me: “Roger, Ops. Listen Up! We’re Team Soma. Mow them down! When it’s manageable, we’ll switch to laser! Chopper is on its way to give us cover. For now, cover your Brothers. GO!” I yell at the top of my lungs, hoping they hear over the chopper and shots firing.
§*§*§
Canyon outside of the ABSZ
Hud
Web is giving us updates and directions that haven’t been easy in this dust bowl. This one is easy. We’re moving from the red dust to pale sand. It’s grittier than the dust but it’s not clogging our nose or throats.
Cuffing and dragging the infiltrators make spitting and blowing the red out easier than the Brothers who left these poor bastards out here to fry.
I hope the Brothers get a minute to stop.
I don’t know how they see far enough to have a shot, let alone shoot the numbers I’m seeing.
This isn’t MERCs, this is a platoon. We had eight dead but the rest are battered and cuffed.
The heavier sand isn’t flying as thick as the dust.
Ops: “Logan said Cort ordered the rubber bullets they had on a mule used against them. They have Knight in the medic room on ABSZ. Chenoa said he’s fine but pissed.”
Me: “Web?”
OPs: “Yeah, Brother. We got you and Sophie. Logan has them on ground with the chopper so I have you. I’m tech but can get what you need where you need it.”
Me: I breathe deep hearing those words. Everything settles for me. She’s safe or will be soon. “You’re doing that, Brother. Calm in the chaos is what wins the battles. Thanks for that.” I don’t say for clueing me in on my Charlie’s Angel but I feel it.
OPs: “Roger, Brother. You’re needed a good two miles up. I’ll give you the turn when you get closer to it. The truck following you is pulling in now.”
Me: I turn back seeing it. “Roger, Ops.” I sign we’re riding and the team following me gets on their bikes. The sand isn’t as hard packed but I’m not heavy enough to dig in. I swerve when a K9 comes from a side crevice, I’d guess it’s called. “Ops, you got me on tracking so you must see the K9.”
Ops: “That’s Valley Girl locating bodies for pickup. Seamus got pulled to a chopper to coordinate. Bravo has us working with drone feeds.”
Me: “Roger.” Okay. Where’s Havoc?
Ops: “Veer to the right. It brings you to the South Gate between Bravo and ABSZ. The tribe will get you up on the plateau. They have towels and hoses waiting. You're going to Ops at Bravo.”
Me: “Roger, my team?”
Ops. “Sorry, Brother. The Bravo Club has showers and food on the side. You’re needed in Ops.”
Me: “Roger.” I turn to the Brother at my side. “You hear Ops yet?”
Second: “No, Boss. I hear you and the team.”
Me: “A tribe will get us up on the plateau. You’re going to the Bravo Club. They have food and showers open. I need to go to Ops.”
Second: “Thanks, Boss. It will be appreciated. You’re the new Club?” He’s looking at my filthy but brand-new cut.
Me: “Yeah. The training side.”
Second: “We’re tactical from the eighty-second. VP at Bravo said we’re in your next class.”
ME: I smile thinking this is how the you belong feeling started. “Today was my first day in the new Club. Not sure what’s happening next but I’ll be happy to see a familiar face when you show, I bet. It gets fuckin’ crazy here in the Badass world.” I hear chuckles from behind us.
Second: He points to the side but I saw. “We’ve been in Bravo for four weeks now. We’ve seen the crazy.” There is a makeshift ramp against the side of the cliff made from a car transport trailer that’s lifted to a tipped loader bucket detached from the loader and held up by a backhoe arm.
Scanning the ledge and ramp, I let Ops know I’m officially done in the canyon. “I’m headed up to Bravo Ops. Girard out.”
A distracted Roger comes back.