“Close enough. Mase made it but he said Citiali had a shield on me and Asa. None of us were hurt but Asa’s arm from the pipe.” He stops and looks back at me. “I’ll call Cort but he probably knows. Coincidences don’t sit well in Badass.” Hepauses then smiles. “He knows.”
I walk. I don’t ask because I don’t want to know. “The threat on them is always like this?”
He opens the door guiding Natalia in. “Ebbs and flows like the tide, Brother. We go months with nothing, then we’re slammed. It never ends, if it’s not the Bits, it’s the ol’ ladies, kids, or Protectors.”
It’s the job I was told it is. “Brothers in Virginia said New England is like here with threats.”
He nods. “Justice’s crew is here but New England is in a constant battle. He said that Cort usually finds those battles or they find him and they’re used to it. Mase said it’s been like this since he was a kid. His dad said it’s been since the original Club quit transporting drugs.”
I read that. Badass was a gang no one crossed. They muled drugs from supplier to gangs all over the east coast.
Turning down the hall, I smile seeing my girl at the door with a K9 and Picard. She said they watch the doors at the Club dining rooms. The K9 do walk throughs. At Rescue, I stand at the wall in the elder building because it doesn’t come with eight layers of Security.
I reach for and give her hand a squeeze as I go by. I got the jewelry run tomorrow. I can’t wait for her to see it because I got her CJIRU on it. That’s the job she loved.
I stop short and almost tip. “Mario, what are you doing here?” He’s from my group. He showed from a white walled room last week. I didn’t ask but thought he painted.
He laughs. The guy loves surprising me. “Heard you got hitched and didn’t invite me. I’m crashing.”
I smile and sit. “Glad you made it. I need to run for jewelry tomorrow. You in?”
He moves fast to stand while looking past me. “Pres, ma’am.”
Kristos tells him to sit. “You don’t start until Monday.” Pres turns toward me. “He’s our new Flight Control for Ops. He worked two shifts at SOAR and Vapor signed off on him. Mario did some work with them before, so she knows his qualifications but said it’s classified.”
I nod. It’s why I was surprised SOAR was here. They do special Ops like DEVGRU. “Congratulations, Brother. I can help with the ride time when you need it. Sentinel isn’t far and Sophia is based out of here so we’ll be bouncing back and forth regularly.”
“I’ll need it. What happened to you?” He’s beaming then serious a second later. He said his hand works great but seeing him eat with it amazes me.
I shrug. “Bomb at a dam. We got it out but took it out of the jammed area. Magics yelled in my head and I listened.”
The table laughs. I shrug again. It’s what happened.
§*§*§
Honor Rising
Sophie
I got Asa to the dining room but I don’t see him when I scan. I pull tracking and find him in the kitchen with Alder and Natalia.
“Picard, stay alert and watch the kitchen door. He’s back there with Natalia and Alder.”
“Roger, Boss. I saw Alder go but not Asa.” He's got a straight line to Asa’s chair; I had the room.
I give him thegot itsign and jog the wall side to the kitchen door. They got the robots doing shit jobs. I smile andstand at the wall watching.
Alder is talking about some factory with Natalia. I keep my eyes on Asa. He’s explaining maintenance to the Prospect. When the Prospect realizes he’s not washing floors anymore, he asks Asa to show him again. I hold my laugh in.
“Boss Sophie. You tell. I come for breakfast. Pres Alder crazy, breakfast meet mean I eat.”
“Yeah, tell cook what you want and eat in here. I’ll get the virtual up for him so he sees the rest. Alexia did all the work bots for you.”
He runs. “I show appreciation to Boss Alexia tomorrow I see her.”
I smile at the cute in him and turn the Prospect so I can keep eyes on the little VP. “Get your phone out. I’ll send the virtual link Stella gave me. It’s all the work bots’ maintenance tutorials. Follow them when you’re doing the maintenance so each step gets done. You have to give comments for the steps but the AI will build your report and you leave a thumbprint for it to send. If the reports don’t get done, Alder said you get to sweep and mop your next shifts. In other words, the bots don’t run for you. It’s automated now, so do the maintenance and they’ll make your job easier.”
“No report at all?” He’s shocked.
