Page 108 of Ranger's Rise

VP walks with him. “He called me a fucking bastard.”

Cort pulls me until I’m walking too. Falcon nods as Cort and me laugh. “I called you pussies.”

VP looks back. “No respect!”

I laugh all the way to the meeting room with them going back and forth. I love my Brothers.

Jinx and Brinks run in with Amos and Banks right behind them. “I got food coming, Cort,” VP says as everyone sits.

He nods. “I have one from each Flight Crew helping Web get the kids home and whatever else is needed.”

Akai and Anton come in and Cort smiles. “Anton, get the section of the President from the Ops room on the screen.”

“Roger, Boss.” He runs to the computer and sits, typing like a maniac. I smile at my little sidekick.

The President shows on the screen. “Zoom in on the two.”

He does and I see Jeremy and another Brother signing. “Tell them about Falcon. He needs to be running.” Akai interprets and watches. “Slow, Anton.” The video slows. “They get hit.”

Anton moves it to the other Brother and his hands move slow. Jeremy must sign fast. “That changed. Let me do my fucking job.”

We swing back to Jeremy. “I don’t have a change. They need choppers, help. We can help. I can teach and learn. Their kids know more. I can teach what we have. Keep them safe.”

We swing back. “No! They’ll get it. Like the medicine, we can get it to them. You stay here. Pres, the kids need you here. I’ll get them what they need.”

We’re back to Jeremy. “How? Protection like we have. The force fields. They need choppers now until they build it.”

The other Brother smiles. “You just told them, Je. They got it. You stay. We need you here.”

Jeremy smiles and the feed shuts down.

“Jesus fuck,” VP mutters what I’m thinking.

Cort looks at Akai and Anton. “You know anything about force fields?”

“Ms, Boss. We’ll get it,” Akai says smiling.

Cort laughs. “Thank you, Brothers. We should learn sign.”

Anton laughs when VP throws his hands up. “I will be teacher, Boss.”

Cort nods. “Set that up, Brother. Go see your new Brothers. We’ll be down after the meet. Make sure the Docs see the new Alpha-Bits.”

“Roger, Boss,” Akai says.

Anton has us all laughing. “Later, Brothers.”

“They’re fucking cute,” Falcon says.

“Tell us what you can with everyone here.” Cort pulls his chair and sits.

“There is a full alphabet and up to G on a second. The monastery had fifty-three. I took six that don’t have a connection. Some are deformed, but function in front of a computer. Some are like zombies, they stare at a wall and fall in line to eat or shower. They were taken in by the Masons and will stay in the monastery. They put a pool and kid shit in, but the kids haven’t touched anything yet.” He looks like just telling this hurts. I put my hand on his arm. He goes on.

“Aiyana and Jeremy showed and took a group of fourteen to Sweden. Aiyana said they will be fine. Those are her words. I saw them heal a few. They seemed to know who would respond. A group of twelve went to Finland. Another Mason home. I took six.”

“On our way home we stopped in Budapest and picked up the Bs. The FBI choppered them to us on a runway like we did here. They had a fight and a half as we lifted off. In the states, we were supposed to stop, but Dakota got a message from Christian that we had a threat. We made it to the airspace on fumes and landed with no-fuel alerts, Brother. Dakota never showed it if he was worried. You saw the rest. I don’t have anything else for the kids.”

Cort nods and stands. “Any problems with the kids you brought back?”