Page 123 of Ranger's Rise

I take Pace and he runs. Jessie laughs. “I call that messenger mode. When they’re going anywhere, they run.”

“I notice they all do.” He looks at Doc. “Is there anything you need here?”

“This to stop. What they’re doing is inhumane. The last kids with defects are the worst. Are they cloning them, growing them and doing this?”

“We didn’t find information on births.” Ford jumps in, but doesn’t say what they did find,

Doc nods. They can’t tell us. “To answer your question reasonably, Cort has Web covered. The Brothers all help. The other Alpha-Bits are the biggest help. They watch out for each other and learn what’s needed. They even trained for medical. We have two certified EMTs and one at resident level that works with me and Patcher. Patcher’s a PA that works for the Club too. The others work on the computer with the newer kids. They give them work and test them for specialized coding or something. Web or Akai can explain that. When they want to learn something new, Web builds them virtual worlds to learn it.” He laughs. “Four can fly.”

I nod. “To work in Ops on IT for Flight Control, three took the Flight training and learned every position on the chopper. Web built a simulator and they ace everything. They’re happy learning new things. One day it may be how to color or cut out a circle, the next is how to fly.”

“And cook, Boss. Or French for Jacques.”

I laugh. “You learn everything, Mateo. We’re proud of all you can do.”

He smiles. “Yeah.”

Prez and Cort come out with Web and Anton. “We’ll meet with Major, Maverick, Jordan and Falcon at seven. Their flight is scheduled for nine.”

“Roger, Boss.”

Jessie and Ford laugh. I shrug.

~*~*~

Freedom

Victory is laughing and I watch. She’s telling the Club chicks and ol’ ladies about her new house.

Seren sits with Caelan. She had to go steal him back from Ajhil. “She’s happy there. I never noticed that she wasn’t really happy here. I feel bad for stopping her from hugging me.”

I laugh. “She doesn’t fit in here anymore than Shaggy did. She’s more my parents than me. I’m glad she’s happy and likes where she is and what she’s doing.”

“Is she pissed Shaggy left?”

I shake my head. “Not at all. She got on a flight going back first thing in the morning. She rode with him and liked him until he started talking to us the way he did. She noticed he was all about him and did nothing for her. I think she’s seeing that there’s more to her than a vagina.”

She laughs. “It’s about time.”

“Yeah.”

She gets serious. “Something big is coming. Cort looked worried.”

I nod. We did the games and Brothers from the MC were here playing too, but the Presidents all sat together. Cort sat as soon as he was done with the games Seren rides with him for. He usually does all the skill games too. The Brothers were happy to watch the new Brothers and the MC ride. Ranger did good and was surprised I played. It was fun and we traded wins with Cort and Seren making it cool. She doesn’t talk shit and loves the games.

Lorelei sits looking tired. “You okay?”

Her red face tells me why she’s tired. “Yeah. Raid was surprised we didn’t do the stripper dancing.” She’s good at deflecting.

I smile, Ranger was too. It got sexy, but not obscene. “Hannah is right. Not everyone took lessons and having every set of eyes on you is intimidating. They shouldn’t have to go through that alone. Like the Brothers, we can take their back. I’m glad it’s not all pole dancing too. I don’t want the Brothers seeing me that way. There are always trainees and Brothers that are Nomad in the Club. It’s not like they’re all Phoenix.”

I agreed as soon as she said it. I would never say it, but I didn’t look forward to the ol’ lady dance. I would do it for Ranger.

“Ranger has a nice voice. It’s like you can feel the words,” Harmony sits and Scraps kisses her cheek and steps back.

“Because he feels it.” Seren is matter of fact in the answer, but I feel it too. “Whenever he sings it’s like a piece of his memory or his heart flows right out of his mouth. Like with the car song, Chaps’ song, or like today.”

I nod. “I feel it.”