Page 128 of Ranger's Rise

“I can’t even call him a dickass. He kicked the water bottle closer to you, Raid.”

Oh, my fucking God. I stand up and start walking. “Anton can get me that. He’d know Mounty’s start date.”

They run to catch up going back and forth all the way up the stairs, but my head swings the whole way. I want to see this. Cort calls Anton and tells him to wipe the feed. As soon as I’m in the office, I’m texting Anton to bring it here and I want to watch him so I know he did the whole thing. It’s not ten minutes later that we’re laughing over them whining like pussies and Falcon telling them they are.

They’re fucking crazy.

~*~*~

We climb in behind Anton and Amal and I start positioning the trainees. When Cort is on a training flight we take two As. Something always happens and we need IT Ops on the flight. The trainees and even Crews aren’t trained for that shit, so we always have As.

When Raid sits beside him, Anton starts laughing. I’m trying to keep it together and finish with the trainees, but Cort is watching. The fucking Brother never misses anything. I just finish and he’s calling me on it.

“You showed him the video before you wiped it?” Fuck,he asks Anton.

I step up. “I told him I needed to see that the right time was wiped, Boss.”

Anton looks from me to Cort. “Yeah, Pres. I need to wipe right time. Boss showed me.”

I see the muscles in Cort’s jaw tighten. “Are you standing with him?”

Anton smiles. “My Boss. We stand together. Always like Badass. Like you. I showed and wiped.”

Raid laughs. I wait. Cort smiles. “Good job standing with your Brother, but next time you ask me.”

“Roger, Pres. Never after training with Boss Mounty.” Anton is swinging his head looking serious and I bust out laughing.

Raid is laughing then Cort is. “Fucking Brothers. That feed better be gone.” He’s trying to make it sound like an order, but it doesn’t make it with the smile on his face.

Anton nods still looking so serious. “I wipe all floor time. Boss Ranger said sparring is Badass and good to keep.” The little shit is kissing up.

Cort doesn’t know what to say. Anton gives me a quick look and smile. Cort notices and is still smiling. “You’re covering him. You’re learning too much. I may have to separate you two.”

Fuck. Anton looks like he’s ready to cry. Cort lifts him up. “I’m kidding, Anton. You keep your Boss and I’m glad you learned to watch his back and share blame. You’re even trying to soften it. Those are good things to learn.”

Anton puts his head on Cort’s shoulder and smiles at me with his little pinkish eyes shining in amusement. I turn around and watch a trainee before I get into more shit here.

We’re up for a couple of minutes and Raid has Anton showing him the feed for sparring. I’m swinging my head.

“Boss, we have a text from Ops.” The engineer trainee is lost.

“Anton, Amal?”

Amal moves the trainee and takes the seat. “Marco, car chase in D. PD losing control. Shooting.” He pauses. “Near C.”

Cort pulls a set of Lead cans and switches his out. “Get me on with Vick and off the Flight’s audio.” He’s so good with the new shit.

The engineer trainee doesn’t know what to do. I point. “Sit by Anton, they’re running Ops from that computer. Anton will run engineer for the chopper too.”

He looks at me like I’m kidding. The Flight Engineer smacks him on the head. “Watch his screen, newbie. You’ll see it there with all the other shit, but watch the chopper panels.”

He nods. “Roger, Boss.” He leans over and Anton gives him a look then turns the laptop so the trainee can see without getting in his space. “Thanks, kid.”

Cort laughs. “He’s been patched in for eight years. He just looks young.”

The Crew laughs, the trainee nods with eyebrows raised. Cort turns toward Amal and watches his monitor.

VP: “This was just a nice flight. I knew I should have gone up in Atlas if you were on this one.”