Page 15 of Vapor (BSC #32)

Three days

SOAR

Julius

The movement to my side has me turning away from my new board. The utilities are Badass but I don’t know this Brother. He must be the new VP but he doesn’t have a cut on. He smiles and I know he’s our new VP. “Julius Ross? Tito’s boy?”

I stand in front of my new board and turn full on so he gets all my attention while I deliver what I don’t really want to share. “I never met him but I’m told he was a good man.” The line is getting old.

He nods seriously. “Sorry, I didn’t know. You look like a picture I’ve seen of Tito, Vince and Pres Ben James.”

I smile. “I’ve been told of it. There’s one in Colorado that Pres Jinx said I need to see.” He said my eyes are an exact washed-out blue color like my dad and uncle. The old pictures don’t really show it well or at all.

“I can take you up to the mansion. We landed there last night.” He offers with his head tilted as if he’s distracted.

I already like him. “I’ll fly us.”

He smiles focusing on me. “Good, I don’t fly. I’m control, IT, ground and a Protector but I’m not on Ops here.” Oddly enough, determination can be heard in there as if he’s making a pledge.

“That sounds like it’s important.”

His eyes close. “It is to me. Logan Done from Vermont MC, originally a Prince but the last three years a VP in Vermont working as their only Protector with ability. The President sent me out for everything, whether it was a threat or to get by security so he could intimidate people. I’m glad to be gone.

I haven’t been to many Clubs and don’t know how it worked here.

You have more Clubs than the north in close proximity.

I was born a Prince, worked Mass then Vermont.

” Born a Prince says so much and sounds as dignified and honorable as the Princes I know are through and through.

I have no such claim and born a bastard doesn’t define me.

I smile knowing it’s weak by the change in his smile.

“Now, you’re VP of SOAR at Veritable Rising.

I just moved from Law. It’s the next Club over.

Mostly the Clubs are set a hundred miles apart.

They form a shield around a bigger Club or higher population.

The Clubs all have a specialty like training for flight, flight guard, security, enforcer, emergency rescue, elite…

you get it. I was in the Law Club training Law to PD, sheriff and Flight Guard leads.

I think everyone here are Protectors and Rescue out of country is their job.

We need Badass guidance and an Ops liaison, I think. I’m just the lawyer.”

He throws chin. “Is Cort really as crazy as everyone says? I’ve never met him. I worked Luke Rayne’s job in Mass then the Vermont VP job.”

“Everyone is crazy, you’re a reader so you’ve seen it.”

He smiles. “I’m gonna like it here.”

The room fills with IT or the navigators and engineers. Donovan nods to me. “They’re flying out of New Mexico.”

I turn to check my board. “Thanks, Donovan. This is VP Logan Done from MC Badass Vermont. He’s our new VP now.

” I point out the tracking on my board for the new VP.

I just finished adding it to the board and remember to send the chat to Aaron that I don’t need him to make the trip unless he’s coming for the kids and or a visit.

“I need to let a buddy know I don’t need his IT skills to get tracking up. ”

Logan waited and throws chin but looks up at the virtual that’s starting. I shake my head. “It’s a virtual Ops room. Cort got me a board so I can watch from here. I’m new to Badass Ops but the Ops here are in your face, the virtual is more than I need for legal advice.”

His eyebrow raises. “The cameras are in the cockpit and on the plane?”

I nod. “In SOAR Ops, small drones fly around the choppers so we see everything. It’s chaos in motion all around you from the first minute to the end.”

“I bet.” He doesn’t stop watching the new jet, plane and a BSC chopper. His eyes bounce to Sarah as she talks to Echo then to the virtual cockpits. “An Alpha-Bit?”

I nod “Alder is a doc and a Protector or that level. He shot a sword guy in Libya.”

VP Logan smiles quite a bit, like the Blackhawks. “We call them dicks. He went to Libya. I’m really going to like it here. What’s SOAR? I got a book but it’s a BSC West Bible.”

I watch the board but hear the virtual and Sarah talking to Echo.

“That’s the crazy of Cort, he moves faster than his Brothers can register he’s changed their lives.

I bet he’s on the BSC Chopper. I think that one is Justice.

” I point at the chopper Cort is on. “SOAR is Stalker Ops Aerial Rescue. It was the name of the company but Cort liked it. The Club is made of Night Stalkers, a classified team and strays or that’s what Pres said. ”

“That chopper is Teller. It’s a New England BSC paint job.” VP Logan knows more than me. His head turns my way fast. “Why VP Logan?”

I smile. “I’m new, using name and title stops me from forgetting.”

He turns his face back up to the virtual. “I wanted out of the Club because of assholes that named me Get-er-Done. Before I left, I got rid of them, but two years of the three trainers poking me wore thin. I’m a reader.”

Whoa, that sucks. “Don’t repeat that. Some idiot will think it’s funny.”

His eyes snap to mine and he throws chin.

I turn back to my new board. “That’s Vapor talking to Donovan.

She’s the new President here. Cort didn’t wait for her to agree.

He set up the whole Club in one hour-long meet.

She thought her second agreed but it was Cort just jumping.

” The woman never faltered and accepted the position, Club and advice seeing they would be more effective with Badass.

I heard her tell Jones deportations aren’t stopping, so the kids will be sold right out from under the flag too fast for them to do jobs that will fund getting the kids back.

I think shutting down who is selling them would help and type it on my list. Web does this kind of stuff so I add his name.

VP Logan shakes his head and nods to me. “Sorry, that’s different.” He points up. “Cort is like Prez. I heard about Zeke moving to President in the West and not knowing until a few hours before he moved. No one ever said anything about a President job to him before that.”

“I haven’t heard that one. Falcon from Bravo was my Pres when I got here and put me into Badass training. He said Cort built buildings for the Bravo Club while he was in Tibet. He got back and was told he’s Pres and to pick a Club name.”

He laughs more.

I point at my board. “The giant standing near Teller is Cort.”

That stops the laugh. “He’s huge. I trained Marks from EROP but he looks bigger.”

I nod. “He is. There are a lot of giants here. Marks is one but Jinx and Brinks are bigger than him and smaller than Cort. Cort went to Princes.” I’ve never been but I have driven up the coast of New England.

He nods. “I was in Mass while the ‘rents all went to Princes. It was during the Alpha-Bit round ups. I’ve seen so many visitors in Mass, they all roll together.”

Round up? “Rescues?”

He nods. “Cort went on one of the rescues. He’s like a machine but was pissed at Justice. We watched it in Ops.”

Justice is still here and he’s one of Cort’s seconds. I guess it worked out. “I’m new, as in months in Badass, so I don’t know much of the history. I’ve seen Cort with Justice and can say he’s over it.”

He laughs at me. “We’ve all heard of Cort and not once did I hear more than he’s crazy.

I’m from Princes, you’re right, everyone is crazy.

Considering the grapevine is spiked with readers, I think I’d have heard if he’s not true Badass.

I think he was pissed because Justice covered the chopper and Cort instead of himself and dads.

For some reason, he didn’t look so big shooting on the hill.

I was struck by how fearless he stood out in the open not knowing he was being shielded. ”

“Oh, yeah, I can see that. Justice is a Protector through and through and Cort is his to protect.” I turn and ask Donovan. “Where is the big chopper going?”

“To the airfield to pick up the kids, Boss. The Commander can land the jet right here. Phoenix has a chopper coming here, the other is from Zion and going right to the airfield. There are workers for the kids on that one.” He’s full of information I missed.

Zion is Aylen. “Thanks. Do we go to meet the jet and Phoenix chopper?” I point to the pad out by the hangars where men are gathered. “Are they all from here?” I ask before he has a chance to answer the first question.

“Most are from here. The new Prospects and elite flight are here from Bravo and Honor. The rest were here but hidden behind the walls. It’s taken a small army to get this up and running before the commander was discharged.”

I watch him debating in my head, then just ask. “It was in place before she was called with the job offer?”

He smiles. “Yeah. Chief Jones is crazy too.”

VP Logan laughs. “Crazy is the Badass trait just above honor. The new at the hangar want to meet the new Pres. They all heard about her and whispered Scepter black Ops. I was told Night Stalker but see light ink referencing Specter on multiple people.” He looks confused.

Their reading or seer thing confuses me but I can’t read or see anything.

Bishop said they don’t live an easy life and I believe it.

I explain to clear his confusion…to a point. “Classified isn’t talked about so Night Stalker being classified secret is all anyone should ever hear. I believe Specter is under the Special Access Program and needs a specific code word clearance. The fact that it does means it’s not spoken of.”

Donovan’s eyes lock on mine. “Do you have that clearance?” The man is clearly not happy with me but he’s protecting his team and I get that better than most.