Page 19 of Vapor (BSC #32)

He nods slowly as if I’m going to start shooting.

I smile. “Julius is an IAS JAG. That’s elite and he’s one that took all the boards for everything.

Not a nepo-lieutenant. He’s equal to a Ranger that never ran missions with a team.

He advised and gave legal for it. He can fly, is closer to a doctor than medic and can plan for everything at Officer level.

He just doesn’t do it. I’ve seen him work out, he runs military elite but it’s a pared down version and he spars.

” He follows our daily training and run without a problem.

“I like training here too. I got the feeds for a week so I can use it at the new Club. I don’t know where or what the specialty is but I plan on using your training. You’re okay with Julius at VP?” He’s hedging.

I don’t answer yet. “How did Julius react?”

“He’s shocked and won’t be happy until he knows the job. Mucimi dropped VP training and the book for him. He’s probably reading it now. It’s a normal reaction so I’d say he’s fine.”

I turn toward the monitor and see he’s with the kids. “He’s with the kids. Is something wrong?” Why is he in there? They were moving and Julius signed up for time this afternoon with the kids.

He’s up. “I don’t feel Mucimi close. I’m going to check.” His feet stop. “Do you need…”

“Don’t ask that again, just go. I’ll meet you over there.

” I run without looking back. I know he’s already gone.

The magic is more than I’ve seen from him.

I think our seer was magic but we never saw it.

Here they don’t even try to hide it. That’s not true.

Mucimi and Logan don’t hide it. The others try to walk.

That’s what Teller and Aylen said but both just appeared in front of me.

Maybe they walk most times but for meetings they just show up.

“Where you running to, Commander?” Donovan asks with Moss at his side.

“Kid bunk house.”

They turn and run with me. “What happened?” Moss asks.

“I don’t know. Julius is there and Logan took off like a shot.”

Donovan laughs slowing down. I keep going.

“He didn’t say why?”

“No. He’s Badass and stood, then was at the door stopped.”

He smiles. “Do you need anything, Pres?” His accent mimics Logan’s.

Jerk. “Yeah. I told him not to ask and go. He was gone before I stood up.”

He laughs again.

I take note of no kids outside and walk into the bunk house. The teen girl is bawling. The boy with the bruised leg is bawling while leaning against a very uncomfortable Julius. Logan is holding his bodycam on the boy and Julius.

Julius looks at me for help but Logan shakes his head. ‘ He needs to give it to Julius, he trusts him .’

My eyes close so I don’t snatch him by the collar to stop him from doing that. Julius’ eyes bug out and he barely nods then bends so he’s closer to the kid’s head. Logan must have shared magic words with him too.

“How do you know him?” He asks softly.

The boy turns and his arms go around Julius. He gives me a look so I nod like he’s doing fine and we’re right here. Once the boy’s face is covered, he calms down and starts talking.

The guy he was giving shit to was his neighbor, the bikers didn’t help the parents when they were taken or the boys when the big van came for them.

The bikers watched him and his brother fight to get away but they wouldn’t help.

They laughed and held a bottle up like a salute.

His brother was sold the first day they landed.

I don’t know how Julius doesn’t go beat the shit out of the asshole but he talks to the kid like he’s an adult with words not meant to sugar coat anything he went through, but he’s gentle.

I don’t know if I’d be able to do that. The girl moves closer and rubs the boy’s back while he talks and Julius answers.

I look at Logan. “Get the bodycam to play on the monitor we put in the bunker,” I whisper.

He nods without an acknowledgement. It’s weird but Badass doesn’t do that or I haven’t seen it. I did hear flight repeating orders given on an FBI Op but no one else has done it.

Logan moves drawing my eyes. He’s watching me with a minute shake of his head.

I roll my eyes and watch for another couple of minutes, then quietly slide back until I’m by the door.

Moss opens it for me and follows me out.

“I want whatever we can get to find his brother.” Before he opens his mouth, I put a hand up.

“I know it’s a long shot. It’s still a shot and this kid can use some hope right now. ”

He salutes me and walks away without acknowledging. Badass is easy for my Specter team. I’ll get the hang of this too, but for now, I go back into the bunk room. Seeing hope take the form of action makes me smile because that hope is now focused.

Needing a job, I help a small boy with his Badass duffle.

He carries a multi-colored octopus. It gives me a way to connect with questions about his little friend.

They’re moving to the new building and his friend, Legs, is excited.

Julius catches my hand and holds it while his boy and mine hold onto us.

I don’t even know their names but I know all about Legs.

~*~*~

SOAR

Julius

The kids have half of SOAR sleeping in tents outside the building shaped like a series of bubbles stuck together. My little buddy, Greg, called it a glow worm.

At night, the paint on the seams of the bubbles glowed making the kids go wild, so it works for me.

The light up walkways were put here too.

This ain’t going to house anyone but the new rescue kids coming in.

Now it’s a glow worm building and the little tube hallways have doors.

It’s definitely not bunkhouses but kid rooms that rescued kids can stay in until quarantine allows them to move to a Club.

Badass thinks of everything and got us a printer that makes bands so they’re the only one that can enter their room.

The keypad that scans the band activates Security and the hall shines red inside and out.

It’s amazing what the Alpha-Bits have done to keep the kids safe.

Aaron said D’Ability houses have this Security.

I have no idea what that means but it sounds like a place that would need Security like this.

Vapor walks my way with military precision of measured steps and stance. She doesn’t sit beside me on the next lounge, doesn’t ask me to move my legs, she sits on me causing a smile, at least on my face. “Are you pissed?”

I put an arm around her waist. “Nope. We have a whole lifetime. They’re scared and we’re the people that took the job of keeping them safe.

We’re all they know and they need to know we aren’t dropping them for a beer at the Club.

Greg recognizing the bikers from a state away feels wrong but maybe they needed it.

” I mean every word but I’m a guy and lost my shot for tonight.

That stings but not enough for me to walk away from a promise.

She shakes her head. “Moss got me their MO. They’ve got a track record and plenty of alleged priors with no one willing to press charges. Fear is their game and it’s spreading.”

I nod. Veritable got me that too. “It feels wrong because no one is fucking with Badass. They knew the ranch isn’t on Badass land.”

She stops me. “Logan called someone and got ties to the military and Mason. I don’t know what Mason has to do with it but military ranches get hit all the time. You hang a shingle and it’s more than likely. Most are K9 or wounded vets so they’re seen as easy targets.”

“I didn’t know that but have seen female vets, the dogs and horse ranches. The Masons have or had a monied backer that was messing with Badass Clubs that aren’t BSC. The BSC is a council that connects Clubs everywhere. They pool resources and can call any Club for help like allies.”

Her smile has me leaning in. She doesn’t stop me so I kiss her until the giggle.

“It’s about time.” Sarah pushes Jones into the next chair then sits on his lap.

I don’t ask but listen to the day from Sarah and Jones point of view.

Vapor doesn’t say much either. We spent all last night on the long list everyone was pushing me to do.

Vapor got the same push so we did the list and I’m glad they pushed for that to happen before sex.

I never spent so much time talking to a woman about future plans and can say, I know more about her and don’t have doubts about what we can be.

Instead, I have ideas on how good life can be with Badass guiding it.

We both grew up alone and have vastly different experiences.

The oddest similarity being our father’s influence coming from our mothers.

Less striking but worth noting is we both find military easy to adapt to because the rules are given in advance and we both took the same boards to be retired at the same rank.

Jack got someone working for her pay grade to be fixed.

She’s done way more beyond mine which annoyed me while she thinks it’s the way because she’s a woman that was shooting for General.

I just needed colonel and never took more training.

My mind plays out how Badass will show her the respect she worked so hard for. Jones understood after their team was sacrificed. He’s going to be a good Badass Brother.

My eyes close for longer and longer. Vapor turns into me so I wrap her up in me. Badass has Security from Phoenix here, or outside. We’ll get a warning. I yawn and hold my legendary Virginia Ross closer.