Page 27 of Vapor (BSC #32)

SOAR

Julius

“JesusfuckinChrist! Brantley, pull his stats from the suit.” Jessie yells and I agree but watch Vapor and Alder. They’re going into the prison that just shot down the invisible flying Protector.

“Is that Mase’s dog?” He was on the plane then in the Blackhawk with Mase. Moss asks like it’s a question for now. It’s not.

“Vapor’s. He has two that protect the kids when he’s away.” Ben has been quiet.

I watch the virtual above us. She wanted a shepherd malamute mix. That looks like a pure black wolf that’s way too big to be a wolf or it’s a nightmare come to life. I guess the answer was worth it.

Ben turns my way. “Aiyana has a white one just like it and Mase’s two look like wolves.”

I nod and look back at the virtual playing out above us. Holy shit, he didn’t say it isn’t a wolf and the wolf thing is normal, at least to the Princes. Mase bleeding like a faucet dribbling isn’t addressed.

I breathe and focus on the movie like Op.

Vapor and Alder are moving fast. The Jones chopper dropped the wolf, Shep and Mader quick, then resumed its position just in front of the ground team.

I turn back to my board and see the others from her team almost to her little chopper.

They’re going to keep it safe. At least that part of the new plan can be checked off. I hate the new plan.

Brantley gives Cort Mase’s stats. He’s going to live if Alder can get there. Aiyana is at the reservation with someone with a T name that has to be Indian. It wasn’t a language I know. “Why didn’t the suit work?” Donovan asks.

I take a breath but Jessie answers. “It’s the new .50 Cal armor piercing. It blows up on impact and shreds the armor, doors, walls, whatever it hits. The steel plates that were in the old gear would cause more damage than what he’s got. Not that his side isn’t bad enough.”

I nod and bounce from Mase in the prison with an emaciated soldier barely holding pressure to Mase’s side over to the ground progress.

Vapor: “Chief, run flight. Get my bird up and distracting for us. Lerch, get small drones doing the fruit fly bit. I’m walking right in.” Shit. I breathe deep.

Jones: Laughs. “Roger, Commander, I love this one. Whisper, get the little bird up and working. I’m making a door, you defend it.”

Morena: “Roger, Chief.”

Moss: "They're offline, jammed and satellites close are blurred, Commander.”

The ceiling explodes in activity. I turn to my board and see the missile hit the prison.

This is bad. I have to look up and find the scene with my Vapor Ross and Alder.

They’re walking in like they didn’t just bomb a prison to do it.

I shake my head and want to shut it down but can’t turn away from it.

Alder is running with the dog and his phone out in front of him.

My eyes go to the side, Mase’s light blue is not far from the bombed-out opening. They are so good at this.

I look to the right for the Prince room.

Mase is all that’s on their center board.

Alder, the wolf and Mader come through the door to the closet or wherever that is.

The room brightens and I suck in a breath feeling it for Mase.

“He said he needs a minute. He needs more than a minute,” I say to my board.

“That was before the .50 cal shot. His suit stopped the bullets from the guards’ guns. The sniper guessed his location or the soldier is sick. Fever would register heat on the scope.” Jessie has Ben looking at him too.

“We should have used the…”

Jessie shakes his head. “The plan was good. No one can plan for everything. If location was a guess, we’d still be seeing it play out just like it is, Prez.”

Ben nods.

I do too because who’d have thought they’d have bullets that explode steel?

The bullet was never meant for unarmed prisoners.

It’s the reason the SOAR Team were under laser orders.

My eyes go back to my board but I don’t see my girl.

Alder and the big guy are with Mase and the soldier. “Where’s Vapor?”

Donovan points. “Going through the prison. We have engineers getting her to the next soldier.”

Sure enough, gates are opening, I spot the wolf and watch my girl following it.

I look for her cam and pull it up on my board.

She’s quick with a gun. The wolf attacks but she doesn’t stop for me to see who or why.

Jesus. The second soldier is at the bars like he’s been waiting.

He doesn’t look as bad as the one with Mase.

“You’re Badass.”

“Cort said so and made me a president, Justice agreed and Julius claimed me. I’m Vapor from the new SOAR Club.

We’re former Night Stalkers.” The whole time she’s talking she’s winding something around the bars and we hear shooting behind her.

I see she’s making a straight line. “Stand back. Alder said this wouldn’t explode but change the molecular temp. I figure it means it melts shit.”

I chuckle at that with the Brothers in the room. The bars steam then fall. It really melted shit. I shake my head seeing a few others doing the same. I guess it’s new.

The departure from the prison is just as harrowing. Alder has Mase covered as he talks directly to Cort about a message for Aiyana. I have to look and see Teller is right by Cort in Phoenix Ops.

Alder: “Boss Shep carry VP Mase fireman hold. He stay to reservation no feel pain to body here.”

I look at Ben. “What does that mean?”

He doesn’t turn from the virtual scene on the right. “Mase is on the reservation. It’s like a realm where Aiyana can heal him from Princes. Tekah is with them from Connecticut. The fireman hold could put him into shock if he feels that pain to his body.”

I look at him for a good minute but don’t ask him anything else. He’s serious and I don’t think I really want to know. I go back to my board and see the little chopper systematically bombing the prison front.

Jones lowers in the Blackhawk and picks the ground crew up.

The little chopper lowers for Vapor while Forest gets on the rope hanging from the Blackhawk.

They act like this is all in a day. I’ve never had their job but hope that every battle they face is carried out like this.

My Vapor Ross didn’t plan on Mase getting shot with whatever new shreds armor like a mentos in coke but she has enough experience to work around it and make sure everyone made it out alive…

even if they’re not all on the same realm as us.

Ben and Logan laugh looking right at me. I shrug. “Don’t clarify anything. I think it’s classified.”

They all laugh now.

~*~*~

Vapor

Me: I sit and take the controls. “Moss?”

Moss: “You’re still invisible, Commander. Check your weapon stock. The Blackhawk has a full artillery box for you but no place to land for at least forty minutes. We’ll keep you invisible. Let Oracle know if you need to make that stop.”

Me: “The carrier is one point four?”

Moss: “Affirmative, Commander. 1.42.”

Me: “Keep us covered. We plan to run straight through unless we need to adjust that.”

Moss: “Roger, Commander. Oracle is front loading your cloak.”

Me: I laugh. Morena covers her mouth. “Sarah will keep us covered. She wants us home early.”

Morena. “She does. While you were inside the prison, she pulled plans so I could hit for structural damage. She said she’s got engineers working to cover us going out. Our flight plan has us higher than usual for the regular shield.”

Me: I noticed but I’m not keying into command again. “Chief, stats on the injured?” I wait for that answer and know he’s asking the crew.

Alder: “LP, Commander. Packages IV, all stable condition. Member stable. Healing. Jump back soon.”

Me: Okay. All stable is good. I’m not asking for more. “Roger, LP. I’m glad you took the job. See you at the pool, Brother.”

Alder: His little giggle is so foreign and adorable over mission coms. “Roger, LP out.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a cuter giggle.”

I smile at my copilot. “Agreed.”

Me: The hour goes by quicker than I expect. Moss gives us clear to the carrier and they have all systems up. “Ops Command, packages retrieved and over secured network. Engineers monitoring stats for all.”

Command: “Roger, Commander. Your team has sent us a direct link for those stats. We appreciate it and breathe easier because of them.”

Me: It’s always good to keep the generals or Cort happy. “Roger, Boss. Were point four from set down.”

Cort: “Roger. There is no mention of altercation or even siting.”

Me: I smile. “That’s how we got the name, Boss. It’s just barely light here.”

He laughs. It’s true, we use the cover of darkness, usually low, but tonight we dropped from high because it’s pretty remote here. The light from the choppers would be seen over distance. Dropping straight down stops that and we can maneuver low without being seen flying across barren fields.

Me: The quiet lasts until the carrier picks us up with instructions that I refuse. “Flight command, the Blackhawk sets down first. I need two medic rooms open for us and the Blackhawk navigator to be contacted for any other needs. I’ll set the Little Bird down once the flight deck is clear.”

Flight Command: “You’re rank…”

Me: “Affords me rights to plan every aspect of my teams’ movements. Every member of my team is on that deck before I set down. Medical needs are requested and I’m told you are instructed to follow my orders and provide for my plan’s needs and comfort. Do your job and I will do mine.”

Command: “Commander, Knight re-issued orders to the carrier. Your Blackhawk lands first. Medic rooms and personnel are waiting and your orders will not be questioned.”

Me: Thank God for Cort and Knight earns that adoration once again. “Roger, Ops Command. I appreciate it. Moss, get our SOP to whoever needs it on the carrier, so this is a one of.” He rogers right back.