Page 4 of Benga's Rise
Web looks surprised. “There are two good colleges in Albuquerque. I’ll get Jordan on it.” He rushes it out never answering.
Cort knows why and drops it. He won’t trade on his name and according to Jordan, Web is the best IT he’s ever worked with. Since Jordan went to MIT, that means something.
We get through the meeting quickly and start our day.
“How was Caelan after church?” I ask, following Cort out.
He smiles like a proud papa. I wonder if he’ll be called papa. “He was good. I’m surprised he wasn’t screaming through the meeting.”
The Officers behind me laugh. “He doesn’t cry much.” I’ve been at their house more than mine lately. Caelan is cute. I like being Uncle Raid and holding my tiny nephew.
“No. Seren says we’re spoiling him, but he doesn’t care if he’s in his seat or being held. He just doesn’t cry much.” He sounds proud.
Brinks comes running down the stairs sounding like an elephant. We stop and look. “I had to drop my shit on my desk.” He explains like we asked.
I look at Cort and laugh. “We would have waited for you, Brother.”
He nods with a smile plastered on his face. Seeing it, I start walking again. “I didn’t want you to have to.” And that’s why. He spent a couple of hours a day with Cort a few months ago to get something with planning for a class he does with Enforcers. Since then, he's always bending over backward to make sure he’s not wasting Cort’s time. I’m scheduled to be at the class this session, so I’ll get what it’s all about, but he’s being fucking weird.
Cort laughs, shaking his head.
Our bikes are waiting and a full team follows us out. Hade has our boards synced, but we know the way. “We have a full team in the village I can send, Boss.” Hade never fails to give him an out.
“I’m good, Brother. I need to get rid of some energy.”
I laugh. “Tell Mounty, Hade. He’ll have him calm for tomorrow. You’re on with him, so it will be an easy day for you.”
Cort swerves toward me. “I’ll fucking kill you if you do, Hade. My training better be the same. I got late-night with Caelan.”
Brinks and Nova are laughing. “I have Mounty keeping your training the same, Boss. He won’t add until I give him the go. New baby means you need time to adapt.” Hade listened to me. Thank fuck.
Cort settles. “Good job. How long do you think I can use that?” Sounding young and serious, like a kid, he’s got us all laughing.
It takes Hade a minute to answer, I bet he’s laughing too. “Raid gave me a heads-up last week. I bet you can get a month out of it. Mounty is tough, Boss, so he may not let it go on long.”
A month sounds good to me. “Can I use it?”
They’re laughing at me now. “Fucking Mounty is like a grizzly bear in training.”
They don’t care. We’re coming up to the exit and they’re still on me about no kid to claim. “What’s the plan, Boss?”
Thank fuck they settle. “Set an example, question for the supplier and pick him up. Beacon has Brothers to deal with the kids.”
I’m glad when Brinks asks, “How old are we talking here?”
“Ahjil said twelve to sixteen. Ant Irma agreed.” Cort sounds disgusted.
Grumbling goes around about how young they’re starting. “The thing with gangs is they’re usually killing each other or innocents for territory or money. How much does a twelve-year-old need?” Nova asks. He normally doesn't talk.
Brinks answers, I think the rest of us are surprised by the question. “Everything is more expensive. Keeping food on the table is getting harder. Low-income and single-parent homes are hit hardest. There’s not much help with so many in need. Ant Irma said she’s feeding twice as many as last year.”
Jesus. I didn’t hear that. Rex bought her a tricked-out van with warmers and coolers in it and they’re going out twice a week. Everyone’s quiet thinking about that while we ride through town. The area goes from clean to dirty and run down in four streets. I’m glad our bikes are quiet and don’t announce us to the whole neighborhood. There are tags everywhere starting at the fifth light and letting us know we’re in the right place.
“Team Two, come up the other side. They got sentinels.” Cort sounds pissed now.
“Roger, Boss.”
Just after nine on a Monday morning, we shouldn’t be seeing kids out here, but we are.
