Page 98 of Benga's Rise
Chapter Thirteen
Raid
We board the chopper with Web, Anton and Akai. The boys look nervous. I help Akai get his belt on and Cort helps Anton. Web smiles watching. “They’ve never been on a chopper.”
“New experience and new Brothers, you can’t beat this day.”
Anton looks at Akai with a big smile. “Brothers for us.” His slow words surprise me.
Cort smiles. “For all of us, but they’re special just like you. I’m excited too, Brothers.”
Akai laughs nodding his head and holding his chest. “Here, it’s special. We feel it too, Pres. Thanks.”
I can’t help the smile. I don’t think he’s spoken so many words together before. He gets his point across and I see Cort felt it.
“Not me, Akai. It’s Web. He asked for them so they could have a good life with Brothers at their backs. I couldn’t do this. I want to, but I wouldn’t know how to make them part of your family. That’s what Web does so he asked for the boys. He’ll need help.”
Anton leans forward looking determined. “Us. We will help. Web’s boys know, he showed us.” I’m shocked and proud of him.
I laugh watching Web’s eyes tear up. “My boys do know. You’re good Brothers and will help teach the Ms. The Brothers will always help us, but they won’t always know what to do. We help them too so they can help us.”
Anton leans toward the side so his shoulder presses against Cort’s arm. “We have your back, Pres.” Every word is slow and precise, like he’s making sure they come out right.
Fucking kids. I look out the window. “Good, because we’ll need it. I didn’t know you right away. I have no fucking clue what the Ms need, but I want to help.” I hear the emotion in his voice, but keep my eyes pointed at the window.
We set down by a plane with a straight Badass logo. It matches the chopper. They don’t have the fire skull in front of the word, but it’s impressive to see.
Akai stands by Web and Anton takes Cort’s hand surprising him. “We got this, Brother.”
Both boys say, “Yeah, Boss.” Making Web laugh.
An Indian comes down the stairs in front of four albinos. Their skin is pure white, matching their hair. A Brother with blond hair pulled back follows them with a kid that looks about twenty following him.
The kids are all looking down and stop when the Indian does. “Cort Masters, it is good to finally meet the Brother that has Badass everywhere scrambling to keep up. I am Dakota Lightfoot, Jessie LaPonte-James and Chance Blackhawk kept the boys calm. I am a member of the Princes, the BSC and the pilot for today.” He points the kid and blond Brother out. He says every word in perfect English, but it sounds foreign and familiar.
“Thank you, I think, Brother.” Cort gets Jessie and Chance laughing. “This is Anton and Akai. Two of Web’s boys.”
Web kneels in front of the Ms talking softly. Akai reaches in his cargos and pulls glasses out. Anton let’s go of Cort’s hand. “Shades.” He reaches and pulls two more pairs out. While they put the glasses on the Ms, Web keeps talking.
“Thank you for bringing them. Do you have the medical paperwork? It wasn’t on my computer.”
Dakota shakes his head no. “Sadly, not yet. We have Brothers sifting through it to find what was given to them. There are others. These boys’ pictures were in a section marked with an M. The charts had names, but we do not know who they are to match the charts. There were ten names and only four boys. They think of themselves as numbers not names and there are no numbers correlating the names.
“Age,” Anton says. “I am ten.”
Akai nods. “One.”
The Ms look at the boys. “One, Two, Six, Seven.”
“Others?” Akai asks.
They all look down and shake their heads no.
Chance sucks in his breath. “Died, bad.” He has tears and grabs Jessie’s arm.
Dakota steps to him and puts his hand on the kid’s arm. “Take him in, Brother. He is getting it now they feel safe.” Getting it? He’s psychic?
Jessie turns the kid. “It’s their second chance too, Brother. Keep that and get rid of the shit. They got their second chance.” He looks back at us from the stairs. “Thanks, Brothers. We got our own freaky shit and it isn’t always easy.” He smiles. “But it’s fucking worth it.”
