Page 125 of Ranger's Rise
He paces then looks at Cort. “This is basic coverage at best.”
Cort swings his head. “Because we have so much land, we can see a threat coming. Since we started the Council, Maverick put two more satellites up just so we’d have that extra view. With our offices covered, our choppers, bikes and the majority of Brothers are too. I’d want coverage on the warehouses and garages so we’ll never get depleted in ammo or bikes. The rest we can cover.”
Ben swings his head. “You don’t have FBI at your back to shoot down aircraft.”
Cort smiles. “Kirkland is a hundred miles away. We covered Dakota and not one fucking agency stepped in. We told the tower they were closed. We’ve done other Ops with no problems. PD even asks us to do them. The government isn’t stepping on us or trying to hold us down. With everything going on, they’re letting us build an army. I’m taking everything I can get out of their being too lazy to care. I’ve already built an army, Ben. From what you just said, I’m building a fucking Air Force too. If the FBI wants to run cleanup, I’m good with that, but I’m not stopping now. Our threat can grow fucking people to build that army too. It needs to stop. You do that. I’ll cover us.”
Ben smiles then laughs. “Badass all the way, Cort. Build your army and Air Force. We’ll stop what we can before it gets here. Badass will cover your runway, tower and two fighter jets. Construction crews will show by the end of the week.” He gets chin and a thanks from Cort and looks at me. “Why did you use two choppers for every position?”
“International experience and Badass logic. No one spends money for an assault with a loaded jet and one chopper as cover. Every position we ran was in a different location. I give orders that I wouldn’t mind taking. Knowing there was at least one hidden aircraft, I wanted my Crews to be able to cover each other in every location.”
He smiles. “Have each other’s backs. Good job, Brother.”
Turning to Cort he's still smiling. “Man the jets we send and keep being fucking Badass, Brother. We’ll work the threat with the FBI.”
Cort throws him chin then stands and looks at the Presidents in our Council. “Based on the intel, I’m serious about not stopping. We need to do this before the government grows a brain. Flight school and the Training Center will be our shield for anything they try to throw for legal. Shooting down threats will get old without cause. I’ll work to get the cause before it happens, but you need to know it may not always work. I need you in agreement that it’s understood and I will stand in front of whatever Club takes heat for it.”
Major smiles. “Always all in, Brother, and you’d never get away with standing alone.”
Jessie, Taylor and Ford laugh.
Jordan, Maverick and Falcon say the same. I breathe deep glad that this is settled. Fucking growing people is sick. They have paperwork on a whole fucking alphabet of physically enhanced kids out there.
Everyone stands and Ben hugs us all. He thanks me for standing in front of Cort. I throw him chin and think it’s better than trying to come up with an answer, so I’m glad I can.
He laughs. “Glad the healers got you there. That must have fuckin’ sucked.”
“It did.”
He talks to Cort and I hug Ford, Jessie, Taylor, then Dakota thanking them for showing and hanging for the day. Dakota says we will be fine and Jessie pulls him away with Ford laughing. I don’t get it. When they leave, Cort has me and Raid wait outside.
We stand against the wall lost in thought. He says it softly, mirroring my thoughts. “This sounds fucked-up, but I’m glad more than half of the enhanced died.”
I agree, but it’s hard to say. “I kept thinking of the As and know they’re enhanced, but they didn’t startwith-outthe part of their brain that makes them human.”
“Yeah. How do they even do that? That’s fucked-up. I hope they can stop this. I thought the cyborgs were crazy, this is weirder than that shit. Growing brains that can’t feel anything is just absurd.”
I smile. Him and the words. “It is. I hope the zombie-like kids Falcon talked about aren’t like that. I hope they’re like our Alpha-Bits.”
He smiles. “Jacques was cute wanting to swim for them. He’s so fucking happy.”
He is. “They all are. I took Freedom to see Pace’s new chair. He’s got better control over it and was making noise. The whole Bullseye Crew was in there and setting up races for the chairs. It was cute.”
He laughs. “That is cute.”
The door opens and the Presidents all hug us and thank me. I thank them too for showing and helping to keep us all safe.
Falcon pulls me in the room laughing. Inner Circle shows with Brinks and McCabe and Cort explains.
Banks, Amos and Web have tears. We’re all swallowing hard and looking at the table or wall. Cort tells them the rest and no one thinks he’s so crazy anymore with the choppers. Well, I do, but he is.
They’re stepping up and everyone will help with apps and getting military into every Club. It’s been one of those draining kind of days, but we have a plan and Badass backing us.
Before we leave, Raid stands. “I’ve said it before, but I’m saying it again. I’m honored you’re mine. Everyone in this room could walk and we’d let you. Fighting for right, for the Alpha-Bits and every other fucked-up thing that they’re doing means something to all of us. I fucking love my Brothers and the Brotherhoodespeciallyon days like this. Thank you, Brothers and Pres, for being those men.”
“Watch that, VP, he’ll have you running a Club next week because you sound presidential.” Falcon makes us laugh just when we need it.
VP is up and out the door. “Lorelei is calling me!” he yells going down the hall.
Fucking Raid. We’re all laughing at him.
