Page 16 of Seamus: Unconventional
The handler makes it to us acting like he’s holding tight control over the chipped K-9s. “Let them loose.” It comes out as an order. I’m pissed but keep my voice low.
He gives me a look like the one I avoid giving Cort. Justice laughs. I shrug.
The handler talks without registering my anger or order. “They’re new here, Pres.”
Light moves behind this idiot and I stand. “Pres means you follow orders with no comment. I don’t need your opinion. They were chipped because initial testing showed high sensory abilities. They’re from the Omega group that were enhanced because chipping them wasn’t enough for the fucks that feel the need to control their every thought. Since you’re parading them around on a leash, when every other K-9 is loose, I have to wonder howyoumade it here.” I thought these were his K-9s. Who would leash chipped partners?
The handler shakily unclips the leashes. “I replaced the handler from Georgia.”
My brain is snagged on the leashes. I didn’t know we even had leashes. Light throws ‘alert’ to me and I shake it off. “I got it, Light. You weren’t chosen by Harky or MB?” The trainers were chosen so I thought handlers were too.
“They were, Seamus, but he wasn’t. The Brother from the Carson base got in an accident. This guy is from the same Club and worked with K-9s but not elite or chipped. He did Security.” Teller and the seer shit is helpful
“That explains it. You don’t know the K-9s have more training than you do. If you try and leash an elite ops K-9 here, they’ll kill you and we’d help.Pack up and get out. You’re not a handler for me or any chipped partner.”
The guy starts shaking like an earthquake is erupting inside of him. “I’m in a BSC Club.” He talks like every pissed off set of eyes on him is pissed at me.
He knows I’m a President and I was told it’s like the base commander at Badass. Who gives their commander shit? That’s twice now. I shrug. “I don’t care where you go as long as you go.”
I turn to smile at Cort's laugh. It stops when a hand pulls my arm. A second later the laugh is back on and I’m looking at the dumb fuck on the ground. “Shadow, get Security to get him out of here.”
“Who is he?” Kristos asks.
I smile at my new Pres who walked up like a normal person. “A handler that wasn’t chosen by Harky or MB. He said he’s BSC but not where.”
Justice shakes his head. “No, he made it to a BSC Club and was challenging you on it.”
I sit back in my seat. “He lost.”
They’re all laughing now. I don’t know why, they see him on the ground.
“I got it, Shadow.” Kristos sits by me as two from Honor pull the handler away. He should be able to stand and walk by now.
“What’s Omega group?” Raid asks.
Shadow’s hologram board shows the intel we got with the partners. I pet the two dogs that were leashed, still pissed that they were leashed walking around the Club or the tent city.
“Why are you so pissed?”
I look up at Raid. “He leashed them. The dogs, our new partners, didn’t ask to be chipped. High sensory abilities doesn’t give military the right to chip anyone. I’m not a fuckin’ K-9 and they chipped me like they owned my ass too. My free will isn’t anyone’s to own, neither is theirs. They’re smart enough to choose the life they want and this is it. Like me, they just want a job making a difference with more good days than bad. That shouldn’t be fending off power plays by assholes who don’t realize they’ve got more training than most of the men do.”
Kristos and Justice touch my arms. I nod a thanks to them both.
“Phi group are the newest partners chipped?” Cort and his questions.
“Yeah, Boss. The trainers and Shadow are testing but I know they found a way to override emotion. They finally made it to complete control.”
“Jesus fuck.” Kristos has me nodding.
“Yeah. I met them with Vinny today. They’re relieved to be out of the lab.”
Raid leans over. “They ran away or were rescued?”
I look at Shadow. He shows Harky and Zeus on a rescue mission. “Rescued. There are three from the Phi group.” Not trusting that their new home isn’t as bad as the old, the Phi Brothers are standing back and watching to get the lay of the land. They stayed back at the K-9 section with Fairy and Ranger. The two haven’t been connected with me long but they’re tooting my horn to the three skeptical newbies.
Marks nods. “The override kept the others down. They laid down and stayed put. That’s why Harky didn’t come tonight. Zeus has four puppies he saved and won’t leave them. Almost twenty K-9s died in that lab. Harky has six newborns and Zeus the four that are about two months old. The pups are injected but not chipped.”
My eyes close. I feel Shadow and Light’s distress and put my hands out. They tower over the new Omega partners and lean their heads on my hands. With a deep breath, I do a cranial scratch on each. “Never give in, Brothers.” The Phi group gave up instead of losing the freedom to choose.They back away letting the new partners vie for my attention.
