Page 4 of Seamus: Unconventional
Like hell.
Shadow is up with his body in between me and Alder. Alder doesn’t react but the colonel is held back from a second step by the giant. Light is between them and the bed. I see it all but I’m surprised the giant isn’t stopping my partners, but Shadow is facing me so he’s not a threat to the albinonot-kid.
Like hell I’d let anyone fuck with us again and my partners will help stop that.“No. I’m not taking the enhanced shit to walk. They said they could do it without messing with the chip but they chipped us without asking. I’m not part of the cyborg legion. Those guys can’t even think for themselves anymore.” Not to mention they sent paper to offer me legs after they tried killing us in Pakistan and hunted us through Scotland. They were definitely not the military that trained me as an operative for different branches.
Alder holds my arm with his little hand. “I no enhance anyone, ever. I grown to crazy fuckin’ CIA lab. You understand skeleton, you make decision. Pres Jinx come to see you, show you skeleton, new eye. You no like, you say no. Badass no live you life, Badass make life better to more. To me, Badass save me, my Ford Brothers, slaves, Indian, kids. Badass give me choice, help or not. Badass give Security to live best me. I take Pres job, help to more. Alpha-Bit Brothers not same to me, they grow food, train, work IT. Badass give Security to all, keep Alpha-Bit safe same to big Brothers, we happy.”
What? My brain snags on one thing. Possibilities are in there. “There’s a President that has the skeleton? He’s not enhanced?” The CIA didn’t offer that but I wouldn’t believe it if they did.
“Enhance outside. Skeleton outside. Boss Andrew have chip to back it transfer signal, muscle to skeleton. Same to Boss Maiyun. No enhance brain… Badass protect you…body, life. CIA work to better CIA, no care to life they use.”
It’s a good way to put it so I nod. “We can talk later. I need more information but Colonel Graywolf is nervous.”
My new friend turns his pink eyes and white head toward the colonel, then back to me fast. “Dog show to you?”
“Yeah.Luz, Sombra.” They both relax hearing their names in that order.
The giant laughs when Shadow jumps off the bed. “I like the light and dark.”
I smile at him. “I got them in Brazil. My uncle died before I could ship them home.”
Alder moves but not off the bed.
“What’s your name?” The colonel asks.
“Captain Seamus MacGregor. Last deployment was Green Beret Specialized Tactical.”
His head turns. “Not CENTCOM? You were an operative?” He’s holding the Delta out so I give him more.
I wish we stayed in CENTCOM but wishes I can’t control rarely come true. “Not for my whole time but that wasn’t told to me until later. They changed but didn’t inform us. I found out three years too late and planned to finish my tour as Green Beret dodging the orders I could without charges filed.”
He waves a hand toward his face. “I found out the hard way too.”
I nod not sure what to say.
Luckily, the giant has more to ask.“So, the dogs are linked to you?”
“Yeah, we’re all chipped. They’re partners.”
“Can we do anything for them while they’re here? We put a dog station in and they use it but they won’t sleep on beds, eat at the table we brought or with the other dogs.” None of the questions I expect come out. The giant runs the west with an empathy that I see starts with him. He’s a good one to build relationships with if I could get him to see they aren’t just dogs.
“Thank you. They wouldn’t unless I order it. They don’t understand discharge or don’t want to and have protocols to fly under radar if I’m incapacitated. They wouldn’t draw attention by showing too much until they trust their new partner.” I turn toward my partners standing together. “Downtime until I’m out,” I say in Greek.
My new little buddy is surprised and his little white head rears back. “Greek.”
“Yeah, we have a protocol to follow. They’d stay in alert if I don’t use it. It shows my focus and ability to keep me safe.”
Shadow sends me a salute through the chip and walks out.
The giant laughs looking at Light. “He’s on while the other is off. Just sayin’, that K-9 Brother is jacked like a cartoon character.”
I smile. “They both are but Shadow has no way to hide it. Light needs to be shaved.”
Alder nods. “Boss Piper say to ask flea, tick, worm, blood aversion okay to them. Granola bar all-natural plant all grow to ABSZ. No enhance to mind. Plant in bars change blood same to vaccine. Basil, garlic, blood aversion plant no change to mind.”
“You didn’t give it to them?” This has me hoping for honest to God good people to be real. Everything thisnot-kidsays is good and shows respect I’ve always given but found wasn’t reciprocated. The chip was put in us because someone decided they owned me, gassing us and dropping us in a different country, trying to stop us from getting home, burning my uncles house and chasing us through three countries and that’s just the military in the worst examples of my adult life. They were supposed to be the good guys.
The little guy looks at the giant.
