Page 12 of Vapor
He bumps my shoulder as we walk back through the pool gate. “It got me out of Cort’s million questions for a couple of minutes. I bet Jinx is looking for an excuse right about now.”
I smile and type a chat to Debra. When we sit, Jinx’ phone rings getting him up and away from the table. Pres kicks my foot so I chat Marli for him but she laughs way to close to me. When I look back, she’s a table away, scissoring her fingers at me with a big smile on. I shrug getting a laugh from the women. Thank God, Cort is still talking. It’s not planning but explanations about Club jobs, Badass beliefs and objectives. I’m just glad he didn’t get me springing Jinx and trying to spring Pres.
~*~*~
SOAR
Vapor
I sit on the porch going over every option open to us. Club in a Club interests me more because I feel like Jones set up this rescue company more for me than a job he wanted. The job we just got back from has huge bookends of travel time and we’re scheduled out again in days.
“You got a minute?”
I move my feet off the swing and Sarah sits. “You weighing best case?”
“I was. The travel time getting equipment back and forth is killer. We need another team and we’re one job in.”
She watches the sky and sways us gently. “Badass taking command Ops gives us almost a whole team. They have pilots for Blackhawks, we only need two.”
My eyes snap to hers but she doesn’t look at me. “You pushing for the mini-Club?”
Her deep breath tells me she is before she says it. “Yeah. I agreed to this but now that we have other options I want them. It takes the pressure off us and they have a solid track record. Decker is that Falcon guys VP.”
I nod. “He went from green platoon in Kentucky to Warrior.”
She shakes her head. “You went through all that special training just to get a command job. The colonel wasn’t promoting you. I think you lived to spite the bastard.”
I smile. “Maybe I did. Did Jones open this for me?”
“He's like me. Badass is offering to do the admin and command Ops. They promote saving kids and didn’t bat an eye over the kids we got here. That Aurora lady said she comes from a compound of builders and could have something up quick. They have a school and elders to help keep track of the kids.” She didn’t answer my question so he opened this for me.
“What’s the foster thing?”
“The Indian’s grandmother knows and can be here this week. She has houses in the original Badass Club.”
This just keeps getting better. Badass offered to sponsor the kids or take them so they’re inside Badass Territory. I’ve got no stake in the kids other than getting them back with their parents or safely in a community so they can grow up with basic human rights. “Let’s go see what Jones wants to do.”
“He’s at the door.” She doesn’t turn to know that but I know she feels when he’s close.
“Come tell me what you want to do.”
He saunters out. “Not a chance, Commander.”
I shake my head at the jerk. “I wouldn’t be a commander if it weren’t for you handing me the job in the middle of a job.”
He shrugs folding into the chair to my right. “There’s no way they’d promote you and I was sick of you and all that specialty training for a job they weren’t ever giving you. You’ve got more training than the Colonel had.” He gave me the job when he was delirious and out of it.
He’s right that they weren’t promoting me but I’m a woman. I needed to train in everything for the job I wanted. Military is all I ever wanted to do and I had my eye on the brass.
“You know how many men she needs to be better than to get into a General position?”
I smile. Sarah understands.
“She’s higher than them all now. Pres Vapor sounds about right.”
I shake my head at the nut. “Is that how you’re leaning?”
“Doesn’t matter, Commander.” The man is infuriating. I don’t know how Sarah puts up with his shit.
