Page 16 of Vapor
The SEALs here are shaking their heads.
I smile right back. “Delta, Ranger and Marine would balk but we’re cross trained for everything and sworn to secrecy so Night Stalkers don’t give a shit.”
Jones and Jinx laugh loud.
“Were you a new warrant five?” Falcon asks surprising me.
Level 5 Warrant Officer is a new position but it wasn’t an option when I passed the warrant 4 promotion. Found paperwork had me jump two pay grades then.
“She’s a lieutenant colonel but was paid grade for captain for a couple of years because promotions had multiple training paperwork misplacements. Based out of country got elite pay that was more than stateside but only if sir follows you. Ma’am works the opposite and training records get lost. The classified team she trained and passed for colonel and was recognized by our superior but no one else. All that followed her was LT Colonel. She signed final grade paperwork and retired as LT Colonel so her benefits now would be lower than her rank until they fix it.” Jones is pissed.
I’m surprised he’d know that because I didn’t tell anyone, but we all have friends and contacts in all kinds of military jobs.
The Marine doctor, Chenoa, nods. “It was true of the Marines in Germany. I had to wait on paperwork that the men in training got right away.”
Cort nods and turns my way. “Ranger and Harky said that. Here, gender doesn’t dictate pay. If it’s a job we don’t understand, Lorelei will get us comps for it and adjust. You’ll need to tell her what’s fair but she knows military pay grades. Your Night Stalker or the other classified team needs to be made clear for her. Keylan said his build and classified teams got paid the same based on rank but he got more hazard pay for the classified that was separate.” He doesn’t look like he understands that.
I get it. “Classified was per diem jobs like a contractors’ bonus or something. I’m not sure how it was paid out. It just showed in our accounts. I will text and ask but I’m okay with the straight pay on rank. The rest feels like we were being bought.”
Jones agrees. “Five years did buy the supplies and choppers but it felt off to me too. I’d take rank pay grade and know Sarah will. She wouldn’t touch the money and changed banks so that’s all that went into that account.”
Huh. Sarah never told me.
Cort moves us on. “Raid, is Lorelei here to get this straight? They’re going back out tonight.”
I settle in for the decisions they’ll need from me with the help from Jones. He doesn’t want VP but I have more for him to do and he has more to give.
~*~*~
Veritable
Julius
I’m summoned by Cort, or his second again. The Prospect points up. “They’re in Pres’s meeting room.”
Bounding up two stairs at a time gets me laughed at by Angel the SAA of Sentinel Club. I ignore it because he’s usually laughing at me. Bikers aren’t like the military elite I met or represented. The Brothers don’t seem to be stuck in the macho alpha mind frame. They showed annoyance when I first got here, but I didn’t hide a damn thing so they’d see I was new and needed directions. I think Pres was surprised I wasn’t taking shit from the trainees and dismissed the Utah Brother that came in our first training class. I hadn’t finished the Bible but even I know training isn’t a competition. The asswipe overstepped trying to beat the boys from Guardian like they were competing for his job.
I knock once and walk in. The first face I see has me smiling more than I missed the giant, because he’s scowling. “Raid, I didn’t expect to see you today. Did he open a new business?”
The table laughs. Raid’s face even breaks before going back to the scowl. “Out of country rescue. I don’t know what the fuck were naming this one. Rescue and elite are taken.”
I smile at Cort. “Mag said you hated air avengers, Boss.”
He smiles and points at an open seat. “They use SOAR now. That’s an acronym?” He looks at Vapor.
“Special operations aviation regiment is military. Jones has it written with the first letters bold with aerial equipment depicted, Stalker Ops Aerial Rescue.” Vapor slides a card across to Cort but Raid snags it before passing it over.
Cort nods. “I like it. The dickasses will bitch about it but it will take them years.”
Everyone snickers at that. Vapor looks confused but isn’t saying anything.
Justice shakes his head not agreeing and they all quiet down fast. “You built an air force and FBI Training bases with the second Badass Quantico and they begged for us to help with their Ops and training. You stole the dogs and military bitched for a week then started shipping dogs here themselves. They’re shifting everything to private contractors and paying through the nose so they aren’t embarrassed every time they fuck up, Boss.”
I agree. “They even pay for the jobs Veritable Law does and they have over thirteen hundred JAG on the payroll.”
Cort shakes his head.
“Dumbasses no learn lessons. Pres Cort, name same?” Alder asks handing the card to Falcon.
