Page 37 of Vapor
“He didn’t say why?”
“No. He’s Badass and stood, then was at the door stopped.”
He smiles. “Do you need anything, Pres?” His accent mimics Logan’s.
Jerk. “Yeah. I told him not to ask and go. He was gone before I stood up.”
He laughs again.
I take note of no kids outside and walk into the bunk house. The teen girl is bawling. The boy with the bruised leg is bawling while leaning against a very uncomfortable Julius. Logan is holding his bodycam on the boy and Julius.
Julius looks at me for help but Logan shakes his head. ‘He needs to give it to Julius, he trusts him.’
My eyes close so I don’t snatch him by the collar to stop him from doing that. Julius’ eyes bug out and he barely nods then bends so he’s closer to the kid’s head. Logan must have shared magic words with him too.
“How do you know him?” He asks softly.
The boy turns and his arms go around Julius. He gives me a look so I nod like he’s doing fine and we’re right here. Once the boy’s face is covered, he calms down and starts talking.
The guy he was giving shit to was his neighbor, the bikers didn’t help the parents when they were taken or the boys when the big van came for them. The bikers watched him and his brother fight to get away but they wouldn’t help. They laughed and held a bottle up like a salute. His brother was sold the first day they landed. I don’t know how Julius doesn’t go beat the shit out of the asshole but he talks to the kid like he’s an adult with words not meant to sugar coat anything he went through, but he’s gentle. I don’t know if I’d be able to do that. The girl moves closer and rubs the boy’s back while he talks and Julius answers.
I look at Logan. “Get the bodycam to play on the monitor we put in the bunker,” I whisper.
He nods without an acknowledgement. It’s weird but Badass doesn’t do that or I haven’t seen it. I did hear flight repeating orders given on an FBI Op but no one else has done it.
Logan moves drawing my eyes. He’s watching me with a minute shake of his head.
I roll my eyes and watch for another couple of minutes, then quietly slide back until I’m by the door. Moss opens it for me and follows me out. “I want whatever we can get to find his brother.” Before he opens his mouth, I put a hand up. “I know it’s a long shot. It’s still a shot and this kid can use some hope right now.”
He salutes me and walks away without acknowledging. Badass is easy for my Specter team. I’ll get the hang of this too, but for now, I go back into the bunk room. Seeing hope take the form of action makes me smile because that hope is now focused.
Needing a job, I help a small boy with his Badass duffle. He carries a multi-colored octopus. It gives me a way to connect with questions about his little friend. They’re moving to the new building and his friend, Legs, is excited. Julius catches my hand and holds it while his boy and mine hold onto us. I don’t even know their names but I know all about Legs.
~*~*~
SOAR
Julius
The kids have half of SOAR sleeping in tents outside the building shaped like a series of bubbles stuck together. My little buddy, Greg, called it a glow worm.
At night, the paint on the seams of the bubbles glowed making the kids go wild, so it works for me. The light up walkways were put here too. This ain’t going to house anyone but the new rescue kids coming in. Now it’s a glow worm building and the little tube hallways have doors. It’s definitely not bunkhouses but kid rooms that rescued kids can stay in until quarantine allows them to move to a Club.
Badass thinks of everything and got us a printer that makes bands so they’re the only one that can enter their room. The keypad that scans the band activates Security and the hall shines red inside and out. It’s amazing what the Alpha-Bits have done to keep the kids safe. Aaron said D’Ability houses have this Security. I have no idea what that means but it sounds like a place that would need Security like this.
Vapor walks my way with military precision of measured steps and stance. She doesn’t sit beside me on the next lounge, doesn’t ask me to move my legs, she sits on me causing a smile, at least on my face. “Are you pissed?”
I put an arm around her waist. “Nope. We have a whole lifetime. They’re scared and we’re the people that took the job of keeping them safe. We’re all they know and they need to know we aren’t dropping them for a beer at the Club. Greg recognizing the bikers from a state away feels wrong but maybe they needed it.” I mean every word but I’m a guy and lost my shot for tonight. That stings but not enough for me to walk away from a promise.
She shakes her head. “Moss got me their MO. They’ve got a track record and plenty of alleged priors with no one willing to press charges. Fear is their game and it’s spreading.”
I nod. Veritable got me that too. “It feels wrong because no one is fucking with Badass. They knew the ranch isn’t on Badass land.”
She stops me. “Logan called someone and got ties to the military and Mason. I don’t know what Mason has to do with it but military ranches get hit all the time. You hang a shingle and it’s more than likely. Most are K9 or wounded vets so they’re seen as easy targets.”
“I didn’t know that but have seen female vets, the dogs and horse ranches. The Masons have or had a monied backer that was messing with Badass Clubs that aren’t BSC. The BSC is a council that connects Clubs everywhere. They pool resources and can call any Club for help like allies.”
Her smile has me leaning in. She doesn’t stop me so I kiss her until the giggle.
