Page 58 of Vapor
I nod looking at the floor because I can’t look at him. It’s me that isn’t dealing well. He’s telling me she’s human and we all will feel it. We all should feel it. I nod getting it then shake my head because I made him feel it to explain. His feet are gone so I move. I’ll make sure his pain, their pain, isn’t wasted.
I need to find a way to show she doesn’t keep moving because she doesn’t feel it. It’s not normal or okay. She keeps moving so she can get them all safe. Back in Ops, I see herflying her little Bubble chopper behind the big Chinook. The Blackhawk is above them both. My girl is quiet, competent and focused.
I check the kids and smile at the turban like scarves they’re wearing under cans. It’s a good way to add the protection they’d need. We should get kid sized cans.
I call Asa. “Brother, who do I call to get kid size cans for the SOAR Club?”
Logan spins nodding his head.
“Pres Alder send me list to carrier. Cans on list. You need to Club here?”
“Yeah. They fly on a plane home but once they’re here, we need to transport them around.”
“Maddox print to you full gear box. Thirty? Other Club have ten fifteen each.” He’s good at giving info I need.
“Thirty sounds good. I call Maddox to print more if I need them?”
“Yeah, VP Julius. Maddox print to you.”
Very cool. “Does he do the ear protection for babies, toddlers and under like ten?”
He silent but I hear him typing, then hear when he sucks a breath in. “I get you protection, cans, baby seat, two day. Baby sold to sex traffic?” Fuck. His voice cracks.
“Yeah. Thanks, Asa.” My voice drops. I swipe him off quick and breathe.
Logan hugs me without a word.
I step back and tell them. “She keeps moving so she can get them all safe. Pull up the hall from five minutes ago and playit so everyone hears it. Mucimi explains why she doesn’t stop. We all need to understand so we can be their anchors.”
Logan moves to a console and types. Mucimi is on a second later. I scan the room watching their faces.
Sarah smiles at me with tears running down her face. “We can all be legends.”
I nod. “We have to be if we expect them all to keep doing this. We need to be their safe place, their anchor that sees and understands what they’re doing and why. It’s not just SOAR. Hear Mucimi’s words. Feel them. Every Protector is different but needs us the same. This didn’t just happen. We are here for a reason and I don’t think it’s all about rescues.”
Moss nods. “I thought that too. Everything just fell into place. The commander said the town was bad and she was already driving this way. She didn’t even know where we were.”
She told me but didn’t think much about it. I nod.
Logan laughs. “I got here like that. It was time but I didn’t know what for. It was just time. Prez even said it.”
I smile. “There you go. So, we learn Badass from VP and remember Mucimi’s words. Our job isn’t tech, control or lawyer, it’s being a team of anchors to our Badass Legends.”
“I’d say that makes you all Legendary.” I spin so fast I almost fall to the side.
Logan laughs. “Uncle Danny, Knight, how did you get here?”
The patch guy smiles. “We’re in Colorado. José hooked us up.”
Logan bows with a sweeping arm. “Badass Legends, Steve Knight and Danny LaPonte.”
Holy shit, they’re in the Bible with Tito and Vince.
~*~*~
Vapor
Sitting at the edge of the deck I watch the water. I’ve checked every inch of the choppers and have gone over the maintenance logs. At this point, I give up on the lie of work holding me up and get to the meeting room. My new Security guard walks beside me showing me he’s a partner not a wall flower. “Honos, the kids are too young. Shep found lists in the office. That was just the grooming ground.”
