Page 11 of Vapor
I turn but don’t see Marli and her dog. “I did but it was an easy one.”
He nods. “The immunity?”
I pull my phone and show him what Mase sent me. “It was bullshit. I’m glad I told them to take him in.”
He smiles at my phone. “Good job, Brother. Ranger didn’t have details but said you handled it.”
That feels good. When I first got here, the Law Club was annoyed with me regularly but Pres took me aside and gave me a list of Badass rules the Prospects use to keep out of trouble. They’re good rules but he didn’t stop there, I get links from him or Marli every week for what Marli callsrabbit holes. It’s just information people who didn't grow up in Badass never heard of.
My head swings toward the man talking in a tone that isn’t normal for dinner conversation. The words are slow, every pause feels like it’s pain filled, every raspy word ripping through the man’s throat like he’s not just telling his story but he’s reliving every second right here at the table. “… she never asked for a title, never needed it. When we could move, more of us were dead than alive. The job wasn’t a rescue, we were sacrificed for some AI algorithm.”
I turn my head away feeling it when his voice dips lower after a pause and audible swallow.
What follows will haunt us all. “I watched my men die so a private contractor could get accurate algorithmic lines to compute some drone feed for predictable reactions. All but 3 of my men were sacrificed to supply human reaction. Command rebuilt and sent us to stop that from happening to any other sacrifices that are called operational losses. I had to be the voice for my men…” the crack in his composure doesn’t stop him.
The voice is lower, softer and guttural. “Their voice was stolen by a contractor and who I thought was a friend. They sold mine and my men’s lives, they forgot that human life isinvaluable. Knowing I couldn’t make it through a loss like that again, I gladly gave up command. Commander Vapor never stopped; we were broken but she never showed it. She kept going, secured the bodies, mapped their location and got the rest of us following her every move without words. She didn’t ask for Leader, she didn’t need an audience or approval, she just did. A concussion and loss of blood meant I couldn’t. She just picked Leader up and did it.” His slow, pain filled delivery gave room for anyone to comment or question, but not a single word is spoken by the Brothers. His pain open for us all to see and feel. The courage and strength his memory implies is felt by us all.
Replaying ‘she didn’t need an audience’, has my breath stop again. Vapor, Virginia Kwolek made it through and did that. Epic, legendary. The pain had to be crushing her and she made it through. A soft voice gets my attention back on the words a woman is adding, no less painful, no less haunting.
“She did without talking, she did without asking and we followed. The official statement was, ‘War is not foreseeable. Collateral damage is a gauged risk every soldier accepts.’Vapor pulled her gun on command. ‘Gauged,’ she whispered. I thought she was going to shoot the colonel. The Major General put his hand up reminding her she had witnesses but agreed. The colonel was charged and is still behind bars. Vapor was promoted.” The woman smiles at Virginia but she hasn’t looked up. Vapor still doesn’t need an audience or approval.
Cort looks rattled but asks. “Why step down, she shielded you when you needed it?”
The raspy voice guy smiles but his eyes don’t. “It is a mutual feeling. I owe her everything. She’s more than I can ever be. She was and is the commander for every mission after the colossal betrayal of what I thought was a friend. I stay recognizing that my view of strength was wrong. I was loud,flashy and overconfident. She shows what true strength is with every breath, every decision, quiet, grounded, earned. She had a feeling it wasn’t right before we left. I brushed it aside. The colonel handed me the mission himself. She stowed extra rations, medic supplies, even had a backup escape in case it went sideways.” He shakes his head with pain in his eyes. “It went sideways. Those men died on my watch, a leader doesn’t forget the worth of his men. VA Vapor is not a woman that can retire to the front porch and watch the crops grow. She isn’t made for PD politics, she’s a Delta trained hand to hand combat killer, the best pilot the Air Force Warriors ever lost and got invites from both SEAL and Ranger for Elite Sniper training. For a woman, that’s something and that something isn’t going to be happy playing security mannequin at a bank. She deserves the job of her dreams and I swore I’d make it happen.”
I reach over the table and wave where she can see it. When her head raises a little, I ask. “You were career until they sacrificed you?”
Her head raises quick and eyes meet mine. The blinking to avoid tears stabs through me. “Yeah. My mom died. I was in for life.”
“You need space to breathe?” I could use it but she smiles and I know I’m not getting it.
“I got this. Thanks. I didn’t get answers yet so I need to be here. The worst of our life was just laid open, the rest is a piece of cake.”
Legendary. I chuckle at that. “While you get answers, I’ll go find cake to make that real.” A legend deserves a cake.
“You’re Delta, Warrior and sniper?” Cort isn’t done with questions so Vapor will be a while.
I look at the man with the raspy voice as she answers and explains that Night Stalker is best of best then trained for all positions so they can carry out mission-impossible-like missions. That’s why the betrayal got the colonel close to life in prison. These were highly trained elite and the polished brass was pissed about the money lost. Specter was their answer and they handed the reigns over to the Major General.
The guy watches me then takes my phone. I typed ‘what kind of cake?’
He smiles and his eyes do for a few seconds. Those lost men don’t leave him for long. I get my phone back withstrawberry shortcake, real cream.
I nod and move. Pres stands and walks with me. “Cake?”
“Yeah, the guy said strawberry shortcake but with real cream. I make it with cool whip. I’m going to see what they have in the kitchen.”
“Hold up. We got the bakery in Champion. They won’t use cool whip.”
That’s good thinking. I don’t want to leave. He calls the bakery and the Brother says they can make one cake and a tray of tarts. Pres says they’re mini cakes so I nod.
“Three boxes. He said they have the cake but it will take about twenty minutes for his crew to put it together.”
“Thanks, Pres. I didn’t want to leave but after that I needed to do something.” I send it through the Prospect App to have them go get the boxes ASAP.
“After that, we all need a minute. The rest won’t leave so that crew isn’t alone with those memories. I’m with you so you aren’t.” I love the Brotherhood that Pres makes sure is felt at the oddest but important times.
“I’m honored and appreciate that, Pres.”
