Page 22 of Vapor
Her head is moving from side to side slowly. “I just gave that information to our engineer. He seemed impressed with bikers opening an Advocacy Club.”
I nod and point. “The surveillance and counter surveillance?”
She remembers the job and moves quickly to a keyboard.
Vapor is going out but I don’t know when. She needs advice on what to stay away from. Most people don’t think of things like airspace but some countries will just as soon shoot you down than warn you. Private contractors hold no weight unless they’re working for the country. American can be seen as friend or foe depending on what a million military members, politicians, businesses or civilians claiming rights the country doesn’t offer, do on any given day that might piss off the guy watching a camera.
I sit and get to reading objective.
~*~*~
SOAR Rising
Vapor
The non answer to Badass may have gotten me more than I ever thought I’d be able to do as a MERC. Nash told me Cort will give me everything because he pushed for the Club in aClub and Falcon reamed him out for it. Everyone is on him for not waiting for an answer and just steam rolling us into the Club.
I didn’t say, but we were headed that way anyway and we weren’t ordered to do it. Nash’s smile told me he knows. I got a lesson in the jet, then the crazy I keep hearing of Badass just left it for me, saying my prints are already in it. I’m flying a brand-new jet to the carrier the FBI has moving from Italy toward Greece in the Mediterranean Sea.
If I scripted my life, it would not be this good.
“Pres, I sent the link for the report. Libya is the last place you should be but the one that needs more military forces showing.”
Julius has me turning. “You’re calling me Pres now?” I’ve signed nothing. I do have a multimillion-dollar jet sitting outside my hangar so maybe I owe the crazy Badass nuts.
“You’re my new President. The Soar Club plan was decided and you helped do it.”
I breathe deep. Someone said no to the title. I try it. “My Officers don’t call me Pres. Commander on Ops, Vapor the rest of the time. That’s not a suggestion. I don’t do suggestions.”
He smiles like a crazy Badass nut. “Roger Boss is the Badass answer to everyone that says that. Good luck with it, Boss. So, Libya is under the travel ban, as in don’t go there. The reason is the number one rating for sex and labor trafficking, exploiting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. You could have picked an easier country rated higher than ten just to get to dangerous and red. Because of the high risk, you have an extra pilot and engineer coming with you. Alder wants to ride in the jet and the pilot is flying the plane over with the team.”
That stops my feet from moving. “Alder, the little guy with a brain bigger than my mom’s?”
He laughs at me. It wouldn’t be so bad but the bastard tips forward holding his middle like his stomach is doing somersaults over the question.
I walk toward the better crazy Badass has shown me admiring the jet as he acts a fool.
The dipshit catches up. “Sorry, Boss. I don’t know your mom. Alder is President of the Alpha-Bits and one of Cort’s seconds. He’s been on Ops and ranks on the leaderboard. He’s a ninja level or master in martial arts.”
I stop short and look at the man spouting new crazy. I just forwarded the personnel file to Moss to get Julius up on the roster as colonel. We don’t need crazy colonels. “He’s been on Ops and is a ninja?” It comes out monotone.
“He didn’t use ninja on ops but he shot a cyborg in Gosau, I think. No, it may have been…”
“Stop. The boy shot a cyborg?”
He nods. “Yeah, they were in a CIA shell or collecting paperwork or sold Alpha-Bits. The A’s are all in their twenties. I think Akai is closer to thirty.”
What? “The albino’s whose names start with A are in their twenties? The Anton boy is in his twenties?” The brand-new jet was easier to take.
The look that gets is caustic. “You know, the one thing I admire above all else in Badass is that the Officers in BSC are known for the honor they live by. I’m a JAG, integrity, to me, is wrapped in honor and respect. That’s for me, for you and for every person in our country. I will not jeopardize my standing as a JAG Officer, a BSC Badass member or a SOAR officer by lyingto my new President. BSC Badass Officers get that easily, as if it’s in their blood. Maybe it’s the readers keeping them honest but it’s there and I love that it is. Yes, the As are the biggest group that made it. They were grown in experiments of ten and there are multiple alphabets but only nine A’s and, yes, they are the oldest. The next highest number groups are five and there are three groups of five. Alder is the only number seven alive. He’s mid or late twenties by now but I will not ask.”
My jaw clenches. I am the dipshit here and acceptance of that sucks. “I do not have allthatinformation but have picked up some from Aaron. I didn’t ask because it was classified when we heard it on a Scepter mission. I was told, have read and even witnessed the Badass penchant for honor and was out of line. Being distracted by all the new and itching to fly the brand-new Badass jet is not an excuse but a heads-up to my lack of focus when shiny and new tease me.”
He smiles like I hoped he would. “You’re so full of shit but the Badass is in there and you threw it out showing that honor and respect. Alder worked with Mucimi and another Prince to get Lockheed building that new jet. You can ask him about it on the way to the ship. I noted the airspace you need to stay far away from and put contacts for the region in case of emergency. We have military from the UK that are on a joint base who have offered a hand if you need it. The commander is new to Badass and hopes you’ll call.”
I smile at that. “I’d be in need of artillery, or a rescue.”
He nods. “I’m aware, but felt you needed the option in the event that Libya is one big kill zone you’re flying into.”
