Page 30 of Vapor
“Oh, yeah, I can see that. Justice is a Protector through and through and Cort is his to protect.” I turn and ask Donovan. “Where is the big chopper going?”
“To the airfield to pick up the kids, Boss. The Commander can land the jet right here. Phoenix has a chopper coming here, the other is from Zion and going right to the airfield. There are workers for the kids on that one.” He’s full of information I missed.
Zion is Aylen. “Thanks. Do we go to meet the jet and Phoenix chopper?” I point to the pad out by the hangars where men are gathered. “Are they all from here?” I ask before he has a chance to answer the first question.
“Most are from here. The new Prospects and elite flight are here from Bravo and Honor. The rest were here but hidden behind the walls. It’s taken a small army to get this up and running before the commander was discharged.”
I watch him debating in my head, then just ask. “It was in place before she was called with the job offer?”
He smiles. “Yeah. Chief Jones is crazy too.”
VP Logan laughs. “Crazy is the Badass trait just above honor. The new at the hangar want to meet the new Pres. They all heard about her and whispered Scepter black Ops. I was told Night Stalker but see light ink referencing Specter on multiple people.” He looks confused. Their reading or seer thing confuses me but I can’t read or see anything. Bishop said they don’t live an easy life and I believe it.
I explain to clear his confusion…to a point. “Classified isn’t talked about so Night Stalker being classified secret is all anyone should ever hear. I believe Specter is under the Special Access Program and needs a specific code word clearance. The fact that it does means it’s not spoken of.”
Donovan’s eyes lock on mine. “Do you have that clearance?” The man is clearly not happy with me but he’s protecting his team and I get that better than most.
My scan takes in the room. Techs I don’t really know are in here. “I have that SAP approval and a list of code words that follows my name for cases I’ve been involved in. I was IAS JAG with CENTCOM for AOR area.”
He sucks in a quick breath. “You’re the colonel?”
I nod.
“Sorry, Sir. We don’t give classified levels out. You sent reports for missions we were on. They listed you as the JAG colonel. There wasn’t another colonel in CENTCOM at the time.” He’s quick to fix this.
I’m surprised but keep it off my face. “I didn’t know who was requesting advice. CENTCOM notoriously redacted all but the objectives, location and assets for their requests. VP Logan is right under Pres Vapor. Badass takes some adjustment but it’s logical. He’s cleared to know classified levels. We don’t give details or missions. He’s a reader so he probably already knows the jobs you’ve done. It won’t ever be repeated because he’s Badass and a high Officer.
Donovan looks nervous now. Logan throws chin to him. “I’m not military but was taught classified is a stop for us, meaning we stop reading when we see it. If it is needed, or a problem that I witness, I’d let Teller, Justice or Mucimi know because they’re higher on the freaky chain than me. It’s not, so I stopped and blocked your thoughts. Nothing you bring up shows to me right now. When more powerful readers or vision kids show, it is hard for me to block your thoughts. We have virtual classes on how to do that and I can get them for you.”
Donovan puts his hand out. “The Commander said Badass is like us. I’m glad to see it for myself and appreciate it. I’m taking the classes but haven’t seen the block one. We had a seer for some of our missions. They called it a sixth sense.”
VP shows him how to do the Brothers hold. “Michael Brolin? He’s the closest thing to a military reader that I’ve seen but he thinks in French.” That’s interesting he talks with an accent but he speaks English well.
“No, but we know of him. Brolin was commander of a team. Our seer was added to the missions on and off. He wasn't ranked or we never heard a rank, but he had high clearance. He did other missions with other teams that were never brought up.” Sounds classified to me so I’m glad he stopped and looked around the room at the techs in here.
I smile and ask again. “So do we go out there?”
“You can, Colonel. I’m scheduled on.” Donovan smiles probably guessing why I changed the subject, but calling me colonel is going to be made normal if I don’t stop that.
It’s not normal. “Badass doesn’t have ranks. I’m Julius, VP and Pres are VP, Pres, or Boss.”
He nods. “I’m doing the virtual classes with Sarah and Moss. I thought I was career military but got 3 days in with Badass so far.”
VP laughs. “I helped with the FBI integrating into Badass. They were all military from Ops offices. Once I have a chance to meet with the Officers, I can set up training with the glasses for the Club.”
I look up at the choppers and wonder about the glasses. I did them in Bravo but I’m not Ops or aerial. Falcon sent me to Bishop before I finished that training. VP Jack said I didn’t needit. I turn to my board to shut it off but freeze. “What’s that?” A swarm of red dots are on the long road that leads here, then to the Champion town and Law Club.
“Where is that?” Donovan asks.
My eyes snap to VP Logan. “Coming down our western fence line. “Do we have Security?” I swipe Veritable Ops on watching Donovan’s head shake.
“Angel, this is Julius at SOAR. Tracking shows a swarm of red dots headed our way. Is this Badass visiting?” I watch VP typing so we see the road but it’s too high. I look back at my board.
Angel talks fast. “Debra, pull surveillance and tracking close to SOAR. Fuck. Cort has Preses on that chopper. I need Phoenix or Honor.”
“Angel, I have VP Logan from Princes here. He’s a Protector and does Ops in a room. I am no help to you, so here he is.” I hand him the phone and watch the virtual room change to the road just before the gate and a different chopper. Angel comes from Sentinel, Nash said they do Ops for the Clubs. Not BSC stuff.
Donovan turns and scans my body.
