Page 49 of Vapor
“Why are you paying for this?”
I look at Cort. “Habit. You just decided that we’re a Badass Club. I forgot.”
The whole table bursts out laughing. Julius comes in from the kid compound smiling. “You’re up.”
I nod. “We don’t have to pay for Moss to have the virtual room. Deal with that so I can drink fruit and listen to stories. Oh, and Lerch wants more of the bigger drones.” I kiss him quick and talk while walking to the gate.
He nods.
“I’ll be ready. We’ll pick up wherever and drop on the carrier. Alder, yes for the mission but it’s longer now. I have to go.” I wave and hear them laughing as I jog out.
Chapter Eight
Two days
SOAR
Julius
I bend and kiss Aunt Becky’s cheek. “Thanks for moving again. The kids already love you and Vapor said you adopted her.” She swats me away but doesn’t ever touch me. It’s an air swat.
“I like it here. The girls from the letter club know all about the clubs so they’re bringing me around when we’re not working. I want to take Greg and Suzie.”
I nod. “Sarah is on today while Vapor is over the US. I can ask her.” I turn from the sink and see the phone she holds up for me. “Or you can chat her and have an answer without me as the middle man.”
She nods. “Don’t you have work to do?”
“I have a class at Veritable but wanted to make you breakfast on your first day.” Vapor left over an hour ago so treating aunt Becky for moving less than a month after her move to Champion seemed like the thing to do. She moved west from Virginia after her house got leveled by a hurricane.
She does the swat motion again. “I love when you cook for me. Thank you. I told the kids and Enola I’d be at the kitchen tomorrow for breakfast.” She subtly shoos me away.
“I’ll see you there.” I kiss her head, grab my bag and go.
She’s never been the needy type but when she’s excited, she wants what she wants, when she wants it. I think I take after her so I don’t take offense.
The ride to Veritable has my mind wandering. Mase is on the plane and Alder in the jet with my Vapor. I don’t know how or why, but they all left happy.
I’m relieved to see the tents are gone. The road that loops around is still down. At a guess, it’s for another tent city party or the machine to roll up the road isn’t here.
The Veritable Rising Club looks huge and very much like a Badass Club. I smile, backing my bike up to the paver. The SOAR Club is impressive behind the facade of farmland barns. Aaron said the town wears a mask, SOAR is like that and I’m just as proud of the Club as I am the town. Cort told me about the Silo and horse stall at Elite. I like being different.
“Hey, Julius. Did you get my virtual link?”
I nod for Nash. “Thanks. Mase said to do it after the Officer training.”
He nods walking up the stairs with me. “Yeah, it’s more about the paperwork than the whole job course. I can set up the app and add the month of your paperwork on it.”
I nod. “Thanks. We don’t need the report part but I want to do them as a practice.”
His phone goes off. “I’ll see you for dinner and input your month. I can answer questions about the reports while I’m there. Later.” The Blackhawk is just gone.
I head to the meeting room until my phone goes off. It’s going to be one of those days. Amal tells me he’s back in a funny voice. I take a breath and nod because I didn’t know he was gone.
“Vapor is gone for a few days, the tents are finally down, so you’re not calling because Cort is showing for another party.”
His giggle makes me smile. “You go to Ops and we’ll finally get this party started.” He sing-songs then hangs up.
I laugh jogging up to Ops. “Jarret?”
