Ford's Rise - L. Ann Marie Page 0,104

see it.”

She giggles. “She said that too.”

“She was right.”

“I want to ask about my mother. The Director said I’m stronger than her. Everything races in my head and I stop at odd things I don’t want to say and sound stupid like, did she like green beans too?” She’s so fucking cute.

My arms tighten around her. “Ask if you want to know. It may be the start of a long walk.”

“I’m going to ask.”

I can hear her smile. “Good. I’m not having the vasectomy tomorrow. I’ll wait until Ops is done. Doc booked me for the day after the Teams are due back in Providence.”

She pushes my arms down so she can turn around. “We get a few days.” She’s cute.

“Yeah.”

My hand is pulled as she gets up and heads for the house. “We have fucking Brothers everywhere, Lexi.”

She isn’t stopping but nods. “They know the way home. It’s one road.”

I laugh and follow my sexy, impatient ol’ lady in the house.

Epilogue

Three days

Web

We watch the Princes Ops room cheer when the choppers set down in their parking lot. Alexia is smiling. “I don’t get the cheer,” I tell her.

“They don’t park there. They always go to the hangar or airfield.”

Okay. I turn back to the board. “Why is the Senator in Princes? He’s not Badass.”

It’s a good question. I answer in a whisper leaning close. “He’s Baxter, it’s like honorary Badass. They all grew up together. He was pissed the government paid for the CIA buying kids. He was pissed about the whole thing but buying kids with government money is what he used to get to the President. The Director’s years of evidence helped with all Perez did to right the wrongs done to the Alpha-Bits. Baxter isn’t a name people ignore. The Director getting everything to him and the FBI was smart. Kaleb Baxter is a lawyer too. I think he’s constitutional law but he knows a lot of other shit.”

She nods. “It makes sense, they watch the powers of the federal branches too. Overstepping those powers has to be kept in check with law. He was at EROP a few times. I know he worked with the Director then but not that Baxters were involved. The satellite has them on it too. I guess because he lives in Washington I didn’t think they were close.” She wouldn’t. She didn’t form connections to many people.

“They are. He has a house in Virginia and on the Baxters and Prince Compounds. I’m surprised the Director isn’t there with him.”

She shakes her head. “He had a hearing. He doesn’t have a house there or anything.” She’s been video chatting her dad. I’m glad she found some questions to ask. Cort’s laugh has my eyes back on the boards.

Justice is setting Alder down. I roll the feed back on my console and watch. “Boss Justice keep up this one, Prez Little Ben. I keep my partner,” Alder says getting the laugh I missed. Back on the board shows Ben taking a second. I bet it’s so he doesn’t laugh.

“I’ll make sure you’re partnered together. The schedule came down from FBI and BSC. We have one every other week scheduled for Phoenix.”

Alder nods. “I will be readied.”

I look at Cort. “He’s going on Ops regularly? There are no records of other kids.” I helped with the recount.

Cort’s head swings my way as his hand holds his mic. “He understands all languages and knows what files to take. It’s one team with Justice and Alder.”

Fuck. I nod. They’ll be swiping evidence for the next Ops. This could be never ending. I was hoping for the end. I guess at some point it will be.

Alexia leans toward me and whispers. “He needs more gear. Akai said he has two with braces. I’m asking Stella to make him more. This is going to take a while. The CIA is crazy.” She types while I shake my head. She’s not wrong but she’s cute covering him in Kevlar.

“They’ll be home tonight.” I throw out softly. She doesn’t have to order gear right now.

She leans in. “Did you plan for us before that?”

I try to think of what I’m planning. She shakes her head. “You have surgery tomorrow.” She reminds me. I smile at the little sex maniac. The women have her head swimming in ideas.

I love it. “We have a couple of hours after lunch. It’s not surgery, a quick procedure Doc said.”

Her head is going again. “We’re with the babies. We should bring them to our