Ford's Rise - L. Ann Marie Page 0,33
can’t wait until Alder finds out.” He walks out and I smile at the IT Brothers assembled here.
“He’s not going to stop until they’re all here,” Justice says with a smile.
I nod. “We shouldn’t. They never had a choice, a life. We can give them that.”
Hannah and Stella stand. “Why were we called in? Cort never asked anything. He told Mucimi to get Justice here.”
Stella shrugs and follows Hannah out. “Men are fuckin’ crazy. Who knows? I have some time now. I’m waiting on Brinks. He had a meet with Ranger.”
I smile turning to look at Justice. The table is empty so I go to IT. The Prince kids are weird. Checking my phone before I put my glasses on has me smiling. Alexia is excited to be working with Billy at Princes. She’s happy. I like knowing that and send her an emoticon giving a thumbs up. She sends a little guy holding a heart. She’s cute.
I’m looking for payments on death dates when Alder comes in. He pulls his boards up and reads. My hands are moving but I’m watching his face. Seeing his tears, I’m up.
“You find them?”
I lift him up shaking my head. His eyes are on the boards. “No, but we will. The dates match, we’ll find them. We need what the IT was used for in Europe and Asia. If you get a board up, we may find them faster.”
He cries. I hold him against my shoulder. “The teams are working. Hannah has Two. Mucimi, Stella and Justice will work for locations. Alexia is on surveillance with Princes. We’ll find them now that we know where to look.”
“Yeah. I not match dates. Work board. I make work board, Alpha-Bits can add.”
I nod and set him down. “That’s a good idea. If we know what they were working on before they were rescued, we might be able to trace back to them.”
He’s already typing. I sit and get back to the leads. “Web, lessons, everything lessons. Information is keys.”
I smile at him taking the glasses off so it’s not behind hologram boards. “Yes, information is a key. It opens so many doors if you ask the right questions. If you ask everything, you’ll get more keys.”
He nods. “How you know?”
“The date on the payment I saw was Crow. I asked and looked for the others then I wanted to know them all so Stella found me the Mason list. I asked when I came in.”
He nods. “I distract. Follow CIA not Mason. Ties same, always the same.”
I nod. “It’s weird. The CIA weren’t Masons, they posed as Masons. They still are. Hannah said something about assassins that are like robot people. I don’t think what they’re up to shouldn't be followed. We should know that too. It may be a key to more kids.”
He nods looking blank. “You see me, no experiment. As never experiment to you?”
I smile. “Was I an experiment to you?”
He smiles looking like a little albino angel. “Never. Weird, yes. No experiment.”
Laughing I give him that. “I don’t mind being weird. Everyone’s got to be something.”
This smile lights up his face. “Yeah, I weird too. Glad I not freaky or tail head.”
I laugh. “Have him repaint without a target on you. The mohawk identifies your house.”
He nods. “Garren tell him. Maddox, Juan make printer to paint. Fucking Brothers crazy. Compound be new canvas.” He shakes his head.
“It’s been a busy month. New kids, babies, sickness. I don’t know how you do it all with the Ops, plant walls, colored hair, new ol’ ladies...” I laugh. “Building a safe zone on top of it all.”
He nods seriously. “I need vacation. Crazy get old. Freaky on top of crazy Brothers.”
“Come with us to Colorado. The new kids haven’t seen much.”
He nods. “I see I get off schedule. Akai stay here?”
I nod. “I didn’t ask him up since I’ll be out with Alexia.”
“I leave Asa. He want new stamp on arms. Crazy as Brothers. Next pierce nose.”
I laugh. He may be right. Asa is biker all the way. Now he looks it.
We get back to work until lunch. Packing glasses up he turns. “I miss work to you. Hours no distract, no talk. Good, comfortable.”
I nod. “For me too. I missed the house with all the little Brothers. Now it feels good to have some time with Alexia. Working, it’s like when you all moved into the offices, I missed working with everyone at the apartment.”
He smiles. “We grow up. Still feels good to