Ford's Rise - L. Ann Marie Page 0,60

the compounds.

My phone rings, it’s always a surprise. I barely get the hello out. “Web, it’s Jordan. I can help with the threat. Stella just told me she’s working with Justice and Mucimi. They’re on Ops. I can help while they’re out and even when they get back. You should have said you need help. I’m here, Brother. Brinks is getting with Ranger for a schedule for time. He says he’s in. I don’t know what that’s about. Whatever it is, he’s in.”

My head is shaking. “Thanks, Brother. I appreciate the fuck out of all of you. Stella has the file. She’s running off Mucimi and Justice’s leads so they can keep going. They’re both fucking fast. If you jump in there, it will be a help. Alexia can get you in anywhere and will set up then take surveillance for leads with Akai. If you chat with her, ask about the NIT she uses. It’s gotten more kids found in days not weeks.”

“I’ll ask. She was FBI, I bet they have some good shit.”

I laugh. “LB Programming has programs in her old unit. I don’t know where the NIT is from. Mucimi and Justice are still throwing intel while they’re out. Stella has about eight pages that aren’t on the main board. Alexia has the link so she can help when you need it.”

“Don’t take this wrong, she’s that good?”

I laugh. “She’s smarter than me, Brother. She’s that good. I need help because we can’t keep up with her leads.”

“Fuck. Stella is hitting me. I gotta go.” He sounds like he’s moving. “Why are you hitting me?” He shouldn’t answer her like that.

I hit my phone off and add him to the boards for Hannah, Justice, Mucimi, Stella and Alexia. I throw Akai the link too, then look at the text that just came in. Stella said Alexia is fuckin’ smart and he’s sorry he questioned it. I laugh reading it again. She was physically hitting him. I thought she was calling him. Stella is tough.

An alert comes through and I run dropping my glasses in my pocket as I do. Cort, Raid and Ranger are in front of me running up the Ops stairs. They’re fast for big Brothers. We hit the keypad one right after another.

“Are they out of range?” Cort asks Shultz.

“They are. Justice is flying. I don’t know how he moves so fast.” Shultz looks shocked. Cort showed one of Justice’s training feeds. He shouldn’t be shocked.

“Are they okay?” I ask, just getting that they were shot at. My alert didn’t say that.

“Knight is worried about the Op with the foreign chopper going out.”

I pull my phone. “Alexia, I need the air traffic shut down or something. The chopper was shot at a country away. It’s not a big area. Can you change or help them before air traffic gets it out?” I smile at her, ‘I can, three minutes tops.’ “Thanks, baby.”

She’s already gone. I nod to Cort and sign three minutes. I don’t know how to do tops, I just learned sign too. He gets connected with Ben.

Ranger talks to Justice. He doesn’t want to abort. Dakota says they are not detected and Ben okays continuing. We breathe a sigh of relief.

I watch Cort. “I’m not sure I’d go without Dakota’s assurance. I trust Justice’s assurances. I guess flying he can’t give them.”

Raid nods. “I watched the cockpit when Mag was in the jet. Visions fuck with that. Mag took control until Dakota came in. Justice was there but not, like his jump thing.”

I nod. “I’ve seen it. He freezes like Alder. He wasn’t flying then so it didn’t matter.”

“I can live with Dakota’s assurance.” Cort walks out.

I sit at an IT station. I can work from here. Raid laughs at me as he’s leaving. Ranger stays in Aerial. We have less than an hour for the Op. I pull Alexia’s computer up seeing no activity. She’s on the glasses. Finding and following her, I smile. She’s checking audio from towers. My girl is thorough. I pop a chat up.

‘Ben okayed for them to continue. Good job, sexy Lexi!’

The feed shows her sitting back and smiling. I smile too.

‘Thanks, I need to keep going. Nothing has shown. I deleted the original transmission. I’ll watch the Op from here if you need me.’

I send a smiling salute. Sitting back up, she goes on typing.

Jumping out, I look for the chopper. It doesn’t show anywhere but our tracking. I don’t know how no one sees