Ford's Rise - L. Ann Marie Page 0,62
Alpha-Bits will be excited when they get the new Alpha-Bits home tomorrow.”
He climbs on the chair and raises it up. “Excited now. Alder send chat. Bs Brody, Brann brothers. Cs no Brother here know. Ds no one know.”
“The three Bs in Budapest had been there for years. I did surveillance for them. There were four, one died a year earlier, one the night they were rescued.”
He nods with his eyes full of tears. I move to the seat on the side of him and hold his hand. “Lab no talk. Same brothers every day no talk. Same to us. Ours. New no bond to ours. Older know. See longer.”
“I can see that. Now they’ll have so many brothers and learn to talk like the Sweden and Finland Alpha-Bits.”
He shakes his head no. “From monastery. Talk monastery and new home. New on island talk little. Boss Carmen help. This new office no lab. Alder say no talk. We teach.”
That’s sad. No wonder the Scandinavian Alpha-Bits are already in training up here. The island kids are quiet when we’re around. Budgie reminds me of Anton, he’s quiet but a little whirlwind. “I’ll help too, Anton. We’ll get them talking.”
He nods and drops his chair down. “I work surveillance. Later, Boss.” He runs making me laugh. Definitely a whirlwind. I’m proud of all the descriptive words I’m using even in thought. I’ll never be Web. I don’t mind being me.
“Who were you laughing at?”
After jumping and turning, I hold my heart. “Anton. He’s a whirlwind. I thought it and thought using descriptive words is good. I didn’t have many before.”
Stella nods and sits. “Has that been a problem?”
Web doesn’t think so. “I don’t think so. Web loves all of me. Even the parts that aren’t so pretty.”
She looks mad. “What’s not so pretty?”
She’s protecting me. I don’t smile because she’s mad. “My reactions being weird or matter of fact. I read the site Web had about Asperger’s. It’s not exactly autism but it’s in the category now. Knowing Web will protect me when I get scared and shut down or talk monotone giving information is a good thing. I know he loves me even then. He’s shown it and only thinks about what I need so he can do that. I’m not so easily scared knowing he understands and he’ll help when I need him. Not being alone is a very freeing concept.”
She smiles. “It is. You’ll never be alone again with the fuckin’ crazy Brothers. Jordan and Brinks are somewhere close. We’re staying at the Protector compound tonight. They’re driving me crazy.”
“They’re not Protectors.” Oooh, I shouldn’t have said that.
“That’s what I said! They aren’t staying in my room. The fuckin’ Brothers need to get on the ball and do something more than kiss me. I’m going to be a virgin for fuckin’ ever.”
I smile but don’t laugh. “You’re twenty. A sniper in the unit is twenty-six. She said the same thing to Souza. Souza isn’t a virgin.”
She laughs. “I must be doing something wrong. They haven’t made the first move. It’s fuckin’ weird. They’re bikers.”
I nod. “Télia said I already loved Web and needed to tell him I was interested. He still waited days before he touched me. Maybe they need time to be convinced you won’t change your mind. I don’t know how men think. I have enough trouble trying to do the feeling things my head comes up with.”
She nods. “Me too. I can’t think straight with feeling shit. My mom is coming down, she gets all that. I should ask her. Maybe I’ll talk to Télia too.”
“I had to talk to Télia then the women. They’re harder to get straight in my head. Télia is easy. She thinks like me more than the other women.”
She nods and I know she’ll talk to Télia. “I’m here for IT. Web said I have an office near yours. He put Jordan on your compound at Ops. I threatened to castrate him if I was sharing an office with Jordan.” She looks very serious.
“You can’t breathe right or think when he’s close either?”
Her head turns. “Yeah. I breathe, but my heart beats like it’s going to jump right out of my skin. I’m always thinking I should say something or I’m wondering if he will. It’s crazy. You can’t work like that.”
I nod and walk out. “I’m the same. Even now and we’re already biker-married. I stay in my office when he’s close. He’ll bring me to the storage closet if he