Ford's Rise - L. Ann Marie Page 0,84

Stella and Sheila are at the edge of the main room in a corner.

“Where the fuck are Raid and the Security teams?” Cort isn’t happy and I can’t help that.

“Tell Sheila to freeze before they draw sniper fire!” I whisper. Cort repeats it and I see the women freeze.

Akai sends he’s on. I’m typing before he finishes on. “Snipers, northwest and southwest hobby area. Need them out so Sheila can get Stella and Alexia to Ops room. Tats, Nova covering Ops room.”

More shots have me looking. These are in the tunnel. The front lights up and I’m holding my breath. Raid is out there or his truck is. I don’t see him. “Alta, sensors in front. Look for Raid and get Amal on with him. We need to let them know where the threats are.”

“Ranger is in, he’s got Security moving from the bunk room. The Alpha-Bits are all in the safe room.”

I nod, breathing deep for what feels like the first time today. “Seth, get them eyes where we have them.”

He jumps to a console and types to Ranger. I’m glad I’m not fighting him.

“Raid in, Web!” Alta found Raid.

Shots by my room has me looking away from Alta. I bet that’s why Stella moved Alexia. How the fuck are they in the house?

~*~*~

Alexia

I’m supposed to be in the safe room. Bottom bunk, hand on the picture and roll through. We saw the man with a gun and Stella turned us away from the Alpha-Bit bunk rooms. I know it’s right so they stay safe, but Web said to go to the safe room. Alder said that’s safety procedure. Sheila got us and said we go to Ops. The Alpha-Bits are almost all in the safe room she said. Kyler is guarding it so they make it. I’m glad she has new orders.

“Don’t move,” Sheila whispers. I stop everything from moving and breathe slow.

Stella signs, ‘Two snipers between seven and eleven up in the hobby area.’

I nod and push her hands down. I’m already scared. Moving when Sheila said not to, could get us killed. Sheila moves signing for us to stay. I stay and watch her crawl to a balloon in the middle of the big room. She rolls toward the next coming back our way while the first balloon goes up. She’s crazy. Stella nods and pulls me into the balloon basket closest to us. Sheila said stay.

We sit and I sign. ‘Sheila said stay.’

‘Cort’s on my glasses. My mom will draw their fire. We go up and I’ll shoot southwest. She’ll get northwest.’

I shake my head. ‘You’re both crazy. They’re snipers.’

She’s mad. I shrink back and watch her hands. ‘Three guards found dead. Three teams are not accounted for. Kill or be killed. This is not the day I’m dying. I’m still a fuckin’ virgin.’

Three guards died. Oh my God. Three men died. The Alpha-Bits must be so scared. I nod and pull my gun out. She smiles. ‘Good job. We are not dying today, Alexia. You don’t need to do anything but stay low. I’ll take the shot. They won’t keep wasting bullets on empty balloons.’

I nod thinking that sounds good. The balloon takes forever to go up. It seemed faster yesterday. The shots still flying say she’s wrong and they’re wasting bullets. “Now!” Sheila yells. I stand when Stella does and shoot northwest.

“Down!” Sheila yells again.

I sit fast feeling the balloon lower. ‘You were supposed to stay low.’ Stella is mad again.

I nod. ‘She said now.’ “I shot the sniper.”

She shakes her head putting her fingers to her lips. ‘You’re a fuckin’ nut. More are inside. We saw two on the way to Ops.’

I just look at her trying to see the second man. I only saw one on the way to Ops. I was afraid because Web said to go to the safe room and she didn’t tell me before putting her hand on my mouth. I almost screamed then saw the man with a gun. He was dressed like the military, not Security. Stella was keeping me safe. I nod and follow her out of the basket and back to the corner Sheila put us in. I want to go to Ops. The hall is right across from us.

Three fast shots in the hall have me sitting and covering my head. One more shot and Stella is pulling me up. I try to stay calm and quiet, but I make a noise seeing the Ops hall. We’re going to Ops. Sheila said