Ford's Rise - L. Ann Marie Page 0,86
shaking anymore.”
She points and I smile. Alder has the safe room up. The Alpha-Bits have a movie on and are eating popcorn. Garren and Michael are holding the little Bs. “They’re all safe.”
I point to the wall on the side. “Head count matches. Cage was on the count, I’m so glad he was here, he wouldn’t leave anyone behind.”
She hugs me tight. “Everyone is safe. The Security in the tunnel wasn't Security?”
“That one wasn’t. I don’t know about the rest.” I don’t know where the tunnel Security went but I’m not saying it.
I hear Cort say he’s on his way and see Ben is in Ops. Cort isn’t there. My head turns toward Alder. He shrugs. “He need see us safe.”
“He does, Brother.”
“Commander Graywolf.” Alexia points. Brekan is coming through the tunnel in the kitchen with Brothers in gear behind him. Another Flight Crew comes in from the back. I watch as Brothers flood the house. They’re checking everything. I love my fucking Brothers.
~*~*~
Stella and Alexia sleep in the safe room with the Alpha-Bits while we run through information and Brothers recheck the house.
Two tunnel Security were found tased and restrained against trees. The third is dead. The two against trees uniforms were on two dicks. That was a total of eighteen that came in. Two taken out by their own. My head won’t let that go. Why take out the two?
Ben gets my attention. “Saber has two ID’d as ex-FBI from the Army.”
I look at Cort. Ex-FBI Army? “The contracts or CIA that isn’t CIA anymore from the kid files?”
Ben turns toward Ranger in the Op room. “I have shit going on. I’ll find out what I can, Brother. I’m out.”
Cort shakes his head. “I don’t know, Brother. He just said ex-army. They’re all dressed military. Guns are military issue weapons. This can’t be a military Op with ex FBI. Ben has Brantley running faces. He has the one from Madrid. Is he a guard experimented on or an agent that works one of their hidden fucked-up Op programs?”
Good questions. “I’ll add it to the boards.”
Cort clicks then holds his mic and sits. “Brantley is worried about keeping up. Am I adding to IT for him and who do I add to watch that, Brother? Jordan?”
I shake my head no. “Brantley isn’t a hacker like Jason, even Billy has fucking crazy skills. Brantley is more like Jordan, he runs and spots information fast and remembers everything so he can pinpoint discrepancies. He can move and organize people and information, so it’s gathered fast and makes sense without a tech spending days organizing it. He’s not used to the Alpha-Bits and their ability to process what they’re seeing so fast. He’s me, probably with better organizing skills.”
“And not a hacker.”
I shake my head. “He’s better than most hackers we’ve come across. He’s just not Mitch, Geek, or the Alpha-Bit level. Before you ask, they’re better than me. I’d say they’re the best in the US and Europe. I’d rank Alexia as a higher-level hacker like them because of her government know-how.”
“Fuck, Brother. Ben said Brantley put you at Mitch and Kevin’s level. Now we have Alexia mixed in there.” Fuck, Mitch and Kevin?
This is what Brantley said. People throwing compliments throws IT Brothers. Shaking that off I nod. “Not knowing if she’s being hunted for the Director Price connection, I’d say it could be that know-how that puts a bigger target on her.”
“You know what that means?”
I nod. “She holds the same threat the Alpha-Bits and I do. The government, other governments, or just fucked up ex CIA doctor Op people will all like a piece of us to study or exploit.”
His head turns. “You’ve known the threat all along, Brother?”
I sit back. “Yeah, Boss. I can’t change what other people think up. They’re fucking crazy with this shit. All I can do is give you what you need to keep us safe. I’m trying, Boss. They keep thinking of more imaginatively fucked-up ways to get in. We had the house on different zones for a reason, they almost got past all that. We’ll do better. I’ll talk to Alder abou...”
“Shut up, Web. You’ve been keeping us safe for years. When dicks bring shit, you go better and bigger. I ordered choppers and you made a simulator and new IT business. I didn’t know you got the threat. You never said, Web.”
I didn’t. “It’s not like you didn’t know the threat. You see more than me. I’m just trying to