Leader: Book Three (Princes of Prophecy 3) (8 page)

Trapper stands and turns. We all watch him take Done’s arm. Done tells him about the doors and stairs. Uncle Danny is pissed. “What the fuck is our country about if we’re treating the men who fight for us like that?” He looks at me. “Whatever the wedding date, I’ll match the money if you help him.”

I laugh. “I’m already helping him. He won’t be homeless anymore.” Arms go around me. I look down and kiss Lily’s head.

“Jess just showed me a video, can you watch it?” She hands Uncle Danny her phone and we watch a man build homes out of trash he pulls out of the dump.

Uncle Danny smiles at me. “We could do this.” He hands her phone to Dakota. He and Eliza watch it. “Once the shit settles I’ll be here building for the homeless. I don’t need your wedding date. I’ll get the homeless to help me pull supplies and build for them.”

He walks away and I laugh. “You’re a good man, my Badass Prince. Everyone is getting ready to leave.” I keep her against me and we spend almost an hour saying thanks and goodbye. Pres tells me to call if I need anything. I hug him telling him I will. Jeremy brings Aubrey to me and I get a hug. She tells me to keep her Lily happy. I tell her to keep my twins happy. She promises, so I do – making Lily and Brenda laugh. I tell Brenda her house will be done in two weeks. She gives me another hug then Lily. It’s a never ending goodbye.

I’m looking for Jessie and call him in his head, he catches my eye. I bend to Lily. “I need about a half hour.”

She looks at me then Jessie and nods. “I’ll help cleanup with Jess.”

She’s cute. “Babe, Chris has it. The Prospects are already cleaning.”

“Then I’ll sit and chat with the old ladies.”

I kiss her, loving her easy, then follow Jessie into the office hallway. I open my door and he sits. Darren and Dakota come in and sit. “The back gate was open. The Nomad that was here drove out the front, but entered through the back,” Jessie says.

“Why wasn’t an alert thrown?”

Darren looks at me. “It was. With the activity from the party no one looked at it.”

What the fuck? “A party with MC old ladies and our families happens and no one thought an alert was important? Tell me the fuckin’ Brother wasn’t playing video games!”

He shakes his head no. “He isn’t a Brother. He lost his cut for watching the whores instead of the feeds.”

I stand up pushing the hair out of my face. “Aubrey was in the Club all fuckin’ day with the gate open and no alert to anyone for it. Jesus. This strikes too close to what happened with Sheila. Get something out to every fuckin’ employee to do their fuckin’ job.” We don’t need this shit now. “Did Geek get anywhere with the payment?”

Dakota shakes his head no. “It’s a dummy business with jumps all over the place.”

Fuckin’ great. “Anything else?” They have nothing.

“I’m heading out. Call if you need me.”

They nod. I’m pissed we need to deal with fuckin’ lazy assed Brothers. Walking out I see Ramsey. He’s turned toward the bar trying to make himself small. I get Lily and walk right up to him. “You going to remember her face?” He turns my way and I punch him. He falls to the floor out cold. Lily laughs, but I keep walking pulling her with me.

I pull out and head to the water. I need to calm down before I head home. Fuckin’ Brothers. Lily lays her head on my back and I’m done being pissed. Her laughing at Ramsey floats through my head. I smile and let HS know I’m heading home.

Deirdre hugs me as I walk in. “I’m so happy you’re here! Welcome to your new home away from home.”

Everyone is so damn nice. It’s been an easy transition from the MC to here. I love it!

“Thank you. I spent a full day going over the book and another at HR. I should have let Little Ben do HR. Anyway, the book is almost complete and our forms are uploaded to the flash. Jess helped so I know they’ll work.”

She laughs. “HR is crazy. I let Bull do it.”

“Smart woman. Wish I didn’t pitch the fit over medical insurance. He would have taken care of everything.”

She takes the book and flash. “Show me how this works so I can get everyone ready for the opening.”

She’s been doing the work with the help of Anita for months now. I smile. She’s going to love the hologram boards. We get through the parts of the book I finished and lunch shows up. I get a text as the Prospect is pulling food out of the bag.

Firsts: lunch from me.

:day at work.

:time you realize how important you are to me, the Brotherhood and the women that need you.

All in, always.

I cry. He’s right. It dawned on me going through the book that I’m running this place that will give women the tools they need to stay safe and keep their kids safe. It’s daunting and exciting. I wipe my eyes and smile. Deirdre must think I’m nuts. “He always knows,” is all I say. She gives me an understanding smile and we eat.

The hologram boards amaze her. Going through the forms, I see she’s very good on the computer. With Bull around I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. All the forms tie in to one database that holds all the information. Since she gets this, I show her the admin side. Where most forms use numbers this one has every bit of information for each client on one sheet. She loves it! We set up training for next week. She has all our new employees scheduled to come in for training, but we set our schedules into classes. As we’re splitting it up for us, Sheila, and Eliza, an HS guard comes in and stands at the door.

“Ma’am, I need you to secure the building using the manual override. Prez will call in when he can. Your phones will be switched to the auxiliary network.” I nod standing up.

I get a text from Brantley at the same time Deirdre does. It’s a general text telling us we are on lockdown, the satellite is offline, secure our buildings and stay inside until we get an all clear. I walk to my office and open the panel behind the door. Flipping the switch, I can hear the steel moving. When I come back Deirdre is flipping through the book. I smile; she’s going to call the intercom system and give the warning to the women. She pulls her phone and dials. There are only three clients in house, they’re all overflow from Kate and they know the MC, so this won’t be a problem.

When she’s done we get back to the schedule and the guard laughs. I look, wondering what he hears that’s funny. “Sorry. Brantley said you fit right in. Shit doesn’t faze you.”

“Tell Brantley to get his job done and stop watching me. I grew up in the MC. His flair for the obvious is showing.”

The guy laughs and relays the message. He’s quiet as we get back to work.

The feeds are running on auxiliary until they aren’t. We run the Mobile Unit without missing a beat. Dakota and Driscoll call in with a chopper heading our way and a boat off the coast.

Me: “Air One to Halo. Fly over the boat so I get visual.”

Jared: “Roger Air One.”

I look at the other boards. HS is clearing the streets on the outside of town while Driscoll’s PD is running the inner towns. His officers are methodical in clearing grids before moving to the next.

Me: “Air One to Prince. Permission to engage is standing at the first sign of a threat. Watch your surroundings and try to keep the impact away from residences.”

Dakota: “Roger Prez.” I see him turn.

“What the fuck?” Brantley says.

“Prez we have a lock on the building,” Josiah says, way too calm for my liking.

Me: “Lock on the building Eagle Eye.”

Dakota: “Roger Prez.” He doesn’t shoot the fuckin’ thing down. Josiah is still calm.

I see the chopper from Prince’s camera and hold my breath. A missile is away. Jesus! Dakota shoots it down and rises up. He turns hitting the chopper with his guns. I breathe. This is getting too fuckin’ crazy. Now they’re trying to bomb our buildings.

The chopper turns heading away from town and Dakota fires a missile at it.

Dakota: “Prince clear.” Everyone claps and I give them a look. “We have a fuckin’ town still under attack.” They get back to work and I look for Jared. “Josiah get me the Connecticut reservation.” I hand him my phone.

“No signal Prez.” He pulls a box and hits the keys on a different phone. “It’s your backup.”

I smile and take the phone watching Halo’s camera. He’s still over land. “Bear this is Little Ben. Are you holding up okay there?”

He’s got Eagle Feather in an air fight. Fuck. “It’s twenty minutes by chopper. Do you need support?” I hear a cheer in the background and laugh at his ‘not anymore.’ “Let me know if you need anything.” I hand the phone to Josiah and see Halo hit the coast. Dakota is heading that way. He must see something I don’t. I scan the other boards. Everyone is handling their teams without problems.

Me: “Prince I need status. Halo stay high, but pan the deck.”

Jared: “Roger Prez.”

Dakota: “Prince assisting Halo with a lock.”

I look at the screen. Josiah laughs. “Give it two minutes.” Fuck. I smile. Jeremy comes in and sits in front of Brantley running the computer beside his control. Shit.

Brantley: “Ops One, Team One I’m switching you to the alternate network. In three, two, one. I need check in Team One.”

Jared: “Halo to Air One. I have a lock!”

Dakota: “Prince requesting permission to engage.” I see he’s got the boat in his sights.

Me: “Permission to engage Prince and Halo.” The words just come out of my mouth and he’s shooting.

Dakota: “Halo you’re clear. Follow me firing Halo.” I hear him order to fire at everything on the deck. He flies over and comes back with Jared following, firing at everything.

I scan the boards. Darren is switching to the personal network with Eliza and Sheila. I look for Chevy, he’s on with the PD dispatch. Nice. Everyone is taking the switch in stride. Dakota is guiding Jared, still hitting the boat, I turn to my boards as he calls for cease fire.

Dakota: “Air One, Prince and Halo clear. There is no life onboard.”

I look at the boat from Jared’s view. Fuck, they cleared the whole deck.

Me: “Roger Eagle Eye. Give me a flyover of the area. I want confirmation the boat was alone. Halo, pan the coast.”

I get rogers and scan everyone’s boards. A truck is tagged visitor heading toward the center of town. “Josiah get the truck in grid four to Driscoll.”

“Done Prez,” he says pointing to Chevy’s board.

Dakota: “Prince to Air One. There will be no more threats by water.”

Me: “Roger, Eagle Eye. Halo, pan grids forty-four to thirty. Prince run twenty-nine to twelve.” I get my rogers and scan. Bull’s got Cleanup running. They have two breathers heading to holding. A crew is picking up chopper pieces. I’ll have to ask Dakota what to do with them. We’ve never had a chopper crash before. “I think we should hold the chopper at a different place.”

Jeremy moves to Josiah’s console. He starts typing at the second keyboard. “Tracking.” I look at the tracking program. It’s a little primitive and I know right away he’s got their program.

“Get an IP address to Geek,” I tell him.

He gives me a look. “Tracking off everyone.”

He sent it to Geek already. I look at what he’s talking about. Their tracking shows where the bodies and live pussies are. Fuck. “Brantley get the town jammed until we have all tracking from the pussies. Bull pull all tracking from every pussy. Get it off them before they hit holding. Don’t move anyone to our buildings until you have an all clear from VP. Darren pull this up and clear Cleanup to move the pussies.”

I get rogers back and look at the chopper. Something isn’t sitting right with this. “Josiah get Cleanup away from the chopper for right now.” I’m running places to take it through my head when Josiah points to his screen. The fuckin’ chopper blows up. Jesus. “Tell me Cleanup is clear.” I look at Bull’s boards and scan mine.

“They’re clear, Prez. Good call,” Bull says smiling.

Fuck. I could have lost a crew. I put my hands on my knees and breathe. Holy fuck that was close. I shake my head and stand straight. I watch my air views and scan Darren and Bull’s boards. Most of the tracking is at one grid just outside of our town. Jeremy is still on the keyboard.

“Teams One and Two clear Prez,” Brantley says.

“Move Security and a PD team into place, Brother.” He rogers me and starts talking to Chevy.

“Teams Three and Four are clear, Prez. Tracking is clear on all but one that’s waiting to go into holding. His tracking is under his skin,” Darren says.

“Pull it out and get him to holding.” He talks to Bull and I look back at the air views. All of our feeds are up, but I haven’t gotten a clear from PD so I’m scanning the town feeds. I see two PD trucks and a bike two streets away from us.

Me: “Halo, show air support for the PD in southeast grid thirty-one.” I get my roger and watch him move. The PD looks up and I see teenagers in front of them. There’s three cops here to deal with eight teenagers? I look closer and see the gang colors. Not fuckin’ likely.

“HS Teams One, Two, Three and Four to the southeast corner of grid thirty-one. Surround the PD and stand ready.”

Brantley and Darren look at me surprised, telling their teams to move while they look at the board. “Fuckin’ gang?” Darren asks looking at me. I nod. It certainly looks that way. I scan the boards.

Me: “Air One to Prince. You’re clear to return to the hangar.” I get roger’d and watch Jared. He lowers and has his gunners standing ready turning the chopper so both are seen. I see the crew and smile. “Where the fuck did they get machine guns?”

Josiah laughs. “They’re onboard just in case.”

HS teams start pulling in and stand with their guns pointed down. The kids don’t look so cocky now. Eliza and Jessie show with their teams filling the circle. A woman walks right through them and starts hitting her kid – at least I hope it’s her kid. She’s yelling, but I have no clue what she’s saying. She rips the bandana off the kid and throws it on the ground pulling him by his ear away from the PD and Brothers. More people show, throwing rocks at the kids. The PD moves out and Eliza steps with them. “Flip her on,” I tell Josiah.

“Throwing rocks at them would be a call for retaliation. You want to keep the gangs out? Tell us so we can help. Educate your kids, report the escalating behavior. Throwing rocks at them will have them giving it back to you. There’s a Boys’ and Girls’ Club for them to hang out at. Get them something to do so this is not their answer to boredom.”

“It’s too expensive!” A man yells.

Sheila steps up and Josiah flips her on. “That’s bullshit. The Club has scholarships to cover anyone. You want them off the street, get off your fuckin’ phones and talk to them, give them something to do. You’re yelling and making a video right now. What’s more important, your Facebook status or your fuckin’ kids?” Everyone is quiet for a minute then they start pulling their kids away. One is left standing with the PD.

Taylor walks to the kid. “You want something to do, you come find me. I train the PD and Brothers. It’s a fuck of a lot better than going to juvie for stupid shit.”

The kid looks at him and I think he’s lost when he nods. “Where?”

Taylor smiles. “Told you to find me, use your head, if you can’t, you aren’t worth my time. You show I’ll give you a job.”

The kid looks surprised. “I’m only fifteen.”

“Do I look like a fuckin’ caseworker?” He turns around and walks to his bike. “I’m on tomorrow at nine,” he says before he starts it up. His Team follows him out. The kid just watches then smiles. Nice.

“Fuckin’ Blackhawks,” Josiah says.

“He was in care before Cloud and CJ adopted him,” I say so only he can hear.

Me: “Air One to Halo. You’re clear to the hangar.” I get roger’d and hand my headset to Josiah. I flip my earbud on and turn the mic off. “Make sure they’re clear before you turn it off.”

“Roger Prez. Good call with the chopper.” He throws me chin and turns to his console pulling the hangar to his monitor.

I stand back and watch the Cleanup and Security Teams. HS is pulling in. Jeremy stands beside me. “Thanks Jeremy. This seemed too easy. Are we done?”

He smiles. “Yes. Tracking was off.”

I nod. This is good. Tracking would have pin pointed too many of our low profile locations. Darren hands his headset over and steps back with us. “What do we do with chopper pieces?”

“I was thinking about that when it blew. Maybe we can salvage pieces for the homeless houses.”

Jeremy cracks up. “Yeah. Fast. FAA.”

Fuck. “Bull get the chopper pieces moved. I need the area scoured and wiped clean.”

“Roger Prez.” He looks at his board then back to me like I’m crazy. “Do we take it to the dump?”

I smile. “Town three’s dump will work. Keep it separate for right now.”

He’s thinking I’m nuts, but throws chin. Jeremy cracks up again. I look at him. “Thanks Little Brother. I need to call Co and Pres.”

He nods. “They’re good.”

I nod and walk to the hallway. I get the update from Bear. Aiyana and Co are leaving tomorrow. Christian is there and Cloud will transport them when he picks up Christian. I swipe him off and pace. Christian has been on the reservation a lot. I wonder if he feels more comfortable with them now that he’s older. There are less people than the towns for him to deal with. I put it on a list for Dakota and call Pres. They’re clear. They had a chopper go down close to the bluff. It blew in the water. He’s trying to get a boat out to pull it up before anyone gets wind of it. With an order to be at the Security meeting tomorrow I swipe him off wondering if he realizes he’s still ordering me around. Since it’s a meeting we need, I’ll show, but I need to bring it up so this stops before it’s a problem.

HS and Ops leads are moving to the meeting room. I pull up the boards and scan for injuries then the Cleanup board for body counts. I flip my mic on. “Josiah I need transport to the MC tomorrow at nine. Clear my schedule and Dakota’s.”

I get a roger and pace. We had a reader trying to gauge our strength. An attack testing our ability to keep running and tries for our women. We have an unknown puppet master, Outlaws, readers, MC turned and Chin. So far we’ve kept ahead of the pussies. I hope Geek finds us a location so we can attack and not defend. This can only last so long before we end up hurt.

When Driscoll comes in I follow him into the meeting room. I tell them what was lost, commend their teams and ask how things ran for them. They tell me it was easy. “I think being prepared is what made it look and feel easy. This is the first time choppers were locked on the building we were in, the first time with air and water threats. I believe the next strike will be worse and we’ll have to work harder at keeping each other safe.”

Darren’s wondering about the satellite. ‘At the patio,’ I tell him in his head. I think he’s right; we need it running yesterday. I have no questions from anyone and tell Brantley to text the all clear for the women and support staff. I close the meeting telling them I’ll see them at the Club in half an hour.

Dakota sits back down and Jeremy comes in. Jessie and Darren stay. “Prez we will get hit again soon. It will be worse and we have people that get hurt. Geek is getting close but not fast enough.” He stops and I wait. Dakota won’t say anymore if he thinks the outcome will change for the worst.

I look at Jeremy. He won’t look at me. Fuck. “If I get Jason and Mitch working with Geek will it help?”

Jeremy looks up. “And VP.”

Dakota doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t look so stressed. “I have a meeting tomorrow up at MC. I’ll get them on it while I’m there. Brantley, get Jason cleared for three days and have him on the chopper with me.”

“On it Prez.” He’s typing on his tablet.

I look around. “Is there anything else I need?”