Chapter Nine

Building the teams happened faster than we thought. We had good Brothers to choose from, so it went to Brothers that saw us as long-term. Stan went with Brothers that were honored to be here but also had a laundry list of their performances in our training. He likes when they're quick to pick up new and run with it.

We have two full teams for Cort to send wherever. I think they'll be going up to Ben but didn't ask. The Flight Guard trainer told us today he's taking the job with International Rescue. Stan didn't bat an eye. I told him we're honored for him to step into a job he's needed in. The smile he gave showed he was nervous. Stan jumped in with help for the training up there and the Brother asked for everything including Stan's notes. He's going to be fine.

Entering the last trainee to Anchor's team,I close the file and log off. I've got simulator next. Walking out, I see Midas standing against the wall.

"Hey, Brother, where's Firefly?"

He shows me Barry.

"Did you scare…"

The door to Pres' office opens and my girl comes out with a happy smile on her face. "Was Barry afraid of Midas?"

"I think he might be. Barry took a job through Zion but he can work from anywhere. He's excited."

"That's great. Is he staying here?"

That stops her a few feet before she's up to me. "You know, I didn't ask. I'll ask when he comes out."

Something slams against Pres' door. I run and have it open, then duck. Looking behind me, I see the tablet hit the wall.

"Stan?"

He's bent over holding his knees on the other side of his desk. He shakes his head.

"Give us a minute." Barry tries to close the door.

My hand stops that. "Pres?"

He breathes deep and stands straight but I see and feel he's controlling anger with pain rolling off him. "Stay."

Barry isn't happy with that but I step in and close the door. I've never seen him pissed like this so I nod."What do you need?"

"To get what he said out of my fuckin' head." He glares at Barry.

"You need it. She shouldn't be on a base of men."

I want to hit him.

Mucimi shows with tears in his eyes. "She belongs here. Woman doesn't mean weak. She's not weak."

"PTSD…"

"She doesn't have PTSD. Fear holds her. She learned not to move or make a sound so she turns in frozen in fear. She made it through seven years without the help she has now."

Seeing Mucimi's tears has me on edge.

"It's not PTSD?" Barry asks.

"No, she shuts down in fear. Army didn't bring it out of her. Keylan already made it better. He saw and only thought of her. The proof is gone and the bandages come off today. Don't cause shit where it's not needed."

"She's listed as PTSD." Barry needs to shut the fuck up.

"She's not," Mucimi growls out. I've never seen that.

I look at Pres. "What do you need, Stan?"

"Him out of my office. I've seen the work he's done but he should stick to male patients."

"Aylen has him there." Mucimi apparently agrees.

Opening the door, I look not seeing Midas or Firefly and pull Barry out. "Don't talk to her until I know what the fuck is going on."

He nods and walks toward the stairs.

I go back in and close the door, surprised to see Mucimi holding Pres' arm.

"Tell me this isn't causing more shit for her."

"She's with Alder getting the bandages off. This isn't touching her." Mucimi has me breathing easier.

"Thank you for showing and stopping that."

He nods then is gone.

Stan shakes his head as if he's clearing cobwebs.

"What can I do for you, Stan?"

"I need a time to talk to Wolf after work."

I send a chat. He took my simulator so I take his. "He said an hour."

"Perfect. Mucimi said you don't want details unless Firefly needs to give them to you. Then he said she doesn't need to give them to you. She may but it isn't now."

I nod.

"You're okay with that?" He's not quite believing it.

"Yeah. If she needs to get rid of it I'll take it. Whatever she needs is what I'll do. Stan, I don't need it to love her and have no problem not getting it."

He shakes his head then sits with his head in his hands. "I walked in on a Brother as he backhanded Flame. She hit the brick on the fireplace. He was going to rape her. I shot him and took her to the hospital without looking back. She wasn't worried about his try. Her biggest concern was Raiden worrying. I moved to Kentucky to find even worse conditions for my family. They were pissed when I called in Badass. I think they had trafficking backdoored."

He looks up but my hands are on my knees. "You don't need the details, Keylan." His head is back in his hands. "What your imagination comes up with will haunt you. I heard two conversations but saw one girl. It haunts me and I don't know if she was trafficked. It was a feeling the second her eyes met mine. I opened the door for her to walk out to a Club day, it's like family day here. She ran into the crowd and I walked away to death threats. I got to my family and told Flame we were moving."

"They knew. Badass blew up the Club because they knew?"

"Ben told me he sent someone back as Nomad and I was right. I didn't ask but know he meant trafficking. It wasn't a week after that and they were gone. It was the week we moved here."

"Jesus, Stan."

"Yeah. I've never said it out loud. Here feels safe. My ol' lady and boy are safe. It's taken a month to get here. I see the blood on Flame's head, even now it haunts me." He shakes his head. "The girl's eyes took up residence in my head and I know I'll see them for the rest of my life too. I also know that here, my family is safe."

"You are, you all are. I'm your shield, Stan. Anything that would hurt you is my purpose. Your family is safe here. The sensors and alerts go to surveillance at the ABSZ. We'll keep them safe. Locke and Oliver get it but so does Nike."

He looks up with what has to be the pain of his memories haunting his eyes. "We get those alerts. You covered more."

"I'm your shield. It's the job I took, Stan. If I'm on a job, I made sure I had backup."

He nods. "Thank you. I didn't expect you. I didn't expect to trust anyone ever again. With you, I got your team and I trust them too."

"We're honored to be on that short list, but Stan, here you have all BSC behind you. With me is your Officers and every Club Officer in Rising Clubs. None of us are alone."

He shakes his head. "I think I got that today. After years, I feel that Badass again. Go see Firefly. I need to settle down before I repeat this to Wolf." He's moving forward.

I'm proud of him and smile. "Roger, Boss."

I walk out and hope what I heard was a laugh. His quiet was fear too but his was for his wife and son. No Brothers at his back had to be hard. Not trusting anyone goes against what I remember of him years ago. I was sixteen and he watched me connecting pipes then left me to it. He trusted me. I was on the construction crew before I was an Enforcer but he never asked. He trusted me.

I smile. He still trusts me. I look for my girl on tracking and knock on her door. "Come in."

I open the door to a beaming smile. "Did you see LP?"

"No."

Her smile falls. "He just left."

I walk to her giving her a smile of my own and kiss her lips. "He's fast. The As perfected the messenger run."

She giggles. "Mucimi was here but you'd only see him if he wants you too."

"Very true."

"Look." She unbuttons her polo and moves the shirt to the side showing me a perfect white egg-shaped patch of skin. "LP said I'm fully healed. I just need to put the cream on it and drink more water for a couple of weeks. No sun on it but I can take a bath and swim. We have the cover over the pool so I'm good." She buttons her polo with her big smile and shining eyes. Baths and swimming are big, I guess.

"No, you're perfect. I have to get to work but wanted to see that happy smile and those dancing fireflies."

She pushes me. "Go. I want to go swimming later."

"Anything, baby."

Jogging out, I get to the Training Center, relieved everything is moving well. Lopez is doing a good job.

"You good, Brother?"

"Yeah, but I'm glad I'm done with the room in ten. It's boring as hell. The trainees all want to be here."

I smile. "That's why you get two blocks. Anymore and you're wanting to slit your wrists."

He laughs. "Maybe not that melodramatic but I'm glad I get to run a training. I can't say I've ever enjoyed a job while not on a job but I like training more than I expected."

"You fell into the right job then. I did too, so Mann will take over for you."

He laughs. I shrug. "I'm at the simulator so I'm not babysitting the trainees."

Nike comes running my way. "Hey, he finally came to me and you show up. Go back to the office, Commander." Racks has me laughing.

I shake my head. "I got a job to do."

"VP!" I turn seeing Locke followed by Ari. "I swim to you mom, Boss Firefly later."

"Sounds like a good time."

"Boss Wolf say one hour. You to Pres. I come now."

"Thanks, Brother. I was needed so I switched with Wolf."

He bobs his head fast.

"Can you get Mann on the room and pull Kemper to run K-9?"

"I on it, VP."

Lopez laughs.

"Nike, get Kemper on your lines. We need him comfortable with the team. I have a simulator open or you can take him to their compound."

He hits his board. The K-9 compound shows.

"Go for it. Midas and Firefly are in training with Bowser for the lines there too."

He runs.

I see Pres and head over to the simulator. "Brother, thanks for taking my slot."

Wolf turns. "No problem, VP. You got Reserve 2."

I nod and hit his shoulder. He meets up with Pres and they walk out. Scanning, I see my core team all take note. They won't question why I ask for the shield.

"VP! I dummy?"

Ari almost trips laughing.

I bend. "I've never heard of an Alpha-Bit called a dummy, Brother."

He rolls his eyes at me. "Simulator."

I laugh. "You can be a civilian or victim. You need gear. Nike just left."

"I can take him, VP. There's an Alpha-Bit bathroom here he can change at."

I nod, thinking. It's a full bathroom with a small toilet and sink base. "When this is over, get a build crew to put lockers and a shower in for you."

He runs. "Roger, VP!"

The trainees are all smiling. I shrug. "He wants to help. Telling you not to miss won't mean as much as me saying, if you hit him, the Brother with him will shoot you."

"Roger, VP." They sound enthusiastic.

I laugh. "Let's go. First two." They follow me in. I send them through an Op with two shooters aiming for them. We have about thirty shooting scenarios to choose from.

I walk out and watch the board. They're sailing through it.

"I ready, VP."

Turning, I laugh. He's got a helmet and gloves on. "You certainly are, Brother." My eyes bounce to Ari.

He shrugs. "The laser won't hurt him covered. If it hits skin, he's down."

"Good job. They know you'll shoot if he gets hit."

"I will even if he's covered."

I nod. "Knew that."

"Locke, you're in the next."

"I pick?"

"Two shooters, one kid. Let them see how that looks, then we can add more so Ari can play."

Ari laughs. "I'm going to like this."

A trainee bends and puts his fist out to Locke. "You're going to make this fun, Brother. If my partner shoots you, I'll shoot him."

"You shoot first, I no get shot."

I laugh. "You're up, Locke. Ari, place him where he's got to be hunted for. Locke, don't move from the area Ari points out for you."

I get rogers and Locke runs in while Ari stands at the door and checks his gun. He smiles at me. "Bullets won't go through the suit but hurt like a bastard, flopping for four minutes is humiliating, the choices, the choices." He walks in leaving the trainees speechless and looking at each other.

No one is hitting Locke and I think the possibility of getting hit makes this closer to reality.

"Eyes on me!" I love when they follow orders as a team. "Seeing where Ari puts him will defeat the purpose. While they get set, you keep your back turned."

The Lead, Carl, laughs. "This is the best simulator yet, VP."

I smile. "I just thought that. Second team in. They're set. You can watch R2."

They turn so we all can see how this plays out. At five feet in, the trainees are ducking shots. At least Ari is using laser. The trainee's play is right using a truck and doorway to make it in further. They split but stay where they can see each other and fight for ground from simulated perps. We see Ari behind a haze of perp picture and Locke with hands tied swipe through the perp when he lifts his gun. The little Brother is a fighter. It's cute. Ari drops down behind a car but we see Locke still making swipes and kicks at his fake abductor. The trainees out here laugh. I watch the two in, systematically drop the first shooter and gain ground quick enough to hit the second and claim Locke.

A cheer goes up and Ari stands taking Locke from the trainee.

"I hope they stay for more," Carl says looking at the board. "Five and six, you're next."He's decided he's got this, I guess. It will be like running the room by tomorrow.

The trainees come out smiling. "Good job, Trainees. I like the way you waited to take one then the other while gaining ground." I have a but, but a trainee stops it.

"With no civilians it worked. Add civilians and we'd have no choice but to shoot first."

"You're right. That was my but so I won't repeat it."

Carl hits their backs'. This is going to be a good team.

"Eyes away." While they turn, I go to the door. Locke, you in for more?"

"One hour, VP." The Brother is cute.

"Add civilians and change it up, Brothers."

Claiming a seat in the meeting room I wait for Stan to come in. He's alone, smiling and no anxiety around him is not at all what I expected.

"Two things before I call the Brothers in."

I nod. "First is you'd make a great President but you're a better VP. I need you right where you are to remind me of all those Badass beliefs that got lost along the way. Wolf explained how not having a say and working to keep Badass alive was more for me than the Clubs I was in. They changed and I had no control. Landing here, I started to believe again. Talking to the Brothers at dinner about a future that's Badass, mine to shape and completely attainable, made it more real in my mind. Today, it felt like Barry was ripping that newfound hope to fuckin' hell. I went back to memories I don't need to keep living. You don't need what you couldn't control and just believe what I struggle with. Keep me on that path. This is ours to make or break, we have a say and I'm all in for making it work. I don't need money, a bigger house or better anything. I need my family safe, real Brothers close and my job to mean something and I need that with Badass guiding me. Greed won't ever change me, Brother. If you see it does, shoot me."

I laugh. "Roger, Stan."

His smile looks free and confident. I love it.

"Second, the reserve teams have Leads that are ready to run their training. We need to let them, but keep an eye on it. We can drop back to only the room Lead to monitor. I don't think it will work with new trainees, but these are experienced Brothers. If we man the build, planning and K-9 stations, we have too many on the floor."

I nod. "Take the Club teams out one a day. They need training and bonding together as a team. We got mountains surrounding us. They can hike, climb or tour the Clubs that built different, the little homeless houses, the ABSZ to see the power plant with all their sun, wind and water shit feeding into it."

"I like it and it will give more ideas for work they haven't seen. The room?"

"It fuckin' sucks. Now the simulators are even being monitored by the Reserve Leads. It's like watching paint dry. Today Locke was in and made it fun but I stood for a fuckin' hour with not much to add since Carl was giving feedback."

"I'm glad you stepped back. Let's run it by what we're seeing and bump up the schedule accordingly."

"I'm there. The schedule is holding these Brothers back."

"I'll let the Brothers in and give them a say but know I want to push them for more without constant training on what they already mastered." He walks toward the door.

"Got it, Brother. I'm behind you."

He stops and gives me a smile. "I appreciate the hell out of you for it too."

I laugh while he opens the door.