by L. Ann Marie
Jake: "Blackhawk this fuckin chopper makes you look good." The fuckin team laughs.
"Made you look good too MD." Everyone laughs.
"Fuck off Brother I am good." He's smiling. The guys start talking in the back.
I laugh, "I don't need to comment then."
Jake moves closer he's between me and Brody set a step back. "That was fuckin crazy Cloud. You hit fuckin everything. You’re like Danny on his bike. Nice fuckin job! You don't know Brody. He's another satellite from ten. His thing is computers, logic and explosives. Brody, Cloud is sharpshooter, logic and hand to hand. Steve is fuckin stealth and planning, he's deadeye with anything you put in his fuckin hand."
"Glad to have them Jake. Glad to have all of you. My family is safe because of a little boy’s vision. I don't even know the kid but I'm buying him the fuckin world when we meet." Brody says making us laugh.
"He already has the world Brody. Cloud is his father. None of these kids live for material things; their thing is love and living in peace." Jake tells him surprising the hell out of me.
"My boys like that too. I'm grateful for your son Cloud. May his story be long with the spirits guiding his way."
I throw him chin. "When the dust settles we can meet the families. The Pow wow is on my land this year. You are welcome to stay beside the house. I stay close to it too."
"You’re not sleeping in your house?" Jake asks.
Brody answers. "It is a Pow wow. It's like bringing an RV to Boy Scout camp."
“Can I sleep at your house I never been to a Pow wow?”
I laugh. We see bikes traveling down the interstate. “I got a ranch house you can stay at. I think Pres is at mine.”
Me: “Watcher I have a visual of thirty or so bikes traveling south on I95.”
Ben: “Affirmative Blackhawk. LP2 has Brothers and the Connecticut chapter meeting at the reservation West side gate. I’m just getting maps but it looks like they’re coming through the trees.”
Me: “Negative Watcher. They won’t make it. Have One call Eagle Feather at the hangar. He can get to the control room and hook into surveillance from the roads in. There’s surveillance on the towers, most of the reservation is covered. Patch him through to me I’ll get the maps emailed to you.”
Ben: “Roger Blackhawk. One says full of fuckin surprises.” I smile.
“You put up surveillance at the reservation?” Jake says like I’m fuckin crazy.
“Don’t say it like I’m crazy, we’ll be using it in less than fifteen minutes. It’s a good fuckin thing I did. You’ll be thanking me for the bikes and arsenal I have too.” I tell him shutting him up.
“I can see we are shaped by the same warrior ancestors. We will make a lasting alliance.” Brody says stepping into anglo/indian english.
“May we ‘Live in peace’, Pumôtamsh wuyohtiyôkanuk.” I say he laughs.
“A very close alliance.” He says. I fly over the reservation circling the perimeter landing behind the hangar.
A thought comes to me. “Do you have men that speak the old language?”
He smiles, “We all do.”
I shut down asking Jake to have the inventory done and reload us from the safe room. I ask Brody to follow me into the hangar. Eagle Feather shakes Brody’s hand welcoming him and telling him he is honored to have the older tribe on our new land. I get into the control room and see Bear on the computer talking to someone over the headset.
He hands me one and plugs me in. “Blackhawk on with Watcher.” Bear says.
“Watcher the outer fence is electrified. The land between the outer and inner fence has sensors, if the first fence is breached without a key a gun is trained on the second gate. They are set to shoot in twenty second bursts. The Brothers can’t get through the back; have them come through the north gate. I can have tribesmen open the gates. We have men that speak the old language. Whoever was able to see or track us here will not know that language. Little ninja’s knowledge is new to these people. They may see and even be able to read but they won’t understand the language.”
“Blackhawk, One needs to plan with Pres. He needs a couple. Gather your tribesmen and have the gate opened for Brothers from Connecticut in ten. Thirty minutes out is Brothers from MC.”
“Roger Watcher.” I take the headset and plug it into the handheld. Walking out I lift the door to the inside hangar telling Eagle Feather to round up the tribesmen, we need the old language. He smiles pulling his phone.
Brody is following me. “If you go back to Bear on the computer he can get you in touch with your women and children at my grandmother’s house.” I point up the hill. “She is on the rise above us.” He nods going back to Bear.
Jake whistles at the chopper sitting in front of us. I keep walking to the back wall and open the inside safe room. “Take what you need, Brothers will need to reload. I have all the supplies here for them. Get their leads to pull what they need. Don’t tell Steve about the fuckin C4.” He laughs like it’s a joke. I just look at him. “This is my people's home Jake, some of this is sacred land. We aren’t leaving it looking like a war zone. With the security and hammocks we have, we don’t need to do that.”
“Sorry Cloud you’re right. I just can’t get the picture of Pres duct taped to the frame out of my head.”
I leave him to it and find Steve and Kevin. I bring them into the control room and introduce them to Bear. He shows them the hammocks and guns at the gates. The surveillance is on the middle screen. We see the bikes pull up and a tribesman wave them in, another is at the second gate. “Every gate is one hundred feet from the second gate.” He tells them about the hammocks sensors, cameras, guns, safe rooms underground holding ammo and video feeds. When he’s done talking I look at them.
“I set it up and it works to keep the reservation safe from local yahoos, but I don’t run Ops to keep people alive. I have another chopper and two pilots if we need them. One is retired Air force. Jake is getting the leads for each group loaded with supplies from our safe room. I have tribesmen that will maintain the radios in our language. I gave that to One and Watcher. If we were tracked through a vision or reading the old language will keep us safe. Brody’s tribesmen also speak it. Bear can hook in with Geek. He is good but not Digs or Sticks good. I have another console for a more experienced geek. This is as far as I can take it. I leave it to you to keep my people safe.” They are both watching me.
Steve laughs. “You fuckin kiddin me?”
Kevin touches my arm. “Cloud this is a dream Op for anyone. You’ve built the perfect training area for Ops. We’ll keep your people safe and get rid of this threat. We’ll do it with what you’ve built here. You stay where you’re comfortable, we’ll take your six and love doing it from this fuckin playground you built.” He’s smiling. Thank fuck.
“You can run Ops. You did for years. You’re like Danny thinkin his eye was keepin him down. Fuckin Brothers. You did good by your people keepin em safe. We will too Brother.”
“Thank fuck. I’d rather be flying.” I tell them taking a deep breath.
Kevin starts walking toward Bear. “Juan, get me up with the big batcave!” I smile.
Kevin is on with Jamie, I have tribesmen and Brothers all over the fuckin place. Little Ben and Jessie are brought down and are talking to the kids in the Training Center from a laptop. HS is pulling into the north gate. I don’t have a table big enough for everyone so they sit on the hangar floor and lean on walls by the control room. Juan gets video up on the wall and we listen to the plan. The tribesmen will be with every group maintaining radio contact.
The women and children are in the Center directly in the center of the village. The basement is a shelter; they will be brought down if needed. Guards are inside with them.
When we finish a war cry goes out stopping the Brothers and Security in their tracks. I laugh when the SEAL’s ‘Hooyah!’ right along with them. I meet my crew at Baxter’s chopper. Eagle Feather is in ours with Jamie on Ops; Nate is in the MC’s with
a tribesman on the radio and Ben on Ops. Kevin is running the Brothers and Pres HS and HS1. It ought to be interesting.
Surveillance picks up trucks and bikes traveling the east road to the front gate and bikes to the north. We’re given the go. I’m heading to the front, Steve leads my Ops. A stand of trees blocks us from view; Kevin linked me to surveillance so I watch them on my screen. They cut the lock and drive right in. Crazy ass motherfuckers, I want to shoot them for thinking they can just waltz right in. At the second gate the gun takes down the pussy opening it. They return fire shooting into the trees. The gun goes off again and the trucks scramble. I lift lock and fire at the first truck. Moving north I take the truck speeding toward the fence line. Brothers stand and shoot from the hammocks taking the trucks moving closer to the inner fence. Moving the chopper behind them we corral them into the dead land between the two fence lines. Thirty feet in there are ditches running both sides of the dead land. The Brothers and HS1 take the runners while gun one mows down the trucks.
Mohegan is peppering the radio and I’m fuckin proud. Bear tells me to go to the north gate and help out Eagle Feather. When I get there I come from behind the pussies that made it into a field. I lower directly in front of them and fire three shots taking the driver and passengers out. “No fires in the field.” Light, the translator tells my team. We get the north gate cleared the same way.
“Blackhawk surveillance picked up three suv’s waiting on the outside roads. Knight says three choppers, come up on the north side and fire missiles to take them out.” Bear tells me. He had to search his memory to pull those words. I smile because he got it right.
I speak to the other choppers and we align behind the tree line about six hundred feet away. On my go we rise together, lock and I give a go to fire. The three suv’s explode. The control centers cheer. The choppers are called back to the hangar for reload and planning.
I touch down and shut her down. While I’m pulling the inventory clipboard I hear Steve yell for me. What the fuck? I climb out and everyone claps. I look at the other choppers they’re smiling but surprised too. “Need you inside Blackhawk.” Steve says when it dies down. I ask my gunner to do inventory, get Jake to reload me and double time it into control.
“Jeremy is on for you Cloud.” Little Ben hands me the phone.
“Littlest Ninja.”
“Daddy!” I can hear his smile. He doesn’t say anymore.
“Dad, Jeremy said you got the reader. He couldn’t read with the words, he’s gone now and the kids are safe.” Brantley says.
“Hug my littlest ninja and tell the Little Brothers Good Job!” I laugh. Thank fuck! I hand the phone back to Little Ben and tell Kevin and Steve what Jeremy said.
“I need to meet this Littlest Ninja.” Bear says.
I laugh, “It is just a nickname I gave him, he is six.” Steve laughs at his surprised look.
“We defended our land and the old tribe because a six year old said so?” Bear is shocked.
Steve looks at him with a serious face. “Yeah, Little Brothers know what they’re doin.”
Bear just nods then looks at me. I smile and say it’s true. Kevin calls the Brothers and HS Teams in.
It’s getting dark and I want to get home and see the kids but I have to go through the intel debriefing. Danny comes up behind me and slaps my back. “Nice aim Brother. I hope this goes quick. I’m fuckin starving.” I laugh. Nunánuk comes in behind a scout pushing a cart with sandwiches. I point it out to Danny. He stands in line. Fuckin guy is always hungry.
Nunánuk brings me a sandwich and pulls me down kissing my cheeks. “You have made your people proud today my warrior. All of your people are thankful for you and your skill. The spirits are proud and grateful.” I hug her telling her I love her and I am grateful for their guidance and love. She leaves as quick as she came in.
Kevin gets Jamie and Pres up on the screen. They’re in the Baxters plane. They give us the back story. The reader was identified and his backers have been eliminated. I breathe easy. Pres thanks the Little Brothers for following the trail and finding the backers then their locations, leading the strike teams efficiently and professionally. Fuckin Kids. I smile proud.
Jamie thanks the tribesmen for running Ops in the old language telling them without their help we would not have defended so easily, the reader followed everything from the Ops in Rhode Island but didn’t stand a chance against them.
Kevin thanks the Brothers and Security personnel for their hard work and ability to follow the warriors and tribesmen into the bunkers, fighting the old fashioned way. A cheer goes up and the war cry follows. I hear a plane and the feed shuts down. Fuck what now? Bear isn’t moving from his station. I go over and smile. Crazy bastards.
The women and kids come up to the hangar. More food and drinks are being wheeled in. I watch the plane. The door opens, Jamie lowers stairs. Jeremy runs out flipping over him. He hits the ground running. I walk toward him with my arms out. “Daddy!” He jumps into my arms. “Together.” He puts his head on my shoulder.
“Together Littlest Ninja. Always together.” The other kids come bouncing and flipping all over the fuckin place. Shit. There’s got to be a hundred Brothers we don’t know here. Jacob comes up and jumps to my other side putting his head on my other shoulder. “Your Indian names are Littlest Ninja and Lightfoot. They fit you well.” They look at me and laugh. “Got some people for you to meet.” I walk toward the hangar looking for Brody. I see him by the door with a pretty woman and his son. Jeremy wiggles free. I set Jacob down. They use people flipping and running across the hangar. When I make it to the back they’re standing in front of Brody’s son. He looks to be a little older than them. I touch Jeremy’s shoulder. “Littlest Ninja and Lightfoot.” I touch Jacob’s head. He smiles at me.
“Eagleye.” He puts his hand on his boys shoulder. “I imagine they’re learning their stories. This is my wife Pamela. Cloud Blackhawk. The shaman’s grandson.”
I nod to her. “It is good to meet you. My wife will find me, I’m sure she is anxious to swap ‘friggin kid’ stories with you.” I feel her arm and smile.
“I am. CJ Blackhawk, nice to meet you. The rest of our friggin kids are the acrobats flying everywhere right now. I need Jeremy for a second if you don’t mind.” She bends to Jeremy and talks in his ear. I look around, the kids stop showing off and make a bee line to us. She stands up and looks at Brody and Pamela. “I’m sorry about that.” She puts her hand out to Pamela.
Smiling Pamela takes her hand, “Pamela. I know just how you feel. They don’t need reigning in normally but it would always be in front of company.” CJ laughs and introduces the rest of the kids. Joey is smiling as always. I hug each one of them telling them how proud I am of them.
The woman get to talking until Pres calls for the kids to come up front anyway they can. Jeremy touches Eagleye and they’re off, fuckin kids are flying and bouncing off people and walls all through the hangar. When they’re all up front he introduces them as the Club Kids; the Little Brothers that helped keep the kids from Rhode Island safe. He tells everyone that Eagleye called out to his Brothers for help and these kids heard the call and gathered the parents to get help where it was needed. Everyone claps. He introduces Eagleye and tells them he was the boy that saved his family and tribesmen. We clap. He tells the kids they are among friends and safe here, they can entertain the Brothers for a while. Oh fuck!
I look at CJ. She shrugs with a big fuckin smile. The kids go wild. Jeremy, Jacob and Eagleye run across the crop duster flipping off different sides. Brantley slides across the nose and flips onto Steve’s shoulder bouncing to the floor. People are laughing and clapping, I just shake my head. Danny comes over. “Fuckin Kids. Celebrating their first mission. What are you gonna do?” He smiles. Me and Brody laugh.
Nunánuk comes to us. “I have your house and the ranches ready. Your friends that want to stay can stay in the houses and Center. We readied the cots and have the showers stocked for them.” I kiss h
er and find Pres. He makes the announcement. They’ll stay at my house. Jake will ride back with the Baxters but called dibs for the Pow wow. Brody and Pamela will take one of the ranches and their tribesmen the others. I offer it to them until they can get their home and land put back together. Brody accepts for his people. My people will help them rebuild their security. Brothers and HS that are staying until tomorrow make their way to the Center. Eagle Feather get us in trucks and suv’s with guides for the other tribe to the ranches.
Danny, Pres Steve and the bigger kids ride bikes following the trucks up to my house. I pull into the garage and CJ parks on the side of me. The kids get out and run through the house. The bikes pull into the third bay and park in straight lines making me smile. I hold CJ’s hand until we get to the steps to go in. I lift her and carry her in kissing her walking her into the kitchen. I put her down and hold her hand again. When everyone comes in I give them a tour of my A-frame house. It is huge but I expected to have a large family. The first floor has the living space with glass from floor to ceiling on the sides. I take them up to the second floor and show them to the 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and again, glass side walls from floor to ceiling. I take CJ to the third floor, the master bedroom. We have a sitting room and a bathroom suite. The ceiling and side wall is glass. She loves it; I’m happy she does, this is where I stay when I’m on vacation or have Tribal obligations.
Making our way down, we meet up with the kids. I show them to their rooms. We have one for boys and one for girls. Nunánuk had cots and air mattresses put in. She has shorts and t’s from the gift shop piled in the rooms with little hygiene bags. She is too fuckin much. I tell the bigger boys they can sleep in the other bedroom if they want but they want to stay together.
We meet up with Steve, Jess, Danny, Kate, Pres and Little Ben in the kitchen. I grab beer and hand them around, I get a bottle of wine opened for the women. CJ takes it and the women out to the deck they saw earlier. I give Little Ben a bottle of water and sit.
“We helped today, everyone is proud and happy about what we accomplished, but Christian is still upset over what he saw. If we can’t get through to him how do we keep moving forward?” He says genuinely upset over Christian’s well-being.