by L. Ann Marie
They sit and watch while Done gets them drinks. All the dogs are sitting by the door as if they’re guarding the kids. I hold my laugh when Prez comes in and does a double take. “Good job Brothers,” he says to them before he turns and stands at the head of the table. The kids are watching the boards and don’t look at him.
“They’re looking at everything from tracking to the tagging,” I tell him.
He nods and waits for them to take it all in. “I think we can take them through a mini training session so they see and understand what is happening here.”
I think it’s a great idea. I had planned on two days here; that will save me some time.
“We want to learn this. Now we can see what you do to keep us safe. This is big.” Brandon looks at Prez signing as he talks then back at the boards.
Prez goes to the computer. “Billy come to the meeting room. I need you for an hour.”
The kids look at him. “Billy will explain about the boards. When you’re done, Taylor will take you through his class rooms, pop ups and the range so you can see how we train people. Aaron will explain about the PD and Bull will take you through Security so you can see the jobs they do and how that side works. Do you have any questions for me right now?” he signs as he’s talking and I’m glad he remembered.
“What do you do?” Aquyà asks.
“A little bit of everything. My job is making sure everyone is safe, that doesn’t mean just the Princes. We have towns full of people that we keep safe too. I run Ops when I’m needed and make decisions for the Club, our towns and the jobs in Security.”
“Like the President,” Brandon says.
He laughs. “That’s why they call me Prez. I’m the President of the Princes of Prophecy. I have a whole Club of Brothers to help me keep people safe.”
Mucimi is throwing Prez pictures fast and I turn around so he doesn’t see me smiling. “Your dad runs IT for HS—that’s the whole Club and all the businesses. Sheila is an HS Ops lead and works Security for the Women’s Center. Taylor is an HS Ops lead and our main trainer. Dakota does Aerial Ops, training, and he’s our Prophet. Jessie is a trainer, an HS Ops lead, fills our positions with membership and takes care of any problems at the PD. Jax is the second at the PD and runs Nomads. Eliza is an HS Ops lead and works Security at the Women’s Center. Darren is the VP, he takes care of Transport, HS Ops, and a bunch of other things that I or anyone else needs help with,” He answers as fast as Mucimi is throwing pictures.
“What does Uncle Christian do?” Teller asks.
“He’s an HS Ops lead and runs the new department of readers called the Protectors. He’ll still train you and teach at the school, but it won’t be every day. We are already looking for someone to work at the school to help Holly.”
Billy comes in and looks at the kids then smiles. “Bring the kids to work day?”
“Yeah. Can you get the Ops up on the hologram board then show them how it works?”
Billy looks shocked. “You want everything open?”
Prez nods and turns to the kids. “You have an hour here then Taylor will come get you.” He looks at Billy. “Done will be outside. If you have bathroom or any other issues, you shut the boards down and get Done in here.”
“Roger Prez.”
He looks back at the kids. “You tell Billy if you need anything. The bathroom is right there.” He points to the door. “Done will be right in the hall if you need him.”
“How come he can’t see what we do?” Brandon asks.
“He’s HS Family and knows most of what you’re going to see today, but only HS Ops leads or controls see everything in HS Ops. When we have a need for IT or other support in HS Ops we shut down what isn’t meant to be seen by everyone. We don’t talk about what we do in HS Ops. It’s another way that we keep people safe. If everyone knew what we do and have here, we’d never be safe.”
‘Us too?’ Stella asks.
Prez smiles at her. ‘I want to tell you that you are the most important people we keep safe, but you’ll see that everyone matters here. We spend most of our time keeping the towns safe. When we have wars, we are keeping our families safe. The family is the first thing the bad guys focus on so Family Security and HS will always be there to make sure you stay safe.’
Billy pops the hologram board up and moves to the table with a tablet.
“Me and Christian are in my meeting room if there’s a problem,” Prez says walking toward the door. “You have one hour Brother.”
“Roger Prez.” Billy starts dropping the boards so he can show them one at a time. Stella moves closer to him. I walk out smiling. This is going to be good. Her little brain will absorb everything she sees and spark her to perfect the things she can.
“Cover Taylor for his next class, thanks Brother.” He stops at his meeting room, swipes his phone off and thumbs in. I hit the pad and follow. Taylor and Jessie are here watching the kids in the meeting room. “Sheila is covering your next class.”
Taylor throws him chin. “I have the kids for an hour?”
“No half, they can go with Aaron for the other half. Done is ordering lunch for them then Bull can talk to them.”
Taylor types on his phone then looks at me. “We need to talk about last night. I asked Prez to be here because we need a few things from him and he needs to know how this will work.”
I’m feeling a little under the gun here, but nod.
He looks at Prez. “Christian hasn’t trained at Ops lead. He needs that or he’s going to start throwing with someone like Sheila and she’ll lose her shit. I’m used to Christian and Jeremy throwing shit regularly, but people that didn’t live with it aren’t going to react well that first time.”
I nod. “I talked to Dakota about that last night. He agrees it would be helpful for me to learn the procedures and to work with my people so they learn how I react.”
Prez nods. “How has it been with Hyde?”
I smile thinking of him at the woman’s car. “He said it’s getting easier to take unspoken commands.”
Taylor laughs. “Has he seen you fly through the air? I have to tell you Brother it shocked the shit out of me.”
“It’s not flying. We all flip through the air and learn about body and space through martial arts. I just slow it down and suspend in the air. I’m not flying.”
Jessie looks at me. “The word offends you?”
I think about it before I answer. “Flying implies different laws of physics. I’m not navigating through different air streams using the wind or air density to stay up.”
“What-the-fuck-ever Brother. If you’re in the air without wings or strings you’re fuckin’ flying in my book too. That will take some getting used to.” He looks at Prez and I roll my eyes.
“He jumped to avoid a bullet and stayed up until I was behind the pussy. It was fuckin’ crazy to see.” Taylor is shaking his head.
I watch Prez. “You avoided a bullet.” He smiles. I nod and he looks back at Taylor. “What else?”
“Doesn’t have an HS bike, an earpiece or the gear for what he’ll be doing. He shut off street lights and they turned on while he was riding away. He threw commands and talked about what he sees over the helmet. I had a concern that he wouldn’t be able to handle the earpiece, but he did fine with the helmet. If you know to expect him to throw commands he’s easy, alert, can ride and is a fuckin’ dead eye.”
Prez takes a minute to answer. “Most of what you said he’ll get from some training in procedures and he’ll get it to his team. The lights concern you because it shows what he has?” Taylor nods. “We’re not hiding it. Abilities will show as he needs them to. He didn’t have Kevlar on so avoiding a bullet is a good fuckin’ reason for you to see his ability to suspend. I think even with the gear he’d avoid getting shot. So, that leaves a bike, earpiece and gear?”
“Yeah.” Taylor isn’t happy.
“I think Prez is right. He was seen throwing a lightning bolt through a crowd. Hiding what they have at
this point is stupid. We need them now more than ever. Showing ability may keep other people from coming at us.”
I shake my head no. “For right now that statement isn’t true. The woman that I went to get information from is running from people that are trying to kill her. She helped in a murder investigation so she was put out there. Because she’s a reader she got the attention of a group that is trying to wipe readers from the planet. They have an organized network that reaches throughout the country. This isn’t just hate. They think they are right to rid the evil they see. I was struck with the hate when we shot the two in the road. The hate just shut off. It was strange to feel so much, then like a light switch turning off, it was gone.”
Prez stops pacing and looks at me. “The feeling touches you?”
“Not in the way you’re thinking. The complete hatred was all encompassing. There was nothing good in what I could see before the hate was just gone. I’ve never met anyone with that kind of hatred. It was uncomfortable to see and feel, but I think I was looking for anything that made them human to me.”
Jessie looks at me. “That’s how Ops leads work. We process and assess very quickly and react based on that split-second assessment. I think the feelings you’re getting will govern the way you react. As a Protector, I would think this is exactly what we want.” He looks at Taylor. “The abilities are what we’re protecting here. Whether they’re seen or not I still don’t think is relevant. With what he’s telling us, we have a bunch of yahoos out there hunting down readers. If one already showed here, I’m guessing we’ll see more.”
“Two showed. The baby Mucimi brought in and this woman,” I tell him.
He’s shocked. “Mucimi brought a baby here?”
Dakota didn’t tell him? I look at Prez. “Jessie had a job last night.” He looks at Jessie. “Brantley has him. That’s the job you were on. The man used a knife on the boy. He has a broken rib and fuckin’ bruises everywhere. Anywhere a diaper touched him is burned, the creases in that area are infected and actually bleeding.”
“Jesus, a kid lived there? There wasn’t any sign of a kid. Not even a bottle.” He’s searching his memory and I see the house again. “That’s why you had me bring the box of papers?”
“Yeah, there was nothing in it, but we were looking for paper on the boy.” He looks at Taylor. “Your worry over Christian is on a personal level. He did everything right last night and caught six from this group that we didn’t know existed. He got information on the organization and we still have three in holding. Seeing him use the abilities should throw relief on you. You said yourself he’s not only ready, but fuckin’ good. With procedure training and gear he’ll be better.”
Taylor runs his hand through his hair. “Yeah. He’s my little brother, knowing he’s HS and seeing it, are two different things. It took me by surprise. The fuckin’ flying was nothing like lifting me in the chair. That’s going to take some getting used to.”
I laugh and Prez smiles. “From what I’m getting you need to get through that quick. We have Protector Ops going on that we haven’t heard about yet.”
Uh Oh. “I was going to talk to you about that today.”
He nods. “We will. Right now, I need to get you gear. While the kids are busy you’re in with Jacob and Terry. They’ll walk you through procedure and give you a book to study from. Ask questions before they become an issue whenever you can. The other side of that is with readers—you’ll handle things different than regular Ops leads. You don’t have a reader running that, so your non-ability people need to know how you’re going to react to situations so they can be ready to cover you.” He looks at Taylor then Jessie. “Christian needs to be at the Security meetings from now on. I want everyone going into Princes Security and all of HS to be trained with whatever you come up with on new procedures for Ops with readers. Jacob and Terry can help, but I think you already have some ideas. We need to incorporate everything they do and add so it’s second nature. Dakota isn’t saying much, but being prepared is a key phrase he’s repeated. Co, Nunánuk and the ancestors feel the same.”
“We need the Ops going on if we’re getting reactions to base training off of,” Jessie says looking from me to Prez.
I get a nod so I tell him, “Colt and Devan are taking weapons and supplies meant for these lunatics’ planned attack on us tomorrow. They’ve already confiscated quite a bit and haven’t been seen yet.”
Prez’s eyes snap to mine. “Yet?”
I smile. “Colt decides to make an exit driving a box truck they steal with all they collected from the pussies.”
“Jesusfuckin’Christ. He’s not legal.” Jessie waves his hands in the air like that’s a fuckin’ point.
“We’re fuckin’ bikers killing anyone that walks into our little part of the world and decides to sell drugs, but a fifteen-year-old kid stealing and driving part of what was going to be used to take our fuckin’ family is bad? He’s fuckin’ HS and you’re pissed that he doesn’t have a license?” I ask calmly hoping the calm I show isn’t betraying what I feel. My body is tense and rigid with anger.
“If he gets picked up? With fuckin’ guns?”
I smile at him. “They’re both able to throw commands. They’re both able to project and they’re both trained to use whatever they have to accomplish what they’re doing. They won’t be stopped, detained or jailed because they’ll make that happen with the abilities they have.”
“You know this?” Jesus, he isn’t letting this go.
“I’m a fuckin’ reader. I’m the one training them. Yeah, I fuckin’ know it!”
“Watch how you talk to me or my only problem isn’t sending fuckin’ kids on Ops with no fuckin’ Security to assist.”
I lift his chair and stand up. “Two things are happening here. One you have no fuckin’ clue about abilities and what we can and are trained to do and two I’m not a fuckin’ kid anymore so stop seeing me like that. Your inability to see me as the person calling the shots for THOSE THAT I TRAIN is your fuckin’ problem not mine! Colt runs fuckin’ Ops with VP. He’s trained for more than you realize.”
“Put my fuckin’ chair down or I’m killing you in your fuckin’ sleep!” he growls out.
I lower his chair excruciatingly slow. “I’m a reader with more ability than you know. I see it will never happen, but you need to see I won’t ever allow it to. I’m not the fuck-up I used to be. Open your fuckin’ eyes and see that.”
As soon as the chair is down he flies across the table at me. I jump and move to the other side slow. He pulls his gun and I throw it. He jumps and I put a chair in front of him. “I see your next moves Jessie. If you want, I’ll get you help.” I throw to Taylor to try and catch me. He stands, but is saying no. “Help him catch me Taylor.”
He’s still shaking his head no, but I’m moving him toward me. “Cut the shit Christian! I’m not helping him.” I move his arms up to grab me and I pull him holding him in the air then I look at Jessie and hold him the same way. I throw to Darren and pull him to us. “You need me to find someone else?”
Darren walks through the door and laughs. “You didn’t drag me here for this, did you?” He looks at me.
“Yeah I did. If you can see me as an adult that has his shit together I think they should too.” I’m still fuckin’ pissed and spitting out my words.
“Put them down,” Prez says and it’s not a question. I lower them and expect them to come after me, but they sit. Taylor is even smiling. Prez paces. “You were allowed to show them because they needed to see it. If you ever pull shit on your Officers again you deal with me. I have no problem dropping your cut and I don’t give a fuck whose family you’re in. Are we clear on that?” I nod. “We need an amendment about using abilities against our own. Fuckin’ hell.” His hands are in his hair.
Fuck, this probably wasn’t smart—he’s threatening to take my cut. “No disrespect meant Jessie and Taylor. I was pissed. It won’t happen again.” I pick up Jessie’s gun and send it over to him la
ying it on the table in front of him. When I put all the chairs back Taylor cracks up.
I look at him wondering what’s funny. “No wonder your house is always clean.”
I smile because that’s how I got good at directing objects. “You see in our heads like Prez?” Jessie asks, but isn’t looking at me.
I hesitate and look at Prez and get a nod. “Better. More like Dakota or Jeremy, but with control to pull what I want. I don’t look unless I need it or I’d go crazy with what everyone is thinking. I’ve learned to control what comes in and what I listen to.”
He looks at me. “You’re right. I see you as that depressed unconnected boy you once were. That is my problem and I’ll deal. You’ve done nothing to earn my doubt and I didn’t realize I was throwing it at you. No disrespect Christian and I won’t doubt you again. How do you use your abilities here? Dakota can’t.”
I look at Prez. “He isn’t a Prophet, but a Protector. His abilities are meant for different purposes. According to Dakota, healers only use abilities in extreme situations where the outcome leads to lives saved. Protectors are a whole different ball game, they will use the abilities as needed. Apparently showing you those abilities was needed today.”
Jessie nods and Taylor is still smiling. Darren opens the door. “Since I’m released and free to move wherever the fuck I want now, I got shit to do. Later.”
Laughter bubbles in my chest and I cough covering my mouth. Taylor laughs. “I’m sold Prez. Colt isn’t getting stopped and I can see how they’ll make sure of it.”
Jessie nods and I’m relieved. I move my hand and show my smile. Prez throws me chin. “Get with Jacob and Terry. I’ll get your gear here today and let you know when I’m ready to meet. I have the kids covered until lunch. You’ll need to take that over after they eat.”
I nod knowing they go to Aaron and Bull. Throwing him chin I stand. “On it Prez.” I’m out the door and walking by Done before I start laughing. I don’t stop until I’m at the new console Ops put in for Jacob and Terry. I can’t believe I just did all that to Jessie and I’m still breathing.