Coder: Book Five (Princes of Prophecy)

by L. Ann Marie

  “I’m ready Little Ben,” Pres says.

  I get my nod and stand. “The tablets are set to run without interfering with the main board.”

  Geek laughs. “Fuckin’ kids.”

  I wait for them to stop laughing. “I can sync them if you’re done VP.”

  “Need a minute.”

  We give him his minute and he sits. I sync the boards to one board and make it bigger so everyone can follow. Prez looks at Geek. “We can take your information and plug it in. Jason is standing by for it.”

  VP laughs. “Doesn’t have as much.”

  I look at Geek relieved he’s smiling. Prez looks at Kevin. “Anything you have, Billy is standing by for you.”

  “You have more than we do too. There are some business assets we have, but that’s it,” Kevin says then turns to me and tips his imaginary hat.

  I throw him chin. “I can do that right here,” I tell him, so I’m not just sitting and waiting.

  Geek goes out to Ops and Pres starts. “How many people did you have working on this?”

  Prez looks at me. “Seven then Prez and VP questioned readers and helped fill the spreadsheets.”

  Jake and Uncle Danny are laughing. I take Kevin’s laptop and fill in the assets while they’re laughing and Prez explains the boards. Geek comes in and tells me to update the connections. When I see the new names my head snaps to him. Fuck.

  “I missed them?”

  He shakes his head no. “Alias payouts. I knew one as soon as I saw it and looked for more. He never works alone so finding his second was easy.” I nod, but fuck.

  “Brantley it takes us all. Everyone brings something to the table. With it, just like Brotherhood, we have a better shot at getting rid of the threat working together.” He’s right and I relax, but fuck – two well-known hackers sitting right there and I missed them.

  I move boards and open the pop outs when they ask. They spend two hours just looking at information that I’ve seen all night and day. Finally, they start planning and I start an outline as they talk. They get resources, Brothers, and strategies needed mapped out and I print what they have handing it out so they can assign who does what. Again, I fill in as they talk and print it as soon as they’re finished taking the first outline and shredding it. After five hours I’m done.

  Everyone is talking. They’re going for dinner, but I’m going into Ops.

  “Brantley go home Brother. You did a fuck of a job and I’ll need you tomorrow.”

  Everyone slaps my back and ‘good jobs’ me as I walk out. I grab my bag and check in with Ops before I leave. Geek has Jason on the hackers’ aliases and I leave him to it, getting assignments handed out and leaving work for Jacob when he comes in.

  I ride home thinking about the day. It was good getting the slap on the back and no one had much to add to what we already had, but fuck. The hackers were right in front of me and I missed it.

  I leave my bike at the house and walk to Prez’s to pick up Mucimi. The women are already gone. I get my Mexican jumping bean and laugh at him bouncing and trying to hug me all at the same time. “You missed me.”

  Ally and Alex are doing a good job with them. We get goodnight hugs and fist bumps from everyone and I take my boy home.

  “How about sitting on the deck for a while?” He doesn’t answer. I grab a beer, walk through the slider and sit. “We got our name Mucimi. With the name we’ll get our guy. Life will be easier.” He turns and sits looking out. I love him right here on me. When he was smaller he’d be just like this while I worked on the laptop or just watching the trees blow. Since Holly’s been here, he’s always moving.

  When he gets antsy I give him a bath and get him ready for bed. I sit on the rocker in his room and read him a book like Holly does, and he’s sleeping by the end. These are cute books. Jacob bought them all when he found out about them. I can see why they’d be good in hospitals and schools. Every one of them deal with a different problem and they all show different is just different. It amazes me she didn’t grow up with us, but still promotes just what we were taught.

  I get Mucimi in his bed and tell him I love him. Grabbing the monitor, I pick up my bag and check the Ops Center.

  Chevy is on with a trainee and Jacob is sitting beside them typing away. I read through the spreadsheet he’s working on. Fuckin’ hackers are good at hiding. Jason has some leads to run through. He’s more hacker than I am so I leave his leads alone and check the other sheets. Not much is added, so I close them down and look for more personal on Ortiz.

  ***

  Holly

  “I love girls’ night out!” I yell to Eliza. She smiles dancing around me. Lily moves closer and I look behind me. Bitchy girl is right there. I ignore her and move to the other side of Amanda and Jess. So far we’ve laughed about the guys and their macho attitudes, drank and laughed at the stupid things we do—like saying we don’t have a dog. We dance some more like nobody’s watching. I love these women already.

  Amanda pulls my arm and I follow. “I need the restroom.”

  I nod. “I could go.”

  She laughs pulling me along. We wait in line, but it doesn’t take long. I’m happy to see six stalls and ask myself when that ever happens. I don’t have an answer because I have never been to a Club, so maybe this is normal.

  When I come out and wash my hands bitchy girl is waiting in line. Great. She’s been making comments about ugly people loud enough that everyone hears her. I wonder if she realizes that makes her an ugly person. I turn and wait for Amanda.

  “I wouldn’t look in the mirror either if I had to see that shit every time. Didn’t your girls tell you about makeup? Cover that shit up girl. Ain’t no one wants to see that.”

  I give her a big smile. “I’ll take that under advisement.” Amanda laughs behind me. The bitchy girl lunges for me and snaps back like a rubber band.

  “Her girls thinks she’s pretty fuckin’ perfect the way she is. She went through a hell I wouldn’t wish on even you. She deserves a smile from everyone because she survived. Give my girl a smile,” Sheila says controlling the bitchy girl by the hair.

  “Get your fuckin’ hands off me!” She’s trying to move, but Sheila is holding her still.

  I watch, but don’t quite believe it when she hits the wall face first then is standing right back where she started from. I look at Sheila. She’s the shit. I want to learn how to do that. “Give my girl a smile.”

  I laugh when the bitchy girl tries to smile. “Thanks and thanks Sheila.” I slide to the side of them with Amanda following. Oh damn. The friends are out here waiting for bitchy girl. I see Eliza behind them and smile. “Your friend will be right out. We’re just passing through,” I tell the group moving to the side to go around.

  My way gets blocked. “Your pit bull is busy scar face. You ain’t goin’ nowhere,” a very big woman says.

  I laugh for two reasons; I am probably quicker than she is and Eliza, Lily and Jess are behind these women with Bob who’s holding Tess back. I look at Amanda. “They probably don’t know that everyone is behind them.”

  Amanda laughs just as Sheila comes out of the bathroom door. All hell breaks loose for a good ten seconds then Bob is in the middle of all the women smiling. Sheila has the big woman and one that was on the side of her on the floor with her gun pointed at them. Lily has her gun on a smaller woman telling her to move so she can shoot her toes like Sheila does. Eliza has a woman in a choke hold I’ve seen wrestlers do on TV and Jess has her hand on a woman’s shoulder while she’s on her knees crying. I don’t get that one, why doesn’t she just move?

  Bob talks to someone and men appear dragging the women away. Lily and Jess are mad because they don’t get to cuff them. I follow Amanda back to the table laughing. I really do love these women. They all stood up for me. We order more drinks and talk about tattoos. “I think I want to cover my whole arm and go down my side to my stomach.”

  Amanda nods. “I can put a short vine to cover your back.” I lo
ve that idea and ask her when. “Pres said he’ll have a ride for me anytime you’re ready.”

  I nod with tears in my eyes then laugh. She can start tomorrow and come every Tuesday night and Saturday morning. Tess, Joey and Jess are so happy they bounce making me laugh. Actually everything makes me laugh.

  Everyone is sitting and Brenda laughs at us ‘cause we’re drunk. I’ve never been drunk so this makes me happy and I laugh some more. Sheila starts singing and Bob is moving us to the door. I guess it’s time to go. We sing the whole way out, but when we get to the high voices everyone is quiet, but me. They laugh and welcome me to the sisterhood. I cry then laugh again. I’ve never been a sister.

  ***

  Brantley

  I crack up and carry her in. She’s singing to her sisters. I throw chin to Bob. They’re all singing behind him and he doesn’t look happy. Poor bastard. Whenever Tess is out of the yard Bob takes her detail.

  I carry her right to the bedroom. Thank fuck she stopped singing. “I’m glad you had fun babe.”

  I get smiling eyes as I set her down and steady her. “Sheila’s going to teach me to shoot feet and Eliza’s teaching me martial arts. I’m gonna be Badass too!”

  Oh fuck. Sheila teaching her to shoot feet is not what I would have chosen. Thinking about it, she needs to know. I smile taking her clothes off. “Badass is the way to go. Do you need to use the bathroom?”

  She sways and I hold her steady then pull a shirt over her head. “I wanna be Badass like Lily and Jess. They don’t show it, but they are. Lily is so fast with her gun.”

  What the hell? “When did you see Lily with her gun?”

  Her blink lasts too long. I lift her again and lay her on the bed. “When the bitchy woman was mad I didn’t care what she thought. You gave me people that don’t care about my ugly scars. Lily told the woman to move so she could shoot her toes. They were Badass. Like ten seconds they had the women down. I’ma do that.” Her eyes close and I know she’s done. “Mucimi?”

  “He’s good babe. Sleep. I’ll bring him to you in the morning.”

  She mumbles a love back and I kiss her head, pissed. Women are so fuckin’ mean. I need to see what the fuck happened. Locking the doors, I carry my laptop back, check Mucimi, then slide in beside her.

  The women are noticeable right away. A group of eight are watching Tess and Holly. Tess stays away from them, but I see one pointing at Holly and the others laugh. What the fuck? In the hall I see Amanda pull Holly to the bathroom. The bitch that was pointing at her is waving her hands standing in the doorway and I see Sheila slide in pointing her gun at the bitch’s friends and yanking the bitch back. I watch Sheila’s arm move then Holly and Amanda squeeze through on the side of her. Sheila goes in and the door closes. The group of seven are blocking Holly and Amanda in, but the old ladies are right behind them all looking at Eliza. When Sheila comes out, Eliza nods and the old ladies have the women down. Holly was right, it was like ten seconds. Bob is in the middle of them glaring at Lily then Security takes the bitches out. I snag the face of the woman giving Holly shit and run it through recognition while I run the feed back for the others. Before I start running my second face I get a hit on the first. Fuck.

  I drop it in an OC for Prez. He pops right up on a video chat. “Bob thought something was off. I’m glad you caught it.”

  “They’re connected to Connecticut, the second just hit with a California tie.”

  He nods. “Set them all up and send it to Jacob. He can finish running them. I’m sending this on to my dad and Pres. We’ll be taking Pawtucket tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

  The Ops is set for two weeks. “I will Prez. How do you know he’ll change it?”

  He laughs. “Because I would.”

  He’s gone and I smile. I get the other faces running and close the laptop. When the lights are off and I’m just dozing Holly rolls onto me. I think about what she said. Her ‘ugly scars’. I wonder if she wants to see the doctor. I don’t even see them anymore. Mucimi threw me a picture without them. He doesn’t see them either.

  Fuckin’ women.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Holly

  Oh my God. I’m going to die. I feel the bed move and my stomach rolls. I tell myself to breathe through it. That seems to work until the bed moves again. Working to open my eyes one works—barely. I see Mucimi and moan. His hand touches my face. “Happy boy,” I whisper. He has tears in his eyes. “Aww, I’m okay.” I try popping my other eye open, but it’s not happening today.

  Brantley laughs and I pull the pillow over my head. That’s just too damn loud. “Babe, I have some Advil and a beer.”

  I’m trying to breathe through a pillow. I don’t want beer. Just the thought has my stomach rolling again. I feel Mucimi on my rolling stomach and I want to die. Of course I put my arm around him to keep him from falling or hold him still. I’m not real sure at the moment. “I’m going to make breakfast. Come out when you’re ready.” I can hear the smile on his face.

  I’d yell at him, but I know that will hurt. Mucimi puts his head on the pillow like he’s getting comfortable and I moan. He could have taken him. I get a flash of light with Brantley laughing and my brain wants to explode. I moan again and Mucimi laughs. “Happy boy that one isn’t going to work today. I think you split my brain in half.” The little demon child laughs again. He’s got a cute laugh and I laugh too. “My head is going to pop open and splatter all over you if you keep that up.” He laughs again and I take the pillow off my head. When I open my eyes he’s looking right at me, from like three inches away. “That’s a little close happy boy.” He kisses my cheek and laughs a big belly laugh and I’m gone. Closing my eyes, I try to contain the pain but he’s too damn cute and is laughing with me.

  When he stops I open my eyes. “That’s not too bad. So you’re saying the cure for my irresponsible drinking binge is laughter?” He sits up on my chest and smiles at me. I crack up, then he does. I think I’ve been converted. I am now officially part of the crazy that everyone here seems to fall into. “You win. You want to go see what Daddy is making for breakfast?” He signs, ‘yes.’ I would shake my head at that, but I think that might still hurt. Myself agrees that laughter can only do so much. I move him and feel the pressure in my head. When I sit, I hold the moan in so he doesn’t make me laugh again. “Never again. Isn’t that what all drunks say?” He laughs and I crack up again. Maybe I’m still drunk. “Happy boy I think you’re too damn cute, but your cute can kill me.” I kiss his cheek and take five minutes to get my feet on the floor. Moving slow seems to be the way to go, so we do. He holds on and I stand. “Look at that. I got this Mucimi.” He laughs again and I almost fall back on the bed. “Nope, not falling for it this time. The smile you see is all you’re getting.” He doesn’t believe me and makes his little giggle sounds as I make it to the door. I crack up leaning against the wall. “Please, if there is any compassion in that tiny little body of yours, stop laughing until I can sit.” He doesn’t listen. Fuckin’ kids. “Now I know why they say that all the time. It isn’t even just the guys. Everyone says it.”

  We make it to the kitchen and I sit in the first chair. Brantley cracks up. “Feeling better?”

  “My head didn’t splatter,” I mumble petulantly. He, of course, laughs. I think about it and my head just has a thick feel, but isn’t ready to split open as if it was hit by an axe. “I do feel better. Happy boy thinks the cure for a hangover is laughing. I think it worked.”

  He brings plates to the table and takes Mucimi from me sitting him in his seat. “I need to get your cure fed. I’m on Ops today. It may be late. Amanda is here later and Ally will watch Mucimi while Amanda works on your ink.”

  Oh shit that’s today? “Did we talk about it last night?”

  He laughs and kisses my head. “I think you might have.”

  I look at Mucimi. “We got this right?” He doesn’t answer but I think his smile is a yes. I give him some scrambled eggs.

  ***

&nb
sp; Brantley

  I listened to them laughing and her whole monologue over the monitor. She’s too fuckin’ funny. She’s looking better and is even smiling while she feeds him. “Do you want a shower before I go?”

  “Nah. We got this. I really am feeling better. I’m not ready to dance, but I can get him fed and get me looking like something more than death warmed over.”

  I crack up. “You’re a happy drunk, but funnier with a hangover. I’m not sure anything will ever come close to you singing Bohemian Rhapsody to your new sisters.”

  Her whole body freezes. “Oh dear Lord, tell me that was a dream.”

  I shake my head loving the grimace and embarrassed eyes. “It was adorable.”

  She turns her head. “I’m going to be the first teacher in history to be fired before I’m officially hired.”

  I smile and stand up. “We’re bikers, no one’s judging you. Although Jess said you’re the best at the high voices.” She groans. “They do this every time they go out. The Brothers don’t give a shit.” She looks at me as if I’m kidding. “You had fun and got home safe. That’s all that matters.” I smile and give my boy a kiss pushing away the thoughts of the bitches from last night. “Kuwômôyush Mucimi. Take care of your mom little dude.”

  I pull her hand and lift her up so I can kiss her. Her arms go around me and I get her smiling eyes. “Kuwômôyush. We’re running a full Op today. That means status at the Club. You can’t leave the compound until Security takes you to the Club.”

  She smiles. “Where does my hangover cure go?”