L. Ann Marie by Tailley (MC 6) Page A

stairs.  He probably saw me stagger out of the truck.  I don’t want a fuckin keeper or someone waiting to catch me every fuckin time I take a misstep.  I pull the door hard and it slams open.  I put the crutch in front of it so I can walk through without help.  I keep going to the meeting room.  Everyone is here and they have lunch, I smile as they throw me chin.
    “Got your regular.”  VP says.  He’s getting good with the brain probing thing or maybe he knows what everyone gets like Danny.  “Know yours.”  He says making me laugh.  “Fuckin good, too.”  Everyone laughs.
    “Thanks, VP.”  I lean the crutches against the wall and sit by Rich.  We eat and I listen to them talking about what’s been going on for the week.  I know I’m not here just for lunch and wonder what the hell I’m here for; the pain is creeping up to pill level.
    “You got pills on you?”  Rich asks.
    “Get the fuck out of my head.  Yeah, I have one in my bag.”
    Tiny leaves, everyone is still talking so I don’t pay attention.  My bag appears on the side of me and I look over.  Fuckin Tiny left for my bag, I throw him chin and pull the baggie from the pocket.  No one pays attention to me so I take the pill and finish my grinder.  Doc, Bull and Driscoll come in and sit.  We ball our trash and the barrel is passed around.
    Pres stands up.  “Half the Brothers went to Laconia.  I'll be flown in for the meet.  No one in High Security left, they want answers.  We need to move people around.  Max at Baxter’s was shot yesterday.  He’s doing ok.  It was the same set up as with Bob.  For some reason the head of Family Security is being singled out.  What the fuck this has to do with Baxter’s is still a mystery.  The leads on the trucks and the car are played out, telling us nothing.  They were stolen from different cities, all a week before they were used.  Ben from Baxter’s is running into the same thing, all stolen.  HS is handling Family Security and we will alternate teams.  Bob, I need you to keep the schedules running.  No one is to know he’s still running it, we’ll run everything through Driscoll first, then Tiny, then Bull, then Rich, then VP.  Everything needs to get to Bob.  That will happen through written reports; get your info to someone on the compound and we’ll get it to Bob.  Every three days we switch who’s in charge.  The teams will be informed of who’s in charge during their daily meet.”   He looks around.  Everyone nods.
    VP stands and Pres sits.  “Rich, split the teams in half every day, mix em with Security.  The other half will work on leads and the odd shit happenin.  Danny, you’re on HS every day.  Need to get your top guy in place to take it over for you.”
    “On it, VP.”  Danny says while typing something on his iPad.  Everyone smiles.  He takes orders the same way every time and he's never told twice.
    "Bob, you're workin light.  Come to Security, get work done then leave.  You work from home, show for three or four hours.  You take Security everywhere."  Fuck.  I nod.  "Know you are Security, right now you’re with a tag."
    "Yeah, Brother."
    Pres looks at me.  "Any news on the leg Mitch is building?"
    "Not yet.  I'm not healed enough so I couldn't use it anyway."
    "No, Brother, the one like the brace for Amanda.  Said you could be walking with a cane instead of the crutches."
    Doc laughs.  "It was a surprise.  The doctor is due this afternoon.  You suck at keeping secrets, Pres."  Everyone laughs.
    Pres runs his hand through his hair.  "Fuck sorry, Brother."  I can only smile.  I'll be walking with two legs.
    "Fuckin good news."  VP says.  I nod.
    Pres stands again.  "Once Rich gets the schedules done he'll get them to you.  I've got nothing else until something breaks.  Does anyone have anything?"
    "Whore said someone is asking questions at the Plank.  Trying to get with the whores.  She's nervous because of