Brose at The Center

by Jennifer Sue

Part 7

The mission had been an outstanding success. The main Nazi base had been utterly destroyed. The computers had been successfully raided and the information uploaded to The Center. The information about the Nazi web in Bolivia was immediately released to the Bolivian Government as were the medical files of the eugenics experiments carried out upon the prisoners, all of whom were indigenous peoples.

Safely back at The Center, the Butt Kickers hit the sack early, the excursion had worn them out and adrenalin only goes so far. The emerged Butt Kickers were given the next day off to unwind and reset their focus. The six AZIF prisoners knew their organization had been destroyed so they cooperated fully with their interrogators. The ten emerged brought back were sequestered in the detention area for processing and their reprogramming began.

The next morning the Butt Kickers were welcomed as heros. They had cut off the head of the AZIF terrorist snake while eliminating or capturing most of the Nazi emerged. The only down side was the two Nazi emerged who had been off base on missions. Liz used her skills to save the burned AZIF prisoner. The wound Brose had suffered was already well on the road to healing thanks to her incredible metabolism.

After breakfast, Brose approached Kristyn with an idea. "When we first saw the four emerged who were being brainwashed into joining the Nazis they were wearing a bomb collar. It worked much like an invisible fence for dogs. If they went past a certain point, BOOM. If they became dangerous, BOOM. I think we could use a similar approach now. I'm not saying we should put bombs on them. Our techs could come up with a two level collar. The first level would electrically warn them with a mild shock if they stepped out of designated areas or misbehaved. The second level would be to stun them into unconsciousness or if they're electrokinetic, drug them. If we had it, we could offer it to them, on a voluntary basis, the option of getting out of being in detention as long as they followed the rules. Then they could mingle with the other students and learn The Center is a good place to be. Their reprogramming would go much quicker if they see how good life is here."

Kristyn smiled. "The techs already have such devices. They're based on the control collar the Syndicate made Mattie wear. We originally planned using them on rogue emerged or captured uncooperative syndicate emerged but we realized forcing them to wear it could very well be detrimental. The ten emerged you brought back are in a different bracket. They didn't like where they were and were openly betrayed. They're looking for a better place. This sounds like the perfect opportunity to try the collars. I'll contact Ms Fine to let her know you'll be asking them about the collars. I'd like you to get the ten together and explain about the collars. Then tell them wearing them would be totally voluntary and refusal to wear one would not be held against them. Explain that Ms Fine and the techs will have to individually fit the collars. They'll be released into the main population as long as they are accompanied by one of the Butt Kickers. The Butt kickers will wear identical collars without programming. The collars also monitor blood pressure and heart rate so we can tell if someone is asleep or running. Then contact Ms Fine and tell her how many accept."

"I'm sure I know the answer, but I want to make sure," Brose asked. "The collars can't kill them, like the bombs they used in Bolivia?"

"We do have collars that can be fatal," Kristyn answered. "We will not be using them on these people."

"Thank you," Brose smiled.

It was mid afternoon when Brose had the Butt Kicker emerged gather in the detention area common room. The ten emerged from Bolivia were brought in. They had spent the morning undergoing physicals and friendly interrogation. They'd been outfitted in prison gray sweat suits and flip flops.

"We were all worn out yesterday and we didn't have a chance to welcome you to the center," Brose began. "I'm sure you understand why you're in detention. Has anyone been mistreated?"

No one verbally responded although they all shook their heads.

"Good, we try our best to treat everyone with respect," Brose went on. "Don't take that to mean we're weak. You saw what we did on the mission. We know how to handle resistance. That said, I've come to make you an offer. You can accept or reject it. We will not force you to do this. Our technical staff has come up with a good conduct collar. Before you get worked up, the version we're offering you will not be fatal. It has two levels, the first is a mild shock to let you know you're venturing out of approved areas or out of acceptable behavior. The second level is a drug that knocks you out for four hours. I'm told you'll have a nasty headache afterwards but otherwise there will be no ill effects. The collars also monitor your vital signs so those monitoring the devices know if your sleeping or running. They also have a GPS locator beacon. Any attempt to remove the collar will immediately knock you out. You will be monitored at all times and places by computer. The only time a human will monitor is if you trigger an alarm. The device also has a microphone and mini speaker system so you can be told if you're doing something you shouldn't."

"If you elect to wear a collar, you will be allowed out of detention," Brose said. "Each of the Butt Kickers will wear a similar collar without the knock-out feature in support of you. The rules are simple. You'll be placed in regular dorm rooms, two to a room. Leaving your room will cause an alert. When outside your room, you will have to be with a Butt Kicker. It does not have to be one on one. The only exception is to use the restrooms. That you may do on your own. In general our rules are similar to those of any school including wearing a school uniform. We understand you'll sometimes step out of line, but any hint of malice is punished harshly and swiftly. With our powers, we can't afford to allow anyone to become angry. Self control is paramount. In the facility, there are areas that will be off limits to you for security reasons. However, classrooms, exercise rooms, swimming pool, cafeteria, common room, game room, and the infirmary will be accessible as long as there is a Butt Kicker with you. It will be possible to go outside also. Again, there will be restricted areas but most of the rec facilities will be open. Again, we have the entire base set up for surveillance so any attempt to escape or injure someone will be shut down. We're hoping letting you see what our lives are like here will help you adjust. We want you to join us, but we will not force you to do so."

"I'm not going to sugar coat this," Brose grew serious. "We have had a few emerged who were simply too out of control. Those we call rogues. Emerging sometimes causes insanity. Those who were dangers to others and could not exercise self control and acceptable behavior were put down. Those who do not want to join The Center but pose no major threat are transferred to a secure facility, similar to a high security prison. They are treated well and have access to study and games and exercise, but they are always locked up. What happens to you is under your control. Show us you want to become part of the Center population."

"If you'd like time to think this over, please do so," Brose smiled. "If you want to give it a go now. We can have you ready to go by lunch."

All but Elsa and Erwin, the German Bolivians, jumped at the chance. Elsa debated for a few moments, then spoke up. “If the knock out drug will not hurt my baby, I’ll agree.”

“I‘ll check on that,” Brose answered.

Erwin remained defiant. "What happens to us if we can't adjust to life here?"

"Like I said, if you become dangerous, you're killed," Brose bluntly replied. "If you are not dangerous, then you're placed in the emerged prison."

"So we really have no choice then," Erwin huffed.

"If you want any sort of normal life, not really," Brose honestly answered. "Erwin, give us a chance to show you life with us can be good. If you don't like us and can't adapt, you know the options. You have nothing to lose by trying it."

It was clear Erwin wasn't happy but he acknowledged the logic of trying it.

It really helped to have the Butt Kickers fitted with collars at the same time. They did look identical. Ms Fine was clearly apprehensive as the technicians fit the collars.

"I'm head of security," Ms Fine spoke. "I'll be honest with you, I'm not happy with this experiment. Part of me actually hopes you will step out of line, but I'll also admit that is my selfish part. However, Ms Keyes is in favor of it and I follow her orders. I will promise that we will be monitoring you closely. Elsa, the drug will not hurt your baby in any manner."

Two emerged entered the room. One a brown haired Mediterranean beauty and the other a blue haired Asian boy. "I'm Warrant Officer Max Stevenson," he spoke up. "I'm the commander of this base, which we call the Alpha Site. You do anything wrong and I'll see you are punished. If you do anything well, you will be praised. I really look forward to seeing you integrate with the rest of us. Welcome aboard."

"As Max said this is an experiment to allow us to integrate rescued or newly emerged to adjust to life here at The Center," the girl spoke. "You can thank Brose for this opportunity. I'm Kristyn Keyes, the Commander of The Center. We currently have three bases, each commanded by an emerged such as Max. I'm in over-all command. Officially we are a non-public arm of the Department of Homeland Security. We are affiliated with the US Army, hence our ranks. Because we are base or, like Brose, mission commanders, we command higher ranking Army officers placed under our authority. We remain secret because if the general population learned about us, they might panic. Our primary mission is to protect the people of the United States and the world. Most of our missions have been in the United States. We defend against rogue emerged or organizations that want to use emerged as weapons of terrorism, crime, or world conquest. But we have more freedom than any other emerged we've encountered. We govern ourselves within the laws of the US. We make our own rules as long as they don't conflict with the U.S. Constitution. I stress the word WE because WE do run The Center. You are free to speak your mind or offer suggestions or criticisms. I too want to welcome you on board."

After everyone had left but the Butt Kickers, Brose spoke up. "We'll take you to the wardrobes. We have one for the boys and one for the girls. You'll get your school uniforms and casual clothes as well as toiletries. The uniforms are designed to force us to learn to function as our current gender. Few of us liked it at first, but since everyone is wearing the same thing, we adapted. For those who may not like your new gender, we do allow cross-dressing. If you chose to cross-dress, you will do so fully. There is no half and half during school hours. Afterward, you may dress as you wish as long as you are decent. Dating is allowed. Sexual orientation does not matter. We have gay, lesbian and straight couples. We have a few where the boy prefers to cross-dress so with his girlfriend they appear to be lesbians. As long as the relationships are honest, we accept them. We do not encourage sex, but believe me, we know how horny we teenagers get. Please take precautions to prevent pregnancy. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. One other thing before we go to get you outfitted. Names... Jim,
Nathan, Janice and Sheila, you'll need to choose new names that are gender appropriate by the time we leave the wardrobe. You are not allowed to keep your old name. First and last name are required, a middle name is optional. The rest of you will need to change your last names. If you want to change your first names, you may. Again, do so by the time we're done in wardrobe. After we log you into the computer system, we'll take you to your rooms, then head to the cafeteria for supper."

The newcomers were stunned by the selections in the wardrobes. It was like going to a shopping mall. They began to get an appreciation for the amenities The Center could offer.

Dominic Patrick (aka Franz), Edwin Rome (aka Erwin), Rasputin Beam (aka Janice) and Michael Jones (aka Sheila) emerged from the boys wardrobe. Mindy Worth (aka Gretchen), Casperia Taft (aka Heidi), Damalis Yoder (aka Brigitta), Elaine Adam (aka Elsa), Bonnie (Bones) Rice (aka Jim) and Natalie Davis (aka Nathan) emerged from the girls wardrobe. The talents of the four former emerged AZIF prisoners had been determined. Bonnie turned out to be a healer, Natalie was an eraser, Rasputin (or as he preferred Putin, short for computin) was a Technopath , and Michael was a aerokinetic.

When they reached their rooms, they were surprised by the windows looking outside. The study partner desks with computers was an added bonus. Although utilitarian, the quarters were much better than what AZIF had provided and they were delighted they could decorate the room as they wished.

The cafeteria was beyond their wildest dreams. The selections were enormous and delicious. The number of emerged also surprised them. In AZIF, their numbers had never been large. Now they were surrounded with dozens of emerged who welcomed them without hesitation. Edwin began to think his objections to being in The Center were baseless.

Even more encouraging to the new arrivals was when their fellow students began to request and wear collars to show their support.

*****

President Morales ordered the military to hit every Nazi stronghold. As soon as the prisoners who had been the victims of the Nazi experiments were found, President Morales ordered the immediate dissemination of film and photos of their disfigured bodies letting the Bolivian people and the world know the Nazis had been resurrecting their WWII human experiments. Some had even been used as unwilling organ donors for high ranking Nazis. Others had Gecko DNA injected into them in attempts to regrow severed limbs and organs.

The indigenous population had always been distrustful of the arrogant expatriate Germans and their attitude of racial superiority. Now they had the excuse they needed to vent their frustrations. What the Bolivian army didn't take down, mobs did. Any German estate the Army didn't attack, the local population did. Many Germans were surrounded by outraged mobs as they tried to flee and were beaten to death.

President Morales understood why the US had sent in a unit to take out the base at La Cruz. While not happy, he understood a clandestine surgical strike had been necessary as there were simply too many leaks in the Bolivian government and military. Being a socialist, he intended to make full use of this incident to crush the Nazis and the terrorists they sponsored in Bolivia.

Presided Morales acknowledged US supplied intelligence had enabled him to strike so effectively. Together with the US, they locked down every financial asset the Nazis had spread throughout the world. The role the Nazis had in setting up and sponsoring AZIF shocked the world.

As the Bolivians were spreading out to snuff out the Nazis and AZIF, the analysts at The Center were sifting through and deciphering the downloaded information. Their immediate concern was to locate all AZIF locations in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Canada was embarrassed to learn that AZIF had been using Canada to launch raids and strikes into the US. The Canadian Military in cooperation with the RCMP promptly hit every AZIF site decoded and passed on to them by the analysts. Large sites were surrounded and cut off until superior forces could be massed while smaller were taken down. Few went peacefully but fortunately resistance didn't last long. In most cases, once the troops realized the jig was up, they surrendered or rebelled against any fanatics. A few diehard Nazis actually forced their rebelling troops to run out of their positions to surrender while they used the confusion to escape through secret tunnels.

Mexico moved as quickly as the Mexican Army could so the sites were vacant and burned out by the time they arrived. Virtually all the AZIF troops simply melted away.

In the US, the situation was much like Canada. State and local police cordoned off the AZIF sites and waited for DHS, FBI, and military assistance. There was gunfire exchanged at most locations, but like those in Canada, the resistance quickly crumbled when they realized there was no chance of relief.

The news of the crushing of the Nazi sponsored terrorism made world wide headlines. No country offered asylum to Nazis fleeing Bolivia. All were turned away or arrested to be sent back to face Bolivian justice.

The two Nazi emerged were pinpointed in the US. The Center sent out strike forces to nab them but by the time they reached the sites, they'd fought their way through the cordons the state and local police had established. They used their AZIF troops as cannon fodder to smash through the police lines then fled with a core of hard line dedicated Nazis. Heavily armed, they used hand held rockets to down pursuing helicopters and successfully evaded pursuit. Nazi leadership in the US did the same, evading capture and pursuit.

The information downloaded mentioned secure gathering spots in case their bases were discovered, but no where were the locations pinpointed. Apparently only the leadership and emerged had been trusted with the locations and such information was dispensed verbally on a need to know basis. They had gone to ground, but no one knew where.

*****

James Goldschmidt, aka Prof. Jean Claude Renoir, was also questioned. They found him delighted with playing a part in bringing down the neo-Nazis. With his expertise in archaeology and history, he was offered a permanent teaching position within The Center. He leapt at the opportunity provided to turn his life around.

The adjustment of the ten emerged brought back from Bolivia went rapidly. At the end of their first week, they'd been thoroughly debriefed and even Edwin had fully cooperated. They all went to classes with the other students and quickly adapted to life at The Center. The four who had been resisting the Nazi efforts at brainwashing had their collars deactivated after a week as they seamlessly slipped into Center life. They continued to wear them until they were all released from the requirement. The four who had been brainwashed were melding with the other students but due to the extensive reprogramming they needed it took another week until their collars were deactivated.

The Bolivian German community had so far produced nine emerged. One emerged as African and one as Asian. They were incarcerated and eventually eliminated as being inferior races. Their families were humiliated and lost social status. Six were female to male, Elsa was the lone male to female. For the female to males, the sudden upgrade in status was exhilarating. They went from a prospective life of servitude to one of dominance. Coupled with their talents, they became cocky and elitist. They were tightly controlled by the Nazi hierarchy and kept separate from the general population as they wanted to maintain the secret of the emerged. It also enabled them to monitor the 'superior' Aryans.

Elaine elicited close attention. She was a German emerged. Growing up as a boy he had been indoctrinated in the Nazi Aryan superiority mythos which was definitely male dominated. Females were respected but subservient to the males. It was their duty to produce and provide for new generations of Aryans as well as to support their men. The proud macho life of a dedicated Nazi man was his entire life until he emerged.

Elsa lost stature when she emerged. As an empath she was used to monitor the emerged males. She was also designated as a human breeding machine. Sperm samples were regularly collected from the emerged males and three times she had eggs removed from her womb for freezing for later use. For Elsa, the harvesting of eggs had been painful and humiliating. Her dedication to the Nazi cause was sorely tested by these invasive procedures. Still, she knew she had to outwardly appear dedicated to the cause. What really upset her was that they had not told her she was being impregnated. It wasn't until the morning sickness began that they revealed her condition. From that point on she hated the Nazis. Since then she had been hoping for some way to escape and even contemplated suicide. For her the assault by the Butt Kickers had been a blessing.

Elaine/Elsa had been born into one of the prominent Nazi families and thus had been privy to much of the secrecy. While she didn't know specifics, she knew enough to point the investigators in the right directions with a good idea of what they could expect to find. Her information proved invaluable and her collar was deactivated after two weeks.

Edwin, the other German emerged, had not liked the Nazi philosophy before emerging. As a girl, she had always been relegated to supporting her younger half brothers while her step-mother resented her as a constant reminder that she was her husband's second wife. While she enjoyed being a girl and had desired to be liberated, she couldn't wait to get away from her stifling home.

The first emergence had occurred during a confrontation with her step-mother. The sixteen year old was fed up and during the heated argument, things in the room began bursting into flame. The family barely escaped the inferno that engulfed the house. Fortunately, the Nazi hierarchy had become aware of the emerged and had their eyes and ears open for unusual occurrence. They whisked the frightened girl away from her family. Unfortunately, she underwent second emergence in the SUV transporting her to the base at La Cruz.

The front and rear vehicles in the three SUV convoy were damaged and singed when the middle SUV exploded in a tremendous fireball. They had been off the main road but the jungle within a fifty foot circle was blackened. The bodies of those in the SUV were burned to a crisp and a naked unconscious boy was found inside the smouldering wreckage. Erwin was immediately rushed off and incarcerated as dangerous. The other Nazi emerged had not had kinetic powers so they were quite upset by the incident.

The unexpected sex change messed with Erwin's head. The damage his emergence had done only added to his guilt and confusion. He was angry about being a boy, being sequestered, and being looked on as a freak. It was because of this instability he was barred from going on missions like the other emerged boys. Being told his duty was to protect the emerged portion of the base was aggravating as he was seldom even allowed to go outside. It seemed everything the Nazi hierarchy did negatively impacted Erwin. Anger boiled beneath his skin and he wanted so desperately to lash out at his oppressors. Unfortunately, it was for that very reason he had been kept out of the loop concerning the secret safe spots.

Now that he was in The Center, his actions were still limited but these limits gave him more freedom than ever before. Edwin loved going outside, something denied him in the past. Slowly, his anger decreased and with acceptance by his new peers, the mental instability he'd experienced decreased. But the most effective thing that eased his acceptance into life at The Center was the ability and freedom to cross-dress. Much like Chris/Tina, Edwin spent more time as Winnie. Someone directed him to the Youtube video of the song 'Edwin' by the BLACKSHEEPS. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JvcmicOqkg) Edwin loved it!

The collars came off the student body three weeks after the Bolivian emerged arrived. The new arrivals had merged.

Brose was well aware that the Butt Kickers had done an excellent job in Bolivia. She also knew that the two Nazi emerged as well as dozens of dedicated now highly pissed off Nazi fanatics had escaped the dragnet by being out of Bolivia at the time the Butt Kickers destroyed their main base. Brose was sure they would now do their best to destroy The Center. They had to locate the fugitives before they could reorganize. She spent every spare moment pouring over the data looking for clues or patterns that might give her a hint of where they might be.

Brose and Msg. McNeil were unexpectedly summoned to the Pentagon. Brose was fitted with a new Dress Class A Blue dress uniform. The knee length straight skirt emerged from the gold buttoned snug form fitting jacket. The lower hem of the jacket was even with the bottom edge of the cuffed long sleeved arms with the WO1 insignia sewed on the top outside edge of each shoulder. The matching pumps were not as high as the school uniform booties. Her hair was pulled back and gathered into a bun. The dress ‘pot’ hat fit on top with the brim turned up on the sides and back flaring out flat in front. The white button down collar blouse with a crisp black tie was only visible about her neck. Brose looked quite sharp and professional. She smiled when she saw herself. It had been her plan to land an ROTC scholarship for college. Here she was barely a high school junior and she was an officer in the army!

They flew into Andrews Air force Base where they were met by a driver. Brose checked out the sights as they drove to the Pentagon. After passing through several checkpoints, they were dropped off at a lobby in the massive underground parking area. A major was waiting for them.

"I'm Major Brady," he introduced himself. "We'll discuss why you're here in private. Please come with me."

They stepped into an elevator and proceeded through a maze of halls. After a fifteen minute walk, they were ushered into an ante room where they took seats.

"General Hall wants to speak to you about your mission in Bolivia," Major Brady began. "It seems President Morales was impressed by your success and wants to talk to you. He's on his way here from the Bolivian Embassy. General Hall will be present during your meeting as well as the Secretary of State. Before that meeting, they want to award you medals for your efforts."

"I don't mean to be disrespectful," Brose spoke up. "But my team worked just as hard and faced the same dangers..."

"That won't be an issue," Major Brady smiled as he held up his hand to stop Brose. "Every member of the Butt Kickers not here will be receiving the Bronze Star.”

In a few minutes there was knock on the door and it opened without waiting. In walked a Major General and Colonel Harris. Fortunately Brose was not intimidated by Generals. Major Brady introduced everyone.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” General Hall smiled as he returned their salute. "President Morales will be arriving in about ten minutes so we'd better get down to business. I've been designated to represent the President of the United States, the US Congress, and the people of this country in this matter."

“Master Sergeant McNeil,” Gen. Hall spoke. “It’s my pleasure to award you a silver star for your actions in the Bolivian raid. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir,” McNeil replied as he accepted the award and a hand shake.

"Ms Shamrock, your record is quite impressive," Gen. Hall stated. "I've known about the emerged for several months, but you are the first I've had the pleasure to meet. I still have a bit of difficulty accepting the emerged talents, it all seems so far fetched. Looking at you, I have difficulty believing you are capable of the all you've done. Not that I doubt you have done them, it's just that you don't fit my mental image of Wonder Woman."

The guys all chuckled. Brose didn't know who Wonder Woman was due to her sheltered life before transitioning but she assumed she was somewhat akin to superman.

"It's difficult for me to handle also," Brose replied with a smile. "Being a boy one day and a girl the next is quite disconcerting. Fortunately, most of us make the transition without undo difficulty."

"I can appreciate that, Ms Shamrock. Now I have several awards for you,” Gen. Hall stated as he turned to Brose. “For your actions during the terrorist attack in New Jersey, The United States Army is presenting you with the badge for expert marksman. Included are the component bars that indicate the specific weapons for which you qualified: Rifle, Pistol and Auto Rifle. Next is the Combat Infantryman Badge awarded to soldiers who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of a Special Forces unit of brigade size or smaller. Then because you were wounded in action against an enemy of the United States you’ve also earned a Purple Heart. Lastly, the National Defense Service Medal, awarded for service on active duty during service in the War on Terrorism.”

Col. Harris attached the badges and awards to the uniform jacket Brose wore. "Congratulations, Ms Shamrock," he stated as he shook her hand.

Brose was humbled and merely smiled tightly.

“For your actions in the school and airport terrorist attacks,” Gen. Hall continued. “You’re being awarded the Air Assault Badge and the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge as a high altitude parachute specialist also called HALO Wings. Because you were wounded in this action against an enemy of the United States you’ve also earned an Oak Leaf Cluster for your Purple Heart. Finally, it’s my pleasure to present you with a Silver Star, the third-highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army for valor in the face of the enemy.”

Colonel Harris once more attached the badges and awards to the uniform jacket Brose wore. "Again, congratulations," he declared as he again shook her hand.

Brose was clearly becoming embarrassed but managed a soft "Thank you."

“For your actions in destroying the terrorist base in Bolivia and freeing the prisoners,” Gen. Hall stated. “It is my pleasure to award you and every member of your unit the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. It recognizes military service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror. Because you were again wounded in action against an enemy of the United States you’ve also earned a second Oak Leaf Cluster for your Purple Heart. Finally, it is my pleasure to award you The Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force.”

Col. Harris once more attached the badges and awards to the uniform jacket Brose wore. "Congratulations, Ma'am," he said as again he shook her hand.

Brose smiled tightly and nodded her head to Msg. McNeil. "Thank you, sir," Brose managed to state as she turned to Gen. Hall.

"You're quite welcome, Ms Shamrock," Gen. Hall smiled. "It's not often I have the pleasure of personally thanking a soldier for their outstanding performance. President Morales should be in the conference room now with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense, The Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Homeland Security. When they're ready for us, an aide will knock on the door behind us."

The wait was not too long.

An aide opened the door to the conference room and ushered the five into the room where they formed a line standing at attention. In unison, they snapped a smart salute which was returned by the senior officers.

"I'd like to present Major General Hall, the head liaison between the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security," the aide spoke. "Colonel Harris is General Hall's Executive Officer assigned to the Department of Homeland Defense. Major Brady is General Hall's Executive Officer here in the Pentagon. Warrant Officer Shamrock formed and is in command of the Butkikr's. Master Sergeant McNeil is the second in command of the Butkikr's.

President Morales was clearly surprised to see Brose identified as the commander of the Butkikr's. "Please forgive me for staring," he spoke. "I was aware a female had commanded the raid against La Cruz, but you look too young for such a position. Once we were alerted to your raid, our military was able to monitor the communications of the Nazis and AZIF. They went into a panic after you spoke to them. I heard you ended your message just before you blew La Cruz with a cat growl. After that, at least half their communications mentioned the Cat. I take it you are the Cat?"

"MMRROWWLLL," Brose responded. "Yes sir, it's a nickname the AZIF tagged me with during a previous operation."

"I see," President Morales smiled. "You must be quite formidable to engender such fear in your enemies. I'm glad to be on the same side. I was told that including yourself, there are only twenty members of the Butt Kickers."

"Yes sir," Brose replied. "The unit is small enough to move quickly and large enough to fight effectively."

"I understand you chose the name for your unit," President Morales went on as he stood and approached Brose. "Considering what you have accomplished, it's quite appropriate. I asked to meet you so I could personally thank you for the raid. I also want to present you and your unit with awards. For the members of your unit, on behalf of the grateful people of Bolivia, it is my pleasure to award them The Order of The Condor of the Andes, Collar level. Master Sergeant McNeil, I award you The Order of the Condor of the Andes, Grand Cross level. Warrant Officer Shamrock, I award you with The Order of the Condor of the Andes, Grand Officer level. This is awarded in recognition for exceptional merit, either civil or military, shown by Bolivians or foreign nationals."

"Thank you," Brose replied. "This is a great honor. I'll wear it with pride."

"Believe me, after what your raid revealed to us, this is a mere token of our appreciation," President Morales spoke. "It is our intention to reveal the role the US had in uprooting the Nazis. We will not reveal your name, only say that an elite force of US soldiers conducted the initial raid. I will tell the nation that the US had forewarned me of the operation but due to corruption in the Bolivian Government and military, I kept the raid secret until it began. It will allow me to save face while enabling me to root out the corruption so keeping secrets will not be necessary."

At that point the group was dismissed. They headed back into the ante room.

"President Morales has already begun to purge the military and civilian government employees who had links to the Nazis," Gen. Hall explained. "Most are being dismissed from their positions but a few of the higher rank will be placed on trial for treason. The most important thing is he has the support of the citizens. They're embarrassed he could not trust their military and civilian government to keep the raid secret."

"Make sure the Butt Kickers are prepared," Col. Harris added. "As President Morales stated, the Nazis are aware the Cat struck them. Those who escaped the crackdown are determined to take you down. We're working on a plan to use you and the Butt Kickers as bait to draw them out of hiding. I'll approve expanding the Butt Kickers by ten people, half emerged and soldiers. We'll keep you informed of our plans and you will have input on the operation. For now, add the new members and train."

"Yes sir," Brose replied as she saluted.

During the flight back to The Center, Brose mulled over what she'd been told. After a few moments she decided to consult with her second in command, Msg. McNeil.

"Glenn, I'd like to discuss what Col. Harris told us," she spoke up. "I've been giving it some thought and would like to get your input."

"I've been thinking about it too," McNeil acknowledged.

"I'm not happy about using the Butt Kickers as bait," Brose began. "Personally, I don't mind being the bait, but I feel guilty for dragging the unit into the vendetta. I'll let everyone know and allow anyone to transfer out if they are not comfortable being bait."

"Brose, I don't think anyone will bug out," McNeil smiled. "They'll appreciate your honesty and offer to bail, but they are devoted to you. We all knew you were a formidable fighter, but you proved you're a good unit leader. Even being wounded didn't slow you down. All of us are wondering how you managed to hike out with that bullet lodged in your thigh."

"I'm not sure how I did it," Brose acknowledged. "But I've got tremendous stamina and determination. I try not to worry about how I'm going to do something, I just do it."

"I can't argue with that," McNeil nodded.

"I want to round out the team," Brose smiled. "In Sunny, Shadow, Blaze, and Snow, the Clover quads, we have a photokinetic, umbrakinetic, pyrokinetic and cryokinetic who could boost each other. In Giana and River, the McGuire cousins, we have a geokinetic and hydrokinetic. Tricia Dallas is an electrokinetic, Emo Kirk a projecting empath and Windy Sky an aerokinetic.
If I can convince some of the emerged rescued from the Nazis to join us we can add Dominic Patrick, a dominator; Casperia Taft, a ghost (who was quite naturally called Casper); Damalis Yoder, a damper; Bonnie Rice, a reikikinetic; and Putin Beam, a technopath. Those talents would round out our team and add to our strength."

"They most certainly would," McNeil agreed. "I think they'll jump at the chance to join the Butt Kickers. Only Bonnie and Putin have not had military training so we shouldn't have too much difficulty getting them up to speed."

"True, but we'll have to get all five qualified on weapons," Brose said. "They were not allowed much weapons practice. The Nazis were too afraid of them to arm them. What areas of expertise would be best to add from the soldier side?"

"Well, I'm a Special Forces Engineer," McNeil said. "Cpl. Kalif Habaz is a Ranger Interpreter/Translator, fluent in Arabic. Cpl. Jordon Michael is a Ranger Pathfinder. Pfc. Karen Loose is a Motor transport Operator. Sgt. Jerry High is a Special Forces Communications Specialist. Pfc. Carlos Molina is a Ranger Interpreter/Translator, fluent in Spanish. Cpl. Janet Hills is a Ranger Mountain Warfare Specialist. Sgt. Dwayne Lincoln is a Special Forces Engineer. Pfc. Mandy Patterson is a Ranger Small Weapons Specialist. Sgt. Kevin Hoyle is a Special Forces Weapons Specialist. I think we should add a Ranger Pathfinder, another Spanish speaking Ranger Interpreter/translator, another Ranger Mountain Warfare Specialist, a Ranger Scout and a Special Forces Medical Sergeant."

"That sounds like a good mix," Brose said. "We’ll need to train hard to integrate the new members. I've already sent a message ahead to the Butt Kickers that as soon as we get back to The Center, we'll hold a meeting. I'll give everyone their Bronze Star and let everyone know what's going down. We'll let the soldiers know what specialists we want to add so they can volunteer to join the Butt Kickers. Tomorrow start going through their military resumes to select the appropriate candidates. I'll speak to the emerged we brought back and explain I've been authorized to add five more to the Butt Kickers."

The Butt Kickers were eager to discover what happened in Washington. Brose and Msg. McNeil sent a message for them to meet them in the student cafeteria since the two had been airborne during the evening meal. When they arrived at the cafeteria, they found the Butt Kickers, Kristyn, Max, Ms Fine and Major Baker along with all the students, soldiers and staff gathered.

“I’ve asked everyone here to short circuit the rumor mill,” Kristyn began. “Warrant Officer Shamrock and Master Sergeant McNeil just returned from the Pentagon. President Morales of Bolivia wanted to meet them. Will the Butt Kickers please step forward.”

No one was sure what was going on and waited with baited breath as the Butt Kickers formed a line.

“Warrant Officer Shamrock and Master Sergeant McNeil, please step forward so you can present your troops with their awards,” Kristyn stated. “On behalf of the people of Bolivia, President Morales has awarded The Order of The Condor of the Andes, Collar level, to each member of the Butt Kickers.”

“Master Sergeant McNeil was awarded The Order of the Condor of the Andes, Grand Cross level,” Kristyn spoke as Brose and McNeil went down the line presenting the award and shaking hands. “Warrant Officer Shamrock was awarded The Order of the Condor of the Andes, Grand Officer level. These are awarded in recognition for exceptional merit, either civil or military, shown by Bolivians or foreign nationals."

Everyone applauded.

“For the Butt Kicker’s actions in destroying the terrorist base in Bolivia and freeing the prisoners,” Kristyn stated. “Each member of the unit is awarded the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. It recognizes military service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror. In addition, the US Army has awarded Bronze Stars to each member,” Kristyn continued as Brose and McNeil began to pass out these awards. “Master Sergeant McNeil has been awarded the Silver Star.”

Everyone once again applauded.

“Warrant Officer Shamrock received several awards for her activities on previous assignments as well as for the Bolivian mission,” Kristyn added. “For her actions during the terrorist attack in New Jersey, The United States Army presented her with the badge for expert marksman including the component bars that indicate the specific weapons for which she qualified: Rifle, Pistol and Auto Rifle. Next was the Combat Infantryman Badge awarded to soldiers who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of a Special Forces unit of brigade size or smaller. Because she was wounded in that action against an enemy of the United States she also earned a Purple Heart. Lastly, the National Defense Service Medal was awarded for service on active duty during service in the War on Terrorism.”

Everyone applauded as Brose blushed.

“For her actions in the school rescue mission and subsequent airport terrorist attacks,” Kristyn continued. “She was awarded the Air Assault Badge and the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge as a high altitude parachute specialist also called HALO Wings. Because she was wounded in that action she earned an Oak Leaf Cluster for her Purple Heart. Finally, she was awarded a Silver Star, the third-highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army for valor in the face of the enemy.”

The crowd once more applauded as Brose turned bright red.

“For her actions in Bolivia,” Kristyn announced. “Because she was again wounded in action she’s earned a second Oak Leaf Cluster for her Purple Heart. We all hope she stops earning these oak leaf clusters.”

Everyone chuckled as Brose bit her lips.

“Last, Warrant Officer Shamrock was awarded The Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force,” Kristyn stated as she began to applaud.

By this time Brose was near tears.

“Now, the kitchen staff has baked cakes and has everything set up for ice cream sundaes,” Kristyn smiled. “Everyone, please enjoy our thank you party for the Butt Kickers!”

Nearly everyone shook hands with the Butt Kickers. The praise flowed and the Butt Kickers demurred. But everyone enjoyed the cake and ice cream.

*****

"What I have to say is quite serious so please pay attention," Brose began the next morning when the Butt Kickers met. "We know two Nazi emerged and some of the fanatic adult Nazis were not in Bolivia. A few diehards managed to avoid capture. They have 'safe' locations to gather during emergencies, but the locations were never written down. It was all verbally communicated. They've gone to ground and we don't know where they are or how many of them survived. We know they didn't like The Center and they especially hated 'The Cat' before we raided La Cruz. As you know, I identified myself just before we blew La Cruz. They want vengeance against The Center but especially 'The Cat'. The powers that be want the Nazis. After what I saw they did to those prisoners, I want the Nazis. I think you feel the same way."

Brose continued after everyone nodded their agreement. "One possible plan is to use 'The Cat' as bait to draw the Nazis out of hiding. Once we narrow down their location, if possible we would go into the area on a 'different' mission. Airborne troops will be ready to come to our aid but we'll have to hold out until relieved. It will be extremely dangerous as we may not know when or how they'll attack. Because of this, I've been authorised to allow any member of the Butt Kickers to transfer out. Your record will be clean."

The group exchanged looks and head nods, then turned back to Brose and McNeil. "We're staying," the quads spoke as one for the entire group.

"Thank you," Brose smiled. "We were confident you would but had to give you the option. Now, I've been authorized to add ten people to the unit. I have an idea who I want from the emerged and Msg. McNeil will be reviewing files to select appropriate soldiers. For now, just keep your skills sharp. We'll begin intensive training when the expanded roster is filled."

With the meeting over everyone dispersed. Brose headed back to her room. While she no longer took part in regular school classes, she was being home schooled via computer, moving at her own pace. She was actually ahead of those who took regular classes.

After lunch she called a meeting with the ten emerged they'd rescued from Bolivia.

"Thank you for coming," Brose began. "For half of you, this meeting will be short. I've been authorized to expand the Butt Kickers. I need five emerged and I'd like them to come from you. Unfortunately, I'm looking for certain skills to round out the Butt Kickers so some of you will be left out. I feel I owe it to you to be honest so I've asked all of you here so you will not feel I've rejected you. Since the Butt Kickers already have an aerokinetic, an electrokinetic, an empath and a pyrokinetic, that eliminates Michael, Mindy, Elaine, and Edwin. Natalie, while your talent is important, for a first strike unit it is not a priority. Again, I didn't want you to feel slighted by not selecting you, but the good of the unit must come first. If openings become available for your talents, I will ask you. Unfortunately, what I have to say to the others is confidential, so thank you for coming, you can go back to what you were doing."

Brose waited until they left. "I want to add your talents to the Butt Kickers. Membership in the Butt Kickers is voluntary. It also entails becoming a Private First Class in the US Army. As a first strike unit, we undoubtedly will face life threatening situations. You already know what we experienced in Bolivia. You know what we did and how we operate and I've gotten to know you. You are my first choice in each of your talents. You do not have to accept my offer to join the Butt Kickers. No one will think less of you and it will not be recorded in your record. If you'd like to walk away, please do so. The unit can not afford to have anyone who is not fully committed. Take a fifteen minute break and talk it over. If you want to opt out, simply don't come back after the break. Does anyone have any questions before we take the break?"

"I do," said Dominic. "Are the Butt Kickers going to hunt down the Nazis who escaped?"

"I can't give out any details," Brose replied. "But they will be on our radar."

They all nodded their heads. Since there were no more questions they took the break.

"I'm joining,” Dominic said as they got something to drink. "They'll be going after the Nazis. After what they did to us, I want some payback."

"I do to," Damalis said. "But if you go into a fight with vengeance on your mind, you tend to get sloppy. Beside, I don't know if I want to risk dying."

"If we're in the Butt Kickers, we won't get sloppy," Bonnie declared. "Brose drives them hard and they train hard. I have no doubts our thoughts of vengeance will be well tempered by disciplined training. Brose will not let us get sloppy. If anyone gets sloppy, it'll be the Nazis. They'll be out for vengeance. We'll kick their butts!"

Brose waited in the meeting room for the five to return. After sixteen minutes, she became nervous. She hadn't expected they all bug out. After eighteen minutes, she forlornly sighed, gathered her papers, and headed out. As soon as she opened the door, she saw the five snap to attention and salute. They were grinning. Brose chuckled. They'd gotten her.

Once settled back into the conference room, Brose began speaking. "Thank you for accepting my offer. Putin and Damalis, this will be tougher for you since you never had any military training. All of you will have to qualify with weapons. You'll be able to try different types and models and select what you're comfortable using. You saw what the other Butt Kickers carry. They don't go overboard like I do. Just remember, what ever weapons you select will be what you'll use to attack or defend. You'll also have to carry enough ammunition to function for missions. The staff in the armory is quite knowledgeable about all weapons and munitions. They can answer any questions you might have. They'll also assist you with body armor. Let's head down to the firing range. Mr. Weiss has a variety of weapons prepared for you to try out. We'll see what we can do."

When they arrived at the firing range, Brose introduced everyone and explained that the five were the newest members of the Butt Kickers. Mr. Weiss understood what that meant. Laid out on a long table were a variety of hand guns, rifles and everything in between. The first thing he did was explain fire arm safety. Brose left as Mr. Weiss taught the basics. By supper time, all had tried out each weapon. Tomorrow, they would begin narrowing down their selections to their personal choices.

Brose headed to the office to begin the procedure to have the newbies enlisted in the Army and the Butt Kickers. When she was done, she joined McNeil as he reviewed the files of the soldiers who had volunteered to join the unit. He'd already narrowed the choices. Together, they made the final selections. Sgt. Carol Dunham was a Special Forces Medical Sergeant, Pfc. Herb Stamos was a Ranger Pathfinder, Pfc. Enrique Hernandez was a Ranger Interpreter/translator fluent in Spanish, Pfc. Jorge Melendez was a Ranger Mountain Warfare Specialist, and Pfc. Kyle Smith was a Ranger Scout. McNeil would personally let them know tonight so they could make the necessary transfer arrangements.

The next morning, Brose checked in with the emerged technogeeks to review their progress in locating the escaped Nazi emerged. They had a lot of stale leads but nothing to indicate where they were or where they were heading. Brose spent the morning reviewing the data.

As she ate lunch she had an eureka moment. As soon as she finished she headed back to the intelligence department. But instead of looking at the dead leads on the Nazis, she used a secure computer to check out DEA records. Things began to fall into place but getting what she felt was there was beyond her capabilities. Frustrated, she contacted Kristyn and asked to speak with her.
“Thanks for seeing me,” Brose said as she entered Kristyn’s office. “I think I’ve found a way to locate the Nazi emerged but I’m too computer illiterate to check it out. I’ve found a lot of circumstantial hints, but I don’t know how to dig deeper.”

“If you have an idea, let’s hear it, it’s certainly more than anyone else has discovered,” Kristyn replied.

“We found evidence of drug smuggling on the planes the Nazi’s used. Not only the two I took out but also the ones that were impounded in Bolivia, Canada, and Mexico,” Brose explained. “I think the connection to the drug smuggling was more than casual. The drug cartels have distribution networks throughout the world that work under the radar because nothing is in writing. They have safe houses all over. Since the Nazis were working with the drug cartels, it occurred to me the Nazi undocumented safe havens could be those set up and operated by the cartels. It’s a successful operational network for moving drugs and money that also acts as an escape route for cartel personnel being hunted by the DEA. The people running the safe houses have nothing to do with the illicit activities other than to keep the location functioning as a safe house. If one site gets exposed, another quickly takes it’s place. I strongly suspect the Nazi emerged and diehard’s safe houses are the same as the cartels.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” Kristyn said. “Head back to intel. I’ll call Major Hanover, our head of Military and DHS Intelligence and let him know I want him to set people to work on your idea. Show him what you have and let them run with it.”

Major Hanover was a bit embarrassed that no one in his department had thought of seeking out a connection between the drug cartel safe house network and the neo-Nazis. It just made so much sense. After thanking Brose he set the wheels in motion to connect the dots in the cartel drug system.

True to her word, Brose worked the five new emerged Butt Kickers. Brose was with them every step of their training, both on the weapons ranges and the obstacle courses as well as combat skill training. The new soldiers also integrated into the unit by training hard with the existing members. By the end of two weeks, they were melding as a thirty person unit.

For the third and fourth week Brose arranged for off site training near the Beta Site. The experiences in Bolivia had convinced Brose the unit needed to learn some white water and coastal rafting skills. They spent the first day learning basic terminology, equipment and safety. The second day was practice on a small lake. After that, they headed out on actual rivers. They trained through the first five of six grades of difficulty in white water rafting, ranging from simple to very dangerous and potential death or serious injuries. Grade 1 has very small rough areas and requires slight maneuvering, a very basic skill Level. Grade 2 has some rough water, some rocks, and requires some maneuvering needing basic paddling skill. Grade 3 has whitewater, small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger and requires significant maneuvering needing experienced paddling skills. Grade 4 has whitewater, medium waves, rocks, a considerable drop and sharp maneuvers are needed needing whitewater experience. Grade 5 has whitewater, large waves, large volume, possibility of large rocks and hazards, possibility of a large drop and requires precise maneuvering needing advanced whitewater experience. Class 6 rapids are considered to be so dangerous as to be effectively unnavigable on a reliably safe basis. Rafters can expect to encounter substantial whitewater, huge waves, huge rocks and hazards, and substantial drops that will impart severe impacts beyond the structural capacities and impact ratings of almost all rafting equipment. Traversing a Class 6 without serious injury or death is widely considered to be a matter of great luck or extreme skill. By the end of the second week of raft training, the unit was competent in handling white water.

*****

Brose’s suspicions about the cartel safe house system being the Nazi system proved true. When the researchers plugged in all the data they had accumulated tracing down leads on the fleeing Nazis, a cartel safe house was within a half mile. Their research also revealed the DEA did nothing about these safe houses. All the indicators pointed to corruption within the DEA that allowed the cartel system to function freely.

Part of the Butt Kicker’s training was to bring every unit member up to speed on parachute deployment, specifically HALO jumping. The unit spent two weeks taking advanced training in all aspects of this dangerous but exciting activity.

Four weeks after Brose made her suggestion about the cartel/Nazi link, evidence was pouring in. The Nazi emerged and adult fanatics were hiding out in Mexico. The strangle hold the cartels had on many locales allowed them to do almost anything they wanted. Many local Mexican officials and a lot of people in positions of authority in the federal government and military were on the cartel payroll. There was no way a military intervention could be staged.

Brose kept reviewing the information the intel unit was gathering on the where-abouts of the fugitive Nazis. Since everything they found pointed to the Mexican drug cartels, particularly the Sinaloa Cartel, as the ones who aided their escape from the US and Canada via their safe house network, they would know where the Nazis were hiding. A plan began to form in her mind to get the information. Accordingly, she asked to meet with Kristyn and Ms. Fine.

"Thank you for seeing me," Brose addressed them two days later. "I have an idea to nab the fugitive Nazis and their two emerged."

"It better not be too dangerous," Ms. Fine declared knowing how things with Brose usually ended.

"To start, no," Brose replied. "Later, most likely. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. All we need to do now is to get the Sinaloa Cartel to tell us where the Nazi's are hiding."

"How do you suggest we do that," Kristyn smiled knowing how Brose seemed to sniff out paths others didn't see.

"The data we've been collecting on the cartels from the DHS, FBI, CIA, DEA, and the military revealed the safe house system the Nazis used to flee," Brose explained. "The safe houses they used were all part of the Sinaloa Cartel. Mining the same data, we should be able to trace the smuggling routes the Sinaloa Cartel is utilizing. We begin by pin pointing when and where the drugs are coming into the country, then use the spy satellites to watch the routes so we can pick up when someone is crossing the border. Once we establish how to do that, we expand the surveillance and hit every illegal border crossing. We anonymously turn the info over to locals to do the busts. At the same time, I visit an upper level Sinaloa Cartel member in the Federal Prisons. I tell them what we're doing and why so they can relay that info to the cartel leadership. I'll also let them know I'd like to speak to the cartel heads to discuss the Nazis and their location."

"To do that, the Butt Kickers would head down to Playas, New Mexico to take the training courses offered there," Brose continued. "The Butt Kickers can stay in the area practicing mountain and desert skills. Two days a week we'd be next to the border. The cartel leadership can meet us to negotiate while staying on their side of the border. That's a rough outline of my idea, which I'll flesh out as we go. Also, I’d like for the Butt Kickers to HALO jump into Playas in full combat gear, landing at least ten miles out in the mountains then hike in. It’d be a great practice as I have a feeling we’ll need to Halo jump to get to the Nazis."

"It might work," Kristyn agreed. "I'll give you and the Butt Kickers the authorization to do as you planned. Understand this is NOT authorization to go after the Nazis. Fighting would only be for self-defense. Any offensive action needs to be okayed by me."

"Understood," Brose agreed. "We'll get right on things."

*****