Page 58 of Irons

“What?” Addie asked.

The last person on earth I would tell about lawn jarts, and bb gun wars was Addie.

“Outrun Wrenly so the other kids didn’t tease me.” I sort of lied. “Girls have it easier because nobody laughs if they’re the slowest.” I explained.

Creed just sat back and watched as he listened to us talk about our childhoods.

“That not fair.” Addie said.

Wrenly gave me the warmest smile. “Uncle Travis was better than any other friend I had in my whole life. He was way better than any of the girls. That’s why he was my best friend, and I never replaced him after he moved away. He is the only person that could ever be my best friend, so that’s why we have to be nice to boys. They might be the best friends you ever had, then you miss them terribly when they’re gone.” I could hear the pain in her voice, and it broke my heart.

“That sad.” Addie frowned.

Wrenly’s eyes lit up. “But I have him back now and neither of us are leaving. We don’t want to say goodbye again.”

Addie yawned then looked up at me. “I be sad if you gone.”

“I don’t plan to go anywhere. How about you head on up to bed and I’ll see you tomorrow?”

She looked at Wrenly then me. “You my best guy.”

“Let’s go, kiddo.” Creed spoke up and Addie whipped her head around.

“Otay, wets go Niko.” She kissed my cheek then headed upstairs with her German Shepherd pup trailing sleepily behind her.

Creed looked at me. “Thanks for stopping in every night. I know it can be a hassle when you’ve got your own life to live. Ireally do appreciate it, she sees all of us as one big family and has a fit if she goes one day without seeing you.”

I stood and pushed my chair in, Wrenly doing the same. “It’s not like I care to go a day without seeing her too. Any updates on the adoption?” I always worried it would fall through.

“Not yet, the social workers are still looking for an independent contractor to do the home study. They had one, but I guess the lady quit the agency and the others have a longer wait list than the last one they tried. I’m used to pulling strings to get shit done, but this is out of my hands.” He walked us to the door.

“Thanks for the cobbler.” I chuckled. Creed wasn’t exactly the kind of man to bake.

“That’s the one and only time I bake a damn thing.”

Quick Moves

Wrenly

Most evenings went the same. We worked at the shop, he went to see Addie, then went to the command center to check in before he went home. On some nights he had late meetings, and we didn’t get home until nearly midnight.

It was Friday, and Jennings took us to the K-9 training center. He wanted to show us what kind of work they were doing with their K-9 operatives, but it was an extra special treat because Addie was there for hers and Niko’s training.

I was absolutely amazed. Addie stood next to Niko and one of the trainers walked up to Addie and shook her hand. All Niko did was sit up straight and watch closely. Then the trainer made a quick move toward Addie and Niko jumped into action so fast I almost missed it. She had that trainer down on the ground in a second.

Then we watched as Addie gave commands in sign language. That little girl was amazing and very dedicated to Niko, and vice versa. Then I was surprised to learn that Addie was helping train the other dogs. She was only seven years old, and I was shocked she had the discipline to learn and then help train.

When Addie left, the trainer explained they hoped more operatives would welcome the dogs to their homes and fosterthem until they are placed with the proper people. I saw more than one breed of dog, some looked like they could have been shelter dogs of mixed breeds. I raised my hand and asked about those dogs in particular and was impressed with the answer.

“Many of these dogs were obtained through a prison training program. They received their general manners training through them and were ready for our K-9 program. Right now, we have two that are trained to help with people who are blind. We hope to obtain more, because we learned many of the children in the DV program have disabilities. They need dogs that can also provide protection for them once they leave Creed’s Lake.”

He went on to explain that many veterans suffer from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, and they worked with the state prisons to provide emotional support dogs for those in need. It was a project Creed was asked to participate in by the Director of Veterans Affairs when he was visiting the Pentagon right before his last mission. It sounded like the military and government still wanted a piece of Creed.

That was the last part of our day, and we were released from training for the weekend. Travis had two teams going out on a mission in the morning, so I had to meet him at the command center to finalize the mission plans with all the Originals. Since it was a big mission, Felicity and Steph were preparing for their send-off party in the early evening. I learned they only did the send offs when it was a risky mission, and they did it early so the operatives were home in time to rest. There would be another one upon their return that would be a little more like a party than the sendoff.

I got to sit through the pre-mission briefing, which was interesting. I got to see Travis doing what he was meant to do, not just making business calls at the bike shop.

Watching Travis stand up and point at a map as he explained the mission plan, did something to me. Well, watching Travis do anything did something to me, but I got to see that part of him, and he was brilliant. As he spoke, I’d think I’d see a flaw in the plan, but he was five steps ahead of me and had the right plan and my judgement was premature. Not one person, other than Travis, spoke with any concerns. That was when I learned that Magnus was going on the mission. He volunteered because he hadn’t been on one in a long time, and that did not sit well with the operatives.

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