Page 135 of Creed

“Holy shit!” Bolton cried out.

“So, are we going to slit throats today?” Axton asked again.

“Hooah!”

As the pilot shut the doors Axton was still high on adrenaline.

“Lets put those pansy ass Seals to shame and finish what they started!”

“Hooah!”

“Whose the baddest special ops in the military?”

“Delta Force!”

“Who has full military support for this mission?”

“Creed’s Lake!”

The jet took off quickly and the adrenaline was flowing high in the jet. Our jet landed at a US Garrison in Al-Tanf and the Army had everything ready for us to go including five black hawks. For the first time in our history the Army accepted our evacuation plan and soon we were on our way.

“Do not second guess! See someone, take them out! We do not have room for error. We have six members of the United States Military counting on us! Remember the plan! Repel, fight, retrieve, evacuate!” Axton was yelling over the noise of the helicopter. “We have backup this time! We will safely evacuate! Retrieve and go! Air support will be watching, and the US Army wants their fucking hero back! He is the focus, but grab every damn soldier you can find! Make this a monumental Delta Force mission!”

“Hooah!”

“Who are we bringing home?” He yelled out.

“A fucking hero!”

“Hooah!” Axton yelled out.

“We’re approaching the drop zone, sir!” The pilot said.

I looked at each member and memorized their faces just in case. My eyes went from Jennings, to Bolton, to Irons, to Axton, to Baros, and finally Granger. I thought of Morgan and Addie as I watched each team member repel onto foreign soil for possibly the last time. It was my last time in a Black Hawk Helicopter, and I was more than fine with it.

Morgan

I didn’t know if I could stay at Creed’s Lake. I wasn’t doing well, and they raised the lockdown level again three daysago. The community center shut down after dinner every night and we were to stay in our homes. I was losing the freedoms I needed. Without Creed I couldn’t function. Axton wasn’t answering my calls. Everyone else was sent out on an emergency mission three days ago. I was cut off from the world.

I slept most of the time. Zoey came every single day to check on me. Stephanie was trying to talk about funeral arrangements, and I couldn’t do it. Not yet, I wasn’t ready. Axton made me a few promises and I needed to know if those were going to be fulfilled before I decided on anything. No, I didn’t call his mother, his uncle, or his grandparents. None of them needed to go through the hell I was living until there was word from Axton.

I tried to be strong for Addie, but I already hit my breaking point. Schools still didn’t start up, even though the news said the military had rounded up most of the terrorist cells. A lot of countries were already back to functioning like normal, but we were meant to take the heaviest hits. We had the most terrorist cells.

Nikko was constantly at my side. She would howl all night if I didn’t let her sleep with me. Addie knew something was wrong, but I refused to tell her anything until I heard from Axton.

Everything was so quiet. People were already grieving, and it made me angry. My greatest fear was that something happened to Axton and that as why he hadn’t called and they took off so fast on a mission. It had to be something big for all the Originals to take off so quickly.

I had just finished my shower after putting Addie to bed. The babies were being active as I looked in the mirror at my swollen stomach. I was huge, but I loved being pregnant withhis babies. I could see a foot move and even see the outline of it. They didn’t have much room in there because Creed was such a big man. They were taking after their daddy already.

I looked in my drawer and wanted something comfortable. Nothing with a waistband felt comfortable so I pulled out the one maternity satin gown and robe I had and put them on.

I waddled my way downstairs where my dad and Uncle Darren sat and drank coffee. “Are you guys asking to be up all night?” I took a glass from the cupboard. They probably didn’t know what to think when I walked downstairs. I was in our bed most of the time and didn’t have the strength to do much of anything. My grief had finally taken hold, and I couldn’t fight it.

“We have reason to believe we may be up for awhile. What about you? Are my grandbabies keeping you up?” Dad asked.

I filled my glass with water. “Something like that, I guess.”

My dad and Uncle Darren were on babysitting duty since Josh was gone and Patrick had a shift in Clarity.

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