Page 74 of Creed

Creed had been quiet since the time he spent in the off limits room. I glanced at him and saw he looked nervous, but it was about more than Addie. It was written all over his face.

“What’s wrong, Creed?”

He glanced at me, drew in a deep breath and let it out. “I wanted to talk to you about something after Addie was settled, but something has come up and I need to…” He shook his head. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

I smiled over at him. “Yeah, I think I caught that.” I squeezed his hand.

“I hope you understand there are things I don’t tell you. Things that I knew I could eventually share, but the timing was all wrong. Of course, you already know I deal with some highly confidential things I could never tell you as well.”

I nodded my head. “That’s what you’ve always said, but you’re scaring me right now. Are you going on a mission or something?” My heart was racing.

“Its something I thought wasn’t necessary to tell you at first but…but after last night I think you should know before we bring Addie home. I thought the long drive would give us some time uninterrupted.”

“Okay, lay it on me gently.”

He squeezed my hand, glanced at me, then his eyes met the road again. “You know I wasn’t actually in the service long enough to officially retire. I just didn’t re-up when it was my time.”

“Yes, I understand that, Creed.”

He squeezed my hand again. “Just because someone is honorably discharged and given the DD214, doesn’t always mean the military is done with them. A little less than two years after my military separation, I was called back up and sent back to Afghanistan. After that obligation was fulfilled, I thought I was done again.”

“They can legally do that to you?” I asked.

He sighed. “Its perfectly legal with an executive order. In all, they called back two hundred and seventeen men. I was one of them. Axton ran everything here with the help of all the Originals. I was gone for six months. I wasn’t home for another whole year when I was called up again, but this was different. I was called back to duty, again. Not to be an active soldier, but to assist a very high ranking General with a Special Tactics Squadron. As you may have noticed, I visit that locked room daily, but last night was the first time I was needed to command a small mission since you arrived to stay with me.”

My heart may have flat lined. “Creed, are you trying to tell me you are still in the military? Like, active duty?”

He shook his head. “Not active duty per se, more like constantly on standby. I help command missions from that room, and from time to time, I am expected at the Pentagon. This Squadron is very elite, and very few people know it exists. I was called back up by the executive order of the President. Ididn’t choose it, and definitely wasn’t given a choice. I was still within the risk time of being called back up the first time, and that started the clock all over again. Axton is the only person, other than you now, who knows I am again serving the military.”

“Wait, if its top secret, then why are you telling me?” My heart was shattering.

“You deserve to know everything about me, and you know why, Morgan.” He glanced at me then back to the road. “You’re…well I guess I’m trying to say we both feel it, but I can’t move forward until you know everything about me.” He glanced at me again and I knew my eyes were huge. “You don’t have to say anything, just know that I’m open to it, but until you know everything I am free to share about myself, we can’t take this anywhere.”

“You’re free to tell me about a top secret squadron you command?” I was confused, but I didn’t miss a word he just said about us.

“I’ve only told you what I am permitted to say to those closest to me. Its typically just our next of kin that know we are actively serving. Axton is the only person close enough to me to be listed as my personal contact in my official paperwork since I don’t have any family. He knows you’re being told, but none of the other Originals or anyone in the community knows, and that’s for a certain reason. I just need you to keep this to yourself.”

“Why?” I had mixed emotions. He was telling me this for a reason, something was happening.

“Not only because of the nature of what I am doing, but we have a strict policy of not hiring active service members. Mostly because it would be frowned upon by the military,and we count on the contracts we have with them. Do you remember meeting Denny?” He asked and I nodded my head then whispered yes.

“His brother is a member of Delta Force. He followed in his big brothers footsteps. He wanted to prospect because he was on a special project at Camp Atterbury for a few months. It was unusual for a member of Delta force to be assigned to a base operated by the National Guard. Prospects aren’t paid, but their living expenses and insurance are covered, but they aren’t under a long term contract. We turned him away, but invited him to join once he separated from the Army. It was to avoid any issues with the Military. Since I was called back, I didn’t fall under the same scrutiny as an enlisted man. He’s serving in the middle east right now, but once this tour is over, he can choose not to re-up and get his discharge papers. We felt there would probably be some pushback if we were open about my current status.”

I swallowed hard. “What does this mean, Creed?”

“After what I learned last night, I’d like you and Addie to live in my home on Creed’s Lake, because in six weeks, I won’t be around for an undetermined amount of time. I don’t want to have to worry about you and Addie living on your own. You’re safe in my house, the community provides the structure Addie needs, and you said it yourself. You feel like you can live a semi normal life inside the community. You’ll have all the Originals to watch over you and that would make leaving a little easier on me.”

I started to cry. “Where are they sending you?”

He shook his head slightly. “I can’t tell you anything other than it’s not on American soil.”

I let go of his hand and reached for my handbag to get a tissue. “What will you tell everyone?” I pulled out a tissue and used it to wipe my nose. I hated the way I no longer could control my emotions.

“Axton and I spoke last night, I will tell the Originals in a few days. We will make a decision together on what to tell everyone else.”

I shook my head as I cried. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I knew there would be a mission, but I never thought this would happen. It won’t be like it is with the others, will it?”

I went to one send off during my time at Creed’s Lake. The mess hall served up a huge breakfast in the middle of the night, and when it was time for the operatives to leave, they boarded a small bus, and everyone waved goodbye. Then four days later, they came back, and we all enjoyed a very nice cookout at the beach to celebrate their return.

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