Page 41 of Desperate Creed

“Are you okay?” Hannah asked, again, but she didn’t attempt to climb the stairs. She’d give her space. In the beginning, Brodie had flinched from their touch, not used to being hugged. Actually, she wasn’t used to being touched without it coming with pain.

She nodded that she was okay. She tried to relax and breathe. Tried to calm the pounding of her heart. Then she realized Hannah might not be able to see her nod in the shadow of the stairwell. She felt Isaac lean against her, and something brushed her on the other side. It was Thomas squeezing in between her and the railing. He was rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Now, Brodie hoped Hannah wouldn’t be upset that she had wakened the boys.

“I’m okay,” she said.

Before she tried to explain, Isaac asked, “Can’t sleep?”

He said it like one kid to another.

Brodie looked down at him and nodded.

“Monsters?” Thomas asked from the other side.

She startled at his question. What did he know about monsters?

“When we’re afraid of monsters hiding in the closet or under the bed, mom says we should sing.”

“Sing?” Brodie was sure she hadn’t heard him correctly. His voice was as groggy as his eyes.

“Something cheerful,” Isaac told her as he reached over and began petting Kitten.

“Yeah,” Thomas said. “Monsters hate when boys and girls are happy. They want us to be afraid.”

“You know what else helps?” Isaac looked up at her, genuinely serious about helping her.

“What?” Brodie asked.

“Milk and cookies.”

“That’s right,” Thomas agreed. “Mom, Brodie needs some milk and cookies.

She realized she wasn’t shaking anymore. Kitten purred beneath her fingers. As silly as it seemed, she suddenly felt safe flanked by these two boys and a cat. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light and the continuous flicker from the outside. Down below she could finally see Hannah’s face. Despite the furrowed brow, Brodie could see she was smiling.

29

South of Montgomery, Alabama

Creed was surprised to find less than a dozen guests in the hotel’s breakfast area. He told the sheriff last night that he didn’t want to take two rooms away from people who may have been affected by the tornado. The sheriff assured him that most of the other first responders and volunteers were close to home or staying with family. From the half empty parking lot, he realized there were very few travelers. Yet, as soon as he and Grace walked into the dining area a manager rushed up to him.

“Sir, we don’t allow dogs in the public areas.”

“She’s a working dog.”

The man looked down at Grace, and she wagged at him as if showing off her vest.

“Sorry, rules are rules.”

He was about a decade older than Creed and a head shorter, but he stared up at him with unflinching authority. He didn’t seem to mind that he had the attention of all his guests. The place had gone so quiet that a clink of a fork against a plate sounded like thunder. Before Creed could answer, Jason came around the corner with Scout at his side. The man’s head spun so quickly Creed almost laughed.

“Mornin’,” Jason said to both of them. Then he noticed the whole room watching and stopped.

“No dogs are allowed . . .” the man paused when his eyes caught a glimpse of the black mechanical hand at the end of Jason’s shirtsleeve.

Creed was curious to see if it would change the man’s mind.

“These dogs aren’t allowed in the public areas.”