Chapter 21

‎After taking a day off to fish, I was all clean and well rested. I also had drank a boat load of coffee while waiting for my first volunteer applicant. It was just my luck that the first one was a woman. I had real reservations. Not about her sex, but about her mental health.

‎It seemed that Lucinda Mercer was US Army combat veteran who had been declared disabled. She had a chunk of her leg blown away by an IED somewhere in Afghanistan. She was suffering from the same things as me only worse.

‎‎”Ms Mercer I have read your record and it is very impressive,” I said.

‎‎”You are impressed by the fact that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time?” she asked.

‎‎”Actually yes,” I said. “Just being willing to go out on search and destroy missions takes balls.”

‎‎”Stupidity is more like it,” she said. “But thanks Anyway.”

‎‎”So are you bored sitting at home?” I asked.

‎‎”Are you?” she asked showing some attitude.

‎‎”I’m so bored, I’m almost clinically depressed,” I admitted.

‎‎”Yeah, I get that,” she said. “So how does this gig work?”

‎‎”Well a couple of days a week, you will need to go hang around a day care for kids from single parent homes. It isn’t a day care as much as a short term sanctuary for a while. Our mission is to keep them safe from the world.” I explained.

‎‎”If somebody comes in with a gun?” she asked.

‎‎”The simple answer is they go out in a body bag. The real answer is harder to explain and to hear.‎ Then you have to be a shrink. If you can’t talk them down, you take measures. The first choice is non lethal, but if it is a matter of the bad guys or the kids ... Well then you do what you can live with.” I explained.

‎‎”So, I get my chance to turn the therapy on to someone else. If that don’t work, I get to beat hell out of them. If that don’t work, then I get to blow them away,” she said. “I like that.”

‎‎”Understand, we will still have to answer to the law, and in the end to God” I said. “But one thing about this is I don’t think the people we protect will spit on us.”

‎‎”Count me in. I can clear my busy rehab schedule just pick a couple of non consecutive days for me to work,” she said.

‎‎”Cool, they said they have no problem with us doing business on cell phones, but let’s not abuse that,” I said.

‎‎”When do I start?” she asked.

‎‎”It’s going to be a while. We need to be fully manned before we go in to protect the kids,” I said.

‎‎”Half a loaf is better than starving,” she said.

‎‎”I want a team of five before we start the protective service,” I said. “Right now they keep a low profile and move the site of the day care every couple of days for security.”

‎‎”That’s got to be a pain in the ass,” she agreed.

‎‎”Yes, but it has to be done till we get certified by the Sheriff,” I said. “So make an appointment with the range officer.”

‎‎”You going with me,” she asked. Something about her asking me that rang a warning bell.