{Wattpad Featured Story}
Nolan Clay was convicted of murder and dishonorably discharged from his marksman position in the Navy SEALs all in one night...for a crime he didn't commit. After spending ten years in prison, all Nolan wants to do is live a...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Toby pulled into his aunt and uncle's driveway, relishing in the crisp Virginia air. Maddie and James had invited him over for dinner and if he were honest, he was dreading it.
Ever since he'd left Nolan and Grace the day before, his conscience was at war. He knew they would try to stop Colossus on their own. If Howard knew what they were up to...
Toby shook his head and clamored out of his rusted Ford. He walked up to the Winlow's old-fashioned porch, a tinge of nostalgia filling his memories. He'd spent a lot of time here in his younger days. Since Maddie and James never had any children, he usually filled in as their surrogate son...whether he liked it or not.
He rang the doorbell and waited.
When Maddie answered the door, tears were already filling her eyes as she gave Toby an unearthly tight squeeze
"I'm so glad you're okay!" She said and held him at arm's length. Her gaze suddenly turned fierce. "You are okay, aren't you?"
"I'm fine, Maddie."
"Well come on in, I've got dinner cooking. They serve some weird stuff in Greece; it's about time you got a good meal."
She stepped aside and Toby entered.
James came from downstairs, his head as bald as ever and sporting a bushy beard. "There he is! The man who survived the Kavala EMP."
"Ha. Yeah..." Toby had been trying not to think about it.
They gathered at a circular table that was entirely too small for all the food Maddie had prepared. A ham sat in the center surrounded by corn, salad, soup, and cake.
"So what are you two doing off of work?" Toby asked, realizing it was a Wednesday. "Does the CIA not operate in the middle of the week?" He teased.
Maddie and James exchanged glances.
James sat up and folded his beefy hands together. "We...resigned."
Toby froze. "What? Working for the CIA was your dream."
"Was is the correct term." James replied, his brow settling low on his forehead. "They made us issue the missile strike when everyone knew you were in there. These are dire times...and they were making us do things to compensate for it."
"We couldn't do it anymore." Maddie said, her voice spiking a notch. "We could've killed you, Toby. And Nolan. Howard was forcing us to go against every moral we have." She gave a shrug. "It just wasn't worth it."
"Hmm." Toby nodded. His time in Kavala seemed so distant. His life in the States was like a fog now; he was still getting used to it. "Have you heard from Katie?"
Maddie smiled. "Oh yeah, she called here almost every day since she heard about the attacks. Didn't want her fiancée to be trapped in a city with crazy bombers. We didn't tell her about your mission or anything, of course."
