The Next Generation: The Legacy (Book 3)

Chapter 1 - First impressions.

Freddie

Christa went on honeymoon, which gave me some time to sell the house and buy something more my style. I kept some of the furniture that Miller and I got years ago, and I kept all the gaming equipment, but I sold the rest. My new home was comfortable, but it was quiet and I kind of missed our dog Quila, but she had a good home and I could see her at the station. I pondered getting a pet then decided to rather get a housemate.

I was going to work long hours again very soon and if I got a pet, I wouldn’t be able to give it the attention it needed. At least if I had a house mate, I wouldn’t have to worry about whether it was fed. I was nervous about going back, but when I mentioned it to Christa at the wedding, she seemed excited to have me back. I still had to see my therapist once a week, but I had been declared fit for duty and, if I was really honest with myself, AI was excited about going back.

I used the last of my free time to make sure I had everything for work, and when I walked into the station on my first day back, I was ready, but I was very nervous. I met with Christa first and greeted everyone as I walked into my first morning meeting.

“Good morning, everyone.” Christa smiled as I found a spot in the back of the room.

Chante

I seriously needed to find a place closer to the station! I was running late on my first day thanks to traffic! My mother insisted that I stay with her when I returned from the academy. She had been in such a state after my father’s arrest, that I really had no other choice. I rushed into the station and ended up in the boy’s locker room first! After getting dressed and nearly forgetting half of my things, I ran to the meeting room and made it just as Captain Bradley greeted everyone.

“We are glad you could join us rookie.” She raised a brow, but her eyes were filled with amusement as she started our day. “We have a lot on the books today, so grab your coffee and hold onto your hats. I’m going to run through it all pretty quickly.” Her expression turned serious, and I pulled out my notebook. I stumbled over an officer’s feet as he leaned against one of the back cupboards, and he caught me before I fell flat on my face! Great!

I smiled at him, but he just frowned as he pointed to the front of the room and I noted the empty chairs in the very front. I quickly made my way there under the incredible scrutiny of the captain and took a seat. Here I was thinking my graduation day was the worst! I made notes and tried my best to keep up with the mountain of information we were being given. All around me, officers were listening, but I was the only one writing things down! How the hell did they remember all of it without writing it down?!

“We have a new rookie today. Welcome, Simmons. You will be riding with Officer Campbell today.” Captain nodded to the back of the room and my cheeks turned bright red when I realized it was the man who had caught me! “That’s it, guys. Remember, serve, protect, and don’t get killed.” She ended the meeting and everyone started filing out of the office. I could feel all eyes were on me and, although I couldn’t hear what people were saying, I knew it was about me and my dad. My hatred for him grew by the damn second! He didn’t just ruin his reputation with what he did! He ruined our entire legacy!

“Come on, girlie. We don’t have all day.” A strong voice appeared behind me making me jump, and I could have sworn I saw amusement in his eyes as he took me to the weapons store to grab our kit for the day. I appreciated the fact that he took me through everything we needed, but I knew all of it. After grabbing the bags, we walked to our squad car, and he had me do a run through everything in the car and the way it worked.

“Well done, boot. I’m impressed, and I don’t impress easily.” Officer Campbell smiled, but his face instantly turned serious. “Listen, this is my first day back, and I don’t know what is going on with your dad. I knew him personally and he wasn’t a bad guy. All I need to know is if you are going to be there to protect my six. I’m here to train you and to make sure you are good to hit the streets on your own. So, whatever is going on with your dad won’t affect what you and I do. We have to trust each other. Okay?” He frowned and I nodded.

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” I breathed a sigh of relief as we put our safety belts on, and he pulled out of the parking lot. I was stunned that he actually said something, but I appreciated it more than words could say. It was my biggest fear when coming here. People were going to judge me based on my father’s reputation. That was just a fact. All I could do was to show them that I wasn’t my dad.

Freddie

I knew better than to judge a rookie on their first impression, but this one was different. She was born and bred with blue blood. She was also the offspring of a traitor. When Christa asked if I would train her, I was going to say no at first, but Christa told me that everyone else had already refused. Although I hated her father after what he had been a part of, I believed she deserved a chance. At least, if I trained her, I could also keep an eye on her. I could make sure she wasn’t like her dad.

I could make sure I protected the rest of our people. If we had another traitor in our midst, I wouldn’t allow that! As we drove through the streets of the playground, all the memories of my first day rushed to mind and all I could do was smile. So much had happened since that very first day. Miller and I thought we were untouchable. Christa was the only girl and boy was she a bada$s!

Those first days were probably the best days I ever had in the force. If I had the chance to have them over, I would jump at it! Training rookies was probably the closest I would ever get to it again. That was why I decided to go for it. I appreciated the trust Christa had in me, and it was just what I needed to get back out there. I wanted to do good again. I wanted to do it in honour of Miller. I knew my friend was looking down on me and I didn’t want to disappoint him.