SECRETS: Passion, Deceit, And Revenge (Beauty 0f Life Book 8)

by Laura Acton

  “Yes, sir.”

  Leroux noted the spontaneous, incredulous expressions of hardened, high-ranking officers. His statement was a slam dunk with them. Allowing them time to soak in the details, Leroux indicated to Kenric to bring up two of the five sketches before moving back to the witness stand.

  Once visible, Leroux made more of a statement than question. “When you provided your after-action report from your three months of captivity, you gave detailed descriptions of four men and a partial description of a fifth who were responsible for your detainment and brutal treatment.”

  “Yes.”

  The room all viewed two drawings with numbers on the lower left corners. Leroux questioned, “Can you name either of these men?”

  Dan stared at two men he often observed but never overheard. One of which had played with a Colt and appeared to be in charge. “No.”

  “Are you certain they were in the compound with you?”

  “Yes, sir.” Dan wondered at the strange question. He couldn’t have described them for these sketches if they had not been there.

  Picking up his laser pen from where Dan laid it, Leroux used the light to indicate the men. “For the record, exhibit nineteen establishes Anwar Yassin, Mousa’s right-hand man, and exhibit twenty Donesh Nozari, an associate of Tahir, a known arms dealer, were both present in Mousa’s compound.”

  Kenric brought up the next image. She was under strict orders from CDS McFergus not to show Dan the remaining illustration, and she wholeheartedly agreed. Dan didn’t need to endure viewing the face of the cruel man who mercilessly tortured him with burning needles, especially since they didn’t have a name to place on him.

  “Are you familiar with this man?” Leroux probed showing an image of a man with an x-shaped scar on his cheek.

  Sucking in a breath, Dan clenched his fist. “Yes. Others called him Husain, but I referred to him as Grape Man.”

  “Why?”

  “He taunted me with grapes before whipping me,” Dan replied.

  Blaze gritted his teeth, clamping his jaw tightly. Part of him wished he had killed the pinkyless, scar-faced man when his unit captured him.

  Leroux clarified, “Exhibit twenty-one is entered as Husain Kundi a Pakistan national who is also in the inner circle of Mousa but also has ties with Tahir. We will not bother with exhibit twenty-two, he is an unknown terrorist.”

  Dan breathed easier knowing he would not have to view The One’s face. He worried if he were shown his image he would lose his breakfast which would be humiliating.

  When the eye sketch came up, Leroux asked, “What did you call this man?”

  “Traitor.”

  “Why that name?”

  “He spoke English without an accent. I’ll never forget his voice.”

  “Did you ever view his full face?”

  “No, he always wore a balaclava which only left his eyes visible.”

  “Did he ever interact with you?”

  “Yes. He attempted to intoxicate me with rum as he interrogated me about tanks. Knew I was General Broderick’s son. Thought I could give him details. I threw up on him. He didn’t like it much and knocked me unconscious.”

  Leroux submitted the evidence and asked several questions about how Dan received his orders, why he didn’t report the constant field assignments up the chain of command, and a few other lines of inquiry, finishing near noon.

  Defense counsel, Lieutenant Ruellan kept his cross-examination limited and non-antagonistic. Mostly because not much of what Daniel Broderick testified to so far tied Plouffe to the charges in a concrete way.

  Judge Bellerose called for an hour lunch break. All rose as he and the five panel members exited. Plouffe was escorted into the holding area by Angus and Russ and turned over to Montoya.

  Blaze strolled over and placed a hand on Blondie’s shoulder and locked gazes with him. “You’re done. Do you want to go back to quarters or stay for afternoon testimony?”

  Dan’s eyes flicked away from Blaze to his father who hovered in the back looking as if he wanted to step forward but not wanting to intrude. “Let’s grab lunch, and I’ll decide after.”

  The room empty except for him, Blaze, and the general, Dan strode to his dad and embraced him. “Thank you for being here. I appreciate the support.”

  William’s heart swelled with more pride. “No place I’d rather be, Son.” Stepping back, he noted Daniel’s quizzical expression. “What?”

  Dan chuckled. “There are a thousand places I want to be instead of here and now, but I understand your meaning. Thanks.”

  Patting his son’s back, William grinned. “Your Loving blood is showing. I’ll drive us to lunch.”

  Blaze smiled, pleased to witness those two interacting as they should, as father and son. He fell into step behind them. “I’ll play chauffeur. You two can ride in back. Mason, Winds, and Jim can follow us in the second vehicle.”

  Blowing Off Steam

  31

  January 25

  Club Ed – Courtroom – 1310 Hours

  After forcing themselves to eat a quick lunch, Blaze was the first called to give evidence and stated his name. “Captain Donald Montgomery Blain.”

  Leroux launched right into his inquiry. “Captain Blain, you were Master Corporal Broderick’s commanding officer for the six years he served in the Special Forces, is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Who was your direct CO?”

  “Major Plouffe.”

  “Did the fact Broderick, a soldier under your authority, served continual deployments without adequate R and R concern you?”

  “Yes.” Blaze clenched his fists, glad the table hid them from view.

  “What if anything did you do to resolve your concerns?”

  “I spoke to Major Plouffe on numerous occasions.”

  “How did the major respond?”

  “He told me it was out of his control. Plouffe claimed he was following directives from his superiors.”

  “Did he give you any reason to doubt him?”

  “No.”

  “When the missions piled up, to the point of exhaustion for Broderick, did you ever consider jumping a level in your chain of command?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Did you act upon your thoughts?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Why not?” Again, Leroux understood this would be a point the defense would likely grasp on to, so meeting it head-on made the most sense to him.

  Blaze’s eyes flicked to Sutton and the general. Knowing the truth now, made what he had to say painful. “The paperwork appeared to be in order, indicating General Broderick assigned Master Corporal Broderick. I believed Colonel Sutton did not question the orders as they passed down through him, so I didn’t believe I would receive any support from either of them.”

  “Please explain in more detail why you thought they would not listen.”

  “It is well known the two have a long history as friends, having served in action together. Although it went against all I perceived about both men, my first interaction with General Broderick after Blondie, I mean Master Corporal Broderick, joined my unit set the stage for my belief.”

  “What occurred at that time? And for clarity, moving forward, you may refer to the master corporal by his code name to avoid confusion between the two Brodericks.”

  “After four months with the unit, Blondie was wounded. He was shot in the thigh, among other injuries, as he ran to warn our unit of a trap. While waiting at the hospital, I contacted the general to inform him, believing as Blondie’s father he would want to be told. His ice-cold response raised my hackles.”

  “What did he say?”

  Taking a moment to prepare before speaking words which would hurt both Brodericks, Blaze’s eyes remained on Leroux, unable to witness their reactions. “He said, let me know if he doesn’t make it. I don’t have time to run to the bedside of every wounded soldier.”

  William bowed his head, regretting thos
e words passed his lips, wishing he had rushed to Daniel’s side the moment Blain notified him. A hand on his back caused him to turn to his left.

  Dan kindly patted his father’s back. He comprehended why his dad distanced himself now. He conveyed both compassion and forgiveness in his eyes and touch.

  “Harsh words for a father. Are you aware of why he made the comment?”

  “Not then, but now I am.”

  Leroux briefly led him through a discussion of the threatening photos the general received over the years, then probed, “After Blondie was taken captive, did you request to search for him?”

  “Yes, almost daily I made a plea to Plouffe. Each time he denied my request.”

  “What made you disobey and set out with your unit to locate him?”

  Blaze’s eyes sought out General Broderick. As far as anyone knew, them going rogue never happened. The slight nod from him indicated now was the time for full disclosure. “After almost three months, I concluded the chain of command wrote Blondie off as dead. Brody convinced me otherwise.”

  “You are referring to the late Master Corporal Brody Mikhail Hunter?”

  “Yes.”

  “What caused him to believe Blondie still lived?”

  “Brody and Blondie shared a unique connection. Many times, they would sense when the other was in danger, and their reactions ended up saving each other and members of our unit. Brody became our early warning system whenever Blondie went with other units. Hunter possessed a sixth sense and discerned when things got bad, and as a result, we were prepared when Blondie returned. If Brody claimed Blondie lived, I believed him. Turns out we were almost too late to save him. I should have disobeyed sooner.”

  “What happened upon your return?”

  “The entire unit received base detention, our ranks and pay were frozen for three years and we were ordered to retake protocol exams with passing scores above ninety-five percent. Also, I was required to review all officer code of conduct materials and informed that any future infraction would result in stripping me of my officer’s commission. General Broderick also instructed us to claim our rescue mission was sanctioned by him.”

  “Seems rather light given the seriousness of the charge. Why do you think the general chose that route?”

  “At the time I assumed it was to save face. Though, only he can answer as to his reasons. Anything I say would be speculation.”

  Leroux wrapped up his interrogative and handed Blain over to Ruellan.

  At a loss for how to proceed after Leroux took the wind from his sails on his line of questioning. He had planned to lay out a pattern of disregard for orders and collusion between Sutton and Broderick to undermine Plouffe’s role as Blain’s CO, as Plouffe had insisted. Needing to regroup, he rose and said, “Your Honour, no questions at this time, however, I retain the right to recall the captain at a later point.”

  Leroux, called Winds next. After he was sworn in, Pierre said, “Please identify yourself for the court.”

  “Master Warrant Officer Nathan Lee Simons.”

  As Leroux questioned him about Blondie’s time in the unit and the comments Plouffe made in the church, Winds could not keep the disdain he felt for Plouffe from his voice or from glaring at the bastard.

  When the prosecution handed Simons to him, Ruellan stood and thought he might have the first break of the day. “Master Warrant Officer Simons, your record indicates Major Plouffe demoted you many times over the years for insubordination when you blamed him for Broderick’s assignments. What prompted your disrespectful behavior to a superior?”

  Winds snorted and wished the death penalty had not been abolished for treasonous bastards. Snidely, he said, “Minor Puffy is no one’s superior.”

  Judge Bellerose admonished, “Master Warrant Officer Simons you will show the proper decorum in these proceeding or I will hold you in contempt.”

  “Yes, Your Honour.” Winds took a breath to calm the storm building inside him, and when he didn’t answer the question, defense counsel reiterated. Winds, said, “Well, I find it hard to respect a man who will not fight for the welfare of the men under his control. Plouffe’s deeds and words displayed he didn’t give a damn about those under him.

  “He repeatedly put Blondie with Murphy’s unit even after Murphy and Travis beat the shit out of him. Continually sent him on the deadliest missions trying to kill him. He failed to send more units out to search for the kid right after he was taken, but we all are now aware why he didn’t. The fucking bastard sold him to terrorists.”

  “Facts not in evidence, I move to strike, Your Honour,” Ruellan stated.

  “They’re fucking true! He admitted as much in the church. We should string the son of a bitch up now for treason and attempted murder of both Brodericks. It would save a lot of time.” Winds yelled.

  Blaze shook his head, surprised Winds held back for as long as he did. If his friend was not careful, he would be fined and expelled from the room.

  Bellerose commanded, “Simons, this is your second warning. I don’t give thirds.”

  Ruellan released Simons and sat down noting his client appeared ready to attack the master warrant officer and he caught a muttered, “I’m gonna make you pay for that,” from Plouffe. He wondered if the threat was directed at him, Simons, or both.

  Jim’s testimony gave details alleging Plouffe disregarded the health and welfare of Dan, itemizing numerous occasions when the major ordered Dan into the field in a state of exhaustion. Jim detailed how the unit needed to develop strategies to rehydrate their sniper and how he taught them all additional medical skills to keep Dan alive.

  He explained that after Dan had been held captive, their method for quick rehydration no longer worked because Dan would not allow them to start IVs. Ruellan’s cross-exam was again light because the medic couldn’t prove Plouffe’s activities were not the result of direct orders.

  Mason took the stand near five p.m., and by now Leroux had established a long pattern of abuse by Plouffe, so he only gently probed the gigantic sergeant, recalling reading the interview notes on how he came unglued when accused of trying to kill Broderick in a Humvee.

  Having read the report, Ruellan poked the bear. “Sergeant, you choked Blondie after beating him senseless. You received discipline from Plouffe, which counters the claim he is uncaring about subordinates.”

  Clenching his jaw, Mason waited for an actual question. A statement didn’t deserve an answer.

  “Well?” Ruellan prompted.

  “Well, what? Do I agree with your statement? Hell, no. Did I deserve the reprimand, perhaps?”

  “What do you mean perhaps?”

  Mason conceded to the facts his brothers pushed him to accept. Though, it didn’t lessen the guilt he still harbored for his deeds. “Does it make sense to give a formal reprimand to a man who at the time of the incident was disoriented, suffering from a concussion,” his fingers drew a line down the scar on his face, “bleeding profusely from a facial laceration, and who had a shrapnel shard poking out of his chest which he tried to yank out? If I had succeeded I would’ve died. I am not proud of what occurred, but there was never any malice or intent to harm my little brother.”

  “Brother? Are you related?”

  “Not by blood or any marriage, but by heart and mind.” Mason turned and held Blondie’s gaze. “Saving each other’s lives multiple times in the Hell that Plouffe put us through, forged unbreakable bonds.”

  Wholly defeated in his attempt to gain any favor for Plouffe, Ruellan said, “No further questions.”

  Bellerose called a recess for the day and indicated they would reconvene at zero eight hundred tomorrow. The courtroom cleared of all but Dan, Mason, Jim, Blaze, and Winds. William left with Sutton after telling them he must attend to an issue and would be back to their quarters late.

  The five men stood in a circle, and Dan broke the heavy silence. “Well, I think today went quite well, even though the main evidence and smoking guns have not been presented.
”

  Jim nodded. “Ruellan appears to be a bit out of his league against Leroux.”

  “That’s because this is his first trial. The four previous lawyers refused to represent Puffy,” Dan said.

  “How do you know that?” Winds asked.

  “Trevor McBride is friends with Corporal Montoya who is a guard here. He shared that with me at the TRF Christmas party.”

  “Speaking of parties. I missed out on Jim’s bachelor party. How about we find a bar? I’ll buy the first round,” Mason offered.

  Dan flashed a lopsided grin. “I got the perfect place.”

  “How?” Blaze requested.

  “Brody and I spent five months stationed at CFB Edmonton. Winds will be happy. The women are definitely hot at Woody’s Wonderland.” Dan softly snickered. He couldn’t wait to witness the guy’s reactions. They all needed to blow off some stream, and Woody’s would be fun.

  Woody’s Wonderland – 1925 Hours

  “Why the hell would you pick this place?” Mason asked with humor as he returned to the table carrying four beers and one root beer. “I fended off three advances while waiting for our drinks … from dudes!”

  Dan couldn’t stop snickering as his four brothers stared at him. He took his soda from Mason and managed to say, “Thought Winds might meet a beautiful blonde named Apple … Adam Apple.”

  Everyone including Winds burst out laughing. Blondie certainly took to heart Brody’s request to tease Winds about his unintended lip lock with a dude.

  Blaze’s hand went to the back of Wind’s neck, squeezed lightly, and leaning in close he whispered, “I’ll help you prank him when this is all over.”

  Turning his humor-lit eyes to his best friend, Winds smiled and wrapped his arm around Blaze’s shoulder. “Deal.”

  Jim watched the interaction, and as he lifted his cold brew, he quipped, “You do realize, if Blaze and Winds aren’t careful, the crowd here will think they’re a haaaappy couple.”