She exchanged glances with Paige. The helicopters weren’t for them—it was the raid on the castle. Tsarevna was going down.
Addison scrambled up and followed Braedon and Michael into the small hold of the boat, doing her best to ignore her somersaulting stomach. Mats and sleeping bags were laid out for them.
Braedon sat on one of the mats, shivering. She set her rifle down and took off all her gear.
“Take off your clothes and get in the sleeping bag.” She pulled at the hem of his shirt.
He slapped her hands away. “I can do it.”
“Don’t be stubborn,” she said.
Braedon stripped out of the white T-shirt and gray sweat pants and slid into the sleeping bag. Michael took off his pants, since those were the only things that got wet, and slid into the other bag.
It hit her suddenly. Braedon was safe. He was alive and safe. They were all alive and safe. She plopped down on her butt, covered her face with her hands, and burst into tears.
“Ah, shit.”
Braedon pulled her closer and wrapped her in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tight. She might never let him go.
“You’re choking me,” he said.
“I don’t care.”
“You came all this way to rescue us and now you’re going to kill me? Doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t,” he whispered.
She shook her head against his neck. “No, I don’t.”
Doing her best to breathe through her nose, she closed her eyes. A full-body shudder shook her.
“You going to be sick?” he asked.
“Yup.” She dashed out of the hold and hung her head over the side of the boat, emptying the contents of her stomach into the dark sea.
A rough blanket draped over her, and a large hand rubbed her back.
“Christian picked up some anti-motion sickness medicine,” Devon said. “Let me know when you think you can keep it down.”
She nodded through a stomach spasm and groaned, grabbing onto his hand that rested on the rail. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she pressed her forehead against his arm and chest.
“Think you can lie down with your brother and take some medicine?”
She nodded and let him lead her back into the cabin, thankful that for once she didn’t have to take care of herself.
Chapter 21
“Paige, Graham, can you come to the cockpit?” Turner, TLC’s pilot, asked over the intercom.
They both unbuckled and sidestepped to the front of the C-12 they’d chartered to fly them from Ukraine to Germany.
Devon brushed his thumb over Addison’s cheek. “Addy, wake up.”
She inhaled and yawned. “Have we landed?”
“Soon.”
Paige and Graham returned to their seats.
“We’re being met,” Graham said.
Addison sat upright. “By who?”
“Some ambulances and the U.S. Air Forces Europe Commander,” Graham said.
“This should be interesting,” she said.
The small plane landed with a screech as the tires touched down on the runway.
“German customs and immigration is getting on first,” Turner said over the intercom.
Addison looked at Graham, wide-eyed. “Our passports.”
“I have them,” Paige said. “I sent all our information ahead. Everything is in order—this is just a formality.”
The plane stopped, and the engines shut down. Harrison exited the cockpit and opened the plane’s door, lowering the steps, then moving back out of the way for the German officials to board.
“Guten tag. Sprichst du Deutsch?” the first man asked.
“Ich spreche ein bisschen,” Paige said.
Paige handed over the stack of passports while answering questions in a mix of broken German and English. In the middle of their conversation, a three-star general boarded, followed by an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant. It was getting crowded on their little plane.
Graham stood from his seat and reached around Paige with his hand outstretched. “Lieutenant General.”
He took his hand and shook it. “Colonel Graham.”
“Just Mister Graham now,” Graham said. “Thank you for meeting us—that wasn’t necessary.”
“Unfortunately, it was. I’m here to escort you to Ramstein Air Base for debriefing.” His name tape said Bucton.
“Excuse me? For what reason?” Graham asked.
“It’s neutral territory. Between the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the CIA, the FBI, and the CENTCOM Commander breathing down my neck, it was the best solution I could come up with.”
“I’m going to the hospital with my brother,” Addison said.
“We’re all going to the hospital,” Graham said. “It’s as neutral as the base is.”
“There’s no cleared facility at the hospital,” General Bucton said.
“We’re civilians—you don’t need a cleared facility to debrief us,” Paige said.
“The Fosters and Drake are still active duty. As such, we have jurisdiction.”
“According to the Department of Defense, Senior Chief Foster and Petty Officer Drake are dead,” Devon said. “I’m not sure anyone has jurisdiction.”
The general crossed his arms and stared at Devon and Graham. “Major Foster is still active duty and does fall under my jurisdiction.”
Addison stood and matched the general’s pose. “Well, sir, I’ll tell you the same thing I told the last general who stood in the way of me and my family—court-martial me.”
Devon couldn’t fight the grin that tugged at his mouth and looked down. He thought she was going to tell him to fuck off. It was a completely inappropriate time to get turned on.
“I’m going to the hospital with my brother,” she said. “So you can either let me go, and I’ll answer anyone’s questions after I’m reassured my brother is physically cared for, or you can arrest me. Which, given the fact that I and everyone on this plane brought him and Michael Drake back from the dead, isn’t going to look good for you or the Air Force once it hits social media.”
The general’s lips pinched together. “I’ll inform everyone of the change of venue.” He spun and pushed passed the chief master sergeant, then stomped down the stairs.
The chief turned and winked at Addison. “Major Foster.” She followed the general down the stairs at a more sedate pace.
The German official handed Paige the stack of passports. “Welcome to Germany.”
“I hope coming back from the dead is easier than getting to the hospital.”
Everyone turned and looked at Michael Drake.
Devon grinned. “Here’s hoping.”
They were met at the emergency entrance of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center by every person who worked in the hospital—at least it seemed that way when Addison exited the large SUV they’d ridden in. The crowd threatened to swallow her whole as the team of doctors and nurses pulled the two gurneys out of the ambulance.
“Addison!” Devon grabbed her arm and pulled her from the throng of people.
She looked over her shoulder at him, then back at Braedon, disappearing through the automatic doors.
“Let them take care of him. They aren’t going to let you in the examination room anyway,” he said.
She vibrated with tension and anxiety.
He rubbed her upper arm. “I know it’s hard to let him go, but he’s going to be fine.”
Her shoulders sagged. “I really don’t want to let him out of my sight. I feel like if I can’t keep eyes on him, he’s going to disappear again, and this will all turn out to be a dream.”
Devon pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “I know, but let the docs do their job. Besides, there’s a shit ton of people that want to talk to us. You probably most of all.”
“Fuck,” she said under her breath.
“Yeah. Come on. Let’s see what Paige and Graham have coordinated.” He released her shoulders and followed behind the crowd. She threaded her fingers in his and caught his surprised glance at their hands. Had she crossed some kind of line? Had he left everything back at the castle? His tightening grasp eased some of her worry and she stayed close to his side.
Lieutenant General Bucton was waiting for them inside the reception area when they entered. “Major Foster, Colonel Jefferson and General Dixon would like to speak with you.”
“They’re here? For the debrief?”
She couldn’t keep the panic from her voice. How the hell did Colonel Jefferson and the CENTCOM Commander get there so fast? Paige had only made the call a few hours ago.
General Bucton shook his head. “No, this isn’t part of the debriefing—they asked to set up a video teleconference to speak to you separately. I told them you’d be available in two hours. You’ll be debriefed first, but if nothing else, this will give you a reason to end the debrief.”
She cocked her head, wondering at the sudden change of attitude. “Thank you,” she said.
“I apologize for earlier,” he said. “Chief Tiller reminded me of everything you’d been through the past few months. I’m sorry that I forgot to take that into consideration.”
“I—Thank you. And thank Chief Tiller for me.”
“I will. If you’re still in the debriefing, I’ll grab you for the VTC. I assume Mr. Graham and Ms. Davis will want to be present,” General Bucton said.
“Yes,” she said.
“And me,” Devon said.
The general’s gaze flicked to their entwined hands. “Of course. Offices are set aside on the second floor for the debriefings. Mr. Graham and Ms. Davis have already gone up. The VTC will be in the Commander’s suite on the same floor.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Excuse me.”
“You ready to go up?” Devon asked.
“May as well.”
The second floor was bustling with activity. More than a few junior enlisted airmen looked like they wanted to set everything on fire and run for the nearest exit. Graham waved to them from across the room, and Addison followed Devon to him.
“Addison, this is Colonel Tarek,” Graham said. “She’s the Medical Group Commander and will be overseeing Braedon and Michael’s treatment.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Colonel Tarek said. “We’re going to take very good care of your brother and Petty Officer Drake.”
“Thank you,” Addison said. “When will I be able to see Braedon?”
“Soon,” the doctor said. “We’re going to run a full panel of tests to try to determine what drugs they ingested and whether there will be any long-term side effects. We’re trying to figure out a way to have them separated from the rest of the patients so you all can have some privacy while you’re here.”
“Thank you,” Graham said.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to order those tests and give directions to their care teams. If you run into any problems, please have someone page me. I’ll make sure my staff knows I’m available to you while you’re here.”
Paige approached from the elevator bank. “I sent Turner and Harrison to pick up rental cars. General Bucton is pushing through base access for everyone so we can come and go when we need to. Angie made hotel reservations for us not far from the base.”
“Let’s get these debriefings over with,” Graham said.
Addison leaned some of her weight against Devon. “This is going to take forever.”
“It shouldn’t,” Paige said. “Everyone will be debriefed individually, but all the agencies will be represented during each debrief.”
“How did you manage that?” Devon asked.
“I told them it was that, or they could wait for the statement from our lawyer,” Graham said.
Devon turned to Addison. “Do you want someone in there with you?”
“No. I’ve got it. Thanks, though.”
She caught the slight downturn twitch of his lips. Was he disappointed she didn’t want him with her? She’d appreciate the support, but it would be faster if they were interviewed separately. Before she could agree to having him in the interview, someone called her name from across the office and motioned for her to follow.
With a parting glance over her shoulder, she left Devon to sit through the debriefing by herself.
Devon sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. The agents questioning him had been thorough but brief. If he had to guess, it was because they wanted to get through the non-essential people so they could join Addison or Graham’s debrief. They’d confirmed his suspicions when half of them had gone into the office with Addison and half into the office with Graham.
He checked his watch. Addison had gone in ahead of him, and he’d been waiting for almost half an hour. Their VTC was scheduled to start in fifteen minutes.
The disappointment when she’d turned down his offer to sit through her interview with her had surprised him. He hadn’t expected any other response and was having a hard time figuring out why it had upset him so much. She was so independent and capable, it was hard to figure out how to help her—to be there for her. Maybe because it would be nice to be needed for once.
The office door opened, and Addison exited, pulling it closed behind her and leaning against it.
Giving her a moment to recover, he waited for her to notice him. She pushed away from the door and saw him when she turned toward the reception area.
“Hey. Are you waiting for me?” she asked.
“Of course. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
She sat in the seat next to him. “Thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know.” He knew. He hadn’t even been sure she would appreciate it but couldn’t leave without checking on her. “Besides, the VTC starts soon. I wanted to be able to pull you and Graham out if I had to.”
Her head dropped back to rest on the chair back. “Ugh. When is this going to end?”
“Soon. I’m going to grab Graham.” He knocked on the other office door and pushed it open. Everyone turned to glare at him. Except Graham, who looked bored. “We have the VTC in ten minutes. Figured you’d need to take a piss first.”
Graham pushed away from the table. “Good call. Agents. You have my lawyer’s information if you have more questions.”
Devon smirked as all the agents grumbled, but didn’t try to stop him from leaving. “How bad did you screw with them?”
“Eh. Not too bad. They’re just doing their jobs, but holy shit, are they new. They missed a lot of information simply because they didn’t know to ask it.”
“And you didn’t coach them?”
Graham scoffed. “Hell, no. Not my circus anymore. Where’re we doing the VTC?”
“Conference room down the hall,” Devon said.
“I’ll meet you there.”
A non-commissioned officer was in the conference room when they arrived, fiddling with the equipment. “I’ll have this up for you in just a moment,” he said.
“No rush,” Addison said. “In fact, if you can’t get it to work at all, that would be great.”
The NCO froze and stared at her, mouth slightly open. “Uh…”
“I’m kidding. Kind of.”
“Uh, okay. The other side is going to dial in. All you have to do is press the green button on the remote.” He pointed at the button and set the remote at the head of the table. “I’ll leave you to it.”
They watched him retreat, holding the door open for Graham and Paige to join them. Graham motioned for Addison to take the chair at the head of the table, but she shook her head, taking the seat on the other side of Devon. Graham shrugged and took the chair.
The VTC chimed and a notification popped up on the screen.
“Ready?” Devon asked.
“I guess,” Addison said.
Devon pointed the remote at the computer and pushed the green button. Two officers, a colon
el and a four-star general, appeared on the screen. Behind them sat three other people in uniform. It was impossible to see their service affiliation on the screen, but they all held notebooks in their laps.
“Hello,” one of the officers in front said. “I’m Colonel Jefferson. I was the Detachment Commander when Senior Chief Foster and Petty Officer Drake were assumed killed in action. This is General Dixon, CENTCOM Commander.”
“Aiden Graham, owner and CEO of The Leonidas Corporation. Paige Davis, COO of The Leonidas Corporation. Devon Nash, security specialist for TLC and, of course, Addison Foster, Senior Chief Foster’s sister.” Graham indicated each of them in turn.
The colonel nodded as they were introduced. “Major Foster. Good to see you again.”
“Colonel.” She didn’t return the sentiment.
“I want to begin by apologizing,” Colonel Jefferson said. “We should have taken your concerns more seriously, Major Foster. We should have believed you.”
“I want to thank you for your perseverance,” General Dixon said. “And to thank you and The Leonidas Corporation for your actions and dedication. They will not go unrecognized.”
Addison stiffened next to Devon. He touched her fingers and shook his head slightly. She clenched her jaw but clasped his hand in return.
“We have some questions, if you don’t mind,” General Dixon said.
“Of course,” Graham said.
“The most pressing question is, do you have any information on the other team members that were declared killed in action? Is there any chance any of them are also alive?” the general asked.
“We don’t,” Paige said. “The only reason we had definitive information on Foster and Drake was because Michael Drake managed to get access to a phone and call his parents.”
“Do you know how he was able to do that?” Colonel Jefferson asked.
“No,” Graham said. “But we haven’t asked. I’m sure it will come up during his debriefing with the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency once he’s reintegrated back in the U.S.”
“Why didn’t you come to us?” General Dixon asked.
Graham laced his fingers together and rested his hands on the table in front of him. “Several reasons. The primary one being your inability to operate against a private citizen in a sovereign country quickly and expeditiously.”
Truth In The Lie (The Leonidas Corporation Book 2) Page 14
