“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 intoanyproblems, 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.”
