“I understand there was a computer glitch,” Jessie said. “That’s the reason the theft wasn’t discovered right away. Clearly someone hacked your inventory system and made changes to cover the disappearance.”
The general’s already straight posture stiffened even more. “Who told you that?”
Jessie just smiled. “Like you, General, there are things I’m not at liberty to say.”
The general rose abruptly from his chair, putting an end to the meeting. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’m out of time. As I said to you before, Jessie, I’m sorry for your loss. On a personal level, I liked your father very much.”
She and Bran also rose to their feet. “Then you’ll be pleased when his innocence is proven,” Jessie said.
A muscle ticked in Holloway’s cheek. “In regard to the threats against your life...has it occurred to you that whoever stole the weapons might believe your father gave you information about the theft, something they don’t want revealed?”
“Has it occurred to you, General, that the men who are trying to kill me don’t want me to continue my investigation because they don’t want me to find out who actually stole the weapons?”
The general fell silent. His gaze turned to Bran. “I can talk to the provost marshal, see if I can arrange some sort of military protection for Jessie.”
“Since we have no idea who’s trying to kill her or who we can trust, at present it’s not a good idea.”
The general gave a curt nod of agreement. “Perhaps you’re right.”
He spoke to Jessie. “I can’t guarantee how any of this is going to shake out, but I can assure you of one thing—you won’t find a man whose skills make him more capable of protecting you than Captain Garrett.”
“I know,” Jessie said softly.
“Thank you for your time, General,” Bran said. “If there’s anything more you can share with us, I hope you will.”
The general remained stoic as Jessie left the office and walked next to Bran back to the SUV. He hadn’t given them much, but maybe he didn’t know a whole lot more himself. Didn’t mean she was giving up. She was the daughter of a colonel in the US Army. Retreat wasn’t an option.
Jessie sat quietly as Bran pulled out of the parking lot.
“It’s almost noon,” he said. “Let’s get some lunch before we drive down to the depot.”
The facility was an hour southwest on I-25, and Jessie had to admit food sounded good. “I like that idea.”
Using the disposable phone, she got on the internet as they drove out of town. On Tripadvisor, she found a Mexican restaurant called La Fiesta that had a ton of five-star reviews.
Mexican music played in the background and piñatas hung from the ceiling as they walked inside. A pretty dark-haired woman in black slacks and a white blouse seated them at a corner table and took their orders, a taco and enchilada for Jessie, chile verdewith homemade tortillas for Bran. Both of them ordered iced tea.
“I love Mexican food,” Bran said, biting into a chunk of pork wrapped in a tortilla.
“Me, too.” Jessie snagged a crispy tortilla chip and crunched it down. But as she ate the delicious meal, her mind strayed back to their meeting with the general and his mention of Bran’s military record.
She took a sip of iced tea. “I know you left the army after you were wounded in Afghanistan, but I never really knew what happened.”
Bran swallowed the bite of chile verde he had taken. Wariness crept into his features. “Your dad never said?”
“He didn’t like to talk about it.”
“Neither do I.”
“Do you think maybe you could, just this once? I’d really like to know.”
Bran’s features tightened. When he looked at her, pain surfaced in his beautiful blue eyes. With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair. “Being Danny’s sister, I guess you have a right to know.”
She thought of Danny and her throat tightened. Bran glanced away and she could almost see his mind spinning, flashing backward in time to a day he desperately wanted to forget.
“I was wounded in the same skirmish that killed your brother. Maybe you already knew that. Maybe your dad told you.”
“He said you were badly injured in the battle.”
