“Sure.” Noah headed to the waiting room with Gwen.
“Major? Would you come with me?” Gwen asked.
“How are you feeling?” Kim asked.
“It’s more ugly than painful.” Gwen offered a small smile.
“Where’s Troy?”
“He’s taking some time off. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but Troy has been receiving cryptic phone calls threatening his well-being for ruining the caller’s life. As more calls came in, we’ve narrowed our suspect pool. We believe the calls are coming from Luka Valent.”
Kim’s face paled. “I haven’t heard that name aloud in a long time.”
“Can I get you something to drink?” Gwen asked.
“No, I thought we’d be talking about what I could do to help the victims. The brig notified me Luka was released six months ago. God, this has to be my fault.” Kim shook her head.
“Why?” Gwen’s head ached.
“Luka called me at work, beginning of January. He accused me of ruining his life too. I told him I believed in second chances, and since he paid his debt, I told him I forgave him. He went on a rant about Troy and the other firstie who testified against him. The other man was killed in Afghanistan.
“He asked me if I was in contact with Troy. I told him yes. I figured it was public knowledge he worked for Chase Security.” Kim ran a hand through her hair.
Gwen jumped at the knock on her door and almost vaulted the desk to get it. Out of breath, she opened it to see Mac Novak, wearing a lab coat over scrubs. “What’s wrong?” she shouted.
He seemed surprised to see a woman sitting in Gwen’s office. “I wanted to bring you up to date. I’ll let you finish your business. Call me when you’re done.” Mac turned.
Standing on the threshold to Gwen’s office, Brody Garrett and Noah Paulsen approached from the nearby waiting room. “Hi, Doc, did Troy get his early start time?” Brody asked.
“Excuse me?” Mac asked.
“Troy included me in a conversation with Hunt Montgomery. I know about the surgery,” Brody said.
“My portion of the procedure ran an hour. He went under fifteen minutes ago.”
Kim curled into her husband’s arms and cried. “I was a nineteen-year-old cadet at Annapolis. Troy Bremen saved me. Why can’t I save him?”
“Would you like to wait with us?” Gwen asked.
Noah had another Bravo Team member escort Brody and Kim to the waiting area Kip arranged for family and friends to be together.
* * *
Gwen textedKip and Martin and explained what Kim said. The faster she talked, the faster she breathed, until she was hyperventilating.
“GWEN,” Kip snapped her name.
Gwen jumped, and her breathing slowed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Come on, curl up in one of the chairs,” Martin insisted.
“I’m grabbing Zach. We’ll be in the office if you need us.” Kip pressed his lips together.
.
Chapter 50
Elizabeth Bailey stepped onto a platform to put her at the same height as Jayden Humphries and looked over the curtain at Troy. Ethan Miller stood where an assistant surgeon would stand, while Pete watched the anesthesiologist.
