Troy drifted. In the Naval Academy, an officer reminded his squad that the unknown was always more difficult to handle. It held true tonight.
Tim approached him slowly. “I’m going to relieve some of the pain pressing down your legs.”
Jackson gave Martin a thumbs up and handed Troy a towel to wipe his sweaty face.
“Thanks, man.” Troy sighed.
“Thank me after Mr. Holland sticks a big needle in your butt.” Jackson laughed.
Tim scrubbed up, then cleaned and draped Troy’s left butt cheek. After explaining the procedure and checking allergies, he sprayed ethyl chloride over the spot. “On three: one, two, and three.” He began injecting lidocaine and cortisone.
“It feels like it’s crunching.” Troy flinched as he felt the needle enter. “Holy shit, the pain…it’s breaking.”
“It’s going to be sore later. I’ll give you ice packs to go home with. I may need to repeat it, but it’s a start. I’m going to do one more point. Any preference?” Tim asked.
“The one mid-back. It never lets up,” Troy admitted.
Tim ducked his head for Troy to meet his eyes. “Did you tell anyone about it?”
“Yes. The PT from Denver said I should be happy with walking.” Troy heard Martin clear his throat.
“We’ve talked about this; I don’t work that way. You tell Jack and me anytime you feel off,” Tim said. “Anytime. Same as before. Cold. And on three.” He slowly inserted the needle and injected lidocaine as he broke up the knot of pain fibers.
Tears filled up Troy’s eyes. “Freeze,” Martin called. “Greece?” He used his friend’s call name to bring him to his professional brain.
“Good. It…it stopped hurting,” Troy sniffed.
Tim placed a Band-Aid across the spot. “I’m going to clean up. Lie there and rest.” Jackson placed a warm blanket on Troy. “Tonight, ice and rest.”
* * *
Gwen restedagainst the headboard of the bed in Julian’s guestroom. After working all day, Miller agreed to let her go home. Terry Keene, the PA on Julian’s team, could check on her. Her leg throbbed, she admitted, because she hadn’t completely followed directions. Needing her leg extended made sitting at her desk difficult.
Her laptop rested on her knees as she began reading about the staff assigned to 3-Romeo, a level-three armed security team responsible for Troy’s safety and movement. She was in charge of them. But she couldn’t keep her mind off Troy’s appointments. An edge in his voice made her worry. Something was bothering him.
Taking a sip of herbal tea, she pulled up the case files pertaining to the meeting tomorrow morning with NCIS and military police investigating the assaults Chase Security was hired to look into. The mention of Davidson Boyle’s name at today’s meeting set her into a tailspin. She squeezed her temples. What happened to her in 2013 was a reopened wound. At the time, Boyle’s disbelieving questioning of her worsened her precarious state. Years of group and individual therapy never gave her peace or the truth of why she was treated the way she was.
Julian’s late afternoon conversation with her further added to her internal upheaval. “Gwen, Troy received three disturbing phone calls. The first was on the tarmac in DC. The caller said he was an old friend of ‘Gwenny’s.’ And the dog bite was meant for you. Another call, the male voice mentioned you had lots of secrets. The next call, at the cemetery, Troy insisted was a different voice and the threat was also against you.
“We are analyzing the calls to see if it’s the same caller altering their voice or different callers. I’ve ordered increased security for both of you. Does anyone call you Gwenny?”
“Um…” She crunched her brows but wanted to vomit. The only people who called her Gwenny were her former fiancé and his friends.
“I’d like you to give it some thought. Sometimes we forget,” Julian said.
“Lots of secrets.” Closing her laptop, she checked her watch before making a call. “Ellie?”
“Hey, how’s your leg?” Eleanor West answered.
“The leg is throbbing, but it’s better. I want to thank you.” Gwen sighed.
“I’m glad. Pete said Lily is very good.”
“She made me feel comfortable.” Gwen took another sip of her tea, then explained a little about what was going on. “Troy took control of an investigation into a series of military assaults. We have a meeting at NCIS at Pendleton tomorrow. Just the mention of it and my anxiety exploded.”
“Gwen, you’re reacting to bad memories. Whatever happened is in the past,” Ellie said.
“That’s the point. I’m not sure it’s in the past.”
