“Gwen’s deep background check? Please tell me she’s not a foreign agent?” Troy begged.
“No. Technical analysis found a discrepancy in her military record. A simple date change. It wasn’t obvious. Jule pro forma asked them to take it down to the studs. Gwen graduated Annapolis in May 2012. She went through Parris Island and then was assigned to Pendleton, where she shipped out almost immediately to Twentynine Palms for training, and then Kuwait to run ordnance logistics.
“Four months later, she returns to Pendleton on a medical transport from Landstuhl. Three months after that, she resigns her commission, and one year after that, she applies to us and passes every evaluation in the top five percent, except for her marksmanship skills, which she qualified in the top one percent. Her four interviews were phenomenal; her psych evaluation and her lie detector exam were well within normal.”
“What did tech find?” Troy dug his fingers into his thighs, resisting the desire to rip the folder apart.
“Go to page three.” Martin blew out a harsh breath. “We did not find this when she was hired.”
Troy stared at a picture of a yellowed, typewritten page and the accompanying photographs. He ran his hand through his hair. “Where did we get this information? Ninety-two days. MIA. ISIS.”
Martin raised a brow. “All we can confirm so far is she got caught up in an ISIS raid in Mosul. How, why, or what, we don’t know. I called Pete Walter. He said her medical records are protected, but there is nothing that would prevent her from doing her job at the time of hiring. I have a meeting with Raptor, Kieran and Ian tomorrow. I’ll bring it up then.” Martin shook his head.
Troy knew Martin’s non-answer about the source meant Chase Security got access without permission.
“Look at her in the pictures. She’s maybe eighty pounds. Her skin is yellow. Her eyes sunken. She was beaten.” Troy turned on his desk lamp to take a harder look. “There are ligature bruises around her neck and wrists. The IV…” He looked at the bags of fluid. “Zosyn, morphine, ringers lactate. Antibiotics, pain med and fluids.”
Troy’s breathing increased as he continued reading. “Martin, January 2013, prisoner exchange directed by the Israeli government. Why didn’t any of this come up on the regular background check? And why didn’t Gwen tell anyone?”
“I don’t know how it got past all of us, but I have some ideas.” Martin tapped his right foot.
“I need to think about this too.”Why didn’t she tell me?Troy sighed. Subduing the questions that played like a list in his brain, he concentrated on what else Martin had to say.
“I assigned Tiki Milton, even though he’s getting used to running the San Diego technical analysis unit, to run the mystery caller case as your dedicated technical analyst. He can’t get enough for a voice ID, but he identified the callers as different males. All the callers label you as Greece. Why call you about her? I find it unlikely that these men don’t know each other. And they know you, or of you, as Greece. How long have you been Greece?”
“From age eighteen and my first tat. Too many contacts to count.” Troy shrugged.
“Gwen’s calls are from different men. The threat level is increasing. I’m bringing Kip in early. I wanted to talk to you before I briefed the rest of the executive board.” Martin rubbed his hands on his pantleg.
“You can’t do it any other way. I’ll let my detail know as well,” Troy said.
“I hate having to say this…” Martin blew out a breath. “Lots of secrets.”
“I know. It's going to come out. I need to tell a few more people.” Troy looked down.
“I don’t mean to pressure you. Have you told your family yet?"
"No. I'm plan on telling my mom when she gets to town." He chewed his knuckle.
“When you get back, I’ve got another case to talk through.”
“You got it.” Troy walked Martin out. “Verna, come sit with me. I want to make a plan.”
* * *
Julian drovewith Troy to the NCIS West Field Office at Camp Pendleton. Blake, Trask, and Gwen followed in another vehicle, two security cars behind them. “Thanks for Verna,” Troy chuckled.
“She’s perfect for you. She’ll be able to keep you in the flow during your recuperation.And other than you, she’s the only person who can send someone away with one stare.” Julian wiggled his eyebrows.
“I don’t scare people. Do I?” Troy sounded bemused.
“The morning I went off the rails, I told you, you scared me.” Julian’s eyes brightened at the memory.
Troy blew out a harsh breath. “That seems eons ago.”
“It was eons for all of us.” Julian stopped at a traffic light. “Farmer updated me. I’ll tell you: we will do our best to keep you and Gwen safe.” Julian’s breath caught. “Merde, I did a lousy job in Iowa.”
“Hey, knock that shit off,” Troy insisted.
