“Luke, you told me about the helicopter crash. From what I understand, Billy Ellis was conscious after the crash.”
“Cassie tried to free them. According to Cassie, Billy yelled at her to stop trying to help them. To save herself. That he would always love her. She kissed them goodbye, clawed her way from the wreckage, and swam to the surface. She was almost dead by the time the police divers pulled her from the water. Even with no strength, she fought to get back to them.”
“Did Cassie have medical issues after her crash injuries?” Eric asked.
Rachel nodded. “I think like anyone after surgery, she had pain and burning across the incision.”
“You’re right. We expect similar sensation issues with her current injuries. It’s all treatable,” Eric said.
“Well, she was sixteen. The doctors didn’t give her much help, and they weren't as invested in her as you are. They told her to take ibuprofen, hang in and give it time. They worried about addiction and forgot about the girl.”
“Damn,” Martin said under his breath.
Rachel looked at her sons. “She still has occasional bladder pain—more when she’s tired. Cramping around her time of the month. Cold is not her friend. I know this falls into the ‘too much information’ category.”
Martin jotted notes. “Sounds like she has survivor’s guilt. Her friend, her grandmother, her family all died.”
“And her baby,” Christian whispered.
Noah couldn’t suppress his anger. “Damn you, Chris. Why didn’t you say something? We could have helped. What the hell happened?”
Christian’s shoulders slumped. “Don’t you think I wanted to? She begged me not to. She was broken. When Cassie arrived on my doorstep, she looked like she hadn’t slept in days. I fed her and put her to bed. The next morning, she was very sick. I wanted to take her to the doctor. She told me she was pregnant and begged me to help keep the secret because she was worried about appearances. I tried to tell her no one would care, but she wouldn’t listen. I used my contacts to get her a fake ID. She kept saying she was dirty. Garett told her she was soiled goods. She planned to give up the baby for adoption. I found her a good obstetrician and psychologist, and she insisted on all cash transactions.
“The baby was due the first week of February. She called home every week, pretending nothing was wrong. That’s the real reason why I left my team and took the trainer position at Silver Strand. Caleb was gone on an extended deployment. You guys were training in Little Creek, or out of town. Mom and Dad, you never won that special holiday vacation for two. It was Cassie. The rest of the time, she was too busy getting Tommy’s House up and running. I was worried out of my mind. My friends helped me keep watch on her. As Tommy’s House started to come together, so did Cassie. She went to daily therapy, swam, meditated, and exercised.
“The second week of December, Cass went into hard labor without warning. She was healthy, and no one saw it coming. I walked into the apartment after work, and she was writhing on the floor. She never made a sound or called out for help. She was there for hours, suffering alone. I don’t think it would have changed anything. I called ahead to the hospital, but it was too late, the cord strangled him. The doctors and nurses were so good with her. But no matter what anyone said, Cassie decided she’d killed him. We buried William Thomas Ensworth five days later. She gave him her father’s middle name. Cassie returned to Georgetown nine weeks after that, swearing me to secrecy.”
“So, she returned to Georgetown and entered Quantico? How did she make it through the background check—psychological and physical?” Kieran asked, incredulous.
“When she broke her pelvis, she asked Chris and I to put her through modified SEAL training. By the time she went to college, she was physically fine,” Caleb said.
“Up until she lost the baby, she worked out with my guys at the Strand. The minute the doctor cleared her; she went back to the workout. Her background check was perfect. She passed her FBI qualification in the men’s ranges. The psych, she passed. My guess is she told them what they wanted to hear. I’m sure the Bureau scoured her medical records for excuses not to take her. We sanitized the extent of the attack, but the scars were visible. The Whitmans wouldn’t talk, and neither would a bunch of SEALs. She participated in enough on-the-books therapy to satisfy the bean counters. The other medical records concerning the baby and her real psychotherapy were all under an assumed name.
“In the academy, she worked her ass off. She insisted on doing things on her own. I don’t think anyone other than her investigator knew about her wealth until after she graduated. She was seeing Stephanie by then—again, all cash. She also dealt with the anti-woman sentiment; she knew she had to be better just to be given a fair shake. She was fierce. Hell, sheisfierce.” Christian wiped his eyes against his sleeve.
The elevator door opened, and Eric stepped out, his forearm covered in thick bandages. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off her.”
Rachel patted the chair beside her. “None of us expected that. You’re human, son. Are you all right?”
“Fifteen stitches—I’ll be fine.”
“How is she?” Ian asked.
“We have her on high-flow oxygen, and we stopped the external bleeding. Hunt has her in the CT scanner, using contrast to examine her vessels, brain, and damage to her shoulder and chest. The scans should take another half hour.”
“Thank you, Eric,” Ian said. “Please go up to the house and get some rest.”
“I'd like to stay. I want to make sure Cassie's okay.”
“Sure.” Ian returned his focus to the Paulsens. “Now you need to tell me about Garett Whitman, the attack, the end of the engagement and the pregnancy. Not the stuff in the police file—the stuff not in the file. Tell me about ‘soiled goods,’ ‘sullied womb,’ ‘whore.’”
Frank tapped the table. “First, answer us. What did she mean by ‘interesting’ man?”
“I didn’t just see her—I met her that night. A man attending the gala was upset because one of the paintings wasn’t available for view. He was drunk and grabbed her wrist, and I intervened. To say thank you, Cassie snuck me behind the scenes and showed me the art in question. I kissed her hand and bid her goodbye. It kills me this was hours before she was assaulted.” Ian's guilt was evident to all.
“Growing up Sarah loved Cassie, but she was overprotective and made her wary of boys. Then, Cassie gets hurt and suffers a horrible loss. Again, no boys. After the accident, the doctors gave her the complete possibilities. All she heard was pain and lack of sensation. She refused to let it go.
“When Cassie started college, she was healthy. Her doctors cleared her for everything. The scar from the fractured pelvis was quite small, but on the emotional side, she carried the worry. Sophie was her roommate and the best thing for her. She started to come out of her shell,” Rachel explained.
