rescued man, yet couldn’t bring herself to speak up. Each minute that passed made it more difficult to say anything. Playing the conversation out in her head didn’t help either.
“ Commander, tell us everything you know about the man brought in tonight.”
“Sure, let’s see. He’s good looking, a great kisser, has a big dick and is fantastic in bed. ”
She would be out of the flight rotation immediately. Maybe even arrested.
Olivia made a decision. If asked directly if she knew the man, she would not lie. Until then, she would offer no information. Don’t ask, don’t tell. Maybe, if it came to it, she could say she wasn’t sure the man they rescued was the same man she’d been in bed with. That is, if she could bring herself to lie.
Sweating bullets, she made it through the individual interview. Thankfully the question never came. The crew gathered in the conference room, and the lead investigator started the questioning with Turner.
“What’s your take on the muzzle flash?”
Turner straightened. “There were three bursts. I saw the flashes clearly. Something big, like SEALs and special forces carry.”
“All right. But what I want to know is do you think they were firing at the helo or the go-fast?”
Olivia and her men looked at each other. Firing on their own boat? This certainly hadn’t crossed her mind and, from the looks on their faces, none of them had thought it either.
“I don’t know, sir.” Turner rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought they were firing on us. That the rounds fell short and hit the boat. To make a shot at that distance going seventy-five knots at another boat with no lights doesn’t seem possible, sir.”
“I agree,” Defoe added.
“Lieutenant?”
“I have to agree with Turner. That boat was going flat out. I don’t see how they could have even hit us,” Crenshaw said. “There was a three foot chop. They had to be hopping over the water. Making a shot like that would be next to impossible.”
“Commander?”
“I also agree with Turner.”
“Why?”
She bristled at the question. “Turner’s experienced and as good as they come. He was a gunner aboard a cutter and before that a Marine Corps sniper. I’ve found his judgment and abilities to be without question.”
“Okay, Commander. Take it easy. Thank you.”
Turner nodded to her in thanks.
Another man entered the room, handing the agent in charge a single sheet of paper.
“Commander?”
Olivia’s blood turned to ice. This was it. They knew.
“I see each of you states that you pulled the helicopter up and away seconds before the boat exploded. What caused you to do that?”
She tried to breathe normally. Settle down. They don’t know. She forced a smile.
“The UCs from earlier tonight.”
“What?”
“When the second boat took a course directly at us it didn’t feel right. These creeps are out for themselves. Why would they risk their own freedom to rescue the men in the boat near us? In our briefing, the UC agent said something wasn’t right. It could be a set up.” She looked at Crenshaw. “You asked about an ambush. It hit me they were pulling us in to take a shot. I went up and turned away from the angle the boat was approaching. As I did, Turner reported the muzzle flash. It confirmed what I thought and you know the rest.”
The AIC stared, studying her. She held his gaze.
“Until we can talk to the survivor we won’t know what they were thinking and doing. We may not even know then.”
Olivia gulped. “You haven’t spoken to him yet?” She struggled to keep her voice even.
He shook his head. “No. It’ll be tomorrow or the next day, when the docs give us permission. Initial reports say he has a mild concussion, broken ribs, some burns—generally banged up. From your account of the explosion I don’t know how he survived.”
She wanted to jump up and down. If that asshole implicated her—and there was no reason to think he wouldn’t—she had some time
“ Commander, tell us everything you know about the man brought in tonight.”
“Sure, let’s see. He’s good looking, a great kisser, has a big dick and is fantastic in bed. ”
She would be out of the flight rotation immediately. Maybe even arrested.
Olivia made a decision. If asked directly if she knew the man, she would not lie. Until then, she would offer no information. Don’t ask, don’t tell. Maybe, if it came to it, she could say she wasn’t sure the man they rescued was the same man she’d been in bed with. That is, if she could bring herself to lie.
Sweating bullets, she made it through the individual interview. Thankfully the question never came. The crew gathered in the conference room, and the lead investigator started the questioning with Turner.
“What’s your take on the muzzle flash?”
Turner straightened. “There were three bursts. I saw the flashes clearly. Something big, like SEALs and special forces carry.”
“All right. But what I want to know is do you think they were firing at the helo or the go-fast?”
Olivia and her men looked at each other. Firing on their own boat? This certainly hadn’t crossed her mind and, from the looks on their faces, none of them had thought it either.
“I don’t know, sir.” Turner rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought they were firing on us. That the rounds fell short and hit the boat. To make a shot at that distance going seventy-five knots at another boat with no lights doesn’t seem possible, sir.”
“I agree,” Defoe added.
“Lieutenant?”
“I have to agree with Turner. That boat was going flat out. I don’t see how they could have even hit us,” Crenshaw said. “There was a three foot chop. They had to be hopping over the water. Making a shot like that would be next to impossible.”
“Commander?”
“I also agree with Turner.”
“Why?”
She bristled at the question. “Turner’s experienced and as good as they come. He was a gunner aboard a cutter and before that a Marine Corps sniper. I’ve found his judgment and abilities to be without question.”
“Okay, Commander. Take it easy. Thank you.”
Turner nodded to her in thanks.
Another man entered the room, handing the agent in charge a single sheet of paper.
“Commander?”
Olivia’s blood turned to ice. This was it. They knew.
“I see each of you states that you pulled the helicopter up and away seconds before the boat exploded. What caused you to do that?”
She tried to breathe normally. Settle down. They don’t know. She forced a smile.
“The UCs from earlier tonight.”
“What?”
“When the second boat took a course directly at us it didn’t feel right. These creeps are out for themselves. Why would they risk their own freedom to rescue the men in the boat near us? In our briefing, the UC agent said something wasn’t right. It could be a set up.” She looked at Crenshaw. “You asked about an ambush. It hit me they were pulling us in to take a shot. I went up and turned away from the angle the boat was approaching. As I did, Turner reported the muzzle flash. It confirmed what I thought and you know the rest.”
The AIC stared, studying her. She held his gaze.
“Until we can talk to the survivor we won’t know what they were thinking and doing. We may not even know then.”
Olivia gulped. “You haven’t spoken to him yet?” She struggled to keep her voice even.
He shook his head. “No. It’ll be tomorrow or the next day, when the docs give us permission. Initial reports say he has a mild concussion, broken ribs, some burns—generally banged up. From your account of the explosion I don’t know how he survived.”
She wanted to jump up and down. If that asshole implicated her—and there was no reason to think he wouldn’t—she had some time
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