e passenger seat beside me. I left a note for Caleb, telling him I had to go take care of som

olina. Fort Bragg. It was one of the largest military bases in the world. It was a long shot. General Miller might n

kept d

was intimidating. Razor wire, concrete barriers, and armed guards in camouflage. A young Milita

ur busine

y. My voice came

to see Gene

impassive. "Do you ha

I d

you on base. You

at my throat. I reached over, grabbed the velvet bo

. My wife, Sergeant Mar

box to show h

to come here if I ever needed help. Her son... our

acked on th

neral if this medal s

yes softened, replaced by something else. Awe. Respect. He looked fro

e wait here

see the change in the posture of the other guards. They were looki

t plates pulled up silently beside my dusty pickup. The back d

er, but his posture was just as ramrod straight, h

dow, his expression stern bu

voice was unmistakable. "I told you to call.