"Then we'll make that happen." Thornton's voice was gentle. "And Captain, what you're doing now, taking care of your father, that's as important as any mission you ever ran. Don't let anyone tell you different."
"Thank you, sir." "One more thing, your call sign. The file won't load it for me, but I heard Hendrickx mention Ghost Unit, and he looked terrified. I've been in this business 35 years and there are still operations I don't have clearance for. I'm guessing your call sign is connected to some of those."
She met his eyes. "I'd prefer not to discuss it, sir." "Fair enough, but if you ever want to talk about anything, my door is open. We take care of our own, even the ones who don't ask for help." She stood and saluted.
He returned it crisply. As she turned to leave, he called out, "Captain, for what it's worth, Force Recon made the right choice when they selected you, and the Corps lost a damn fine officer when you retired." "The Corps didn't lose me, sir. I'm still a Marine, just in a different way." Outside the briefing room, a small crowd had gathered.
Walsh, Morrison, Brooks, Bradford, and dozens of others. They snapped to attention as she emerged. Some saluted, others just watched with expressions of awe and respect. and in a few cases, shame. Young Corporal Anderson pushed forward. "Ma'am, I just—I wanted to say I'm sorry."
"I should have defended you more strongly." "You stood up when it mattered, Corporal. That takes courage. Don't apologize for doing the right thing." Morrison approached next.
"Captain, I'm a new SEAL graduate, still learning, but watching you today the way you handled everything that taught me more about professionalism than 6 months of training. Thank you." She nodded. "Being a good operator isn't about how many push-ups you can do, petty officer. It's about keeping your head when everyone around you is losing theirs."
"Remember that." Dr. Bradford stepped forward. "I reviewed your medical files with General Thornton's permission. Obviously, the injuries you sustained during that 47-day evasion in Helmand." She shook her head.
"The fact that you're walking, functioning, working, it's remarkable. If you ever need anything medically or otherwise, please don't hesitate." "I appreciate that, doctor." Brooks pulled her aside as the crowd began to disperse.
"Captain, I need to tell you something. About 3 weeks ago, I saw you in the maintenance break room. You were on the phone speaking what I'm pretty sure was Pashto. I almost reported it as suspicious. Now, I realize you probably speak six languages, and that was just normal for you."
Sarah allowed herself a small smile. "Eight languages, actually. And yes, I was talking to an old Afghan translator who helped my unit during several operations. He made it to the States with his family, lives in Richmond now. I check in on him occasionally."
"See, that's what I mean. You're this incredible combination of lethal operator and genuinely good person. It's" He struggled for words. "It's humbling."