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“That’s great.”
Gabby then thought of something that she had wanted to ask him.
“Hey, Captain. Have the FBI or DEA found out who those drugs belonged to? Or identified the men on that boat?”
Graham shook his head. “No, nothing yet. But whoever it belonged to took a huge hit. The street value of the cocaine they offloaded was about one hundred twenty million dollars.”
Gabby’s eyes about bugged out of her head. That was a lot of money.
“Wow…”
“Yeah. But as soon as I find out any other information, I’ll be sure to pass it along to you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Graham stood up. “I hate to run off so soon, but I’ve got a meeting across town that I need to get to.”
“Alright. Thanks for stopping by.”
“Of course. And as I said, I’ll make a few calls. Try not to worry too much.”
“I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises.”
Graham’s eyes filled with determination. “I won’t let him get away with this. You hang in there, alright?”
She nodded again, watching as he left the room. As the door closed behind him, Gabby’s mind whirled with thoughts of what might come next, but for now, she was just grateful she wasn’t fighting the battle alone.
???
As Captain Graham made his way out of the hospital and to the parking lot, his anger simmered just beneath the surface. Alley had crossed the line—again. It wasn’t the first time, but this time, Graham wasn’t going to let it slide. Gabby didn’tdeserve this. She had proven herself time and time again, and Alley’s vendetta had gone on long enough.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, Graham dialed a number, his steps quick and purposeful as he headed toward his car.
“Travis,” he said when the voice on the other end picked up. “We have a situation.”
He explained everything—Alley’s underhanded move, the recommendation for Gabby’s discharge, and how it was all personal. Travis listened intently.
“Alley’s been on my radar for a while now,” Travis replied, his tone serious. “There’s been some other questionable things going on with him. I’ll look into this personally. Don’t worry. We’ll get this sorted out.”
Graham let out a breath of relief. “Thanks, Travis. I appreciate it.”
“Always. I’ll be in touch,” Travis said before hanging up.
As Graham got into his car, he felt a renewed sense of determination. He wasn’t going to let Gabby’s career end because of some power-hungry admiral with a grudge. This fight was far from over.
What Alley didn’t know was that Graham and Travis Boles, the Department of Homeland Secretary, were old friends.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Gabby sat in one of the chairs she had moved over by the window. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest as she gazed out the window. This time, as she looked at the ships and boats, she felt a pang in her gut. Would she ever sail those waters again?
The encounter with Vice Admiral Alley was still fresh in her mind, his condescending words ringing in her ears. He wanted her out, gone from the Coast Guard, and the idea made her stomach churn. But it also fueled something deep inside her—a stubborn fire that refused to be snuffed out.
Fine,she thought bitterly.He wants to write me off? I’ll prove to everyone, including him, that I can still do everything I used to. Nothing’s changed.
Her leg ached faintly, a dull reminder of everything she’d lost, but Gabby refused to dwell on that. Instead, her focus was on the next step—getting fitted for her prosthetic. She wasn’t just going to walk again. She was going to run, climb, swim—she would do everything she once used to.The thought of showing up Alley, of standing tall in front of him when he least expected it, brought the barest hint of a smile to her lips. Even if the decision had already been made about her future in the Coast Guard, she would make him eat his words. And she would make sure that the world would witness it.
A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She blinked, her mind shifting gears. Drew, her therapist, was supposed to be here any minute, but something told her that the knock didn’t belong to him alone.
