The doctor’s gaze went from Elisa to Alex to Souze and paused for a long moment before returning to Elisa. “If you do not wish to see these visitors, I will not let them in. But I have been convinced that you should at least be given the opportunity to know who felt it was too urgent to wait, until you are properly discharged, to see you.”
Alex brushed his hand over hers and then withdrew, staying within arm’s reach.
Elisa considered for a moment. There shouldn’t be anything to fear anymore. Joseph was in custody. Anyone else, she could handle. Even facing him, she could if she had to. “Who is it?”
The doctor consulted notes he’d made on a tablet he was carrying. “Mr. David Cruz, Miss Evelyn Jones, and a Captain Jones. Mr. Brandon Forte, Miss Serena ‘Boom’ Rojas, and Miss Sophie Kim.”
Relief swept through her. These people were wonderful. Hearing they’d come to find her filled her with an unexpected warmth, and she wondered how it all could’ve snuck up on her so quickly. “Yes. Yes, I’d like to see them.”
“Normally, we limit visitation in these situations to the emergency contact and direct family members.” The doctor’s tone was distinctly disapproving.
Elisa gave him a peaceful smile. “Doctor, they are family.”
The doctor harrumphed, but then his expression cleared, and he gave her a smile. “I’ll have them escorted in.”
*
Brandon and Sophie were the first to enter. Sophie looked back out the door to see if the nurses or doctor were in sight, then pulled an insulated lunch bag out of her canvas shoulder bag. “It has to have been hours since you last ate and hospital food is awful. I figured you could use a snack.”
“Oh, I love you.” Elisa exchanged a heartfelt hug for the lunch bag. She’d have been as enthusiastic to see Sophie either way, but good food was a fantastic bonus.
Alex leaned forward and whispered, “If food is all it takes, I’ll cook for you at the house sometime when Boom is away on a sleepover. Clothing optional.”
Elisa blinked and tried not to blush. Based on the way David grinned when he and Lyn came in, she’d failed utterly.
“Who said something naughty in your ear?”
Lyn whacked him across the shoulder.
David rubbed his arm in mock hurt. “What? Look at her face. We know that look.”
Lyn briefly dropped her forehead into her palm before recovering as a man in Navy uniform entered and closed the door behind him. If it was at all possible, Alex straightened next to her.
Brandon and David stood equally as tense.
Elisa decided this was going to be a new experience and she was going to meet it head on. “Hello. I’m Elisa Hall. You wanted to see me?”
The man in uniform stepped forward and offered his hand. “Miss Hall, I’m Captain Francis Jones, United States Navy.”
She nodded. “What brings you here, Captain?”
Honestly, she wasn’t sure how to address him but figured she couldn’t go wrong with his rank.
“I need to request your help.”
Elisa raised her eyebrows. “I’m not sure how I can be of help.”
But she had a sinking feeling her time with Joseph wasn’t completely behind her. Corbin Systems was a major military contractor.
“I’m in the midst of a deep undercover investigation. It brought me here a few months ago and into contact with David Cruz and Evelyn Jones.” The captain glanced at Lyn and then away.
Elisa studied the two of them for a minute and decided the surname wasn’t a coincidence.
“What is discussed between us does not leave this room. I’m currently tracking the progress of a forming private contract organization made up of ex-military resources, a mercenary group, if you will. It seems they are looking to gain footholds in several aspects of the private sector, including integration with weapons systems that should not be in the hands of mercenaries. You are currently the most expedient way for us to conduct investigation into the activities of Mr. Joseph Corbin Junior.” Captain Jones didn’t scowl, but his look was definitely stern. “We have reason to believe he used you as his biometric security key.”
Elisa swallowed hard but refused to wilt under the captain’s regard. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
“When we were together, he preferred I accompany him on all business trips. When he toured his manufacturing sites, I was there. I thought it was a compliment, his way of showing his affection, that he set access on my thumb print and retinal scan. I thought it was a demonstration of his trust in me.” She hesitated. “I assumed he’d reset all of those systems when I left.”
Captain Jones shook his head. “The suspect in question had extreme confidence he could get you back. What he has in custody could be evidence to resolve several ongoing cases under my purview.”
She shook her head. “I never saw anything unusual.”
“You may not have known what you were looking at,” Captain Jones pointed out, not unkindly. “We have reason to believe the suspect has an air-gapped laptop stored in his facilities containing sensitive weapons designs and integration code intended for sale to various foreign interests. What weapons and who they were intended to be sold to are best not shared in current company.”
David nodded to Alex. “Phase 2, behind the scenes.”