Page 4 of What is Found

“They’re fine, Sergeant,” John said then added, “For now.”

“Ah.” The sergeant was about his height, though a little older and with a trim sandy moustache. He couldn’t see the man’s eyes behind his wraparounds, but he watched his face smooth as the smile slowly slipped from his lips. “But not?—”

“To term? Depends on how accurate her dates are. I’m not an OB, although if I had to guess, I’d say I sure hope so.”

“Doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, sir.”

“Because it’s not. She’s close; that’s baby’s definitely dropped. I did a quick exam, and she seems okay for now. It’s just...” He shook his head. “I don’t think I’d want any child to be born here, especially not now. I know I can’t help every pregnant motherhere, but she’s mine for now. Or, at least, until that next IV bag runs out.”

“And then?”

“We got to get her out of here.”

Now the sergeant did pull down his shades to give John a look. “They all need to get out of here. Not to sound unfeeling, sir, but what makes her different?”

“You mean, other than being very pregnant?”

“Spend some time on the wall, sir, and you see a lot of that.”

“Okay, then, maybe nothing makes her different other than her husband has what seem to be the right papers. Maybe she and her husband sail through the State Department and they’re on the next plane to Ramstein.”

“But?”

“You probably know the State Department people better than I do. You’ve been walking people over to those guys for a couple of days. I’m not an expert, but I looked at the dad’s papers, and they seem legit...”

When he hesitated, the Marine said, “Except what, sir?”

“Except his employment started back in 2016 but was terminated about six months ago.”

He watched the sergeant think about that. “Does the paper say why?”

John shook his head. “Just that he served with distinction but got marked security-ineligible.”

“Mmm.” The sergeant smoothed his moustachewith a forefinger, one side before the other, first the left and then the right. “Usually means that the person fails a polygraph or, maybe, has ties to a militant group. Mostly, though, it’s about a polygraph.”

“Which we both know, from numerous television shows and movies, is unreliable, especially if the subject is nervous. A guy with a high-risk job and a target on his back and now a newly pregnant wife just might be. Counting backward from the date of the letter, that would’ve been around the time that his wife could be pretty certain she was pregnant.”

“Oh, his head was probably spinning, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah. I’m thinking a tough break.”

“Can’t disagree. I have three of my own. It’s why I’m shooting blanks now because every time my wife sat me down totell me something,” he said, inserting air-quotes, “I think my blood pressure inched up another couple notches. What do you want to do, sir?”

“I want to get them on the next plane,” John said. “The father seems like a good guy.”

“Yeah.” The sergeant’s head moved in a short nod. “I think so, too. Did you see his leg?”

“What?” He’d been so busy hoping he wasn’t about to deliver a baby or send the woman across base to the hospital for an emergency C-section, he’d spared no thought to the man at all. “No. Why?”

“Figures,” the Marine said. “Got himself hooked on some barbed wire when the crush started. Badgash. He tied it up, though, and insisted on carrying his wife most of the way. We only stopped him when he got to limping so bad, I worried he would dump her. He’s a good guy, you ask me.”

“They’re back at the med tent. I can get someone to take a look or do it myself. In the meantime, though, I need a favor.”

“Which is?”

“I’d like you to walk me over to the State Department guys and point out who’s likely to be a little more sympathetic. If you’ve got a couple minutes,” he said, checking his watch. “It’s about 1740. I don’t know when they rotate, but sincetempusisfugiting?—”

That was as far as he got.

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