Maddie couldn’t see who was in the room because of the wall of hard bodies standing in front of and around her. The men of Deep Six had her surrounded, and she felt safer than she had in a long time, but still terrified that the military was back to terrorize her more. Maybe because of what happened with her father.

Hawk stood directly in front of her, and she felt the anger radiating from his stiff body. She put a hand on his lower back to draw some of his strength, because she was fresh out.

“Why are you here?” Hawk barked, his voice sounding firmer than she’d ever heard it. “If you’re here to arrest Captain Carter, you can’t have her. It’s time for you to leave us alone. You have put her through enough.”

Her insides unfurled a notch, but still quaked. She looked around, trying to find her daughter, but there were too many people crammed into the room.

“Hang on, man. Nobody is here to arrest her,” Max said, and hope sprang alive in Maddie’s chest.

If her brother was here with them he must’ve led them here, and he wouldn’t have done that if they were here to arrest her. He had been as relieved as she was to have the iron curtain of their father’s control lifted from his shoulders. Neither of them had attended the General’s funeral. Maddie wobbled up to her feet and tried to part the wall of male bodies blocking her view, but they wouldn’t budge.

“We aren’t here to arrest Captain Carter, we are here to apologize, sir,” a very regimented voice replied. “An egregious error has been made and I’ve been sent by the Secretary of the Army to make reparations for the suffering we’ve caused her.”

Hawk’s body relaxed as he stepped aside and Maddie got her first look at the cadre of high-ranking uniformed men standing right inside the doorway of the conference room. Maddie stepped forward, but Hawk dropped his arm around her shoulders to pull her into his side.

“It’s about damned time, sir,” he growled, his fingers digging into her shoulder.

The man with the four-stars on his collar and enough chest candy to bring him to his knees stepped forward, his cover under his left arm. His right arm came up from his side and he held a wooden box. He flipped open the lid and offered it to Maddie.

“This is a Purple Heart to go with the posthumous Silver Star you received, which you will keep, even though you’re humous, Captain Carter.”

Maddie pushed Hawk’s arm off her shoulders and stepped forward to take the box. After he released it, the General stiffened his spine and snapped off a sharp salute. “The Army thanks you for your honorable service, ma’am, and your courage.”

“That’s fine. More hardware, which she deserves. I haven’t heard an apology,” Hawk grated from behind her.

The General’s eyes narrowed as he shot Hawk a hot glance. “If you will give me a moment, sir, there’s more.” He reached his hand back and one of the men with him deposited a thick envelope in his hand. He held it out to Maddie and she took it.

“In that envelope, you will find your honorable discharge, your statement of benefits, which include an added monthly benefit in relation to your awards. You will also find a substantial bonus check that represents added reparations for both your extended suffering while in captivity because of our carelessness, and for the mental anguish the Army caused with our frivolous and unmerited investigation. The Army, the Secretary and the President formally apologize for the mental anguish we caused, Captain Carter. Rest assured that any and all charges that were brought against you have been expunged from your service record, ma’am.”

He snapped off another salute, and so did the men behind him. “I would fly with you any day, ma’am. Thank you again for your service and sacrifice.”

A warm rush of emotion washed through Maddie, making her weak. She put the envelope and medal on the table then stiffened her spine, held the General’s eyes and snapped off a salute.

“I was proud to serve, sir. Please tell the Secretary thank you for the honor,” she said, unable to keep the tears in her eyes from her voice.

“Hooah!” Caleb shouted from the other side of the room and Maddie smiled. The General looked over at him and smiled too.

“Hooah!” he repeated. Cries of Hoorah, Oorah and Hoorah, and even a Hell Yeah, joined in.

Hawk stepped forward and extended his hand to the General. “Thank you, sir,” he said, and his voice was as emotion-filled as Maddie’s had been. “It would be an honor if you and your companions would stay and join us to celebrate, sir.”

It took both Levi and Mickie to keep enough food flowing to feed the masses who filled the conference room to celebrate. Maddie had never felt so loved, or more secure in her life.

When things started winding down, Hawk dragged her out of the conference room and hauled her down the hall to the suite. He opened the door, pulled her inside then kissed her silly. When he finally released her, his smile made her knees weak again.

“Get enough packed for you and the baby for a week. I’ll be back in an hour to pack for me,” he said and Maddie frowned.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To an almost deserted island for a week to get away from the world. I’ve got some long overdue things to say to you too,” he replied.