Free Fire for Effect by Kendall McKenna Page B

shot?”
    “It happened before we all met up in that room so I didn’t see what happened,” Gilman answered without hesitation. “That’s why it was never part of my testimony. It shouldn’t matter anyway. Restrepo sacrificed himself to save Gunny. I saw him do it, Top. He was a hero that day, no matter what happened before that grenade got tossed in.”
    “You know what you saw, Sergeant,” Jonah replied noncommittally. “And it’s consistent with the Silver Star citation. Who was still in the room Restrepo and Warner had fled? Do you recall?”
    The Sergeant paused, obviously scanning his memory of the event. “I think it was Staff Sergeant Galen Foster, but I’m not real sure.”
    “That’s okay. It’s listed somewhere in one of the reports,” Jonah replied casually. He and Kellan both knew for a fact it had been Foster in that room. “Okay. I think we’re done here,” he declared as he rose and shook Gilman’s hand. “If we have more questions we’ll let your CO know.”
    When Gilman was gone, Jonah and Kellan resumed their seats. “What’s our next move, sir?” Jonah asked.
    “First, I want to interview Lance Corporal Rich Connell and verify his story matches Gilman’s,” Kellan said, scrolling the screen of his own tablet. “Once we’ve done that, we need to interview Gunnery Sergeant Galen Foster. All accounts, including his own, state that he was in the outer room with Warner and Restrepo when they started taking grenades.”
    “It’s looking more and more like a case of friendly fire,” Jonah confirmed. “And someone arranged for a medical panel to provide a finding that would disqualify Restrepo for the MOH, without pointing a finger at anyone for lighting up a fellow Marine.”
    “This entire thing is so FUBAR,” Kellan said, his anger burning hot and knotting his gut. “False medical findings have most likely been released to the family and the public. We need to figure out how to get our hands on the real reports, including photos, and determine who they’re protecting and why.”
    “Who is they ?” Jonah asked in bafflement.
    “I have no idea, that’s a piece of the larger puzzle,” Kellan answered.
    Jonah rubbed a thumb and forefinger over his eyes. Subtle bags had formed that Kellan hadn’t seen on Jonah since those first days of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “You know Foster is in Afghanistan, right?” Jonah asked.
    “Yep.” Kellan had wondered how long Jonah would wait to have this conversation.
    “You know I want you to send someone else to interview him, right?” Jonah met Kellan’s eyes, expression resigned.
    “Yep.” There was no one to send besides Jonah, and Kellan wasn’t letting him go alone. They sat in tense silence for several interminable moments.
    “You know I’m going with you, right?” Jonah finally asked.
    “We discussed this already,” Kellan said with a tired grin. Whatever else they were both feeling, Jonah’s concern warmed him. “I don’t want you back in a war zone any more than you want me in one. We’ll go together, so we can at least watch one another’s backs.”
    “Just don’t make me have to chase you through the streets of a hostile city again,” Jonah said as he stood and headed for the exit.
    “If you insist,” Kellan said teasingly, as he followed Jonah out the door.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    Jonah whistled the opening bars of the theme song to ‘Welcome Back Kotter’ and Kellan couldn’t quite stifle all of his laughter. It had taken many weeks, some stern words from Senator Gilchrist, and finally a private meeting between the Senator and Secretary Burnett. Kellan wasn’t privy to what had been said in that meeting, but the Secretary had finally relented and approved Kellan and Jonah to fly to Camp Leatherneck in order to interview Gunnery Sergeant Galen Foster.
    “I admit, I didn’t think we were going to get clearance to come here,” Jonah said, his breath warm on Kellan’s cheek as he leaned over his shoulder to