“You expect me to be intimidated by a mother defending her daughter?”
Patricia’s voice hardened.
“No. I expect you to behave like the uniform you’re wearing.”
That hit harder.
The gray-templed staff sergeant looked down.
Another Marine coughed to hide a reaction.
Crawford flushed.
“Stay out of this.”
Patricia pointed at his hand.
“You brought me into it when you grabbed her.”
Jessica spoke.
“Mom.”
Patricia looked at her.
Jessica gave another small shake of the head.
Patricia stopped again.
Crawford saw it.
He grinned.
“See? She knows better.”
Jessica finally let a little steel enter her voice.
“No, Captain. She knows me.”
The grin vanished.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then the speaker near the memorial wall stopped mid-program.
The microphone went silent.
The sudden absence of amplified sound transformed everything.
Four hundred people became aware of one another at once.
Faces turned.
Heads tilted.
The disturbance was no longer background noise.
