by Laura Acton
Upon reaching her room, she kicked off her heels and grabbed a bottle of vodka on her dressing table before tottering over to her bay window which provided a view of her garden and hothouse. She plopped down on the bench seat and lifted the bottle to her lips, taking a swig.
In a contemptuous sneer, she spoke as if directly facing Jeannette, “Your girls are everything to you, Jeannette. You gave up your career to be a stay at home mother. How pathetic.
“Oh, how I hate you and your little monsters. You betrayed me when you stole Dominique. He was mine until you sashayed in. He should still be mine. You ruined my life, and now I’m going to destroy yours, and you will never know it is me. I’m a better operative than you and Dominique combined.”
Taking another drink, her mind wandered. She despised being Nicolette’s godmother but had no way to turn Jeannette down and maintain the façade. Harriet prided herself on being a skilled operative in the fine art of deception and intrigue. Her proof, Dominique and Jeannette never suspected a thing.
She covered her hatred for her former underling and her offspring extremely well. It took years, but she finally found a way to lay waste to Jeannette’s life. Dominique would pay too. Her disdain grew to include the man she once desired after he spurned her affections and chose the bitch.
Her demotion two years ago facilitated her activities. Harriet remained bitter about her reassignment. After two decades of supervising top tier operatives in France, her superiors blindsided her by downgrading her to a position overseeing a records office. The betrayal stuck in her craw. She never married or had kids. Working night and day she gave her life to MI6. And what did she receive in return? A goddamned kick in the pants.
However, Harriet used this to her advantage to seek retribution against the people who discarded her and to profit from the sale of pilfered information. Her underlings remained oblivious to her actions because she shrewdly maintained her pretense by living modestly. Though, the growing funds in her Swiss bank account revealed the depths of her Machiavellian tendencies.
Upon taking over the records department and administration of the archives, she realized she possessed full access to unredacted operational intelligence reports. With her clearance level, she found it effortless to steal both the older paper and newer DAT files stored in the encrypted database. She used current intel to pad her pocketbook, selling details on arms movements in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world.
When she recently researched information for Pletcher, Harriet stumbled across an old file titled Operation Sandsnake. It was a stroke of luck when she glimpsed Dominique’s name. After reading the details, a scheme to wreak long desired vengeance on Jeannette began to form.
To make her activities appear to be a leak in SAS, she put out feelers on the darknet for anyone interested in the names of operatives in that mission. The Yurievich brothers reached out to her, and she negotiated with them. In exchange for paying less money for the intel, the brothers would implicate SAS as their source in the ransom note.
A necessary deception so Dominique would approach locating his children alone. Harriet could not have him reaching out to his pals for help in finding the girls. The Yurievichs wanted to kill him in retaliation for their brother’s death. What better way to lure Dominique away from where he had support than to kidnap the brats and take them to Russia.
Harriet growled before taking another long drink. She only lowered the bottle when she realized it was now drained. She let the empty bottle fall to the floor with a soft thud. Her head lolled to the side, as a wicked grin played on her face and she spoke to an apparition of Jeannette again.
“You will never see Dominique or your bratty girls ever again. They are probably dead already. You will be all alone in this world, just like me. Serves you right—you took the only man I ever cared about and turned him against me. It took me almost sixteen years to destroy your world, but perhaps that makes this much sweeter.” Harriet’s smile faded as she nodded off in an alcohol-induced snooze.
Dominique Savoy’s Home – 1:30 a.m.
Unsettled imaginings plagued Jeannette’s sleep. Startled awake by a sound, unsure if it came from a dream or reality, Jeannette bolted upright on the bed. Dropping the tear-stained pillow and rubbing her dry, reddened eyes, she checked Anna-Marie’s owl-shaped clock, noting she slept for ten hours. Another sound caused her to leap out of bed.
Someone attempted to gain entry to her home. If it were Dom, he would have called first. Fueled by recent events, the abduction of her girls, and her strange dream, she chose to be cautious. Moving like a silent cat, she padded to her bedroom and pressed her thumb on the gun safe fingerprint reader to open it.
After retrieving her Glock 26, a small frame, short barrel 9mm which she could easily conceal anywhere on her body, she stealthily headed down her darkened staircase. She stopped, covered by the slight protrusion of the wall into their front entry and listened. Again, she heard a rattling sound, a growl, and an unfamiliar female voice say, “Let me do it.”
In the dim light provided by the streetlamp outside, she saw several distorted figures on the doorstep through the glass inset by their door. Raising her gun with both hands, she prepared to defend herself. When the doorknob turned, she sucked in a breath and held it thanking her former job and Dom for ensuring she was proficient and comfortable with many weapons. Though skilled, she never fired at another human being in her entire career, preferring to use stealth and cunning to achieve her mission objectives.
As the door swung open, Jeannette’s eyes lit upon a shadowy figure carrying smaller one. Instant recognition of her husband and Nicolette caused her to lower her weapon and rush forward. Anguished words flew from her mouth, “Where is Anna-Marie?”
Holding Nicolette, Dom wrapped his free arm around Jeannette as he said, “Right behind me.”
Glimpsing a man with coppery blond hair and blue eyes on the porch behind Dom carrying Anna-Marie, Jeannette cried as she reached out a hand to touch each girl, ensuring they were real and not a dream. “Our precious girls. You found them. Oh, Dom, you brought my hearts home to me.”
Dom stepped farther inside so the others could enter. “My dear, I would never come home without them. They’re my heart too.”
Jeannette noticed two women behind the man holding Anna-Marie. The raven-haired one held a sleeping little girl. The blonde steadied a groggy, young boy standing next to her. At that moment, she realized Dom spoke in English rather than French as they usually did. She drew a shaky, happy breath. “Who is with you?”
Dom moved towards the stairs. “It is a long story. I will explain everything to you upstairs.” He stopped at the base of the steps and turned to Andrei. “Please give Anna-Marie to Jeannette and make yourselves at home in the living room. Help yourselves to anything you want in the kitchen. I will be down after I speak with my wife.”
Andrei handed off the sleeping girl to her mother. “Thank you, Dom. Take your time. We will be fine down here until you are ready.”
Dom nodded and started up the staircase, his destination their master bedroom. Once there, he laid Nicolette on the coverlet, straightened, and faced Jeannette.
Noticing the grave set of Dom’s features, Jeannette reluctantly laid Anna-Marie down. “Please explain.”
Needing to hold his baby girl, Dom lifted Anna-Marie and sat on the bed, positioning his back against the headboard. “Sit and hold Nicolette. I will tell you the basics as they begin to wake. The sedative should be wearing off shortly. Later, I will give you the full accounting.”
Jeannette did as Dom requested and pulled Nicolette’s head into her lap. She noted the braiding of her hair, just like she styled the girls’ hair. She stroked her cheek, then tore her eyes away to gaze at Dom.
Dom’s eyes began to water. “I will not sugar coat this. You must know everything so we can help our girls. Our daughters will need counseling. We need to have them checked out by a doctor too. To see if they were mol …” He choked on the word and
swallowed a lump of emotion threatening to strangle him. He drew a deep breath, and said, “To find out if they have been molested. The bastards planned to sell them to the highest bidder.”
“Planned?” Jeannette gasped.
Caressing Anna-Marie’s arm, Dom sighed. “We owe several men and two women a debt of gratitude we will never be able to repay. However, the greatest debt owed is to William’s son. Daniel was willing to trade his soul and his life to save our children. It is because of him they are home.”
He gave her a brief overview of all which transpired. The last thing he needed to impart to her would shock her more than what he had previously shared, but Dom forged ahead. “The source of the leak isn’t SAS it is MI6. The person who sold my name to the Yurievich brothers is Harriet Lambourne.”
Blindsided by the betrayal, her eyes widened in disbelief. “No!”
“Yes. The scumbags who kidnapped them told me before they died.”
Unable to make sense that her long-time friend would deceive her in this manner, Jeannette’s mind whirled with so many thoughts, seeking the truth as she jabbered, “No. She’s Nikki’s godmother. She planned their baby showers. She visited first after their births. She called tonight and became concerned for their welfare when I told her they were ill. They must’ve lied.”
Understanding her confusion and difficulty in accepting the perfidy, as it reflected his initial thoughts, Dom handed Kazimir’s phone to Jeannette. “View the photos. It is true.”
As she scanned the snapshots, rage built, stoking the fires of hell within her at Harriett’s treachery. She turned flaming eyes to Dom. “She dies. Tonight. I’ll call her and tell her I’ll meet her for dinner. Then I will disembowel her and strangle her with her intestines. She will die an agonizing death for what she did to my babies.”
Leaning over, Dom pulled Jeannette towards him and kissed her forehead. When he released her, he smiled and jested lightly, “I knew I married you for a reason. I feel so safe with you, Jeannette.” More seriously, he said, “We will deal with her, but we must do this covertly. And first, we need to ensure she has not compromised other operatives or sold other damaging intel.”
Jeannette banked her inferno but kept the bright orange embers ready to reignite the blaze as she held Dom’s gaze. “Once we do, she’ll die, painfully.”
Dom gave a slight nod of agreement. “Yes, she will experience excruciating pain. I learned about the perfect poison. It is used in gardening. We can make it appear as either suicide or accidental poisoning.”
“What poison?” Jeannette asked as she switched to operative mode and began thinking about strategies.
“Diquat. Dan ingested a concoction of diquat and pufferfish toxin while rescuing our innocent girls. He almost died and may have kidney damage as a result. William risked losing another child by sending his son to save our daughters. A difficult, but ultimately right choice. Without Dan’s fearlessness and skill, the unthinkable would’ve happened to Nicolette and Anna-Marie.”
Jeannette nodded. “What if Harriet insists on coming over to bring her chicken soup.”
Dom caressed his baby girl as he said, “Harriet will wait. Our priority is our girls. Tell her two truths and a lie. We have out of town guests, we don’t want her soup, and the girls are better.”
A sad, concerned expression covered Jeannette’s face as she recalled what Dom related regarding Elsa and Natia. “Those poor girls will need help. Natia especially. Ten years. I do so hope she can go on to make a wonderful life.”
“Me too. Panin’s funds will be used to assist her and all the others. They will receive the support and counseling they require. I will follow up with Mary Catherine on all the children.”
Jeannette peered down at her precious girls as they showed signs of waking. “I’m glad you kept them sedated until they arrived home. No child should ever suffer such harm.” Conviction of a motherly nature infused her being as she held Dom’s gaze. “We must do something to wipe men like Panin and Maks off the face of the earth.”
Dom grinned. How right my world is with Jeannette. We often share the same thoughts as if we possess entwined minds. “We are on the same track again, my love. There are two people who I believe will help us in the endeavor. Both showed remarkable aptitude and skills which will be useful in bringing down operations like Savelievich’s.”
Nicolette blinked open her eyes finding things a bit blurry. Eyelids fluttered several more times before opening fully and revealing confusion. Her surroundings, although familiar and reassuring, were incongruent with where she fell asleep.
Jeannette whispered in French, “You are safe my precious one. You are home.”
Focusing on her mother’s loving eyes, Nicolette burst into tears. Deep wracking sobs and shaking overtook her body. Jeannette wrapped her child in her arms, rocked her as they both cried, and murmured soothing words until Nikki calmed. Dom caressed Nicolette’s back offering his reassurance too as he held a still sleeping Anna-Marie.
After some time, Nicolette’s wails died down, and she turned her head to peer at her father. “Papa, you saved us. You came. I believed you would come.”
Softly Dom said, “Yes, poppet. I will always come. You’re safe at home now. No harm will come to you ever again while I draw breath. That is a promise I make to you today.”
A whimper came from Anna-Marie, and all three turned to watch as her little eyes worked their way open. The crying, shaking, and hugging repeated with Anna-Marie but this time Nicolette and Jeannette caressed her while Dom embraced her securely in his arms.
As Dom comforted his girls, he vowed he would spend the rest of his life safeguarding not only his daughters but children in general. He would seek out and destroy men or women like Panin, but first, he would deal with both Harriet and Panin himself.
Here When You Most Need
55
June 1
Sacred Heart Abbey – Unit’s Room – 0444 Hours
Waking with the urge to pee, Dan shifted slightly letting out a groan as his abdominal muscles protested movement. Continually puking was like doing thousands of crunches. Scanning the room, he noted everyone appeared asleep but knew at least one remained on overwatch, even in the secured abbey.
Brody glanced at his wristwatch noting it was 4:44 a.m. before turning to Danny. He blinked at the strange sight. Four luminous entities with no discernable shape, wispy like vapor, surrounded Danny and bathed him in an ethereal glow. Something his mother once told him came to mind.
Four angels who resonate the energies of water, air, fire, and earth will come to you when you most need love, support, encouragement, and inner-strength. They will strengthen your mind, body, soul, and heart imbuing you with the ability to overcome any obstacle.
Shaking the thought away, wondering if his talk with Mary Catherine and her comment about his spirit illuminating his path and being a son of Hamon somehow worked its way into his imaginings. When they returned to base, he would research Hamon to understand what the abbess might’ve meant.
Catching Danny’s eye, he spoke in a hushed tone, so he did not wake the others. “You need anything, Danny?”
“Gotta piss. Am I allowed to move?” Dan bent his head to peer down at the catheter, aware he couldn’t move if his belly were full of the stuff Patch used to clean out the toxin.
The apparitions faded as Brody rose to grab the urinal. Patch still kept an eagle eye on every drop of liquid Danny expelled, testing each batch. “Yeah, you’re empty. Patch drained the last exchange about an hour ago before he woke me and went to sleep.”
He assisted Danny on his side to take care of business. After he finished, Brody set the plastic container under the bunk. “What’s your pain level? Patch left a pre-filled dose.”
“I’m alright for now.”
Staring at the ceiling, Dan grinned as he ran his hand over his scalp and found his hair short as he liked it … long enough to spike the front but short enough it dried fast. “Who cut my hair?”
Brody smiled as he sat on the edge of Danny’s bed. “Anastasia. She amazes me with all her skills. Want to see her handiwork?” When Dan nodded, he handed him a small mirror, and offered, “How about trying to eat something again? The nuns left broth warming for you in the kitchen. Patch said you could try soda crackers too. You’re gonna need strength for exfil later today.”
Dan peered at his image. Shearing off the long hair helped shed the revulsion which came with having a similar appearance to someone as disgusting as Maks. He began feeling more like himself, but also noted the hollowness of his cheeks. Weight loss from three days of not keep anything down emphasized his bone structure. His gaunt appearance explained all the worried expressions from the guys. Reflections of his captivity sought entry to his mind, but he crammed them back into the box.
To assuage Brody’s concerns, Dan replied, “Yeah, sure.”
“Excellent. I’ll be back in a moment.” Brody beamed and hurried out.
Dan tracked Brody to the exit. What would I do without Brody? God, I hope I never have to find out. He pushed up, finding his body weaker than he wanted but in less pain. With effort, which left him fatigued, he arranged himself in a semi-reclining position by the time Brody returned with food.
“Can you manage yourself or you want me to hold the cup for you?” Brody asked noting the tremor in Dan’s hand as he held it aloft to receive the mug.
“I’ll manage.”
Brody handed it over, happy Dan showed signs of improvement, though his stamina remained greatly diminished. Wanting to give Danny’s as much control as possible, he sat near him, ready to assist if his energy waned.
After taking a sip, Dan scanned the room, ensuring the others remained asleep before he said, “Did you figure anything out?”
“Yeah, part way … Patch will give you a light sedative, so you’re semi-awake when we arrive on the boat. Kinda like a downer, only enough to relax you. You won’t even have to glimpse the water. Mason’s going to carry you onboard inside that box disguised as fish bait.” He pointed to the container Blaze and Mike procured after their discussion in the dead of night.
