GUARDIANS: Mission To Rescue Innocence (Beauty 0f Life Book 7)

by Laura Acton

  Observing Anastasia push back untamed, long, wavy, golden locks, Mike’s face broke into a genuine smile, the first one in many years. He comprehended what she was saying. Here was a gorgeous woman most would classify as a brainless blonde. Anastasia was much more. Beautiful inside and out. A surge of brotherly love for her filled him. He rose, went to her chair, leaned down and tenderly kissed her cheek as he said, “I can never repay you for what you did for me.”

  Anastasia beamed at Mike. An exceptional man who dedicated his life to protecting others. She stood and said, “Nothing to repay. Let’s go.”

  Mike’s well-worn cloak draped over his inner self as they headed for the door. He owed the general for his meaningful life, as such, he would protect the general’s son with his last breath if need be. With the serenity Anastasia helped him gain, his mind cleared, and a plan began to take shape.

  If he allowed Magic Mike to come to the forefront, Savelievich would view only what he expected, never having a clue about the man who now lay beneath the surface. That would provide Mike the opportunity to keep Dan safe and possibly afford him a chance to send Savelievich to Hell.

  Emotional Storms

  18

  May 27

  Makhachkala Railway Station – 1910 Hours

  Dom Savoy hurried into the train station, concerned why Blaze contacted him for an emergency meeting. As prearranged, they would not speak on the phone. A simple text which read WN2M, which stood for we need to meet, had him rushing out of his dive hotel.

  His mind whirled, disoriented by irrational fears. Given the fact his daughters live’s hung in the balance, he didn’t chide himself too much for not maintaining clear thinking. His first thought was that the unit suffered losses meeting with the Jackals. Radoslav Yegorovich was known to be unstable, but unfortunately, the only black-market contact in the area who might possess all the necessary items on short notice.

  Not for the first time, Dom worried about the cost to others to bring his girls home safely. If he could do this alone, he would, but he understood his limitations. He managed to discover the city in which his precious girls were taken, but he didn’t possess the contacts necessary to gain access to the Cherry Club. Plus, he would be recognized if he showed his face which would most likely end in a quick death for his children and a slow painful one for him.

  He spotted Blaze and another man at the preset location. He slowed his pace as he approached the train platform. He said in a hushed tone, “What’s the problem?”

  Surprised with the chosen language, Blaze glanced around before replying. “We have new intel you won’t like. Better if we talk on the way.”

  “Where?”

  “Hotel.”

  Dom only nodded and followed them out as his mind conjured up more terrible scenarios. He needed to suppress the brewing emotional storm.

  Anzhi-Qala Resort – Luxury Suite – Bedroom – 1920 Hours

  Dan lay on the bed with Beauty turned up loud. He tried to drown out the thoughts which kept invading his head, to no avail. Every time he envisioned playacting what would be required, bile rose in his throat. So far, he had managed not to retch, but he was uncertain he would be able to do the act without hurling.

  His visceral reaction to this puzzled him, and instead of sleeping, he kept wondering why this hit him so damned hard. Beyond making him want to puke, the thought of touching a child in that manner made him fearful. He didn’t understand that emotion. Disgust yes, fear, no.

  Attempting but failing to lock away the anxiety as it kept asserting itself, Dan changed tactics and tried reasoning with himself. It isn’t as if I’m the one being abused and violated. Dan’s stomach rolled, and he sprang to his feet to race to the bathroom. Scarcely making it in time, he paid homage to the porcelain god as he lost the battle with nausea.

  With only an apple to eat today, not much came up. After spitting out the contents of the final heave, Dan stood and rinsed his mouth as he glanced at his image in the mirror. Faces superimposed over his as echoes of raunchy laughter filled his ears. He shuddered and lowered his eyes. It did not happen.

  Dan shuffled back to the bed as he tried to convince himself he had not been raped repeatedly only months ago. Lying down, he reinserted the earbuds and cranked up the sound to drown out his memories. He understood the fear now. He would become worse than the bastards who violated him. Pedophiles were the lowest and most despicable sexual predators.

  Turning up Beauty another notch, he slammed his eyes shut to concentrate on the music. Dan started to relax as ‘The Light’ by Disturbed began to play. Focusing on the lyrics, he wondered if darkness might show him the light and if fears blinded him. Letting the shadow permeate his mind scared the hell out of him and he was unsure he wanted to reveal his darkest memories. His world crumbled again … his life seemed to be under constant reconstruction.

  Hitting repeat, listening to the song three more times, Dan contemplated darkness rekindling light. As he drifted off the next song, ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ by Duran Duran played. However, for an unknown reason, the first stanza created disturbing images of a wolf’s amber eyes staring intently at him, making him feel vulnerable. His eyes flicked open and scanned the room as his heart rate increased.

  During the second verse, he sat up as perspiration beaded on his forehead. Inhaling deeply, attempting to calm his breathing, the scent of lime, musk, and cedar assailed his nostrils. The fragrance incited flashes of anger, fear, humiliation, and pain. He shivered as if he was in a freezer.

  His hand flew to his left ankle as phantom pain spiked and an overwhelming survival instinct urged him to run and hide. By the third stanza, his body was drenched in sweat, and his panic intensified as visions of a hungry wolf, poised and ready to sink his fangs into his thigh, assaulted him.

  Dan ripped the earbuds out with shaking hands as the desire to cry out for help beset him in conjunction with the thought he would rather die than be hunted by the massive wolf again. None of this made any sense to him.

  Shaking uncontrollably, he rose from the bed and took three steps to the door before stripping off his now soaking wet shirt. He staggered forward, something driving him to seek security. Brody is security. If I can reach Brock, … wait, no, … Brody, I’ll be safe.

  As he grasped the doorknob, his heart raced, and he fought for control over intense fear. His eyes scanned the room again … searching for the white, Yukon wolf which shadowed him. I need to get to Brody. He always saves me. Brody will protect me until Dad returns and rescues me.

  Dan’s hand halted. Where the hell did that thought come from? My father doesn’t give a rat’s ass about me. He wants me dead. Is the general the wolf? Turning the knob, Dan became dizzy and disoriented as his breath came in erratic little gasps and terror overrode all logical thought except, I need Brody.

  Anzhi-Qala Resort – Luxury Suite – Main Room – 1930 Hours

  Mike and Anastasia returned ten minutes ago. Mike cautiously approached the table around which Mason, Ripsaw, Patch, and Brody congregated reviewing all the intel. Expecting heated glares, Mike was surprised when each of the guys apologized in one form or another to him. Mike, in turn, expressed his regrets for withholding critical information.

  With no animosity, they set to work in earnest. Mike shared the beginning of an idea with them, and they were deep into discussing the pros and cons when the door to the suite opened. Momentarily distracted as Blaze and Winds entered, all eyes turned to scrutinize the newcomer. Assuming the man to be Dom, those assembled relaxed marginally and waited.

  Dominique Savoy went directly to the mini-bar and opened a small bottle of bourbon. William’s preferred drink not his … he favored a dry red wine, but after what he learned he needed a stiff drink. His daughters were in more peril than he had ever imagined.

  At first, he wanted to be angry with William for not sharing the full details with him, but he had been a player a long time, and he enjoyed a meaningful friendship with Will, to the extent he was gra
nted the honor of becoming Becca’s godfather. He comprehended why his long-time friend withheld the details … William understood him all too well.

  He would’ve gone off half-cocked before the unit arrived. Part of him still preferred to go in and light up the place to retrieve his precious girls. Though, his rational mind kicked in enough to stop him from committing suicide and ensuring a life worse than death for his beautiful daughters. Dom downed the entire bottle in one swallow. Essentially it was the size of a shot and would not impair him at all. In many ways it was symbolic.

  Scanning the men in the room, Dom noted William’s son was missing. It made him sick to think what Daniel might have to do in this mission to save his girls. Dom was not above using sex to obtain key intel. He had done it many times, but always with consenting adults. Perverts who defiled children were beyond redemption and needed to be wiped out.

  On the drive over, Blaze explained Daniel asked them to find another way. Dom agreed wholeheartedly. He would never make a request which would blacken and destroy Dan’s soul. No decent man should ever expect another man to sacrifice his spirit doing something so immoral and abhorrent.

  Ascribing to and living by consequentialism ethics, whereby the ends justified the means, Dom willingly eradicated people to produce an honorable and acceptable outcome. However, he recognized the Broderick men ascribed to a different moral philosophy. Noble men who lived more by deontological ethics, where rules or obligations bound one to a moral duty.

  Though he also grasped from discussions on philosophy with William, that Daniel appeared to embrace ethical altruism, routinely taking actions which had the best consequences for everyone except for himself. Dom drew his moral line at asking Daniel to lose the innocence of his soul and become a shell, an empty husk, completely dead inside to protect his daughters’ virtue. There would be nothing noble or morally right in those actions.

  Even the potential solution of playacting would be too much to ask of Dan. He refused to allow the operation to proceed in that manner. They would strategize and develop a new plan to rescue his sweet girls. Dom’s thoughts ceased when the door to the bedroom opened.

  Dan staggered out clutching his drenched shirt. Haunted eyes searched the group seeking security, needing Brody. Dan found him and took two steps before his knees gave out. He dropped to the ground as his arms reached out to his brother. “Brody,” he cried out in a small, almost childlike voice.

  Brody glanced up when Dan stumbled into the room, noting perspiration dripped from his forehead and glistened on his chest. The hunted expression caused Brody to react swiftly, leaping over the low coffee table separating them as Dan fell. Brody’s heart broke.

  Time elongated, making it seem like ages until he reached his frightened brother when in reality only a mere second passed. Pulling Dan close, Brody whispered, “I’m here. I got you. You’re safe.”

  Bloody Hell! Dominique choked up glimpsing Daniel’s chest and abdomen as he exited the room. Dominique could only stare. It was rude, and he knew it. The others shifted their gazes to give Daniel a modicum of privacy, but Dom could not turn his back on William’s son.

  Enfer Sanguin! The curse repeated in French when the brown-haired man leapt towards Daniel, pulled him into an embrace, and Dom’s eyes lit on Dan’s scarred back. Unable to avert his eyes, Dom’s heart wrenched for his friend’s only son. Aware Daniel had been held captive for three months and tortured, a confidence shared between friends, witnessing the physical damage of the cruel torture, fresh scars covered his torso almost entirely, punched Dom in the gut. Knowing was one thing, seeing vastly different.

  Mon Dieu in Heaven! Able to finally turn away, he gazed out the window. My God dans Ciel! A cacophony of thoughts as jumbled as his emotions reigned, almost rendering Dom impotent. Quite proficient in many dialects, he became cognizant of the repeated transpositions of his English father’s and French mother’s languages as the words popped into his head. The inescapable conclusion … his emotive heart took over from his reasoning brain.

  Dom could no more ask Dan to do this mission than he could take the life of an innocent. With scars like those, he could envision the deep wounds of the psyche, though with the young man on the ground seeking shelter from a unit mate it didn’t take much imagination.

  William is a logical man, why did he send his son in this condition? Is he wearing blinders again? Perhaps he believes accelerating Daniel’s return to active duty will heal him faster. William’s heart is in the right place, but his actions leave much to be desired. Mon Dieu, such a twisted dynamic.

  The sweating and shaking signified to him that Dan must’ve woken from a terrifying dream. Cauchemars. Oui, it must be nightmares. Dom rubbed the back of his neck with one hand as his distress intensified. He would never ask Daniel to risk his life, even if it meant the loss of his daughters.

  Bowing his head, Dominique closed his eyes. The Lord’s prayer ran through his mind as he sought peace, recognizing his decision might damn his lovely daughters to a life of Hell on earth. God would forgive him, sweet Jeannette may not, but he refused to kill William’s child to recover his children.

  That fell squarely into the realm of unforgivable. He couldn’t and wouldn’t ask. Dom wiped away a single tear which slipped out as he navigated the tempest swirling around him, striving to regain a foothold on rational thought … the only thing which would possibly save his girls.

  Dan clung to Brody, riding out the emotional storm. His brothers would never ask about his fear, which was good because he had no answers. Time held no meaning as his irrational and unfounded terror subsided. He shivered again, but this time it was due to the cold air blowing across his damp back.

  Brody held tight to Dan offering shelter and comfort. Nightmares still haunted Dan, and the best remedy was to be his lifejacket keeping him afloat in the ocean of emotions attempting to drown him. All of them discovered it was most effective to remain still and silent until the hurricane passed.

  The quiet and human touch always calmed Dan. When Dan was ready, he would pull back, and Brody would let go. Another lesson they learned was not to make inquiries about the nightmare. If anyone said anything, Dan became embarrassed. If they pretended like nothing out of the ordinary occurred, their buddy was able to center himself. Over the past four months they misstepped, but now they had a system which worked to bring Danny back rapidly.

  Dan loosened his grip on Brody and leaned back, searching his jade eyes, noting only acceptance. He blew out a long breath as Brody released him. The shaking ceased, and his pulse rate calmed. He closed his eyes a moment and took several more calming breaths. Opening them, Dan stood and said, “I need a shower. I’ll be out in ten.”

  Brody nodded and watched as Dan closed the bedroom door. He glanced around the room, knowing three people had never witnessed Dan’s demons and hoped they possessed enough tact not to speak about what they saw.

  Relaxing, he sat back on his heels as he noted Blaze near Dom whispering to him, Ripsaw doing the same with Anastasia, and Mason with Mike. The guys were surely passing on how to behave with Dan and how to help him maintain his equilibrium.

  A sad sigh softly exhaled, Brody’s heart ripped every time Danny fought the demons trying to drag him back into the darkness. This mission sucked. The general sucked for assigning Danny. A hand on his shoulder made him turn, and he found Winds crouching beside him.

  Worried about Brody’s state of mind, Winds struggled to find words to convey his conflicting emotions. Sadness for what Blondie endured and gratefulness for Brody’s interventions. He focused on the later. “I’m glad Blondie has you, Brody. You are always right there for him when he needs you. Not sure what we’d do without you.”

  “He’s always there when I need him too.” Brody countered, making sure Winds understood he never perceived Dan as less than capable.

  A grin splayed on Winds’ face. “Like Blaze and me. Brothers from different mothers.” Winds stood and put out a hand.

  Br
ody took the offered hand and rose. He studied the group. Varied expressions adorned their faces, but they all shared one thing in common … commitment. Together they would rescue Dom’s girls, save the other children from an unimaginable life, and most important to Brody … protect Danny’s soul and keep him safe.

  Cherry Club – Office

  Panin Savelievich Volkov steepled his fingers, tapping on his lips as he listened to Makar Yurievich while Kazimir Yurievich sat nervously twitching on the opposite side of his desk. He didn’t much care for these two idiots, but they brought him lucrative merchandise.

  Makar finished his plea, speaking English. “You understand now. You must sell the girls sooner than expected.”

  Conducting business in English, as usual, to keep his bodyguards in the dark regarding specifics, Panin swiveled back and forth as he considered what Makar said. After several minutes he lowered his hands, popped a cherry in his mouth and spit the pit out in his trash can. “So, your contact in MI6 confirmed Dominique Savoy left France for Russia and is in Makhachkala ahead of schedule.”

  Kazimir spoke in rudimentary English, “Da, da. Sell girls. He no pay. Girls need gone.”

  Makar glanced at his nervous brother but returned his steely eyes to Panin quickly. He didn’t trust the oily bastard, but they needed the money they would receive from selling Savoy’s brats to finance their revenge on the entire team involved in killing their brother. The years intensified their desire for vengeance rather than diminished it.

  He explained for his brother, “What Kazimir means is there is no way Savoy can pay the ransom as we planned. But he came earlier than expected to try and get his girls back. You need to sell them now, so we can be paid and disappear after killing Savoy.”

  “Does he have help?” Panin chewed another cherry.

  Makar smirked. “No. Savoy believes there is a leak in SAS. He doesn’t trust anyone. Savoy is alone in this. He isn’t aware the leak is in MI6. When he surfaces, we will kill him. You just take care of selling the girls and giving us our cut of the sale.”