CHAPTER FIVE
“Logan, you’re not doing this alone,” said Ham. “Moisson asked for our help and we’re going to give it to him. You’ll be included in this and we’ll track that bastard down. Get some fucking rest and we’ll head back to D.C. in the morning.”
Logan thought about going off and doing this himself but he knew Ham was right and he knew that his family would only follow him. He needed their help. Nodding, he continued to walk toward his cottage.
“Keep eyes on him,” said Gator.
“You know we will,” said Rush. “I know you won’t need my help but if you do…”
“We’ll find you,” said Ham.
Sleep didn’t come easy for Logan. He tossed and turned, remembering the happy smiling faces of those little girls at the orphanage and school. He wondered how they could be so happy knowing that Fitzwilliam was probably coming back to rape them again and again.
At breakfast, he finally was able to talk to his mother and grandmother. Tru wrapped him in a hug so tight, he thought he’d never be able to breathe again.
“Nanny,” he gasped, “let me go, please.”
“If you ever try to say goodbye to me again I will personally beat your ass,” she frowned with tears in her eyes.
“I wasn’t myself, Nanny. I’m sorry.” She nodded, touching his cheek with her soft hand and kissing his other cheek.
“You ready to head back to D.C.?” asked Gator.
“Who all is going?” he asked.
“Conor, Moose, Fitch, Sor, Pax, Saint, and River.” Logan gave a small smirk, just at the corner of his mouth.
“Gee, do you think that will be enough?”
“If it’s not, we have a few dozen more ready,” said Cowboy. “Find out what Moisson can tell you and then get back to us.”
Logan was quiet the whole way to D.C. He kept replaying all that had happened, all that he witnessed.
“Something bugging you, Logan?” asked Moose.
“Everything. I know what I saw that night. I saw Fitzwilliam go into that school with two other men, but I couldn’t see their faces. They brought out two young girls, teenagers maybe. I should have stopped it.”
“You didn’t know, brother and you had no reason to think he was doing anything awful with them,” said Fitch.
“But the woman and her husband, they showed me pictures of them carrying the girls back to the orphanage. It looked like they were bleeding.”
“It’s possible,” nodded Sor.
“Then why, why when I was out there doing recon, verifying that it was not a place where Mogdani would be, did I see happy, playing kids? If something terrible had happened to them, wouldn’t they have been sad?”
“Maybe not all of them knew, brother,” said Pax. “We’ll figure it all out, Logan. Don’t beat yourself up. We’ve all been there in the place of ‘I shoulda, coulda, woulda’. Don’t get lost in that shit.”
Logan nodded and by the time they landed, he realized that the men were right. Moisson asked them to meet him at a local restaurant and when they arrived, handing the keys to the valet, they were suddenly faced with something, someone unexpected.
“Y-you killed my sister,” she stammered. The young woman was maybe twenty-four or twenty-five. She had long dark hair, huge hazel eyes, and a soft tan to her skin. She was wearing a pair of white shorts with running shoes and a t-shirt emblazoned with the University of Virginia logo.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know your sister,” said Logan. Her hand was shaking from the weight of the gun as people on the street started to scatter. Moose edged closer but Logan signed for him to stand down.
“She was a baby. Just twelve. That man, the general said you sent the bombs.”
“I didn’t send the bombs,” said Logan calmly. “I tried to stop the bombs. That’s why I’m here. I’m trying to find General Fitzwilliam. Have you seen him here?”
“Y-yesterday. He found me. He told me to kill you.”
“What’s your name?”
“Blythe. M-my sister’s name was O-Olive. Olive like the t-tree,” she said crying. “She was a baby! A baby!” She lowered the weapon just for a moment and Logan reached for it, easily taking it from her hand. He pulled the woman into his embrace, handing the gun to Moose.
“It’s alright. We’re going to find him. Come inside with us,” he said quietly.
“Logan. Brother,” frowned Saint.
“It’s alright.”
Inside the restaurant, the host asked if all was well and they nodded. Gun-wielding people on the streets of D.C. was becoming all too familiar.
They found General Moisson seated at a large table and he frowned when they walked up with the crying woman. River quickly explained what had happened.
“Your name, and your sister’s name are very western,” said Logan.
“We were born here in the U.S. but our parents had to return to Afghanistan because of the death of my grandmother. I was in school and was allowed to stay behind, but they took Olive since I wouldn’t be able to watch her all the time. Tickets were very expensive.
“When they arrived, they were killed by a group of men because they were considered traitors, having left the country for America. My sister was placed in that school and orphanage.
“I kept trying to get permission to retrieve her and it was blocked. When I heard of the bombing at the school, I panicked. They wouldn’t allow me to go and retrieve her remains.”
“I’m so damn sorry,” said Logan.
“Why? Why did he do that? Why would he kill her after taking her organs?”
“Her organs?” frowned Pax. “What are you talking about?”
“The man who held her body, the coroner, he said she’d had a kidney and lung removed. Two other girls had the same thing. One had recently had an eye and part of her liver removed. One of the neighbors said they told several men that the American general was abusing the girls’ bodies.”
“Jesus, that’s what they meant,” said Logan frowning. “Someone said something to me but I thought they were being sexually abused. Even Fitzwilliam led me to believe that was true.” At first her face was horrified, then she shook her head.
“I spoke to my sister almost weekly. She would have told me. She was happy at the school, learning. She had friends.”
“What in the ever-loving fucking hell is happening?” growled Moose.
“I-I thought you knew,” she whispered. “I don’t understand any of this. General Fitzwilliam said you were to blame but the news kept saying it was him.”
“Did he find you or did you find him?” asked Logan.
“He found me. I think. I mean, I was looking for someone to help me and no one could tell me a thing about you. I’ve been pounding on doors for days now.
Then I went back to my apartment and packed all my things.
I had no idea where you were but I was going to hunt you down.
” Logan and the other men gave a sad smirk and she actually chuckled.
“Stupid, right? I’m stupid. I couldn’t have killed you. I had no idea what I was doing. The general gave me the gun. He said I would be excused for your killing since you killed, I mean, supposedly killed my sister.”
“You’re not stupid,” said Logan. “You’re very brave and you believed someone in authority because you thought you could. Let us tell you what we know.”
When explanations were done, the young woman was more confused than ever.
“What do I do now? Will you arrest me?” she asked.
“I think we can forgive this,” smirked Logan, “but I do think you might be in danger now since Fitzwilliam knows you were coming to kill me.”
“I have nowhere to go. I just finished school and haven’t found a job yet.”
“What was your major?” asked Moose.
“I’m a doctor. I started and finished early,” she smiled with some pride. “I can’t believe this. What am I to do? No one is going to hire me now.”
“We will,” said Fitch. He grinned at Logan and nodded. “We need a doctor at our hospital where we live. We always need new doctors and nurses.”
“I don’t understand. You have a hospital where you live. In your neighborhood?” she asked.
“It’s a bit of a story but stay with us. We’ll send someone to empty your apartment if you’re willing to come with us. We can keep you safe from Fitzwilliam and hopefully you can find a place for yourself with us.”
“The man I spoke to in Afghanistan said once I had somewhere to bury my sister, they would send her remains to me. Can you help me with that?” she asked.
“We can do that,” said Sor. “Give me your address and you call the man in Afghanistan. Let him know someone will be calling to release her body to them.”
She nodded, taking the odd-looking phone from him. Looking up, she realized just how beautiful the man seated beside her really was. He was alarmingly large. Tall and broad, thick blonde hair and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. She stared at the men for a moment.
“You’re all unrealistically, statistically large. Even for Americans.”
“We eat well,” smirked Moose. “I promise you’re safe with us.”
“I can vouch for that,” said General Moisson.
“Forgive me, sir, but I’ve had one American general lie to me this week, I’m reluctant to readily trust another.” The general laughed, nodding at her.
“Then it will be my mission to earn your trust, Blythe.”