Chapter 6
Owen Taylor
Successes and Failures
Atense atmosphere greeted me. My eyes met Stevenson’s, and the inner turmoil he was struggling with was etched into every crease in his face. My concern for him and the remaining team members increased as I noticed the bottle of gin in the center of the table. Stevenson’s troubled expression, coupled with his trembling hands, told me he was beating himself up.
“It’s a Four Pillars night?”
I surmised.
Clocking in at a powerful 117.6 proof, it’s one of the strongest gins in the world. Grabbing the empty glass in the center of the table, I poured myself one.
Raising it, I toasted the men. “To tonight’s successes and failures. We accomplished the most important part of the operation.”
I sipped the gin, took a seat, and sighed at the remarkably smooth texture of it.
A somber silence settled over the room, the weight of what had transpired lingered. Leaning forward, I tried to keep my voice calm, but the urgency was still there. “Stevenson, I need to know everything. What the hell happened?”
His face paled, and his voice was laced with regret. “He took the coward’s way out, is what happened. He realized he was cornered and knew he’d be tortured for information, so he chose death over betrayal. He shot himself before I could make my move. I underestimated him. Who the fuck are these people, Owen? Because he was obviously protecting someone. This operation stinks of dark, secret-elite shit.”
“From what I’ve been able to gather, Richard Sallow, the sadistic son of a bitch, was operating under an alias. His true identity is unknown, but he works for a secret organization, so kudos for figuring that out. The intel I’ve collected on him leads me to believe he was raised away from any type of society that could identify him. He’s part of a shadow network that provides a host of unthinkable atrocities for the powerful—the elite men and women of the world.”
I paused, my fist clenching as anger and determination coursed through me.
“And Sallow’s boss? Who is he?”
Stevenson asked.
“That’s the question that’s been haunting me for some time now. I may have lost the only person who could shed light on him, but it won’t end there. I’ll follow every lead and turn over every stone until I uncover the truth. These girls deserve justice, and I won’t rest until I’ve ripped out the boss’s heart with my own two hands.”
The other men nodded in agreement, and a deeper resolve seeped into my bones. I had six months to spend with Mischa before I had to leave her. This small window had been granted to me, but ultimately, it was my job to determine the mastermind behind the darkness and exact revenge. At the end of our time, she was to begin again like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.
Returning Mischa to her extended family right away wasn’t an option because most of them had no idea of her existence. With the amount of trauma the child had endured, she needed time to adjust.
New Haven would be the place to do just that. At a future point in time, she would be introduced to her family. Shifting my thoughts, I cleared my throat. There was one last crucial step in this operation—reuniting the girls with their families.
Once I had everyone’s attention, I said, “Alvarez, Stevenson, thank you both for your unwavering courage and dedication to this mission. I can’t thank you enough for having my back on this. Take some time to rest, process everything.”
Pausing, I acknowledged their presence with a nod. Alvarez and Stevenson exchanged a tired glance, knowing their roles in the mission were over. With a final nod, they quietly left the room, leaving me alone with the remaining three men.
Pouring one more drink, I sighed and turned my attention to the conversation at hand. “Thompson, you’ll be escorting your charge to London. There’ll be a jet waiting, and a driver will escort her home. We can’t have anyone asking questions, so it’s imperative that you’re not seen.”
Thompson nodded in acknowledgment.
“Callahan, your flight will take you to Vienna. It will be the same situation. I know you all have questions, but most of them, I can’t answer. What I can share is that the girl with the injuries has a powerful family.”
“How powerful, Taylor?”
Remington asked.
“Powerful enough that she’ll need to go into hiding. Her parents were killed two years ago when she was abducted. I can’t share too much, but I was entrusted with her safety and have been asked to hide her. Remington, your leg of the journey might be longer, depending on what I can find out from Winter.”
I could see the concern flashing on all their faces, but I trusted them more than anyone else.
“Okay, do we know where she’s from, at least?”
he asked, rubbing his head.
“Selma, but I can’t find any family. I’ve got a backup plan in place, but I need to confirm with her what happened,”
I told him. “You all leave at first light. These girls have been away from their families for two long, hellish years. All of you were picked because you’re fathers—”
“We’ll treat them as our own,”
Remington interrupted, and the men around him offered their voices in agreement. “Go on, Taylor. We’ve got your back,”
he added. Thankful for his friendship, I turned my attention back to the girls.
A cold breeze stirred the leaves from the nearby trees as I made my way back to the house. The sky was clear, and the moon was full. An owl hooted in the distance.
I closed the door, wanting only to rejoice in the rescue, but instead, I needed answers. The girls had been quiet since retiring to their rooms. Doc had checked on all of them while I was talking to the men.
“None of the other girls have any injuries or bruises,”
Doc said, handing me a drink. My hand trembled as I took the glass and sipped on the amber liquid. I couldn’t bring myself to ask. “They swore they were never touched sexually. They experienced times of abuse, but for the most part, it seems Mischa suffered the worst.”
“You mean she was…?”
I couldn’t say the words, and I blinked back tears.
“No, the girls didn’t say that, but honestly, we’ll need to ask her directly. The dark-haired girl, she doesn’t speak, Taylor. I couldn’t get her to do anything more than nod or shake her head. The good thing is, her answers were consistent with the other two.”
Doc sighed and swirled her drink before taking a sip, seemingly contemplating her next words. The glass clinked against the counter as she set it down and continued. “They’re closed off. They’ll need extensive therapy if they’re to have any chance at a normal life,”
Doc warned. I nodded absently, thinking of the tasks ahead with Mischa.
“Will she have scarring?”
“It will depend on a few factors. Worst-case scenario, she may need surgery. I’m hopeful we can keep the scarring to a minimum.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes. I won’t have her carrying around visual reminders.”
My voice broke, and Doc moved in. As she held me, I allowed myself a minute to give in to the weight of it all. After some time, I took a breath and straightened.
“I need to talk to Winter. Will you come with? I need to know what happened to cause her injuries.”
I could tell Doc would rather do anything else than have to listen, but I needed the teenager to feel safe enough to share.
The wood rattled as I knocked on the red-headed girl’s door. Her real name was Savannah Rae Davenport. She seemed the most vocal—if you could even consider her brief words as such. I wanted to get a better idea of what took place between the last time I’d seen a video of them and tonight’s performance.
Doc and I stood waiting for her to give us permission to enter, and when she didn’t, I wondered if she might be asleep already. I tried once more and heard movement from behind the door. She was clearly awake.
I cracked the door and asked, “May we come in?”
There was no answer, so I took that as she wasn’t ready. I turned to leave but halted when I heard her speak.
“You…you may come in.”
Doc gripped my arm. “Don’t push her.”
Nodding, I opened her door all the way, and Doc and I stepped inside. By the time the story was told, I wished I hadn’t asked. As she spoke the words, they came out detached. It was as if she was writing a report in how she summarized the events. There were only two times that she almost broke.
“Is that everything?”
I asked, as she stopped speaking and looked down at the floor.
“Sir, that’s the shortened version. Anything more is…is…I can see you care about…please, don’t make me.”
She met my eyes, and that was when I saw she was holding back. She was shielding me. Doc took my arm, and I thanked her before we turned to leave.
“Excuse me, may I ask a question?”
I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I nodded.
“I know you said we leave in the morning, but can we say goodbye to Spring? I’m sorry, I meant to say…please, can Autumn, Summer, and I have your permission to say goodbye?”
“Of course. But I’m sorry, the sedative has her completely knocked out. She won’t remember,”
Doc advised her.
The teenager nodded and stood. She headed for the hall and went quietly to each of the other doors, gathering the girls. Doc and I watched as they seemed to instinctively follow Savannah without exchanging any words. Then she finally spoke to them.
“We knew this day would come when we’d have to say goodbye. Autumn, you can go first,”
Savannah said. The dark-haired girl blinked, and a tear slid down her cheek.
Doc and I walked her into the room. Mischa looked small in the enormous bed. Autumn climbed onto it next to her and pushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. She leaned in and whispered something to her, and the tail end was the only thing I heard. “So, so sorry.”
Then she leaped off the bed and ran from the room, tears streaming down her pale face. She brushed past the other two girls and quietly closed her bedroom door.
Summer came in next. She walked over and stood next to the sleeping girl, then looked at Doc. “May I please kiss her cheek?”
Doc nodded, trying to remain stoic, but the tears welled in her eyes.
“I’ll never forget you. Not ever. You’ll always be the little dancing mouse named Mischa Natalya to me.”
She then kissed her on the cheek and sobbed before walking away.
Shortly after, Winter approached the bed. She knelt down and took Mischa’s hand in hers. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t strong enough to protect you. You didn’t deserve any of what happened to you. I hope we get a chance to meet again someday, but if we don’t, I…”
Her voice broke, and she sniffled as her own tears finally fell.
She let out a heavy breath and finished her statement, her voice stronger now. “I love you, sweet sister. Always and forever, to the moon and back.”
Mischa stirred and murmured in her sleep.
“Shh. It’s all gonna be okay now. I have a good feeling.”
She traced her cheek lovingly, and Mischa sighed in her sleep.
The Next Morning
The other girls had left over two hours ago, and Mischa still slept. I’d kept vigil by her bed, waiting for her to wake up. When she slowly stirred and cried out, Doc rushed over to assist her. I left the room, giving them some privacy, and waited for them to join me at the kitchen table.
“Good morning—”
My mouth went to form her name, but then I remembered her reaction and halted.
We’d have to come up with a new name for her, anyway, in order to put the plan I had in motion. I’d thought about it for hours last night and had decided I’d let her pick it on her own.
“Remember what I told you earlier?”
Doc spoke calmly to her, and Mischa nodded.
“Good morning, Sir.”
“Please, call me Owen.”
I smiled. She looked at Doc.
“It’s okay. It’s going to take some time for you, and that’s all right. Owen here is exceptionally good at being patient, aren’t you, Taylor?”
Doc stated, her expression telling me she’d fill me in later.
“Come have a seat. I’ll make pancakes. Do you still like pancakes?” I asked.
“I…uh…I—How do you know I like pancakes?”
Her eyes grew enormous.
“Well, that’s the thing. I have so much to tell you. I’m not sure where to start.”
“Are you my Master? I’ve not completed my training. I’m afraid I’ll be a disappointment.”
She visibly shuddered.
“Taylor…”
Doc shook her head. The girl who once was so full of life stood before me shaking, her face draining of all color.
“Oh, god no, child. Nothing like that.”
I moved farther away to give her some space. She started breathing heavily, and a look of pure terror filled her eyes.
“I’ve been looking for you for many years. I knew your father. Well, that’s to say, I knew of your father. I’d love to share with you how. If you don’t want pancakes, we have cereal or eggs. Do you like eggs?”
She cocked her head to the side, her long brown hair swaying. “You knew my papa?”
“I did. Your mama as well. I can explain everything to you in due time. Some things may be best to save until you’re older, but you’re very important to me, and I’m going to do everything I can to keep you safe.”
My nerves were all over the place, and I was blowing it by the look on her face.
“I’m pretty sure your father liked eggs, but you might not, and that’s okay. Doc doesn’t like eggs. That’s why we have cereal. Here, let me get it for you,”
I rambled as I shakily turned to grab a bowl and the box of sugary cereal Doc insisted we stock the house with.
“I like eggs with cheese. I haven’t had cheesy eggs in a long time.”
Her shy little voice made me whip around.
“Cheesy eggs, coming right up. Doc, get the cereal. We’re having pancakes, too, because why not?” I smiled.
Doc’s eyes met mine as we heard the chair scrape against the floor. Mischa sat down at the table, prim and proper, but the color had returned to her cheeks. We’d be okay.
At that moment, I knew. It would take time, but I’d help her every step of the way. She’d heal from this. I wouldn’t fail her again.
Part 2
Present Day