It Ain't Paranoia if... Pt. 02 Ch. 04

This is a fantasy adventure/action story without any sex, much less between persons under 18. Read the five chapter in part one, and the preceding three chapters in part 2, or you will be lost. Chapter 3 ended with Kaitlyn being treated in a hospital for injuries and mental issues, including her revulsion to the love of her life, Rob. The chapter ends with Robs statement that "I'm living the nightmare that won't end, even when I'm awake!"

Note: I changed the format to include a narrative section at the beginning, to move the story along and to provide a neutral point of view. Then it returns to Rob's POV.

Narrative - Assistant attorney general of Mexico Rogelio de los Santos and his family were left in front of the police station in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, just before sunrise the next day. All were unharmed, but Gloria was extremely angry at her husband and refused to speak to him. Reports varied in detail, but the consensus was that they had been transported in hoods and held in a mountain compound since they were taken.

Their Spanish-speaking captors were unknown, having worn balaclavas and camouflage clothing when in their view. They were not unkind, having provided adequate water, food, bedding, and ready access to a restroom. The kids were offered toys and electronic games to play; while disturbed by their captivity, they were not traumatized.

The kids were directed into another room with their games, and Señora de los Santos and Señor de los Santos were seated in front of a 60" TV for the screening of a video. Señor de los Santos was the star; he was seen engaging in unusual forms of sexual congress with crying, screaming, and begging women, some of whom were bound and helpless while he, and others, beat and used them in bizarre ways.

Perhaps the most disturbing segments were of children beaten in front of their begging mothers, in order to force the mothers to perform sexually.

There were photographs of the women being used, and photographs of their beaten and broken bodies with the men laughing at them.

A second set of the same videos and photographs were in an envelope stuck to the door of the San Cristobal police station with a knife. Red circles were drawn around the faces of de los Santos and another well-known government official who likewise participated in the debasement of the women and girls.

Señora de los Santos and their three children were transported to their home in Mexico City by agents of the PFM. Señor de los Santos was transported by PFM assistant director Rodolfo Jimenez de Garcia to a secure facility in Mexico City, where he was formally arrested, charged, and questioned.

After examination of the photographs and study of the videos on the USB drive, a warrant was issued for former army general and current deputy defense minister Emilio Zepeda. The warrant specified various sexual crimes, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, the illegal detention of Mexican and foreign citizens, trading in illegal drugs, and conspiracy to commit murder.

Zepeda was detained later that day, and is being held in the same secure facility as de los Santos.

On the home front, Congressman Smithers, ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, was arrested in Washington, D.C., after similar photographs and videos were delivered to the District of Columbia police. The charges filed were similar to those of Zepeda and de los Santos, but also included official misconduct and misuse of position.

Though the source could not be discerned, the first of the purported "lists" of the men who used and abused the women freed from the hotel owned by Serge Petrov, was posted on a darknet website. The names were not immediately added to the site offering a "bounty", but notice was posted that "The first set of names is pending verification - stand by."

And the gnashing of teeth and wailing rose in volume across the U.S., while private jets were readied for flight to non-extradition countries.

The gnashing of teeth and wailing from across the river, however, diminished in volume until it was no longer heard, and the state department suddenly lost interest in the events that resulted in freedom for six American citizens illegally held by that Mexican gang in Chihuahua. Apparently it never happened, or it happened and everything was hunky-dory.

The Weasel did not immediately lose interest, but two days later he had his own problems to deal with. Namely, a set of photographs and video recordings of him in sexual congress with young persons of uncertain age, and audio recordings of him providing confidential and classified information to a now-deceased lieutenant of Serge Petrov.

With Agent Wisner in jail, the FBI occupied with rapidly evolving events in Washington and New York, and the Mexican government focusing on cleaning up their own mess, official interest in the recovery of the hostages died out. Media interest was still there, but now it was of the "human interest" ilk; the 'hard news' interest had also shifted back to Washington and New York.

Bowing to the inevitable, Rob and Eva agreed to an interview with Jenna Bush Hagar, to be broadcast on the third hour of Today. Yep, that's how far those once-sensational headline events had fallen, what with all the other stuff going on in the seats of power.

They met native Texan Jenna and her crew at an unidentifiable ranch on the outskirts of San Antonio, near Bandera. Three of the four kids were seen only at a distance, with their heads in books. Only Esmy was allowed to be interviewed, briefly. She described the horrendous conditions in which they were held and the mistreatment they had suffered at the hands of their brutal captors.

Rob put Eva in the spotlight while she sat to the side and watched with an empathetic look. She was dressed in loose jeans and a pullover, hair behind over her ears, wearing only TV makeup. She had known intuitively that she should play down her attributes, and had dressed accordingly. She recounted the murder of her husband, the capture of her and her kids, and bravely told of physical and sexual abuse by her captors, and others they were associated with. She gave no details, but she had Jenna in tears.

When the camera turned to Rob and his mic went live, he described the terror and sorrow he felt when he learned of the kidnapping of his wife and children, and the murder of the two-man security team by a gang member hidden in their SUV. He described his feelings as he waited helplessly for any word, and then when he received the ransom demand.

Both the American and Mexican governments warned him, he said, that paying the ransom had seldom led to the safe return of hostages, and encouraged him to offer a reward for the safe return of his wife and two children, which he immediately did. And then he waited, knowing the odds were stacked against him.

As soon as the rescuers dropped his family and Eva's family off at the airfield in Terlingua, he paid the reward money, and considered it the best investment he had ever made.

Looking directly into the camera, he said, "I don't know who you are, but I want you to know that my appreciation for the safe return of all six hostages goes far beyond the money I paid! If there is ever anything I can do for you, just let me know! I owe you, and I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you!"

Eva and Jenna agreed, Eva spoke of the heroism of their rescuers, of her surprise when she and her children were freed, and of their immediate extraction in a helicopter.

Kaitlyn had refused to appear live or be interviewed, so only a glimpse of her was seen in the entire segment. She was seen in profile, lying in the hospital bed looking weak, bedraggled, injured, and troubled.

It was a nice little segment that drew sympathy for the hostages, and for the man stuck in Texas waiting anxiously for their return. Third Hour got a huge ratings boost from the mostly-female audience that day, and Jenna gave Rob and Eva big hugs before again expressing her sympathy.

The interviews served their purposes without drawing new interest from federal agencies on either side of the border.

****

Three weeks later, Rob and members of the security team drove Eva and the four kids out to Fort Davis, and Kaitlyn was transferred by air to a retreat in Arizona for treatment of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and fear of men - in particular, Robert Roy MacGregor.

After wadding through all the trauma, subterfuge and fragmented thinking, Dr. Thomson discerned that Kaitlyn's rejection of Rob was not so much about her own guilt as it was about association: she associated Rob with pain, humiliation, danger, and pretty much every negative emotion she had felt as an adult.

From cheating with Robert to driving Rob away to Robert's beatings; to her longing to reunite with her first husband; to the battles against cartels and North Koreans; to being kidnapped, beaten, and raped, Rob had always somehow been involved in the drama, angst, and pain she suffered.

That he was blameless, and had actually twice saved her from death, or worse, was understood - on the intellectual level. But in whatever part of her sub-conscious mind that had drawn the negative association, Rob was the causal factor.

Dr. Thomson was confident in her belief that, with time and proper treatment, Kaitlyn would fully recover. But she insisted that she needed both time and treatment, and she needed to be away from Rob and their children to focus on her own health and happiness. Thus, she had agreed to become an inpatient at The Retreat for an undefined period of time.

Eva, on the other hand, was focused away from captivity and abuse, toward making a new life for herself and her kids. She began engaging in online and in-person CME courses to renew her California medical credentials, and to gain Texas credentialing. She had plenty of money, but was without friends or family, and possibly faced more danger.

When Rob made it, she took him up on his offer of room, board, and transportation, with the promise of repayment. Which drew a smile and wink in return.

The city of Fort Davis, the Davis Mountains, the Mountain Lair, Duke, and the 'Uncles' were sources of delight for all four children, and for Eva as well. Claude was still there, with a substantial security team devoted to their wellbeing. Clay, the only man with whom Kaitlyn continued to have a positive relationship, was in Arizona with another security team, keeping her safe in the facility.

Esmy and Tavo experienced freedom and advantages they had never had, even when their father was alive, or when living in the mountain villages of their mother's tribe. They had never had a dog either, so Duke gained two more kids to love and care for; he wagged his tail a lot.

Grace, Dos, and the uncles enthusiastically planned and executed numerous learning and entertainment excursions for Esmy and Tavo, riding in heavily armored vehicles and accompanied by heavily armed men wherever they went.

Eva, and to a lesser extent Rob, accompanied them on most, but their love of exploring the creeks, meadows, and woodlands of the ranch with the men all four now called 'uncle', exceeded their parents desire to participate, so Duke made sure they were well cared for in their parents' absence.

Eva spent her time not only acquiring credits and credentials, but also updating her knowledge of her chosen field of Family Practice. Before opening her own practice in Fort Davis, she gained hospital privileges at Big Bend Regional Medical Center in Alpine, at Culberson in Van Horn, and, with assistance from Dr. Wang, at Midland Memorial.

The community, thrilled at having a licensed doctor interested in setting up shop, helped her acquire an office and set it up. A 501c3 organization that had been dormant for decades lurched back to life, and raised funds for critical radiology, lab equipment, and technology. She was in business in less than sixty days.

Rob worked, made obscene amounts of money - his new notoriety and hero credentials were anything but a drawback to drawing investment funding and clients - and enjoyed the kids.

Summer was past the midpoint, and the days were getting shorter. The children were taken to the district office to be enrolled in school for next year. Grace and Dos evidenced no compunction about returning; in fact, they were elated. The kidnapping had taken place off the school grounds, so their schoolhouse memories weren't tainted; they were about fun their friends, classmates, and teachers.

Esmy and Tavo had some catching up to do after three years, and their accelerated efforts were directed and supported by Uncle Doc, professor emeritus from Sul Ross State University. They were exceptionally bright, and were catching up quickly.

August arrived, and still no word from Kaitlyn. Although Rob was paying, medical privacy only allowed him to be told what Kaitlyn approved, and those reports lacked any substance at all. Dr. Galvez tried to intervene, but she had no standing either, so they continued on, completely in ignorance of her progress, or lack thereof.

Surprisingly, Dos and Grace had come to accept Mom's absence as necessary for treatment of her condition, just as they accepted the need for weekly video conferences with Dr. Thomson regarding their own health and wellness. Based on the observations of Rob, Eva, Claude, and their uncles, all four children were recovering nicely. Oh, there were moments, especially at night, but they were becoming less common and traumatic as summer progressed.

Eva, Claude, and the uncles had a new concern: Rob.

Although he appeared normal when engaged in business, casual conversation, or with the children, he had grown detached and introspective. He preferred to be alone when not with the children, and his overwhelming zest for life was no longer readily apparent.

They plotted, planned, connived, and finally convinced him to move to the Desert Lair for a few weeks before school started. The hope was that new surroundings and people might release him from the melancholy.

It helped. Evenings at La Kiva with friends, drinking a few cold beers, and eating the delicious food Rene and Berta prepared did bring some spring back to his step, and they heard him laugh and tease for the first time in a while. Claude and Eva insisted on excursions around the park for themselves and the kids, and that proved to be a turning point.

It was hotter than hades in the desert, but not so much at their 'camp headquarters' in the Chisos Basin. where they slept in tents at night. Nothing spectacular happened - not even a full moon that covered a third of the eastern horizon, as on the trip with Kaitlyn. And yet, Rob seemed to be coming out of whatever emotional daze he had fallen into.

The depth and enormity of that 'daze' was at least partially disclosed on the third night, sitting around a concrete picnic table drinking beer with Eva and Claude while the children slept. It was after midnight, and the empty bottles from a case of Lone Star longnecks were filling the recycling sack when Rob grew quiet and reflective.

Eva and Claude looked at each other and waited while he stared at the starry heavens. "It was a moonless night like this when we arrived at that ridge, Claude. I had no idea how our efforts would turn out, but I was fearful and hopeful in equal parts... until I saw the shadows on the valley floor and confronted the three men who snuck up behind me. At that moment hope overpowered fear, and I seemed to know it was going to turn out well.

"And it did! Not only did we save my family, we saved Eva and hers. What a blessing that was, and is! I've come to love you and your children in a very special way, pretty Eva, and I hope you are never far from me and mine.

He grinned at the unease of his audience. "Not in that way! I see what has grown between you two, and I'm indescribably happy for you.

"No, our love is platonic in nature, but forged in the fires of the events that Kaitlyn cannot overcome, nor forgive. I have no idea what is next for 'us' - Kaitlyn and I - or even if there is an 'us'. It's more likely there is a 'them' - Kaitlyn and Clay - than a Kaitlyn and Rob.

"That makes me deeply sad, but I'm making peace with it. I have the children, and I'll never give them up again! They are my reason for living!

Oh, I long for Kaitlyn, for the love we shared, for the special moments together, but like so much that is beyond my control, I can't 'fix' her. I can't make her forget the pain and agony, or make her love me more than she fears me.

"So I'll go on. I'll live my life for the children, I'll make sure they are well cared for while they are young, and that they never want for anything. I'll enjoy my friends and my work, I'll go places and do thing like this, I'll read, study, and grow intellectually, and I'll take care of my health and fitness. Those things should take up my days and nights, and I won't have time nor inclination to dwell on what could have been.

"Still, I can't help but hope she comes out of it.

"Some want to make it all her fault, but had I done as I knew I should and quit when Robert senior retired, Junior would have never been able to poison her mind against me with allegations of cheating. Had I not gone off the grid after I left, she wouldn't have spent more than three years trying to find me after she divorced Junior.

"It follows that Robert would never had tried to have all four of us killed, and we would not have drawn the enmity of cartels, Russian gangsters, rogue foreign states, or powerful officials and businessmen in our own country. So, in a way, she's right: I am responsible for her misery!"

Eva and Claude spent the next half-hour explaining why thinking that way was both wrong and counterproductive, and then they all went to bed.

****

Rob - I awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed, even though I had slept little. Talking with my friends had been far more cathartic than I would have believed, and I found myself full of life and energy this morning. The kids caught on fast, over the campfire breakfast of bacon and egg tacos I put together.

Eva and Claude were slower to arise, so I left them a note and called the security team on radios to tell them I was taking the kids on a hike, and the trail we would take. I chose the 2.4-mile Basin Loop Trail, which is said to be of moderate difficulty but is really quite easy for 8-11 year olds, and people like me.

It was pretty, it was scenic, and it took us near the store on the way back. We veered off and went shopping for shirts and souvenirs. Newly adorned in tees touting the Big Bend National Park and/or The Basin, we ate ice cream novelties on our way back down to the campgrounds.

Eva was jealous of our shirts, and Claude was jealous of our ice cream sticks, so they decided to hike directly to the store. The kids wanted to go back with them and buy more goodies. I stayed to clean up from breakfast and get ready for today's big adventure - rafting Santa Elena Canyon.

Everyone could go rafting because all the kids were at least age eight. Our half-day tour didn't begin until noon, so there was plenty of time.

It took two rafts, including one for part of our security team; the other members were scattered atop the walls. Things had died down, but we'd already had two opportunities to learn a lesson about lowering your guard when you still have committed enemies, so we took no unnecessary chances.

We did have fewer enemies; some were in jail awaiting trial, some had flown the coop to live in distant places, and Robert had succumbed to an unfortunate tendency of his roommate and lover, who greatly enjoyed rough sex. It seems Noe and Robby were practicing sexual asphyxiation when Noe got a bit carried away. I didn't lose any sleep over it because I didn't order it; still, it was one less thing to worry about, and he did deserved it, in my opinion. Not over Kaitlyn, or trying to kill me, but because his minions killed many innocents who had inadvertently gotten in the way of their schemes.