Quaranteam - AU Ch. 11

The Admiral snorted. "Some starved people. Probably some bruises or broken bones. How bad could it have been?"

Marion's glare could have melted tungsten. "Sir, with all due respect, you have no fucking idea what you're talking about. Bruises? Broken bones? That would have been heaven compared to the hell we walked into. Young girls: young women, most of whom were beaten bloody, a good portion of whom were missing limbs or other extremities. Some are maimed, blinded, sporting burns and welts. Almost all of them were sporting signs of sexual abuse. Only the very youngest seemed to have been spared that particular indignity, though most of them seemed to be almost catatonic." She choked up a little but steeled herself. "That bastard...Al Mansouri...we found him standing in front of a table with a fucking filleting knife in hand. It looked like he was trying to carve the poor girl strapped to the table like a fucking Christmas ham. By the time we could free her...she was unresponsive. Shock."

Commander LeBlanc shook his head. "She was dead, Marion, even if her heart hadn't stopped at the time. Admiral, Lieutenant General, she was still oozing blood from what must have been a hundred cuts. This guy had no intention of ever releasing his captives."

Ty had to ask. "How many bodies altogether? Warm and cold."

Marion shuddered. "Sixty-seven. Including Dr. Morgan's daughter. I'm sorry Tiberius, if you're hoping for good news, I have none."

Bill Anderson spoke, his voice pitched low. "How many survivors?"

"Twenty-two. Five children under 12. The rest ranging from 19 to 27 years of age."

Bill just swore for a solid minute. Eventually, he regained his composure, trying to keep his voice level. "Excuse me. Continue."

LeBlanc nodded. "We found the location from the videos sent to Dr. Morgan. Just to one side was the...dumping ground. I can't call it anything else. The broken bodies of the doctor's ex-wife, Mrs. Amity Morgan and his daughter, Miss Desiree Morgan were discovered there. Judging from the level of decay...the timestamps on the video were not faked and the damage was beyond extensive. After that, we freed all the prisoners, but we were expecting maybe two, three people to escort at most. Not nearly two dozen people in various states of harm and mental distress. We didn't have the means to get them all out ourselves, so as I said, we had to call for backup from Al Dhafra. In the meantime, we left some of our people to keep watch and went hunting for documents and paperwork to end the blackmail."

The Admiral perked up at the words. "Did you find it? It's imperative that we get that information back. We need to know how badly we've been compromised."

Ty was starting to get angry at this asshole of an Admiral, but Jon snapped at the man before Ty could get the words out. "What the fuck is wrong with you, son? Where's your humanity? Those women have been through hell, and all you're worried about is the bloody blackmail?"

"Why shouldI care about them? Not like any of us are going to take them in. They're broken. Collateral. Their lives were to ensure obedience. Now that the Sheikh is dead, they're irrelevant. On the other hand, if certain information gets out, that could constitute a tremendous threat to national security. That must be prevented, so I need to know what that man had and who he may have shared it with."

Jon's face went purple in anger. "Genevieve, get this fuckwit off this call. We don't have time to deal with this bullshit, but I'm damn well going to take it up with Little Creek. I don't know whose dick you sucked to get his job, but they're going to fucking lose it when I'm done."

Rouchester made an expression as though he was sucking on a lemon and made to speak, but there was no point. If Jon was furious, Genevieve was nearly apoplectic with rage. She bit back any words she might have wanted to say and just ran her hands over the control panel for a moment before the Admiral's face cut out. While all the Aussies took it in stride, LeBlanc was gobsmacked, sputtering for a moment before he stammered out an apology.

Ty nodded to the stunned SEAL. "No offence to you, Commander, but we don't have any tolerance for that down here. Mary will tell you, though you may never hear the end of it if she gets started. The information is important, sure. But those lives are always going to be far more valuable. Nevertheless, I don't think any of us here hold you or yours accountable for the words of that dickhead. Just continue with your report."

He blinked, still trying to process what had just happened. "Yes, sir. We, uh, discovered a small workspace in one of the rooms of the dungeon area, filled with banks of computers and camera equipment." His expression somehow grew even more bleak. "A quick review of some of the footage confirmed that the Sheikh was responsible for a large majority of the torture to the captives. His guards were just allowed to...partake. There was also other video and audio on those computers. A lot of it seemed to be recorded conversations or video of officials in compromising situations. We've secured it."

Marion picked up on the conversation from there. "Whatever LeBlanc was doing, it must have set off a silent alarm of some kind, because before we could head back upstairs, guards began making their way into the dungeon space, armed to the teeth. We had to get the prisoners huddled into a corner while we held them off. There were too many, and it was all we could do to just keep them at bay until the boys and girls from Al Dhafra rolled in. Thank fuck it was before dawn. Thank fuck we were underground and their weapons fire didn't draw the local cops. And thank fuck the Air Force rolled in when they did, because our weapons were running dry."

For the first time since the meeting began, Barry made an effort to speak. He always had trouble when it came to situations involving abuse. His sister had been a victim of her husband and hadn't survived the experience. Baz had wanted his head, but the law got to him first and the wife-beating prick didn't even last a year in prison. It was still a sore spot for his friend.

"I just want to say, good work to both of your teams. It's tough to see how the actions of a monster impact the victims. We'll ensure you and your teams are looked after. What was the exfil route? Any casualties on your side?"

Marion gave Baz a smile filled with pride. "Thank you, Brigadier. We rode with the convoy towards Al Dhafra Air Base. Partway, our units and the survivors broke off and were loaded onto a merchantman flying Israeli colours before we transferred to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower early this afternoon. The captives are all currently undergoing medical evaluation and our teams took no casualties, barring a few scrapes and bruises. The deceased are awaiting transport from Al Dhafra."

Ty nodded and asked, already knowing the answer. "How did an Israeli vessel get involved?"

LeBlanc looked alarmed. "They got in touch shortly before the start of the op. Said you'd organised it as part of our exfil. You didn't know? Oh fuck, that's a -"

Ty gave the man a grim smile. "Relax, Commander. Major General Becker of the IDF is my soon-to-be father-in-law. He's most likely the person responsible."

"But how did they know about the op? You shouldn't have had any of the details, but they were waiting for us."

"Please, do you really think Israel wouldn't be watching everybody's movements? All things considered, we probably did them a favour by taking out this prick, so they picked up some slack for us. Either way, I'll speak to the Major General later."

The SEAL seemed to relax and nodded. "Please send him my thanks for their assistance."

Jon nodded. "Very good. Anything else to report?"

"No, sir. Mission accomplished. We'll send you the souvenir. It's all wrapped up with a pretty bow."

"Good. Go get some rest, Commander. Major, you too. Very well done."

--

No one spoke for several minutes after the call ended, all seeming to process their thoughts. Eventually, Pendleton sighed and spoke. "I'm not sure any of us could have predicted just how far gone this...Shiekh was. I've seen recordings of him at interviews and in other public forums. He gave no signs."

Ty shrugged. "Yes ma'am, but he's off the streets now. What's the plan for him?"

She let a small smile creep onto her face. "Oh? What makes you think there's any further plans for Sheikh Mustafa Nazar Al Mansouri, Tiberius? Didn't you hear? They neutralised him. And drop the formality. It's too goddamn late for all that bullshit. For right now at least, just call me Viv. All of you."

The younger soldier shrugged "I see. Just let me know what you plan to do with the 'souvenir' when it gets here. Because that's a fucking white elephant if there ever was one. How did you even convince the Americans to hand him over? They must have a bigger stake in it than we do."

She shot a glance at Jon and then at Bill before she nodded. "One of their higher ups owed me a favour."

"That couldn't possibly be enough. There was enough American involvement that there must be something else in play."

Pendleton gave him a look that pointedly indicated he should stop talking, and Ty hadn't gotten to where he was by ignoring those warnings, so he let it drop. Pendleton just turned towards Bill and continued as if nothing had happened. "Well, fine. Bill, are you planning on having Tiberius present when you interrogate our guest? We need answers, but afterwards, I think he needs to feel at least a fraction of what he was so happy to dish out."

The Colonel looked noncommittal. "That depends. How far am I taking it? He's not a prisoner of war. At least, not by any normal conventions, and we don't really have an equivalent for Guantanamo Bay. Do I play by the rules? Or are you telling me that anything goes? Because that's not something we've done before, Viv. I don't know that having Tiberius there would be wise."

Baz frowned. "You're suggesting torture. That would put us on his level."

Genevieve rolled her eyes. "Nothing so crass as torture, Barry. But we're not going to make this a holiday for him. He needs to understand what he's done to those girls is beyond unacceptable."

Bill shrugged. "Get what information we can, then imprison him. If we need to, get the Americans to stash him in Guantanamo. Make him vanish."

Jon shook his head. "He's a liability. His continued existence is a threat, so we'll dispose of him."

Barry slammed his hands on the table. "That's inhumane!"

Ty's voice was quiet. "What that abomination did to those women and children was inhumane, Baz. At the very least, he'd deserve it."

"You can't be agreeing with them, Ty? It's monstrous!"

Shaking his head, Ty continued. "I'm not agreeing with it. Like you said, it'd make us no different to him if we tortured and killed him. But that doesn't mean we can just let him live, Baz."

Baz was dumbfounded. "What the actual fuck, Ty? Did you decide to leave your moral compass at home with your partners or something? Fucking Christ!"

"No, Baz. It's right here." He thumped his chest with his fist, giving his old friend a sad smile. It hurt his heart to make this argument, but he did understand where the Lieutenant Generals were coming from. "But this isn't about my morals. We need what's in his head but he is a massive liability, mate, you can't argue with that. The bastard has influence, and the rest of his house will be trying to find and free him. If they ever get wind that we have him and just stuffed him in a prison somewhere, do you have any idea what kind of shitstorm we'd be in for?"

"It's better than torturing him to death." Baz just stared at his friend, unmoved.

Ty raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I agree that torturing him is out of the question. But we can give him a clean death."

"I don't see how. Australia doesn't have the death penalty. Parliament nixed that a decade ago and made damned sure it couldn't come back. So, tell me. How would you justify that?"

The younger soldier looked his friend in the eye.

"He doesn't have to die in Australia."

--

Eventually, they agreed that there would be no action taken until after the interrogation was finished, and Baz left, still looking dissatisfied. Ty sighed, feeling that there would be no small amount of tension in their relationship going forward. He had let his anger get the best of him and it had filtered into his words and choices, alienating his friend. There would be a price for that, and Ty hoped it wouldn't be too much to bear.

"He's right, you know. Lieu- Viv, if we treat Al Mansouri in any way like he did those women, we become another him. A worse version, at that, since we'd be doing it for revenge."

You could actually see the old woman deflate. "I know. But knowing doesn't make me feel better."

"And condoning torture would end up just making you feel worse." Rubbing at his face with both hands, he continued. "And now I have to figure out how to make it up to Baz. He might be my superior and all that, but he's been my friend for just as long. What I said just before, what I suggested, has me stepping out from my beliefs too, and I can't say I'm happy about it."

Jon huffed. "Then why did you, boy?"

"Pragmatism. We need to know if he was the mastermind or a middleman but keeping him after isn't an option. Neither is torture."

"I don't particularly condone it either, son, but I can't say I'd feel bad about treating a monster like a monster."

"So long as you don't become the monster, Uncle." Ty clicked his tongue and stood. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. As much as I said otherwise, the girls aren't likely to go to sleep until I get back, so I'd best get back."

Bill had been silent since before Baz left, but now he turned towards Ty. "Thinking nobly and wanting to do the right thing is all well and good, Tiberius, but don't let Barry's boy scout mentality stop you when it really matters, alright?"

Ty paused in the doorway, not looking back. "Baz being a boy scout is something that has kept me alive more than once, Bill, but I'll take that under advisement."

--

Marshall Household, Melbourne Southeastern Suburbs, Victoria, Australia - November 5, 2020 - 1:20 AM AEDT

--

Ty rolled up on his street and cut his headlight, already planning to stop his bike a house or two down from his own. It wasn't likely that the girls had taken his advice, but there was no point in waking the kids or anyone who had gone to sleep. Besides, he needed some time to clear his head before the others saw him. They knew where he was going and why, but the details of the raid itself...no, he wasn't about to burden them with that knowledge. So, he needed to keep it off of his face. He knew that'd be a tough sell with the twins involved, but he'd pulled it off once.

He chose to ignore the fact that his 'success' occurred only when he had the advantage of distance and the ability to not show the twins his face.

When he was just three houses down, he felt his shoulders sag. Far from finding the household asleep, two people sat on the porch swing, wrapped in blankets, and the lights in the lounge were clearly on, silhouetting them.

With so many women in the house and these two sitting bundled and backlit as they were, he couldn't exactly identify them, but there was no point in guessing. He knew. They had waited like that for him more than once in the past when he had gone out on dates that they had been...if not outright against, at least ambivalent about. Not that he hadn't done the same when they went out with guys he didn't like.

Rolling the bike up the drive, he smiled wryly as he spoke. "It's not like I went on a shitty date, you two. You didn't have to wait up for an 'I told you so'."

Lottie just watched him reproachfully, but Lettie's glower was only intensified by Ty's words. Ty sighed and moved to quickly put his bike away, gesturing for the twins to wait where they were. He returned, slightly surprised that they had listened to him, and plopped himself between them, just as he had those times before.

Lettie didn't wait any longer. "Ty, you can't keep acting as though there's no danger around. Your body doesn't belong to just you anymore - our well-being is tied to yours."

Without thinking, Ty blurted. "Nonsense. Even if the worst should possibly happen to me, there's the method we used with Grace. You'd be fine."

The slap resounded through the darkness and stunned Ty with its ferocity. Lettie was on her feet, her breathing rough, eyes filled with tears. "You stupid fucking bastard! Why don't you understand?"

She dashed into the house before he could stop her, and he just stared, regretting his obvious faux pas.

"You're not going to tell me that you don't understand why you deserved that, are you Ty?"

Leaning forwards so his face was hidden, Ty had to force the words out. "No, Lots, I get it. That was real fucking dumb of me. I'm sorry."

Lottie leaned over, rubbing his back as she comforted the man she loved. "I accept your apology, Ty, but it isn't just me you need to apologise to."

"I know. I'll make it up to every one of you."

"So why? Why are you being so stubborn about this? It was just a drive up to the city and back."

The big man's voice was wavering, the words coming slowly and with great trepidation. "Fear. I...I spent a long time getting in and out of relationships that didn't really last. Yes, I now understand why. Though there were a few real gems, and now all of those are back in my orbit, most of those other relationships were hollow, and that's becauseI was hollow. They didn't last, so I got used to that. And I didn't deepen the relationships that really mattered, because I believed that I never could. It was an immensely lonely time in my life; every interaction felt empty aside from time I spent with you. It made me love you and Lettie even more, because you were the only real joys in my life."

Ty turned his head, meeting Lottie's wide-eyed gaze. She had never heard Tiberius speak in that tone; so...defeated, almost broken. She wanted to reach into her pocket and grab her phone. To end the call so the others couldn't hear any more of his inner heart without his permission, but she couldn't move.

Oblivious to her new turmoil, he continued. "That realisation scared me. What would I do if I changed that dynamic and our relationship failed? Would I lose the only connections I had with any substance because I thought with my dick instead of keeping my mouth shut? The fear of being alone paralysed me."

"But that's -"

"It was never going to be like that. I know. Or rather, I know that now. But I didn't then, Lots. And that fear? It's still there. But it's changed shape now. Now, it's more a fear of what would happen to me if I lost any of you. Fear of what I would become. And then as all of this change is happening, Juno turns up with Bella and Mars and turns everything upside down again. Now we've added the kids. Now there is more to protect. More to love. More to lose, if things go sideways."

"That doesn't mean it will go sideways. You have to trust us, Ty."

"I do, Lottie. I trust you with every fibre of my being. Each and every single woman in that house behind us has my trust, and more and more each day, my love. Miriam - mum was right. Love is endless. It just grows and grows. But she never told me about this downside."

"Downside?"

"Yeah, downside. The more love grows, the more there is for fear to gnaw on. So really, it isn't that I don't trust you. If something happened to me, you'd grieve, but eventually, you'd be able to move on. I trust that you'd eventually be able to seek your own happiness. It's me that I don't trust. I don't trust that I could stay sane if something happened to one or more of you. Especially if it was something that could have been prevented. I'd probably snap and go on a rampage, and that would do no good for those still remaining. Who knows how much of me would remain after that."