The Shepherd's Crook Pt. 04

"What were you feeling when you tortured him?" the doctor asked.

Ben paused as he remembered. "Rage. This piece of human filth profited from the suffering of others. There was no way I could make him understand how wrong that was, but I could make him suffer in terror. So, I did."

"Did you enjoy it?" she asked bluntly.

Ben shook his head slightly. "No... Satisfaction, yes, but I don't recall there being any joy in it. It was just something that needed to be done. Like I said, I have the barest recollection of killing the first five. After that, I had no choice but to continue as they were trying to kill me. Kaan needed to die for what he'd done. I didn't feel any happiness when it was over, just weariness from the effort."

"You might have subdued Kaan and handed him over to the authorities," Granger suggested.

Ben shook his head as his expression darkened. "So many died at his hand, directly or indirectly. So many people suffered. If he'd been arrested, there was the chance he'd slip away as he had so many connections to corrupt officials who'd been hiding him all those years. Even if he did go to jail, he would likely end up running the place as he was a violent psychopath!" He shook his head again. "No, his death was the only true justice his victims could be given."

"And you didn't feel any hesitation at being his judge and executioner?" the doctor asked.

Ben snorted softly. "At the time? No, but here I am."

Dr. Granger smiled. "Yes, here you are. Why are you here?"

Ben blinked at her. "I... didn't I just tell you?"

"Being driven into a blind rage is concerning regardless of the reason, but you managed to restrict your vengeance to just the guilty parties, so you maintained the ability to discriminate. You told me you were forced into a kill-or-be-killed scenario with the remaining guards, and you killed to survive. Lastly, you put your sense of justice before the rule of law, but all this happened while you were under severe duress. You made judgment calls. Can you live with them?"

"Yes," Ben said firmly as he thought of the men he'd killed.

Dr. Granger nodded at Ben. "You are likely to experience some uncomfortable moments where the violence you inflicted surfaces in your mind. If this doesn't diminish in time, or it gets worse, please arrange for another visit."

"That's it?" Ben asked.

She smiled at him. "Ben, I don't see you becoming a threat to the community or a danger to yourself. These were extraordinary situations you found yourself in. You reacted in a way that allowed you to survive them. Will there be a cost? Probably, but you haven't indicated you're mentally conflicted by your decisions, so I don't believe you'll have any long-term issues from them."

In relief, Ben sagged back in his chair, and the doctor smiled at him. "Go home, Ben. Hug your kids. That's who you did this for, after all."

They stood, and Ben hugged her before he headed home with Evelyn and Liliya. He was feeling a lot better after having spoken to the doctor.

"A clean bill of health?" Liliya asked, seeing his smile.

He glanced over his shoulder at her and nodded. "All good." They shared a smile.

Evelyn dropped Liliya off at her home, then brought Ben home. As they pulled into his driveway, they spotted Catherine standing by the picture window facing the court. She looked worried, so Evelyn handed Ben his keys before she jogged away, and he quickly made his way inside.

The blonde beauty crushed herself up against Ben's chest the moment he was inside. He felt her tremble and wrapped his arms around her as he looked into Chanel's concerned eyes.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I received a call from a colleague at the station today. Judge Eugene Reissman, one of the people identified in the Fourteen Ashburn Court investigation, came to the station today. This colleague overheard him yelling at the captain, demanding to know who the investigating officer was on the case. He wanted to throw me off the force, then became irate that I'd left. He made threats about suing for defamation of character. The evidence of him being on the list of names connected to the purchase of the home and the photographic evidence of his attendance of the parties at Marion Spencer's home is now being suppressed by a court injunction."

Ben frowned. "What? Reissman couldn't have ordered the injunction in a case where he's been identified as one of the defendants."

Chanel shook her head. "It was likely one of his golfing friends, like Judge Green."

"Has the evidence been leaked to the press? Is the public aware?" Ben asked in surprise.

Chanel shook her head again. "Not to my knowledge."

"Then the threat of the lawsuit is just blustering noise. Have you spoken to Walter?" Ben asked, and Chanel shook her head. "We need to. Come on, let's go make a call," he said

They made themselves comfortable in the living room, with Catherine sitting next to Chanel, holding her hand. Ben called Walter and Chanel brought him up to speed on the situation.

"I thought something like this might happen," Walter sighed. "He can't suppress the information for long, but he can give himself time to run."

"You think the judge is a flight risk? He'll flee the country?" Chanel asked.

"Yes. He likely has a comfortable retirement home somewhere in Europe and will slip away before we can untangle the legal red tape to get the evidence before a judge in a federal court. We'd have to take this case to that level as the state-level prosecutors have been compromised, but we'll need to prove that," Walter said.

"Is there anything we can do to bring this to the federal court sooner rather than later so he doesn't have time to flee?" Ben asked.

"You have friends in higher places than me, Ben, but personally, I believe interference in the process at that level would not be in Chanel's best interests. She's done nothing wrong and currently faces no real impact from his threat," Walter advised.

Ben sighed. "Thanks for the heads up."

"I'll get started with what I can do at my end. Give me a couple of days to put it together," Walter said.

"Thanks, Walter! Bye," Ben responded.

He looked at the unhappy faces. "We'll get this sorted out. Don't worry about the threat of a lawsuit. We'd crush it. No one fucks with my family."

Chanel gave Ben a little smile. "Am I family?"

"Of course, you are!" he insisted.

Her smile widened. "I'm glad."

Ben gave them hugs and a kiss for Cat, then Chanel walked her wife home with her arm around her.

Tina and Lucy came forward for their hugs and kisses.

"All went well at the hospital?" Tina asked.

Ben smiled. "Yes, it went very well. She made me feel much better about what to expect after the ordeal on the ship."

Tina squeezed Ben in another hug, and Lucy quickly joined her.

"Ready for dinner?" Tina asked. "We're having dinner guests."

"Oh? Who?" Ben asked.

"Nguyêt, Zama, Liliya, and Rose," Lucy said as Tina moved to the kitchen. "You might want to freshen up."

Ben smiled with a nod and headed off to his bedroom.

He was looking forward to seeing how Moon, Tina, and Lucy got along. He was a little concerned about Zama's presence, though.

As he cleaned up and slipped on a fresh shirt, he remembered how Zama was taken under the wing of his family and whisked away to let him decompress on his arrival. He would have to ask her how she was adjusting so far. He recalled how smart she'd been on the ship, spotting the hidden cameras, building a network of support amongst the workers, and hiding Ulrich's journal from Kaan. He smiled to himself as he marveled at her resilience and strength of character.

He returned to the living room and poked his head in the kitchen.

Tina looked up. "Take a seat in the living room to relax. Dinner will be soon. You can invite the guests inside. They should be arriving soon."

Ben nodded and went back to his chair in the living room.

He'd just relaxed back into the cushions when the doorbell rang. He snorted in amusement and pushed himself to his feet to answer it.

He smiled at Rose's delighted smile as she was the first to greet him from Liliya's arms.

"Daddy!"

He grinned and accepted her into his arms and kissed her neck, tickling her and sending the girl into a burst of giggles. He stepped back, gesturing for the others to enter.

"How's my Rose?" he asked fondly as he pulled back to look into her excited eyes.

"Good!" She wiggled to get free as Christopher rushed around the corner, hearing his friend's voice.

Ben set her on her feet, took her jacket and boots, and she rushed away.

Turning back to his guests, he saw Liliya watching him with a sweet smile and a little excitement in her eyes, as well. He pulled her to him, and they kissed, her lips finding his eagerly and her body pressed against his wonderfully.

Zama's quiet sigh forced Ben to realize he was being a little too overly passionate before his other guests. His face flushed as he stepped back from Liliya. She was a little red-faced as well. She dipped her eyes to him and stepped past.

Ben faced Zama and saw the longing in her eyes. Once more, he noted how unique it was to interact with a woman almost as tall as he was. "Welcome, Zama."

She stepped closer, and he opened his arms to give her a hug. She surprised him with her kiss, but he couldn't stop himself from enjoying the sensation of her soft mouth, worshipping her exquisitely full lips, tasting her tongue which slipped forward tentatively. Her body felt incredible against his, and he was once more in awe of how matched their physiques were. She fit so well.

When he finally managed to pull back from her kiss, he saw Moon was no longer standing behind Zama. He was suddenly embarrassed by his display before the unfamiliar woman. He saw Zama's joyful and hungry smile as her eyes focused on his mouth.

He heard a noise behind him and turned his head to see Tina and Lucy embracing Nguyêt, giving her simultaneous cheek kisses. When they pulled back, the young woman's expression of delight could not be mistaken. She looked a little overwhelmed by their attention but very happy to be in their arms.

"Thank you for helping Ben escape from the ship," Tina said sweetly.

Moon's nod was shy, but her smile was wide as she nodded to the two beauties.

Ben stepped back from Zama's embrace and gestured for her to enter. She pulled off her fuzzy boots and stepped inside. Only then did he notice she was wearing the same outfit they bought in Grenoble.

He looked at Nguyêt, and she was also wearing the clothes she picked up then.

"Oh! You two need winter wardrobes!" he exclaimed. "I'll ask Lisa and Lori if they can take you shopping tomorrow."

"Thank you, Ben," Zama said sweetly. Moon smiled at Ben and dipped her face in thanks.

Ben pulled his cell from his pocket and banged off a text.

He glanced between Zama and Moon. "How are you two coping with the snow and cold?"

"It is a new experience for me," Zama said happily.

"For me as well," Moon added quietly.

Ben's cell vibrated, and he looked at the screen. "Ah, the twins are available to take you two out tomorrow when the daycare closes. I'll ask them to pick you up at your places. They have a credit card to cover the expenses. Please let them work their magic."

Both women smiled and nodded.

"Dinner is ready. Please find a spot at the table in the dining room," Tina said as Lucy moved to join her in the kitchen.

Ben helped wrangle the kids and get them all seated at the table. The two youngest ones were already in their cribs, sleeping peacefully after their own meals.

Dinner was delicious, and the conversation was lively. Zama was a delightfully enthusiastic speaker, describing how she was already learning to fit into a regular household. She discussed the mundane tasks she was learning with joyful energy. Trish and Lily were good teachers.

They were finishing their meal when they heard the front door open and close. Ben turned his face to the doorway as Evelyn appeared in it.

"What's happened?" Ben asked as he saw her serious expression.

"We're being summoned to Washington," Evelyn said.

Ben's eyebrows rose. "When?"

"We'll need to leave tonight as they want to speak to you, Liliya, and me first thing in the morning. The General is sending a car to pick us up. Pack for a few days," she suggested.

Ben frowned. He wanted to spend time with his family and friends, not sit in a conference room listening to a bunch of politicians whine and complain. He huffed, then saw the worried look on Evelyn's face. He released his angry expression and gestured his acceptance with a palm to ease her mind. "I'll go get packed." He turned his face to Tina. "Could I ask you to select some clothes for me? Intimidation is the look I'm going for with this audience."

Zama giggled with a grin, and Moon nodded as Tina popped to her feet with a thrilled smile and rushed away.

Christopher and Rose took this as permission to leave the table and rushed off to play.

"Rose can stay with us," Lucy said to Liliya, who smiled in thanks.

"I'll bring some outfits for her back with me," she said as she climbed to her feet. "Thank you for a delicious meal. Please let Tina know as well." Lucy nodded to her.

Dinner was officially over. The other guests added their thanks and rose to their feet. Ben walked them to the door to help them with their coats.

"I'll be back shortly," Liliya said to Ben before she slipped out the door. He glanced over at Moon, who was enjoying a hug from Lucy.

Ben noted they both seemed to be enjoying the embrace quite a bit as Lucy's face was becoming quite flushed.

Tina returned to say her goodnights to the guests and slipped into Moon's arms the moment Lucy stepped back.

Ben dragged his gaze from the two women, blissfully enjoying the hug just in time to see Zama step closer with a hopeful smile. He pulled her against his body and heard her sigh happily.

Evelyn watched the road and cleared her throat to get Ben's attention. He glanced at her.

"Sorry, our ride just turned into the court," she said softly.

Ben gave Zama a quick kiss, and she burst into a smile before she stepped out the door. Ben looked at Moon but saw Lucy was holding her hand.

"Nguyêt's going to stay a little longer," Tina said, pronouncing the woman's name perfectly, as she pulled Ben toward the bedroom. "Let me show you the suits I selected."

He approved her selections and saw how he could alternate the shirts with the jackets. This all went into a suit bag. She'd packed his other items into a small duffle.

He gave her a deep, lingering kiss then she patted his chest to make him pull back. "You will be late!" she whispered as she watched his mouth.

Ben grabbed his bags and laptop case and walked back to the front door, where Evelyn and Liliya stood next to their traveling cases. Lucy gave him a quick kiss and hug, then moved back.

Moon stepped closer, and Ben wrapped his arms around her after setting his bags down.

"Be safe," she said quietly to him.

"Enjoy," he responded, equally quiet but felt a tremble of excitement run through her body. She stepped back to Lucy's side and kept her flushed face partially hidden behind a curtain of hair.

Ben smiled at the three women and followed Evelyn and Liliya out the door. Tina locked up behind them.

The trio walked to the large SUV parked at the end of Ben's driveway and climbed inside. They had an escort of two Humvees. The General was taking no chances.

Following this policy, the car took them to Fort Kortridge Air Base, where they boarded a transport plane. Not the most comfortable transport but a controlled environment.

This was a far cry from a Sky Shepherd jet.

Ben settled in as best he could and shared a look with the two ladies he was traveling with before he pulled out his laptop to do a little reading.

Since Moon got him a copy of Robin's book, he'd had an uncomfortable urge to discover what was in it. Knowing the discord and hurt feelings she'd caused as she gathered his story, he'd been torn between dread and embarrassment, but he couldn't put it off any longer.

He opened the document and started an empty page in his notepad app to jot down the names of the people he might need to contact to apologize.

Page one.