We'll Always be Here for You

Carla had found a place in both our hearts. She would never acknowledge it even if she knew but she alone had fixed something that was broken between Marion and I. Carla's smile just keeps that healing process going in all three of us.

*******

Amongst all the toing the froing, the Adoption board granted us a longterm placement with Carla as a foster family, allowing Carla to stay with us at the house until we all eventually dotted the eye's and crossed the tee's. I kept some of my people at the house and around the grounds for protection. Another team was assigned to help me with cleanup. What the law didn't or couldn't get, my people did. Word on the street was that one little girl had pedigree. Touch her and you face some strong questions from Hartman Securities, that's if the local Police didn't haul your ass downtown first. And you were still going to face the Hartman crew if and when the police released you.

Getting Carla back to school was another issue. We tossed around the idea of moving her to another school, a fresh start. Going by the look on Carla's face, that meant letting the school bullies win. We agreed, but we had to float that idea out there to see what we could make of it. If anything, Marion and I looked at each other and another page of respect for this little angel was being written. In one of those moments when the meeting broke up and coffees were being handed out, Peach made one of those off-the-cuff suggestions which seemed to grow legs.

"You know, it would be a good idea if the whole school knew that you guys had her back now."

I tossed and turned on that very thought all night, then I talked to a couple of the tech guys from work. They broke into the school a day before Carla went back. It took them an hour to get things done and get out again.

The next day Marion took Carla to school along with two of my biggest and most intimidating employees. One of them filled me in later. Both my guys sat in the back with Carla between them. She just kept looking at them, open mouthed, more so when a hand appeared with candy in it. She took it and gave my guy a smile. The smile triggered his partner to open his hand showing another piece of candy. Carla quickly worked out what a smile could get her for the rest of the journey to school.

Both my men, with Carla between them and Marion in front, strode into the school office and found seats next to the Principal's secretary's desk. Marion spoke to the admin, demanding to see the Principal. When she was admitted to see Mrs. Parker, Marion leant up against her desk. Working remotely, the tech boys turned on the speaker system, feeding the conversation from the principal's office to every classroom in the building.

"Mrs. Parker, let me introduce myself. My name is Marion Tennyson. We own one of the largest employers in this county and we are foster parents and in the process of adopting Carla Marchant. Her name has already been changed to Carla Tennyson.

"Let me make myself very clear, I don't want my daughter in this school, it's Carla herself that insists that she wants to come here, so I'm waiting in the wings. This school, meaning you and its teachers, stood by as my daughter was being bullied on an almost daily basis, because she was from the orphanage. I will not tolerate that."

Marion leaned even closer to the Principal now.

"The school year is just starting and I will be monitoring what goes on here. You need to put your house in order. This isn't a threat. This is a cast iron promise, if any child from the orphanage or my daughter get bullied ever again in this school and your own teachers do nothing about it, I'll be coming for you, for the children who do the bullying and for their parents. There will be shaming of both perpetrators and staff on social media. I'm sure the school board will love that, as will the parents. But there will also be civil law suits and criminal charges. Under state law, a negligent teacher or principal can be charged with child endangerment and defending that charge is likely to cost you both your job and your life savings. A child who bullies faces jail time. And social media is going to love seeing what the children of this school do with the Principal's backing."

She managed to grab a breath before she started again.

"Don't think I'm going to be shy about putting the parents of said little thugs on social media either, since they seem to be as complicit in all this. We'll make sure that any social clubs, churches or country clubs to which they belong have this information as well.

"My daughter comes to this school to learn and enjoy school, so do your damn job. I personally think you're incapable of even doing that, but my daughter seems to have faith in you. Prove me wrong, before I get my camera out of storage and start taking pictures and have police and lawyers swarming this building."

The guys in the back of the black van down the road thought it prudent to switch off the speaker system before Marion left the Principal's office. They were already a mile down the road when Marion's car screamed past them at a set of traffic lights.

*******

Months later...

My cell rang, I automatically looked at the business phone on the desk. Confusing as it was, it sat in silence. That was when I reached into my pocket and pulled my cell out.

Not Known... 'Uber for you in fifteen minutes.'

My Cell... 'Agreed, please make it twenty.

The pause was longer this time.

Not Known... 'Agreed, Peach will meet you.'

I nodded to Kathy on the way out. She had been with me long enough, she just nodded back. I left the building and was down on the sidewalk nineteen minutes later. The Uber waited at the corner at the bottom end of the street. When the lights changed, the Uber merged into traffic and pulled up alongside me.

"Hey, Peach."

"Hey, Bro, how are the girls?"

I smiled. "Marion took Carla into school for the first time a few weeks back. The tech boys did a number on the speaker system. Now the whole school knows that Carla and all the orphan girls are out of bounds from now on. I'm sure some little shit will push his or her luck, maybe seeing who picks Carla up and drops her of at school will change his or her mind."

By now Peach was signaling and pulling over to the curbside. I shuffled over to make room for Jake Kincaid.

"Morning, Peach."

"Morning, Sir."

My sister started to lean over to flip the switch for the divider.

"Leave it down, Peach, take us to the park, I need to speak to both of you."

We spoke in generalities during the drive there. I re-told the story of the tech boys rigging the speaker system. I've never seen this man laugh so hard. Once in the parking lot, all three of us got out, the ping noise from the Uber letting Peach know it was locked.

"We rounded up everyone we could over the orphanage thing. The woman you call matron kept her mouth shut until someone tried to have her killed while she was in prison. Now she just won't shut up."

The FBI were still putting all the pieces together, more so since Matron was moved to an undisclosed military detention facility. Apparently, the Federal prison system isn't safe enough.

"Of the six girls she sold on the dark web, she only knows where three of them are since they were bought as a job lot. I've got the CIA involved as well. The bosses have gone into a meeting of minds."

I was at the first interview with the matron woman, She tried bluster, then soon realized that she was facing spending the rest of her life in prison. She had prayed on one of the most vulnerable section of people in our society, orphans. The heartless bitch looked on them as a commodity, something to be bought and sold for her profit. The kids don't deserve this.

Lost in my thoughts, I almost missed what he said next. Still not believing it, I asked him to repeat it.

"It's almost nailed on that this is going to be given a go. The bosses want you to head the team, even though it will only involve CIA and FBI. I'm sorry Andy, but Hartman Securities can't be listed in this. More so when you hear the name of the man who now owns the three women."

He was right as well. When he told me, even my sister stopped and stared.

"But his fucking loaded, I've seen some of the girls he's been involved with."

Jake Kincaid smiled at my sister's outburst.

"That's his public face. The CIA have now dug deep into him. Away from the public eye he has a mansion that may as well be a fortress out on the Mediterranean coast of France. At best guess they believe he has up to ten women in there."

I looked at him for confirmation. He nodded, it seems the CIA had eyes on his place all night. Heat signatures told the story. The women were kept in one wing of the home. The heat map indicated his probable bedroom and an area that guards frequently entered and left during the night. We also now knew roughly how many patrolled the buildings and timing of patrols.

"He also has friends in the town's Police force." He nodded towards Peach. "You've seen how your sister reacted when I said his name. The locals think he walks on water, I have a feeling you're going to have a fight getting in and maybe have to fight to get back out again."

All three of us went quiet for a while, we watched the antics of the children in the play area and the moms running after their own children.

Finally, I came up for air and said, "Jack, what are my parameters in all this. I mean, get the girls out and kill him, get the girls out and leave him alone?

"Good question." Jake Kincaid sat and thought about it. We stayed quiet waiting his response.

He was still looking at the same chaotic scene in front of him as we were when he said. "The CIA people are still gathering evidence. It seems the older he gets, the bolder he gets. He's gotten sloppy perhaps believing that he's untouchable. Best guess is, if you leave him alive it will give us a chance to send him to jail. That should be a gimme with what the girls can give us alone, not to mention what the CIA are digging up."

We tossed around ideas for another hour. Finally, Peach returned Jack to his office. I opted to walk in the park and then hailed a cab back to the house.

Marion spotted me coming in and knew instantly that something was up. I sat her down and gave her the abridged version of my conversation, as I came to the end, I expected her to blow up. The death of our friend would have been a major influencing factor in that assumption.

Marion stared at me for a few minutes, then got up out of her seat and sat on my lap. Her arms went around me and then she said. "I'll still take Carla to school then have the car take me to work, I will have to leave earlier than you do, to pick Carla up again. I'm not interrupting the new routine she has."

I snuggled in a little closer to the love of my life. "You're not mad at me?"

"I'm fucking furious but not for the reasons you're thinking about. This whole mess gave us Carla and breathed life back into both of us. We lost a very dear friend along the way and I will always keep him and his wife in my thoughts. But we have Carla now and we need to try and undo the mess that matron bitch has made."

*******

Two Months later...

The south of France was lovely this time of year. Mind you, the south of France would look lovely in a rainstorm. I had rented a boat for the day, I fished off the back of the boat while Peach sunbathed topless at the front. When she took her top off, I did ask if she was allowed to flash her tits at her brother?

"Role reversal dear brother. When Marion gets her tits out beside the pool at home, I have to sit on my hands while we both stare at her. Majorly impressive tits by the way."

Confused by her logic, I just had to ask. "So my wife getting her tits out by the pool is my fault?"

Peach pulled the towel out from her bag and placed it on the deck, then said. "So glad you agree with me. Come and put some lotion on me, that's a good brother.

So like all brothers faced with lotioning up a half-naked sister. I did as I was told.

Peach moved her head so her forehead rested on her arm. Unknown to anyone looking, we had a toy the CIA gave us, any electronic system watching you can be read by this toy. When Peach was given it two months ago, she damn near drained the tech who gave it to her of the knowledge of how to use it.

"I'm not getting any static, so they aren't pointing any surveillance equipment at us. I also count three on the walls, but only one has binoculars on us."

My hands had done all the way to the small of her back, she moaned. I swiped her ass, her moan got louder.

"That's because his got his binoculars on your tits."

With her back done, Peach stood, and then whispered. "Keep your eye on the gauges; I just want to double check."

I knelt down and picked out a towel from the bag. My sister called out for me to toss her spare bikini bottoms from the bag. Confused as to why, I kept my eye on the gauges, they didn't move, even when a warm pair of bikini bottoms landed on top of the towel bag. I thought it prudent to just toss the ones I had in my hand behind me. For the sake of discretion, I kept my eyes firmly on the gauges.

Moments later my sister came and stood next to me.

"Anything?"

"Nope, nothing, not even a spike."

Peach then knelt down and resumed her position on her towel.

My sister placed her hat over her face and then said. "I think it's safe to say, we have found our way in."

As I stood I also added. "And I think it's safe to say that if I even mention what's just happened to my wife. I'm sleeping on the couch for the rest of my marriage."

Of course, my sister being my sister. "Cool, there will be more room for Kathy and me, in your bed along with your amazing wife."

I finished our conversation with the only thing that was always said between us.

"You know I'm telling mom on you don't you?

"Nuh huh." Was her only reply.

*******

We were back our room an hour later. The three CIA guys looked up and then went back to cleaning their weapons. That stopped when we all sat around the table and Peach and I brought them up to date on what we had learned. The consensus was the same as ours, we sent out the signal that it all went off tonight and all but Peach grabbed an hours sleep.

By eleven, we received a flash message that our transport was waiting just over the horizon. By eleven thirty all five of us had re-borrowed the boat from this afternoon and made it across the bay to the villa and stormed the wall. The two guarding the wall collected their severance checks. I left one of the CIA guys up there to watch the view. We followed Peach from then on, she took us right to the door of the women prisoners. Another of the CIA guys picked the lock and all but him entered the room.

The guy standing by the wall switched the light on. A collective gasp from the six women in the room was the only noise we heard.

Until Peach took a step forward and said. "Angela Phillips, Becky Wilson and Bridget Strickland, all step forward."

Two women moved from the huddle of women in the far corner. A blonde with a bruised and closed left eye and bruising around her neck stepped forward, along with a brunet that walked with a limp.

The blond tried to stand a little taller. "I'm Angela." Her head tilted towards the woman who was holding tightly to her. "This is Bridget." Her head then tilted towards the floor. "You got here too late for Becky, she died three days ago."

I took a half step forward; fear drove the two girls to take a full step back.

"Can you tell me how she died?"

Angela looked at me real hard, then finally said. "One morning she just gave up hope. When Master summoned her to his room she went, then said no. Master won't tolerate no so he gave her to the guards." Angela visibly shuddered then, tears began to run down her cheeks as she said. "We heard her screaming for almost an hour. It's hard to say if her voice gave out and they continued to rape her. But she never came back."

Angela almost whispered her last comment. "When a girl gets given to the guards, they never come back."

Peach could see I was on a whole new level of angry after that comment, so she got everyone busy. The other four girls wanted to come with us, we weren't going to refuse. Peach checked there closet and found clothes that would at least keep them warm on a boat ride in the middle of the night. They followed Peach when I turned out the rooms light and we all made our way back the way we came in.

Even on the way back to the wall Angela's words followed me. By the time we had them on the boat I took a step back and the CIA guys got on board. My sister watched me and jumped off the boat.

"Don't even think about it bro. Mom would kill me if I left you here. We're doing what's in your head together or we leave on the boat together."

We both watched the boat until it slipped into the darkness. Then we turned and headed back into the Villa. The guard's room was easy to find.

*******

Marion was always first down for breakfast. Carla came down and instantly stopped at the door to the dining room.

Marion saw her concern and said. "What's the matter sweetie?"

The color still continued to drain from Carla's face

"You're ... Your wearing black."

Understanding instantly came to Marion and she leapt out of her chair and knelt in front of Carla, she quickly grasped her hand in hers.

"Today is June 5th sweetie. Even though my husband is still away on business, I plan to still lay flowers on Becky's grave."

Carla visibly relaxed at her explanation, then her eyes lit up and pulled her own hand from Marion's.

She then turned and with an "Excuse me for a minute." She practically ran back up the stairs.

Minutes later, returning with a backpack in her hands. "Can we put this in the car? I can get changed out of school uniform on the way to the cemetery and we can visit mom and dad as well."

A whole new level of love came to both women at that moment; a damn tight hug was involved as well.

*******

The intercom buzzed, Marion pushed the button. "Yes Kathy."

There was a pause. "I'm sorry to bother you ma'am, but a Mister Jake Kincaid is here to see you."

It took a moment for Marion to remember to breathe.

"Send him in please Kathy."

Marion watched his eyes as he came in. That was enough for her to be grateful she was still sitting.

Kathy went to close the door.

"Close the door from this side Kathy, this may include you as well, so please stay."

With a deep breath taken Jake Kincaid leant against the back of the chair facing Marion Tennyson. He explained from the interviews with the CIA guys that they rescued two of the three orphan women plus four other women being held.

Marion held up her hand to stop him. "Where is my husband and Peach?"

This time Jake shook his head.

"We don't know. They got the girls on a boat along with the CIA guys and then told them to leave. The boat had just left the port and headed out to sea towards the rendezvous boat when machine gun fire and explosions started coming from the villa."

For such a long time Marion just stared at Jake Kincaid. Finally, she turned to look at Kathy and nodded to her. Kathy held the door open and Jake nodded to Marion with a promise that if he heard anything he would phone her immediately. Marion watched as Kathy closed the door behind her, she stood and looked out the window for a moment, then walked over to her office door and opened it.

Kathy had a tissue to her eyes, silently weeping into it. As Marion opened her mouth to say something her cell phone rang, all she could do was turn and stare at it, her cell flashed as it rang on her desk. Three times it rang and then stopped.

Then Kathy's cell rang. She automatically reached for it as Marion screamed. "Don't touch it."