Fast Forward
Chapter 7
Mike and Tom followed Hannah through the upper floor of the mansion. She moved with ease even carrying an assault rifle. Having her armed was not something Mike was particularly comfortable with but since she was in a lead position; there really was no choice. They got to the double doors of the master suite and found them open. Kami was sitting on the floor, playing with some blocks. El Norte was sitting on a chair next to her. The entire second floor had been strangely devoid of guards but it had been to their advantage. Mike wanted Kami out of the line of fire in case El Norte caused a problem. Tom had his assault rifle trained on him so Mike took point.
"Kami, come here, sweetie. Hands up, El Norte." Mike commanded and Kami immediately jumped and ran to him. Hannah swung her around and got both of them out of the room, as they planned. El Norte conveniently reached behind him towards his waistband.
"Don't do it! Hands up!" Tom yelled. El Norte shook his head at them and said something in a foreign language. It sounded like Spanish but neither of them could understand it. After another warning from Mike; El Norte pulled a pistol from his waistband.
"Drop it or we will shoot you!" Mike ordered. El Norte didn't comply and both Mike and Tom fired a shot. Mike's hit El Norte in the head and Tom's hit him in the chest. He was dead before he hit the ground. Tom nodded at Mike and he stepped into the hallway where Hannah and Kami were waiting with Wolf. Mike passed his assault rifle to Wolf and pulled Kami into a hug. The little girl was sobbing into his shoulder.
"Is…he dead?" Hannah asked no one in particular.
"Yeah." Mike told her. He would have preferred she stay in the hallway but Hannah seemed to need to see that her captor was not ever going to come back. She stepped into the master bedroom for about five seconds and then backed out again. Mike desperately wanted to hug her but Kami was requiring his total attention.
"I never thought I would ever be rid of him. Now, I just have to get him out of my head. That's going to be harder." Hannah said quietly. Tom had come back out and had an arm around her; much like Mike would if he could.
"I can have Sasha or Azima come up here and pack a bag so that you have some of your own things. I don't think you need to go back in there, Hannah." Tom suggested.
"I know I need the clothes but I really don't want anything from here. I know that sounds stupid." Hannah stated.
"You're shedding a skin. In this case; shedding all the bad things that have happened." Wolf said. It actually made sense.
"Yeah, something like that. I feel…clean now. If I put those clothes back on, it would be like I rolled around in a pig pen all over again. Some goes for the other things. I get that clothes are expensive but I just can't." Hannah told them.
"Mommy got you clothes. They're really pretty." Kami told Hannah tearfully. Mike was holding her closely but she was looking around at everyone. She knew Tom and Wolf and had apparently figured out who Hannah was.
"That sounds really nice. I hear you girls made my room pretty too?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah. Mommy got you a big blanket that is pink…she called it mauve. It's pretty. And I picked out another blanket with flowers on it. There's pretty things to go on the windows and a rug and pictures." Kami had brightened up talking about the bedroom and Hannah was smiling at her. Mike was relieved to see the smile because he hadn't gotten one out of Hannah. Leave it to Kami to brighten even the darkest situation.
"How's it going otherwise?" Mike asked Wolf. He knew he needed to help with detaining the commanding and evacuating the women and children but all he wanted to do was get his girls back to the ship.
"Its…going. The commandos have given quite the resistance. Fortunately none of the women or children have been caught in the crossfire and are thrilled to be evacuated." Wolf updated them. Mike and Tom both knew he was leaving a lot out because of Kami.
"Mike, why don't you take the girls back to the James?" Tom suggested.
"I think I will—" Mike started.
"Are the commandos all…?" Hannah asked while keeping Kami in mind.
"Yes." Wolf told her.
"Okay. That's good." Hannah added.
"Let's get you girls back." Mike suggested. Hannah simply nodded at him and they began the walk back to the Rhib. Wolf escorted them since Mike's arms were full with Kami. Both girls were quiet and Kami was content as long as Mike held her. He had a feeling that the little girl would not be letting him out of her sights.
"I was so scared, Daddy. Is Mommy okay? She had so much blood on her face." Kami asked as she played with Mike's collar.
"She's fine. Scared for you. Are you okay, you weren't hurt in anyway?" Mike assured the little girl as he cuddled her close. He had kissed the top of her head several times.
"No, Daddy. My knees are skinned but that's it. I want Mommy to kiss them and make them better." Kami stated.
"Soon, in the meantime; I will. Kami, this is your big sister, Hannah." Mike introduced the two girls and Kami seemed to be assessing Hannah closely. He wasn't sure if they were properly introduced back at the mansion
"Its nice to meet you finally, Kami." Hannah told her.
"Daddy, she doesn't look like us." Kami told Mike quietly. She seemed confused. All of Mike and Andrea's kids were fair. Blondish red hair with blue eyes. Hannah was dark haired and eyed like Christine had been.
"It's okay, sweetie. She's my little girl too. She looks like her mommy. Like you look like your mommy." Mike explained.
"Oh. I remember you saying her mommy was in heaven now." Kami clarified her own confusion.
"That's right. Let's get you girls out of here." Mike stated.
"Hannah, did you hear what El Norte said before we shot him?" Mike asked. They were almost back to the RHIB.
"Nothing. It isn't important. That's what I keep telling myself." Hannah told him. Kami had cuddled into Mike's chest and was nearly asleep.
"It will help to get it off your chest. Spill." Mike gently ordered.
"He said that when people figure out what I've done; I will shunned and you will be made a fool of. He's probably right too." Hannah admitted.
"You will not be shunned. The President has this all figured out. All you need to do is rest right now. Hang out with Kami on the ship." Mike told her as they climbed on the RHIB. Diaz put a child sized life jacket on Kami who curled back up on Mike's lap. Mike got the feeling that if Hannah could have done the same thing, she would have. All he could do was cuddle the two girls close and assure them that they were safe.
They got back to the James, and Rios assessed Kami on the deck. Aside from the skinned knees, general exhaustion and anxiety; she was fine. Mike carried her back to his quarters with Hannah following. It sounded like the evacuation was going well. Hannah gave Kami a shower and Mike put one of the shirts that Hannah had been wearing on the tiny little girl and doctored her knees. Kami was almost asleep but Mike knew that she would rest better hearing Andrea's voice. He quickly dialed the number and Andrea answered on the second ring.
"I have a little girl wanting to talk to her mommy before she goes to bed." Mike told Andrea as he put the phone to Kami's ear. He could hear the conversation.
"Mommy?" Kami asked.
"I'm here, baby. Are you okay?" Andrea asked the little girl.
"Yeah, my knees have ouchies on them. Daddy gave them kisses and put band aids on them but I want you to. Do you have ouchies?" Kami asked.
"I will when you get home. I do have some ouchies but I'm okay." Andrea assured the little girl.
"Okay, but you had a lot of blood. It was scary." Kami worried.
"I did but the doctors made me better. What do you think of that ship?" Andrea distracted the little girl.
"It's okay. I'm just sleepy." Kami said quietly.
"How about you give your daddy the phone back, sweet pea? I love you. Give me a kiss." Andrea told the little girl who immediately kissed the phone receiver. The phone was passed to Mike and Kami curled back up in his lap.
"Hey, I'm here." Mike told Andrea.
"Poor baby girl. She's not going to let you go tonight." Andrea stated.
"No. I don't figure so. Hannah is okay. El Norte said something to her that's bothering her. I'll be glad to be getting her home." Mike admitted.
"Just be there for her. She needs you as badly as what Kami does." Andrea told him.
"You doing okay?" Mike asked.
"Sore. I will be thrilled when you get home. Deb has been great but I just want my husband and daughters home." Andrea said quietly. Mike knew it had to be bad for her to verbalize it like that.
"Hopefully soon, babe. I'm sorry. I should have been there." Mike apologized.
"No, you should have been exactly where you were. And if you had been home; you might have been killed. Stop beating yourself up." Andrea ordered.
"Yes, ma'am. I just feel badly." Mike admitted.
"I know but you need to take that energy and concentrate on those girls." Andrea told him.
"Yes, ma'am. I'd better go. I will call you when I know when we'll be home." Mike told her.
"I will eagerly await your arrival. I love you." Andrea told him.
"I love you too, more than you could ever imagine. Bye." Mike told her before he hung up the phone.
Kami had gotten off his lap and Hannah was reading to her. The two girls were still nervous around one another but slowly warming up. Mike walked over to the couch and picked Kami up and sat down next to Hannah with Kami on his lap. Both girls curled up close and Mike took the book and began reading it out loud to them. They were asleep in no time at all and somehow ended up falling asleep in each other's arms.
Mike put a blanket over them and kissed their foreheads. He had his girls back but it only made him miss Quinn and Lucas. He wanted them all back, but he knew it was impossible. He left Hannah a note that he was stepping out and walked to the wardroom. He expected that it would be empty but he was wrong because Kara Green was fixing herself a cup of coffee and smiled at him when he entered.
"How's things going, sir?" Kara asked.
"Good. The girls are sleeping. How's the evacuation?" Mike asked.
"It's tedious. Part of the group is going to the Mitchener. We are just having to make sure not to separate mothers from children, and from there we have to get identities. The President will be contacting families and they will meet at Mayport." Kara filled him in.
"How long until we get home?" Mike asked.
"As soon as we get the evacuees settled, we will be all ahead to Mayport per the President's orders. El Norte and his commandos…they've been dealt with." Kara told him.
"Kill orders?" Mike eluded.
"Yes, all of them. The President didn't want to chance them coming back. The women and children…it's almost like that Stockholm Syndrome?" Kara mentioned as she took a sip of her coffee.
"I think that's where Hannah is. El Norte has gotten so deep into her psyche that it's going to take years of counseling to get her figured out. You'd think with her IQ…" Mike stopped.
"IQ has nothing to do with this. She's been…essentially tortured. And considering some of those women; she had it really good. You cannot imagine the scars or the stories. It's horrific." Kara said sadly.
"I…haven't listened to the recording of her interview with Tom and President Graham. She got to Christine dying and I just couldn't. Real supportive dad. You'd think since I have moved on, remarried, I would be able to hear it." Mike remarked.
"She was the mother of your children and you had been married for a long time. I am shocked that you sat through what you did. That has nothing to do with Andrea." Kara remarked as they sat down at the table.
"True. Things were different with Christine as compared to Andrea." Mike said quietly.
"Sir, just talk. It goes no further." Kara assured him.
"Christine and I…we should have never gotten married. Mixed like oil and water from day one." Mike added.
"Then why did you?" Kara asked.
"We…it was a casual thing. Do the math. I was a long term bachelor with no interest in the wife and kids. Christine was the daughter of a very strict preacher. He was abusive. She had moved to Chicago with some friends and went a little wild. Drugs…marijuana but it would have escalated, alcohol, sex. She was in a bad way. I encountered her while I was on patrol. I can't say that we hit it off but something sparked. She needed to go back for her cousin's wedding and needed a plus one. I was it. Probably more settled then her other…partners but still completely not what her dad wanted for her. She was sick of his…ways and I become a thorn in his side. She would flaunt our very casual relationship. It was…we had no real feelings for one another. It was mutually beneficial if you catch my drift. The one thing was, it did keep her away from drug and alcohol scene. Anyway, about eight months in; she came to me with a positive pregnancy test. She had already gone home the weekend before and her mom had figured it out because of the morning sickness. She showed up at my door with both eyes black and a split lip. Her father wanted her to give the baby up. He didn't care about my opinion. I had no doubt that the baby, Quinn was mine and Christine confirmed that. We eloped quietly, which really made her dad mad. He was mad that I hadn't asked for his permission. I honestly would have but I didn't want to put Christine through it. She was having a rough enough time. I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't take into consideration that I could have co-parented Quinn with Christine without getting married. Marriage was a mistake but we did do three things right. Quinn, Hannah and Lucas. Everything else was a disaster." Mike admitted.
"This isn't the end of the story though?" Kara pressed. She loved a good story.
"Quinn was born with issues. On time but she had asthma. Thyroid issues, colicky. You name it. Seizures too. Christine's dad told her that Quinn's illnesses were a punishment for having sex outside of marriage and she was cursed. She would die young. He was very superstitious. Anyway, Christine tried really hard to be a good mom. She did. And Quinn was a sweetheart. She had this amazing spirit. No matter how rough of a day she had; she always managed to just get through." Mike reminisced.
"Still more to this story." Kara stated.
"Yeah. Medical insurance didn't cover all of Quinn's needs. I had wanted to join the Navy for a long time. It was a better situation for us. Christine was pregnant with Hannah at the time and she agreed. I joined up and was fast tracked to the Academy. Hannah was born and pretty much immediately, we knew there was something special about her. She was bright. Rolling over at a month, crawling at three months, walking at seven, talking in full sentences at a year. It was unreal. She was reading by the time she was three. We knew then that Hannah was exceptional. But the thing with exceptional kids is that they are still kids. Christine struggled with that. She had a tendency of treating Quinn like a baby and Hannah like a mini adult. And I was gone a lot. Things had soured for us. We were together for three things, the girls, sex and when you are climbing the ranks, it helps to have a spouse on your arm who can cook a decent meal, makes pretty babies and seems supportive. Christine fit those bills. She did love our girls too. It just wasn't enough. We separated. Talk of divorce. Her dad wanted her to move back to Missouri. He hated me and didn't like our girls but it was a control thing." Mike filled her in.
"Well, something had to happen because you had Lucas?" Kara asked.
"Yeah, Quinn had ended up with pneumonia. She stopped breathing twice. I got home from the Indian Ocean and went directly to the hospital. We stayed at her bedside for a week straight. Hannah was staying with one of her tutors. We really thought we were going to lose Quinn. Once again, she bounced back and we got to bring her home. I was only home for a short period and wanted to spend every moment I could with the girls. I, more or less ingratiated myself at Christine's apartment. The girls went to sleep one night and…are you sure you really want this story?" Mike asked. He could believe that he was opening up the way he was. Andrea knew the story but it was different.
"Why not? I can't sleep." Kara stated.
"Well, like I said, Christine and I were really good at one thing in particular. Sex. We had both been drinking, our emotions from Quinn's scare were shot, one thing led to another and we had what her best friend called a 'one night stand between a married couple.' It shouldn't have happened. Christine woke up angry and I had to leave. We didn't discuss it like adults. I said goodbye to the girls. It was what my best friend called a 'wham, bam, thank you, ma'am.'" Mike halfway joked.
"And?" Kara pressed again.
"Six weeks later, I called to talk to the girls and before I hung up, Christine grabbed the phone. I figured it was to fill me in on something. No, she was pregnant. Like an idiot; I asked if the baby was even mine. Big mistake." Mike told her.
"Yeah, I'd be pissed." Kara said with a smile.
"She hung up on me. I can say one thing for absolute certain, Christine never cheated on me. Even when we weren't doing good. She had a thing about it. And I am the same way. I have issues with cheating on a spouse. Anyway, I came home. Always before, she would take the girls to the dock to meet me. Not that time, so I went to the apartment. Christine was eight and a half months pregnant at the time. We had exchanged some very tense emails about the girls, I'd called home and talked to them but not her. Just so happens; I got home in the knick of time. Christine was in full blown labor. I managed to the get the girls to a neighbor's but couldn't even get her to the van. Thankfully, I had taken some EMT courses when I was a cop and I ended up delivering Lucas in the bathtub. Easier to clean up." Mike deadpanned.
"Cute. So how did things go?" Kara asked.
"I was thrilled. Lucas was…perfect. I loved…loved my girls, but God, I was thrilled. I got Christine to the hospital. It was just by sheer need that she even allowed me there. She let me stay with her at the apartment because she needed help. We…slowly started working things out, and then moved into the house at Norfolk. I made a point to not just go to Christine for my physical needs and tried to be a better husband. Things actually went really well until Lucas was in preschool." Mike groaned at the memories.
"So what happened?" Kara asked, completely intrigued.
"Lucas started showing issues. Learning disabilities. One teacher even said that she believed he was mildly autistic. Christine fell apart. And her dad didn't help. I remember her asking me once if I wanted to try for another baby, because she wanted at least one normal child. Quinn had a cancer scare, part of her thyroid was removed. Hannah's tutors were costing a fortune and Lucas needed tutors too. Christine wanted to go to work and we needed the money, but Quinn had so many problems that Christine couldn't constantly be leaving work. Our marriage had returned to what it started as." Mike said quietly.
"Sex." Kara stated.
"Yeah, mostly. Then her dad died. In a way, it was a blessing. Christine was finally free from the insults and accusations. Of course, she grieved. Grief is a funny thing. She was angry at her dad and she was also angry that he died before she got the courage to confront him. She didn't tell me until he died; he had been abusive in all aspects. Physically, emotionally and sexually. He hated when she and I started…our thing because it meant that one of his possessions was having sex with someone else. He was one weird individual. El Norte actually kind of reminds me of him. The hold he has on Hannah is similar to the hold that Patrick had on Christine. The bad part is; I don't know how to break the cycle." Mike said quietly.
"Sir, you have already. Christine, for all the failings, she knew she could trust you. It might have been a weird symbiotic relationship but there was a basis of trust there. If there wasn't; she wouldn't have kept coming back. You also loved your children. That was something…Patrick? That was something he didn't have. It was probably what kept her, watching those relationships. She loved your kids but seeing your relationships with them was maybe what kept her going." Kara suggested.
"Yeah, I remember her saying once after her dad died, that one of the reasons that she loved me was because of how I loved our kids. If we did visit him, she made sure the girls slept between us. I thought it was weird because she didn't do that at home." Mike remarked.
"She was protecting your girls from her father. What about Lucas?" Kara asked.
"She generally put him on a trundle next to me. There were bedrooms that the kids could have slept in but she always used the excuse that the kids didn't do well in strange places and wanted in with us. I didn't know about the sexual abuse at that point but went along with it. The kids loved it, thought it was a big slumber party with mom and dad." Mike remarked.
"I think you are comparing yourself to Christine's father and El Norte?" Kara questioned.
"I am. Our relationship was weird. We put on a good front but behind closed doors? Was what I did to Christine any better than what her father did to her or El Norte did to Hannah? I never physically or sexually abused Christine obviously. But we were toxic to each other. I think there was some unintentional emotional abuse on both our parts. My concern now, is can I really help Hannah and Kami when I not much better than their abuser? Kami obviously was not as abused as Hannah and will bounce back. They need…I really don't know." Mike questioned.
"The difference between you and them is that you loved Christine and you love those girls. I know you say that you and Christine had a weird relationship but I have been around you for a long time and I watched you grieve for your family. You loved her." Kara commented.
"I did love her and part of me always will. It didn't start out with love but we got there. It is definitely different with Andrea but you know that." Mike admitted.
"More mature. You've both been through a lot. My advise is, think about Christine would want where Hannah is concerned. As a mother, if she was my daughter and I couldn't care for her myself, and she was left in her father's hands, I would want her father to do what you're doing. You're giving Hannah room to heal even when it hurts. Holding her when she needs it and supporting her. You love her unconditionally; even if she doesn't think she is worthy of it. I think you are doing exactly what Christine would want." Kara stated.
"I suppose. I didn't think about it like that. Just that I wasn't so different." Mike agreed.
"I disagree. Men like El Norte and Christine's father do not value life. I saw the look on your face when I told you about Kami. You were devastated. Now, go back to those girls. Think about what Christine would want for her daughter. You were who Christine sought out to get away from her abuser. " Kara encouraged him.
"Thanks for the talk. I imagine Hannah will want to see the women and children." Mike informed her.
"I figured. No problem. I think they'll be happy to see a familiar face." Kara agreed.
"Yeah. Have a good night. Thank you." Mike stated as he got up and left the wardroom. His talk with Kara had been surprising but needed. He still felt horribly about Christine but Kara had made a point. He had 'rescued' Christine and tried to give her a semi normal life. He could do the same thing for their daughter.
I know this seems fast paced but I want this story to be a story of healing. Sorry it took so long to update. Computer issues got me! I know the conversation about Christine was odd but it will factor in. Please review! I love reading them and appreciate them.