August

June 24: Saturday

"Ghali! Hurry up! It's going to be too hot to go to market by the time you get out of there!" Mahir banged his fist against the door to his eldest son's room. "You're making Anders wait!"
None of these statements seemed to have much of an effect on Ghali, because it was still another ten minutes before he appeared on the stairs, wearing a long natori and sandals, his eyes lined in black and his hair half-covered by a veil. Anders tried very hard not to make it apparent that he was staring, but Ghali looked...transfixing. Everything was so different about him now - everything seemed lighter, somehow. More delicate. Breakable.
Anders met Ghali's eyes; Ghali looked away immediately, as he'd been taught. To look a man directly in the eyes when they were alone like this was too forward - it would be improper behavior for an unwed carrier, and Ghali, since his change, had been careful to exhibit nothing but the highest degree of propriety. He guarded himself like a vestal virgin, intent on preventing any hint of Anders wasn't sure why - if it was to avoid criticism from Mahir or Henrik, or if there was something else at the heart of it.

"Are you ready now?"
Ghali nodded and checked himself over one more time.
"Ready. I think. Where are Khalil and Tony?"
Anders jerked one thumb over his shoulder.
"Out playing. They said they were going to take Caddy to the orchards, then they might ride to market with some of the workers."
Ghali looked a little hurt.
"Instead of going with us?"
Anders gave a helpless shrug.
"I think they just like to ride in the truck, is all." he paused "But don't worry - they'll ride with us next time. And we can look for them when we get into town."
Ghali grinned.
"They'll be easy to find - we'll just look for wherever the trouble seems to be."

~:~

The baby had been making Adrian sick for three days now, and Sean had ordered him to bedrest because of it. But Adrian had been so broken up about his father's betrayal that Sean had been concerned about leaving him alone; they'd moved out of their new house and back into Adrian's parents' home - at least temporarily. Sean had concerns about that, too.

So far there had been no violence. Woodacre was under 24 hour surveillance, after all, and any actions out of the ordinary would not have been tolerated. Chaperones dotted the walking paths and roads. No vehicles not specifically authorized by the Union government were allowed in or out. The curfew was 10 p.m., and not one minute later. But that didn't help Sean feel safe.

It was only a matter of time, he knew. Retaliation might not come swiftly, but it would come. No one betrayed the secrets of Dothan and lived to tell about it. Retaliation would come. For William Mackenzie, certainly. Perhaps for Ren Mackenzie as well. And possibly, frighteningly, for Adrian.

Sean Wick was not about to let that happen.

~:~

Market was busy, but not any busier than on any other day they could have gone. Anders led the group (Ghali, one of the house eunuchs, and two chaperones), weaving his way between stalls and people and tables hot with food or teetering full with folk medicines. He guided Ghali in the manner to which they had become accustomed - with Anders stepping forward, glancing backwards, clearing spaces and making room for him, but never actually touching Ghali. For a carrier, clearly unwed, to be touched in public like that would have been unbearable for most of the crowd. As it was, Ghali passed through the crowd amidst a sea of gapes and stares and quiet, reverent mumbles.

They stopped repeatedly for household necessities, and once or twice for shiny baubles that had caught Ghali's eye. Then once or twice more when Ghali saw people who he recognized, and Anders saw that surge of yearning rise in him, and he moved forward, forgetting. He always recalled, at the critical moment, that it would be improper for a carrier to burst forth through a crowd and throw his arms around a man he hadn't seen in ten years. Whether that man had been like a brother to him would be irrelevant. The propriety was the indispensable affair. Human relationships would have to come second. And so Ghali saw, and he knew - locked eyes with his old friends across the crowded emporium, and then quietly ducked his head and kept walking.

The sun was growing hot overhead and many of the people were retreating inside when Ghali saw something that stopped him. He glanced back over his shoulder; Anders was busy, engaged deeply in negotiation over the price of some copper flakes. The eunuch was with him. The chaperones stood by, silent. Ghali looked again. Did his eyes deceive him? He frowned, and stepped forward into the alleyway between the rears of the tents. Closer, there was no mistaking. His eyes widened, and he rushed forward and grabbed the small boy by his arm. The chaperones lumbered slowly behind him, at a short distance.
"Cadmus!" he hissed, low enough for only the boy to hear. Caddy nearly leapt out of his skin, twisting and wriggling to try to fight his attacker. Ghali shook his arm. "Be still! Be still, you little fool!"
Caddy was dressed in the ill-fitting clothes of a desert child - loose linen pants and shirt, long-sleeved to shield from the sun. His hair was knotted up inside of a small keffiyah. Ghali wanted to strangle him.
"What are you doing here?!" he snapped. "Are you alone?! Do you know what could have happened to you?? What if someone found out?!"
"Nobody's going to find out!" Caddy protested, then lowered his voice. "Nobody's going to recognize me. And I'm not alone - Tony and Khalil are with me."
Ghali blinked in disbelief at the young teenager in his grip.
"Tony... and Khalil...are with you? You are in the care...of children?!"
Caddy didn't answer this directly, and Ghali just exhaled an angry breath and straightened up, adjusting his natori.
"Enough. Come. We're going home." Caddy took a breath to protest, but Ghali cut him off. "Now."
He turned, one hand still on Cadmus's shirt, and realized instantly that something was wrong. The chaperones were gone, and a man's silhouette loomed in the entrance to the alley. Ghali squeezed tight to the younger boy's shoulder, and his entire body went rigid with apprehension. Caddy sucked in a quiet, but terrified breath and clung to Ghali's arm.
"There is no need," the man began, "To rush home now."
Ghali pushed Cadmus back, behind him.
"Caddy," he said, not taking his eyes off of the man in front of them, "Run."
"Ghali," Caddy said, not letting go of the older carrier's arm, "I can't."
Ghali couldn't risk a glance down at the younger boy, but he didn't have to - Caddy elaborated: "They're behind us, too."

Ghali swallowed and stepped as close to the younger carrier as he could manage. The man at the front of the alley was beginning to walk towards them - unhurried, which frightened Ghali more than anything else.
"Caddy," he said, voice trembling but firm, "You. Need. To Run."
And then, with no further warning, he wrenched free from Cadmus' grip, spun to the nearest tent, and with all his strength, pushed. The table inside went toppling over, ripping the tent, shouting erupted, things began breaking, the man at the front of the alleyway charged him, and Ghali had just enough time to shove Caddy forward, see him vault the mess of the disturbed tent, hear himself scream for Anders, and see Cadmus disappear, running into the crowd.

Then the man's angry face was above him, lifting a hand, and Ghali felt the strike and then it all went black.

~:~

Harley Witterbaum came home to a military cordon, 16 separate police vehicles, upwards of 30 MPs, and a hostage situation taking place in his own front yard.

Aaron Soyinka came home to an empty room.

~:~

Ghali came to some time later, with his wrists and feet bound, and the road bouncing under him. Slowly, he tried to place himself. It was late afternoon. He was in a truck. Moving? Where? If he left the market, Henrik would never be able to rescue him.
Something smelled terrible; by minutes, he realized it was the man closest to him. He retched a little, leaning forward unbalanced.
"Ai-ya! His necklace - look at his necklace!"
The skinnier, grungier man on the other side of the truck bed leaned over Ghali, peering closely. His eyes widened.
"It's a bloodstone." he grinned, showing crooked teeth. "A virgin."
The smelly man smiled.
"Oh, he will be pleased with this." he paused. "I could be pleased with this."
The skinnier man sucked his teeth and pushed his companion back.
"No! No! He'll know if we've broken him. He will kill us if he even suspects."
Ghali felt a great sickness well up in his belly.
The first man whined.
"But we can touch, can't we? Just a touch."
The other man scoffed.
"If you want to risk your life. No, just leave him be. Let the sheikh decide what he's going to do with him."

~:~

It was a matter of minutes after the car pulled up to the house at Wafra, an anguished Anders and sobbing Caddy inside, that Mahir knew. Anders went to him first, with his head bowed in apology. Mahir couldn't speak, was too struck with anger and pain and such intense fear that he thought he would lash out and kill the both of them. Mahir went looking for Anthony first, but his husband was out somewhere, inspecting a field site, and could not be reached. Mahir went next to Henrik.

He burst in Henrik and Phidias' bedroom door, ignoring the surprised cry of the eunuch who had just entered to bring them evening tea. Henrik looked up in annoyance, then worry, then fear.
"Mahir! What's wrong? What's happened?!"
Mahir could barely speak for the loss of breath and the burgeoning tears, but he managed.
"They have Ghali." he wept. "They took him."

~:~

It took Harley almost fifteen minutes to get through to someone who understood that he was the carrier's husband, and would speak to him.
"What's going on!?" he demanded of the MPs flanking him as they escorted him to the front.
"There's a situation. With two carriers in the house. We don't know what happened, what set him off. There was a physical altercation in the front yard and one of the neighbors called us."
Harley shook his head, confused, not understanding.
"Two? There's only one one carrier who lives there - mine, James Witterbaum."
The MP shook his head gravely.
"Then must be a neighbor or something. Because there are definitely two: your carrier, and the carrier whose belly he's got a knife to."
One of the younger MPs came running up just then.
"Sir! He's asking for his husband." the man paused to catch his breath, then repeated, "He wants his husband."

There was no way that Harley could have ever been prepared for the scene that awaited him at the break in the crowd. There were MPs, kneeling behind cars and barriers and riot shields, crouched and lying down and standing and all pointing some manner of weapon at James. James, for his part, was standing on the front walkway, light glinting off the butcher knife he held as it pressed against the other carrier's bare skin. His other arm was around the carrier's neck, pressing him against James' body like a shield, keeping the MPs from getting a clear shot. Harley recognized the face of the other carrier immediately - Sheridan Soyinka. He moved to go forward, but one of the MPs stopped him.
"We don't have a clear shot. Not to wound. Stun guns are too high-risk." the MP paused, searched Harley's face. "They both say they're pregnant."
Harley nodded.
"They are."
The MP shook his head.
"Then we've got no clear shot right now."
Harley wasn't sure what he was being asked to do. He stared at the MP, then looked back up at James.
"I'll talk to him."
He went forward.

"Jamie? Baby?"
James jerked around at the sound of his husband's voice, causing Sheridan to go flailing with him.
"Get away from me!" he shouted, and Harley saw that his eyes were fevered.
"I told you not to do it." he said, his voice hitching. "I told you not to try to take him away from me."
Harley shook his head.
"OK. OK. I won't. I won't take him away from you."
he stepped forward, which made James rear back and press the knife more deeply into Sheridan's skin. Sheridan cried out.
"James - "
"Shutup!" he tightened the arm around Sheridan's neck. "Shutup! It's not going to work."
Harley tried to keep his voice calm and reasonable.
"James, you're hurting him."
James shook his head.
"No, I'm not." he kissed the side of Sheridan's head; Sheridan whimpered. "I'm not, I'm not. I won't hurt you, baby."
Harley tried to step forward again.
"Jamie - "
James jerked the two of them away, twisting, his grip on Sheridan's neck forcing the other carrier to bend backwards.
"Stay back! I told you this would happen, Harley! I told you I would do it. I'll kill this baby!"
Sheridan began crying more seriously now, as Harley struggled to make sense of what James was saying.
"Jamie, I didn't do anything. Nothing's happening. What's wrong?!"
James cut him a vicious glare.
"I heard you! On the phone! You made my appointment. You want to cut me up!"
the last part was shouted desperately, ragged. Behind him, Harley heard the MPs growing restless. They wanted this scene over now.
Harley shook his head.
"Jamie, you've got it all wrong. It wasn't the clinic, it was - "
"No, I don't have it wrong!" he shouted, making the knife press deeper, nicking the skin of Sheridan's belly and making him squeal. "I'm sorry." he kissed the side of Sher's face again. "I'm sorry. They're just making me angry. It's not you. I'm not hurting you."
Harley shook his head.
"You are hurting him, James. And you're scaring him."
"I don't care!" James shook his head, violently. "I don't care! Sher will forgive me. Sher always forgives me, don't you, Sher?" he looked back over at Harley. "He promised so. He said. He'll forgive me. Won't you?"
James slackened his grip on Sheridan's neck just enough for the man to speak clearly.
"No." he said, viciously. "I will never forgive you for this."
And then Harley was not sure what happened first - if he moved, or if Sheridan did, or if it was James, or the MPs who finally got a shot, but everything erupted into a frenzy of motion and emotion and all he recalled was lunging for Sheridan and missing him, losing a grasp on his skin but catching the carrier by the thin leather band around his waist. He yanked, down and away at the same time that James moved, just enough so that the knife passed by Sheridan's belly and Harley thought "Thank God, we are all safe" and then there was the sizzling pop of stungun fire and a sudden, hot sharpness in his abdomen, and when he looked down at his side, the knife was in him instead. James arched, then collapsed under fire and Harley went down in shock more than pain and then MPs were swarming all three of them, and Harley's brain just simply shut down.

~:~

Adrian was woken in the middle of the night by his husband, urgently shaking the bed.
"Adie, get up. Come on. Up."
Adrian opened his eyes.
"What's going on?"
Sean had a candle lit, casting a dim light across the room. Adrian reached to turn on a lamp, but Sean stopped him.
"No. No lamp."
Adrian moved to sit up in bed, and his feet struck a suitcase.
"Sean? What's going on?"
Sean was dragging another suitcase towards the bedroom door.
"You're having an incident. Intense pain. You need to go to a hospital."
Adrian shook his head - this wasn't making sense. Sean dropped the suitcase by the door and turned back to him. "We're all leaving."
Adrian sat bolt upright.
"Did something happen?"
Sean didn't answer directly.
"Fake the pain. The ambulance is on its way. Ren and I will ride with you. The children will come along with an escort. The suitcases are taken care of."
Adrian repeated his question, now a demand.
"Sean! Did something happen?!"
Finally, Sean stopped moving long enough to answer Adrian's question.
"It's on the porch" he said, quietly.
Dread welling in him, Adrian ran to the door, out of the room, down the hall and to the first window which looked onto the porch. He almost vomited. Callie, Will Mackenzie's dog, and all her puppies lay slaughtered across the wood. He turned back to Sean, who was shaking his head.
"We have to go. Tonight."

~

The children were confused, terrified. Sean led them out of the back door so they wouldn't have to pass the dogs. Ren and Adrian went out of the front with the EMTs, Adrian strapped to a gurney and Ren going quickly alongside him. Two government men in black suits snuck the suitcases out the back door, and loaded them into the back of a jeep.

The children and Sean all went into the ambulance with Adrian and Ren. The smallest ones began crying, and Ren tried to comfort them. They were mostly worried for Adrian, who was busy faking agonizing pain. Adrian asked for water, and took a minute to assure them he'd be alright.
"Sean won't let anything happen to me." he told them. "I know he won't."

~

They traveled through the night to reach the place where Will Mackenzie was being held in custody. Ren was silent the entire time, save the few soothing words he spoke to his children. From the back of the ambulance, they had no view of where they were going, or how far. They sat in silence and waited.

~:~