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Kian
Kian had been receiving typical military-style succinct progress briefings from Bhathian, so when his phone rang with Kalugal's ringtone, he was glad to finally get the complete account of events from his cousin.
"Hello, Kalugal. How are things going out there?"
"I thought you knew. Bhathian said that he reported to you."
"He did, but all I got were bullet points. I know that Luis and his family are alive and safe, but Bhathian didn't say anything about their physical and mental state. Did you check on them?"
"I did. Negal had the foresight to thrall them to sleep when he got them, but we had to wake them up so I could release them from the compulsion not to move. Luis's wife couldn't stop crying, and his daughter was curled into a ball and trembling. The younger children were a little better, but they were also terrified and traumatized. The bastards kept threatening them with all the terrible things they planned to do to them. If not for the compulsion I put on Bud to keep them safe, I don't want tothink what would have been done to them. Anyway, I thralled them to calm down and rest when they get home."
That was good, but Kian wondered what would happen when Kalugal's thrall faded. Hopefully, Luis could get counseling for his family. Acapulco was a modern city, which should imply that it had well-equipped hospitals operated by well-trained physicians, but Kian had no idea if mental health specialists were easily accessible and covered by health insurance.
"Bhathian said that you got the leader and disposed of most everyone else."
"I didn't want to order everyone killed indiscriminately in case there was an innocent among them, so I played the biblical God and tasked Dagor, Negal, Dalhu, and several of the Guardians to find some that were worth saving among these modern Sodomites and Gomorrahites. They found two teenagers who had been recently recruited and hadn't taken part in the atrocities."
Kian grimaced. "Those two are monsters in training. Their teachers are gone, but new ones will come, and if you leave them alive, they will become as bad as the others."
"They won't because I did a number on their minds. They now believe that a powerful Colombian cartel is moving in, and that it's taking out all the competition. The Colombians killed all the members of the cartel they belonged to, including the leaders, and left them alive as a cautionary tale. If they stay out of trouble, the Colombians won't kill them, but they are coming for anyone who dares operate in the area. My main objective was to ensure Luis and his family's safety so they could go home without fear of retribution, but it will work to keep these teenagers out of trouble as well."
Kian shook his head. "What does one have to do with the other?"
"It has nothing to do with the imaginary Colombians, but I made up another story for Luis. I'll tell you about it when I get back. I'm bringing Bud as you have requested, but I don't understand why you want him on the ship. We can question him out here and be done with it. We are making a big pyre with all the bodies, and I would love to throw his on top after I've played with him a little. Or a lot. He's the one who gave the order to massacre the villagers in the most brutal way imaginable to scare everyone in the area into compliance."
"I want to interrogate him at my leisure and then execute him." Kian smiled. "Even my mother approves."
"That's a big change in her attitude. I wonder why now. I'm sure the Doomers have done worse in the past."
"Perhaps, but these are different times, and it was shocking that such cruelty and barbarism still exist. Things were supposed to become more civilized, and we believed that the Brotherhood was becoming more sophisticated. We knew they were dealing in drugs and trafficking, and both are bad, especially the trafficking, but to order the horrific slaughter of an entire village is just so demonic that even my mother doesn't believe these Doomers are capable of redemption." Kian sighed. "I wish she had realized this years ago, and that it didn't have to take this catastrophe to drive the point home that some people are beyond redemption and need to be eliminated. Being soft-hearted toward perpetrators of evil ultimately leads to more innocents suffering and dying."
There was a long moment of silence, and then Kalugal released a breath. "If left unchecked, evil will spread like cancer and kill everything in its wake. The problem is that good people whochampion and revere life can't comprehend what evil is and what it wants. They can't understand the thirst for death and destruction, so they try to rationalize evil deeds."
"What can we do, cousin? You are the mastermind with global domination ambitions. Can you think of a way to eradicate evil for good?"
Kalugal chuckled. "Contrary to what you think, I don't have delusions of grandeur. There are things that even I can't achieve. But if you want, I will be more than happy to discuss this with you over whiskey and cigars. Brundar has already celebrated his bachelor party by cutting out hearts and other organs that I won't mention, so you and I can enjoy a quiet hour on your balcony before his wedding tonight."
"That sounds delightful, but I need to interrogate the prisoner first, and I'll need your help to compel him to talk. If we have time after that, I'll gladly share with you a glass of whiskey or two and a cigar."
Frankie
"Ihave good news." Mia put the phone down. "Toven said that everything went more or less according to plan, none of ours got hurt, and Luis and his family are safe."
Frankie released a long, relieved breath. "What do you mean by more or less?"
"He didn't say." Mia frowned. "Why are you still sweating? Dagor is obviously fine."
"I'm not sweating." Frankie wiped the back of her hand over her forehead and slumped against the couch cushions. "Well, not anymore now that I know no one got hurt. What about Luis and his family? Are they going to be alright? It must have been horrifying for them."
"I don't know." Mia turned her chair around and drove to the kitchenette. "Do you want something to drink? I can make you another vodka with cranberry juice."
Frankie shook her head. "No, thanks. All this stress has made me a little dizzy. I don't know how the Guardians' mates handle it when they go on their rescue missions. I know that it's reallyhard to kill immortals, but it's not impossible. I would have gone crazy with worry."
"Yeah, me too." Mia poured cranberry juice into two glasses. "It's easier when you are part of the action. When I went on a mission with Toven, it was stressful, but in a good way. I felt like a badass."
Frankie's jaw slacked. "How the hell did you go on a mission? Did he carry you on his back?"
"Actually, that's exactly what he did on one of the missions." Mia put one of the glasses in the cup holder attached to her chair and held the other one as she drove back to the living room. "I've been on more than one."
