Behind the Mask

Chapter 88

Sean's POV

"We have trouble," Raven roared as he threw a chair across the dining room. His father shot him a harsh glare, but he still fumed.

"What are you raging about now," I sighed in frustration. Raven's outbursts were driving me and everyone else insane. We were all on edge after the situation with the Andersons, not to mention not knowing when Marissa would arrive or what condition she was in.

"What Yevgeny is trying to say is we have news from the Academy about your woman, and it isn't good," Aleski said with a deep frown.

"Well spit it out you cryptic old geezer, what's fucking wrong with spitfire?" Gabe growled.

He scowled at Gabe, but answered, "It seems the Academy's operant conditioning program has its first documented success - Mrs. Marissa Porter."

I felt my legs go out from under me as I fell to the ground. "Sean!" Owen yelled as he grabbed me. The room felt like it was spinning and I was fighting to keep myself from screaming. Had we really lost her? Had I lost my daughter before I could even hold her?

"Owen, what do we do?" I gaped.

He cradled me against his chest as my sobs broke free. "I don't know, love, but she will be here soon, and once she's here, we can figure it all out."

"I'm sorry, boys," Aleski said. "This new doctor they have seems to be a genius. He's personally overseeing her case, and travels with them everywhere."

I lifted my head and asked in a shaky breath, "Who? Is he coming here?"

"Kyle Murdoch. He sent word to Leonardo a bit ago that they will arrive by morning. I've been asked to make sure all of you are tucked away and out of sight. We don't want to tip our hand, and now that Marissa is a wildcard, we may need to make some adjustments." Aleski was wringing his hands in frustration.

Raven growled, "She's not a liability or a wildcard! She's our fucking wife!"

"No, she's not," Aleski said flatly. "I understand how difficult this must be for all of you, but the battle has already started, and the Academy must come down. I pray for her and you that she is not a casualty, but if she is as 'reformed' as this Murdoch character is claiming, she may not even recognize you - any of you! She's lethal and you all know it."

My mind was swirling. I knew that name, but where?

"Wait a minute," Kota said, "Didn't we have a case with a guy named Murdoch?" He looked over at Victor who quickly began searching the files. A picture of a tall man with dark hair and eyes popped up on the screen.

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled, "That's the bastard that killed Phil!" The room went deadly silent.

"What do you mean?" Corey asked, "I thought Phil had a heart attack?"

I shook my head, "I wasn't allowed to tell. Then after, well, after..." I fought to calm my breathing. "Before we left, just before Sang left, we were sent on a mission to look into a series of abductions. They were snatching young women ages 18-30 in a seemingly random pattern. The Academy suspected human trafficking but what we found was so much more sinister."

"Oh shit, the toy guy," Kota swore.

I nodded, "Yeah, that's him." All my husbands in the room groaned, but Aleski and the Toma men looked lost. "He was training them, using mind-altering drugs to make these women into human toys. He would convince them almost like a sideshow hypnotist that they were something almost not human. One woman craved being pierced with needles because her owner enjoyed it. He "customized" them to the order. Whatever the kink or fetish, he made these women enjoy it." I cringed recalling how deep the suggestions had been embedded in these women. He had Marissa - just how far down the rabbit hole had he taken her? "I should have made the connection when we learned about the reconditioning, but I had no idea the Academy had recruited him."