Protectors of the Innocent - Chapter 18
The final chapter.
June woke to the unfamiliar, but not unpleasant feeling of sharing a bed. She turned her head and glanced at Matt. Lying on his side with one hand thrown over her hip, he seemed at peace. She slid out from under his hand and tiptoed to the bathroom. The broken door bore testimony to the events of the previous evening and a chill ran down her spine.
After switching the kettle on, she straightened the chaos in the lounge and put the television on a news channel. Turning the volume down low, she took the coffee and climbed onto the sofa, tugging her feet under her. A view of her parents' house had her straightening and she turned up the volume.
Shocked, she listened to the reporter's account of the attack on her parents. Her hands shook and she put the mug down on the table, spilling nearly half the contents. How could this be possible? Why hadn't Matt told her? Tears streaked her face and she jumped as a hand pressed down on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out this way, but last night you were in no condition for more bad news." Matt rounded the sofa and pulled June into his arms. Her sobbing increased and he held her tighter.
"It's all right, Sweetheart, your mom will be ok."
"Why did he do it, Matt? Why try to kill them?" She bundled the fabric of his shirt in her fist. For the first time in her life, she understood why people resorted to violence. She could kill Simon herself.
"I don't know what made him hurt the children, but I suspect growing up poor and possibly being abused himself, made him think it was all right to make money from the children."
June shook her head. There was no excuse for what Simon did. She pushed away from Matt and stood. "Why did he have to hurt my parents? I need to get to them...her." The tears spilled over again and June turned away.
Matt shrugged. "Sweetheart, we might never know what drove a man to such extremes. At least it's over now. He's in custody and the children are safe again." He dug his phone from his pocket. "Speaking of which, I need to phone Kevin and find out what's happening with Simon."
June nodded and walked to the bedroom. She pulled an overnight bag from under in the closet and packed a few necessities. With the babies on the way, her clothes didn't fit in any case and she bought only a few items that she could mix and match. The babies...she had to tell Matt about the babies. June stuffed the last items in the bag and left it on the bed.
In the lounge, Matt stared out of the window with a puzzled frown. "What's wrong?"
He turned around and sat down on the windowsill. "I don't know if you can say anything is wrong, I just don't know what to feel at the moment."
June cocked her head to the side, but waited for Matt to continue. He dragged his hand through his hair and inhaled deeply.
"Kevin arranged for Simon to be transported to the Sun City prison in Johannesburg last night. He put Simon in a cell for awaiting trail prisoners with a tape running to try to solicit a confession. "At June's frown he explained.
"According to the director we didn't have enough evidence to convict and Kevin was ordered to release Simon after seventy two hours if we didn't produce better evidence. He wanted to find the children still missing, so he arranged for the other inmates to threaten Simon and hoped he would brag about his conquests in order to save his own skin. We then had the tape as well as the testimony of the inmates."
"Did it work? Did they find the children?"
"Yeah, it worked and they found the children, but when the inmates realized who and what he was they attacked him in any case. The wardens were too late to save him."
"O my word." June sank down into the chair. "So much killing and so many people dying because of one man's greed. Poor Lana."
"I think Lana caught on to his doings - she gave us the anonymous tip that he contacted Aziz in jail. Still, it couldn't have been easy for her with the police swarming all over her home."
"Where did they find the children? Are any of them alive?"
Matt shook his head. "Simon rented a cold storage facility in downtown Hillbrow. After Aziz was arrested, he couldn't risk more bodies being found and he froze the children. Kevin found eighteen more bodies in the storage facility. "
"Eighteen innocent lives he destroyed. I would never understand how any man could do something like that. Simon was not all bad."
Matt sighed. "Nobody is, June. Some people are just unable to control the bad parts lurking inside all of us."
They dropped the subject and Matt loaded June's baggage into the Land Cruiser. An hour later, they were on their way to Johannesburg after June phoned Rachel to arrange for a few days leave. Tired and sore from being confined in the car for more than fourteen hours, June was glad to see the lights of the hospital. Although it wasn't visiting hours, the nurse allowed them through after Matt identified himself.
Mrs. White lay pale against the white hospital linen and June's heart contracted. A large brace adorned her neck, but she was no longer in mortal danger and breathing on her own. June took one of the thin hands in hers. Her mother's eyes fluttered open and she managed a smile.
"We'll be back in the morning, mom. Get some rest." They tiptoed out of the room as Mrs. White's eyes drifted shut again. At June's apartment, they barely had time to shower before sleep claimed them. How wonderful it felt to fall asleep in Matt's arms, June thought before she closed her eyes.
The sun already baked down on the earth when Matt and June finally awoke. Resting her head on his shoulder, June traced the outline of his jaw with her finger.
"Matt, you don't need to stay with me. I know you didn't want kids."
"Sweetheart, I must have been crazy when I said that, or confused. Nothing would keep me away from you and the baby."
"Babies."
"Babies?" Matt bolted upright in the bed. "What do you mean, babies?"
June giggled. "There's more than one."
Matt pointed to June's stomach. "In there?"
She nodded and watched the consternation spread over his face. Poor Matt, he didn't know what he was getting into.
"How many more than one?"
She lifted two fingers. "Two."
"Two more than one or two babies?"
"Two more than one."
"Well I'll be damned." He fell back against the pillow. "Three for the price of one." A slow smile spread over his face. "Looks like we did one hell of a job then, didn't we?"
June laughed as Matt turned her on her back and pressed his ear to her stomach. "You critters in there better behave." He got a tiny kick in the ear as reward for his ministrations and he swallowed audibly.
"We'll need a bigger place to stay. Hell, we need to move from the city. There are just too many evils lurking around here."
June burst out laughing and earned herself a stern look. "What?"
"We still have three months to sort that out. Now calm down and hold me."
Matt gathered her in his arms and hugged her tightly. "Have I told you how much I love you today?"
She shook her head."No, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again."
"I love you, June White and I never want to live without you again." He accentuated each word with a kiss.
"I love you too."
********
Three months after the birth of the triplets, Matt's eyes shined when June walked towards him down the aisle. Kevin looked his English courteous self when he handed June to Matt before taking his place as best man. He never saw anything more beautiful than June on that day. The ceremony passed in a blur and all too soon, they handed the triplets to their grandmothers who had become firm friends over the past couple of months. June and Matt departed for a week-long honeymoon, while his mother readied the house on his farm.
Since Matt learned he would be a father of three, he resigned and started construction on his farm in the Free State while June took care of the obtaining the required permits to open a shelter for abused and traumatized children. With eight thousand hectares of farmland, they had ample space to provide for enough housing for social workers, speech and occupational therapists and even a psychiatrist. To his amazement, Matt found that he enjoyed working with his hands and creating a safe environment for the children.
Two years later, Matt frowned as June bolted from the bed straight to the bathroom. With the triplets just over two years old and the twins just more than a year, he thought he knew the symptoms too well.
"Sweetheart, have you been to the doctor yet?"
June poked her head around the bathroom door. "Yes."
"And?"
She held three fingers in the air ... and watched as Matt fainted.
********THE END**********
Thank you to everyone who took Matt and June's journey with me. Thank you for your comments and patience with every chapter. I sincerely hope that I didn't disappoint with the ending.
After switching the kettle on, she straightened the chaos in the lounge and put the television on a news channel. Turning the volume down low, she took the coffee and climbed onto the sofa, tugging her feet under her. A view of her parents' house had her straightening and she turned up the volume.
Shocked, she listened to the reporter's account of the attack on her parents. Her hands shook and she put the mug down on the table, spilling nearly half the contents. How could this be possible? Why hadn't Matt told her? Tears streaked her face and she jumped as a hand pressed down on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out this way, but last night you were in no condition for more bad news." Matt rounded the sofa and pulled June into his arms. Her sobbing increased and he held her tighter.
"It's all right, Sweetheart, your mom will be ok."
"Why did he do it, Matt? Why try to kill them?" She bundled the fabric of his shirt in her fist. For the first time in her life, she understood why people resorted to violence. She could kill Simon herself.
"I don't know what made him hurt the children, but I suspect growing up poor and possibly being abused himself, made him think it was all right to make money from the children."
June shook her head. There was no excuse for what Simon did. She pushed away from Matt and stood. "Why did he have to hurt my parents? I need to get to them...her." The tears spilled over again and June turned away.
Matt shrugged. "Sweetheart, we might never know what drove a man to such extremes. At least it's over now. He's in custody and the children are safe again." He dug his phone from his pocket. "Speaking of which, I need to phone Kevin and find out what's happening with Simon."
June nodded and walked to the bedroom. She pulled an overnight bag from under in the closet and packed a few necessities. With the babies on the way, her clothes didn't fit in any case and she bought only a few items that she could mix and match. The babies...she had to tell Matt about the babies. June stuffed the last items in the bag and left it on the bed.
In the lounge, Matt stared out of the window with a puzzled frown. "What's wrong?"
He turned around and sat down on the windowsill. "I don't know if you can say anything is wrong, I just don't know what to feel at the moment."
June cocked her head to the side, but waited for Matt to continue. He dragged his hand through his hair and inhaled deeply.
"Kevin arranged for Simon to be transported to the Sun City prison in Johannesburg last night. He put Simon in a cell for awaiting trail prisoners with a tape running to try to solicit a confession. "At June's frown he explained.
"According to the director we didn't have enough evidence to convict and Kevin was ordered to release Simon after seventy two hours if we didn't produce better evidence. He wanted to find the children still missing, so he arranged for the other inmates to threaten Simon and hoped he would brag about his conquests in order to save his own skin. We then had the tape as well as the testimony of the inmates."
"Did it work? Did they find the children?"
"Yeah, it worked and they found the children, but when the inmates realized who and what he was they attacked him in any case. The wardens were too late to save him."
"O my word." June sank down into the chair. "So much killing and so many people dying because of one man's greed. Poor Lana."
"I think Lana caught on to his doings - she gave us the anonymous tip that he contacted Aziz in jail. Still, it couldn't have been easy for her with the police swarming all over her home."
"Where did they find the children? Are any of them alive?"
Matt shook his head. "Simon rented a cold storage facility in downtown Hillbrow. After Aziz was arrested, he couldn't risk more bodies being found and he froze the children. Kevin found eighteen more bodies in the storage facility. "
"Eighteen innocent lives he destroyed. I would never understand how any man could do something like that. Simon was not all bad."
Matt sighed. "Nobody is, June. Some people are just unable to control the bad parts lurking inside all of us."
They dropped the subject and Matt loaded June's baggage into the Land Cruiser. An hour later, they were on their way to Johannesburg after June phoned Rachel to arrange for a few days leave. Tired and sore from being confined in the car for more than fourteen hours, June was glad to see the lights of the hospital. Although it wasn't visiting hours, the nurse allowed them through after Matt identified himself.
Mrs. White lay pale against the white hospital linen and June's heart contracted. A large brace adorned her neck, but she was no longer in mortal danger and breathing on her own. June took one of the thin hands in hers. Her mother's eyes fluttered open and she managed a smile.
"We'll be back in the morning, mom. Get some rest." They tiptoed out of the room as Mrs. White's eyes drifted shut again. At June's apartment, they barely had time to shower before sleep claimed them. How wonderful it felt to fall asleep in Matt's arms, June thought before she closed her eyes.
The sun already baked down on the earth when Matt and June finally awoke. Resting her head on his shoulder, June traced the outline of his jaw with her finger.
"Matt, you don't need to stay with me. I know you didn't want kids."
"Sweetheart, I must have been crazy when I said that, or confused. Nothing would keep me away from you and the baby."
"Babies."
"Babies?" Matt bolted upright in the bed. "What do you mean, babies?"
June giggled. "There's more than one."
Matt pointed to June's stomach. "In there?"
She nodded and watched the consternation spread over his face. Poor Matt, he didn't know what he was getting into.
"How many more than one?"
She lifted two fingers. "Two."
"Two more than one or two babies?"
"Two more than one."
"Well I'll be damned." He fell back against the pillow. "Three for the price of one." A slow smile spread over his face. "Looks like we did one hell of a job then, didn't we?"
June laughed as Matt turned her on her back and pressed his ear to her stomach. "You critters in there better behave." He got a tiny kick in the ear as reward for his ministrations and he swallowed audibly.
"We'll need a bigger place to stay. Hell, we need to move from the city. There are just too many evils lurking around here."
June burst out laughing and earned herself a stern look. "What?"
"We still have three months to sort that out. Now calm down and hold me."
Matt gathered her in his arms and hugged her tightly. "Have I told you how much I love you today?"
She shook her head."No, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again."
"I love you, June White and I never want to live without you again." He accentuated each word with a kiss.
"I love you too."
********
Three months after the birth of the triplets, Matt's eyes shined when June walked towards him down the aisle. Kevin looked his English courteous self when he handed June to Matt before taking his place as best man. He never saw anything more beautiful than June on that day. The ceremony passed in a blur and all too soon, they handed the triplets to their grandmothers who had become firm friends over the past couple of months. June and Matt departed for a week-long honeymoon, while his mother readied the house on his farm.
Since Matt learned he would be a father of three, he resigned and started construction on his farm in the Free State while June took care of the obtaining the required permits to open a shelter for abused and traumatized children. With eight thousand hectares of farmland, they had ample space to provide for enough housing for social workers, speech and occupational therapists and even a psychiatrist. To his amazement, Matt found that he enjoyed working with his hands and creating a safe environment for the children.
Two years later, Matt frowned as June bolted from the bed straight to the bathroom. With the triplets just over two years old and the twins just more than a year, he thought he knew the symptoms too well.
"Sweetheart, have you been to the doctor yet?"
June poked her head around the bathroom door. "Yes."
"And?"
She held three fingers in the air ... and watched as Matt fainted.
********THE END**********
Thank you to everyone who took Matt and June's journey with me. Thank you for your comments and patience with every chapter. I sincerely hope that I didn't disappoint with the ending.
Post Comment | View Comments
