Reformation Ch. 13

"Owen met her when he was staying at Heather's. She was the one who brought Cat and I to Heather's so we could bring him home," Taryn replied as she walked towards Owen.

"I visited her at her Christian Book Store, but we got into an argument because she told me that she had rededicated herself to God and her husband. The last thing I told her was that if she needed a friend to call me. The last thing she said was that she would have to be pretty desperate to call me," Owen said in a stunned tone of voice, almost in disbelief from hearing the voice from the past.

"Well, she called and it sounds like she needs help," Rosina said as she kneeled before Owen and held his hand.

"I'll go see her tomorrow and see what's up," Owen said in a calm yet shocked tone of voice.

"Master, perhaps I should go instead," Taryn said in a sensible sounding tone of voice, Owen turned to look at Taryn before she continued. "Clearly she's upset and it may be a little much for her to see you in front of her husband. I'll go there during the day and invite her back here for dinner, where she can tell you what is going on in private," Taryn calmly added.

"She called me, she wants my help, I have to go," Owen replied in a stern tone of voice.

"Master, we are a family and what happens to one of us happens to all of us . . . I really think it's best if I go. She knows me and she may tell me what is bothering her . . . one woman to another," Taryn said with an understanding tone of voice.

"She has a point, Master," Karen added in a supportive and soothing tone of voice.

"Okay, Red. If you want to, go ahead," Owen replied with a sad look in his eye.

It wasn't until the early afternoon the next day before Taryn had a chance to get away from the Spa. Karen was as eager as Taryn to find out what the problem with Rebecca was and even suggested they close the Spa and go together. Reason won out in the end and shortly after one thirty Taryn walked into the Christian Book Store that Owen had told her about. Upon taking one look at the young brunette teenager standing at the counter Taryn stopped in her tracks and almost turned around and walked out.

With one glance around the store, Taryn only saw a man in the far corner, which Taryn assumed was Harold, Rebecca's husband. Cautiously Taryn walked up to the counter to ask to speak to Rebecca, thinking she might be in the back room or on an errand, or even home sick.

"Hello, can I speak to Rebecca?" Taryn politely asked the brunette at the counter.

"Who?" the brunette replied with a puzzled expression.

"Rebecca Moore, she runs this store with her husband," Taryn asserted a little stronger.

"Oh her! She doesn't work here anymore! She and Harold split up, months ago," the brunette replied casually.

"What! Why? Where did she go?" Taryn asked in shock yet stern tone of voice.

"I don't know. That was before I started working here," the brunette said with a shrug of her shoulders and a slightly fearful tone of voice.

By this point Harold had heard the raised voices and walked up to the counter to help smooth things over.

"Hello, my name is Harold Moore, the owner. How can I help you?" Harold asked with a calming and pleasant tone of voice.

"Yes, you can tell me where I can find, Rebecca," Taryn asked just as pleasantly.

Upon hearing Rebecca's name mentioned, Harold's face turned red and his demeanour changed to one of anger as he glared at Taryn.

"I don't know anyone by that name!" Harold said as he tuned and briskly walked away from Taryn.

"Rebecca! The woman you were married to! You started and ran this store with her! Surely you must know where I can find her!" Taryn insisted as she started to follow after Harold.

"We parted ways four months ago and I haven't heard from her since! Now if that is all you came in for, why don't you leave!" Harold barked as he turned on the spot and glared at Taryn.

"Look, all I want is to get in touch with her. She is the mother of your children, surely you must still have some contact with her?" Taryn asked incredulously.

"I WILL NOT DISCUSS THAT ADULTEROUS SLUT OR HER BASTARD CHILD WITH YOU OR ANYONE, NOW GET OUT!" Harold shouted. His demeanour turned the angriest yet and he started to slowly walk towards Taryn while never keeping his intense gaze fixed on her hers.

"Ch. . ." Taryn started to speak, but wisely fell silent, turned and walked out of the store.

Later that night, after dinner Taryn told the whole family what happened and everyone was equally stunned. Owen more than any, for the guilt weighed heavily on him, he felt the cold ghost of his father casting his shadow on the room. Once again Owen felt like he was failing someone under his charge, and this he would not allow to happen again.

"Child? She has a child? Your child?" Rosina's dumbfounded words broke the silence.

"I don't mean to sound like the heartless bitch, but are we even sure the child is yours?" Veronica asked with a curious tone of voice.

"What?" Owen snapped as he glared at Veronica, his expression demanding an explanation.

"We've been to Heather's a few times now and after seeing what goes on there, how can you be sure her child is yours?" Veronica asked with a slightly fearful tone of voice.

"Because Heather has a strict policy of the use of condoms," Owen said with his head hung low. "I was the only one to not use them with her. The first time happened in the heat of the moment and after that I used condoms. She told me later, that was the only time anyone, other than her husband, she had been with had never used condoms. If she is pregnant, it has to be mine," Owen added in a regrettable manner. "She needs my help, I have to find her," he added in a serious and resolute manner.

"You mean OUR help, don't you?" Taryn replied just as confidently as she put her hand on Owen's knee.

"This is something I have to do," Owen said with determination as he looked back into Taryn's eyes.

"That may be, but let us help you, don't shut us out!" Karen urged as she moved closer to Owen and held his hand. "In this family, we look out for each other and handle problems together . . . remember?" Karen said with a knowing tone of voice and a raised eyebrow.

"But . . ." Owen started to protest but he fell silent as the expectant looks on each of the women's faces told him that they remembered Owen's own words. "Fine, anyone have any ideas how we can find Mouse?" Owen added with a sigh and smile as he looked around the room at the women who loved him.

"He has to know where she is," Veronica said confidently.

"I agree with you there but it is also clear that he does not want to have anything to do with her, he almost got violent when I asked him about her in his store!" Taryn replied with equal force.

"You just have to know how to talk to people . . . when and where to talk to people," Veronica added with a knowing smile as she glanced around her.

"What do you mean?" Karen asked curiously.

"To get the best results, you have to know what motivates people. For instance, what I know of Harold is that appearances are important to him. From what you've told me of him he seems to be the kind of guy who wants everyone to see how good a Christian he is," Veronica said and paused as she looked around her to see if anyone else caught on to what she was suggesting.

"Okay," Taryn shrugged with a non-understanding tone of voice.

"What do you think would happen if people in his church found out the truth about Rebecca?" Veronica asked with a slightly evil grin on her face.

"WE'RE NOT GOING TO DESTROY REBECCA'S NAME!" Owen shouted indignantly.

"NO! WE'RE NOT!" Veronica retorted and paused to calm down. "But, he may be more . . . controllable at church," she added with a grin and a giggle. One by one, everyone in the room nodded and smiled in an understanding and approving manner and silently the decision was made.

* * *

Harold walked down the sidewalk with his three young children with him and smiled to his friends and fellow church members as he approached the large doors of the stoic church. It was a brisk Sunday morning yet his spirits always lifted when he was at church and he felt energized from each service. No matter how hard his week, church would make those problems disappear, for a short time at least. Looking around the foyer of the church Harold smiled and to more people he recognized and nodded now and again to close friends.

When his eyes fell on her, the smile left his face and a chill ran down his spine. Harold turned away but not quick enough not to see the woman who came to the store and asked him about Rebecca, smile and wave at him. As he quickly strode off in another direction, wanting to get away from her, his mind raced as he tried to remember if he had seen her at church before. Was she a friend Rebecca knew through the church that he didn't know about? Try as he might, Harold couldn't remember ever seeing her at church, so that meant that either she was someone new to the church and was a gossip or she had come today, just to talk to him. Neither was a pleasant thought and Harold just wanted her to go and leave him alone, praying that God would make her leave.

All through the service he glanced over at her now and again and found that more often than not she was looking in his direction. This unnerved him and made him unable to focus on the sermon that he was trying to lose himself in. With mixed feelings he let his children be led down to Sunday school, as he no longer had the buffer of his children. Now Harold felt alone and defenceless and he grew ever more nervous the longer the service wore on. When the service finished Harold got up and made his way out of the sanctuary as quickly as he could and just wanted to get his children and get out of the church as soon as he could.

Harold was so focused on getting to his children that he blocked everything else out of his mind. He didn't see his friends trying to talk to him or others trying to get his attention. All he saw was closest stairs leading downstairs and made a beeline for the safety of the basement. With one last glance behind him he saw the woman a fair distance away he opened the door to the stairs and went inside. Coming up the stairs were two women who appeared to be in their early twenties, one slender blonde and a black haired Italian. Harold smiled at them as the walked up the stairs towards him, walking beside each other, blocking the stairs. When Harold met the women on the stairs he expected one of them to move to let him by but they didn't, they just stood there, smiling at him and wouldn't let him pass. Harold was about to complain and demand that they move when the door opened up behind him and in walked the woman he was trying to avoid, but she was not alone. She was accompanied by another woman, a middle aged Italian woman who bore a striking similarity to the other Italian woman. These two walked down the stairs behind him side by side as well, now Harold was trapped.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Harold snapped at the woman who had spoken to him at the store.

"My name is Taryn and I just want to know where Rebecca is," Taryn replied in a calm and soothing tone of voice, trying to put Harold at ease.

"I told you, she left! I have nothing more to do with her!" Harold growled in an uncomfortable and agitated tone of voice.

"We know you're lying! We know you know where she is! Tell us!" The younger Italian woman spoke up from behind Harold and he spun on his heels to face her.

"She is no longer the woman I married, I want nothing more to do with her, why won't you people just leave me alone!" Harold said in an agitated manner as he rushed to push past Taryn and get out of the stairs, thinking only of escape.

Harold expected Taryn and the other woman to part and let him by, he was not expecting the stiff resistance that they gave him. Both women pushed hard back against Harold and before he realized it he was slammed up against the wall and all four women were keeping him immobilized. When his trousers were unzipped Harold started to sputter in protest. When he felt a feminine hand grasping his balls it took only one squeeze to make him fall silent.

"Now that I have your attention, I will ask you this one more time! Where is Rebecca?" The young Italian woman asked as she brought her face close to his and glared at him with fiery determination.

"I . . . I don't know," Harold sputtered a fearful and unconvincing reply.

A quick squeeze of his balls reminded him of the price of that denial and Harold cried out in pain. Harold was still trying to avoid answering the question for a few selfish reasons. For one he didn't like anyone demanding anything of him. For another he really did want nothing more to do with Rebecca and hoped the earth would open up and swallow her up, making her disappear forever. Finally, he wanted to make sure that Rebecca was alone in the world with nobody to help her, he wanted his ex-wife to suffer as much as possible, he just didn't want to do it directly.

Just then the door to the stairs opened up and Harold was at once relieved and panicked. He wanted someone to rescue him from this situation but he also didn't want to be found with a woman holding his balls hostage. The young man glared at Harold with anger as he walked towards him.

"Help me! Get me out of here!" Harold asked the young man in a desperate tone of voice.

"My name is Owen, and I will help you out just as soon as you tell me where I can find Rebecca," Owen said, his eyes glaring at him with a steely determination.

"Why do you want to know? Why do you care what happens to her?" Harold sputtered in fearful reply.

"Where is Rebecca, and where is my child?" Owen said calmly, glaring intently at Harold.

"YOUR child? That's your little BASTARD!" Harold spat with vehement hatred and as soon as the final word left Harold's mouth did his balls scream in pain, his knees buckled and he cried like a schoolgirl.

"I am loosing my patience! WHERE IS MY MOUSE!" Owen roared as he leaned in and Veronica squeezed Harold's balls once again.

Owen was about to scream again when Taryn put her hand on Owen's shoulder and softly pulled Owen slightly to the side. As Taryn moved to stand in front of Harold there was a calming mood that gripped the group.

"All we want is to know is where we can find Rebecca. Just tell us and we will disappear. I understand that you want to continue on with your life and not think of her again. We're not asking you to see her again, but I think you will agree that Owen has an obligation to her and to the child that she carries. Just let us know where we can find her, so he can do the right thing by her." Taryn said in a low tone of voice as she slowly walked towards Harold and looked at him with a calm and sincere look in her eye.

"St Majella's," Harold said after a long pause. "It's way out in the country. There's a brochure in the foyer," Harold added in a calm and defeated tone of voice.

"Thank you," Taryn said calmly as she smiled warmly at Harold.

At that Owen nodded to the women and at once they let Harold go as they backed away from him. Harold said nothing but watched as one by one the man and the four women left the stairs. When the door closed behind the last of them Harold breathed a sigh of relief and finally fear gripped him and he started to shake.