To Everything There Is A Season

~ A Report~

            Owen caught Sang as she crumpled to the floor. Of all the possible reactions she could have to the revelations he'd given her this was the last one he thought she'd have. Maybe the way he'd done it was wrong or too abrupt, but it was too late now. He would just have to live with the consequences.

"Sean! Sean! Help!" Owen yelled down the hall, his arms full of a crumpled Sang. She looked like a marionette that has had its strings cut. Sang was usually so full of life and to see her this still scared him.

Sean entered the room in a rush, "Owen! What happened?" Even as he was asking the questions Sean was checking Sang's pulse. Her vitals were fine from everything he could see, she had just fainted. Already she was starting to come around.

"We were talking, and she showed me Jed's public office. In exchange I brought her back here. I can't keep this from her especially with everything else we can't tell her yet. There is no way she was involved in her husband's plans. You haven't seen this room yet and I think you should before we talk. I want to go put Sang down and then we can talk. You can check on her again once we're done."

Sean took a deep breath and nodded, "Fine. I'll look around then join you and the others in the sitting room for a family meeting. Once we're done, I want to check her over again."

"Thank you, I'll leave you to look around. I'll have one of the others sit with her." Owen said as he left the room his arms full of the woman who was quickly finding her place with all of them.

Sean looked at the modern office set up. The flashy desk with its new computer, the ergonomically correct chair in black leather, and the tall filing cabinets that took up most of the north and east facing walls. The south wall was completely covered in bookshelves, only the wall slanted oddly. Sean walked to the bookshelves and pushed the hidden door open. Like the others before him he took in the filthy hidden bedroom, the weapons closet and finally the shrine to the tiny woman who was rapidly coming to own his heart.

Horror rushed through his body. Sean knew that Jed was an awful person and from Sang's reactions to raised voices and perceived wrong doings, an even worse husband. This was so much more than just an angry man taking it out on the defenseless; this was stalking. Jed had been obsessed with Sang. If the pictures were any indication Jed had been watching Sang for nearly a decade. Looking at the shrine made Sean sick. This was the type of obsession that killed people.

Sean walked up to the table and looked at the papers scattered across the top and the melted candles that surrounded the table surface and floor. Picking up one of the papers he saw that it was an end of camp report on Sang's progress during camp. The one he held was from the summer she was fourteen. Even that young it was apparent that the supervisors at the camp had their eyes on her as a young girl to watch. The report talked of how helpful and obedient she was. There was also a note at the bottom that mentioned her willingness to help her peers and the matrons with the younger women. Sean's hands shook, fury coiled in his gut. All the written testimony pointed to a young woman who deserved a husband who adored her and wanted a life partner. Instead she got an abusive, manipulative stalker.

Unable to take the horror any longer Sean left the neglected room for the office. The difference between the office and the rest of the house was even more apparent on a second inspection. The areas that Sang was allowed were rustic but well tended, this room was modern but neglected. The chances of locating the information they were sent to find was fairly good after finding this room. They would need to report back to base sooner than expected with this discovery. When they had been given this mission the idea of a quick fact-finding trip was a dream come true. They had prepared for a long mission, hoped for a short one and professed their willingness to obey. Now the thought of leaving Sang behind at the end of this mission felt wrong.

Sean let the office and closed the door behind him. Returning to the sitting room he found that Owen had returned, and Victor was missing.

"Victor is sitting with Miss. Sang. After his experiences with Muriel I felt he was the best one to help her with the initial shock. We need to talk as a family, I will fill Victor in afterwards." Owen informed the group.

"Vic and I spent the day in the office space. We agreed that the hidden room was to be left for now. We started by cleaning the room. Vic wanted to avoid getting anymore dust in the computer. I went through the first drawer of the file cabinet this afternoon. I found some information the Academy might be interested in, but I want to wait until I finish going through the files and summarizing the information in there. Vic was able to get the computer booted up, but it is password protected and he said he would need to either retrieve his tools or attempt to brute force his way in. We want a bit more time in there before Vic attempts either of those options. Jed may have been sloppy and written the password down somewhere." Kota filled them in on what they had found in the office.

Gabriel was the next to speak, "I spent the day assisting Sang with her chores. All the beds have been changed, the rooms are spotless and aired out, and we all have clean underwear and socks. The more time I spend with her the more I hate her family and fucking Jed! She showed me her wedding dress, that she has never worn. She made it completely from scratch over four years. She made a passing comment about maybe emptying Jed's closet and re-purposing his clothing. The entire time we were together she never confirmed abuse but what she did say tells me at the very least he was controlling. The office she knew about was the one over there," Gabriel motioned towards the closed library door, "if you look, it is set up that his area is in direct line of sight with the area Sang was allowed to use. She also told me why her workroom is in the attic and it is because of Jed. The house is undecorated for the same reason. According to her he always explained his reasons by saying his mother did things a certain way. Only issue with that was Sang knew his mother and knew that what he was saying was bullshit."

"Thank you, Gabriel, a very colourful report from you as usual. Luke you were on kitchen duty today anything of interest?" Owen continued the days debrief.

"Not really. I'm in awe of the amount of knowledge Sang carries around in her head. She walked me through making cheddar today. It won't look like the cheese we are used to as there isn't added dye, but it should taste fairly close. We are starting to run low on meat. I know Sang planned to kill a few of the animals soon. We may want to move that timeline up a bit." Luke concluded.

"Very well. I will discuss that with her in the morning. You still have to finish the cheese before bed correct." Owen asked, Luke nodded knowing he would be heading to bed a bit late that night.

"The threshing machine is ancient but in good shape. I have it cleaned and oiled. I fired up the boiler on the tractor and it is in working order. We are ready to thresh the grain crops tomorrow. I want to ask Sang where she wants us to work, but that can wait for morning. I'm on breakfast duty in the morning before I spend the rest of it pampering the machine." North told the group.

Silas started on his and Nathan's day before Owen could say anything, "We finished the fences and then helped North this afternoon. We also found the hay field, so it looks like animal feed is set for winter. She has a couple fields worth of grains drying out there. We only helped with the closest of the four. The cotton will need to be tended again soon; the weeds are starting to poke their heads up again. We also did the evening chores. Nathan showed me how to milk the cows and goats and we did it...slowly. The animals have also all been fed."

"Thank you, Silas. Sean and I spent most of the day in the garden and greenhouse. We also found a large shipping container out behind a few of the outbuildings. It was full of wholesale bulk baking supplies. There is enough salt, pepper, baking powder and baking soda in there to last decades. There was more in there, but we couldn't see what else. I also talked with Gabriel about his discovery of the office and touched base with Kota and Victor throughout the day. I hate speaking ill of the dead but I'm glad that Jed is no longer around." Owen informed the group, "Sean did you have anything else to add?"

"I looked at the shrine in the secret room and I agree with Owen. That is the level of obsession that is usually seen in homicidal stalker cases. I think the reason that Sang experienced abuse here was that on paper and from a distance she is perfect, in person she is human. I still think she is perfect and would marry her in a heartbeat when she's ready." Sean's eye got dreamy.

"Enough Doctor Heatbreaker. Sean is going to check on Miss. Sang as soon as we are done here. Luke is exempted from curfew tonight to handle the last of his cheese making. The rest of you are excused until curfew. Try not to get into trouble." Owen dismissed the men.