CHAPTER 196
SKYLAR'S POV
The Academy Awards ceremony eighteen months later felt surreal in ways I couldn't have imagined when we were fighting for our lives in that Thai jungle. I sat in the Dolby Theatre, wearing a designer gown that concealed enough body armor to stop rifle rounds, watching our documentary "Breaking the Chain" compete for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
"And the Oscar goes to..." The presenter paused for dramatic effect while I felt my heart hammering against my ribs. "Breaking the Chain!"
The applause was thunderous as we made our way to the stage - me, Harry, Jax, and Lucas, along with our director Marcus Chen, who'd spent two years following our foundation's work across four continents. But even as we celebrated, I couldn't shake the awareness of the security teams positioned throughout the venue.
The attack in Thailand had made us international heroes, but it had also made us permanent targets.
"This award belongs to every survivor who found the courage to speak," I said into the microphone, looking out at an audience that included some of the most famous faces in the world. "And to every person working to end modern slavery."
Through the glare of the stage lights, I could see our children in the VIP section - Addison, now fourteen and looking uncomfortable in formal wear, Liam at nine trying to sit still, and six-year-old Elena who was probably the only person in the building actually enjoying the pageantry.
"But I want to use this moment to remind the world that while we celebrate the work that's been done, the fight is far from over," I continued, my voice carrying clearly through the sound system. "According to the latest estimates, there are more people trapped in forced labor today than at any point in human history."
I could see some audience members shifting uncomfortably. This wasn't the light, grateful speech usually delivered at awards ceremonies.
"The documentary you've honored tonight shows you what we've accomplished in the past. What it doesn't show you is what we're planning for the future."
Harry, Jax, and Lucas exchanged glances behind me. We'd discussed this moment extensively, but they still weren't entirely comfortable with using the Academy Awards as a platform for what came next.
"Six months ago, the United Nations granted our foundation unprecedented investigative authority. We now have the legal right to conduct operations across international borders, to coordinate with military forces, and to use whatever methods are necessary to dismantle trafficking networks."
The audience was completely silent now, entertainment industry professionals processing the implications of what I was describing.
"To the criminal organizations watching this broadcast, to the traffickers who think they can hide behind international borders, to anyone who profits from human suffering - we are coming for you."
I paused, letting those words settle across the silent auditorium.
"We have the authority, we have the resources, and we have the commitment to hunt you down wherever you operate. There is nowhere you can run, no government that will protect you, no amount of money that will save you."
Through the venue's security feeds, I could see our protection detail tensing as they monitored for threats. Making declarations like this in public was exactly the kind of provocation that had nearly gotten us killed in Thailand.
"But this isn't just about enforcement. It's about changing the fundamental systems that make trafficking profitable. It's about creating a world where human beings can't be bought and sold like commodities."
I looked directly into the camera that was broadcasting this moment to over thirty million viewers worldwide.
"To the survivors watching tonight, to the families of victims, to everyone who's ever wondered whether justice is possible - we see you, we hear you, and we will not stop fighting until every chain is broken."
The applause that followed was different from the usual Academy Awards response - sustained, emotional, building to something that felt more like a rally than an entertainment industry celebration.
But as we left the stage and made our way toward the media area, my encrypted phone buzzed with a message that made my blood run cold: "Beautiful speech. Looking forward to our reunion. - C"
Claire was still out there, still watching, still planning whatever revenge she'd been orchestrating since Thailand.
"Security sweep completed," our team leader reported through my earpiece. "No immediate threats detected, but we're picking up unusual electronic activity in the surrounding area."
"What kind of activity?"
"Communication jamming equipment, possibly surveillance gear. Someone's monitoring this event with professional-grade equipment."
I found my family in the VIP section, noting how Addison automatically scanned for exit routes while Liam positioned himself where he could see potential approaches. Even six-year-old Elena sat with the kind of alertness that suggested she'd absorbed our family's security consciousness.
"Mama, you looked really serious up there," Elena said as I sat beside her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, sweetheart. Just thinking about work."
"The kind of work where bad people try to hurt you?" Liam asked with matter-of-fact concern.
"Sometimes, yes."
"Are we going to have to move again?" Addison asked quietly, her teenage perceptiveness cutting straight to the heart of our situation.
"I don't know yet. But if we do, we'll face it together. Like always."
Through the venue's sound system, I could hear the ceremony continuing, but my attention was focused on the tactical situation developing around us. Our security team was reporting increased activity from unknown surveillance positions.
"Mrs. Mitchell," our lead agent approached discretely. "We need to discuss extraction options. The electronic interference is escalating."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning someone is preparing to jam our communications, which typically precedes an active threat scenario."
I looked at my family - Harry deep in conversation with other documentary nominees, Jax helping Elena with her dress, Lucas monitoring security feeds on his phone, our children trying to enjoy a night that should have been pure celebration.
"How long do we have?"
"Unknown. Could be minutes, could be hours. But professional surveillance teams don't invest this much resources in passive observation."
My phone buzzed again: "The children look beautiful tonight. It would be such a shame if something happened to them because of your stubborn refusal to accept reality."
Claire wasn't just watching - she was escalating to direct threats against our children.
"We leave now," I said, standing and moving toward my family with the kind of casual urgency that would alert them without panicking the children.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked immediately, reading my body language.
"Claire's here. And she's threatening the kids."
The transformation was instant. Within seconds, all four adults had shifted into protective mode while maintaining the appearance of a family simply deciding to leave early from a long ceremony.
"Uncle Lucas," Addison said quietly, "there are men in suits moving toward the exits who weren't there five minutes ago."
"I see them," he replied, his voice steady but his hand moving toward the concealed weapon I knew he carried even to formal events.
As we began moving toward our secured exit route, I realized that our moment of triumph had become exactly what our enemies had been waiting for - a chance to strike at us when we were exposed and celebrating instead of prepared for war.
The question was whether we'd learned enough from Thailand to survive whatever Claire had planned for us.
Or whether our children would pay the price for our refusal to stay hidden and safe.
But looking at Addison's calm face as she helped coordinate Elena's movement through the crowd, I realized that maybe safety had never been an option for our family.
Maybe the only choice was between fighting on our terms or fighting on theirs.
And that was a choice we'd made long ago.
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