by Shawna Platt
“All of your health records while in the program will be on your profile page. If you ever have any questions, that aren’t answered on here, please feel free to ask.”
“Looks pretty straight forward. I think I can handle it.”
Dr. Westcott smiled. “I’m sure you can.” She directed Kinsey back to the exam table. “Once we determine you’re ovulating, we’ll get you in that day to do the artificial insemination procedure. In the meantime, the blood samples we’ll take today will help match you with a compatible sperm donor. We talked about that during our initial meeting.”
“You can determine ovulation cycles by temperature alone?”
“It’s pretty accurate, yes. We’ve only had a few cases where the procedure didn’t take.”
“What happens if the procedure doesn’t take?”
“The procedure is attempted three times. If those are unsuccessful, the woman is released from the program.”
“I see.” Kinsey relaxed a bit. “Why the need to create soldiers that won’t be able to fight for another eighteen years?”
The question caught Dr. Westcott off guard. “Well, I’m not the one to answer that, I simply do my job.” She smiled again. “You’re a curious one, aren’t you?”
“Knowledge is a good thing.”
She laughed. “Yes, it is. You were a good choice. I’m glad you decided to participate.”
Kinsey thought of her sister. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
Dr. Westcott sent Kinsey to the lab to have her blood drawn. On the way out, she thought of Tessa and had a feeling tonight’s visit was going to be interesting to say the least. Tessa knew something, and Kinsey was determined to find out what it was.
Chapter Eleven
Kinsey returned to her room and starting reading over the pamphlets and packets of information Dr. Westcott had given her. One of the packets was a list of classes that were offered while in the program. She was impressed with the free education the women were provided in the compound. There were classes on nutrition, exercise, over all care during pregnancy, and preparing for childbirth. They took no chances with these women and made sure they had the best the medical profession had to offer.
While the classes weren’t mandatory, they did stress the importance of taking advantage of the education being provided. After all, it was provided at no cost and the women had a lot of free time to kill.
Kinsey looked over the list and decided what classes she’d sign up for. Why not take advantage of free information, especially on nutrition and exercise. Most of these classes focused on these aspects during pregnancy, but she was sure she’d gain some valuable information from them.
She went down to the education office and signed up for a few classes she felt would benefit her at this stage in the program. More would be added as time went on and her pregnancy advanced.
She thought of what Dr. Westcott said about the procedure not working. Maybe she’d get lucky and it wouldn’t take so she could be released from the program. Maybe it would all be over before it started. She’d keep her fingers crossed on that one.
Since she’d already checked out the grounds, she decided to wander around the interior of the living quarters building. She found the cafeteria and decided to try the food. The menu was vast and the food delicious; and like everything else, free. The government obviously spared no expense for the Operation Vala program. Kinsey came to the conclusion that if the program truly stuck to what it appeared to be on the outside, it would be a wonderful opportunity. Unfortunately, her experience with the recruiting end of things left little to be desired. She had a feeling that, for most women, this was not the voluntary program many believed it was.
After eating, she wandered a few more halls she’d never had the chance to explore and came to a set of open stairs that were labeled “Security Offices” and “Nursery”, with an arrow pointing to Floor 2. She definitely wanted to check those out.
When she reached the second floor, she could hear the cries of babies echoing through the hall. She walked toward the sound and came to a huge window in the wall, much like a hospital nursery. She looked inside and saw a room filled with babies, lined up in small beds. There were several nurses attending to the babies. One of the nurses looked up and saw Kinsey at the window. She got a puzzled look on her face and walked out into the hallway.
“Can I help you?”
Kinsey tried to act innocent. “I’m sorry, I’m new to the program and I was just wandering around checking out the building.” She turned to look back through the glass window. “I assume these are the babies born into the program?”
The nurse turned toward the window with a smile. “They sure are.”
Kinsey could tell by her smile she loved taking care of them. “So I understand they stay here in this building until they’re about one year old?”
The nurse gave her a curious look. “I don’t know who’s sharing that information, but, yes, that’s true.” She paused. “Why do you ask?”
“I was just curious how the program works.”
The nurse pulled her eyebrows together. “Oh, I’m sorry to sound evasive, but we usually don’t get questions about the babies once they’re born. Women just leave the compound and move on.”
Kinsey nodded and looked at the babies again. “Like I said, I’m new here and was just curious.”
“When did you arrive?”
“I just got here yesterday.”
“Oh, wow, you are new,” she laughed. “Well, everything here is state of the art. We leave nothing to chance when it comes to the care of the babies. You can rest assured the baby you deliver will have the best of everything.”
Kinsey smiled. “That’s good to know.” She turned to the nurse. “Thank you for your time.”
The nurse extended her hand and Kinsey shook it. “I wish you the best of luck and thank you for participating in the program. You’re doing a wonderful thing for your country.”
Kinsey forced a smile. “Thank you. It was nice meeting you.”
She tried to put the babies out of her mind as she made her way toward the security office. She wanted to see exactly what kind of security this place had.
Unlike the nursery, the security room did not have a large window to look through and see the inner workings; just a door with a sign that read: Security. Authorized Personnel Only. There was a key card reader along the wall, so there was no way she could just barge in and demand to see the security videos from the night before.
Apparently, she was being watched because as she stood there the door opened and a large man loomed over her.
“Can I help you?”
She figured this would be a good time to try and get some information.
“Yes, my name is Kinsey Garrick and I lodged a complaint this morning about someone coming into my room last night.”
He nodded in acknowledgement. “Oh, yes, Dr. Westcott was here this morning checking on that. As I told her, the security cameras on your floor show nothing out of the ordinary. There’s no way someone got into your room last night without us seeing them.”
“Yes, that’s what she told me.” She decided to verify her bug theory. “I was wondering about audio? Can you double check that to make sure you heard nothing as well?”
“We don’t have any audio, there’s no reason for it. We have all we need through the eyes of our cameras.”
“What about the cameras inside the rooms? Can you check those?”
“There are no cameras in the private rooms. We monitor the hallways to make sure the participants remain safe. No need to peek around in their rooms.”
“Hmmm….okay, I guess I’m simply losing my mind. Thank you for your time.”
“No problem. Please, rest assured your safety is our main priority. We take security very serious around here.”
Kinsey smiled. “You guys are here twenty-four hours a day?”
“Yes, twenty-four hours a day.”
“Okay, thank you
again.”
Before he closed the door, Kinsey got a quick glance at the back wall of the room. It was full of monitors showing various areas of the living quarters compound, inside and out. She heard no audio of what was taking place on the screens and none of the security personnel she saw were wearing headphones that would indicate listening in on various activities.
She walked away running things through her head. No audio and no cameras were in the rooms. There was visual only in the main areas of the compound, including the hallways and park areas.
She realized if it was Hakon that made his way into her room last night, he would probably know how to do it without alerting security. She had a feeling Hakon could do whatever he wanted and no one would know or even suspect him, and there was nothing she could do about it. If she tried, she’d be putting her family at risk, and that was something she wasn’t willing to do. She had to ride this out, take it one step at a time, and do what she had to do to keep her loved ones safe.
She spent the afternoon in the park with the swimming pool. During her morning wanderings, she found, to her delight, a fully stocked library. She found a few books to check out and sat in the park reading. She had to admit it was relaxing, but she didn’t have to remind herself why she was there, or of her sister who was currently breathing through a tube. She’d call her mom tonight before Tessa’s visit and check in. She also had to check in with Sheila.
She lost track of time reading and early evening crept in. She went back to her room to call her mom. She sounded upbeat when she answered the phone.
“Hello, sweetheart! How are you doing?”
Kinsey loved hearing the happy tone in her voice. “I’m doing well, Mom. How are things going there?”
“Just wonderful. We got fantastic news today. Brianna’s lung is healing well, quite fast actually.”
Kinsey’s heart leaped. “Wow! That is fantastic news! I’m so happy to hear that.”
“Yes, we are, too. So everything is comfortable on your end? You getting settled?”
“Yep. This place is amazing and I’m going to learn a lot here. They have some interesting classes I’ll be taking.”
“That’s wonderful, honey.” Kinsey heard a pause as her mom shifted her attention to someone in the room. She returned to Kinsey. “I’m sorry to cut you off, sweetie, but Brianna’s doctor just came in and wants to discuss something with us. Can you call again tomorrow?”
“No problem. I have a meeting to prepare for anyway.” It wasn’t a complete lie. “I’ll touch base by the end of the week so I can check on Brianna, okay?”
“That sounds good. I’ll talk to you then. Your dad sends his love.”
“Tell him I love him, too.”
“Enjoy your meeting. I love you.”
“Thank you, I will. I love you, too, Mom.”
Kinsey disconnected the call and breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, Brianna would be free of the breathing tube soon.
She was about to walk out on the patio when a buzzer went off at her front door. She looked through the peephole and saw Tessa. She opened the door and greeted her with a smile. Tonight she would do some digging and hoped Tessa was willing to share her experience and what she knew about Operation Vala and Hakon.
Chapter Twelve
Kinsey and Tessa sat at the table out on the patio, enjoying some small talk, and watched a handful of women enjoy the park area. The table was set with a healthy dinner and drinks from Kinsey’s kitchen. After an appropriate amount of time had passed, Kinsey turned to Tessa.
“So, tell me, what do you think of this program?”
Tessa swallowed her mouthful of drink and smirked. “Hmmm…that’s a loaded question and I’m not sure how to answer it.”
Kinsey gave her a look. “How about an honest response.” She paused. “You can trust me, Tessa. I think you and I have a lot in common here.”
Tessa looked confused on how to respond, so Kinsey redirected the question. “Okay, why don’t you tell me about you and your life outside the program?”
Tessa smiled. “That’s a good place to start.” She grabbed a handful of pita chips and nibbled on one. “Well, you know my name is Tessa Sloane. I’m twenty-four years old and live in Texas on my family’s farm.”
“You live on a farm?”
Tessa laughed. “I do. Mainly horses. I’m currently in vet school, so I’m still living with my parents. They’re helping me until I finish school.”
“That’s great. You must like horses to live on a horse farm?”
“I love them. Actually, I love all animals, but horses are my favorite. When I was sixteen one of our horses died; it was then I decided to become a vet and hopefully be able to save the lives of animals.”
“I’m sorry about your horse. That must have been hard.”
“It was, but it was also a turning point for me. It helped me decide what direction to take in my life.”
“So, how were you chosen for the program? Did you just get a letter in the mail?”
Tessa shook her head. “I wish it was that easy, but no.”
Kinsey nodded. “I didn’t think so.”
“Did you just…get a letter in the mail?”
Kinsey laughed. “No.”
“I didn’t think so, either.” Tessa paused and took a sip of her drink. “I saw the way Hakon looked at you during the welcome meeting. I didn’t like it.”
“To be honest, neither did I. There’s more than meets the eye with that man.”
Tessa shot her a look. “You have no idea, Kinsey. He hasn’t bothered you since then has he?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, have you experienced anything out of the ordinary since that night?”
Kinsey thought of her nightly intruder and decided to trust Tessa. If she wanted Tessa to trust her with information, she’d have to do the same. “Yes, actually I have.”
Tessa’s eyes came alive and she leaned forward. “What happened?”
“The first night I was here, someone came into my room and stood over me while I was sleeping.”
“Did they do anything to you? I mean, physically?”
“No, just stood there, but when they left…” Kinsey paused.
“When they left…what? You can tell me, Kinsey.”
“Okay, hold on. I have something to show you.” Kinsey went inside and returned with the photo of her sister. She handed it to Tessa. “This was left on my nightstand.”
Tessa took the picture and studied it. A look of horror shadowed across her face. She looked up at Kinsey. “Who is this?”
“My sister.”
Tessa’s eyes widened. “Your sister?” She looked back down at the photo. “What happened to her?”
Kinsey leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. “This was my warning. More to come if I didn’t participate in the program.”
Tessa became angry and put the photo on the table. “You, too, huh?”
“Yeah, I had a feeling you were here against your will.”
“I believe most of us are. You can see it in the eyes of the women here. It’s not voluntary. Although, some are here truly for the money and didn’t fight the process.”
“That was my feeling, too. I was threatened that my parents would be next if I didn’t get on a plane Monday morning.”
“No one got hurt on my end, but the threat was there. I was sent pictures of my parents and little brother out enjoying their daily lives.” Tessa paused. “The threat was there, if you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Since you trusted me with this,” she pointed to the photo, “I’ll trust you with something.”
“Please. I want to know everything I can about this place.”
Tessa adjusted in her seat and blew out a breath. “The night before I was suppose to have my procedure done, Hakon paid me a visit as well.”
“You think it was Hakon that came into my room?”
“Who else would leave
you a photo like that, Kinsey? Hakon is behind all of this. He’s in charge of this compound.”
Kinsey felt a shiver run down her spine. She never thought of Hakon being her intruder, just one of his minions.
“Is he always here? On the compound, I mean?”
Tessa nodded. “Not in our living quarters, but his main office is here, yes. This is his domain and his word is final.”
“Does he live here?”
“Are you kidding? He has an estate a few miles away, but this is where he works.”
“Okay. So, Hakon paid you a visit?”
Tessa leaned against the chair, stretching her back. “Yes, he did, but I wasn’t left with a picture on my nightstand.” Tessa gave her a look.
Kinsey tried to process the look on Tessa’s face and suddenly understood. “No! Tessa, he didn’t?” She leaned forward and whispered. “Did he rape you?”
Tessa simply nodded. The details of her attack that night started coming back, but she pushed them aside.
“Holy shit, Tess!” Kinsey sat back, knowing there was nothing Tessa could have done. “What did he threaten you with?”
“You name it. My parents, my brother, my future as a vet.” She leaned forward and whispered again. “He has the power to take away so much, Kinsey, and he knows it. There’s nothing we can do.”
“There has to be a way to stop him.”
Tessa laughed. “I hope with everything in me you’re right, but I don’t see it happening anytime soon.”
A thought occurred to Kinsey. “You said he raped you the night before your procedure.”
Tessa nodded.
“How do you know he’s not the father? What if your pregnancy isn’t the result of the procedure?”
“Don’t think I haven’t already considered it.”
“God, Tessa, I’m so sorry! How are you dealing with that?”
“The best I can. What choice do I have?”
“It’s scary to think he may pay me another visit. I don’t think he’s too happy with me and the fight I put up before entering the program.”
“Well, you’re here now, maybe he’ll accept that and not bother you anymore. I’m thinking if he was going to do something, he would have done it then.”