Her Only Son

by Shawna Platt

  “What the hell’s going on?”

  “Hakon’s ordered you to be locked up.”

  “Under what grounds?”

  “He feels you’re a threat to the program and had a hand in Kinsey Garrick’s escape. You can’t be trusted.”

  They lead him out into the hallway as Dr. Westcott was coming out of a treatment room.

  “Brice, what’s going on?”

  “I’m being locked up and removed from the program. They feel I had a hand in Kinsey’s escape.”

  She placed a hand over her mouth and muttered, “But….”

  He glared at her and shook his head as he walked by. The guards lead him out of the clinic and into a military vehicle.

  Sorina watched from the front window as Brice was loaded and the vehicle drove away. She rushed to her office and called her dad.

  An hour later, Brice sat in the military cell. He knew Keith would be able to track him once he realized Brice wasn’t where he was suppose to be, but this put the plan in serious jeopardy. Keith couldn’t do this alone; he couldn’t fight this fight and keep Kinsey safe at the same time. He had to find a way to get out of this cell.

  He heard footsteps coming down the hall and moments later, saw his dad walk up to the bars of his cell.

  “Well, well, look what we have here. You really didn’t think I wouldn’t be keeping tabs on you now, did you?”

  Brice looked at him, but didn’t speak.

  Hakon ordered the guard to open the cell. Once inside he walked to where his son sat and struck him against the side of the head. The blow caused Brice to hit the concrete wall and his head went fuzzy.

  Hakon walked over and grabbed a handful of Brice’s hair, jerking him up so they were face to face.

  “You really don’t think you’re going to get away with this, do you?”

  “I didn’t do anything. You’re the monster.”

  Hakon laughed and slammed Brice’s head against the wall. “You’re a joke; a joke as a son and a doctor. Just like your worthless mother.”

  The guard looked at Hakon and narrowed his eyes.

  Brice’s head was throbbing and he reached up to feel blood running down the side of his face. He looked up to see his father pacing the cell.

  “But I took care of her and I’ll take care of you, too.” He turned toward Brice. “Kinsey Garrick has been captured and is on her way back to the compound, but this time, you won’t be able to help her. I’ll make sure of that.”

  Hakon pulled out a gun and pointed it at Brice. Instinctively, Brice reached for the gun he had hidden, but remembered it was taken by the guards. They took his cell phone as well.

  The guard took a step toward the cell bars.

  The plan was going south quickly and he had no way to inform Keith. When he arrived with Kinsey, they’d be walking into a trap. Once Hakon realized the baby wasn’t with her, who knows what he’d do, and Keith wouldn’t be able to handle it alone. He was starting to realize, even with the two of them, the plan was set to fail. This compound was crawling with military guards. There was no way they could take them all out. He lowered his head to the bench.

  Hakon walked to Brice, still holding the gun on him. He lowered it to his temple and told Brice to raise his head. When Brice refused to cooperate, Hakon’s temper flaired.

  “Raise your head, you coward!”

  Brice slowly lifted his head and stared into the eyes of his father. “Are you seriously going to shoot your own son?”

  “I’ll do whatever I have to do to make sure you don’t ruin my plans. No one will take away what I’ve worked my whole life to achieve.”

  “What is it you feel you’ve achieved?”

  “Power. Respect….”

  Brice couldn’t help but laugh. “Respect? You think you have people’s respect? I have a news flash for you, Dad, no one respects you.”

  “Fear is a form of respect, Son. It’s too bad you never learned that.”

  “If that’s what it takes to have respect, I’ll do without it.”

  “That’s what makes you weak. You’re soft, Brice, just like your mom.”

  Brice lowered his head again. If Hakon was going to shoot him, there was nothing he could do about it. He thought about Kinsey and hoped Keith would be able to keep her safe and get her back to Ryker. He obviously wouldn’t be able to hold up his end of the deal. He should have remained hidden until Keith arrived with Kinsey.

  He heard Hakon’s cell phone ring and felt the gun lower from his temple. The message he received on the other end obviously made him happy. He disconnected the call and raised the gun again.

  “Looks like your beloved Kinsey is about to be delivered.” He lowered the gun. “I think I’ll wait until she arrives to kill you. I’ll make sure and bring her here so you can say goodbye.” His laugh was pure evil as he added, “Maybe I’ll kill you both together. I’ll just have to decide which one gets to see the other die first.”

  Hakon turned to walk out of the cell. Brice felt his blood boil and he launched off the bench and tackled his dad from behind. Hakon fell hard against the cell bars and tried to free himself from Brice’s grip. The gun slid across the cell floor. Brice held firm and took his dad to the ground. Hakon called for help from the security guard, who stood nearby, watching.

  The guard smiled and slowly walked to the bars. He took his time unlocking the cell, as it appeared Brice had the advantage at the moment.

  Hakon snarled at the guard while Brice held him in a tight headlock. “Get your ass in here and control this prisoner!”

  The guard walked over and pulled Brice off Hakon. It took some effort to get Brice back to the bench, and a couple times, the guard almost let him go, just for fun.

  Hakon pulled himself up on the bars and wiped blood from his mouth. He walked over to the bench and pushed the guard aside. The guard held his ground.

  “I wouldn’t do that, Sir. The prisoner is secure and no longer a threat. Maybe it’s time you leave.”

  Hakon couldn’t believe his ears. “You giving me orders, young man?”

  “No, Sir, just a suggestion.”

  Hakon looked at Brice, who was seated on the bench, his breathing heavy and a hint of threat still in his eyes.

  “I’ll be back for you, Son, and I’ll bring your little girlfriend with me. We’ll see how tough you are when I’m holding a gun to her head.”

  He took a step closer and hit Brice in the temple with the barrel of his gun. Brice’s world went black and he fell against the bench.

  “That should hold him for a while.”

  He turned and walked out of the cell, while the guard did what he could to help Brice.

  Keith stopped short of the compound and activated Brice’s tracker on his phone. He could see the blip on the screen, but Brice wasn’t in the clinic. His blip indicated he was in the military hold facility.

  “Hmmmm…”

  Kinsey voiced her concern. “What’s wrong?”

  “Not sure. It could be nothing, but Brice isn’t where he’s suppose to be right now.”

  “Where is he?”

  Keith didn’t want to concern her. “Let me get you inside to a secure location and I’ll go check it out.”

  He pulled the car into the compound and stopped at the front gate. He talked to the guard on duty.

  “Keith Anderson, bringing in Kinsey Garrick.”

  The guard leaned forward and looked at Kinsey. She sat in the passenger seat holding, what looked like, a baby fully wrapped in a blanket.

  The guard immediately opened the gate and let them enter. Once they were through the gate, Kinsey spoke.

  “We need to check on Brice.”

  “We will do no such thing. I’ll check on Brice if he isn’t where he’s suppose to be when we get there.”

  He checked his phone again, but Brice’s blip hadn’t moved and Keith had a bad feeling.

  He drove to the main offices where he knew Hakon would be waiting for him. His mind raced as he tri
ed to figure out how to keep Kinsey hidden until he found Brice. Once in Hakon’s office, he would know the baby wasn’t with them.

  He turned the car around and headed back toward the clinic. “Change of plans.”

  “What? Why?”

  He shot her a glance. “Instinct. I’m taking you to the clinic. Then I’ll go to Hakon’s office and inform him the baby has been returned to the nursery and you’ve been taken into custody.”

  “Something happened to Brice, huh?”

  “I’m not sure, Kinsey, but I can’t take any chances. My main concern right now is your safety.”

  He pulled up to the front door of the clinic and told her to go inside.

  “Find Dr. Westcott and try to remain hidden. The security cameras will see you enter. That’s okay, because I want Hakon to think you’re returning the baby to the nursery.”

  When she hesitated, he raised his voice. “Now, Kinsey! Do not question me!”

  Kinsey opened the car door and walked into the clinic. She rushed past the receptionist and straight to Dr. Westcott’s office.

  Keith pulled away and drove to the military hold facility. He had to get to Brice and hoped he wasn’t already too late.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Kinsey rushed into Dr. Westcott’s office, hoping she’d be there. She felt a rush of relief when she found her sitting at her desk. She pushed the door shut behind her and stood, breathing heavily.

  Dr. Westcott jumped up and rushed to her. “What are you doing here?” She took the bundle of blankets from Kinsey and found it empty. “Where’s Ryker?”

  Kinsey explained what was happening and a look of fear came over Dr. Westcott’s face.

  “We have to find a place for you to hide. I can’t believe they brought you back here.” She paced her office for a moment. “This was a bad idea.”

  She tossed the blankets aside and grabbed Kinsey’s arm. “There’s a small supply closet in the nursery. I’ll take you there.”

  Kinsey grabbed the blankets Sorina had tossed in a pile on the chair. “It’s supposed to look like I’m returning the baby to the nursery. If we’re going there, maybe I should take these with me.”

  Sorina nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Kinsey bundled the blankets to make it look like she was carrying a baby, and they headed toward the nursery. Once inside, Sorina opened the supply closet.

  “Hide in here. I don’t know if it will help because security will know you came in here and didn’t leave, but right now, it’s all we have.”

  Keith pulled up to the holding facility and checked his phone again. Brice’s blip was still showing he was inside. He checked his gun and pulled a spare out of his glove box. If Brice had been taken into custody, security would have his gun. He prepared himself for what might take place once he was inside and headed for the door. He had a plan to get Brice out.

  He approached the front desk and asked the security guard if Brice Rayner was still in custody. After showing his ID badge, the guard indicated he was and instructed Keith where to find him.

  Keith approached Brice’s cell and saw the guard sitting in a chair in the corner. The guard looked up and questioned why Keith was there.

  “I’m here to take the prisoner to Hakon’s office.”

  The guard placed his hand on his gun. “I haven’t received any orders that he was being moved.”

  “There’s been a change in plans.” Keith flashed his ID badge at the guard. “Are you going to open his cell or are we going to have a problem?”

  The guard studied him for a moment and looked over at Brice. “Nope. No problem here.”

  He walked over and unlocked Brice’s cell. The guard opened the door and stood aside.

  He addressed Brice. “Sorry, Buddy. I wish I could do more.”

  Keith walked up beside him. “What do you mean?”

  The guard motioned toward Brice. “Look at him. He’s been through enough already. Didn’t realize Hakon was his dad. I wouldn’t want that man as my dad.”

  Keith looked at Brice. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know for sure. I was taken from my office at the clinic and brought here. Bastard held a gun to my head. He’s losing it, Keith.”

  “He lost it a long time ago.”

  “Where’s Kinsey?”

  “I dropped her at the clinic. Hopefully, Dr. Westcott will keep her safe until we handle this.”

  Keith took out the spare gun and handed it to him. “You’ll need this.”

  “Unfortunately, I will.”

  The guard didn’t question the gun exchange, but added, “If you guys need any help, let me know. I’ll do whatever I can.”

  Keith raised his eyebrows. “You’re willing to help?”

  The guard laughed. “You plan on taking down Hakon? Hell, ninety percent of the guards here will line up to help. Just let me know and I’ll start spreading the word.”

  “Well, start spreading the word.”

  “You got it.”

  The guard walked over and picked up a phone hanging on the wall while Keith and Brice made their escape.

  Keith had just slid into the driver’s seat when his phone rang. He glanced in Brice’s direction. “Guess who?” He took a deep breath and answered.

  “This is Keith.”

  “Where the hell are you?”

  “On my way now, Sir.”

  “I want Kinsey Garrick in my office in five minutes or your head will be on a platter.” Hakon disconnected the call.

  Keith pulled away and headed toward Hakon’s office.

  “He didn’t say anything about security seeing Kinsey go into the clinic, so apparently, he’s not paying close enough attention.”

  “He thought you were on your way in with her. Why would he have to question security?”

  “He likes to keep his eye on everyone.”

  Brice snorted. “Yeah, but he makes everyone else do it. Unless he has a reason, he won’t waste his time.”

  “Well, the shit’s going to hit the fan when we get there without her, not to mention you’re with me. You’re supposed to be in custody, remember?”

  “Yeah, I remember.” He rubbed his head and thought of the encounter with his dad in the cell. “I’m ready to take him down.”

  They parked in front of the administrative building and Keith checked his phone for Kinsey’s location. Her blip indicated she was still at the clinic. He turned to Brice.

  “Okay, listen. We have him isolated in his office, but I know him, he’ll have others there as well. He likes to hide behind people. I don’t know how many there will be, so we have to be prepared.”

  “I doubt they’ll start blazing the second we walk in. We can always say Kinsey is in the hallway.”

  Keith smirked. “Sorry, that won’t work.”

  “Okay, then we prepare for a fight.”

  “Looks like.”

  They double checked their guns and headed inside.

  News was spreading quickly among the security guards. A group was attempting to take Hakon down and any assistance would be greatly appreciated. So far, not one officer turned down the opportunity to help.

  Kinsey huddled against the back wall of the closet. What in the hell am I doing, she thought. I’m not going to hide here like a coward. She stood and walked out of the closet. No one was in the nursery. She made her way to the door and walked into the hallway. She had to get to the administrative offices.

  She passed Dr. Westcott on her way out.

  “Kinsey, where the hell are you going?”

  “I’m not going to hide in some closet. I still have some fight left in me.”

  She turned when Dr. Westcott approached her from behind.

  “Don’t try to stop me, Sorina! I’m done playing this game.”

  Sorina put her hands up. “All right, Kinsey. Please, be careful!”

  Up in the security office, one of the men nudged another and pointed at the screen. “Isn’t that Kinsey Garrick? What are we
supposed to do?”

  The men watched Kinsey make her way down the hall and the one who was nudged smiled.

  “I don’t see anything worth reporting, do you?”

  He looked over and shrugged. “No, Sir. Everything looks secure to me.”

  The both stood and watched as Kinsey made her way out of the clinic.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Hakon and Dr. Hartman sat in Hakon’s office. Two security men stood in the room, one on each side of the door. Dr. Hartman caressed a pistol that lay in his lap, while Hakon spun the barrel on the one he was holding.

  “I want Kinsey Garrick taken out as soon as she walks in. She stole government property and we have grounds to shoot first and ask questions later.”

  Dr. Hartman shot a sideways glance at the two security officers and sent a warning look to Hakon. “I think taking her into custody is sufficient punishment for her crime.”

  “That girl has caused me nothing but trouble from day one. I don’t want to give her a chance to cause anymore.”

  Another warning glance was sent his way. “Everyone deserves a fair trial.”

  Hakon stood and walked to a window by his desk, rocking back and forth on his heels. “She’s already been tried and found guilty in my eyes. This is my program. What I say goes.”

  The two guards exchanged glances. Because they had been positioned in Hakon’s office, they hadn’t received the information circulating through the guards. Regardless, Hakon wasn’t high on either of their lists.

  Hakon turned and took a seat in his chair. “Actually, I’ll stick with my original plan. I’ll take her back to the holding facility and she can pay a visit to my son before facing her punishment.”

  Dr. Hartman sighed. He knew Hakon’s behavior was getting out of control, but he didn’t realize how bad it was. His questions began with Tessa’s situation and he could see Hakon’s obsession with power growing worse with Kinsey’s, but he didn’t know how to stop it. You didn’t stand in the way of Hakon or his plans, and Dr. Hartman had a family to keep safe.