Authors: Shawna Platt
Keith Anderson was nursing his wounds after he received a slight beating from one of Hakon’s delivery boys. He knew it would happen eventually. You couldn’t hide from Hakon, he had eyes and ears everywhere, but he made a pretty good run at it. He claimed he just needed a break and planned on coming back.
Messenger boy told him Hakon had new recruits he wanted him to find and get into the program. Keith agreed, mainly because it would allow him time alone on the road to think and figure out how to get away from this madman once and for all. Things were completely out of hand. Hakon was losing his mind, mad with power, and someone had to stop him. He just didn’t know how to do it without putting a bullet in the guy’s head. That thought was becoming more and more a reality. Nothing else would stop him.
Chapter Twenty
April, 2021
Dr. Rayner had spent the last month carefully researching and questioning participants in the program. While they all conveyed everything was fine, and their participation in the program was voluntary, their eyes told another story. Most were nervous and his questions seem to make their anxiety worse. Most of the participants he talked to made it clear they wanted the conversation over. They claimed everything was all right; they were just waiting to go home.
One night, he decided to confide in Dr. Westcott. He found her in her office finishing up for the day.
“Hey, Sorina, you have a second?”
“Hi, Brice, I suppose I can make time,” she laughed, “come on in.”
She noticed the serious look on his face before he sat down. She lowered slowly into her chair. “You okay?”
He pulled his eyebrows together. “I’m not sure. Some information has come to me that’s making me question the program.”
She immediately became concerned. This program was her life and she loved it. “What do you mean? What kind of information?”
He took a deep breath. “That’s the thing. I have no proof, but everything in me says it’s true.”
“You’re confusing me. I have no idea what you’re talking about. What’s true, Brice?”
“Kinsey came to me about a month ago with some questions. She questioned whether or not the women in this program were truly here on voluntary grounds.”
Dr. Westcott interrupted. “Of course, they are. How could they not be?”
“That’s what I said, but she knows something, Sorina. Something I’m starting to feel may be true.”
Dr. Westcott rose from her chair and began to pace. “Is she insinuating women are being forced here?”
“I don’t know for sure, and if they are, I still don’t see how, but I’ve talked to a lot of participants and something’s not right. They get very anxious when it’s brought up.”
“I don’t know what to say. This is something I’m not even willing to accept.”
“We’ve both been doctor’s here since the program started, and I’ve never seen or heard anything remotely negative in that time, but maybe we’ve missed something.” He paused. “Maybe the participants are hiding something.”
She lowered her eyes to the floor and shook her head. “I can’t believe this is what’s happening. Kinsey has to be mistaken.”
“I just thought I’d come to you and see if you could start keeping your eyes and ears open. Start paying attention to the participants and see if you can analyze what they’re truly feeling.”
“I’m not a mind reader, Brice, but I’ll start paying attention. Maybe question some of them myself and see how they respond.”
“That’s all I ask. We owe it to the participants to at least follow through and make sure they’re not being strong-armed into the program.”
She nodded. “Yes, I agree.”
Later that evening, Kinsey was enjoying, or trying to enjoy, an exercise class, when she started having pain in the lower abdomen. The instructor had her sit out for a bit, thinking she’d strained a muscle, but when Kinsey rejoined the class, the pain worsened. The instructor felt it best that she go to her room and relax for the rest of the night. If the pain continued, and especially if it got worse, she was to call Dr. Rayner or Dr. Westcott immediately.
She had to stop a few times walking back to her room. The pain was definitely not going away. As soon as she entered her room, she headed straight for the couch and carefully lowered herself down. She leaned back and put her feet up on the coffee table.
I just need a few deep breaths
, she told herself.
Having her feet up helped ease the pain, but it wasn’t going away completely. Something wasn’t right. She still had a month to go and couldn’t be going into labor yet.
No
, she thought,
not yet. I’m not ready.
She rose from the couch and walked to her patio for some fresh air. The pains increased again. She sat at the patio table and cupped her belly.
Not yet, sweetie, not yet.
She slowly lifted herself from the chair and made her way back to the living room. She reached down, picked up the phone in her room, and called Dr. Rayner’s cell phone. He didn’t answer, so she called the clinic’s emergency number. When they answered, Kinsey explained what was happening and that she needed Dr. Rayner or Dr. Westcott to call her back as soon as possible.
She was barely seated on the couch again when her cell phone lit up, displaying Dr. Rayner’s name. She answered in a panic.
“Something’s wrong! The pain won’t stop!”
“Kinsey, calm down. Tell me what’s happening.”
“Lower abdomen pain. It’s very intense and it’s not letting up.”
He tried not to let the panic come through in his voice. “Where are you?”
“In my room.”
“I’m on my way. Lay down and try to relax.”
She disconnected the call.
Yeah, try to relax. Easy for you to say.
She made her way to the couch again and lowered herself down. She pulled her legs up, set her feet on the coffee table, and tried to breathe. The tight band across her belly was making it difficult, but she willed herself to relax and go with it. That’s what they told her to do. Don’t fight it. Just go with it. Whatever. What the hell did they know?
A few moments later, her door buzzed. The thought of having to get up and walk to it was almost more than she could handle, but she managed. When she opened the door Brice took one look at her face and wrapped his arms around her. He helped her back to the couch.
“How long have you been having pain?”
“It started in exercise class about an hour ago.”
“On a scale of one to ten, rate the pain right now.”
“I don’t know. A four, I guess.”
“Okay, I need to get you to the clinic and do an exam. I’m assuming you don’t want to walk.”
She gave him the dirtiest look she could. “Do I look like I want to walk to the clinic?” She leaned her head back against the couch and took another deep breath.
“Okay, I’ll have someone bring a wheelchair.”
He made the call and they waited for the wheelchair to arrive. When it did, they made their way to the clinic.
Kinsey tried to relax while Dr. Rayner did the exam. He told her she was already dilating and he was going to try and stop labor from progressing.
Kinsey panicked. “You have to stop it! I’m not ready yet! I still have a month!”
“Kinsey, relax. Even if I can’t stop the labor, the baby should still be fine.”
“No! You don’t understand! I can’t have him yet…my plan….”
Brice cut her off. “Kinsey, I need you to relax.” He pulled her arm out straight and prepared to insert an IV.
Kinsey stared at the ceiling as tears began rolling down her cheeks. “You have to stop it, Brice.”
He placed the IV and checked the drip line. “Just try to stay calm and we’ll see if the medication works. If it doesn’t,” he paused and looked at her tear stained cheeks, “I’ll be right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She rolled her head and looked at him. “Promise?”
He took her hand. “I swear on my life.”
“What about the baby? Do you promise not to let anything happen to him?”
“Kinsey.”
“Promise me you’ll do anything to protect him.”
“I promise.” He didn’t realize at the time what promise he’d just made.
“I’m trusting you, Brice. Don’t make me regret it.”
She rolled her head to look at the ceiling again and prayed the medication pumping through her veins worked.
Two hours later, Kinsey was in full labor. The medication hadn’t stopped the contractions and she was now dilating at a slow, steady pace. She was near hysterics when Dr. Rayner entered the room with Dr. Westcott.
The nurse caring for her simply shook her head. “I can’t calm her down. Good luck.”
Dr. Westcott positioned herself beside Kinsey and took her hand. “You have to calm down. This is going to be a lot harder if you don’t calm down.”
Kinsey spoke between sobs. “You don’t understand…he can’t come yet…I haven’t figured it out.”
Brice sat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed from Dr. Westcott. He spoke softly. “Haven’t figured what out, Kinsey? Please, talk to us.”
Kinsey rolled her head from side to side and winced as another contraction gripped her belly.
“You wouldn’t believe me,” she sobbed.
Dr. Westcott shot Brice a look, prompting him to get her to talk. He nodded.
“We’ll believe you, Kinsey. Please, tell us.”
She had no choice. There wasn’t any more time to plan and she had to trust they would do what was right. Once she started, she couldn’t stop, and between sobs, told them everything.
“Operation Vala is a joke. Hakon forces women into the program. He threatens them with harm to their families and loved ones if they don’t. He caused a serious accident for my sister and threatened that my parents were next.” She didn’t stop there.
“He raped Tessa when she first got here. Somehow he figured out the baby was his. That’s why they killed it, to cover it up. Dr. Hartman knows everything. He’s Hakon’s right hand man. When things go wrong, he’s called in to handle it. Dr. Hartman caused the miscarriage when he took over her care.”
Dr. Westcott’s eyes widened in horror at the story Kinsey told. She looked at Brice and saw the same on his face. Kinsey continued as another contraction hit.
“Tessa tried to escape. Security found her in the back of a delivery truck leaving the compound.” She looked at Dr. Westcott. “That’s why security brought her in and that’s why Dr. Hartman was called. He had to stop her and he did.”
Dr. Westcott took a step back in disbelief. “I can’t believe this.”
Kinsey snapped back. “I don’t care what you believe. I have proof. You want proof?”
Brice took Kinsey’s hand. “What kind of proof?”
“In my room there’s a box with two photos in it in my bedroom. In the table, by my bed.” She turned to Dr. Westcott. “Remember when I first came to the compound, I told you someone broke into my room?”
Dr. Westcott simply nodded.
“It was Hakon and he’s been leaving me photos with threatening messages. Get my door card out of my purse and go get them. See for yourself.”
Dr. Westcott looked at Brice. He nodded and she left the room as another contraction hit.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dr. Westcott rushed into Kinsey’s room. She didn’t need Kinsey’s room card, she had a master that opened any door in the compound with the right code.
She rushed into Kinsey’s bedroom and began searching the bedside table drawer. In it, she found a small box. When she opened it, she found two photographs. One was of Tessa; the other, a girl she didn’t recognize. She flipped the photo of the girl over and read the message. She took a deep breath and flipped the photo of Tessa over.
Both messages were indeed threatening and she closed her eyes. Maybe Kinsey was telling the truth. Someone was definitely threatening her and it made her wonder if other participants weren’t experiencing the same thing.
She recalled her earlier conversation with Brice. The thought of women being forced into the program made her blood boil. That’s not what Operation Vala was created for. What, or who, caused it to get this out of hand? Kinsey claimed it was Hakon who was behind it all and Sorina had a hard time wrapping her head around that. She’d known this man most of her life, and yes, he could be demanding, but would he take things this far? Had he truly allowed the power to go to his head?
She thought of Kinsey and it snapped her back to reality. She grabbed the photos and rushed back to the clinic. She had to talk to Brice.
Kinsey’s contractions were coming back to back and Brice informed her she’d have to start pushing soon. Sorina entered the room and the look she shot him told him she’d found the proof. She walked over to Kinsey and took her hand.
Kinsey looked at her with tear filled eyes. “Did you find them?”
“Yes, Kinsey. I found them.”
Kinsey sniffed and nodded. “You have to believe me. This program isn’t what you think it is.” She paused as another contraction ripped through her. Through labored breath, she muttered, “Know one thing…I’m not leaving here without my son.”