Her Only Son Read online

  Brice arrived in Gallup and Keith met him outside a deli. Brice wasted no time asking about Kinsey and Ryker.

  “They’re both fine, I promise.” Keith studied him for a moment. “How far are you willing to go to keep them that way?”

  “Whatever it takes.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He motioned to his car. “Let’s go.”

  On the way back to Ted and Margaret’s, Keith filled him in on his plan.

  When they arrived, Brice was taken to the underground cellar where Kinsey was hiding out with Ryker. She wasn’t surprised to see him, since Keith had already informed her of their conversation. She was surprised, however, at how he rushed to her and captured her in a full embrace. He showered her face with kisses and then turned his attention to Ryker.

  “How is he doing?”

  Kinsey was still trying to recover from his sudden onslaught of affection. “He’s doing fine.”

  Brice unwrapped him from his blanket and checked him out. When he was satisfied with what he saw, he wrapped him back up and placed him in his makeshift bed. He turned to Kinsey.

  “I need to speak with you,” he glanced at the others in the room, “privately, if possible.”

  Margaret spoke. “Go ahead. I’ll look after Ryker.”

  As they climbed the stairs out of the cellar, Keith added, “Stay in the back of the house. Don’t go out front where you might be seen.”

  Brice shot him a I’m not stupid look as he followed Kinsey outside. They sat on the porch swing on the back deck.

  Brice reached up and flipped her red hair. “New do?”

  “They’re looking for a brunette.” She paused for a short moment. “Where were you? Dr. Westcott and her dad helped me escape and you disappeared.”

  Brice ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, first I thought I’d be able to talk to Hakon and see what I could find out about Tessa’s case.”

  Kinsey sat upright. “What? She’s been through enough. You could make things so much worse for her. She’s still being followed and stalked at home. They’re threatening her into silence about what happened.”

  “Calm down. I didn’t draw any unnecessary attention to her, I just wanted to feel him out and see what he knew. I told him the participants were uneasy since Tessa’s ordeal.”

  She waited, and when he didn’t say anymore, she questioned, “Well, what did he say?”

  “He basically said it was my fault if the participants weren’t feeling comfortable in the program.”

  She smirked. “That doesn’t surprise me. He’s quite the piece of work. Who the hell does this guy think he is?”

  Brice took a deep breath. “He’s a power hungry man who thinks he’s above the law and he has a lot of powerful people in his pocket. If he can’t buy them, he blackmails them.”

  Kinsey stood and paced around the deck. “He can’t be allowed to continue to get away with this. Someone needs to do something.” She turned to Brice. “Can’t someone do something?”

  “Keith has a plan, but it’s risky.”

  Kinsey continued to pace. “I hate that man, and I don’t hate people, Brice. He’s evil and I hope he dies.”

  “He’s my father, Kinsey.”

  She stopped on a dime and turned to face him. She couldn’t find any words, so she simply stared at him. After a moment, she turned and walked to the rail of the deck. He came and stood beside her. She leaned forward on the rail and placed her head on her arms.

  “You’re joking, right? Please, tell me you’re joking.”

  He placed a hand on her shoulder. “No, it’s no joke, trust me.” He pulled her up so she was face to face with him. “And he’s no joke either, Kinsey. He’s a dangerous man.”

  “So you’re telling me Hakon is your dad and you had no idea he was doing this to the participants of the program?”

  “I swear to you, I had no idea. None of us did. We thought the program was up and up; everything they said it was.”

  “Well, it’s not.”

  “I know that now and I plan to do everything I can to right the situation.”

  Kinsey stared into the distance, trying to wrap her head around what Brice just told her. Hakon is his dad?

  “I don’t even know how to respond to this, Brice. All this time, I’ve secretly had this thing for you, while your dad has been the reason for my misery, my family’s misery.” She paused. “If I would have known he was your father, I would have never let you touch me, even as a doctor.”

  He cupped his hands around her face. “I’m touching you now. Do you want to run away?”

  She studied his eyes. “No. I know you well enough to know you’re not like your father.”

  “I can assure you, I’m nothing like him, and I can tell you something else.” He pulled her closer. “I’ve fallen in love with you and will do anything to keep you and Ryker safe.”

  She felt tears begin to burn in her eyes and leaned her forehead against his chest. He grabbed a handful of her hair and kissed the top of her head.

  “I went to Chicago and talked to Sheila.”

  Her head popped up. “You what? Sheila? How is she? What did she say?”

  “Slow down. That’s the reason I was gone when you escaped. I figured Sorina would keep you for a couple days until we could figure it out. I had no idea she planned on helping you escape.”

  “Her dad helped me. He’s the one who got Ryker away from the facility.”

  He held up his hand. “I know the whole story. She told me everything and I was worried to death when I found out you were already gone. I had every intention of being there for you. Sorina just moved too quickly.”

  She sighed and leaned forward on the rail again. “Why did you want to talk to Sheila?”

  “I figured she could validate your story.”

  “You didn’t trust me?”

  “Yes, Kinsey, I trusted you, but I needed proof. Taking my father down will not be easy. Remember, he owns some powerful people and they won’t be taken down easily either. There are a lot of secrets being protected.”

  Kinsey shook her head. “Corruption and greed.”

  “Kinsey, not everyone is about corruption and greed, it’s important you understand that. You can’t blame the entire government or military on the ambitions of one power hungry man.”

  “I know that, Brice, but Hakon, oh, I’m sorry, your father, has put a bitter taste in my mouth.”

  “Well, trust me, I’ve experienced that bitter taste myself. Do you think growing up with him was easy? I know who he is, Kinsey, and father or not, I’ll take him down.”

  Brice paused when he saw Keith walking toward them. When he got close enough for them to hear, he called out. “We need to talk about the plan. The sooner we implement it, the sooner we can end this.”

  Brice nodded and took Kinsey’s hand. “Come on. We have some decisions to make.”

  The entire group gathered in Ted and Margaret’s living room. Margaret walked around, closing all the blinds and drapes to ensure no one could see inside. Once everyone was settled, Keith spoke.

  “I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and there’s only one way we can make this work.” He turned to Kinsey. “You have to allow yourself to be turned in.”

  Gasps were heard from Margaret and Kinsey, and Ted stood, challenging his proposal. Keith held out his hand.

  “Just hold on and let me finish!” He took a deep breath and continued. “I will personally take Kinsey back to the compound. Trust me, it’s vital that Hakon be in an environment that can be controlled through the plan. I know this man and he’s dangerous. If we have him in a situation that I can control, we have a better chance at succeeding.”

  Ted took a step forward. “And what do you plan to do once you have her there?”

  Keith nodded to Brice. “Brice and I already have a plan of action once we get there. After we take Hakon down, we’ll get Kinsey back safely.”

  Kinsey shook her head. “But he wants Ryker. I won’t
risk his life.”

  Keith agreed. “No, Ryker will stay here with Ted and Margaret.” He looked at Margaret for confirmation, and when she nodded, he continued. “We’ll have to use some sort of decoy so Hakon thinks Ryker is with you.”

  Ted spoke again. “How do you plan on taking Hakon down?”

  “There’s only one way to stop this man.”

  There was a moment of silence before Brice added, “He has to be killed.”

  Everyone looked toward Brice and Margaret spoke.

  “You’re planning on killing a man? Just going in and killing him?”

  “Hakon is my father and he won’t go quietly into the night. This will get ugly and there’s only one way to stop him.”

  Margaret still couldn’t wrap her head around the thought they were going in planning on killing a man, no matter how terrible he was. “Can’t you just turn him in?”

  Keith laughed loudly. “Sorry, he has his hands in many pockets. Even with all the evidence in the world, no one would be stupid enough to convict him. They’d be placing their own families at risk. Hakon’s spent many years gaining control.”

  Kinsey looked at Brice. “You’re planning on killing your father?”

  “I don’t want to, no, but I know he’ll put up a fight. I’m afraid that’s what it will come to and I’ll protect myself. Believe me, it’ll be self defense.”

  “What if he gets to you first?”

  “He won’t. Keith and I will be ready for him. We know him well enough to know how he’ll react. Once he thinks Keith is bringing you in, and he’s going to get the baby back, he’ll feel in control again and will let his guard down.”

  “But I won’t have Ryker with me.”

  Keith answered. “No, you won’t, and that’s when things will get ugly. There’ll be a fight, for sure. It’s all about who comes out on top.”

  Kinsey grew more concerned. “What if he comes out on top?”

  Brice took her hand. “Both Keith and I will be going in armed. He won’t be able to take us both out.”

  Margaret spoke next. “Can’t Kinsey stay here with Ryker? Just let him think you’re bringing her in?”

  “No, she needs to be seen with me at the gate. The guards will report to Hakon that she’s with me. We’ll do everything we can to keep her from harms way once shit goes south, and unfortunately, it will.”

  Ted shook his head. “There’s too much risk involved, for all of you. There has to be another way.”

  Keith assured him there wasn’t. “He won’t stop until Kinsey is captured. This is a game to him and he always wins. She can’t run forever and someone will see her eventually. This needs to end now.”

  Kinsey thought of all the women forced into the program. “Once Hakon is taken down, will the program go away?”

  Brice shrugged. “I’m not sure what they’ll do. We can present what evidence we have, along with any participants willing to offer testimony, but it will be up to the government to decide if the program be removed or restructured to the program it should have always been.”

  Keith walked to his bag that was sitting on a chair and pulled out two small devices. He walked to Brice and Kinsey. “These are tracking units. You’ll both be wearing them when we go in. If, for some reason, we get separated, I need to know your locations.”

  Kinsey took the device and inspected it. “What about your location? What if you need help?”

  Keith smiled. “I’ll be fine. You and Brice are what’s important.”

  Ted touched Keith’s arm. “We’re counting on you to keep her safe.”

  “I’ve got this under control. Brice and I will get her back to you safe and sound.”

  Kinsey acted offended. “It’s not like I’m totally helpless. I think you should give me a gun.”

  Everyone looked at her like she was crazy.

  Her eyes darted back and forth between them. “What?”

  Keith folded his arms. “Have you ever shot a gun?”

  “Well, no….”

  “Didn’t think so. You don’t get a gun, Kinsey.”

  “Then how do I protect myself if necessary?”

  Keith grabbed his phone and began typing. He talked without looking up. “You won’t have to. All I need you to do is be seen by the guards at the front gate. Once inside, I’m going to do everything I can to keep you away from the action.”

  He addressed Brice. “We need to go in separately. Hakon can’t know you’re involved. You need to catch a plane back to Nevada tonight and I’ll bring Kinsey in tomorrow. Just go to work in the morning and act normal. I’ll stay in touch and let you know when I’m bringing her in. You know the plan. Make sure you’re where you need to be.”

  Brice nodded. “I will be.” He turned to Kinsey. “Everything will be fine. By tomorrow night, this nightmare will be over.”

  Kinsey tried to show confidence in the plan, but knew her eyes were giving her away. Brice kissed her and pulled her in.

  Keith gave him a tap. “Your flight’s booked. Let’s get you back to the airport.”

  Brice pushed Kinsey back and kissed her again. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He said goodbye to Ted and Margaret and made them promise to take care of Ryker until they returned.

  Kinsey slept in the house that night. No sense in hiding out in the cellar when she would be turning herself in the following morning. She pressed the side of her head into the pillow and looked at Ryker, who was sleeping in an old cradle Margaret had that was placed beside the bed. She reached out and touched his face. No matter what happened tomorrow, she swore to find a way back to him. She knew Keith and Brice would help keep her safe, but she also had her own instincts to count on. She didn’t come this far to lose the fight now. She closed her eyes with Brice’s words in her head; by this time tomorrow, the nightmare would be over.

  Chapter Thirty

  The next morning, the house was bustling with activity. Keith received confirmation from Brice that he’d returned safely and was at the compound. Keith instructed him on how to place the tracker device, so he could keep an eye on his location at all times.

  Margaret was busy putting together a decoy Kinsey could use to look like she had Ryker with her. The moment someone took it from her arms, they’d realize the baby wasn’t there and all hell would break loose. Margaret handed the fake bundle to Kinsey.

  “Keep this in your arms for as long as you can. Once they take it, they’ll know.”

  Kinsey questioned Keith. “What happens at that point? They’ll want the baby as soon as we arrive.”

  “We could try to distract them and say the baby was already taken to the nursery, but I don’t know if they’ll buy it. If they do, they’ll want confirmation immediately. It’ll only buy us a little time and they’ll keep you in custody until they know.”

  Ted rubbed his hands over his face. “Anyway this goes down, there’s going to be a fight.”

  Keith agreed. “Unfortunately, yes. I tried to explain that last night. Hakon won’t go down without one,” he paused, “this will be more than a fight, but it’s the only way to end it.”

  Keith pulled the tracking device out of his bag and motioned Kinsey over. “Let’s get this on you now. I don’t want to have to worry about it later.”

  Ted and Margaret watched as he attached the device to the inside of Kinsey’s clothing. After he was done, Margaret gave her a hug and turned to Keith.

  “How does the device work? How will you be able to track their location if something happens?”

  “I can track them on my phone. As long as the device doesn’t get removed, I’ll always be able to tell where they are.”

  Kinsey questioned Keith on whether or not Brice had his device and he assured her he walked Brice through it that morning.

  “He’s ready to go, Kinsey. He’s just waiting for us to arrive.”

  Kinsey rubbed her hands together. “What now?”

  Keith sighed. “Now I make the call to Hakon and tell him I foun
d you, that I’m bringing you in.”

  “That’ll make his day.”

  Keith snorted. “It’ll make his day until we arrive and he realizes the truth. We have to be ready to act at that moment. We won’t have time to do anything else.”

  “We’ll have to act on instinct at some point,” Kinsey added.

  “It may come to that, yes, but I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe. If I give you a command, you have to promise you’ll do exactly as I say, regardless of my personal safety.”

  Kinsey looked at him in silence.

  “Kinsey, promise me!”

  She hesitated for a moment. “I promise.”

  He pointed to Ryker, who was sleeping on the couch. “You want to see him again?”

  “What kind of question is that?”

  “Then you’ll do as I say, no matter what. Got it?”

  This time she didn’t hesitate. “Got it.”

  She walked over and picked up Ryker. She wanted to hold him as long as possible before she had to leave.

  Keith pulled out his phone. “It’s time to make the call.” He walked out on the front porch, knowing the call he was about to make would start a war.

  Brice sat in his office and tried to wrap his head around everything that had happened over the last couple weeks. He always knew his father was a madman, but for him to take things to such extreme was too much. He would do whatever he had to do to keep Kinsey and Ryker safe. If that meant taking his dad out, he wouldn’t hesitate. He would wait until it was an act of self-defense, but he knew it would come to that. His dad wouldn’t hesitate to take him down if he had to, so he’d have to react in kind.

  Over the years, he’d questioned what had happened to his mom, and he knew, without a doubt, his dad was responsible. Family meant nothing to him. It was all about power and control.

  Brice had something worth living for now. Kinsey and Ryker would be his future and he wouldn’t allow his dad to take that from him. He knew it would come down to one killing the other and he had no intention of being the one going down. He mentally prepared himself for what he’d have to do.

  He leaned back and took a deep breath. He was pulled out of his thoughts when the door of his office swung open and four military guards stormed in. Two stood at the entrance, while the other two grabbed Brice by the arms and pulled him from the chair.