Secrets and Oaths✓

The Confrontation Pt. 3

We pulled up to the old dairy farm and split off into three groups. I took some S.W.A.T. guys and made for the dairy barn. I gave the signal to enter and we did, guns raised as we moved through the building, clearing stalls. We got to the end of the rows of cow stalls and nothing. Shit! Where were they? Something wasn't adding up. I was about ready to call it in and have us check out the other property when Walker came over the walkies, calling us over to the house.

We got inside and joined him in the foyer. "What's up?"

"You're gonna want to see this. One of the guys accidentally knocked into the staircase and revealed this." He explains before hitting the ornament on the post at the bottom of the staircase. The floor dropped out, causing the staircase to go into a tunnel below.

"What in the Scooby Doo shit is this?" I asked.

"Who wants to go down the creepy stairs into the dark tunnel first?" Walker asked.

"I'll take point. Jeffers, I want you on my six. Maloney, you and Johnson will take the middle. Walker, you're bringing up the rear."

"Why do I have to be last? They always get picked off first in horror movies."

"Because this isn't a horror movie. The scariest thing down there, besides bugs, is going to be me." I say and then descend the staircase, pulling out my flashlight and turning it on once I hit the bottom. Once we were all there, I nodded and set off, walking past doors as the guys behind me stopped to clear them. Unfortunately, I was soon alone as there were more rooms than I thought there would be in this tunnel. There was one final door and I just prayed that Charlie was behind it.

I slowly turned the knob and opened the door, letting out a huge sigh of relief when Charlie comes into view. "Oh thank god!" I say as I rush over to him.

"No Kat, it's a trap. He knew you'd come for me." He says quickly, before I'm struck over the head and my world goes black.

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I came to and one of my hands was cuffed to a old metal loop in the wall. "What the fuck?" I said, as I struggled to get loose.

"Gotta love these old houses. This house was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. This tunnel, created to hide those fleeing for safety and freedom in the North. How ironic that it's now being used to hold you and your brother."

"Why did you want me to come? You could've gotten out of town, out of the state. Why stick around to ensure that I'd find you?"

"Because, you are the last one. You and that brat that you carry. You complete the cycle. Once I kill you, I'm in the clear."

"Unless you know something I don't, you're going to have to get through an army of S.W.A.T. guys outside. I'd say the odds aren't in your favor." I went to reach for my gun to find it was gone. I should've known.

"Did you really think I would leave you with a gun? Come on KittyKat, you know me better than that." At this point the rest of the team burst through the door. Charles eyes went wide and he started pacing like a caged animal, before planning his end game. My eyes set wide in panic as he placed my gun at my brother's temple. "I'd recommend putting your weapons down or I'll blow his brains out right here." They looked to me, silently asking what they should do. I nodded and they lowered their weapons.

"Now you're going to back off and let us through. As soon as we're a safe distance away, I'll leave the boy and be on my merry way." As he's running his mouth I'm discreetly reaching for the small arm I kept in a holster on my ankle.

"Yeah, I don't think so. Charlie duck!" I order him as I raise the gun and fire, landing two shots in his chest, killing him. I dropped the gun, allowing S.W.A.T. to take it in for processing. One of them got me out of my cuffs and I immediately ran to Charlie, wrapping him in a hug. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine, I think. He didn't hurt me."

"Well let's get you checked out anyway." I said, leading him back up the stairs and over to an ambulance that had been called.

"You need to get checked out too. He got you pretty hard in the back of the head." I don't leave his side as the EMTs look him over and he stayed glued to my side as they cleaned the wound on the back of my head.

"I am so sorry that I lied to you and for everything that happened because of it. I need you to know that I never wanted Laurie dead. He told me he had gotten a divorce lawyer and that he was going to leave her. I know it was stupid to get involved with a married man and your best friend's dad at that and I'm sorry."

"Do you love him?"

"What?"

"Do you love him? Was whatever you have worth it?"

"Yes Charlie I do love him. As for whether it was worth it or not, I mean if I had let him go sooner, your friend would still have his mom, so I guess that answers that."

"What did dad mean when he said 'that brat that you carry'?"

"Umm..."

"Are we really going to do this again?"

"No. I promised you that I wouldn't lie to you again. I'm pregnant. And Andy's the father." He's quiet for a bit. I wave my hand in front of his face. "Are you alive in there?"

He shakes his head, as if to clear it. "Yeah. Sorry, I'm not sure what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't that."

"Believe me, it wasn't exactly a planned thing."

"So what are you going to do? About the baby?"

"That isn't something you need to worry about. Andy and I need to figure it out and when we do, you and Jacob will be the first to know."

We arrive back at the station and Charlie goes over to Jacob. The two hug and I smile. I'm glad he's got a friend that worries about him like I do. Andy rushes me, picking me up in a hug. "We heard the call that you went down. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Bastard got me in the back of the head with a piece of wood. It's been clean and they insist I'm going to be fine."

"And the little one?"

"It's ok. I'm probably going to be on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy after all this excitement but it's doing good."

"What about Charles?"

"I promised you I'd take care of it. We're safe now. He won't ever be able to hurt anyone ever again."

"What did you do?"

"What any parent would've done if a madman had a gun pointed at their kid's head... I shot him." He blinks at this, shocked by my lack of emotion. "I'm not upset that I did it. It was either him or Charlie. And I will always choose Charlie."

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Well that's a wrap on Charles Hemlock. The story isn't over quite yet. Dealing with trauma takes time and they need to talk about a lot of things before they get to their happily ever after.