Chapter 12
The Facility

“I see you make yourself at home.” Ryan entered her cousin’s new office, just a bit down her corridor.

“Why yes, I figured since my company closed without further notice I should hang around and see if I can help here.” Shaun grinned but Ryan knew he wasn’t half as full of himself as he seemed.

“Good thinking, buddy.” Ryan sat on the edge of his desk while he seated himself on the chair. “I heard some of your fellow co-workers were arrested this morning. How come you’re still here?”

“My looks and my charm?” Shaun offered and was wondering where this conversation was going. When he had tried to call his father about why his company was closed, he couldn’t reach him. It was when he arrived at the Facility that he was informed that Melcom had turned himself in.

“Do you know anything about my uncle?” he blurred out.

+++

“You know the rules.” Yousif stood in Ryan’s office. He seemed as calm as ever.

“Yes, but,” Ryan stood opposite of him and tried to hold her composure.

“And we just made new rules. The board has been taken over by a new generation and I’m here to speak for them. You might not know, but years ago, the Facility was run by three men, one of them was your father. But when they had financial trouble, they had to fund the board and that’s when things changed. There were insiders at the board who kept a close eye on what was happening all over the years and now, after all debts are paid off, another division started that was organized when they gave the power of control to the board.”

Ryan looked still sceptical and Simon smiled.

“I am the third generation member of the board who’s been assigned by your father and here to tell you that the boards been officially closed. The notary was here this morning and arranged everything. I don’t have to tell you that it caused a small earthquake. My suggestion is that you should leave for a couple of weeks until we can sort things out.”

Simon Yousif suddenly didn’t seem so intimidating anymore. Ryan found he was a good actor and had played his role perfectly.

“Mr. Sully, the notary, is waiting outside to hand you some documents. If you have any further questions, give me a call,” Simon handed her his business card and excused himself.

“Ms Ryan, David Sully, nice to meet you,” An elderly, slightly overweighed man in his sixties entered and introduced himself.

“Mr Sully, please take a seat.” Ryan was having a hard time processing all the latest information. She wasn’t sure if she looked forward what the notary held for her.

“I’m sure Mr Yousif informed you already about my being here. Now, I’ve got some documents that I am directed to hand to you personally after those contracts run out.” Mr Sully opened his old and worn leather briefcase and pulled out several envelopes. The first one he handed to her was letter size and her name was written on it in her father’s handwriting.

“The other two documents should not be opened until you read the letter. It’ll explain it all.” Mr Sully smiled genially and closed his briefcase. “I’ll wait for your call.” He nodded at her and left Ryan quite perplexed.

Hesitating for a moment, she took the smaller envelope and opened it with skilled fingers. Pulling out two folded pieces of paper, she stared reading.

+++

Hotel, somewhere near Riverside

“Calvin?” Ryan asked when someone picked up his cell but only mumbled. “Wake up!” she said a little louder.

“Ms Ryan!” the tech was up and around within seconds.

“How was your vacation?” she asked and smiled.

“It was, um, unexpected.” Calvin mumbled and added quickly, “but nice.”

“Good! Because you lazy time’s over. Get you butt back here and meet me at the office tomorrow afternoon.”

“But,” Calvin injected.

“Everything’s under control and I need you here.” Ryan didn’t want to explain everything over the phone. “Just get here.”

“Okay,” the tech rubbed his face and tried to pry his eyes open a little further. He’d spent the whole night sitting in his hotel room and playing interactive games via internet. That was his next best choice to keep a low profile.

The Facility, two days later

“Mr Sully said we’d meet here.” Simon Yousif entered the conference room and shook hands with both Ryan and the notary.

“I assume you made a decision.” He eyed Ryan curiously.

“Yes, I did indeed. I spend the last two days thinking this over and here’s the result,” The brunette handed one of the documents given by him back.

“It’s a wise choice,” Mr Sully said after he had put on his glasses and read over it. “I’m sure you’re father would be very proud of you.”

“So you’ll be quitting...” Simon remarked after he read the papers, “your position and take the offered opportunity to lead the Facility.” He smiled warmly.

“I’ll try.” Ryan didn’t quite feel up to it but she wanted to do the right thing and lead the Facility back to where it’s supposed to be.

“My first action will be to hire my cousin as my personal assistant.” Ryan informed them, “And I’d like you do take my job, Mr. Yousif, if you’re ready to take it. It’s not going to be pretty at first.”

“It would be my pleasure,” the Arabic heritage man agreed and bowed lightly. “But with all due respect, why your cousin?” he asked.

“He’s my family.” Ryan replied, and I’ll rather have him close so I can keep an eye on him, she thought. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer.

“So is your uncle,” the notary added.

“Yes, but he’ll have his hands full with several lawsuits. Last I heard is that the university is suing him for his involvement in the tests that weren’t authorised and threw bad light on them.”

“True,” both men agreed.

When Sully had left and Yousif was about to excuse himself, Ryan ask, “Simon, can I ask you one question?”

The dark skinned man halted, “Of course.”

“Who has been down in the archive and dug up those files Calvin, my tech, found?”

“Ah, yes,” he walked back to the desk. “That would be me.” He looked to the floor and Ryan pursed her lips.

“And you wouldn’t have given this information to one reporter named Saunders, would you?” she asked.

“I’m afraid that was one mistake I can be blamed for. I had tried to stir some trouble so your uncle would have to react. Unfortunately he had found out early and involved Adrian.”

+++

Ryan’s penthouse

“Ryan, I’m not sure if I get this right.” Shaun folded his napkin and put down his fork. Ryan had invited him for lunch to clear some things. He would be offered amnesty if he’d testify against his previous supervisors and gave Ryan all the insider information he knew. If she was given a second chance, she could at least offer him the same.

“It’s quite simple actually, Shaun. Talk and stay, or be loyal to thieves and murderers. I want to know everything. Even the ugly and you better tell me all, because I’m going to get that information anyway, one way or another.”

“Why would you help me?” he asked bluntly. “I thought you hated me.”

“I do condemn some of your actions but I still believe in the little boy I grew up with. Don’t you remember what we promised each other after this incident?” Ryan pulled back her hair and showed the scars on her neck.

Shaun felt ashamed and looked to the ground. Scuffing his feet a bit he sniffed his nose. “I do remember.”

“And what changed?”

“I guess we did.”

“No, you did.”

“What was I supposed to do?” he got up so fast his chair tipped over. “Right after graduation my father introduced me to this guy and told me I should learn from him.”

“And how well you did.” Ryan watched him pace.

“Oh, don’t give me that. You’re not better than me!” Shaun spat out angry. “You’ve been involved just like I was.”

“Yes,” Ryan shouted back, “but I never crossed that line. It’s one point to bend the truth and lie to reporters; it’s another thing to beat someone so badly that he barely survived.”

“Now I get it. It’s still about this poor guy, isn’t it?”

A few months into the job, Ryan had a date with her cousin for lunch. She was a little early and entered his office without knocking like they always did. She was shocked when she saw her cousin hit a guy in the face who had been tied to a chair. His face was bruised and his clothes were full of blood. Turning on her heels, Ryan had left the building as fast as she could and had reported to her uncle, horrified at what she’d seen.

“I’m no saint, I admit that, but do you know why I was doing that to this guy? Because the cops wouldn’t.” Ryan frowned and he went on.

“He’s been one of the Facilities psychiatrics. That guy released one of our patients without further proof he’d been healed. The guy he let go was a convicted murder who’d been sent to the Facility instead of jail because his lawyer had proved to the jury his client wasn’t sane during the murder. That guy had killed his own mother in cold blood and it turned out that he’d been killing animals for fun since his childhood. But our dear psychiatrist thought he was real good and his therapy had changed the guy. Unfortunately, the same guy kidnapped a little boy only two days after he was free. The board thought I should have a word with the psychiatric. And so I did.”

“You nearly killed him!”

“So? I would do it again. Do you know he had the guts to tell me it wasn’t his fault? He blamed the little boy, claimed the kid must have done something to tickle sicko off? I didn’t want to kill him but I’m sure I taught him a lesson.” Shaun straightened his suit and tried to get his rage under control.

“What about all the others?” Ryan still couldn’t make up her mind about her cousin.

“Who?” Shaun clenched his teeth.

“I read those reports your company sent us. Don’t play coy with me.”

“I’m sure you read them. But do you know the backgrounds? What lies beneath the surface?”

Ryan’s office, next day 

“So, I think everything’s going back to normal now.” Ryan signed the last documents and handed them to her secretary.

“It looks like it.” Shaun stood by the window. They’d had talked well into the night and Ryan was willing to give him a chance. Though that didn’t go well with Shaun’s father, her uncle, and those who believed in him, they’d done quite a selection with Simon’s help over the last weeks. Those who were still loyal to her uncle were fired and turned in for their involvements, others, like Calvin, were promoted and managed a whole new staff now.

Ryan’s lawyer had a hard time keeping her out of any trials, but so far she never had committed any crimes. The deal with the state attorney helped, too.

Packing her stuff, Ryan took her handbag and motioned for Shaun to get out. “I’ll take this weekend off. I trust you not to do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

"Where will you go?" Shaun asked and Ryan grinned.

Several hours later she pulled down a dirt road. Glancing at the small piece of paper with directions once more, she was sure this was the right way to Sam’s house.

The End