Ambush

Chapter 14

The hospital in Buffalo looked like any other hospital, and God knows I’d seen too many of them recently, but once I got inside it had a very different feel from a New York City facility. It was quiet, and security was lax. An elderly woman at the information desk told me Brian was in room 315.

I slipped up to the third floor with the intention of heading right to Brian’s room. As I came down the hallway, a short man in uniform stood up from a plastic chair pushed against the wall. A true roadblock.

He held up a hand and said, “Where are you going?”

I muttered, “Room 315.”

“Why?”

I tried to push past him. That’s when I noticed that the patch on his shirt showed he was from the department of corrections. I understood his concern, so I said, “I’m Brian Bennett’s father.” I thought that would settle the matter.

The lean little guy said, “No visitors.”

“But—”

In a louder voice he said, “No visitors. Let me be clear. You cannot see him until he’s secure in another state facility. Got it?”

I could feel the anger rise to my throat. Suddenly my back didn’t hurt quite as much, my finger wasn’t throbbing, and my head didn’t feel like I’d been hit with a frying pan. Now the only thing I needed was to see my son. And this little jerk was standing in my way.

The DOC man said, “You can check on his status in a few days. But you need to leave before you’re charged with trespassing.” He gave me another look and said, “And you might want to shower first.” He sniggered, looking over his shoulder at a uniformed Buffalo police officer. I noticed the SWAT tag under his badge. He was about my age and in good shape.

The cop gently took my right arm and guided me in the opposite direction, toward the elevator. I could tell he knew me. Someone had talked about the cop’s kid who’d been stabbed while he was on the inside.

When I looked over my shoulder, all I could see was the smirk on the DOC man’s face. He kept it until the elevator doors closed and blocked my view.