Killer and Son (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 2

Several weeks later...

"UP AND AT 'EM, Hunter!" came a voice. Hunter opened his eyes. He had had a nightmare again. He slowly and cautiously turned to the source of the voice.

It was Damian. "Time to go home."

Hunter had been allowed to make residential arrangements in the days prior to his release. Since his bank account was frozen, he had enough funds after selling off his house to purchase a small apartment in the outskirts of town.

He got out of bed and felt his feet hit the floor. After breakfast, Hunter got dressed in civvies for the first time in years, collected his bags and was accompanied by Damian to the front office of the prison. Along the way he said his goodbyes to fellow prisoners and other guards.

"Remember that you're not being released entirely," Damian said. "You need to report to a parole officer at some point within the next few days."

"I know," Hunter replied.

"Just making sure."

At the front office, Hunter was checked out, given a final security check and a booklet of instructions and guidelines. He shook Damian's hand.

"It's been a pleasure to know you," Hunter said.

"Hopefully the next time we meet, you won't be a prisoner!" Damian laughed.

"Definitely not."

After a friendly hug, Hunter walked out of the prison, where a police car was waiting. He put his bags and luggage into the boot before closing it, and sat on the passenger seat.

The driving officer's head turned left to look at Hunter. "Address?"

Hunter decided to get the parole officer business done as quickly as possible. "Could we go to the parole office first?"

"Sure thing."

As the car pulled out, Hunter's mind wandered back to his plans. He'd already bought his apartment. He would try to get to know all his neighbours. He'd do his best to become a helpful member of the community.

The regret sank in again.

He sighed in remorse. He felt he didn't deserve parole. But he was glad he was getting it.

He went down Memory Lane to another unpleasant memory, occurring directly after his therapy, around fifteen years ago. He had been in prison for ten years, and was being rehabilitated at the same time by mental health specialists. He was forced to attend regular appointments at the prison infirmary. One day he felt extreme pain. For the first time, he felt guilt.

Hunter hated the feeling. It made him suffer. At first he wanted to end it all, and almost committed suicide. He was going to hang himself, but was caught by prison guards. Alarmed, they put him in solitary confinement for two months.

"Here we are," the driver announced. "I'll wait for you."

"Thanks." Hunter walked up the steps as the car drove into the parking lot.

The parole office was a large cream-coloured building. He stepped in to find a busy front office, with various secretaries and police officers working at computer terminals and desks.

He walked up to who he assumed was the main registrar.

"Hi," he began. "I'm Hunter Ericson, a parolee."

"What was the name again?"

"Hunter Ericson."

He was going to start spelling it out, but the registrar interrupted him. "Mr Ericson, your parole officer will see you shortly. Please wait in the waiting room. It's that way, you can't miss it." She pointed to a corridor on her right.

"Right," Hunter replied. "Thank you."

As he waited for his name to be called, his mind began to wander again.

He realised he needed something to ease his guilt. Something to take the regret off his mind. Otherwise he might go mad and do something stupid again.

He needed to...

Redeem himself.

"Mr Ericson?"

He was interrupted once again. He looked up. A young man in a black polo shirt and cargo pants stood at the entrance to the waiting room.

"Yes?" Hunter stood up.

"Follow me, please."

Hunter walked alongside the man as he was led to an elevator.

It reminded him of Damian.

Hunter had first met Damian on the first day of his job six years ago, around a year before the birth of Dorian, his son. Hunter had taken an instant liking to the young officer. His chocolate eyes were filled to the brim with honesty and compassion, and his messy brown hair made him look like a teenager fresh out of high school.

The two exchanged their inaugural conversation when Damian was assigned to escort him to the mess hall for the first time. The officer was at first understandably apprehensive, but as the two men traversed the labyrinth of corridors on their way to the mess hall, Damian eventually relaxed. Hunter got to know Damian well after that, and they became good friends. So much so that Damian requested that he be assigned specifically to Hunter.

He could remember that when Damian shared with Hunter news that his wife Leona was pregnant, his eyes went wide with excitement. He tried (and failed) to hug the officer in a brotherly fashion, to which Damian laughed. From then on Hunter preferred that that particularly embarrassing act not be discussed. Damian, being the annoying kid he was, did so anyway, much to Hunter's dismay.

When Leona gave birth to Dorian, Hunter so badly wanted to see the new baby, who he thought of as a nephew of sorts. He wanted to be able to be there to protect him, a third guardian. Unfortunately, given his status, he was at that time unable to do so. That would probably still be the case. Instead, Hunter had to rely on Damian's verbal accounts of Dorian's development, growth and achievements. Like when he picked something up for the first time. Or when he took his first steps. Or uttered his first word. Hunter was told when Dorian first fed himself, and then finally when he was close to his first day of school.

Hunter grinned to himself. He'd found a very good friend in Damian. Even though they stood on opposite sides of the law.

"Mr Ericson," announced the young man as he opened the door to an office. Now standing before Hunter was a police officer with a crisp, clean navy-blue uniform. His steel-grey eyes looked the newcomer in the eye with suspicion, "this is Constable Janssen O'Briar, your parole officer."

This man was certainly not who he had in mind for his parole officer.

Author's note: Yayyyy, another chapter! Thank you so very much for reading! I really appreciate every read that this story gets, and I wish I could personally show my gratitude to each and every one of you. As you guys are located all over the world, that isn't exactly possible (especially since I'm located in the remote land down under, surrounded by kangaroos, barbecuing lunatics and drop-bears), so please accept this thank-you as an inadequate substitute. As always, constructive criticism is welcome, and please leave a vote if you like this chapter! Every one goes a long way. If you really like it (which I hope you do) please do share it on social media so others can discover this tale! Again, thank you for reading, and stay tuned for the next chapter of Killer and Son! Next up: Enter Constable O'Briar!