Epilogue

Brent woke up in the hospital, confused. A curtain encircled the entire bed. A cast covered his right arm and an IV in his left. He tried to sit up but instantly lightheadedness consumed him and he crashed back onto the bed. He took deep breaths to suppress nausea. A nurse's head popped through the curtain. 

"You're awake. Let me call the doctor," she said. 

Moments later, a white-haired doctor with a receding hairline pulled the curtain back. A different nurse walked up and handed him a clipboard. 

"Do you know your name?" the doctor inquired. 

"Brent Williams." 

The doctor scribbled furiously on a clipboard. "Excellent. Do you know what day it is?" 

Brent squirmed and tried to sit up again. "The tenth? How did I get here?" 

The doctor placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Take it slow. You took a nasty blow to the head." 

Suddenly, the memories flooded back. The factory. The Spencer boy knocked him out with his handgun. And Lily. God, I almost killed her. He lifted his hands and stared at his trembling fingers. 

She broke my arm... because I... I killed Tremont. 

His eyes filled with water. What did I do? How could I do something like that? 

Tears rolled down his face. I almost killed her. 

A hollowness filled his chest. Why was she at the factory? 

A whimper escaped his lips. His breathing turned irregular and he started hyperventilating. He vaguely recognized the doctor and nurses chattering and then his eyelids became heavy. His arms fell to his sides and the world was engulfed in darkness. 

*** 

After being treated for a severe concussion, Brent transferred to prison. Drug tests were supposed to determine who was manipulated by the Paynes but Brent did not push the issue because he deserved to be locked up. His only concern rested with his mother, who lived in the elderly caretaker residence ran by the hospital. Would they mistreat her because he was a criminal? 

Days dragged by. Brent did not talk to anyone. He lost weight. Dark circles appeared under his eyes from the lack of sleep. Every night he stared at his left hand and cried until exhaustion took over. 

One day, he had a visitor. He arrived at the visitation room to see a middle-aged woman waiting for him. His head flinched back slightly. With a frown, he picked up the phone to speak with the woman through the glass. 

"Who are you?" he asked gruffly. 

"My name is Dorothy. It is nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." 

Brent recognized the name as the woman who Tremont spoke of repeatedly. The one who probably would have let Lily die. His grip tightened on the receiver until his knuckles turned white. "What do you want?" 

She grinned from ear-to-ear. "I wanted to personally congratulate you because your drug test came back positive." 

"I don't care," he answered in a flat voice. Did she think that would be good news? It was not even a surprise. 

Dorothy stared at him with a stony expression. Brent surmised it was not the reaction she expected. She uncrossed and crossed her legs before responding. 

"But you do care about your mother." 

His body temperature spiked. "What have you done to her?" he demanded through clenched teeth. 

"Nothing. But don't you want to leave for her sake?" 

He shrugged half-heartedly. His mother had told him numerous times to stop visiting her and leave the city. Of course, he had no intention of doing so. 

Dorothy lowered her voice. "It is my understanding that you ran the city from behind the scenes." 

"If that is what you want me to do, I'm not interested." He moved to hang up the phone. 

Her hand flew to the glass. "Wait," she exclaimed. "That's not what I wanted exactly." 

He stopped and put the receiver back to his ear. "I'm listening." 

"What can you tell me about the factory?" 

He looked down at his feet and scuffed at the floor. "Just the basic functions. I was not a party to the operational details." 

She blew out a heavy sigh. "I am the one who broadcast the message to the city. It did not work out as I thought." She glanced around the room as if to verify no one eavesdropped. "I need help getting the city under control." 

Brent pondered her proposal. If he got out, he could start making amends for what he had done. The factory was not the answer and Budd held the same belief. "I can put you in contact with someone who can help. And in exchange, I'll be set free?" 

She nodded. "I give you my word." 

"Are the people who were in the factory that night still in the city?" He held his breath in anticipation. 

Redness rose from her collar and her jaw tensed. "No, I sent them away. Give me a couple of days to arrange your release with the judge." 

He nodded and let his gaze wander past her to the prison guards. Brent clamped his lips together to hide his smile. He already had a way to push her buttons. 

The thought of Lily being gone weighed heavily on his chest. Would she return? The things she did for the people in the city were commendable. He would try to continue what she started. It would not be easy, but he decided at that moment to work hard to accomplish as much as he could. 

### 

To Be Continued