15

"My name is Patrick... and I'm writing this to prove I'm not insane. The Facility is, in fact, real. They come for those who do wrong, and keep them within these walls for the rest of their lives - but I must always remember: THIS IS NOT A PRISON. These people are not punished for their crimes, but are celebrated and encouraged to revel in their sick pleasures. Some of them accept their fate as a reward, while others suffer in silence. The reason I am here, however, is one entirely different - yet equally unfortunate."

"It basically started a few months ago, back when I was happily married and my first child was on the way. I will always remember those days as the best of my life - except my job got in the way. As a trainee paramedic, I was subject to a week's work in several medical professions - one of which would be my last. For what I now understand to be an elaborate ploy, I was to assist in a sea-rescue distress call to the isle of St Kilda - upon arrival, I was suddenly ambushed and then the next thing I knew, I woke up in this ghastly place. Apparently there is an intricate hierarchy of criminality in place here, or at least that was what I was told by a mysterious, unseen leader known only to these people as 'Boss'. He told me about the situation here, and that 'medical training was required to satisfy the warriors of the depths'. I was given special permissions, or 'Level 0' as he put it. Really all that meant was he'd have anyone who attempted to hurt me slaughtered, right on the spot. I'm not sure I fully appreciated the luxury. From then on, my job was to heal the sick, perverted and the injured monsters and victims alike."

"I was granted access to the outside world, on the occasions where supplies ran low. Through an empty sewer pipe hidden carefully on the 5th level, a select trusted few were allowed to leave and return for various needs. I took these opportunities to visit my family, though I did not dare stay for long. If I were to notify anyone of The Facility's existence or be late returning, the Boss threatened to start killing inmates, starting with the youngest, for each minute I was away. Lord only knows what thoughts went on inside his sick mind."

I couldn't believe what I was reading. This was like a portal, a gateway into my father's mind. For the first time since I was an infant, I could see my father as a real person, just like me - not the monster I imagined. He was scared, but not only for himself. We were more alike than he'd ever know. Realising that he was actually dead now was causing physical ache to my heart... yet I kept reading, onto the next entry... for both our sakes.

"It's been two years, and still no hope. Down here, people dream of escaping on a daily basis. There was talks of a secret club, known only as FF. They said it was hidden within the walls, and it took a long time but I was finally able to discover it. They hold me in high regard due to my 'immunity', saying that I will lead them to victory... Hopes for the future and plans for escaping are the only things running through these desperate, young minds. I don't know about that. If I can find a way for everybody to escape, all at once... without causing any more of these people to die, then I'll consider 'victory' as an appropriate choice of word."

"Caroline grows more and more impatient with me. She stays up nights wondering where I am - I tell her I'm either working, or 'at the bar'. It's the best I can do... Sometimes I'll pretend to be drunk, when really I'm venting my frustration at The Facility. I'm sure she's cheating on me... I can't think about that. I'll only blame myself, and as I lie in bed the only thing I can think of right now is saving those poor prisoners from that hell. No one deserves that, and it isn't up to us to determine one's own punishment... or rather, death sentence. That isn't the world I want little Brad to grow up in, a world where you take all your problems and bury them deep within a hole in the ground."

Carefully reading each word, imagining each one coming from my father's mouth, I wondered when he wrote them. Even though they were written years before I last saw him... At some point after this, he would disappear completely. These are his last words, to me anyway. I turned the page, desperate to discover what happened to him next - only to shoot Ruz a puzzled look. "...I know. Looks like you weren't the first to find that book. At least, when I came across it a year ago... even until now I have no idea what it means." Looking back down, I touched the edge of the ripped pages. There must have been 10, 12 pages ripped out of my father's diary - but what was more troubling was that the thief replaced them with their own words... Scrawled across two entire pages, filling each one from top to bottom was the word "LIAR". I felt the déjà vu, from the note I was given: "DON'T. BELIEVE. HIS. LIES." They were talking about Patrick.

"...But what... I've seen this before. Someone down here knows that Patrick is my father, and instead of coming forward... they're just playing head games. What... do you think the rest of this diary said?" I asked Ruz, but obviously that was all he knew on the matter. "You should know... Everyone who talks about the Freedom Fighters, knows your father. He was a legend... and the operation he pulled together was the closest anyone got to a full evacuation."

While telling me his story, Ruz picked at the cold surface of the iron bars which held us in place, which seemed to remind him of something. "It's funny, the last time I was stuck in a cage, it was with another Machair." Ruz's grin turned into a sort of snicker, somehow finding amusement within his imprisonment. I didn't appreciate his laid-back attitude, but then again the past few days were confusing enough without me adding my cranky bitterness to Ruz's problems... plus I guess neither of us had eaten anything in days. "I only met Patrick the once - hell, I didn't even know it was him at the time. He spoke only of two things - he asked me find his diary, that it contained vital information about The Facility that needed to be published once we find our way out, and... he told me how sorry he was. About you, his family. We need someone like you to finish what your father started - and I'm sure if this works out, one day you'll be glad you were brought here. If Doc had found out your father was Patrick Machair... He'd have tried much harder to kill you, believe me." 

That didn't help as much as Ruz thought it did. Some people DID know Patrick was my father... The Boss, for sure - and it seemed like the kind of thing he didn't want people knowing. So why didn't he have me killed? The question reminded me. "...Wait, those people with Doc, they found both of us and we got stuck in a cage... Isn't that strange? I told them to kill me, and then I collapsed... They had EVERY chance - why didn't they-"

"I'LL answer that, thank yoooou babes!" The shrill screech filled the room, which I now recognised as the Base - Ruz and I were in the small "prison" area we found Teddy at during the first time we came here. The lake, where I was trapped before was just barely visible around the corner, but from what I could tell the place was now deserted... all except for one.

 Buny came bouncing up, grinning like a lunatic. "Lucky you boys have been such a hassle - Doc wanted to keep you alive long enough to take another whack at ya for himself once his face gets stitched back up!" I moved myself up into a crouched position defensively as Buny reached the cage. "Did ya like my acting down in the cells, chicken? Sorry, it was the only way to get ridda that ol' creep, y'know." I was about to open my mouth, to either tell her to shut up or ask what the hell she was playing at... but she kept on blabbering to herself. "OH, I forgot! A little birdie told me about how naughty you were after that stunt at the lake - good on ya babes! Only you're strong enough to survive one of Doc's schemes, huh!" As she slowly started prying the bars off the cage with her smiley-face wrench, I tried my hardest to work out what her angle was. The image of her stealing Ruz's cousin, and holding the other blood-soaked half of Teddy's bear was ingrained within my mind.

Ruz smiled at her, seemingly comforted by her presence, but then turned to me with a grim look. "I haven't told you, Brad. There's been some... developments while you were under. Everyone's still fighting, and Katie's group lost control of the Base. God only knows what she's up to now. I got separated from Jill... I'm not sure where she is, but I know she's safe." I was about to stop him, ask what could have possibly happened after they both went looking for Katie - but the look on his face told me I didn't need to. "One more thing... You're wrong. Doc wasn't the one who knocked me out and locked me away back here..." Ruz gritted his teeth, as he covered his face behind his palms.

 "It was Katie."