King Jamal Lacque was in the midst of a defensive military meeting in regards to the high volume of drugs coming across the border. But his mind was elsewhere so he was only hearing half of the meeting. His mind was on his wife who was pregnant with their second child and all of the problems they have had so far. He blamed his first son for everything because his birth was a hard delivery that had did some internal damaged to her.  When a security guard came running into the room to lean over to whisper into his ear that his wife had collapsed.

            Leaving the meeting he ran to their private section of the palace to see his wife laying on the floor. Their two-year-old son was shaking his mother asking her to wake up.

            Shoving the child to one side he shouted at him “What have you done now?” slapping his face.

            “The boy didn't do anything so there was no need to slap him!” shouted Pia picking up the crying child.

            “Get that child out of my sight for I don't want to see him again!”

            “You don't mean that your majesty?” questioned Pia with a look of shock on her face.

            “I'll erase his name from all of the records if my wife dies!” Jamal shouted furiously brushing the hair off her cheek. “It is all his fault.”

            The ambulance siren could be heard as the doors to the palace were opening. Two paramedics came running in with a stretcher loaded down with their equipment came into the room. Moving the King to one side, one of the paramedics checked her vitals then looked at his partner to shake his head. They picked her up to placed her on the stretcher and taken to the ambulance. The King followed behind them giving orders to his staff as he climbed in.

            Hope Hospital was put on alert for their arrival as she was wheeled into the operating room. The King was shown to the waiting room where he flopped down in one of the chairs. A few times he got up to pace back and forth for it was taking too long.

Something was wrong …very wrong.

            Looking down the corridor he saw the doctor come out of a room stopped to give some instructions to a nurse. Now he was coming towards him at a slow pace.

            “Jamal, in order to save the baby's life, I had to perform a c-section.” said Doctor Hirsh.

            “Lira, my wife?” Jamal shouted gripping the chair arms.

            “I'm sorry your wife was dead upon arrival. The baby was a boy.”  Doctor Hirsh humbly answered.

            “What do you mean was a boy? What happen to my wife?” asked Jamal.

            “The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck which nobody noticed till the child was removed. The umbilical cord strangled the child because ever time the child moved the cord got tighter and tighter. We won't know about Lira till the autopsy is done but I think she had an aneurysm.” said Doctor Hirsh. “Has she been having a lot of headaches lately.”

            “She was having headaches off and on for the last two weeks.” said Jamal.

            “Jamal, the pressure had built up so high causing the blood vessel to rupture. I'll do the autopsy myself.” said Doctor Hirsh. “I had a nurse clean your wife and child so you can see them.”

            “I have lost my wife and child now all I have is just a memory.”  Jamal tearfully spoke.

            Seeing the nurse step out, he said “You can see your wife.”

            Walking with him down to the operating room Dr. Hirsh left the King to continue on to his office. Entering the room, he made his way to the table where she laid with the child in her arms. Brushing his knuckles along her cheekbone he leaned down to give her a final goodbye kiss. Picked up his son from her arms and held him for awhile before laying the child in her arms again. Pulling the blanket up and over both of them he stood there crying over his loss.

            Back at the palace Pia had calmed the boy down and was reading a book to him. After the story he went to where his toys were scatter and started to pick them up. Putting each one into a toybox then taking the necklace he dropped it in there too. Turning around he ran back to the nanny just as the window was shattered by a bomb blast. The force of the blast had pushed him forward that he struck his head on the table leg. Covering the unconscious boy with her body as more bombs and gunfire was returned. A security team came running into the room but were met by a hail of bullets from the five men storming through the window.

            The five men opened fire with their machine guns and gunned the security team down as more   came running into the room. Yanking the woman off the boy one man grabbed the child to give it to another of his men who left immediately for the van. Giving the order to destroy the room he pulled his gun and shot the nanny but not before she told him that the King had disowned the boy. Signaling it was time to leave the group making their way back to the van. Looking over the destruction he gave an evil smile then threw a note into the box. The van sped off squealing its tires as it took the corner because the police sirens were getting closer and closer.

            Back in the hospital the head guard stepped into the hallway, leaning on the wall when his security unit came around the corner to tell him that the palace was under attack. Wasting no time he informed the King, taking him to his car and back to the palace. Running to the vehicle they sped away trying to get back to the palace but as they arrived, they saw that the police had already arrived. The King entered the palace on a run going straight to the living room he saw all the destruction that was done for there was nothing left to the room.

            “Val?” whispered the King walking forward but the Chief stopped him.

            “Can't go in there just yet, Jamal. It is not safe and is a crime scene.” said Chief Mark Wincott.

            “Val and a nanny Pia were in here when I left.” Shouted Jamal in a panic.

            “Jamal…the guards were taken down first then the nanny was shot point blank. The boy has not been located just yet.” said Chief Wincott. “However, there was a note in the box of toys.” showing him the note.

            “A child for a child.” Read Jamal. “What does that mean?”

            “Thought you might have some idea.” said the Chief.

            “No, no idea at all.” replied Jamal walking out of the room toward his office.

            “What about Val, your son?” said the Chief.

            “Val is no son of mine. So, I don't really care if you find the boy or not. That boy destroyed my family and now I have nothing but a memory of my wife and son.” said Jamal. “I lost the two most important things in my life I held most dearly.”

Jamals attitude changed drastically surprising not only the chief but the guards as well. For the guards they thought that maybe the King was concerned but now they realized he might have just been relieved that the boy was gone. All his concern seamed like it might have been for Pia and not Val. Though this infuriated the guards all remained silent.

            “My god, Jamal! The boy is your son and heir to the throne.  He didn't kill your wife!” shouted Mark as the King closed the door behind him. “You are a fool Jamal for you have only lost another son!”

            Leaving the palace, he drove back to the precinct but detoured to the hospital. Finding the doctor in his office writing up his patient reports for the day.

            “Doctor Hirsh, could I talk to you about what has just happened. I know it is all confidential, but something has just occurred.” said Mark Wincott.

            “Mark, come in and have seat. Yes, it is all confidential but what I tell you will stay between us.” said Doctor Hirsh. “What has happened?”

            “The palace was attacked, Val was kidnapped and Jamal has disowned his son Val and has no interest in finding him. Plus, he blames him for the death of his wife and child. Can you tell me exactly what the hell happened?” asked Mark.

            “The palace was attacked...?” Hirsh mumbled in shock, composing himself he answered “When the ambulance brought his wife and child in, she was already dead, and the child's life signs were low. I had to perform a c-section in order to save the child, but the child was still born cause the umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck. We believe the child was moving around caused the cord to tighten. I haven't done the autopsy yet but believe his wife had an aneurysm.” said Doctor Hirsh.

            “How is it Val's fault.” asked Mark.

            “It is not his fault for you see when Val was born it was a backwards birth and she was torn up quite bad to the point where having another child was too risky. Jamal refused to see or hold the child at the time. I don’t believe he ever loved him.” said Doctor Hirsh. “What are you going to do? Are you going to find the boy?”

            “I'm going above the call of duty and find the child!” said Chief Wincott getting up to leave he stopped to looked back to say, “Thank you for telling me everything.” then left the hospital.

            Vowing from that day on he would never stop searching until he found him dead or alive, because the boy need to know someone cared for him.