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The Brookhill Children’s Psychiatric Residence
The Brookhill Children’s Psychiatric residence, located in Brookhill, Pennsylvania, has become an uncomfortable home for several troubled urban youths from the Tri-state area. Most of these teenagers are placed, and then virtually forgotten by society. Many years ago, a young girl escaped the Brookhill residence by taking advantage of the lax attitude of both rules and staff.
Now, head director Katherine Miller controls everyone and everything within the walls with an iron fist. Power and control precedes therapeutic rehabilitation. The only way most patients leave is by waiting until they turn eighteen and are sent to adult facilities. By then, it’s too late.
“Welcome to the Brookhill Children’s Psychiatric Residence, where the unnecessary takes precedence over thenecessary.”
- Janet Murphy, social worker
Pulled from the debris of a New York City bridge explosion caused by a group of ruthless killers called The Duke Organization, Rick Rasner returns to society, attempting to put together a new life. Years later, and despite suffering amnesia and lingering head trauma, Rick becomes a licensed therapist for the Brookhill Children’s Psychiatric Residence. Rick finds himself incapable of handling Katherine Miller’s brutish and bullying nature.
Rick’s mentor, and friend, military psychiatrist Doctor Harold Obenchain works with him to regain his memories. Through hypnosis, Rick gains glimpses of his former life. The memories, however, feel alien to him, like pictures he had never truly experienced. Doctor Obenchain is the only one in the world that Rick truly trusts. But should he?
“Why did I have to be on that particular bridge at that particular moment? Where was I even going?”
15 year old Clara Blue has been a patient in the Brookhill psychiatric facility for over two years. She is intelligent but immature and filled with rage. She has a sad history of severe abuse, neglect and abandonment. Bad judgment and circumstances have placed her on the bad side of head director, Katherine Miller.
Clara is powerless in dealing with the mistreatment she must endure as a patient in the Brookhill residence. This includes a safety officer who handles her insolence with physical violence and a classroom teacher who punishes her for rejecting his sexual advances. Rick’s attempts at helping Clara only succeed in making them both targets of Director Katherine Miller’s merciless scorn. Can her world ever improve…or could it only get worse?
“I just know I don’t belong here. I’m not like those other kids. They don’t care about getting out but I do.”
Jennifer Duke is the leader of the Duke Organization, the mercenary organization responsible for the New York City bridge explosion. Like many of their missions before this one, the Duke Organization left a trail of bodies behind. Unlike previous missions, this one failed, and left the team with a huge loss. As a result, Jen broke up the Duke Organization, a group she inherited from her father shortly after she arranged for his untimely death.
Now, she looks to reunite her old team after learning about the whereabouts of Rick Rasner. Their need to find him will take these psychotic killers to the Brookhill Children’s Psychiatric residence’s doorstep. Their appearance will change many lives at the Brookhill residence. Especially Rick’s and Clara’s. And how will this mission affect the reorganized Duke Organization? And will Jen finally succeed in gaining all she lost seven years ago?
“My father made sure I would never need to knock on a door in order to enter a room.”
The computer tech of the Duke Organization, Derrick is as brilliant as he is anti-social and sociopathic. When Jennifer Duke ordered the group’s disbandment, Derrick continued to track many of their former members, even setting up a few paid hits for some. It is Derrick’s genius and persistence that discovers Rick Rasner’s whereabouts, despite an apparent cover-up. His discovery leads to the Duke Organization’s return to action. He hopes this will be a good thing, at least for him. But will this reunion after seven years be a good thing for anyone? And what IS the Duke Organization's interest in Rick Rasner?
"I shouldn’t have been doubted in the first place, especially considering how often my psychic abilities helped our group over the years.”
Jake Scarberry is a former military soldier and mercenary. Seven years ago, he agreed to work with the military in capturing the Duke Organization. The chase lasted a year with Jake always a step behind. He failed to prevent his brother’s death at the hands of the dreaded group. His year-long mission finally came to its conclusion that night on the bridge where he thwarted the organization’s plans and crippled their ranks. His inability to stop the explosion, however, has left him disgraced.
Jake’s reward for his services: his identity stripped and his forced placement into the witness protection program. Now stuck in a college beach town in Florida, his life revolves around menial jobs for low pay while being harassed by insolent college students. Hardly the lifestyle this high priced hit man is accustomed to. Seven years into his new life, Jake longs for the action he once knew. Will he ever find it again?
“You can’t predict the actions of crazy people. That’s what makes them crazy.”
General William P. Straker is a military specialist who takes care of the jobs no one else wants to. He not only knows all about Rick Rasner’s past, but is responsible for keeping it a secret. He is also the one who set up Jake Scarberry’s long pursuit of the Duke Organization in order to put an end to the group’s existence. He then subsequently placed Jake into the witness protection program with the order to remain under threat of imprisonment or execution.
Straker looks to keep his country safe, no matter the cost. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. But what happens when the victim of one of his dirty, but necessary, secrets comes looking for him, seeking revenge?
“This case is closed. I assume you understand the necessity for secrecy on this subject?”