Fourteen year old Tim Mangan sat watching the car leave. Dan hadn’t even said goodbye; he had just stood in the doorway, looked at him for a long moment, and finally said, “Behave.”

In another minute, the General, or whoever ran this prison of a military school, would come for him. The last forty eight hours had been a nightmare, since since Dan had left Tim sitting in a jail cell.

“Dad!” he yelled frantically after the iron door swung shut. “Dad!”

His voice echoed as his friends stared at each other. In the other cells were the dregs of society. Drunks. Junkies. Thieves. Gang members. Perverts.

Tim blocked out their solicitations. Dad wanted him to learn a lesson. Message received. Dad would come for him in the morning; he just had to get through tonight. He wouldn’t let this place and these men get to him.

By morning, Tim was the last one in the cell. His friends had all been picked up by their parents. A couple were headed to juvenile detention.

Where was Mom? Why hadn’t she come?

Tim watched as men were cycled in and out of the holding cell, guards changed duty. One brought him some OJ and an Egg McMuffin from McDonalds, pity in his eyes. Tim ate hungrily, holding back his tears. He wouldn’t let them see him cry. He would never let anyone see him cry.

Mom didn’t come.

He was brought lunch, then dinner. He was allowed to use the bathroom, and returned to the cell. The officers didn’t answer his questions, but a couple patted him on the head in sympathy.

He woke the next morning, expecting one of his parents to be there to take him home. He’d learned his lesson, but no one came. The day passed much the same. Tim still didn’t cry.

“Get up, Tim.”

“Dad? Dad!” Tim woke quickly.

“Let’s go,” was Dan’s terse reply.

Tim got to his feet, and followed his father. Dan spoke to an officer, and they shook hands.

“I’m sor—”

“Be quiet.” Dan’s voice was taut, hard.

“But—”

“Be quiet!”

Dan Mangan gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white.

Tim realized almost immediately that they weren’t heading home. His heart began to pound. He kept silent.

Soon they pulled up to the private airfield that housed the Wheeler jet.

“Dad, what is this?” he whispered.

A black car waited near the jet, and fear overwhelmed Tim.

“Dad, where are we going?”

Dan didn’t answer as he got out. When Tim didn’t, Dan opened the door, undid Tim’s seatbelt, and yanked him out. The scrawny boy was no match for his father, and gave in, walking with Dan towards the car.

Daisy got out of the waiting car.

“Mom!” Tim tried to run to her but Dan held his arm firmly. “Dad, let go!”

Tears streamed down Daisy Mangan’s beautiful face as she approached her firstborn.

“Mom?” Tim’s heart sunk. He was being sent away. In the middle of the night, like a common criminal. Without getting to say goodbye to his siblings, or cousins. Or his best friend, Dean, all of whom he had been a real jerk to lately.

Daisy wiped her eyes, then cupped his face in her hands. “I love you, Timmy, I want you to know that. I want you to always remember that, no matter what, I love you. We didn’t want this but you didn’t leave us a choice.”

“Mom, don’t do this,” he pleaded, his own tears spilling from the eyes that mirrored hers. “Please, don’t let him do this!”

A loud sob escaped her. “Timmy, you’ve gone too far this time. We don’t know what else to do.”

“Mom, it won’t happen again, I promise!”

“Daisy,” Dan’s voice was harsh, guttural.

Daisy hugged her son tightly. “I love you, Timmy. I’ll talk to you as soon as I can.”

“Mom, no. Don’t let him. Mom!” Dan pried him from Daisy, and leaving his sobbing wife at the car, marched his son up the stairs to the plane. Tim twisted around, trying to see her but Daisy was already in the car, and Dan thrust him into the plane.

The plane ride was agony. Dan had shoved him onto one of the seats, silently.

Tim had nothing to do for five long hours. He didn’t dare ask for a book or a movie.

Dan stared at the wall as they flew; Tim finally reclined his seat. He didn’t know where they going, but it didn’t matter. Everyone he loved was left behind. Anger surged through him.

“I hate you,” he snarled, jumping up.

Dan didn’t answer.

“Did you hear me, Dad? You’re a cold, heartless bastard, to ship me off in the middle of the night like a criminal!”

Dan didn’t flinch.

“I’m your son! How could you do to this me? You’re not so perfect! You joined a gang when you were my age, remember? Remember everything you did? I smoked some weed, dropped some acid. Big deal! No one got hurt! I don’t deserve to taken away in the middle of the night! You suck! You got to live in the woods with an old man but you ship me off to god knows where? It’s not fair! I hate you!”

Dan finally looked at him. “No one got hurt? Is that what you think?” Dan rose and Tim froze with fear. He had never seen such a scary look on his father’s face, and he suddenly realized why his father was the interrogator and leader of the team.

“Your cousin Bo is lying in a hospital bed right now with half of his face caved in because of the beating you gave him the other night! So don’t you sit there, you arrogant little shit and tell me no one got hurt! You have done more damage to this family than I ever imagined! I should have done this months ago but I turned a blind eye! Regan warned me times were different, but I didn’t listen. Your mother begged me to give you chance after chance, convinced you were just testing boundaries. But you shattered all those boundaries, and your actions have consequences so sit your ass down right now, and don’t speak another goddamned word until I tell you to!”

Tim’s sunk back to his seat, his legs feeling like jelly. He hadn’t known about Bo. He didn’t remember attacking Bo. He adored Bo, and wanted him to be okay. Aralyn would never forgive him. Aralyn, his favorite cousin, closer than his sister, would hate him forever for hurting her father.

It wasn’t prison they finally arrived at. It was a military school. Tim was left in a room while Dan met with someone for what felt like ages.

The anger in Tim bubbled. Dan would regret this. Tim would be out of here the first chance he got. He’d run away somewhere, disappear, and then Dan could explain that to Daisy. He’d get bigger, stronger, then go home and show Dan who was boss, some day.

Now Dan was driving away, abandoning him. He’d make Dan pay someday.

***
Author Notes
- A huge thank you to Ronda, my lovely editor who did a super fast edit for me.
- This was written for photo #46 of the CWE 3: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Challenge. Thank you to the CWE team for coming up with this fun challenge!
- This was obviously not a good time in the Mangan family family past. Dan had to make a very hard call that he has yet to forgive himself for. While in present day, Tim seems to have forgiven his father, they have yet to really talk it out, and both have issues. They might never do so, they're not that sort of men. - This scene might be expanded at a later date.
- A super big, humungous thank you to MaryN for coming to my rescue last minute to make the background seamless for me while my Photoshop is acting wonky. You're the bestest, Mary!
- Word Count, 1200

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