Cory's Shift

by Dan Petrosini

  It was flying blind. And leaving things to chance was unacceptable. He had an idea. Cory checked for a hospital. Capital Health Medical Center was a few miles away, in Pennington.

  Cory stuck his head in the rear compartment. Ho was entering data on a laptop. Cory was struck by the little figure hooked up to the machines. He said, “How’s she doing?”

  “Fair to good. She needs to be closely monitored, but I expect she’ll fully recover.”

  “She was going to be transferred to a rehab place?”

  “Yes. That’s what they normally do.”

  “A hospital would be better, wouldn’t it?”

  “Of course.”

  “You want to make a deal?”

  “What kind of a deal?”

  “We’ll drop the kid off at a hospital so she can get the care she needs.”

  “That would be excellent, but what’s the rest?”

  “You tell me where Shu is.”

  “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

  “You know where the warehouse is.”

  Ho hesitated. “Yes, but he’s not there all the time.”

  “You call him and tell him to meet you there.”

  “He’ll ask why?”

  “You tell him you have confidential information on another surgeon and, uh, Chen.”

  “If I lie to them, they’ll kill me.”

  Cory pointed the gun. “Tell them I had a gun to your head.”

  “No. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I’ll let you go with the kid. Jun too.”

  “You’re going to the authorities, aren’t you?”

  “I want to shut this operation down. They don’t have to know you even exist. Or we can say they forced you to participate.”

  “They did. They threatened my family in China if I didn’t cooperate. I told them no, but they kept pressing and making threats.”

  “Don’t make excuses for what you did.”

  “It’s not as bad as you make it out to be. We helped people who would have died without a transplant.”

  “You think it’s okay to kidnap kids and cut them open for their organs?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I never did anything like that.”

  “Look, at this point, you either help me get Shu, or you go down like the rest of them. I don’t care either way.”

  “Okay, okay.”

  “Where is the warehouse?”

  “At the end of Dayton Boulevard.”

  Cory handed him his phone. “Call Shu. You better talk in English. One word in Chinese and I’ll put a bullet in your head.”

  “I should call Li then. I speak Cantonese, and Li speaks Mandarin.”

  “Who’s Li?”

  “Shu’s right-hand man.”

  “Call him. But take a couple of breaths. Make sure you’re relaxed; I don’t want him suspecting anything.”

  Ho inhaled deeply three times. He tapped on the phone, and Cory said, “Put it on speaker.”

  Li answered, “Wei.”

  “Hello Li, it’s Doctor Ho.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Not exactly, but I must see Shu immediately.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m afraid we have a leak.”

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s rather complicated, and uh, in fact, there are two informers working against us.”

  “Tell me who!”

  “I’m sorry, but this is highly sensitive, and I must tell Shu personally.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Dropping the donor off in a few minutes. We can meet at the warehouse if that works.”

  “We just left there. We’ll turn around.”

  “See you later then.”

  Ho hung up and Cory asked, “How did he sound to you?”

  “Pretty normal.”

  “Good. Now, about Chen and the driver, are they stable enough to stay on board?”

  “It’s not optimal, but you don’t want to release them?”

  “They’re criminals. Unless they’re going to die, I want their asses behind bars.”

  “Let me examine them, okay?”

  “Let’s go.”

  Ho looked over the men, and Cory spoke to Jun. “Look, I don’t know how involved you are with this illegal transplant garbage.”

  “I only did it to do help people. I—”

  “Spare me. You’ve been good to me, and my way of saying thank you is releasing you before I get the authorities involved.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I want to get the kid to a hospital, and you and Ho can go along and disappear after you get her there.”

  “Really? Oh, thank you, thank you so much.”

  “Take a look at my leg. Change the dressing if it needs it.”

  “Sure, sit down.”

  Cory eased himself into a chair, keeping his leg straight out. Jun knelt and unwound the gauze.

  “Ow.”

  “Sorry. It looks pretty good, but it needs to be stitched up.”

  “Not now.”

  She applied an antiseptic and wrapped it back up. “You’re good to go, but I wouldn’t let it go more than a day. You’re susceptible to an infection.”

  Cory stood. Exhaustion was coming on. “Jun, can you do me a favor and make me a coffee?”

  “Sure.”

  Dr. Ho said, “In my medical opinion, both men should be hospitalized.”

  “But they’ll make it a day without going in.”

  Ho nodded. “There could be internal bleeding or an infection brewing.”

  “All right. Get the kid ready to get off.”

  “Here?”

  “I’m not taking the chance of driving to a hospital. We’ll call Lyft for a ride. Capital Health is a hospital just a few miles away.”

  “All right.”

  After giving Chen and the driver another dose of sedatives, Ho and Jun lowered the collapsible wheelchair to the ground. The Lyft driver helped, and within minutes, Cory was looking at the car’s taillights as it pulled away.

  Cory limped to the RV’s driver’s seat. Chen and his associate were both out. Cory put his hands on the wheel. The large steering wheel reminded him of the bus they’d toured half the country in.

  He started the engine and put it in gear. The RV hesitated before lurching forward. Though the journey ahead was short, it was completely uncertain.

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Cory estimated he was a couple of minutes away from the warehouse. He pulled the RV over and took out Dr. Ho’s phone. He opened the screen to the last number called.

  Cory panted like a dog. On the verge of hyperventilating, he hit redial.

  “H-h-hello?”

  “Who is this?”

  “Uh, the donor, Chester Musa. We need help.”

  “Where’s Dr. Ho?”

  “He’s been shot.”

  “What? By who?”

  “Chen shot him, and the driver got shot too. We need help, please help us.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Close by. Dr. Ho told me where to go.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you have doctors? They’re bleeding all over, and the kid isn’t doing good.”

  “What kid?”

  “The one who got my liver.”

  “Hurry up and get here.”

  “Okay.” Cory hung up.

  Li turned to Shu, saying, “There’s been an altercation on the unit. Chen shot Dr. Ho.”

  Shu asked, “What about the patients?”

  “The donor seemed all right but said the recipient was in trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble? She wasn’t shot, was she?”

  “He didn’t say.”

  “How did this happen?”

  “Chen must have overheard Ho telling me he’d been exposed and—”

  “Where are they?”

  “They’ll be here any minute.”

  “Open the door.”

  “Okay.”
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  “Call Dr. Wan and get him here. And notify Holiday Rehab we may need a couple of beds.”

  “I’m on it.”

  Shu pulled out his phone and dialed Dr. Ho’s number. It rang five times before Cory answered it.

  “Hello?”

  “Who am I speaking to?”

  “Chester Musa, the donor.”

  “I understand there has been an event.”

  “Yes. A shooting. It was scary and people are hurt.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. I’m good. But—”

  “I need to speak with Dr. Ho.”

  “He’s hurt. Real bad.”

  “I understand. What is the condition of the recipient?”

  “I don’t know, but the doctor, Dr. Ho, he said she wasn’t doing good.”

  “I need you to read me her vitals.”

  “I, I don’t know how.”

  “I’ll walk you through it.”

  “But we’re just pulling into the parking lot.”

  “Okay. I’ll make sure the door is raised. Drive straight in.”

  “Okay.”

  Shu hung up and said, “How long until Dr. Wan gets here?”

  Li said, “He’s visiting his daughter in Hawthorne.”

  “That’s more than an hour away. Depending on the condition of the recipient, I may need help caring for the others.”

  “Get a medical bag from the PA and tell her to be ready to assist.”

  * * *

  Cory took his foot off the gas. Idling, the RV crept through the parking lot. He saw the entrance ramp. The door was open.

  Cory palmed Dr. Ho’s phone. He’d bounced around who to call. The natural call was to FBI Agent Knox. But Cory couldn’t take the risk bureaucracy would slow down a response.

  The NJ State Troopers had a station just off the Cranbury exit, and calling 911 should get them here in five minutes. If he made the call too early, he risked tipping off Shu before he boarded.

  He’d call as soon as Shu climbed on board.

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Li left, and Shu paced the floor of the warehouse, asking himself what could have gone wrong. Dr. Ho had mentioned a leak, claiming that Chen was a snitch.

  It didn’t make sense. Chen had been with Shu from the beginning. Why would he turn against the operation? Chen was rough around the edges, but his loyalty had never been questioned.

  Shu felt something was off. It didn’t make sense. All of Chen’s family were in China. He had to know the Party would punish them for his traitorous behavior.

  Had Chen been in America too long? Was he becoming self-centered like most Americans? Shu tried to figure what the Americans could promise Chen in return for turning against the operation.

  They may have dangled citizenship and a new identity, along with financial support. But did Chen believe he could avoid the long arm of the Party?

  Shu smiled at the thought. China played the long game. If Chen was a turncoat, they’d wait. Let Chen get comfortable, believing he was safe. They’d use their contacts and hacking skills to locate him and exact revenge when he least expected it.

  Chen was injured, the donor had said. How badly, he’d find out soon. Shu would make sure he was pressed for a confession, but not until the recipient was stabilized and safe.

  Li came out of the office holding a bag. “Is this good?”

  Shu opened the valise and looked in its compartments. “Yes. We should be all right with this. As soon as I examine the recipient, I’ll know whether we can stabilize her on the unit.”

  “I don’t like the way this came about. If she wasn’t doing well, why didn’t Dr. Ho advise you?”

  “These cases can turn quickly, but this is strange.”

  “Are you armed, sir?”

  “No. You know I have an aversion to firearms.”

  “Given the circumstances, I think you should be prepared.”

  “You’ll be there if anything goes astray.”

  “I think I hear them.”

  They trained their eyes on the open garage door.

  Shu said, “Why aren’t they coming in?”

  “I don’t know. Let me take a look. Stay here.”

  Li walked to the door and stepped onto the ramp. He waved to the RV, but it didn’t budge.

  “They’re just sitting there.”

  Shu started in his direction when Li’s phone rang. It was Cory. “Tell Shu to come on board.”

  “Drive inside.”

  “No. Get Shu out here.”

  “He’s not coming alone.”

  “You got twenty seconds, or we leave.”

  Li watched the RV slowly back up. “Hold on a second—” The line went dead.

  “They won’t come in. They don’t want me on board, only you, and they said twenty seconds, or they’d leave.”

  “Okay.” Shu opened the medical bag.

  “No. Don’t go. It’s some kind of trap.”

  “Dr. Ho said there were gunshot wounds, and the recipient was not well. I have to go.”

  “I don’t like it. You’re not armed.”

  Shu took out a vial and needle. He stuck the needle in the vial and withdrew the plunger. “Give me five minutes, then come on board.”

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Cory watched Shu step out of the warehouse carrying a bag as he headed down the ramp. Li was a couple of paces behind.

  Shu paused when he hit the parking lot. He surveyed the area. He said something to Li and started for the RV.

  Li hung back. Cory hoped he’d stay there. With each step Shu took, Cory’s heart rate quickened. He took his eyes off Shu. He reminded himself to focus and stuck the gun in his waistband, covering it with his shirt.

  Shu put his hand on the doorknob and paused. Cory looked out the window. Li had begun walking toward the RV.

  The door swung open. Cory said, “Hurry. She’s in pain.”

  Shu stepped in and surveyed the galley. “Where’s the recipient?”

  Cory dialed 911 and pulled the gun out. “She’s safe.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Shut up!” He pointed the gun at Shu. “I need help. There’s been a shooting, and two men are shot. Hurry!” When Cory gave the police their location, Shu made for the door.

  Cory pulled him back. “Get back here.”

  Shu swung his arm and jabbed Cory with the needle.

  “What was that?”

  Cory knew what it was by Shu’s smile.

  Cory pointed the gun at Shu. “You bastard.”

  Cory pulled the trigger. Shu fell to the ground and cried out.

  Cory hurried to the driver’s seat. Wondering how long he had, he heard Li firing at the locked door.

  Cory put the RV into drive. He hit the gas. He felt serene. He knew it wasn’t focus but the drugs.

  A shot was fired, and the RV swerved. A tire had been shot. He turned out of the driveway.

  On the main drag he opened the window and put the air conditioning on. He approached the toll barrier. The RV bounced off the curb at the toll booth.

  Out of the side-view mirror, Cory saw sparks flying. He was riding the rim on one of the rear wheels.

  Cory’s head bobbed as he steered the RV onto the turnpike. The building he saw off the turnpike was blurry. Was it the rest area or the state trooper station?

  Cory put his head back. His hands slid off the wheel. Horns blared, waking him. He hit the divider and bounced into the center lane. He yanked the wheel to the right.

  He blacked out. The jolt from sideswiping a car woke him. The RV bounced onto the grass. Cory tried to hit the brakes but lost consciousness.

  Bam! Cory slammed into the steering wheel. The searing pain in his abdomen forced him awake. The RV had slammed into a building. Everything went black.

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Cory heard a voice. “Dad. Dad, open your eyes.”

  He thought he was dreaming until a hand enveloped his. “Cory, can you open your eye
s? Try. Just for a minute.”

  It was Linda. But he couldn’t wake up. She said, “Come on. You can do it. We’re all here.”

  Cory had to think. Who is we? Then he heard another voice. “Dad, you’re the bravest person in the whole world. Ever. I can’t believe you got them. Thanks, Dad, I love you.”

  Cory mumbled, “Ava? Is that you?”

  “Yes. It’s me. Open your eyes, Dad.”

  The bright light stung his eyes. “Ava, you’re okay?”

  She smiled, “Yes, Dad. How are you?”

  His son got in his face. “Tommy.”

  “Hey, Dad. You’re a superhero. Everybody is talking about you.”

  “I’m no hero.” He reached for his wife’s hand. “Oh, Linda. Thank God. Am I going to be all right?”

  “You’re going to be fine. You just need to rest.”

  “I don’t remember what happened.”

  “You crashed into the police station.”

  “What happened to Shu? Did they get him?”

  “Yes. He’s in the hospital too.”

  “You shot him, Dad. I can’t believe it.”

  Cory looked at Linda. “I’m sorry about all this.”

  Ava said, “Don’t be sorry, Dad. You got them. They deserved it.”

  “I should’ve said something to you, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about that. Just get better so you can come home.”

  * * *

  Cory opened his eyes. A ray of light spilled into the room from the hallway. It was as quiet as a hospital could be. His gut hurt and his leg, hanging in a sling, was throbbing. Reaching for the call button, Cory gasped.

  “Oh my God. You scared me. How long you been there?”

  Mr. Black said, “A couple of minutes. I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Two in the morning.”

  “How’d you get in here?”

  Black shrugged. “How’s the leg?”

  “Pretty good.”

  “And the liver thing?”

  “All’s good.”

  Black pointed to an IV bag. “What’s that for then?”

  Cory touched a forefinger to his temple. “It’s all up here.”

  Black smiled. “I had my doubts you could pull it off, but I never doubted your motivation.”

  “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “What happened after you lost the GPS?”