I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was the white ceiling of my hospital room. I glanced down at my body. The leg which had been bitten by the snake was bandaged and elevated. There were needles in both arms connected to bottles of liquids hanging on stands by the bed and my head was bandaged. My mouth was dry and I felt dizzy. I remembered vividly the hallucinations or the dreams about assaulting a wall. I realized that I had been at the portal of death and had walked away. I tried to speak but there was a tube in my throat. I took a deep breath and floated off to a drug-induced slumber.
Chapter 43
It was a cool rainy day in Green Bay as Rex drove to Saint Vincent Hospital. The windshield wipers were pumping full speed in the downpour. Doctor Rosen had phoned him a couple of hours ago and reported in an astonished voice, that Ben Harris was now responsive and that his vital signs were stable. It was a stunner to Rex that Ben survived. He was as near death as anyone he had ever seen, and he had observed a lot during his time on the police force. The strange timber wolf even made it. He was being kept in a vet’s pen in west Green Bay. Chief Henry had also informed Rex that another rescue crew arrived and extracted the dead body of Cherokee Alvarez from the cave. The coroner was performing tests, but it appeared that the cause of death was the blow to the head he sustained when the entrance to the cave had been collapsed by the tornado. The body had been badly ravaged by the wolf, but he was already dead when that occurred. The Green Bay police department and his crew in Chicago were performing a background check to see who this Cherokee Alverez was. Rex was mystified as to why the man had been in the cave with Harris. He had a lot of questions for Ben and was anxious to get to the hospital and ask them.
Dr. Rosen told him on the phone not to mention that Leah Hamilton was missing until Ben was more stable mentally. He explained to Rex that he had removed the tube from Ben’s throat and after about two hours, his patient could probably answer a few questions.
Rex arrived at the hospital, grabbed his umbrella and exited his black Ford rental car. He walked to the reception desk and asked for Ben Harris’s room number. The pretty blonde nurse replied that Harris was in 702, but visiting was restricted. Rex explained to her that he had consent from Dr. Rosen. After checking with the doctor, she directed him to room 702. Rex proceeded to the elevator, pushed seven and waited. While the elevator purred, he thought of what questions to ask Ben in his limited time.
Chapter 44
I felt a cool cloth on my forehead. I opened my eyes and saw the smile of a lady washing my face. She was in her forties with dark hair and a tiny mole just below her lower lip. She had brown eyes and was dressed all in white. The name tag read Lilly.
“We thought we lost you, Mr. Harris, but it must not have been your time to go. I know you can’t talk with the tube in your throat but nod your head if you understand me.”
I nodded.
“You had a very close call, but your vitals are stable now. The doctor will be here shortly to explain your condition. He should be able to remove the tube today.”
I nodded to nurse Lilly, and she smiled at me again.
I heard a deep resonant voice boom from behind the nurse. It belonged to a tall man dressed in a white coat. His black curly hair was in some disarray. He had big blue expressive eyes and grinned like a Cheshire cat. He wore a mustache and a day’s growth of beard, which made him look like Dr. McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy.
“So you finally decided to join us, Mr. Harris,” he said. “You had a close call. I’m Dr. Rosen and I’m happy to meet you.”
I looked at the man and nodded, not fully realizing what was happening.
“Lilly, let’s get this tube out of his throat. He can breathe on his own now.”
With Lilly’s assistance Dr. Rosen carefully removed the tube. I was confused and wondered why it was there. Noticing the look in my eyes, Dr. Rosen smiled and said, “During surgical procedures, you are placed under anesthesia, which suppresses your respiration. You’re not able to maintain your own airway due to the anesthesia, so a tube is placed in your throat to supply your body with oxygen during the procedure. It’s usually taken out before you wake up, but you still had some difficulty breathing so we left it in. Your throat may feel a little scratchy or sore from the tube. This should be resolved quickly without any problems. Are you able to understand me?”
After a couple of deep breaths, I whispered, “Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll summarize it for you so you can understand why you’re here and what we have done for you,” he said. “From what the police told me, you were trapped in a cave on Lookout Mountain after the recent tornadoes. You were brought here in really bad shape. Your leg was badly infected and you were suffering from severe dehydration and starvation. You also suffered a mild concussion. Do you understand me so far?”
Memories flooded back to me and I remembered my days in the cave. I thought of the wolf and I vaguely remembered the man who was lowered down and took me out. Everything was blank after that until I woke up here. I tried to form words, but it was difficult as my throat hurt. I managed to murmur, “Water please.”
Nurse Lilly held the glass and put the straw in my mouth and I took a small drink.
“Doctor, is Leah here?” I managed to whisper.
“I’m sorry I don’t know a Leah,” he replied. “I’ll ask the police about her, okay?”
I nodded.
He continued, “Your leg was severely infected. It appeared that you had been bitten by a snake based on the punctures we found near the cuts. You must have tried to cut the bite and draw out the poison. You did a good job on the poison, which probably saved your life, but the cuts were not properly sterilized and an infection set in. It’s called cellulitis, which is an infection of the lower layers of skin and the subcutaneous tissues caused by bacterial contamination. It develops around wounds or incisions in the skin. A person with cellulitis can also develop fever and swollen lymph nodes in the area of the infection. We were able to effectively treat the problem, but it did require surgery. That’s why your leg is bandaged. You should be able to walk on it in a couple of days. We caught the infection before it spread beyond your leg.
“The laceration on your head required six stitches, but should be fine. Your other complications were of course starvation and dehydration. We had to administer intravenous fluids to combat the problem. We also fed you intravenously. You should be okay, but you must rest and relax for a while. You won’t regain your full strength for a couple of weeks, but we should be able to release you from the hospital in a few days. You’re truly a lucky man. Another day without treatment and you wouldn’t have made it.”
I lay there and tried to let everything sink in. I felt enormously exhausted and needed to sleep. Recognizing this Dr. Rosen said, “Listen you need some sleep and rest. We’ll talk later, okay Mr. Harris?”
I barely heard his words as the world blacked out on me, and I feel into a deep slumber.
Chapter 45
Sergey lay in bed alongside Melissa’s warm and naked body. It was eleven in the morning and both glistened from sweat. Frank Sinatra was singing “Beyond the Sea” on the Bose CD player on the dresser. Sergey’s lovemaking was especially perverted and brutal. It was as violent as his impatience to find the man who murdered his daughter. Melissa tried to comfort him with tenderness, but all he wanted was rough sex. Matter of fact all he ever wanted was crude sex.
Melissa understood that if she was to maintain her lucrative arrangement with Sergey, she had to give him what he wanted, when he wanted it, and she always complied. She lay quietly now, even though her body was sore and she tasted blood from her bruised lips. She was afraid to say or do anything that would annoy him. Sergey was unpleasant when he was angry. She found out just how unpleasant he could be a couple of months ago when he gave her a black eye with a back-hand slap.
She winced as he sat up in bed quickly and barked, “Get out. Get out now! I’ve got things to do. Come back at eight tonight. Go buy yourself something sexy
.”
Melissa’s hands shook as she fumbled with her dress and under garments that lay in a pile at the foot of the bed where Sergey had thrown them when he nearly ripped the clothing from her body. She dressed as hastily as possible and hurried to the bathroom to make herself presentable. When she came out, Sergey was sitting on the bed, still naked, with his cell phone in hand. He glowered at her as she rushed to the door and left.
Sergey punched the speed dial for Petrov and waited for the Russian to answer.
“Yeah, what do you want Sergey?” the gruff voice on the other end of the line said.
“I want to know what in the hell is taking you so long, you bastard! I want that son of a bitch who killed my daughter, and I want him now.”
Petrov inhaled deeply. He allowed no one but Sergey to talk to him this way. “I’m still watching Bo Lopez and the girl he has tied up in his suite. I think he might have a connection to Lookout Mountain and maybe to Veronika. I followed him to the Mountain and watched him kill a female cop. As you know, he did this for the girl’s cell phone. I think something is about to break. Just give me a couple more days, okay?”
Sergey, still holding his cell phone, walked to the bar in the living area, and took out a bottle of chilled Diva vodka from the freezer. He filled his glass to the brim, put the bottle back in the freezer, walked to the couch and sat down. He pushed another speed dial button on his phone for his police contact.
“Hello,” answered a stern voice.
“Have you found out any other information about my daughter’s killing? Remember I don’t want the bastard arrested, I want him here.”
“Listen Sergey, I’m waiting for a report from one of the officers. There was a man rescued from a collapsed cave, who was trapped there since the day of the tornado. The cave was not far from the place where your daughter was killed. He may know something. Furthermore, there was another man found in the cave dead, a guy by the name of Cherokee Alvarez. We’re performing a background check on him. The man who survived is a former cop named Ben Harris. That’s all we know for now. I’ll keep you up to date.”
“You better be quick,” Sergey barked, “I’m running out of friggin patience.”
Sergey hung up the phone and took another long pull from his drink. Things were beginning to fall into place in his scheming mind. He knew that Cherokee Alvarez was a small-time contract killer who sometimes worked with Bo Lopez on Mexican drug cartel contracts. He had Petrov watching Lopez, but since Cherokee was now in the picture, he was becoming more convinced that there was a connection to Veronika’s murder.
He abruptly hurled his glass against the wall. Sparking shards of glass spattered everywhere. He wanted the killer of his daughter now, and he’d make damn sure the man paid dearly.
Chapter 46
As I emerged from my stupor-like sleep, I heard the soft voice of Nurse Lilly whispering, “Mr. Harris, do you hear me? There’s an important visitor here to talk to you.”
I opened my eyes and asked her for some water. She put the straw in my mouth, and I sipped. The cold water felt good on my scratchy throat.
I was astonished to hear my voice clearly say, “I can hear you, Lilly.”
“Officer Rex Herns is here to see you, and if you don’t mind he has a few questions. We gave him about twenty minutes with you, and then you need more rest, okay?”
“Yes,” I replied.
I looked over to the chair beside my bed. I recognized Rex, since we had worked together in Chicago. I had always respected his honesty and integrity. I vaguely remembered him rescuing me from the cave. I guess he saved my life.
“Hi Ben,” he said. “The doctor tells me you’re going to fully recover. We’re pleased with that prognosis. I just need to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?”
“Yes,” I answered, “but first, is Leah here? I want her to know I’m all right. She must be worried sick.”
“We’re trying to contact her now,” he said.
“What do you mean, trying to contact her? Call her are work or call her cell.”
“She hasn’t answered yet,” he said, “We’ll keep trying, okay?”
“Just let me know when you reach her,” I murmured. “What happened to the wolf?”
“The wolf is fine and is being taken care of by a local vet. Now, please let me ask you a few questions.”
I gestured okay, but I was still distressed and confused about why Leah wasn’t here with me.
“We are assuming that you were on Lookout Mountain for a vacation, walking the nature trails when the tornado struck. Did you go into the cave for protection from the twister?”
I nodded.
“When we found you, there was another man named Cherokee Alvarez partially buried by rocks at what looked like the cave’s entrance before the tornado destroyed it. He died from a blow to the head and he was partially eaten, we presume by the wolf. Why was he there with you?”
I remained silent for a few moments trying to compose my thoughts. The memory of the ponytailed man and the big man raping and killing the young girl flooded my memory. I remembered the tornado and my attempt to get out of its way.
I lined the events in my mind and commenced with the explanation. “I went to Lookout Mountain for a couple of days of rest. While I was looking at trees and other things through my binoculars, I noticed two men raping a young girl in the valley. I ran down to try to help her, but when I got there the tornado blew in. The big grey-haired man shot the girl and tried to shoot me. He missed and the ponytailed man chased me. I ran to get out of the way of the tornado and dived into the cave as the twister hit. When I awoke, the ponytailed man was unconscious, with one leg buried by rocks. I attempted to help him but to no avail. I believe the wolf started feeding on him after he died. There was also a rattlesnake and a pack of rats in the cave. After my food ran out, I killed the snake and ate it to say alive.”
I felt my strength leaving as I finished the last statement. Dizziness overcame me when Rex asked me to describe the grey haired man who killed the girl. I opened my mouth but that’s the last thing I remember. I passed out. As if in a dream, I heard Rex yelling for the doctor.
Rex left the room as Dr. Rosen came in to check on me. After a few minutes I regained consciousness. I heard the doctor go out and tell Rex that I was okay, just exhausted, and needed rest.
“Why don’t you return in the morning?” he said. “He should have recouped a lot of his strength by then. I think by tomorrow he’ll be strong enough that you can tell him about his girlfriend’s disappearance.”
What in the hell is he talking about? I thought as I dozed off into my tormented sleep land.
* * *
Rex proceeded to the waiting room, retrieved his cell phone and called the Chicago police department. He was astonished at what Ben had related to him. He knew that the body of Veronika Ivanova had been found on the mountain on the day of the tornado. It must have been her that Ben witnessed being killed. He decided to keep this information out of the press until he could investigate it more thoroughly.
He asked to speak to Sergeant Lisbon, whom he knew he could trust. He briefed the sergeant on the circumstances and told him that it was strictly confidential. He wanted the sergeant to check on all known associate of Cherokee Alvarez. He needed to know the identity of the other man that Ben spoke of. The only description he had was a big man with grey hair, which wasn’t much to go on. He also asked the sergeant to arrange for a sketch artist to meet with Ben Harris as soon as possible.
Chapter 47
The Benefactor rested in his private office overlooking Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago. The elegant office space had been acquired by a third party, whom the Benefactor had paid very generously, and was not registered in his name. When going to, and working out of this office, the Benefactor donned a carefully applied disguise with a mustache and beard. He consistently sported sunglasses and a hat to prevent anyone from recognizing him. He wore a set of body pads, which added twenty pound
s to his slim muscular body.
The office was located in the center of the Chicago business district. The thirty-six-story building overlooked Lake Michigan, the Chicago River and the Magnificent Mile. The lobby was an elegant mix of brass, granite, marble and mahogany finishes. The Benefactor was always generous with tips to the lobby staff, so they were extremely accommodating to him. He was known to them as Mr. White. His office reflected the grandeur of the lobby. The oversized mahogany desk was positioned so he could see the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake. There was a mahogany conference table with six black leather chairs. To the left of the conference table was a sitting area with sofa and chairs in black leather. To the right of the sitting area was a well stocked bar of black marble, accented with mahogany. He poured himself a glass of Gentleman Jack Bourbon, filled the glass with ice, and walked to his desk and sat down in his black leather desk chair.
He was not pleased with the course of events surrounding the Ivanova slaying. He had sanctioned and financed the murder of Veronika to destabilize the relationship between Sergey Ivanova and the Mexican cartels. His long-term scheme was to have his men in place to assume control of the cartels and the Russian Mafia.
The Salazar cartel, located in Houston, and the Flores cartel, located in Chicago, were becoming more and more dependent on the Russian Mafia and Sergey. The Benefactor had established himself as the protective and financial arm of these cartels. He had made millions, deposited in a numbered Swiss bank account and in secured banks in the Cayman Islands. He planed to retire from his present position and enjoy his fortune in two years. By that time he should have control of both cartels and the Russian Mafia.
In recent months, he saw his influence diminishing with the emergence of Sergey’s Russian Mafia as the principal distributor of drugs in the USA. To neutralize this trend, he had put the idea in the mind of Elezar Fernandez of the Salazar cartel to place a contract on the head of Sergey’s daughter and then attribute the hit to the Flores cartel; however, he never intended to let the blame be transferred. He knew that Sergey was ruthless and when he found out that the killing was a contract job of a cartel, he would wage all out war on them until he destroyed and killed their leaders. The cartels would not go down without a fight. After the carnage was over among Sergey and the cartels, which would gravely denigrate the power of both, he would place his people in command in the cartels and the Russian Mafia and establish ties with La Cosa Nostra to partner with him to take over the distribution of the drugs. With this coalition, he would have power never seen before in the criminal community in the United States.
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