THE PRICE SHE'LL PAY: For the secret she never knew she had...

by Cara Charles

  “Out the door.”

  Dave called Tina on dispatch. “Tina, we forgot about Brittany. Told her to come in. She can ID one of the women from the bar last night as Mavra Kimirov.”

  “Ya? Fantastic!! That fucking wench, always hated her smug face. I’ll text you when Brit’s here. Hal is on his way. Out.”

  Dave zoned to listen for footsteps and watch Deedee. Deedee slept hard for about five minutes, then odd noises, only she heard, woke her.

  Dave noticed the cover of a gossip rag. Mavra Kimirov was their cover girl, big as life. Dave felt the woman he just saw, the gal in the bar, and the cover girl were one and the same.

  Deedee got to her feet, growling deep in her throat. She put her head under Dave’s arm. Deedee alerted to the stairwell.

  “Quiet girl. Good girl, I see them. No barking.”

  TWO MEN in overcoats were at the nurse’s station, talking to Robin, as the other nurses slowly left the station. Dave watched as two other men in overcoats came from the elevator. One came from the stairwell. Stupidly, they gathered at the desk, two opened charts, as three, four, and five went into rooms. Robin asked the three men to come back. They ignored her.

  One took the phone out of her hand. Robin was stalling and one was getting impatient.

  Dave saw Matt’s chair was gone as Dave and Deedee snuck out the back door of the lounge.

  MATT KNEW this was the hit team as he backed into Mango’s room. He put his chair out of the way, grabbed a fresh gown and extra blanket from the cupboard, opened the IV pump doors, took out the lines, then shut the drips down to a keep open rate, unhooked the catheter bag. He put the tops of the bags in his teeth, picked up Mango who was doped up, and carried him and his bag to the shower, wrapped in one of his blankets.

  Matt hung the bags on the shower hooks, drew the curtain, locked the door, changed into the gown then shuddered as he shoved his cold gun in his “tighty-whities” just as someone knocked on the bathroom door.

  “Be right out.”

  Matt flushed then turned the faucets on and off. As he was reaching for the door, suddenly Mango grabbed his gown.

  “Dude,” Mango whispered.

  Matt put his finger to his lips.

  Mango nodded, then handed his ID bracelet to Matt.

  Matt gave him a thumb’s up, and put on Mango’s ID bracelet then exited the bathroom.

  “VIP Security. Your name?” The serious guy in the room flashed a badge.

  “Sean Wayne.”

  “Funny.” He grabbed Matt’s forearm and read the name.

  Matt noticed this tense guy’s inner wrist tattoo, keeping his face neutral. The coiled snake. The guy was former in-country private security. Rogue now.

  Matt got into bed. “It’s my parent’s joke. Why do you ask?”

  “Making sure you’re not paparazzi.”

  “You security for a celebrity? Is it a hot chick? Come on man, spill.”

  “Can’t tell ya. What you in for, man?”

  “Gallbladder. Heartburn turns into chest pains, mimics a heart attack. Got an ultrasound in the morning then zip, out it comes. Had too much Casa Lupe. Liquid morphine sure helps.”

  The Dude nodded, then left the room.

  “Get me an autograph?” Matt called out to mess with him. Matt waited then texted Hal. ‘Five bogies in ICU.’

  ‘K. Keep your head down,’ Hal texted back.

  ‘10-4.’ Matt pushed his phone into his “whities” and tip toed to the door.

  Dave was looking out the window in the mid hall utility room.

  Matt caught his eye.

  Dave showed Matt five fingers and pointed where he was going.

  Dave gestured, ‘pull alarm in twenty seconds.’

  Matt nodded.

  Dave texted Scotti, ‘5 guys in ICU, sm. redhead woman somewhere. Alarm in 15s.’

  ‘K. Good luck.’ Scotti replied.

  With a full yellow security alert, all doors would close, and then lock. They’d be locked inside with them. Dave and Matt had to take them out quickly.

  “Quiet girl. Come.” Deedee whimpered a bit sensing his tension, as Dave got into position, near the stairwell and kept a hand on Deedee.

  The piercing alarm sounded. The two guys at the desk panicked and drew their guns. The lights rotated yellow. The doors were closing every twenty feet.

  The nurses trained in hostage situations pretended to faint.

  Matt ran toward the desk, hugging the wall. He looked for Dave as the door closed behind him. Matt saw the feet of the downed nurses in the station. It rattled him. Matt pumped two shots each into the left scapula of the one desk guy, killing him.

  While under fire, the nurses crawled toward their locked med room.

  Robin ran her badge through the door and got them inside. Lisa wasn’t with them.

  Dave appeared around the corner. Number One shot at Dave, but missed. Knowing Matt was behind him, Dave dove over the top of the desks and fired. Dave winged the guy at the desk, but the guy crawled under the desk and pulled the med cart in front of him.

  Matt signaled to Dave he was going to look for the fourth and fifth guy.

  Dave nodded. Seeing all the nurses were in the med room, he opened up on the desk. There was a groan. One was hit in the head and neck.

  “Deedee! Come! Now!” he called. She came running.

  Dave crawled to the med room door.

  “Robin. You guys OK?” Dave called out.

  They had pulled the extra crash cart and cases of IVs in front of them to shield them from stray bullets.

  “Yes. Lisa is out there. There’s a fifth guy, Dave.” Robin said through the door.

  “OK. Whoever’s got a phone tell Hal we’ve got three up here still. Stay put until Hal gets you out. We don’t want any hostages.”

  “I’ve got my phone,” Amy, one of the nurses said.

  “Dave? There’s a mom and a newborn in Room 218. If he’s looking for a hostage, he’ll be there,” Robin said. “The empty rooms are 220, 221, and 222.”

  Dave went back to the desk.

  All the lights were on except, 218, 220-222.

  Just then, the alarms changed and Scotti came on the house intercom.

  “Folks, we are sounding the all clear. We are going to turn off your call lights. Unless you have pain or a problem, please don’t call your nurse after we shut off the call lights. Sorry for the inconvenience. It was just an electrical problem.”

  The ‘all clear’ sounded. The loud clack of the doors opening would flush Three, Four and Five.

  Dave heard this stairwell door open and running steps going down. He let him go knowing Hal might arrive soon and the guy would run into Three.

  The walls were flush with the yellow light telling the staff to stay put.

  Dave took another approach to that hallway.

  The guy had to be in 218.

  Dave had to think. Matt was somewhere.

  Any man or woman on the floor that was a vet would have recognized gunfire.

  Dave saw Matt and Matt saw him. He was well hidden behind the supply cart mid hall. He’s gotten into a pair of pajama bottoms and tucked his gown in.

  Matt signaled, ‘Fourth guy in room 218?’

  Dave nodded. ‘Three and Five?’ Dave gestured.

  Matt shrugged.

  Dave gestured, ‘you cover this guy, I’ll go looking for the other guy.’

  Matt nodded.

  FOUR WAS IN 218. He didn’t want the baby. He didn’t want the mom. He’d tripped himself.

  She had a morphine pump going and was dead to the world, tied to the bed with more IVs and a catheter. He was going to walk out of there. He’d pretend not to resist, let them approach then take them when they surrounded him. He’d thought about taking the sleeping baby but that far he wouldn’t go.

  ‘Time to Rambo man.’

  Four left the room toward the stairwell, carrying a bundle of baby blankets. A scalpel hit him in the back of the neck.

  Lisa duc
ked out of sight near the equipment room.

  “Fuck! If I’m dead, you’re dead too, hero!” Four yelled.

  He pulled out the blade, pressed the baby blanket in his wound as he went looking for her.

  Matt fired and grazed his cheek as the guy ran toward the corner equipment room.

  As he rounded the corner, Lisa hit him across the windpipe with an IV pole then with a Marshall Arts maneuver, swept his legs out from under him. As he landed on his back, Lisa put the defibrillator paddles on his chest, made sure she was clear, then discharged 360J into his chest. He lay quivering, and bleeding heavily from his neck.

  Lisa pulled up his shirt applied contact gel to his bare chest, checked her clearance and jolted him again. She checked for and saw his inner wrist tattoo.

  “You fucking waste. You fucking traitor! Who’s dead now?” Lisa yelled.

  He looked into her eyes and smiled an ironic smile. He closed his eyes.

  “Oh, fuck you.” Lisa chambered a round in his gun and pressed the barrel to his temple as his smile grew. After he’d stopped quivering she checked his carotid for fifteen seconds.

  Nothing. “What I could have done with all your healthy organs…”

  A fifth guy fired on Lisa, grazing her shoulder. She and Matt fired back. Lisa pulled the guy on top of her to provide cover.

  “Fuck you too, you fucking dirt bag traitor! And to think I gave you aid and comfort in country! I take it all back!!”

  Five ran into the stairwell. Lisa and Matt gave chase. Matt gained on her then shoved her aside.

  “Lisa! I’ve got this! They need you here! You’re all they’ve got,” Matt said keeping up his stride.

  “Copy that. Just kill the fucker, will ya?”

  Lisa covered him as Matt ran into the stairwell. Then she ran back, checking their security and to look for Dave and Deedee.

  Five jumped down the center of the stairwell.

  Matt opened up shooting from above.

  Five returned fire as he opened the street door toward him.

  A firestorm of bullets caught him in the doorway.

  Five wasn’t expecting Cyle and Dale out there.

  Surprise was still on his face as he fell back, mortally wounded.

  “I’m hit! I’m hit!” Cyle cried from outside the exit door. A bullet caught Cyle in the arm.

  Matt stopped dead in his tracks, half a flight above the door watching, waiting.

  “Deputy here! Hal’s nephew, Matt. Hold your fire. Hold fire!” Matt called from above.

  “OK, OK!” Cyle and Dale shouted, their voices echoing in the stairwell, their quivering hands clutching their empty guns.

  Dale pulled out a snot rag and tied off Cyle’s wound.

  “Gross man! You just blew your nose in that thing.”

  “Buggers or bleed to death. Is there a choice here, man?”

  Matt shook their sweaty hands and checked Cyle’s wound.

  “Flesh wound. You’ll live. Good shooting Rambos! Reload. Take slow breaths. Your adrenalin is in high gear. But… be less trigger-happy and more positive next time. We don’t want friendly fire. Right?” Matt sighed, pissed at the close irony.

  Cyle and Dale smiles faded, as they realized Matt had been very lucky.

  Matt searched the body. This guy also had an inner wrist tattoo of a snake, but no ID. No watch. No phone. Burned off fingertips, and no labels.

  “Matt? It’s Dave.”

  “All clear.”

  Dave and Deedee ran down the stairs. Dave checked the body and the tattoo.

  “Traitors. What a waste. We’ve gotta find that redheaded bitch. There was a third guy who got away, looks like. Come on.”

  They went running to search for the redhead.

  Three was running through the forest in search of a car to hot wire. His backpack bouncing on his back. He came upon an old Volvo wagon and it was unlocked. He got it started and drove down the road above the hospital parking lot and pulled out of sight. He called a number on his cell and spoke in Russian.

  Peder answered.

  “Comrade. Alexei here. Mavra’s killed the Andersen family. I ruined all her explosives but she had backups. I knew she didn’t trust me, I told you. I could only plant one car bomb this morning. After I wait for her to run from the hospital unless she’s dead inside, if I miss her there, the bomb on the plane will finish her. I promise, Boss. I’m going to airport next to plant the bomb on her plane.”

  “Please kill the bitch, Alexei. Why couldn’t you just slit her throat? I taught you everything I know, yet you still deviate with your own plan and continue to fail! Kill her Alexei, or else don’t bother coming back, because fail again and I’ll kill you myself. Ever so slowly, my specialty. Out.”

  PEDER SIGHED and shook his head. He looked at the GPS tracker, it still showed Mavra was in the Mammoth Mountain hospital. He laughed. He had imagined her dead, her GPS earrings still sending its signal. He sighed, not wanting to give the bad news to the Boss.

  When he checked on Ivan, he was sleeping. The color in his cheeks was still gray. His O2 sats were 91%. He turned up his oxygen another liter and sighed again, glad he didn’t have to report they’d failed to stop the evil demon child.

  Peder’s other cell rang…

  ALEXEI WATCHED THE HOSPITAL LOT. He moved closer, determined to succeed. One thing he still kept from the Boss was, he hated blood. He’d do anything to avoid being close to it.

  OUT IN FRONT of the hospital, the black SUVs luckily still had their keys in both ignitions. Dave removed one set of keys, to flush them to the other SUV. The three of them waited for the perps in the bushes.

  “Good work soldier.” Dave whispered. He pointed to Deedee to stay.

  “You too, sir.” Matt smiled instantly back in the groove of combat.

  Within seconds the redheaded Mavra was running for the SUV. Dave and Matt crept forward. Deedee stayed like she was told.

  “You idiots took the keys?” Mavra said as she searched for them everywhere.

  Dave pulled her out of the car by the hair and put her in a chokehold. She maneuvered and got out of his hold and faced him.

  “You? The loner from the bar? Hey loner! Being a hero today?”

  “You won’t get away with this!” Dave screamed at her wanting to kill her where she stood.

  She laughed an evil laugh then said, “Whatever do you mean?”

  Dave grabbed her. She fought him, having defense training. She got in a solid punch to his groin. Dave hung in there. She kicked, twisted, then being tiny, she twisted out of his grasp.

  Matt pointed his gun at her. “You’re done lady, unless you’d like a third eye.”

  Mavra jumped back on Dave. Matt couldn’t fire on her now. As they sparred again, Dave heard a taser. Matt dropped to the ground, quivering.

  Mavra yelled at her rescuer, “Carlos! Kill these bastards! They can identify me!”

  “Shut up ma’am. They’re Vets. No more killing. Sorry man.”

  Carlos, the dark haired guy zapped Dave. Carlos threw her over his shoulder as Deedee flew at him from the bushes.

  “Do what I fucking tell you!” Mavra freaked, kicking Carlos in the gut.

  “We’re outta here or I leave you and you’re on your own!” Carlos dumped her in the SUV.

  “Carlos! Do what I fucking tell you…”

  Deedee heard the taser.

  Mavra was quiet.

  Deedee stood over Dave, growling at Carlos and took steps toward him as he got in the driver’s seat.

  “No. Stay!! Back! Back!” Carlos said to Deedee.

  Deedee took a step, barking viciously then stopped as Carlos sped off.

  Carlos caught sight of Alexei in a Volvo wagon holding a remote near the windshield.

  ‘Bomb’ he thought… milli-seconds passed. It had malfunctioned, as he pulled over, grabbed Mavra, threw her over his shoulder, tazed her again to keep her unconscious and ran with her on his shoulder, looking for a car to steal.

  Alexe
i watched them go. He drove on to the airport. By the time he’d finished planting this new bigger bomb, they’d arrive.

  Carlos watched for Alexei to find him but he hadn’t followed, which only meant one thing. He had a bomb on the rented plane. Carlos took the next car he saw, a Lexus SUV and threw Mavra in the back. He’d grabbed some liquid morphine out of the ER med frig and gave her an ounce. He wanted her asleep for the next few hours. He was committed to their contingency plan, drive north to June Lake, 25 minutes away and take plane number two from that airport, to a San Fernando private charter terminal where he’d have a jet waiting to fly them to sanctuary. Unless they’d closed the roads. So far they’d been too slow. But flying in presented problems too he’d work out en route.

  DAVE WOKE up to Deedee licking him. Matt was coming around. Hal and his team of deputies, former kids from his baseball teams helped Dave and Matt to their feet. Sheriff cars just arriving screeched out of the lot and gave chase.

  Inside, Hal, Dave and Matt checked out the five bodies which included the Cyle kill, a hit team all without IDs. Number Three was still in the wind.

  ‘The guy knew we were Vets. He was a Vet too, I’m sure of it.’

  “You were great and damn lucky. See you in the office. Come get deputized.”

  Dave nodded as he watched Hal and Matt go inside. Hal bordered on haggard.

  DESIREE’S SHOP BELL RANG. She turned to greet the new customer…

  PART TWO

  “The past is never dead. It’s not even the past.”

  -William Faulkner

  CHAPTER ONE -- BOGIES

  DAVE AND DEEDEE went back to their sanctuary in the Unit lounge. He needed time to relax. Scotti appeared just in time and doctored his taser site, kissed his forehead then went back to her never ending duties as House Sup.

  Dave shut the door and texted Mac. His hands were shaking, his adrenalin still high. Deedee climbed in her bed after a long drink, watching him.

  ‘Delayed, pushing ETA. Had a shoot out here. 5 of them dead, 3 escaped. Wheels up soon. I’ll text before we take off.’

  ‘Glad you gave ‘em the goods! B nice to get samples here b4 drug degrades.’ Mac texted.

  ‘All on ice. Depends on pilots and weather now. Out.’