“But, Rinpoche, on what else should one base his actions?” a listener asked. “Shouldn’t one act according to how one feels?”
“The bodhisattva bases his actions on compassion. If his action brings more loving kindness into the world, it should be taken. If not, the action is not worth the energy it consumes. Proper motivation is directed to reduce the amount of suffering of all beings.”
“Rinpoche, I have taken the bodhisattva vow,” said Richard. “I vowed to help all beings. But how?”
“You must reduce the suffering of all beings,” answered the lama.
“But most ways you try to help change the circumstances, but not the suffering. An alcoholic comes into a hospital, withdrawing from alcohol. You treat him, he feels better, and leaves. The first thing he does after leaving the hospital: he gets drunk. Or maybe he stays off the sauce, but then turns to drugs instead. Or he stays sober and straight and gets a job, but has to worry about keeping the job, the things his paycheck buys, and paying taxes. Suffering hasn’t been removed, only changed. Every life is full of suffering - except maybe someone who is truly enlightened. Just how can you help anyone? You can’t make them enlightened.”
“It truly is hard to help. One must simply try, and learn from their mistakes. It is said the best way to help is to become enlightened yourself. Then you will know how to help.”
Maybe Richard was just thick. Or maybe he was so far from being enlightened, he just couldn’t get it. Anyhow, he hadn’t found the conversation very illuminating.
. . .
Now he was with Alex and Emily, and he had no idea how he could help them. Some of the responsibility for Alex being involved, and probably Emily too, was his. He sat back in the seat and closed his eyes.
Relaxing, he allowed his mind to fall into a meditative state. This was easier than it had been at first – years of practice had its benefits. He made no effort to label, define, or find meaning in what he experienced - he didn’t focus on anything. Impressions ran through his mind and then left. He simply watched it happen. None of it had sharp edges, one sensation blended continuously into another. His mind was free of thought.
He heard Emily and Alex talking in the front seat. Listening to the conversation as if it were meaningless noise, he still reacted to it emotionally. Noting his feelings too, he judged none of it. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and reflected on what he felt. He liked and trusted them both.
Richard decided it was his duty to try to help these two people pass through what was going on with a minimum of trauma. He just had to figure out how. In the process, maybe he could find a way to get his own buns out of the fire, without leaving a trail of ash and smoldering embers.
. . .
At ten o’clock, they were parked at a rest stop. The three of them sat in the car as Emily dialed the FBI agent. She set the phone on “speaker” so they could all hear.
After three rings, a male voice answered in a mild southern drawl, “Hello?”
“Hi, honey. I picked up the kids. We’re on our way home.”
Richard and Alex exchanged confused looks.
“Okay, sweetie. I’m going to be a bit delayed tonight, I’m afraid. How about we go out to dinner? I can meet you and the kids at Chop Sticks – you know how they love Chinese food.”
“Maybe one day, they’ll learn how to use chop sticks.”
“Okay, I gotta go. I’ll see you… let’s say at seven?”
“Seven o’clock at Chop Sticks. We’ll see you there. Be careful.”
“You too. Bye.”
Emily took a deep breath and looked at Alex and Richard.
“What was that all about?” asked Alex.
“We have a code. You never know who’s listening. I told him I found you guys and you’re with me. I also told him that you didn’t know much. We agreed to meet at a prearranged place in Hoboken at seven tonight.” She stared off in the distance, then added, “There’s something else, too. He’s in some kind of trouble. We’re going to need to be careful.”
“How do you know he’s in trouble?”
“He called me ‘sweetie’. That’s code for danger.”
“I’ve had that premonition about being called sweetie, too,” mumbled Alex. “So, where’re we gonna meet in Hoboken?”
“Hoboken Hospital ER.”
“Of all places, why there?”
“We need to avoid surveillance cameras. Facial recognition software, while not perfect, is getting good. That means we need to stay away from public places - particularly in large cities. Hospitals are good, though not perfect, because of laws protecting the privacy of patients. We chose Hoboken because of the Mob. The hope is the powers-that-be will be concentrating on them and we can sneak under the radar.”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” said Alex. “Have you tried to avoid the police before?”
“Only my boss. Criminals taught us a lot.” Emily smiled at Alex. “I’m not sure what to expect, and I'm more than a little worried. Come here, I have something for you.” She opened the car door and went around to the trunk. Alex followed; Richard stayed in the car.
Emily opened the trunk and rummaged around for a moment. She produced a pistol and held it out to Alex. “Here. This is yours.”
Alex looked at the gun, puzzled. “What do you mean, mine?”
“I took it out of your plane before you showed up. It was in the back.”
Alex was confused for a moment. “Oh yeah, now I remember. I picked it up when the cop dropped it at my house. I’d forgotten about it.” Alex took the pistol and hefted it.
“The fact you didn’t reach for it when we were in the hangar was one of the things that reassured me you’re genuine. So does the fact you’re not pointing it at me now.” She held out her other hand. In it were several bullets. “You’ll need these.”
“What for? You’re not going to ask me to shoot at people, are you? I’m a doctor sworn to take care of people. This thing hurts people.” He stared doubtfully at the weapon.
“I don’t know what’s in front of us.” She looked directly into Alex’s eyes. “I may need your help.”
Alex’s shoulders slumped and he sighed heavily. “Okay, show me how to load and use this thing. Just don’t call me sweetie.”
Chapter Nine
“Are you sure you want that?” asked Richard as he leaned over the back of the front seat and looked at the pistol in Alex’s lap. They were back on the road, Emily driving, heading north once again.
“I’m sure I don’t. But I guess I have to,” said Alex.
“By taking that,” Richard jerked his chin toward the gun, “you’ve made it nearly certain you’ll use it.”
“I know, dammit,” said Alex. “What do we do now, Emily? We have, what, just short of nine hours ‘til we meet Doug? How do we stay out of the clutches of the cops ‘til then?”
Emily took a moment to answer. “Let’s find a place where we can hole up tonight and store some food; somewhere not too far from where we’re to meet, yet far enough so we can lose whoever might follow. The hospital’s next to Church Square Park in Hoboken. Mmmm… Maybe somewhere in White Plains?”
“How about the car? Can they trace the car?” asked Alex.
“Not for a while. We had the foresight to take a stolen a car. You take one license plate from another car just like it and put it on back of the stolen car. The plates off the stolen car go to a third car as a decoy. If your plates get run, they’ll see it’s registered to a similar car. It should work for a while.”
“It seems you and Doug did a little more planning than you told us,” said Alex.
Emily smiled. “Success lies in contingency planning. This isn’t my first day, you know.”
“Are you sure you’re a cop?” asked Alex.
“I’m glad you’re with us,” said Richard.
. . .
It was six forty-five. They drove around the hospital and Church Square Park to get an idea of the surrounding are
a. The hospital was an L-shaped eight-story brick building. It stood off the southwest corner of the park near the center of town. The ER opened onto Willow Street which ran by the west side of the park. The park was two blocks square and had a gazebo, playgrounds, basketball courts, three memorials, public bathrooms, and lots of space under tall trees.
After parking in the Emergency Room parking lot, they walked through automatic doors into the waiting room. The room was large with upholstered chairs that had seen better days. On one side were two smaller rooms containing desks - Registration and Triage. The ER was full and noisy.
“Walk up to Triage and tell them why you want to be seen,” Alex said to Richard.
Emily gave him a questioning look.
“We do want to fit in, right? The fewer the questions, the better.” Turning back to Richard, he said, “Just don’t tell ‘em you have chest pain. We need to stay in the waiting room for a while.”
Richard went up to the triage desk and sat in the chair. Alex and Emily found two seats in the back and sat down, trying to look bored and inconspicuous. Earlier, after finding a motel in White Plains, Emily acquired much needed clothing for the three of them. They all changed into jeans and casual shirts and, they hoped, to the average observer, they looked like everyone else in the ER. Alex and Emily had on light jackets to cover the pistols they concealed at the small of their backs. Under her shirt, at the insistence of Alex, Emily wore her Kevlar. He argued it wouldn’t fit either him or Richard and, if things deteriorated, his plan was to hide behind her. After a few minutes, Richard came over and stood next to them.
“So, what’s your emergency?” asked Alex.
“Cough and sore throat, no fever.”
“Good choice. That should keep us here for a while.”
Emily looked around as if she were impatient with the waiting. “So far, so good. I don’t see anything alarming.” She said it just loud enough for the two men to hear.
Seven o’clock came and went and no Doug. Alex was beginning to think about what their next step might be when a white-haired man in a sport jacket walked in, holding his left arm.
“That’s him,” said Emily. “Just stay seated and let him come over to us.” She smiled at Doug and waved.
Doug came over to Emily and bent over as if to kiss her on the cheek. “We have to leave. Now. They’re on to me,” he whispered just loud enough for Alex to hear too. “I’ve been able to shake them for the moment, but they’re not far behind. They know my car, we’ll use yours. Richard and I will leave first and get the car. You and Alex follow after a couple of minutes. Go toward the park, we’ll pick you up.” He nodded to the two men.
Doug grabbed Richard’s arm, took the keys Emily held out to him, and moved to the door. They left and walked in the direction of the car.
Alex looked at Emily. “Did you see his arm? Is that some kind of code?”
“No, why?”
“He was supporting his left arm with his right. I think he’s been hurt. I don’t like this. It’s scaring the crap out of me.”
Emily looked at him closely. “I trust you’re used to being in emergency situations?”
“Yeah, in the ER where I’m trained to deal with what happens.” He thought for a moment and then added, “Most of the time.” He cleared his throat. “I’m over my head here.”
“You seem to be doing fine. Just follow my lead.”
A few more minutes passed. Emily was looking toward the door. She suddenly jerked her gaze away. “Shit! Don’t look! Two men just came in. They’re definitely not looking for health care, but they are looking for something. My guess is they’re either looking for Doug or you guys. Or both. If they’re police, they’re sure to recognize you. Your pictures are out on the wire. Keep your face turned away.”
Alex kept his face down. For a moment, he was in desperate thought. He took the pistol from his back and covertly put it beneath Emily’s jacket. “Put this with yours. Follow my lead.” Staggering toward the triage desk, he grasped at his chest. Careful to keep his back to the two newcomers and the door, he fell to the floor, breathing heavily. “Help me! My chest! I can’t breathe!” He looked at Emily and raised his eyebrows.
First taken by surprise, Emily quickly recovered. “Please, someone help my husband! He can’t breathe! Oh my god! Is he having a heart attack? Please someone help!” She came over to Alex, bent on one knee and looked up at the triage nurse, imploring her to take action. “Please someone help him. Now!” Her attention was focused on Alex, her back to the two men.
The triage nurse stood up and momentarily disappeared through a back door. “I need help out here!” she called. “We have a possible MI!” She reappeared shortly with a wheelchair. Emily sobbed as if out of control.
People appeared, gentle hands reached down and lifted Alex into the wheelchair. Alex was careful to stay bent over with his head against his chest to make it more difficult for anyone to get a good look at him. He let out a continuous moan with an occasional, “Oh, my chest,” and a gasping, “I can’t breathe.” Soon, he was being pushed through double doors into the ER proper. Emily followed beside him. “My wife!” He reached out a hand and grabbed Emily’s. “I want her with me.”
“I have to go with my husband.” Her expression was pleading with the triage nurse who was pushing the wheelchair.
“Alright, come with us. Just stay out of the way.”
Another nurse appeared next to the wheelchair. “Room 6.” She looked down at Alex and started asking questions. “Where’s the pain?”
Alex indicated the middle of his sternum.
“When did it start?”
“Twelve hours ago. It comes and goes.” He sized up the ER. It was large, with rooms opening off the hallway they were now going down. They were headed for an open bay that had several gurneys with cardiac monitors and other equipment. Down the hall in front of them was a closed door. He watched a young woman swipe a plastic badge over a black block hung on the wall and the door opened automatically. The badge was attached to her scrubs by a string and clip.
Behind him, at the door they just entered through, he could hear some commotion. “I’m sorry, sir, you can’t go in there,” someone said.
“We’re police officers.”
“Can I see some ID? And I don’t care who you are, you’re not going in there with guns!”
Alex felt he had to act fast. He couldn’t wait to be tied down by IV lines, monitor electrodes and oxygen tubing. Keeping hold of Emily’s hand, he stood up and, with his other hand, grabbed the badge off the nurse standing next to him. In one swift movement, he unclipped it from her scrubs and lurched forward toward the back door, pulling Emily after him.
The nurse stepped back in surprise. “What are you doing?” she cried. “Come back here! You can’t leave! You could be having a heart attack. You could die!”
Alex swiped the badge over the block, stepped through the door, pulled Emily after him, and forced the door closed again. He looked down the hall and started running to the right. “This way!” he said.
“You can let go of my hand now,” said Emily as they paused at a fork in the hallway.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to lose you.” Alex looked both ways and moved to the left. “This way, the stairs.” Up ahead was a door with a sign showing it led to a stairway.
“That was quick thinking,” Emily said between panting breaths. “You seem to be doing alright.”
“I’m in my element here.” He took the stairs two at a time. “It’s out there that worries me.”
“Here, take this back.” Emily pushed Alex’s pistol into his stomach when they reached the bottom of the stairs. “Where to now?”
Alex made a face and put the gun in his belt at his back. He peeked out the door to the stairwell. “Left.” He started running again. “The morgue. It should be… here.” A clearly marked sign hung above a nondescript door. “There should be an elevator somewhere close.” He took a few steps down the hall. Looking aroun
d a corner, Alex saw it. “This way,” he said as he made for the door. He pushed the call button. “This is how they take the bodies up to the hearses.” He was breathing heavy.
There was a commotion down the hall around the corner they just came from. “Uh-oh,” said Alex. He pushed the call button again. There was a “ding” and the elevator doors slid open. Stepping inside, he pushed the ground floor button. Just as the doors began sliding closed, he saw a man rounding the corner.
“There they are!” the man shouted. There were the sounds of two explosions and the thunk of bullets hitting the closing elevator doors. Alex and Emily crouched and moved well behind the doors.
“Oh shit!” said Emily. “That’s one of the men from the ER!”
“I can’t believe they’re shooting off guns in a hospital!”
“Yeah. I bet they’re not really cops.”
The doors opened on the ground floor and Alex looked around quickly. “This way.” He ran toward a pair of doors that opened out onto a loading dock. “This is it. Let’s go!” Outside, they found themselves in one corner of the parking lot. They could see the park in the early evening light off to their left. “Your turn. This is your territory,” said Alex.
“Toward the park,” said Emily, “but don’t run. We don’t want to attract attention. We don’t know who else is around.” They jumped off the loading dock and walked quickly, but not too hurriedly, toward the northeast.
“How'd you know where to go in there? You haven't been here before, have you?”
The Devil's Vial Page 9