They proceeded down the road, each finally allowing themselves to breathe again.
“How’d the picture turn out, Scrappy?” Jerry joked.
Vicky looked at it and frowned, “Not even postcard quality.”
Exactly five miles from the border, just when Vicky and Jerry had begun to relax a little, Aidan swerved off the road, and headed parallel to Route Twenty. She drove exactly thirty minutes, then veered to the left, onto a little used trail. Only someone with good knowledge of the area, or in Aidan’s case, had a set of directions, and a good compass, would have ever found it. She drove exactly fifty-four minutes northeast, where the landscape changed from flat desert, to sand dunes, to more dense foliage, and finally to cliffs, jutting up on either side of a small, almost dried up riverbed.
It was next to one of those rock formations that Aidan pulled over, and stopped the truck. The team quickly dismounted, grabbed their gear, and covered the vehicle in a camouflage mesh. This was it. The last leg of the journey. They applied camouflage to their faces, hands, and any skin that might show, so they could blend in more, with the landscape.
***
The delay in operating on Leonard, frayed on Joyce’s nerves. Precious time was lost, time that she needed, to keep her plan of action on point. The last time something similar like this happened to one of her patients, their blood pressure spiked, causing more damage to the heart, and it ruptured before the patient could be put on bypass. The patient died. Joyce could not, would not allow that to happen to Vicky’s father.
The surgery team knew who the patient was related to, and everyone was more on edge, determined to go by the book on this one. But Joyce had thrown the book away years ago, and relied more on her instincts. She had earned the reputation of being a surgeon who flew by the seat of her pants. Some techs didn’t like doing surgery that way. Perhaps if they knew of her outstanding record, instead of just her reputation, they’d be more willing to follow her lead.
She worked fast to get Leonard’s heart on bypass, so she could get at the damaged muscle, but as the heart stopped, and the blood began to pool around the cavity, Joyce sloshed her fingers around the heart, trying to find something.
“More suction here, I can’t see a damn thing.” The nurse inserted the suction tube, and it inhaled the pool of blood, sending it through the tube, and away from the heart. But it didn’t help Joyce. “Shit! I can’t find it.”
“Find what, doctor?”
“The blood clot. I know there’s another one under here. I can feel it.
“I don’t understand. If you can feel it, then what’s the problem?” The charge nurse was not intimidated by Joyce’s fame, and that was exactly what Joyce needed in her surgery.
“No. I can feel it in my head. Damn it, where is it? I need everyone to be absolutely still, absolutely quiet.” Joyce looked at the perfusionist on the bypass machine, and said, “When I tell you, go off pump.”
“But doctor, that’s not standard procedure. We just got him on bypass, what if—”
Joyce didn’t have the time or the patience to mollycoddle to the staff. “Damn it! This is not a debate, son. Do it, or get me someone in here who will. Understand?”
“Understood. But I will have to put this in my report.”
“Just make sure you spell my name correctly. All right, everyone else, no one move, talk or breathe.” She nodded at the perfusionist. “Turn it off.” He did as he was told, and Joyce put her ear to Leonard’s exposed heart. “Sometimes what you can’t see, you can hear.” Her eyes moved back and forth, as if trying to zero in on the clot. “Yep, there it is. And what you can hear, you can feel. Blood clots can make a sound all their own, even this tiny one, but it’s damn hard to hear them.” She used her hand to feel her way. “Found the son of a bitch. If it had moved a fraction of inch to the right, it would have plugged up the pseudoaneurysm, and all hell would have broken lose.”
“That was fantastic doctor.” The rotating nurse exclaimed, “Even better than when you saved President Trenton.”
“Oh, shit, that was you?” The perfusionist’s cheeks turned a bright crimson, “Damn, I’m sorry I mouthed off.”
“Never be sorry for speaking up on what you perceive to be wrong,” Joyce said to him, then continued, “All right, let’s get that clot out, and put him back on the pump. We’ve got to go after that rupture, and repair the damage. Somebody break scrubs, and let the family know it will be a while longer.”
***
“Mrs. Montgomery. I’m here to lend support, if you need it. Though it looks like you have plenty of support already.” The Priest shifted his Bible, so he could introduce himself to the others.
“Oh, thank God. We thought… well never mind. Thank you for coming Father. My name is Yvonne. Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll take mine black, please.”
Ruth noticed that Alice had left the room. She told Maddie that she would be right back, then went into the adjoining patient room, where Leonard would be brought back to, after surgery. She found Alice making the bed. Ruth closed the door to give her sister some privacy.
“Uh, sis. Don’t forget the hospital corners.” Ruth knew her sister needed something to do, to keep her mind distracted.
“What’s taking so long?” Alice tucked in the fitted sheet, and said to Ruth, “Why won’t they tell us something?”
“I’m sure someone will let us know, as soon as they can.” Ruth watched her sister pace back and forth.
“They just came in, and yanked him out of his bed. Why did they do that, Ruth?”
“It was doctor’s orders. When his b/p was low enough, he’d be taken back to surgery.”
Though Alice knew that was going to happen, it only served to make her more agitated when she watched it happen. She stripped the bed, and began making it again.
“Alice, calm down. It’s going to be all right. Vicky’s friend dropped everything to fly down here from New York, to help out. You should be grateful.”
“I am. I am grateful, it’s just that she’s a…”
“A what? A lesbian? Well so am I. So is your daughter. So what? Get over it already.”
“Actually, I was going to say she’s a Yankee.”
“A Yankee? Seriously?”
“Wait. What? Oh my God. Did you just say that you’re a lesbian too?”
“Don’t start Alice. This is not the time.”
“You started it, damn it.”
Both women’s nerves were frayed, and they were looking for any excuse to distract themselves from what was really bothering them, even if it meant quarreling. And the fact that they were sisters, fueled the fire. But then there came a knock on the door, and Ruth answered it.
“Excuse me. Is the family of Leonard Montgomery here?”
“I’m his wife. What’s going on? Are you his nurse?”
“No ma’am. I’m the circulating nurse in his surgery. Dr. McMillan asked me to give you a report. Mr. Montgomery has had a few complications that the doctor must work through. One of them being a blood clot. But she has taken care of that, and now she will begin repairing his heart, barring any more complications.
“What kind of complications?” Alice moved closer to Ruth, who wrapped her arms around her.
“We’re still having trouble keeping his blood pressure stable. But I assure you, Dr. McMillan is doing everything she can. She asked me to let you know that it will take some time, so try not to worry.”
“Thank you.” Ruth thought it was ludicrous for her to tell them not to worry, but bit her lip to keep from voicing her opinion.
“Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Please. Tell Dr. McMillan that I appreciate all she’s doing, and that I am praying for her.”
“Yes ma’am, I will. And as soon as we know any more, someone will let you know.”
“Thank you so much.”
The nurse left the room, and the two sisters went back into the living area togethe
r. Alice busied herself getting a cup of coffee, and Yvonne helped her. There were a few extra people in the room, and they gathered in the corners, whispering their conversations, so as not to disturb anyone.
Ruth looked around at all the worried faces, and suddenly began to feel claustrophobic. “I need to get some air,” she announced. “Yvonne, would you please call me if you hear anything? I won’t be gone very long.”
“No problem, Ruth. Be glad to.”
***
They hiked in silence, using the hand signals they were taught in training, to communicate. On two separate occasions, Aidan gave the signal to stop and squat. Vicky and Jerry immediately squatted close to the ground, and listened. For what, they weren’t sure of. The sounds in the desert were vastly different from the sounds they were used to hearing in the city, and every strange noise they heard, made them even more cautious. Vicky thought, Lord, what I wouldn’t give to hear rush hour traffic, right about now.
On one of those occasions, Aidan gave the signal for insurgents, and pulled her knife from its sheath. Jerry and Vicky did the same, and knelt close to the ground, beside her. Aidan had heard a voice in the distance, and after a moment, more voices could be heard, carried across the desert sand on the arid wind. The enemy was too far away for them to make out what they were saying. The three held their breath, for what seemed like hours, while Vicky put her hand to her heart, fearing its pounding would give away their position. Finally, the sounds faded away. Aidan gave the signal to continue, but she walked very slowly and stealthily, for a long time. The other two followed her lead.
Forty-five minutes later, they arrived at the base of the cliff that they would need to scale, in order to come up behind the compound, and still be hidden from view. It would not be an easy climb to the top, as most of the rock was shear face, with loose sand blowing across it. Footing would be their main concern, so the three tethered themselves to each other with a rope, leaving a large enough gap for maneuverability.
Aidan led the way, followed by Vicky, and Jerry brought up the rear. Just as they were about to reach the top of the rock, Jerry slipped on the sandy surface, and lost his footing. As he slid down, the momentum of his weight pulled Vicky down with him, until she could grab a hold of a sliver of rock with both hands. She held tight, thanking the Drill Sergeant for her new found strength, until Jerry regained his footing, and climbed up to her,
“Are you okay?” he whispered. She nodded her head, but he noticed the blood on her right hand, “Oh, shit”
Vicky whispered for him to get the first aid kit out of her backpack. She cleaned and bandaged her wound, and smiled at Jerry as if to say, good as new. Then she gave the thumbs up to Aidan, and the three continued their ascent.
Finally reaching the summit, the team laid on their stomachs, peering over the edge. It was still light enough to see that below them was a small house, with what appeared to be probably four rooms inside, and an all-terrain truck parked in front of it. Jerry tapped Aidan on the arm and held up one finger, indicating he saw one person below. Aidan shook her head, held up two fingers, and pointed to her left. The man was walking over to a woman wearing a hijab on her head. The rest of her clothes were western style, consisting of a long sleeve white shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. When the girl turned her head to the left, Aidan could just make out a sprig of blonde hair, peeking out from under her head dress.
There, hanging clothes on a line, stood Samantha Jane Vincent, Aidan’s first fiancée, and at one time, she thought, the love of her life. When she realized that was indeed Sam, she jerked around and laid on her back, taking a sharp breath. The memories of her life with Sam, crashed down on top of her. Jerry looked at Vicky, who shrugged and looked over at Aidan. She whispered, “Is that her?”
Nodding her head, Aidan collected herself, and took out the glare free binoculars. She focused the binoculars on the house below. Seeing Samantha clearly now, Aidan thought she was nothing more than a walking skeleton wearing a hijab. The man looked to be in his mid-forties. He also wore blue jeans and a western shirt. She didn’t see a weapon on him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have one nearby.
It was Jerry’s turn to look through the binoculars, and he focused on the truck. It was an old truck, that had seen better days. Though it was built for the desert, Jerry could tell it didn’t have the muscle their four by four had. They’d catch us, for sure, in that old jalopy.
He handed the glasses over to Vicky, who could see Samantha’s face clearly, when the woman turned around to walk into the house. Moving her gaze down, she suddenly stopped, My God, she’s pregnant! Vicky realized the impact this could have on the mission, and pulled Aidan down so she could whisper, “Aidan, she’s pregnant. She’s about six, maybe seven months along.”
Shocked, Aidan growled under her breath, “Shit! That complicates things for us.” A pregnant woman, in this terrain, was going to be problematic in their escape. Aidan motioned for the other two to follow her, as she slid her way back down, to a plateau in the rocks.
“Damn it, this changes the plan. Sam is pregnant, and there’s only one way in or out.” Aidan’s eyes darted back and forth, contemplating her next move. “So Jerry, I want you and Vicky to stay here, and keep watch. I’ll go down there tonight, and slip Sam out, hopefully while everyone else is asleep.”
Jerry protested, “No, you don’t know how many are actually in that house, you need backup.”
Though she knew what he said made sense, the risk was too great. Even after all that training, and all that heartbreak because of it, Aidan was not about to leave Vicky all alone, literally hanging off a cliff, and there was no way she could risk letting her go down there. For a fleeting moment, she had to admit to herself, how right the Commander and Drill Sergeant had been. But it was just too dangerous, because Samantha would slow them down considerably. So Aidan countered with, “Sam will know me, she’ll follow me, but she doesn’t know you two, and your presence might set her off. No, it’s safer this way. I’ll get in and out, just as quick as I can.”
Jerry relented, but with a caveat, “There’s no way she can climb these cliffs, so you’d better hijack their old truck. It’s a piece of junk, but you can drive it around to the four by four, and we’ll be waiting for you.”
Aidan agreed, “That’s a good idea Jerry, thanks.”
But Vicky wasn’t as convinced, “What? Now wait just a damn minute. You’ll be down there all alone, and we’ll be way over there, waiting in the get-a-way car? No, I don’t think so. Why the hell did I go through that training, all that emotional shit, just to come all this way so I could wait in the truck? That’s just ludicrous.”
Aidan felt trapped again, something she loathed. “I don’t know what else we can do, Vick, it’s the safest way.”
Vicky’s mind was reeling with desperation and anger, “Safest way? For who? Me? Well to hell with that. I didn’t go through all this, so you can go in there by yourself, against everyone’s advice. My father would tell you to your face, that’s bullshit, Aidan Cassidy, and you know it.” Vicky had long since left her business suit at the office. Because of her training, not only did her physical stance toughen up, but her mental attitude roughened up, as well. “You’re the fucking strategy expert, think with your head, not with your heart, damn it.”
Aidan hated to admit it, but Vicky was right. She had to come up with a better plan, that would insure everyone got out alive. She wanted Jerry’s strength as her back up, but then, didn’t want to send Vicky hiking back to their truck, all alone in the desert.
“Okay, what about this. I’ll go down with you, Vick, and Jerry can go get the four by four. While I’m inside getting Sam, you disable the truck, so they can’t follow us. That way you’ll be close by, incase Samantha needs medical attention.” Aidan could only hope that they didn’t have weapons, and wouldn’t get by her, if they did. “What do you guys think?”
Vicky and Jerry both agreed, and gave their thumbs up. The team would wait until midni
ght, local time, before they made their move. Jerry would leave first to retrieve the truck. It would take him about forty-five minutes to walk there, and fifteen to twenty minutes to drive back. It needed to be timed so that as soon as Aidan pulled Samantha out of that house, Jerry would arrive with the truck, and they could escape, before the enemy could mount a counter defense. That left Vicky and Aidan with a lot of time to sit, and wait on the rocks.
***
Ruth walked down the hallway to the main elevators, and pushed the down button. As she waited, Maddie walked up beside her.
“Thank you for coming up Maddie. That was really sweet of you.”
“Well, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I figured since I was crying anyway…”
Ruth’s eyes welled up.
“Oh, my God. Oh no. I’m so sorry. I just wanted to make you laugh, not cry.”
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Ruth waited until the car emptied out, then she and Maddie got on.
“You didn’t make me cry Maddie. You made me laugh.”
“You have a funny way of laughing, I must say.”
“I was so grateful for your sense of humor, that it relieved my stress enough I could cry. You know, I hate to cry in front of people, just hate it.”
“I can imagine. A strong woman like you, it must be hard.”
“I… uh…” Ruth blushed. She wanted to say something profound, but nothing came to mind.
They walked quietly, out of the elevator and out the front door. The sun was bright, the birds were chirping, and the flowers were budding. Neither of them said a word as they walked down to the new water fountain in front of the Center for Health Education. The water fountain was rebuilt after the building had been blown up, and was dedicated to those lives lost in the blast. Ruth found comfort in the water’s sparkling spouts, and sat down beside it.
“I guess you know by now, that I’m the aunt of the CEO?”
“Oh, yes, I know. I feel so bad for her, not able to be here right now.”
Remember, It’s You I Love: Operation Pink Knight Page 19