by Joe Corso
“I’d like for you to take a little trip with me, Lucky,” he said. “There is someone, Vlad Koros, to be exact, who would like to meet with you.”
So there it was – no deception, no beating around the bush. Karl had just come right out with it.
“The sooner the better. Either tomorrow or the day after, for departure.” The man was confident if nothing else – a great quality for a rip-your-guts-out-and-not-think-twice-about-it type killer.
Lucky played right along.
Well now, Karl,” Lucky said, “I’ll need some time to think about this.”
Lucky sat back, analyzed Karl’s every move, looked off in the distance for a moment and turned his head directly toward Karl. After an almost uncomfortable amount of time had passed, Lucky suddenly announced, “Okay, let’s do it.”
“Let’s do what?” Karl asked.
“Let’s go ahead and make this little trip and get it over with.”
“Okay,” Karl said, trying to contain the surprise at Lucky’s response without protest. It was all a bit too easy.
“One question, though,” Lucky interrupted, “are those two guys coming with us or will they be spending the night holding up that bar?”
Karl laughed.
“No, no need. They work for a firm we sometimes use. You know,” Karl added, “I am so glad that we came to an agreement so efficiently. I like you Lucky and it is so much nicer when things remain clean, nonviolent, don’t you think?”
“Okay,” Lucky said annoyed by this last remark, “let’s get a few things straight. I’m coming with you because I’m curious as to what Koros wants with me. I am not a man who frightens easily. Had I not agreed to come, you and ten other guys could not have forced me to. Surely, you must know that Karl. It’s all in my file.”
Karl laughed and nodded.
“Well, let’s just say, Lucky, that I like a challenge, but . . . . I’m glad that we didn’t have to put that to the test.”
“Good,” Lucky answered, “as long as we understand each other. Now, let’s get this jet on the road. I have other business to tend to and I prefer to get this over with quickly. And in anticipation of making this trip, both Mickey and I came prepared. So as soon as you get your pilot at the ready, we’re ready.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Karl replied.
The three men settled comfortably into the cushiony chairs aboard the plush aircraft. Champagne bubbled and hissed its way into the glasses. Caviar with toast points was being served by a bevy of curvaceous flight attendants. This was the life.
Chapter Thirteen
The emergency room, like most hospital rooms, was plain, lacked warmth. There were areas of six beds to a grouping, separated by the typical emergency room curtains that slide on rails, dividing one cot from the next. Patients fill the area until those requiring more medical attention were either whisked away to other testing rooms or assigned overnight stays in what were the typical semi-private rooms.
One particular patient, however, was in a private room, one of two normally reserved for celebrities or other high profile individuals. Thinking ahead, Mickey had ordered flowers as an attempt to brighten the surroundings. The nurse attending the female patient diligently worked to complete her notes and finished her checklist by taking the patient’s pulse. “Normal”, she said, as she gently placed the Princess’s hand back onto the bed. Moments later, the doctor entered and picked up the chart at the foot of the bed. Oddly, there was no name listed on the paperwork, something that had not gone unnoticed by the nurse.
“Her fever has broken, Dr. Silva,” the nurse said. “Temperature is normal but
X-rays show a severe abscess in her lower jaw. She also has several cavities. What are your instructions?”
“Let’s have a dentist examine her, Ms. Meyers,” the doctor answered. “Call downstairs and ask them to have Dr. Richmond look at her. She’ll be here a few days and when she leaves, not only do I want her health to be perfect, but I’d like for her teeth to be as well. Keep her on the meds. Under no circumstances is she to regain consciousness. I’ll be back to check on her a little later.”
Alice Meyers was a consummate professional. “The Compound” didn’t take just anybody. In order to make it to this level of clearance and security, one had to be academically gifted and psychologically sound. Workers here were generally taught not to question things and to go about business by simply following directions as issued them. While the nurse was happy that the dental specialist would examine the girl, she also knew that this degree of attention was a bit outside the box when it came to normal procedure. This patient had to be someone special – this young woman who arrived dressed in the funny clothes, looking as though she had just come from a costume party before falling ill.
The nurse moved to the computer in the corner, logged on, and began checking the hospital admittance forms, one by one, searching for anything that might identify the girl. There was nothing there other than a “Jane Doe” whose registered arrival time matched, almost to the minute, that of this patient. In fact, there was nothing at all, period, in Jane Doe’s record – rare for even an agency as highly secretive as this. To be assigned an alias was one thing, but to have no name and no medical history, was unusual. Someone, somewhere, had to know something about the woman else it would be impossible to treat her efficiently. The nurse’s curiosity was most certainly stirred now.
Back at the nurses’ main office, Ms. Meyers found a quiet area and resumed her search. For hours through the night, Alice dug, checked, referenced, and cross-referenced each patient in the system. This was a specialized place, this company compound, so making her way down the list was not as difficult a task as it may have been at a larger city hospital. Still, there was no information on this young woman, anywhere. The nurse exhausted herself. Relentless in her efforts, the following morning Ms. Meyers knocked on the door of her supervisor, Joan Sutherland, and asked if she might have the records for the woman in the hospital’s executive suite. The supervisor clicked into her computer, clicked some more, and fell silent. Alice stood patiently until Sutherland looked up at her.
“Ms. Meyers, why don’t you return to your patients and I’ll catch up with you in a while after I’ve completed a few business matters?” she directed the nurse more than asked.
“Of course,” Alice answered and she turned and left the office.
Joan Sutherland gave Alice enough time to clear the hallway and then began walking toward the elevator. She pressed the fourth floor button and exited to the left, walking all the way to the end until she reached Room 405, the office of her director, Jack Kinsey. Sutherland approached his secretary and asked that she have a moment with the director. The secretary buzzed her boss’s office, answered yes, and then escorted Joan into Kinsey’s office.
What an impressive office. It seemed that no matter how many times she visited, there was always something new to see. The place seemed to be a source of calm for her. There was something about it – the color scheme, the artwork, the light – that normally always made her want to stay. But not today. Today was different. Her mind was focused on information, information that she and her staff needed in order to properly administer medications and perform their jobs according to medical protocol and agency requirements. She took a seat directly opposite him and wasted no time.
“Mr. Kinsey,” she said, “we have a woman, a young woman, to be exact, in the hospital with a priority designation but there is no record of her anywhere.”
Kinsey just looked at her and smiled.
“Joan,” he said, “I was wondering how long it would take before you came barging through my door.” He smiled but there was nothing funny about it to her.
“Well, then you have your answer,” she replied, “and if that was the case, why didn’t you try to ward off this little visit and alert me?”
Joan didn’t take too kindly to being caught off guard. It made her look incompetent and incompetence was not a word she relish
ed.
“Now Joan, calm down,” Kinsey said.
“May I ask, then, Mr. Kinsey, her name and designation?”
Kinsey was silent just long enough for the supervising nurse to start getting a little nervous thinking that perhaps she had overstepped her boundaries by being so forward, by asking questions in such a direct manner. Kinsey looked at the supervising nurse.
“Supervisor Sutherland, this woman will be with us for two, three days at the most, at which time she will be taken from here and returned to her home. Who she is and where she’s from, is of no concern to anyone. Let’s just say that she is the daughter of royalty and we are restoring her health as a favor to her father. What I’ve just told you, like everything else here at the Compound, is extremely confidential and should be of no concern to anyone else. You now know more than most of the staff and I expect it to remain that way. Do you understand Mrs. Sutherland? Any leaks will warrant strong, no . . . let me rephrase that . . . severe, severe disciplinary action.”
Joan Sutherland just sat there and stared, a bit speechless at first until speechless turned to defiance. She wasn’t accustomed to being shut out of anything that related to patients and medical information. Still not completely satisfied with the answer, she pursued the topic even further.
“Excuse me, Director, but why is helping a young lady recuperate top secret?”
“We have our reasons, valid reasons – ones that do not require further discusion.”
Then in a softer voice he said, “Work with me on this Joan. It is extremely important and only for a few more days. There may come a time or day that I’ll be able to share more information but for now, suffice it to say that her status is that of VIP.”
Joan nodded and answered, “Understood, Mr. Kinsey,” as she rose from her chair and exited his office. She headed down the hall toward the elevator. All the way there and while on the elevator, and subsequently on the walk back to her office, she replayed his words. She had left the Director’s office more confused than before her visit. Who was this girl, this member of royalty? And why must helping a young lady regain her health remain a national secret? As she walked back to her post, she thought of what she could tell Alice, the nurse who had brought this to her attention.
It didn’t take long. Later that morning Alice Meyers walked into her office.
“Well? What did you find out?”
Choosing her words carefully, Sutherland said, “I can’t talk about this case or this patient. I can tell you that she is an important person and will be here for a few more days before going home.”
“Where is home and what’s her name?” Alice continued.
“Don’t know and I was told it was hands off. No further discussion on the subject. And I might add one more thing for your benefit. You are a very good nurse, you care about people, and you get great enjoyment from helping people recover, but you are also inquisitive and in this case, this could lead to trouble. Alice, do not ask me any more questions about this girl and don’t talk about her to anyone. It could mean your job.”
Meyers was stunned. Her face said it all. She fell silent not really knowing what to say. This was a most unusual case, this young woman so shrouded in secrecy.
“The Director was dead serious about this,” Sutherland continued, “and he warned me to forget it. No, he ordered me not to go any further with this. He said that perhaps someday in the future he might tell me who she is, but not now.”
“Okay,” Alice answered slowly, and a bit sarcastically. “I will not ask you or anyone here another question about it, her, I mean, this is weird, but that’s okay,” she said as she grasped the doorknob to let herself out.
Alice Meyers thought about the strange conversation all morning. She had made up her mind.
Chapter Fourteen
The jet landed at Budapest airport where the two men easily cleared customs. Lucky figured that Karl must have some clout as no one was even asked any questions. It was just a nod, a stamp of the passport, and off they went. Just outside the terminal, a car and driver were waiting. As the driver placed the men’s luggage into the trunk, Lucky examined him – big barrel-chested man with a close-cropped haircut, definitely
ex-military, much more than a chauffeur. This guy Koros covered all his bases.
Their drive was fairly uneventful, with small talk here and there, but nothing of any consequence. The car made its way to a monstrous home perched on a hill. The men entered through the large doors into a room that was breathtakingly beautiful. Floor to ceiling windows provided a clear view to a waterfall at the end of a lagoon shaped swimming pool that had crooked trees sweeping down and up into the arch arching over it. Surrounding the pool was a myriad of flowers and plants of all colors and heights and large boulders strategically placed at different elevations that added not only height and dimension, but also character.
Karl gave the men a few moments to drink in the scene then asked the men to follow him. The driver followed behind with their luggage. Lucky figured that the bags would be searched for weapons or other suspicious items. The three men ascended a majestic stairwell and walked down a long corridor until Karl stopped, opened one of the doors, stepped into the room and with a sweep of his hand asked, “Is this not beautiful?”
“Yes, it sure is Karl,” Lucky said as he walked over to the large windows and peered down to the forest below and the city in the distance. The view was spectacular.
“Great, these are your rooms. One adjoins the other through this door. Now before I leave,” Karl said, “I must ask you for your weapons. Weapons are not allowed inside the castle.”
Lucky reached for his shoulder holster and slipped out his gun and handed it to Karl. Mickey followed suit.
“It looks like you Americans favor the 5.7,” Karl remarked. “I prefer the 9mm Makarov myself. Most of my compatriots use the Makarov. It is like an old friend. I would feel naked without it. Now, do you have any other weapons on you? A knife perhaps?”
Lucky shook his head no and Mickey, his faithful companion, said, “No.”
“No? Then I will take your word for it,” Karl answered. “Gentlemen, make yourselves at home. The shower is that way,” he said as he pointed down the foyer to his left.
“In this closet, there is evening wear for you Lucky, and your friend. You will find that the clothes fit perfectly. Your clothes face each other with your names on the racks. You, Lucky, are here on the left and you, Mickey, your clothes are on the right. Now, let’s walk this way for a moment,” he said as he motioned toward the wall opposite the windows. He walked over to a massive picture hanging on the wall where he stopped, slid his hand down the side of the frame, and pressed a button. The frame spun around a hundred eighty degrees and stopped, showcasing an all glass and chrome modern bar, fully stocked with every imaginable type of beverage, both alcoholic and non. The crystal and bottles glistened like diamonds as though they had been freshly polished just for Lucky and Mickey
“And if you need anything else,” Karl said, “just press nine on the phone and I will see that you get it. We have some beautiful women staying here. Should you get lonely tonight, let me know.”
“Geeze, I think I’m gonna like this place,” Mickey said. “Booze, broads and a fantastic view – what more can a man ask for?”
Both Karl and Lucky laughed. Karl made his way to the door.
“Dinner is at nine,” he added. “I will stop by for you then.”
For a while the men sat by the large window overlooking the magnificent foliage, sipping on cocktails and admiring the view. There were lights above and lights below. The stars were shining brightly above, almost as if trying to compete with the city’s lights below. From behind a small cloud, a full moon slowly emerged, doing its fair share to contribute to the light of the stars.
Mickey looked at Lucky.
“I hope old Vlad doesn’t take after the Impaler and turn into a vampire.”
Lucky huffed and bit and muttered, “Full moon
affects werewolves, not vampires. Old Vlad wasn’t a vampire. He was just a merciless bastard. The guy was a nut. Hope his current relative doesn’t take after him in any way. I might prefer Koros as a vampire instead of the megalomaniac he is. Bram Stoker, now he’s the one who started this whole vampire legend.”
Lucky leaned over and whispered to Mickey, “We’re probably being watched and recorded. Careful.”
“You got it. Already thought of that. Conversation will be all about fluff,” Mickey said in a low, low voice.
“Now let’s go pick out some of these fancy schmancy duds here. It’s been a while since I’ve been all formaled up,” Lucky said as he slapped his buddy on the arm.
The boys were standing, turning around and admiring themselves in the mirror, when the knock on the door came. Mickey opened it to find a smiling Karl, resplendent in tuxedo.
“It’s nine o’clock gentlemen. Are you ready for dinner?”
Mickey wanted to say that hell yes, he was ready for dinner and had been since six o’clock, but he held his tongue. He wasn’t used to eating so late.
The three men walked down the long corridor to an elevator. Once inside, Karl pushed the PH button, short for penthouse. When the elevator stopped, they saw a door open. It led them into a foyer to a gentleman standing before them named Fritz, the butler. How Fitz knew exactly when to open the door was a bit of a mystery. The men could have been detained for a while in their rooms for all he knew. At any rate, with a sweeping wave of his hand, he motioned the men inside to the opulent domicile.
The room was spacious. In the middle of the room, there was a desk, numerous video monitors and a multitude of computers in what appeared to be the command center. Karl guided them to the left to a large fireplace to a chair positioned in front of the flames, facing the fire, but with its back to the men. A man arose from his chair and turned toward them. It was Vlad Koros. He was dressed just as the other men, but with one addition – he was wearing a robe over his tuxedo and somehow, it didn’t look out of place. He stretched out his hand and smiled.