“Boy, Sean, you’re going to get it.” Ryan looked genuinely worried.
“Why?”
“Because you didn’t follow her instructions completely.”
Dr. Randall spoke up. “Ryan, where is she?”
They led him into the cabin, to where Eliwese was sleeping. Her fever still raged.
“How is she?” Sean asked Ryan.
“You see it.” He pointed in her direction. “Well, first she wrote a bit in a tablet, and then she slept the rest of the time.”
Dr. Randall glanced around the room at all the strange items haphazardly strung around as he walked over to her bedside. He inspected her bullet wounds carefully and poked her stomach softly. With his stethoscope, he listened to her heart and lungs, with his thumb he opened her eyelids and flashed a small light in her eyes. He put his hand on her forehead and then moved it to her cheek; he turned to Sean and Ryan with a grim expression and walked out of the room motioning them to follow.
“My educated guess is a severe infection in her abdomen and possibly a punctured intestine from the bullet. Her lungs are collecting water. Basically, I feel she will die if we don’t get her to a hospital soon. I need to surgically clean that wound and investigate the extent of the injury.”
“I don’t know. If we don’t meet her father in a day and a half, we may never see Mom and Lyndee again. If we took her to the hospital now, would she be healed in time?” Ryan asked.
“No, but if we do nothing, she will be dead in a day and a half and you lose all hope of getting anyone back.”
“Let me go talk to her about it,” Sean said.
He went back in the room and put his hand on her shoulder and wiggled her slightly to wake her. She didn’t wake up. He placed his hand on her forehead and called her name. She still did not stir. Sean shook both her shoulders and called more loudly, still she slept.
“Doctor!” Sean hollered into the other room.
He came in followed by Ryan.
“I can’t wake her.”
Dr. Randall assessed her. “Make your decision now.”
“Can you keep her safe?” Sean asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Fine, let’s do it.”
“Grab her IV bag, Ryan. Sean, pick her up and bring her to my vehicle.” Dr. Randall instructed them and he grabbed a couple of blankets.
They loaded her in and before leaving Sean suddenly said, “Ryan, go get the laptop and two of the copies. Lock the third in the vault.”
Ryan seemed frustrated he hadn’t thought of it himself and jumped out of the car.
A few minutes later, he came out carrying a few things. “I grabbed the tablet she wrote in while you were gone.” Ryan handed it to Sean.
Sean sat in the seat with Eliwese curled up on his lap, the same as when they would sit in the bathtub. He held the tablet with one hand and Ryan found the page she’d written on.
“What are you reading, Sean?” Dr. Randall asked looking in the rear view mirror.
“She wrote some notes earlier tonight. It’s the basic rundown of her plan. Looks like we’re not in the dark anymore,” Sean said. “Oh… no!”
“What is it, Sean?” Dr. Randall was alarmed at Sean’s tone.
“The last thing she wrote said this: If I die before the blackmail meeting, bluff my father into thinking I’m tucked away safe somewhere and you’ll only reveal my whereabouts once you have your mother and Lyndee. Once you secure them, release the video to the press and take him down for me. Thank you, for everything.”
Sean handed the tablet back to Ryan, who read it through. Sean cradled Eliwese with both arms and held her close to him down the bumpy road. He rolled his window down to let in the cool night air in the hopes of cooling her fever and she began to tremble uncontrollably.
“Sean and Ryan, I’ve been working on a top secret project that will be perfect for this situation. You’re going to have to trust me on this. I am calling an ambulance to meet us up the road and they will transfer her to the secure medical facility.”
Sean glanced over at Ryan and held Eliwese tightly as they rounded a sharp curve. Dr. Randall called someone on his cell phone and as he’d stated, a few miles up the road, an ambulance was waiting for them. They all transferred inside except for Dr. Randall who drove his vehicle behind them.
Sean recognized the driver as a friend of his father’s, although he didn’t remember his name. The ambulance didn’t have its lights or siren on, which Sean thought was probably a good idea and the interior lights were also dimmed.
The ambulance arrived at the ambulance shed and backed into the parking bay. Sean was confused as to why they weren’t at the hospital. Dr. Randall opened the back door.
“Hurry now, follow me,” Dr. Randall gestured.
Sean carried the still unconscious Eliwese with Ryan following close behind with the IV bag. They followed Dr. Randall down some stairs and through a few doors. They entered a small storage room with many shelves. Sean watched with a puzzled mind as Dr. Randall lifted a few canisters exposing a hidden door to the left.
The room looked exactly like an operating room at a real hospital, fully equipped with all the bells and whistles. Dr. Randall instructed Sean to place Eliwese on the operating table as four more people entered the room wearing scrubs and masks.
“You two need to leave now.” Dr. Randall motioned toward a different door.
Ryan turned to leave but Sean stood still.
“She’s my crosser, doctor. I want to stay. Please, can I stay?”
Dr. Randall thought for a second and then looked at one of the nurses.
“Get him scrubbed in.”
Chapter 11
Sean was positioned by Eliwese’s head and couldn’t view what was being done at the bullet site. He was grateful for that. The medical team worked well together and was highly professional.
As Sean sat looking at Eliwese, he thought about his father. He wondered if this surgical room was where Dr. Randall patched him up after the shooting. The mortuary wasn’t far from here and perhaps there was a tunnel system leading to the mortuary.
Sean was brought back to the present by Dr. Randall talking to the other surgery personnel. He said something about sutures and finishing up; Sean looked over to the doctor.
“Sean, it’s a good thing we brought her in when we did. Her infection was spreading rapidly and she wouldn’t have lasted long. Her intestine was not punctured, but a piece of her padding had been pushed inside from the bullet and was causing the infection in her body cavity. We removed it and I believe she will recover now. We’ll move her into the recovery room and let you know when she wakes. You can join your brother through the door over there.”
Sean walked into the room and Ryan jumped to his feet.
“How is she? Is she going to live?”
“Dr. Randall believes she will be just fine now.” Sean pulled his mask and cap off, sat in a chair and stared at the floor.
“This whole thing, I mean, it all seems so unreal.” Ryan rubbed his entire face with both hands. “What do we do now?”
“Wait, I suppose. Maybe we should try to contact Rawlings and ask for more time.”
“I don’t think he’ll go for it, Sean.”
“It was just a thought.”
Hours later, the nurse came through the door and told them they could go and be with her now. The nurse led them down a small hallway to Eliwese’s door. Sean walked into the room and over to her side and instinctively placed his hand on her head to check if she was warm. She was cool to the touch. Finally, he thought to himself.
They had covered Eliwese with a sheet and it draped gracefully over her delicate figure. Sean watched her chest rise and fall with each breath and a huge wave of relief swept over him, like a warm blanket from head to toe. He wondered how long it would be before she awakened completely. Would she be angry they brought her here? Sean wasn’t too worried about that, he embraced the news she was going to be fine.
“Do you realize we would have been leaving the cabin right now?” Ryan asked.
Sean looked at the clock and nodded.
“Sean, you and I could still do this. You know, without her.”
“What do you mean?”
“We could do as much of the stuff on the list that we can, and improvise the rest. We could bluff Rawlings for Mom’s release. I read the plan many times over while you were in surgery.”
“I think you’re hallucinating due to lack of sleep.”
“What?”
“You’re nuts, Ryan. This guy will eat us for breakfast. We’re too inexperienced to compete against him.”
“Maybe the last thing he would expect would be a couple of simple minded guys getting the best of him?”
“I don’t-”
“Well, we can’t just sit here and do nothing. The bastard already killed our father and is going to kill our mother and sister in about thirty-two hours. We have the video from Eliwese and a list of aids to help us out. What more would we need?”
“Her,” Sean said looking at Eliwese. “What would you say to her father when he asked where his daughter was?”
“She already told us what to say. She put it in the note to you on the bottom of the paper. Look, I’m going to do this with or without you. If you want to bow out of this fight, fine, but I will get Mom and Lyndee back!” Ryan stood up and left the room.
Sean’s thoughts immediately went to the conversation, only a few hours ago with his father. He was right. Ryan had the motivation to do something and Sean seemed to have lost it. This realization angered Sean. He jumped up and went out of the room to find Ryan down the hall, talking to Dr. Randall.
“Yes, we can get you whatever you need. Just name it and we will make it happen.”
“Ryan, wait. Let’s do this together. I know more about her father than you do, and I think it will come in handy when the time comes.”
They sat down with Dr. Randall and laid out the plan and the supplies they would need. The nurses were given lists of items to round up without revealing anything specific; this still needed to be kept under wraps. By eight o’clock AM they had two additional cars at their disposal, two volunteer couriers named Suzzette and Frank, four cell phones, plus a state of the art monitoring system linking everyone together via satellite and complete disguises which transformed Sean and Ryan into beautiful young ladies. They also had disguises for their mother and Lyndee, and one for Eliwese, should she be able to join them.
Eliwese hadn’t completely woken up yet. Sean figured she must be exhausted. He wondered how she would feel about having so many people involved with this plan. Ryan said she would probably blow her smokestack and the more Sean thought about it, he thought it would be true.
The time arrived for Sean and Ryan to leave and head to Northtown. Dr. Randall had come up with a superb plan of his own. He knew a truck driver for a car dealership in town who owned his own double deck trailer for hauling new cars. Dr. Randall had arranged for his own white SUV and the two extra cars to be placed on the trailer and driven to Northtown. Also, should anyone be on the lookout for Sean and Ryan, they wouldn’t suspect them to be in a vehicle on the back of a semi-truck.
“It’s brilliant doc,” Ryan said, “how can we ever repay you?”
“Well, you can’t. I’m just happy to help.” He smiled at the boys. “Get on your way, now.”
“I want to see Eliwese one more time before we leave.”
Sean walked back into her room to find her awake with tears running down her temples. He hurried over to her and sat down on a chair. He wiped her tears with the back of his fingers.
“Hey,” he said in a soft voice, “it’s ok. Are you in pain?”
She shook her head. “Where am I?”
“Dr. Randall’s secret hospital. I left the cabin to go meet with him and get his vehicle. Once I met him, he and my….I mean, we decided he better have a look at you. It’s a good thing we did. You had gone unconscious and were close to dying. They operated on you and you’ll be fine in a few days. You can trust these people. They’ll take good care of you.” Sean said.
“Are you leaving me?”
“Yes, Ryan and I are leaving to confront your father. We’re following the plans you laid out.”
“Take me with you!”
“We can’t do that.”
“Please, Sean, I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t. I’ll be back before you know it.”
She cried harder and tried to get up. “It won’t work! It won’t work without me! It won’t work without me!”
“Calm down, please. Have a little faith in us.”
She inhaled slowly and swiped at her tears. “The only way my father will let your mother and sister go is if he has me in his clutches.”
“What about the blackmail?”
“It was needed to meet him face to face.”
“So… your video isn’t really anything important? It’s just a trick to get him to meet us?”
“The video is extremely important. I made it with the intention that it will be aired and expose him to the whole world.”
“Wait, you said the video will only be aired if we don’t all get away. Are you saying we all won’t get away?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I promised I would get your family back. This plan is dependent upon my capture.”
“No! You made me think we would all get out safely.”
“You will. The money transfer will keep your family happy forever.”
“I don’t want his money! I want—”
“Sean, if you and Ryan confront my father without me, he will kill you all, blackmail or not. He only wants me.”
“What about your note to me? You said I could bluff him if you died. Why not bluff him now?”
“Because it won’t work. I wrote it down thinking that if I died, he should at least be taken down in the end. There is no way my father will succumb to the blackmail unless I’m part of the package.”
“He will kill you.”
“No, I don’t think he will. I have to be with you when you face him.”
“Well, then we will have to find a way to make sure all of us get away. All of us.”
Dr. Randall and Ryan came in the room. “What’s taking so long?” Ryan looked from Sean to Eliwese. They were still looking at each other. “What’s the matter?”
“Doctor Randall, Eliwese needs to be with us tomorrow morning when we meet with her father. How possible is that?”
“It’s not advisable Eliwese.”
“What is going on Sean?” Ryan asked.
“What if she stays in bed for twenty-four hours and then you drive her to Northtown, just for the meeting?”
“Well, maybe, but she might be too weak to walk.”
“Sean,” Eliwese said, “it would work.”
“OK then, that’s the new plan. Ryan and I have work to do. I’ll call tonight. What number should I use?”
Dr. Randall wrote down a number on a piece of paper and handed it to Sean. “This number is my office phone. It will forward the call to my cell, wherever I am.”
“Let’s get going, Sean.”
“One more minute, please, alone.” Sean motioned for Ryan and Dr. Randall to leave. After they closed the door, Sean sat down on the bed and grasped Eliwese’s hand in his.
“A minute ago, you said you didn’t want to lose me. But if you are taken at the meeting tomorrow, then I will lose you. What can we do to prevent that from happening? I can’t lose you, not when I’ve just found you.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it gently.
It might have been a little cliché, but it was the sweetest, kindest thing she had ever heard.
“I don’t know. We have to hope he will make a mistake. We have to look for the opportunity, and once it reveals itself to us, we have to jump on it. Keep your eyes and ears aware of all your surroundings and wear your disguises. My father will alrea
dy be in Northtown. Keep a low profile and don’t bring attention to yourself.”
“Eliwese, does your father realize what will be on the blackmail video?” Sean asked.
“Not everything. The most important part of the video is the information about the infiltrators within your government; men my father has put in place to make a takeover easier. I don’t think anyone suspects my knowledge on the subject. Frankly, if the plan fails, and the tapes are aired, your country will be turned upside down.”
“Do you name specific people?”
“Yes. It’s very important your couriers do not watch these videos. Your mother’s and sister’s lives are on the line. If my father thinks for a second the secret is out, everything falls apart for your family. I couldn’t bear that happening, after you already lost your father.”
Sean thought quickly about whether or not he should tell her about his father. He decided against it. He also debated asking Eliwese if she knew about his mother’s past affiliation with her father. He didn’t, though. Sean knew there wasn’t time to worry about her loyalties. He felt confident she was being truthful with him; he hoped she was being truthful with him.
“I will make sure the couriers understand the importance. You rest now; Ryan and I need to go.” Sean leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers and then he stood and left the room.
**********
Two men in black suits cuffed Sara’s hands together in front of her and led her down the dark corridor of the palace. She was weak from the lack of food due to not eating anything she’d been given. The fear of the food being drugged had killed her appetite, but now the effects of her choices were making her head spin.
The memory of her previous time in the palace came back to her like it was only yesterday. Some things never change, she thought to herself. The damp musty smell was the same, the décor was the same, the evil residing was worse.
The men stopped at a door, pushed a small cold key in her hand and shoved her inside. The door slammed shut, darkening the room. She felt along the wall and found a light switch, switched it on and turned to investigate the room. Lyndee lay crumpled up on the floor in the corner. Sara rushed over to her. With her handcuffed hands, she twisted her daughter’s shoulders carefully to see her face.
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