Honor Thy Mother & Thy Father Ch. 06

The hospital was not large and it was only seventy percent full at the time. What made it even more convenient for these murderers, was only thirty percent of these patients were male, and they were sequestered away from the female patients. The only exception was in the area for terminally ill patients.

They broke up into groups, searched wing by wing, and came up with nothing. There were broken arms and legs; surgically repaired knees, hips, and a variety of other medical procedures, which are done in hospitals every day. They did not come up with one bullet wound. The final wing they searched was the one for the terminally ill. An overweight, fifty-plus year old nurse stood in the middle of the hallway with her hands on her hips blocking their way. They told her to move.

She said to them, "These people have a very short time to live. I will not have them jostled around like bags of wheat so you can look for something that is not there. You can stick your heads in the room, you can look at their charts, but I do not want you to lay a hand on my patients. You may go to hell for what you do to other people; but if you hurt these people, I am sure God will have a special place for you in there." She moved aside and walked with them, as they walked down the corridor."

As they stuck their heads into each room, the nurse took the chart out of its holder and read to them what was wrong with each patient. They saw the multitude of bags hanging from the posts, with fluids dripping down the lines and into each person's arm. When they asked what the fluids were, she answered in medical terms and then in plain English. He is getting chemotherapy, anti-nausea drugs, and painkillers; and so on.

They went to each room, and they were briefed on the condition of each male. When they got to Alan's room, saw his baldhead, and he was only getting two bags of fluids, they asked the nurse why?

She pointed for them to move outside the room and said, "Mister Jamieson has 'Stage 4 Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He is not expected to live throughout the week. We are just trying to keep him as comfortable as we can. He sleeps most of the time; either that, or he is an intense pain."

"Why don't you just put him out of his misery?"

"We are not God, and only God can make that decision."

"I am going to go in there and help to poor bastard out of his misery."

"I told you before; you will not touch my patients."

"I am not going to touch him. I am going to kill him. "

He turned to his two partners and said, "Keep her here so she does not get in my way."

Alan was listening to the conversation; and was ready for it. He had removed the IVs from his arm and was standing by the corner waiting for the man to enter his room. When he did, Alan put sergeants gun to his ear and said, "One sound, and your brains are going to be against the wall." Alan turned him, and brought his gun down viciously on his spine where it connected to his head. The man collapsed to the floor. He took the man's guns, and inched his way towards the door. He looked to see if he could take down the other two bastards that were in the hallway. He had clear shots and both of them went down.

The nurse did not scream. She turned and saw Alan leaning against the wall. She said menacingly, "If you opened your stitches, I am going to kill you."

Alan coughed, "If you cannot get rid of two bodies, and clean up this blood on the floor in a hurry, we may all be dead. I have another one in my room unconscious, he needs to be tied up and gagged before he wakes up."

The nurse got onto her intercom and asked, "Karen, are you available, Mister Wilson vomited, and I am helping with Mister Transom."

No one other than hospital staff would know that this was a code for a hospital emergency.

Two very young nurses and an orderly came running around the corner as fast as their legs could take them. When they saw the two men lying on the floor in a puddle of blood, and their hearts skipped a beat. They knew what was going on in the hospital, but they had seen nothing like this.

"Ginny, what happened, what do you want us to do?"

"Put these two into Mister Jamieson's shower and cover them with towels and blankets. Make sure they are not visible from the outside.

"George use disinfectant and sheets. Clean up the blood and put the sheets in the medical waste. If find them in their, it is easily explained."

Alan asked, "What do we do with my unconscious friend?"

Nurse Ginny said, "He is going to be unconscious for a very long time."

She went to the medical supply area, and took a bottle of Protofol. She filled a syringe and replaced the cap on the needle. She returned to Alan's room, filled a glass of water, and threw it into the face of the unconscious man.

He sputtered and spit back to consciousness, but soon realized he was looking at the business end of his own gun. He saw the nurse smiling at him, until she swung her fist as hard as she could into the side of his face.

When he regained consciousness again, Ginny said to him, "Only God makes decisions on life and death, you son of a bitch. You are an aberration. Say good night nurse."

He felt the needle go into his neck, and he didn't have time to say it, because the drug knocked him out instantaneously."

Alan asked her how long he would be out.

She replied, "Six hours, probably more."

"We better tie him up, put a gag in his mouth, and get him into another room, just in case."

"I have the perfect place to put him."

"Do I want to know?"

Ginny looked at him and said, "No, it is a nurse's secret."

Nurse Callaway came to Alan and said, "You have got to get back into bed. You are bleeding."

Alan said, "No, I have to help end this thing. Do you know how many more there are in the hospital?"

"There are three more. They were on the second floor when I saw them last."

"Is there anything on the second floor you can take me to without raising suspicion?"

"There is radiology, dialysis, the laboratory, and the pharmacy."

"Okay, here is what I want you to do. Put a big bandage on my left arm with a tube sticking out of it for a dialysis infusion. I want you to wheel me down to the second floor towards dialysis lab, so I can see what is going on. If we get stopped tell them that's where I am going. If they ask to see the paperwork, tell them you forgot it and you have to go back up and get it. Just leave me where I am and come back up here, and hide. I can take care of myself downstairs. Okay?"

"Okay, Mister Jamieson, whatever you say."

As soon as they exited the elevator, they were stopped. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I am taking Mister Jamieson to dialysis. He is a ready four hours late, because of all that has been going on today."

He looked at Alan and said, "What is your problem?"

"If you give me one of your kidneys, I will no longer have a problem. The chemotherapy for my cancer killed both of them. The cancer is almost gone, but it killed my kidneys and any chance that I will have children. My wife divorced me because of that; don't you think I'm lucky?"

"It sounds like you hit the trifecta. Go get yourself taken care of. Good luck to you." He stuck his hand out to shake Alan's hand and Alan put a gun to his stomach. He stuck his left hand into his belt and withdrew the gun that was there. Alan said walk with us into the dialysis unit; do not make me kill you. You and your friends have already killed too many people today. I will kill you without remorse.

From behind them a voice said, "Fred, where are you going?"

"Fred, either you do the right thing, or die where you stand."

"Manuel, I am helping them into the dialysis lab. I will be right out."

"Okay, I am going to take a shit. The floor is all yours."

"Okay Manny, I have it."

As soon as the door to the dialysis lab closed Alan told Fred to get down on his knees. He asked nurse Callaway to frisk him thoroughly for weapons.

Nurse Callaway said, "I have never done this before."

"Nurse, have you ever had a boy try to feel you up?"

Nurse Callaway smiled at Alan and said, "Many have tried and several have succeeded."

"In that case nurse Callaway, you are an expert in the art of being frisked. Now apply that lesson in reverse and find whatever he is hiding, anywhere, and I mean anywhere."

Alan looked at Fred and said, "Be cooperative, it is her first time."

Even Fred laughed at that.

Nurse Callaway did very well. She found his second weapon, a knife, and a garrote. She also left him with an erection, which made her blush.

Alan told her that they had to tie him up with something extremely strong, and something to gag him with, so he could not cry out for help.

There was plenty of tubing in the lab, plus gauze and tape. Tying Fred up was not a problem, and gagging him was easier.

Next on their list was Manny, and they knew where he was.

Alan got back into the wheelchair, and nurse Callaway started rolling him towards the elevator. Manny exited the bathroom and ask them where Fred was.

Coolly, nurse Callaway said, "That bastard is with a candy stripper in the dialysis lab. She is only sixteen years old. He should be shot for what he is doing to that child."

Manny laugh, and said, "If she is old enough to bleed, she is old enough to butcher. How about you sweetheart would you like a little?"

Callaway said, "Your prick probably isn't big enough for me to feel anything."

Manny's Latin pride was incensed. He said, "Oh yeah sweetheart, take a look at this." He unbuckled his belt dropped his pants, lowered his shorts, and grabbed his rather unimpressive member.

Alan took his gun out from under the blanket and said, "My gun is loaded, is yours?"

"You fucker, you are not going to get away with this."

"Get down on the floor, before I shoot your nuts off."

Manny did as he was directed and nurse Callaway searched him for all his weapons, except the little one that was on display. "Shall we take him into the dialysis lab and tie him up?"

"Yes, I think we should. On your feet and hold up your pants so you don't trip yourself. Callaway open lab door and make sure he cannot grab you on the way in."

Apparently Alan's warning gave Manny an idea, because he tried to grab Callaway as he went by her. It was the last move he made. Alan put two quick shots into the side of his head. He was dead before he his hand touched her.

Nurse Callaway was shaken. She apologized for not being in the right position to avoid that confrontation.

Alan told her it was not her fault. The man was a killer and it was his decision to try and take her captive. He gave her a gun and told her to stay in the room with Fred. There should be only one more man to take care of and he was going to look for him.

Nurse Callaway reminded him that he stuck out like a sore thumb because he was in his hospital gown.

Alan said, "It is a little bit too late to worry about fashion now. You can get me my clothes after I am cleared to go home."

Alan walked slowly out of the dialysis lab and went to the intersection so he could see all four corridors of the second floor. He did not see anyone.

He yelled, "My name is Alan Robbins, are you looking for me you piece of garbage."

A head popped out of one of the rooms. A man, with a woman walking in front of him started walking down the corridor towards him.

"What is the matter? You cannot do this yourself. You need to hide behind a skirt to kill me. I have taken down five of your men; you will be number six."

"What have you done to my men?"

"Let me see: there are two in my shower with holes in their head. There is one in the dialysis lab with two holes in his head. Another one in the dialysis lab unconscious, and there is one that is unconscious and hidden. They will not tell me where they put him, but I would imagine he is not very comfortable. So that is five, and you are next. Miss, do not worry, I will not hit you. When I shoot him it will go straight through his eye and come out the back of his head."

Rodriguez said, "You think very highly of yourself don't you Robbins. You believe your own press clippings. Have you gotten yourself out of the bottom of...? Rodriguez did not have a chance to finish his sentence. In one motion, Alan lifted his weapon and fired one shot. It went exactly where Alan said it would.

The young woman screamed and ran towards Alan. She tackled him like a linebacker, and he collapsed to the ground, because he had no strength left in his body.

Wriggs came running up from the first floor, because he heard Alan yell. He said, "Alan you are one dumb son of a bitch. Sergeant is going to kill you when I tell him about this."

"Wriggs do me a favor; get this young woman off me please. I am dying." He had no idea how close his prediction was.

On the outside of the hospital, the firing had slowed down. Every time Sergeant or one of his men tried to move, the firing would start up all over again.

The tide of battle turned, however, when three Cottonwood police cars moved down Foothills Drive, and saw where the hoodlums were shooting at the hospital. From there they turned off the road to circle behind them. No sooner had they established their position and begun firing, then the FBI agents started to arrive.

The thugs jumped into their SUVs and tried to escape to the southwest the only area the authorities had failed to cover. While they were shooting out of the back of their SUVs', their windshields shattered, the front of their cars came apart, their radiators exploded, and their cars ground to a halt. They crawled out of their cars and stayed on the ground with their hands flat and widespread. The agents from the FBI and the police from Cottonwood circled them. Several officers pounced on their backs, handcuffed them; and read them their rights. Sergeant went over to congratulate Special Agent Gibson on his forethought of putting men on the southwest corner of the hospital's property, and cutting off their escape route.

Gibson said, "It wasn't my men down there, we followed your men on to the northwest corner."

Sheriff said, "If it wasn't my men, and it wasn't your men, whose men were they?"

A tiny squeaky voice yelled, "It was my men."

Sergeant said incredulously, "Amanda?"

Suddenly, a big pair of hands lifted a tiny woman over his head and perched her on his shoulders. "Hi Sergeant, is everything okay?"

"What are you doing here young lady?"

"You told Joe and our friends that they were deputized for two weeks and it only turned out to be a few days. So I asked them if they wanted to come up here and see if you needed any help. When we arrived, we saw these people firing at you, so Joe had the folks set up a firing line just in case they came our way. When they did, Joe, Larry, and Mike took target practice at their cars. Joe wanted to see if he could still pick one of them up, while it was moving, but I would not let him."

Gibson looked at Sergeant, because he still could not see Joe through the tall grass. He said, "She is kidding, isn't she?"

"Wait one minute, and you won't think so."

As the six men walked through the brush, and up the incline, Agent Gibson watched Amanda get taller and taller, and then even taller. When Joe's head finally came into sight he said, "Oh my God! I sure am glad he was on our side."

Sergeant said, "Joe, put Amanda down so I can introduce her to Agent Gibson."

"Agent Gibson, this is my right hand; Amanda Horvath. This is her husband, Joe; formally known as 'The Flying Dutchman.'

Amanda shook hands with the agent. She turned to her husband and said, "Joe, be nice or else."

Joe replied, "Yes dear."

The agent smiled at Joe. "So it happens in your family too?"

"Yes. I chased her for one year, until she caught me. Since I said 'I do,' she has run roughshod over my life."

Amanda said, "Joseph that will be quite enough."

"Oh shit, she called me Joseph, I am in deep trouble."

All the law enforcement people gathered around Joe, and laughed.

Amanda looked at the men from Cottonwood and said, "Just remember who puts the information in for your paychecks. We will see who laughs last."

Gibson looked at Sergeant and said, "Thank God for computers."

Sergeant replied, "We have computers, but she is the one that feeds it the information into them."

Gibson looked at Amanda and said, "Five feet of pure dynamite, and the fuse is already lit."

Sergeant said, "We are a male dominated city. However, it is run by three women: my assistant Amanda, the assistant city clerk, Donna, and our Judge, Lonnie. Every elected official could fall down dead and no one would ever notice. The city would run perfectly, until one of those three women died."

Gibson said, "It should happen to Congress; but you did not hear that from me."

"Amen brother, I hear you loud and clear."

"Gibson, this is Matthews at the State Road 89A roadblock. We have just had contact with four SUVs heading southwest, toward your location. They saw us and stopped. They turned around and headed northwest. Request instructions?"

"Follow them, and coordinate with Sheriff Walberg. We will be following behind you. Leave two cars at the roadblock, just in case someone tries to sneak back."

"Roger Sir, we are moving out."

Agent Gibson said, "Dinner is on us when this is over Sergeant. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"Let's not do it this way, next time."

"I agree. We will do it at a huge barbecue." Gibson yelled, "Saddle up people, we are going north."

Sergeant realized he had forgotten something. "Oh shit, Alan. Joe, Mike, Larry, you are with me," he yelled as he charged towards the front door to the hospital."

"Elmore are you still there?"

"I am getting sleepy boss. Nothing is happening back here."

"Turn around you idiot. They are in the hospital looking for Alan. Find them; I am on my way in from the front."

Elmore and his three men charged down the one hallway that was available from the emergency room looking for the intruders. Two men went up the first stairwell to the second floor. Elmore and the other officer searched door by door every room on the first floor, and then went down to the basement. When they reached that level, the employees told them the men had already been there and left to go to the upper floors.

They charged up the stairway to the second floor and met Sergeant and his group there. Rodriguez was lying on his back with blood flowing all over the floor.

Nurse Callaway heard the commotion, and called the officers into the dialysis lab saying she had two more in there.

Sergeant found one man dead and one man tied up. He asked, "Where is Alan?"

She replied, "Who?"

"Alan Robbins, the man who did this?"

"Oh, you mean Mister Jamieson."

"Yes, where is Mister Jamieson?"

"He is in the operating room. When he shot the man in the hallway, the young woman that was being held hostage was so happy to be free, she ran to Mister Jamieson, and tackled him to the floor. He collapsed. One of your men, a Mister Wriggs, had to take her off of him. Mister Jamieson was bleeding from his wounds and they had to rush him to the OR."

"Where is the OR?"

"I will take you there."

Callaway led the way to the OR. They could see the doctor working on Alan through the small window. She told him there was a better view from the gallery. They walked up there and sat down in the plush chairs to watch the operation.

Sergeant thought it was just going to be a quick patch up job, but after an hour he knew something much more complicated was going on. Then he heard the alarm go off and the doctor called, "cardiac arrest."

Sergeant stood up and held onto the windows as the doctor began pumping on Alan's chest, and the crash cart was brought to the side of the operating table. Doctor called out a number and the nurse said the machine was charging. They put a cream on Alan's chest, placed the paddles on the area, and hit the button. Alan's body reacted like it had been hit by a truck, but the line on the machine on the wall did not change. They did this three more times and still the line remained the flat.