Respect Ch. 02

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I remembered that scalp wounds bleed profusely but weren't usually life-threatening. This information calmed me a bit. I tore off part of my shirt and put it against the wound. The bleeding slowed considerably. Then it was time to take stock of the rest of me. A quick scan showed no additional wounds until I checked my left leg. My pants were torn just above the knee, and a small amount of blood was seeping out.

It took more effort to rip apart the bloody portion of my pants. When I exposed my leg, I discovered it wasn't too bad. As quickly as I could, I ripped two larger pieces from my shirt. I tied one around my head and the other around my leg. I had a pounding headache, and my leg was throbbing.

After finishing a quick assessment of my bodily injuries, I determined that they weren't likely to be life-ending. This brought up a long-held belief of mine - when you're born, God stamps you with an expiration date. And when that date comes up, you're going. Maybe I wasn't going to die right at this moment, but I was sure that this was my day.

With my first aid taken care of, I glanced around. I saw that a chunk of concrete had hit Peter's right arm. Blood was seeping out and running down onto his pants. Captain Lopez had crawled to him and wrapped the damaged arm.

Moments later the gunmen attacked again. We traded fire with them for what seemed like forever. Suddenly, another of the cartel men raised up with the RPG and started to aim it. However, just as he was getting ready to fire, the Captain shot him in the head. The man flipped backward as he squeezed the trigger. The rocket took off but instead of heading toward us. It went straight up. It slammed into the ceiling, bringing large chunks of concrete raining down on the cartel men.

After a long moment of silence, Captain Lopez stood up and surveyed the mess below us. For a second, I thought maybe we had neutralized the cartel gunmen. But then I heard voices and the sound of more men scurrying into position. Pete was struggling to get to his feet, and I was still bleeding. This was bad. Out of our original six, two were dead, and the rest of us had various wounds. Our time was running out. Soon, we'd all be dead.

Just as that thought flashed through my mind, I heard the distinctive sound of a helicopter approaching. The battle in the other stairway was still raging. So, Captain Lopez told us to abandon our defensive position and head up to the roof. He didn't have to say it twice. However, before we moved, I grabbed two magazines from one of the fallen security men.

I helped Pete to his feet. He had at least a dozen little cuts on his face, but his arm wasn't bleeding as badly as it had been. As I tried to lead Pete to the stairway, he pulled away and ran back to the railing. Quickly, he grabbed his cellphone that had been taped there and stuffed it in his pocket.

On the roof, I found the President with three bodyguards around him with their weapons ready. At least twenty guests huddled off to the side. There could have been more; I didn't bother to count. I quickly picked out Cassie and my kids. But my expression clouded when I saw Ted standing off in a corner with a pile of chairs around him. If this was his attempt to hide, it was a joke.

He was in a bathing suit with a tank top. However, it was apparent that the current situation had badly unnerved him.

Cassie and the kids saw me and came running.

"Andy, you're hurt," Cassie said with a trembling voice.

"It looks worse than it is," I said, trying to reassure them. However, with as much blood as there was on me, my assurances did nothing to calm my family. Sally was sobbing. But Cassie had the presence of mind to pick up a towel and gently wiped my face. For a second, I forgot what was going on between us.

Captain Lopez motioned for two of the men guarding the President to follow him and the other security guard to stay put. I quickly picked up my gun and followed.

"Andy, no!" I heard Cassie scream. "Stay with us!"

"I have to go," I said as I kissed her on the cheek. "It'll be okay."

My heart ached as I realized that that was probably the last kiss, I would ever give the woman I loved so much. Either I'd be dead, or she would leave me for Ted. At that moment, I felt that death was a better option for me.

When I entered the other stairwell, I was shocked. About a dozen Cartel men were making their way to the top of the stairs. Only one of Captain Lopez's men was still alive. Immediately, Captain Lopez and the three men with him opened fire. At least four gunmen went down instantly. But, two of the security men also went down in the exchange. I flipped the switch on my weapon to automatic and braced myself. I knew that the automatic fire would try to pull the gun upward. I was able to keep it on target and saw four gunmen crumble. The others made a dash back down the stairs. I slammed in a new magazine and sent a volley of bullets after them.

With that momentary pause, I ejected the empty magazine and slammed in my last one. I raced over to get behind the barricade. We traded fire for a few minutes as the helicopter noise got louder. At that point, I could hear gunfire down below. I didn't know what it meant at first, but a smile on the Captain's face told me it was either the police or the army.

"Andy," the Captain turned to me. "get to the roof. Send my other men down here. Get your family on the helicopter. We'll hold them until the men battling their way up secure this stairway."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes, you've done enough. Now take care of your family."

When I burst out onto the roof, the helicopter was just beginning to settle down. I ran to the security man and sent him to the stairway. Moments later, the copter's side door opened, and the man inside was motioning for everyone to climb on. Ted sprinted ahead of everyone else and launched himself onboard.

I raced up to my family, and Cassie fell into my arms, crying. "Thank God you're alright."

As the President led the other hotel guests to the helicopter, I followed my family. I made sure they were on board and secure in the middle of the helicopter next to Maria. Then I settled down by the door between Peter and Billy. Peter looked pale, but surprisingly, Billy looked paler.

Once everyone was on board, the helicopter tried to take off. However, it didn't go anywhere. The pilot tried two or three times but couldn't get off. Finally, he turned and yelled out, "DEMASIADO PESO!"

"He says we're too heavy," an elderly man by the door translated.

The President moved to the door and dropped down onto the roof. Since Peter, Billy, and I were sitting next to the door also, I nudged Billy. "Come on, let's get off." I didn't ask Peter because he had been wounded and seemed to still be dazed.

When I jumped off the helicopter, I heard Cassie yell, "No, Andy! You're wounded."

Moments after the two of us jumped down, two other older men exited the aircraft. Still, the helicopter wouldn't lift off. Peter climbed down next, but it still wasn't enough. All eyes then turned to Ted, but he scooted back into a corner and shook his head.

"I'm not getting off," he said through gritted teeth.

Just then, a bullet hit next to the helicopter. There was a sniper on the adjacent building's roof. Another bullet hit the side of the helicopter but didn't damage anything important or hurt anyone. We began to scramble for cover, but it was clear to me that if the helicopter didn't lift off soon, it wouldn't get off at all. Still, Ted refused to budge.

Suddenly, Captain Lopez appeared carrying a rifle with a scope. He immediately began to fire at the gunman on the other building. This, at least, drew the sniper's attention. All of us that had gotten off the helicopter began to run. I had pointed to the parapet wall where the President had taken shelter. Billy, Peter, and I headed in that direction. But I couldn't move very fast with my injured leg. My attempt at running was really only a limping jog, and I had only taken four or five steps when I felt a searing pain in my side. I was spun around and went down.

As I was going down, things seemed to move in slow motion. I could see the green artificial turf as it rose up to meet me. Then I heard Cassie's wail, "God, Andy, NOOOO!" Then I heard Sally screaming, "Daddy! Daddy!"

I struggled to sit up, and as I did so, my hand touched my side. When I pulled it up, my hand and wrist were covered in blood. I looked over at the helicopter and saw the terrified faces of my wife and children. A moment later, the elderly man who had translated the pilot struggled down to the roof. The helicopter lifted instantly off, and the pilot banked it hard over and dove below the rooftop.

I could feel myself begin to fade. That my family was safe was the last thought I had before the darkness overtook me.

Cassie

As we waited in the hallway for the interview to be over, Andy was distant and stood away from me. When I tried to talk to him, he just shook his head and said, "Later."

All I kept thinking was, please God, let him believe me. I kept muttering that prayer under my breath. Andy just paced, looking at the suite's door from time to time. I kept wishing that the interview would be over so that we could talk. Then the Captain's radio came alive.

Captain Lopez seemed quite agitated by what was communicated to him. He immediately burst into Maria's suite.

Andy followed the Captain into the room. Something bad was happening, but I didn't know what. Even with what I heard, I had a hard time processing what they were talking about. I heard something about gunmen in the hotel, and suddenly I was very afraid. I gathered my children close to me and waited.

I was trying to hold it together, but I was freaking out. But I settled down a little when I looked over at Andy and saw how calm he was. There was concern on his face, but that was it. Then the President told us to follow his security guard up to the roof. But when the Captain said that he wanted Andy to stay behind, I began to become unglued again.

"Andy, please stay with us," I pleaded.

"It's okay," he said. "I'll be along in a little bit."

But he didn't come along. Sally was sobbing, and I was holding her as tears were rolling down my cheeks. Kevin kept asking me if his dad was going to be alright. And I kept telling him that everything was going to be okay, but I knew he didn't believe me. Maria was so kind. She stayed close to the children, assuring them that everything would alright.

President Sanchez continued to assure everyone that his men would handle the situation. But I could clearly see the worry on his face. His three security guards had moved everyone against a wall. Then they had taken up defensive positions. From inside of their jackets, they pulled out weapons and unfolded them before standing ready. There was nothing to do now but wait.

When the gunfire started, and Andy still hadn't appeared, I started to sob. Maria hugged me, sobbing softly herself. I now knew that Andy was in the thick of it. He might get killed. I was heartsick about the very idea and terrified that he might die believing I had cheated on him -- God, what a fool I had been.

The gunshots came more frequently from both staircases. Then there was an explosion followed by silence. At that point, Sally began to cry inconsolably. Kevin started to move toward the stairway where his father was, but Maria grabbed him and pulled him back.

An explosion erupted from the other staircase punctured the silence. Then gunfire erupted again from both. As terrified as I was, somehow, the renewed gunfire gave me a little comfort. At least everyone defending the stairs with Andy hadn't been killed. That gave me a tiny bit of hope, and I clung to it as a drowning person clings to a life preserver.

The two battles seemed to go on for an eternity. Then my heart lifted when I heard the steady beating sound of a helicopter approaching. But the sense of relief vanished when I heard a louder explosion, followed moments later by more gunfire from both sides. Then another explosion seemed to tear apart the part of the roof over the stairs where Andy was. Silence then ensued on that side. It felt as though my heart stopped beating, and I had trouble breathing.

Finally, I saw Andy emerge with Peter, a security man, and Captain Lopez. I was shocked to see that Andy was covered in blood. The kids and I ran to him, and I gathered him into my arms.

"Andy, you're hurt," I said as I clung tightly to him.

He hugged me back and said, "It looks worse than it is."

I cleaned his face with a small towel, and then hugged my husband close to me. We stayed like that until Andy saw Captain Lopez and his men head to the stairway where a gun battle still raged. Andy started to leave.

"Andy, no!" I pleaded with him. "Stay with us!"

"I have to go," he said as he kissed my cheek. "It'll be okay."

When Andy passed through the doorway and gunfire erupted, my legs gave out. I was sobbing uncontrollably. The thought of losing Andy was like a knife through my heart. I was so ashamed of myself. I prayed to God to spare my husband so I could make it up to him. How could I have been so stupid to compare Andy to Ted?

With my kids huddling around me, I glanced over at Ted. The man that I thought was the epitome of manhood was cowering in the corner. When we first arrived on the roof, he had been his usual macho self. But as soon as he began to realize the seriousness of the situation, he began to complain loudly that the authorities weren't doing enough. He even yelled at the President to do something. President Sanchez's guards warned him away. He sulked off to the side until the shooting started. Then he distanced himself from the others and sought to hide. It was a ridiculous attempt on his part as he piled lawn chairs around himself and hunkered down. He was obviously terrified. I was totally disgusted by his behavior.

As the helicopter touched down, I kept my eyes glued to the doorway. My heart was beating a million miles a minute. Where was Andy? We can't leave without him. Finally, I saw Andy emerge and hurried to him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. When I turned, I saw Ted burst from behind his lawn chairs and race to the helicopter. He outran everyone, and even though the crewman in the door tried to wave him off, Ted scrambled on past him.

The rest of the group was moving at an orderly pace, following the President. I clung to Andy, but he disengaged himself and said that we had to hurry, pushing us forward. I could feel Andy behind us, but I kept glancing back to make sure he truly was still there.

The helicopter blades were still turning at a rapid pace as people climbed up and in. The President stood by the side and helped many of the people climb up. Andy helped Sally and Maria onto the chopper. Then he helped me up as Kevin climbed on by himself. Andy directed us to a place next to Maria while he took a seat in the doorway between Billy and Peter. When everyone was aboard, the pilot opened the throttle, and the helicopter strained, but we just sat there. He tried three times, and three times we went nowhere.

"DEMASIADO PESO!" the pilot yelled over the engine noise.

An elderly man said, "There is too much weight on the helicopter. He can't take off."

President Sanchez sighed, stood up, and climbed off the helicopter. Still, the pilot couldn't coax the machine into the air. As the President sprinted to the parapet wall to take cover, I saw Andy nudge Billy. Then both of them hopped off.

"Andy, No! You're wounded!" I screamed.

But he just looked back at me with a sad smile. God, how could I have ever doubted that I loved this man with all my heart? A second later, two other older men got off, and then Peter also. Still, the helicopter couldn't take off. Then everyone was looking at Ted, but he just shook his head. Finally, one of the women said something to him.

"No fucking way am I getting off," he snarled at the woman.

I heard something that seemed to frighten the men that had just gotten off the helicopter. Then something smacked hard into the side of the copter. It finally registered; someone was shooting at us. The people in the helicopter started to scream.

I saw Andy trying to run with the other men to take cover. But he had only taken a few steps when his body suddenly spun around, and he fell.

I screamed. "GOD, ANDY, NOOOO!"

I heard Sally screaming, "DADDY! DADDY!"

At that moment, an elderly gentleman gingerly stepped onto the roof. The helicopter suddenly started to lift off.

Andy sat up and seemed dazed. He reached to his side, and his hand came back covered in blood. Then the helicopter banked hard over and dropped below the top of the building. As we raced away, I could see army helicopters racing in the opposite direction. But that's all I saw as I was sobbing uncontrollably. I hugged Sally and Kevin tight to me as they were sobbing too.

The helicopter touched down on an army airfield, and we were all escorted into what looked like a small terminal. The men that got us settled didn't have any information about the people we left behind. All they knew was that the battle to retake the Fantasia Hotel was still raging.

About a half-hour later, a bus arrived, and we were transported to a large police station. There we were separated and questioned. Still, no one had any information. I was beyond frantic. I started to get nasty and combative. However, the men questioning me were patient but had no answers. Finally, I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and called my office. In short order, I was put through to Mr. Bracken.

"Cassie, are you alright?" he asked as soon as he was on the phone. "We're all watching it here at the office."

"Yes, Mr. Bracken," I answered, "and as far as I know, all of our people are okay. But Andy was still on the roof of the hotel, and he's been badly wounded."

Then I lost it and started to cry as I continued. "The authorities won't tell me anything. I don't know if Andy is still alive."

"Cassie," Mr. Bracken said crisply, "I'll make some calls. As soon as I learn anything, I'll call you back."

I sat down then and cried harder than I think I've ever cried in my life. After a few minutes, the men questioning me decided that I wasn't in any condition to continue. So, they left, and a few minutes later, Kevin and Sally were ushered into the room. We huddled together, and I tried to be strong, but my heart was breaking. I was more miserable than I had ever been in my life.

About fifteen minutes later, my phone rang. I looked at it and realized that it was Mr. Bracken.

"Mr. Bracken, did you find out anything?" I said with a rush.

"I haven't learned much, Cassie," he said softly. "However, I did learn that your husband has been taken to a hospital. I arranged for a car to pick you and the kids up. It will take you to where your husband is."

"Thank you," I said, truly grateful.

"Cassie," Mr. Bracken said before he hung up. "We're all praying for you here."

I mumbled a thank you and waited. Sally had cried during the entire helicopter ride, off and on since then. Just when it seemed that she was calm, her shoulders would begin to shake with her sobbing. I was a mess and didn't know how long I could hold it together for my children. But it was Kevin that worried me. He had cried for a very short time during the flight, and after that, he had gone mostly silent. If I tried to talk to him, he answered in one or two words and then walked away.

About thirty minutes after I had hung up from Mr. Bracken, a car arrived, and the police allowed us to leave. The driver didn't speak any English, so the ride to the hospital was in silence except for Sally's soft sobs.