The Stolen Dozen Ch. 03

Joseph thought he was out of his mind. The bull mastiff weighed more than Dominic did, and it probably had more brains than he did, also. However, that was his youngest brother, and he was as weird as they came.

Robert Riefsynder and Anthony Graziano didn't care about the dogs. They went over to Robert, who was lying, on his stomach, with his hands, and arms outstretched, and the dachshund still sitting on his head.

Jeff Mase warned them not to try to move the dog from Robert's head, because he got mean when anyone attempted to do so. He told them the dachshund had been sitting there, since his body had been pulled out from under the trees, nearly 3 hours before, and with the other dogs watching them, it was not a good idea to upset any of his counterparts.

When Mel approached, he said, "Screw the dog, I have to see what he's hiding."

He sat down by Robert's head, put his hand on the dog's neck, which didn't thrill the dachshund, and lifted its tail slightly, revealing, for the first time, the extent of his injuries.

"Damn," he said. "They blew a part of the left parietal bone off his head. I don't know how, yet, but his brain didn't swell, or if it did, it receded back into the cranium, by itself, which would be highly unusual.

Anthony, my Godson has something very special to live for. Whatever it is, by hook, or by crook, he is going to accomplish it, and nothing in this world is going to stand in his way."

"Mel, let's not jump ahead two steps just yet. Is my son going to be able to think, or talk, or walk by himself, after this head injury?"

"I have just given you my best medical opinion, Anthony. I think your boy is going to perform miracles. Now, let's get him the hell out of here, and to a hospital, so we can close this wound, and get him home.

The rest of you have to find Carolyn. After you have done that, you have to find the bastards that did this to them, and fuck them over, for real, Joseph."

"Who, me?"

"Yes, you, dam it, and stop acting so innocent all the time. It doesn't suit you."

"And here I thought I had you all convinced I owned a grocery store."

"You do, a bunch of them, and a whole lot of other things that keep you busy at NIGHT."

"That is when I go to 'Hunts Point Market' to buy fruits and vegetables, for my stores."

"Sure, you do."

"You guys are just trying to get me in trouble."

"Dad would kill us first. He plays bocce with the Don on Tuesday nights. If we got you in trouble, the Don would tell dad, dad would tell mom, and our lives wouldn't be worth a plug nickel."

"You must admit, Sunday dinners at moms would be very entertaining, if that happened."

"I don't think I would mind her rolling pin, so much; it's the ravioli dough roller that would cause the bulk of my problems. It's 5 feet long and 3 inches around. Mom is only 4'10" and 4 feet around. God knows we can't get away from her, when she has that roller in her hands. She swings that thing as well as DiMaggio, Berra, and Mantle swing their bats."

Nick said, "Isn't that the damn truth. I was on the receiving end of that thing last Christmas, when I nearly dropped the white serving platter that her grandmother gave her. I thought she was going to kill me with it."

"Gentlemen," the sheriff said, "We have to get Robert out of here, now. Are there any thoughts on how to do it, without causing him further harm?"

Jeff Mase said, "You're not going to like this Sheriff, but Steve has an idea."

"You're right Jeff, I don't like it, and the answer is no."

"I haven't heard the suggestion yet, Sheriff," Anthony said.

Hank said, "Trust me, Anthony, he has trouble tying his shoelaces. You don't want to hear any of his ideas."

"Sheriff, even a blind squirrel can find a nut every once in a while. Can I hear his suggestion, before we throw it out?"

The sheriff said, "Go ahead Steve, embarrass yourself."

"Mr. Graziano, as I said to Jeff, I think the only safe way to get Robert out of here, without killing him, is by helicopter. I don't know if we can get one here before dark, but he's been alive this long, I think we can keep him alive until morning. If we can get a helicopter here to bring him to the closest hospital, without dragging him through these woods, I believe it will be his best bet of getting out of this forest, without us killing him."

The sheriff said, "I hate you, Steve."

Joseph said, "Get me back to the ranger station. I have to make a phone call."

Mel said, "Take me with you. I need my medical bag, and some supplies from a pharmacy or hospital, if there is one in Tobyhanna. Then I need to get back here before nightfall."

Dave Kelly, Henry Fond, Alex Waters, Frank Streaker, Joseph and Mel headed for the jeeps, which were more than a mile to the west of them, through dense forest. Once they reached them, they followed game trails, crisscrossing them until they were able to reach the pathway that could get them back to the ranger station. It took nearly 70 minutes to accomplish this task.

As soon as Kelly opened the door, Joseph pushed him aside. He picked up the telephone, and told the operator that he had to make a person-to-person, collect call to New York City. He gave her his name and the telephone number, and that was all.

The person at the other end acknowledged, accepted the charges and said, "What is the problem, Joseph?"

"Sir, it is the problem I discussed with you last week. It is in the process of resolving itself. We have found one of the two individuals involved alive. We have to get him to a hospital. He is located in the middle of the state park, here in Pennsylvania, which is inaccessible by road. We need a helicopter. Can you get us one by tomorrow morning, at the latest? His life hangs in the balance. His pulse rate is 31. No one is sure, not even my brother, who is a doctor, knows how much longer he can hold on."

"Joseph, you can tell your family a helicopter will be at your location in the morning. You have my word."

"Thank you, sir."

Joseph looked up and said, "A helicopter will be here first thing in the morning."

After he hung up his phone, the consigliere walked into the Don's parlor and asked permission to speak to a particular friend in Washington, to get this done. He knew he could do it on his own, but he did not want to leave the Don out of the decision-making process.

After giving him the particular's, the Don nodded his head, giving his approval. The counselor bowed and walked, slowly, back to his office. He picked up his phone, and dialed the military switchboard at Floyd Bennett Field. He gave them a military ID number, and had them patch him into Marine Colonel Oliver South, at the Pentagon, in Virginia. It took several minutes for this to occur, but when the transfer was complete, the Colonel was on his best behavior.

"How may I help you Mr. Genovese?"

"As we both know, we own your twin daughters, because the police caught them selling drugs and themselves to underage high school students, here in the Bronx. If it were not for our intersession, your children would be spending the next 12 to 20 years, of their lives, in a Women's Prison in upstate New York, rather than the Ivy League Halls of Columbia Law School, and a plush law office on Wall Street. Unless you want something to happen to one, or both of them tomorrow, I need something from you, to happen tomorrow morning, for me. This will not come close to settling what they, and you owe us, but it will show good faith. Do we understand each other, sir?"

"Yes Mr. Genovese, we understand each other perfectly. What can I do for you, sir?"

"I need a helicopter to be at the Tobyhanna State Park, in Pennsylvania, tomorrow morning by 7:30 AM. It has to be capable of carrying an injured party, and six passengers from there, to the Pocono Regional Medical Center within 30 minutes. After that it can return to its base of operation and forget where it's been. Do you understand, Colonel?"

"Do you know how limited the availability of medical helicopters is on the East Coast, Mr. Genovese?"

"Before you said that you had two daughters, colonel. As of tomorrow morning, at Columbia University Law School, there will be a tragic accident, and you will be down to one daughter. Their shadows are so close to them, they can easily touch them. They are with them every moment of their days. Your girls can't go to the rest room, without some of ours being in there, with them. They change positions, and clothes so often, your children never know who they are, what they do, or who they work for. Are they Teaching Assistants, or other students at the university? They will never know which one of them will be their executioner? With the amount, and types of drug's we feed them, I'm amazed they can concentrate, at any time, no less in class.

We also keep them very healthy looking, physically. We give them supplements, by injection, of every essential vitamin, nutrient, and mineral the human body needs, and in massive doses. They have to look exceptionally healthy for our clients, on the weekends, when they perform their sexual duties. They do so willingly, and actively. We film them every time and they are marvelous players. There is nothing they will not try or do. Some of their professors give them very high grades, due to their marvelous sexual appetites and abilities.

They will not graduate with honors, but it will be close. They will pass the New York State Bar Exam, with very high marks, because we want it that way. Then they will go to work for highly respected law firms. Eventually, they will go to work for the Pentagon, in their contract's division. We will be able to get wonderful contracts through them, if we, the drugs, or their sex work doesn't kill them first.

They are young now, colonel, but because of their unfortunate actions, and our agreement, we own them until their 39^th birthdays, if they survive that long."

"I know, and I'll find you your damn helicopter. I don't know what I'll have to do to find it, but it will be at that state park in the morning."

"If it's not Colonel, you could be missing two children by the afternoon. Goodbye."

Colonel South hung up the phone with his hands shaking. His secretary wondered what was happening?

While Joseph was taking care of this, the sheriff transferred Mel into his car, put on his lights and siren and sped to the hospital, in Pocono, which was the closest hospital to Tobyhanna. It was less than a 30-minute drive, so it was time well spent.

He used the car's radio to advise them he was coming and the reason why, so they could get an emergency kit together for the doctor that was accompanying him. He put Mel on the call to the physicians in the emergency room to explain what he saw, so they could get the appropriate medications and aids together for him.

By the time Hank screeched to a halt in the parking lot, 11 people, bathed in white, were standing outside waiting for them, holding boxes and bottles for them to take with them.

Mel said, "You're killing me with kindness. We only need enough medications to take us through the night. He will be here first thing tomorrow morning, by helicopter. Everything else he needs will be done here; under the best medical supervision you can provide. I will be his attending. We will need the best cranial surgeon available. If there is none here, I will have my brother call Mount Sinai, in New York, and have one here in the morning."

The lead ER physician said, "Have your brother make the call. We don't have a cranial surgeon at this hospital."

"Thank you, doctor, I will make sure it's taken care of."

They got back in the sheriff's car and headed back to Tobyhanna at a more leisurely pace. Mel said, "Can you call the Ranger station on that radio of yours?"

"It wouldn't be much of a radio, if I couldn't."

"Call them, and tell Joseph to call James West, at Mount Sinai. Tell him to get his ass to the Pocono Regional Hospital, before his ass reaches his chair. He has to put Robert's head back together tomorrow morning. Tell him to bring anything he thinks he will need to fix a hole, in the left parietal lobe about 2.5 inches in diameter. If he tells you the patient is dead, bet him $1 million of my money, at 10 to 1-odds, that he's not; and I am on the short end of those odds. Tell him to bring cash. That will get his ass out here in a hurry."

Henry laughed after he transmitted Mel's message. "You doctors are as mean-spirited, with one another, as we cops are."

"It's professional ethics, Hank. James can't believe he's bigger and better than any other Doctor, but he does, because of what he does. He can teach upcoming physicians for weeks, without performing a necessary surgery, but when one comes up like Robert's, his hands are the only game in town, and we all know it. If we treat him like God, he will treat us like he is God. We can't let him do that to us, so every chance we get, we do this to him to bring him down to our level. It's such a pleasure to see him down here with us in the trenches. He will walk into Pocono regional Hospital, and think he is in a Third World Country. It will be so foreign to him, after being at Mount Sinai, he will think he will have to disinfect himself from the tips of his hair to the bottom of his toes. He won't, of course, because all hospitals have the same protocols in place. I can't wait for him to see us bring Robert to him, with that dachshund sitting on his head. I'm not going to remove that dog, until just before we start taking x-rays, to see if there is any damage to his brain. I think I will have a filet mignon ground up, and give it to that dog for keeping Robert's head safe."

"In that case Doctor, I suggest we go to a butcher shop and get that piece of meat, so we can have it for the morning."

"That's why they made you the sheriff, so you can think of these things, in advance."

They made small fires around the edge of the dog's compound to keep Robert and themselves comfortable during the evening hours. They didn't have food with them, but they all had a hearty breakfast the morning before, so they didn't worry about eating.

Dominic was adopted by the pack. By ones and twos, dogs came over to him, to have their ears scratched and their backs petted. Not one of them growled at him, or made an aggressive move. The dachshund was the 18^th member of the pack, with four legs, which made Dominic the 19^th member and the only one with two legs. He could neither hunt with them, or run as fast as they could. However, he had two hands, with prehensile thumbs, that could scratch behind their ears, rub their stomachs, and their backs, so they forgave him his shortcomings. After all, he was 'only human', and not a canine, as they were.

The Doman LZ5-1, eight passenger helicopter, left Patterson, New Jersey Marine Depot, at 7:20 AM, on a strange mission. Military personnel don't ask questions of their superiors, they follow orders, and that's what they were doing this morning. They were headed to the South Southwest, towards a little town called, "Tobyhanna," where they would not land, but would call on their radios, to find where the non-military person that needed their help was to be picked up, in the middle of the State Park.

The winch had been tested, and the basket prepared, so they were ready for anything that could be medically thrown at them. The rest was up to the people on the ground.

They would winch two people into the helicopter first, so they could pull the basket, with the injured person, inside the helicopter. Then they would lower the basket to the ground, retrieve the patient, and put him on board. Then, they would lift two more people into the helicopter, before proceeding to Pocono Regional Hospital, using all possible speed to get there.

And the Doman was fast. It was capable of doing 187 mph, in calm winds, and that was faster than most fixed wing airplanes. It was nearly twice as fast as anything Igor Sikorsky had on its drawing boards at this time. Those damn turbines, that were coming online soon, would change that equation in a big hurry.

The Doman helicopter took off from Patterson Marine Depot at 6:50 AM, and flew south, until it intersected with Interstate 80 and followed it west until they reached Tobyhanna 18 minutes later. Using the frequency assigned, they called the sheriff, who was at the ranger station waiting for them.

Without delay, Sheriff Fond told them to look to the North East for smoke from a signal fire, which would indicate the area the person that needed to be extracted would be.

Captain Jeffrey Morris, the helicopter's pilot, veered off immediately, and headed in that direction. His first officer, Lieutenant Thomas Clinic, took the field glasses and looked for the smoke. It didn't take two minutes before he spotted it and directed his captain to it.

They advised the crew chief, Sergeant Steven (Teeth) Gum, to prepare the cradle and winch for operation.

He asked, "What the fuck do you think I do back here all day; play with myself? I listen to you two dolts, while you talk on the radio. I know what's going on around me. The fucking door is already open, which you two should already know, because the lights should be flashing on your counsels. Do I have to come up there, and smack you two to wake you up, because the Colonel woke you up too early, and put you in the driver's seats of this ghastly, noisy, machine?"

"You love this fucking machine, teeth!"

"Give me back my Corsair, and I'll show you how much I love this damn thing."

"With these new jets coming on line, we would have to put the Corsairs, and you in museums, teeth."

"Are you talking to me, sir?"

"You are the only one back there, Sergeant."

"Then I respectfully request you use my proper name, sir."

"Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Sgt. Gum?"

"Sir, if you looked out the window, you passed the signal fire. What kind of aviator are you?"

"The best kind, I was testing the wind."

"The wind was out of the Southeast, sir. Any asshole would have known that by looking at the treetops."

"Slowing to hovering speed, and descending to 200 feet. Let me know what those treetops look like out there, Sergeant. I don't want to get those tail rotors into them."

"Good thinking, Captain, that could ruin everybody's day."

"Captain, stop your descent now. These trees are higher than you thought."

"We are at 298 feet, Sergeant. Do we have enough cable to reach the ground?"

"They are going to have to disconnect the cradle, put the person on board, lift him and the cradle back on to the cables, and secure them, sir. We have 300 foot of cable, but some of it has to stay on board."

"We can only do, what we are capable of doing. We will see if they can keep their end up. I will radio down to them and tell them what they have to do."

The conversation was short and sweet.

The captain talked to Joseph.

Joseph said, "Lower the fucking thing, now."

The cradle wound up to be 5 feet above the forest floor, swinging recklessly, because of the downwash of the helicopter's rotors. When it was finally captured, the six cables were held in place while the cradle was carried to Robert, and placed close by his side. As a sheet was placed over his body, everyone expected the dachshund to bolt, but he didn't, he didn't even whimper. He stayed on Robert's head as if he was glued to it, which they would eventually find out he almost was.

They turned Robert carefully onto the cradle, getting their first look at his face. Mel poured water over it, keeping it out of his nose and mouth. He may be breathing, but it was very shallow.