“I never saw a girl,” the owner replied.
“Where’s the body?” Niki asked.
“I don’t know. The next time I went back to the room, it was gone. Someone had taken it.”
Niki handed the man another hundred. “When the man from Room 6 comes back, I want you to call this number.” Niki turned to Ramos and Ramos wrote down the number and handed it to the owner. “You’ll get another $200 if I talk to him.”
The owner was salivating with excitement. “Yes, yes,” he said. “I will call this number as soon as the man returns,” he said, putting the $300 in his pocket.
The men went back around to the front of the motel and got back in the car.
“Where to?” Ramos asked.
“Corazon’s compound,” Niki said, and they got back on the road and headed towards Medellìn. They got to Medellìn and Ramos pulled over at the Hotel Four Points Sheraton.
“We’ll eat, then visit your man,” Ramos said.
They went into the hotel restaurant and took a round table in the corner. The waiter brought menus and they ordered lunch.
“Would the closest hospital to that motel be in Bogota?” Niki asked.
“Yes. But the closest town is Manizales. There would be doctors there,” Ramos said. “But you have to realize that people would be reluctant to help your friend because of the risk of reprisal by whoever she was running from. It’s possible that she found help with the person she left with, but it’s just as likely she didn’t. Corazon would reward the man handsomely for her return.”
Niki didn’t say anything.
“Assuming your friend got away from Corazon, would there be any purpose of your going to his compound if he no longer had her?” Ramos asked, trying to feel out the situation.
“We would still go there,” Niki said. “He’s a direct threat.”
“I see,” Ramos said. “Then perhaps I should request assistance from some of my men. I could have them take care of him for you.”
“Thanks for the offer, but this is something I have to take care of myself,” Niki said.
Ramos smiled. “I understand. Obviously the redhead is very special to you.”
Niki breathed in deeply and leaned back and stretched. He was about to reply when the man sitting next to them turned the page of the El Tiempo newspaper he was reading and something caught his eye.
“Son of a bitch!” Niki said.
He got up and snatched the newspaper out of the man’s hands. Stacy’s picture was on the front page. He scanned the caption, “American Woman Finds Sanctuary at U.S. Embassy after Abduction.”
“She made it!” he said, in disbelief. “Son of a bitch! She fucking made it!” he yelled, waving the newspaper in the air. “The guy took her to the Embassy.” Eli, Jason and Carlos were out of their chairs trying to get a look at the paper and Ramos had called the waiter back over.
“Bring us your best bottle of tequila,” Ramos told the waiter.
“Right away, sir,” the waiter said.
They were all talking at once.
“What’s it say?” Eli said.
“Is she okay?” said Jason.
“Read it out loud,” Carlos said.
Niki looked over at the owner of the newspaper, “I’ll give it back in a minute,” he said, then he sat back down and read the article out loud.
“U.S. citizen Stacy Trent made her way to the U.S. Embassy in Bogota after being abducted during a bank robbery in San Antonio, Texas. Miss Trent managed to escape from her captors and sought help from a Bogota man, who brought her to the Embassy. She had been badly beaten and was unconscious upon arrival at the Embassy. Miss Trent was transferred to San Antonio and is expected to be hospitalized for several days.”
“Way to go, Stacy,” Niki said, under his breath.
He laid the page flat on the table and they all gathered around to look at the picture. Stacy’s face had been beaten so badly she was barely recognizable.
“Look what he did to her,” Niki said angrily.
“At least she’s alive,” Eli said.
“Which is more than you’ll be able to say about Corazon,” Ramos said.
Ramos poured tequila into the five shot glasses and raised his glass to Niki. “To your good fortune. I’m glad your girlfriend is safe,” he said smiling.
“Thanks,” Niki said. He looked over at Eli, “I have a girlfriend.”
Eli laughed. “Your girlfriend is probably going to have us all arrested.”
“No way,” Niki said, refilling his glass. He took the shot and sat back in his chair, then he tapped his finger on the photo. “I’m gonna marry that girl.”
Jason pulled the paper over to get a better look. “I wonder what the deal is with her father.” When Niki didn’t say anything, Jason said, “I hope you’re not thinking of going back to San Antonio anytime soon, because it’s way too risky. We have no idea what Stacy told the cops. You could get all of us arrested.”
“I’m not an idiot,” Niki said irritably.
“No, but you haven’t been thinking straight lately either,” Jason said.
“Stacy’s not going to say anything to get us arrested,” said Carlos. “She’s in love with Niki. But I agree that it’s not safe to go back there until things die down.”
Ramos was confused. “I thought she was your girlfriend. Why would she have you arrested,” he asked Niki.
“We kidnapped her before Corazon did,” Niki said. “We’re the ones who robbed the bank.”
Ramos laughed and refilled all the glasses. “The girl was kidnapped twice in the space of a week?” he asked.
“Yeah, bad luck, huh?” Eli said.
“You know what they say about bad luck,” Ramos said. “It comes in threes.”
Jason looked at Niki. “It’s not safe for us to go over and take care of her father.”
“I’m not arguing with you,” Niki said. “I just wish we had killed the bastard when we had the chance.”
“Look,” Eli said, “Stacy’s as smart as any of us. She’s also just as resourceful, probably more so. Obviously, she’s a survivor,” he said. “She’ll tell the FBI that her father was behind her kidnapping.”
“I agree,” Carlos said.
Chapter 28
Stacy woke up Sunday morning ready to go home. She swung her feet off the side of the bed and sat up. When the room didn’t spin, she got to her feet and walked down to the nurses’ station, wheeling her IV pole with her.
A nurse looked up with surprise. “Stacy! You look like you’re feeling better,” she said.
“I am,” Stacy said smiling. “I’m ready to go home. Can you call my doctor and tell him I want to be released?”
“Well, it’s only 7:00. He usually doesn’t get here on Sunday until 11:00 or so. And I don’t want you to get your hopes up, because I’m not so sure he’s going to let you go home today.”
“Oh,” Stacy said. She wasn’t going to argue with the nurse, but she wasn’t going to stay until 11:00 either. “Okay,” she said agreeably, and she went back to her room and picked up the phone and dialed a number. It rang four times before someone answered.
“Hello,” Holly said, awakened out of a dead sleep.
“Hi.”
“Oh my God!” Holly screamed. “Are you okay? I was at the hospital all day yesterday and the assholes wouldn’t let me see you.”
“Can you come get me?” Stacy asked.
“They’re letting you go home already? I saw your picture on TV and you looked horrible!” Holly said. “I’m already getting out of bed. I’m going to shower and I’ll be there in 45 minutes.”
“Okay. See ya then,” Stacy said.
“I’m so glad you’re not dead!” Holly exclaimed.
Stacy laughed. “Me too. Hurry up and get over here.”
Stacy hung up the phone and sat down just as a nurse walked in.
“Good morning,” the nurse said smiling.
“Hi, Dana,” Stacy said cheerfully.
“I’m
here to take out your IV.”
“Great!” Stacy said. She leaned back in bed and the nurse unhooked the tubes and removed the IV from the back of her hand.
“Do you need some pain medicine?” the nurse asked.
“No. But can you get the doctor to write me a prescription for something. I have a girlfriend coming to pick me up,” Stacy said.
The nurse stopped what she was doing and looked at Stacy like she was crazy. “Did the doctor release you?” she asked.
“No. But I’m fine. I’m ready to get home,” Stacy said. The nurse was about to protest, but Stacy interrupted before she could say anything. “I’ll sign the little sheet that relieves the hospital from liability for my leaving against doctor’s orders.”
The nurse smiled at Stacy. “I understand that you want to go home, Stacy. But won’t you at least wait until the doctor examines you this morning? Just to be sure you’re okay.”
“Not if he doesn’t even come in until 11:00. That’s four hours from now,” Stacy said.
“What if I try to reach him at home and see if he can come earlier?” the nurse said.
“That’s fine,” Stacy said. “I’ll shower in the meantime.”
By the time Stacy got out of the shower the nurse was back in the room.
“The doctor is on his way,” she told Stacy.
“Excellent!” Stacy looked around the room. “Shit, I don’t have any clothes!” She grabbed the phone and redialed Holly.
“Hello,” Holly answered.
“Why haven’t you left yet?”
“It’s only been 20 minutes. I told you I’d be there in 45,” Holly said defensively.
“The emperor has no clothes,” Stacy said.
Holly laughed. “Do you want me to go by your house or do you want to wear something of mine?” she asked, then she interrupted before Stacy could answer. “No, you need to look cute because you’re going to be swarmed by reporters when you walk out of the hospital. I’ll go by your place and pick up some things. What do you need?”
“I have nothing. Nada!” Stacy said.
“All right. Any preference? You want a cute outfit, or jeans, or . . .”
“Dammit, Holly, just bring me some clothes!”
Holly laughed. “I am so glad you’re not dead!” she said, and she hung up.
Stacy laid back down and waited for the doctor, but Holly got there first. She burst through the door with her blond hair trailing behind her, and screamed when she saw Stacy, then she threw the clothes on the bed and hugged her.
“Oh my God! Look at your face!” she said in horror.
“It looked worse yesterday.”
Holly bombarded Stacy with questions: “So what happened? Where have you been, and who took you, and how did you get away? The news reports said you were in Colombia. What the hell?”
Stacy stopped her. “I don’t want to talk about it here. I’ll tell you everything when I get home.”
“Oh, all right!” Holly said. “But you need to put some makeup on before you talk to those reporters.”
“You think they’ll be back this morning?”
“Be back? They never left,” Holly said.
Stacy groaned just as the doctor came in. He looked at Stacy, then he looked at Holly. “Partners in crime?” he asked.
Stacy and Holly both laughed. “Are you mad at me?” Stacy asked.
“No,” he laughed. “How do you feel?”
“A lot better. I can walk without getting dizzy; I’m not nauseated any more; and look how much the swelling has gone down,” she said, pointing to her face.
“Your face looks a lot better,” he said. “I’m going to let you go home because I know you’d leave anyway, but I want you to take it easy. No driving for at least the next few days, no exercise, and a lot of rest. Your body has been through a hell of a lot in the last week and it needs rest.”
“Okay, doctor,” Stacy smiled sweetly. “Thanks for taking care of me.”
“It’s been my pleasure,” he said. “You know, there’s still a mob of reporters out there. We could sneak you out the back way if you want.”
“No. I’d rather get it over with so they’ll leave me alone. In fact, will you tell them that you have released me?” Stacy asked.
“Sure,” he said. “The nurse has your prescription for pain medication. And don’t hesitate to call me if you have any problems.”
“Okay. Can I go?”
“When the paperwork is complete, you are free to go,” the doctor said.
Stacy shook the doctor’s hand. “Thanks again,” she said.
Holly was searching through her purse and pulled out her makeup bag.
“I’m not putting on a bunch of makeup. You won’t even be able to see it through these bruises.”
“Well you need lipstick for sure,” Holly said. “This one’s a good color for you,” she said handing her a lipstick. “And you need to dry your hair.” Holly looked around for a blow dryer and when she didn’t find one she disappeared into the hall. Stacy was at the sink brushing her teeth when she returned. Holly handed her the dryer and Stacy dried her hair.
“You got your hair cut!” Holly said. “It looks great. When did you do that?”
“It’s part of the story,” Stacy said, without enthusiasm. Stacy got dressed and put on some lipstick and looked at herself in the mirror. “That’s as good as it’s going to get,” she told Holly.
“You look great!” Holly lied.
By the time the paperwork was complete, it was after 9:30. The nurse came into Stacy’s room with a wheelchair and Stacy looked at her like she was crazy.
“I’m not getting in that thing,” Stacy said.
“It’s hospital policy,” the nurse said.
“Well, I have my own policy,” Stacy said, “and it prohibits me from riding in a wheelchair when I’m perfectly capable of walking on my own two feet.”
Holly felt sorry for the nurse. “Oh, just ride in the damn thing, Stacy.”
“You ride in it. I don’t need it any more than you do,” Stacy said.
Holly crossed her arms. “Is this the nurse who called the doctor at home at 7:00 o’clock this morning and had him come down here to examine you before you checked yourself out?”
Holly raised her eyebrows and Stacy sat down in the chair and the nurse wheeled her down the hall, into the elevator and out through the lobby. The automatic doors slid open and the nurse wheeled Stacy out into the sunlight.
Stacy was stunned. There were hundreds of people gathered outside to welcome her home. Some had signs and banners, some had balloons, some had flowers. And they all started shouting and applauding when they saw her. She recognized a few faces, but most of them were complete strangers. The reporters had set up a makeshift podium and the nurse wheeled her up to it and Stacy stood up and gave her nurse a hug.
“Thank you, Dana,” Stacy said.
“You’re welcome. I enjoyed being your nurse,” she said smiling.
Stacy took Dana’s hand and held it up and in her weak voice she spoke into the microphone.
“This is the best nurse in the whole hospital,” Stacy said, and the crowd fell in love with her instantly. The nurse squeezed Stacy’s hand then let go and moved out of the way. Stacy looked out at the crowd and started to cry.
“You people are incredible,” Stacy said, wiping her eyes. “And I don’t know what I did to deserve this wonderful welcome, but I’ll tell you what, it feels good to be home.” The crowd exploded with cheers and applause, but Stacy continued. “This has been the longest week of my life and these last few days especially have been very difficult for me. It’s going to take time and a lot of rest before I can feel like myself again.”
Stacy addressed herself to the media in the front row. “I’m standing in front of you today to answer your questions, with the assumption that by doing so, you will respect my privacy and let me get on with the healing process.”
The crowd cheered and someone yelled out, “Y
eah! You people leave her alone!” and everyone clapped and cheered again. Stacy smiled and when they quieted down, one of the reporters shouted, “Tell us about your abduction.”
Here it comes, Stacy thought. The hounds from hell.
“I only remember bits and pieces of the time I spent in captivity,” Stacy said. “But I’ll tell you what I remember. You obviously know that I was abducted during the bank robbery last week, so I’m not going to go into that. After leaving the bank, I was put on a plane and flown out of the country. I had been taken to Colombia, but at the time I didn’t know that. I had been shot during the bank robbery and was in and out of consciousness for several days, so I have very little recollection of anything that went on during that time,” Stacy said.
“Where were you shot?” someone asked.
“In my side,” Stacy said.
Another question: “How did you manage to escape?”
“At one point, I had been taken to a roadside motel. There were only two men guarding me that day and when one of them left, I overpowered the other one and sought help from a motel guest. The man drove me to the U.S. Embassy in Bogota.”
“How did you overpower your guard,” asked another nosy reporter.
“I don’t feel comfortable talking about that,” Stacy answered.
“Did he do that to your face?” someone yelled.
Her hand instinctively went to her cheek. “Yes,” Stacy said.
“Do you know who your abductors were?”
“No. Other than they were Colombian,” she said.
The questions were coming one right after the other. “What happened when the man took you to the Embassy? How were you treated?” another reporter asked.
“I don’t remember. I was unconscious when I got there. The FBI agent said that I told the people at the Embassy my name and that I had been taken hostage in the bank robbery in San Antonio. But I have no recollection of that.”
“How many people were involved in your abduction?”
“I’m not sure. I think three, maybe four,” Stacy said.
“How does it feel to know that everyone thought you were dead?” said a reporter directly in front of her.
Stacy looked right at him. It was such a stupid question, but she decided to give him a break. She smiled at the reporter and said, “I read that my funeral was nice,” and everyone laughed. “Honestly, it’s strange to think of people mourning me. I don’t know, it’s kind of flattering,” she told him, and before anyone could shout another question, Stacy continued.
Back on Solid Ground Page 20
