by Gunn, Autumn
It was rush hour, which I had planned. I was in the far right lane. I wanted a direct view of the water, both for strategizing and just to take in the beautiful view. And what a beautiful view it was. From the top deck it’s magical. There were some walkers making the trek across stopping to kiss and take selfies what seemed like every 20 feet. I’m not a big fan of being in photos myself and find the relentless pursuit of the best selfie one can get a bit odd, but I can’t say I blamed them.
I watched them continue on their way. A week ago I would have written off what they were doing as silly, now that Kate had come into my life I understood. It’s not about the photo, it’s about enjoying the company of the other person. That one special person in this world that’s meant for you and you for them. I had lost that and forgot what it felt like. Kate brought all that back and now I needed to bring her back into my life. I was ready. I knew the odds were against me, but I was confident I was going to come out on top.
I continued watching the lovebirds. They suddenly stopped, pointed to the oncoming traffic in horror and ducked. As I turned to the left I felt the spray of gunfire light up my passenger side window. I had been leaning on the center console just seconds earlier to get a better look. One more second and that position would have been fatal. I ducked out of the line of the windshield and heard the rental continue to take heavy automatic gunfire. I was expecting the action to start a little before 2200 from a position I had secured. The action was certainly early, but four hours so in a position I wasn’t expecting. I did a modified leapfrog move into the passenger seat floor space. With my big frame, I’d be a sitting duck if I didn’t take cover. I opened the passenger side door and rolled onto the concrete. I crawled to the back right fender of the car. I pulled my P226 Navy, but knew the chances of getting off a clear shot in all this traffic was nearly impossible. Cars tried to flee despite the bumper-to-bumper traffic. It was a mass confusion mess of fender benders, horns, and people abandoning their cars in favor of running for cover.
I did a turkey look just over the trunk of the car and caught sight of a Hyundai Tucson. I remembered that model as Hyundai had sponsored the NFL and throughout the course of the 16-week season I was nearly able to memorize their entire fleet. It seemed like an affordable alternative for my aging Jeep, but now my only alternative was squatting behind this rental and returning fire or find myself quickly out of room as I was pinned against the side of the bridge.
I noticed the back windows were totally tinted. A sign the car was likely registered in New Jersey and not New York. No criminal would give law enforcement such an easy pass to pull them over as over tinting their windshields. New York required 70% transmission in the back. New Jersey required none.
I decided to return fire and navigate my way to the semi a few vehicles in front of me. My shots had to be dead center on the driver or passenger side with no chance of passing through and injuring a civilian. I wasn’t worried about that. I also needed to get a visual on the driver before assuming and firing. I stood and got a look at the driver. He was big, ugly, and mean looking. He looked even meaner with the automatic machine gun he was holding. I began to fire the SIG running towards the semi. I could hear only my fire so I knew the gunman or gunmen in the Hyundai had taken cover. I was less than 10 feet from making it to the 18 wheeler and then out of the corner of my right eye I noticed a high speed object coming my way. It was a hypermotard motorcycle made for navigating tight urban areas. It was coming the wrong way, but it didn’t matter. It was too late. The driver extended what felt like a pipe and hit me square. I was thrust into the pedestrian sidewalk and as I continued to flip my momentum took me over the waist high handrail. As I was spinning I knew I had to get ahold of something to stop my momentum from taking me over. I felt something hit my bicep and chicken winged my arm around the metal as my body completed its rotation. I felt my legs whip into concrete and my chest slam against metal bars. I held on as tightly as I could with my right arm. My left was hanging. I quickly realized I had caught myself on the pedestrian handrail, but momentum had flipped me completely and my body was freely hanging off the edge ready to meet the Hudson River. I tried to take a big breath and pull myself up but could feel I had cracked at least two ribs from the impact. This wasn’t going to be easy.
I gritted my teeth and pulled as hard as I could. I was making progress but not much. Then I felt three cold taps on my right elbow.
“Going somewhere, Mr. Justice? Assuming that really is your name.”
“Kong.”
“Expecting someone else?”
“You’re dead.”
“No, Justice. I’m alive. Very alive. It looks like it’s you who’s about to be dead.”
“You’re wrong. The Port Authority police will be here any second and you’ve got nowhere to go.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. See, unlike you, I plan to the end. Look for yourself.”
I was struggling to keep my chicken wing around the bar, but I could hear the spinning of the helicopter rotors above.
“I’d love to chat, but I’ve really got to be going. As do you. Let me show you how it’s done, Justice.”
Kong delivered a martial arts blow to my right arm so powerful it released it’s hold instantly. I felt my weight transfer back and knew I was I was now in free fall. My mind instantly thought of everything I could remember from parachuting to Golden Gate bridge jump survivors to cats escaping large jumps unharmed. All I knew was I had about four seconds and the position I was in at impact would determine everything.
All I could think of was cats always land on their feet. Then I remembered a salty old SEAL who told me about some jumps he made from bridges during the Vietnam war when he was being pursued. “Just remember kid, if it’s the water you’re about to meet, and you know it can’t be beat, might as well watch the show and take a seat.” It was goofy, but like many goofy things it rhymed and I remembered it. I rotated into the sitting position and tried to relax my body so my muscles and bones were not tight upon impact. Achieving zen when you’re about to smack into the Hudson at 75mph is easier said than done.
It was like I was in a dream, dropping onto the hard sidewalk from above in a lazy-boy, except there was no lazy-boy and this was no dream. I immediately felt the impact in my backside and spine. My spine working as shocks like a car going over a speed bump, but this was no speed bump and I was falling at a rate fast enough to get a ticket on most highways in the U.S. I felt my neck buckle into my body. It was like I was a chipmunk in the arcade game you play at five years old when you have to smack the chipmunks down with a mallet. Now I know how those chipmunks must have felt. The good think was my neck didn’t snap. It compacted down and not enough to snap. My entire body felt like it was inside a car wash and hit from every side. All I knew was I had to make it to the top. I tried to extend my legs to kick, but my knees didn’t move. I reached with my hands and pulled back towards my body hoping to drag myself through the water. This wasn’t going to be easy. My knees loosened a bit and I was able to execute something that resembled something of a kick. I was making progress, barely, but if the destruction on my body wasn’t enough, the complete emptying of air from my lungs caused by impact made up for it. All I could think of was how easy our SEAL drown proofing training seemed now. It was designed to prepare us for real life situations, but I think this might have exceed what even the designers of the training envisioned. I tried to stay calm to keep the muscles, that weren’t torn and bruised, as flexible as possible and to give me some extra time before I absolutely needed air.
I started to see light. I knew I just had a few more yards to go. Then a few more feet. One last push and I breached the surface. Air never tasted so good, and yes when you are deprived of it when you need it most, when you suddenly get it back it tastes oh so sweet. Then reality hit. I had a swim in front of me.
I started to swim and quickly realized the whirlpool currents were conflicting and moving in opposite directions. If surviving the
fall wasn’t enough now I had to navigate the equivalent of a landmine of underwater washing machines spinning in all directions., each opting to fickly change direction as they saw fit.
It didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to give up. If there was every an appropriate time to use two steps forward and one step back this wasn’t it. It was more like one inch forward and two leaps back. At this point I realized my best option would be to conserve energy and hope for the Port Authority Police Emergency Services Unit and Harbor Patrol. I could feel myself being thrown around like a rag doll. I was doing the best I could to avoid being sucked under. Trying to use the currents to navigate my way out would be useless. This was a maze with no exit. Fortunately the keepers of the key arrived just in time. I saw some of New York and New Jersey’s finest headed my way. I love nothing more than swimming, I am a SEAL after all, but this afternoon I appreciated nothing more than the lifeguard telling me my time in the water was over. They pulled me inside the boat.
“Sir, are you OK? Can you hear us?”
“I’m OK. Thanks for coming for me.”
“Is anything broken?”
“My ribs. Maybe my right forearm.”
“Sir, you’re a miracle.”
“As are you.”
“Our first survivor in six years.”
Another man spoke up. “Yeah, but he was a Naval Academy star. Water polo guy. You did it as a civilian.”
I didn’t say anything.
“We’re going to take you to St. Vincent’s. They’re going to make sure you’re OK.”
“Thank you.”
I wasn’t in the mood or position to argue. I needed to get to dry land and refocus on getting Kate and Jerry to safety, and bring Kong to justice…and that just got a whole lot more difficult.
Chapter 16
“It’s really a miracle that you survived, son.”
The doctor looked to be pushing 90 years old. I don’t think he ever got the memo about political correctness, but I didn’t mind.
“What in the world made you jump? Problems with the ladies?”
“I’ve got some of those, but I can’t really explain how I wound up in the Hudson.” I wasn’t about to tell him what I was caught up in as I’d be taken in for questioning quicker than the fall I just experienced.
“Well, a good looking young guy like yourself has got a lot to look forward to in life. Don’t be doing anything stupid and get yourself killed.”
“Yes, sir.”
He turned and opened the door. As he walked out the door I could here him under his breath. “Kids these days. What’s gotten into them?”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
The nurse entered.
“A lot of injuries show up after an event like this. We’re going to need to monitor you for 48 hours.”
“OK. Thanks for everything.”
“You’re welcome. Just relax and we’ll take care of everything. Can I get you anything?”
“I’m OK for now. I think I’d like to take a long nap.”
“That’s a great idea. I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you.”
“Thanks. Thanks again.”
“My pleasure. I’m here to help. Don’t think twice about buzzing me.”
“I won’t.”
The nurse turned to the door and left. Taking a long nap was the last thing on my mind. I counted to 300. Five minutes should be enough. The hospital seemed busy when I arrived. I’m sure she had a number of other things to attend to. Luckily they hadn’t strapped me down to the bed thinking it was the best precaution after what they probably classified as a suicide attempt. They took my clothes, but I managed to keep ahold of my wallet. Fortunately, or unfortunately…I wasn’t sure yet, my SIG was lost on impact. My knife also. Thankfully I hadn’t cut my leg off or impaled myself. The rescuers really were right. It was a miracle…in every sense of the word. I calmly opened the door to my room and walked down the hall. I smiled politely at a couple nurses and made my way towards the elevator. The thought kept going through my head. Hide in plain site. The best place to hide is in plain side. I walked right to the elevator. Just one nurse inside. The elevator began its descent. She looked at me strangely, but didn’t say anything. She got off on the third floor. Only three more floors to go.
The elevator stopped in the lobby. I walked out. A security guard approached.
“Sir, everything OK?”
“Yes, thank you officer.”
“Can I see some ID and your discharge papers please?”
“It’s OK, officer. I’m just stepping outside into the courtyard.”
He looked at me curiously.
“Aren’t you the guy from the bridge?”
“I’m the guy who needs some fresh air. It’s a bit stuffy in here for me. May I?”
It really is amazing what you can get if you just ask nicely.
“OK, but don’t be long.”
I smiled, walked right out the front door, and into a cab.
“You breakin out of that place?” The cabbie looked at my sideways, but also with a smile.
“Maybe.”
He laughed. “You’re my kinda brotha. Where we going?”
“Know any good hotels around here where I can get some sleep?”
“I’m a NYC cabbie, boss. I know where everything is.”
“Then you’ll also know where I can pick up a mobile phone.”
“Right across from the hotel.”
“It sounds like we’re all settled then.”
“Off we go.”
The cabbie turned on the radio and laughed.
“Sir, it’s none of my business and I ain’t gonna say nuthin’ but you got some guts.”
“Where are you from, sir?”
“Who me? I’m from Haiti.”
“When did you arrive?”
“Just after the earthquake.”
“You’re the one with the guts my friend.”
He looked at me in the rear view mirror and smiled. “My man.” He reached his right fist to the back of the cab. I gave him a fist pound and he smiled.
He dropped me off at the hotel. It looked like they were renting by the hour. Probably just where he thought I wanted to be…somewhere out of sight. He wasn’t too far off, but I could have done OK with a slightly higher level of establishment. Regardless I didn’t have time to waste. I paid the fare, thanked the man, and walked across the street to pick up a prepaid mobile. I headed back across the street to check in to an adjacent hotel to make some calls. I didn’t need anyone to know exactly where I was, even just a cabbie. But I did want someone to think they knew where I was just in case the paparazzi were handing out cash for info about the bridge jumper.
My old phone now somewhere at the bottom of the Hudson I had to be even more aggressive, even with the cracked rib and fractured ulna. Fortunately one number I always knew by memory was Laura’s.
“Jax. Where are you? I saw your face on TV.”
“Exactly what I didn’t want.”
“Man survives jump from George Washington Bridge? What’s going on?”
“Remember Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff?”
“Korea? What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Let’s play a quick round of word association. Ready? Kong.”
“Um…dead?”
“That’s what I thought. He’s back.”
“Impossible. We took him out that night.”
“I was sure of it as well, until now. I saw him today. He was the one that sent me into the Hudson.”
“You’re joking…or mistaken.”
“I wish I was. I looked him right in the eye.”
“Wow, he’s a survivor.”
“No doubt. And he’s got Kate and Jerry.”
“What can I do to help?”
“I don’t have much now. I do know they were in a Hyundai Tuscon that looked really new and there was a hypermotard street bike with them as well. A kind I’d never seen before. Back windows were tinted on th
e Hyundai which leads me to think both were registered in Jersey. ”
“Is this the number you’re at?”
“Yeah. Prepaid.”
“I’ll call you right back.”
Laura hung up. I went in the bathroom to take a look in the mirror. I was cut pretty bad, but it was passable for a bar fight. I’d get looks on the street, but I wouldn’t get calls to law enforcement. I was still in my hospital gown. Forgot to get new clothes. I stepped outside to strange looks from the bellhop. Asked him where I could get some cheap threads. He pointed left and said, two streets over. Can’t miss it.
