Kaplan had enough. “No, I’ll tell you what’s right. What’s right is we do what we’re paid for, okay? Vern, I know you. I don’t like where this is going.”
Lockwood said, “Hold your water. Let me think.”
This man thinking, thought Kaplan, was never good news. He was going to tell Crow about Whistler and his boat. He was thinking what we’ll do is show him the boat. He was thinking, “Aubrey said don’t touch Whistler, so we don’t. We let this guy whack him, both him and the girl, and then, after that, we finish Crow.”
Sure enough, Lockwood said, “They’re still around. They’re on a boat.”
“You will point them out to me?”
“My pleasure,” said Lockwood.
“But the hospital first. Those two will have to wait.”
Kaplan couldn’t help asking, “What did you have in mind? You waltz into this hospital and blast him?”
“So to speak,” Crow answered. He patted his golf bag. “As I’ve said, I have everything I need.”
“So, what’s in there?”
“My shotgun, of course, and I’ve made us some sandwiches. I’ve brought a thermos of milk for myself and two bottles of Snapple Iced Tea. I’m sure that you’re accustomed to a proper lunch, but we may find ourselves pressed for time.”
“Good planning,” said Kaplan. “Never short-change nutrition.”
“There is also my scanner to keep track of the police. There’s some literature that I wish to distribute while we are departing the hospital. Oh, and of course the explosives.”
Lockwood’s eyes came to life. “You got explosives?”
“Three bombs. They should suffice. They use thermite. Very hot. I assembled them while I was waiting for you.”
“And how do you plan to deliver these bombs?”
“As I’ve told you, I will need you to create a diversion so that I can get near Ragland’s room. You will do that by setting off one of these bombs. They’re quite safe; they have timing devices. I will then use the bigger one on Ragland himself. That explosion will create still another diversion. I will then make my way to poor Leonard’s bed. You will have located it for me. I have decided to use the third bomb, if needed, to send Leonard to the glory that awaits him.”
Kaplan said, “I need that bathroom. Come show me.”
Lockwood knew what this meant. He said, “Wait. Hold your water.”
Screw this, thought Kaplan. He would pop the guy right here. He said, “Vern, back away a few feet.” You don’t want this schmuck’s brains on your suit.
Lockwood said, “Will you wait? We got new options here.” He asked Crow, “You got stuff for more bombs?”
“Only these.”
“But you don’t need all three for the hospital, right? For your guy, all you do is pull a plug.”
“That or a pillow. I’ve considered a pillow.” Then Crow almost smiled. “I can see what you’re proposing.”
“One for the boat. We keep one for the boat.”
“Vern...don’t do this.”
“I’m just thinking,” said Lockwood. “You don’t like it, go inside.”
“Screw it. I’ll wait in the car.”
TWENTY SIX
The campus of the Hilton head Medical Center was a sprawling, modern-looking affair that was located close to the airport. There were several low buildings that housed Doctors’ offices. There were two larger structures at the campus’s core. One of these housed facilities for treating outpatients; the other was the actual hospital.
Whistler had made several passes in the Taurus, getting a feel for the campus. He looked for unusual activity. He saw none. Just patients and visitors coming and going. No police presence that he could see. It was quieter than he’d expected.
Whistler patted his pockets. “Did you bring the cell phone?”
“No. Did you forget it?”
He answered with a dismissive grunt. The cell phone, he thought darkly, must have slipped his mind as Claudia went charging up the slip with the M-87 in her hand. He spotted a sign for a public phone at the entrance of the outpatient building. He pulled up to it, got out, and called the hospital building. He asked what room Ragland was in.
The operator told him that she’d been instructed not to give out that information. She said that the Raglands were not taking calls, but that he could leave a message if he wished.
“No visitors either?” Whistler asked hopefully.
“Only those pre-announced and approved.”
“Does that include the press?”
“I think especially the press.”
“Well, how is he doing? Is he still in ICU?”
“Sir, I can tell you that he’s listed as stable. That’s all I’m permitted to say.”
Whistler thanked the operator and broke the connection. He returned to the car and told Claudia what she’d said. He said, “So there you have it. No visitors.”
“Adam, she said without prior approval. They’ve both asked to see us. That means we’re approved.”
“But we’re not pre-announced. We’re not going to be either. We wouldn’t know what we’re walking into.”
“Adam…park the car. You can wait in the car.”
“You’re not going in there alone.”
“Then come with me.”
He said, “Hold it. You promised that you’d do as I ask.”
“Not when you’re going to look for every tiny little reason to keep me from seeing him, Adam. I mean, those people you used to go after…didn’t some of them have ‘No Trespassing’ signs? Would you have said, ‘Well, that’s that,” and gone home?”
“Big difference, Claudia. What I did was…never mind. If you want to go in by yourself, go ahead.”
“You’ll follow me anyway, so come.”
Another lost argument. But this time she was right. He would not have let her out of his sight. He picked a parking spot that was near the main entrance, one that wouldn’t be easy to block in.
As with most hospitals, the building had two entrances. The main entrance was more like that of a hotel, designed to seem inviting and comforting. Double doors led in to a lobby area that was furnished with comfortable chairs. Off the lobby were the gift shop and snack bar. A reception desk stood at the far end. Two pleasant-looking women sat behind it. Volunteers. Their job was directing visitors to patients or to say that no visitors were allowed. He had probably just spoken to one of them.
Claudia had begun to approach the double doors. Whistler said, “Wait, we’re not going in that way.”
“Do you see metal detectors? I don’t.”
He said, “I don’t either, but they might be built-in. We’ll walk down and around to the Emergency Room entrance. Look worried and they won’t even notice us.”
That had always seemed true of Emergency Rooms. Look sick, you’re a patient. Look worried, you’re a relative. No one will bother to ask who you’re there for. At most, they will point you to the waiting room. The doors almost never had detection devices. Too many policemen coming through at all hours. Too much urgency to worry about security.
As Whistler had hoped, no one paid them much attention. They walked directly through the waiting room and past Intensive Care. Beyond was an elevator bank. Near the elevator doors he found a directory that listed the various wards. The Trauma ward was two levels up.
He said to Claudia, “You remember the rules.”
“I look for his room. If he has company I keep going.”
“And if he’s guarded?”
“You’re hoping he will be, but he won’t be, Adam. Because if he is, I have to abort. But I’m supposed to see him, so he won’t be.”
Whistler sighed. No use arguing. He pressed the button.
The elevator stopped on the main entrance floor. A visiting family was waiting to get on along with an aide who was pushing a wheelchair. Whistler and Claudia backed up to make room. He heard a voice from the corridor say, “Would you hold the door, please.” His heart sank when
he thought he heard a faint British accent. He thought, no, this couldn’t be happening.
He was staring at the floor when the woman stepped on. Sure enough, it was Olivia Ragland. She still wore the dress that she’d had on the night before. She was carrying a small plastic bag from the gift shop in addition to an oversized purse. The bag seemed to contain a number of toiletries. A tube of Colgate toothpaste showed through it. She also carried a number of pink message slips that she must have picked up from the reception desk. Phone calls, no doubt, from family and friends and probably some from reporters. She smiled as she thanked the nurses’ aide who’d held the door. She barely glanced at the others in the back of the car before turning and facing the doors as they closed.
Whistler reached to take Claudia’s arm. He squeezed it and held it as if to say, “Stay back. Don’t get off when she does.” But Claudia, at that moment, reached with her free hand and lightly touched Mrs. Ragland’s shoulder.
Whistler groaned, perhaps audibly. He looked skyward, helpless.
Ragland’s wife turned. She met Claudia’s eyes. Her expression was one of shocked recognition that quickly softened into something like awe. Whistler realized in that instant that Ragland’s wife knew that the knife had come from Claudia’s hand.
She whispered, “I’m so glad. I’m so glad that you came.” She added, “You, too, Adam. Nice to see you again. You don’t remember me, do you?”
The door to the third floor slid open.
TWENTY SEVEN
Kaplan’s first thought as he slid behind the wheel was to start up this sucker and go. Go back to beach parking, get his own car and split. He’d be doing himself a big favor. He would also, however, kiss off the ten grand that was coming to him for doing Crow.
Another thought was, go back in and shoot him. That way, he’d be doing a favor for Lockwood, but Lockwood, at first, might not see it that way. Lockwood just might pull his own gun and shoot him. No, wait. Lockwood couldn’t. Lockwood’s gun and his silencer were still in his carry-on. The dick-head was in there unarmed.
Armed or not, thought Kaplan, he would still be pissed off. Lockwood might wait until they finished chopping Crow and he’d say, “Sorry, Arnie. You go in the hole with him. You shouldn’t have forgot who’s in charge.”
Who’s in charge is Aubrey. But tell that to Lockwood. If Aubrey only knew
the shit Lockwood was thinking…
“Now there,” he said aloud, “is a thought.”
Lockwood’s carry-on bag was still in the well of the front seat where Lockwood had left it. Kaplan reached in. He thought, yeah, there’s the Glock. He picked it up and pulled back the slide to see if there was a round in the chamber. There was. He ejected it. He put it in his pocket. Doing so might just possibly give him and edge if push should come to shove with Vernon Lockwood. Beneath it in the bag were those cell phones Lockwood brought. Kaplan reached in; he found the one with an “A.” He thought, okay, let’s think about this. How does he explain this to Aubrey?
Gotta tell him the truth; they’re with Crow; they haven’t popped him. Tell him two reasons. One is Lockwood, one is Poole. The way Crow’s talking, Mr. Poole must have called him after Lockwood got finished with Aubrey. Poole told him we’d help him get Ragland, which is nuts. He wants to get him in the hospital with bombs.
He’d tell him Lockwood lights up when he hears this guy has bombs. He says we have to save one for Whistler. Now, an hour ago, Lockwood said no bombs, but of course that was when he didn’t have one. The way he’s talking now, he wants to use Crow to blow up Whistler’s boat and everyone on it. He thinks the whole family will be on it by tonight.
Yeah, Lockwood shot his mouth that it was Whistler and the girl who rained on this guy’s parade. This gives Crow a motive and this way Lockwood’s clean. But we’re only clean if he leaves Crow’s body so there’s no doubt that Crow did this and not us. Except Lockwood, probably, won’t do even that because Lockwood wants Whistler to know it was him. So Lockwood’s in there thinking, maybe he goes in first. He does some knee-capping maybe, makes everyone hurt, then he sets off the bomb and he cooks them. It strikes me that this might depart from your objectives and maybe you should want to have a talk with him.
That’s good, thought Kaplan. That’s all he would say. Mr. Aubrey might appreciate the call.
“He plans to do what?”
Aubrey made him repeat it.
“And you’re sure that Poole called Crow a second time to suggest this new idiocy with the hospital?”
“That’s according to Crow. I can’t swear.”
Aubrey thought for a moment. He remembered the first call and how it had ended. He told Kaplan, “Wait a minute. There was no second call. Crow was only told that to appease him.”
“Yeah, well, someone better tell that to Lockwood.”
“Mr. Kaplan, are you able to dispose of Crow yourself?”
“Yeah, I guess. But what about Lockwood?”
“I’m coming to that.”
“I still get my ten grand?”
“Yes, of course. And by the way, that amount was not ten.”
“Well, Lockwood said five, but it’s ten if I do good. I hope I’m doing good with this call.”
“Lockwood’s cheating you, sir. The figure was twenty. I am now prepared to double that for you.”
“Um…this phone’s okay? You’re sure about that?”
“I am,” Aubrey promised. “Speak freely.”
“You’re saying pop them both?”
“That would seem to be prudent.”
“That would seem worth a medal for my service to humanity, not that I would refuse the forty grand. But, hey, with respect, I don’t know about this.”
“If you’re asking for more…”
“No, I’m not. That’s not it. Not that I wouldn’t like to be kept in mind if you need someone new for Lockwood’s job. But popping them both? We’re talking two bodies. And Lockwood’s no bantamweight, remember.”
“Are you…handicapped in some way, Mr. Kaplan?”
“Mr. Aubrey, let me describe what you’re asking. Two bodies, one trunk. Put them in, take them out. I either dig a big hole or I haul them to a swamp. This, I gotta tell you, is how handicaps happen. Could be I get crippled, can’t finish. I also have no one who’s there as a lookout in case, I don’t know, some bird-watchers show. What I’m saying is I’ll need some assistance.”
Aubrey said, “Hmm. I suppose you have a point.”
“You got a suggestion?”
“Are you able to delay them? Keep them under control?”
“Sure. I go shoot them. If I do that, however, I don’t hang around. I’m not going to sit in that house with two stiffs.”
“You can’t hold them at gunpoint?”
“How much time are we talking?”
“The…assistance you need will be forthcoming, Mr. Kaplan, but not for two hours or so, I would think. Can you keep them under control for that long?”
“Not with guns. That’s too long,” Kaplan told him.
Lockwood might be a schmuck, but he’s a dangerous schmuck and he’s going to know he’s been downsized. The other guy listens to voices in his head and he thinks he has God on his side. Either one has got to figure he has nothing to lose. They’re going to make a move and he’s going to have to shoot them. That would put him back where he started.
“Tell you what, though,” said Kaplan, “I can keep them both busy. Crow wants us to scout out the hospital first. We can kill a lot of time doing that.”
“But you can’t leave Crow alone. Take him with you when you do that.”
“What, ride around with him? You seen this guy lately?”
“The problem?”
“This guy,” said Kaplan, “looks like Dracula with zits. That’s if Dracula took up golf and he shopped at Goodwill.”
“Dracula with…zits?”
“Forget it. Don’t ask. I know we can’t let him out of our sight. We’ll throw a sheet over him o
r something.”
“And see that he behaves. I’m relying on you.”
“How and where do we hook up with whoever you’re sending?”
“Actually, I’m thinking of coming myself.”
“You personally? For what? When I said I needed help…”
“You didn’t mean an undersized cripple. I know that.”
“No offense, you understand.”
“None taken, Mr. Kaplan. But there seems to be a need for some management control, lest there be any further surprises.”
“Not just you, though, right? I do need the help.”
“I am more than your help. I’m your future, Mr. Kaplan. But no, I won’t be coming alone. Where do you suggest that we meet?”
“Best bet, I think, is right here at this house. You look for our car. It’s a big old green Pontiac. If it’s there, we’re inside and if it isn’t we’re out.”
“If the green car is there, what then?” Aubrey asked him.
“You give three quick honks so I know you’re outside. I cover Crow and Lockwood, then I call you in. If you don’t see the car, you come in and wait. Come in through the garage. There won’t be any locks. We get back, you be ready to surprise us, okay?”
“That sounds like a plan, Mr. Kaplan. Well done.”
“Mr. Aubrey, they’re coming. I gotta go. Just get here as soon as you can.”
Aubrey stared at the phone. He was talking to himself. He said, “Felix, that might not have been smart. An impulsive decision, not at all like you. It is thug work. It is why we hire thugs.”
But the more one tells a thug not to think, the more he makes the attempt.
So Mr. Lockwood, already the cause of much damage, has once again decided to act on his own. A simple man, he has devised a simple plan. Kill everyone. That's his solution.
It never seems to occur to people like Lockwood that his victims might have minds of their own. They might not do what he needs them to do; they might not be where he wants them to be. Contingency plans, consequences, flexibility; these are alien concepts to such men. That is why one insists on utter obedience. Do this, do that, do not depart from my instructions. Do not think. I repeat. Do not think.
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