Instinctual 2

by Amanda Mackey

  The Gladiator stood motionless, head down as if in a salute pose, paying tribute to another life taken too soon and as respect to Mr. Fitzpatrick while the body rose higher.

  Robert watched his daughter’s body get hauled up into the chopper where it was all hands on deck.

  “Sir, we need to get down to the Doria Castle ASAP. They’ll be waiting on us.” The Gladiator had placed a hand on Rob’s shoulder.

  Robert didn’t know if his legs could carry him but they would have to. Kate needed her father with her on her final journey out of Vernazza. He at least owed her the last ounce of strength he could muster to stand by her side with honor and pride and to deliver her home to the States where she would receive a proper burial and funeral.

  Feeling utterly spent, he forced his legs to follow The Gladiator through the confined streets, past unwitting locals who went about their daily lives none the wiser. The world would continue to go on in its usual manner long after Kate had been laid to rest. It just didn’t seem fair. His legs were shaking, the muscles feeling like jelly, his grief causing his sobs to leach from him with each step down he took towards Katie-bear. His only child gone, just like that. Snuffed out not because of some fatal disease but because of some horrible circumstance that could have been prevented.

  ***

  Jake hadn’t needed to make the hike to the castle by foot. He willed his way on board the chopper, sitting as close to Kate as he could without literally being on top of the medics. He watched on, anxiously, praying that they’d made it in time, not willing to believe she was dead.

  The two medics were talking fast in their own language, hooking Kate up to a defibrillator and inserting an intravenous line. Electrodes were placed all over her chest and a couple on her ankles. The underwear was carefully cut from her body, and when Jake looked, he could see massive bruises and gashes covering Kate’s stomach, shoulders, arms and legs. She looked like she’d been beaten. Deep lacerations filled with dried blood that he imagined had sliced her to the bone on the treacherous wall of rock. It was hard to tell if her skin was sunburned or red from her injuries. He guessed it was a bit of both.

  A faint, very slow beep started on the mobile heart monitor but then stopped about thirty seconds later as the chopper descended to the tower platform.

  “Insert 150mg Amiodarone and then get the paddles, stat! She’s going into cardiac arrest!”

  “Shit! Shit! Don’t bail out on me now, Kate. Fight it, woman! Be strong. Stay with me.” Jake knew that he could scream the words and no one would hear, but if Kate was out of her body somewhere then hopefully she’d hear his pleas. Not knowing if it would make any difference, he at least had to try.

  “Don’t die on me, baby. I can’t lose you. I can’t. I won’t survive without you. I need you.” His face was painted with terror as he yelled at the medics.

  “You’re losing her, damn it! Fucking do something!” He wanted nothing more than to pound on her chest in his own attempt to restart her heart but he couldn’t get near her torso. Both doctors were leaned over her, administering their own life-saving techniques.

  Chapter Three

  At the castle platform, the chopper landed and was waiting patiently for its two passengers, angled away from the growing mob of people that had formed around the perimeter where the Italian police were standing, explaining to onlookers that they would be allowed in once the chopper had departed. One of the police recognized Robert and The Gladiator from their visit to the station the previous night and waved them through.

  Robert found some reserve in the tank and ran the last twenty feet, not waiting on The Gladiator, just needing to touch and see Katie. It appeared that chaos had ensued inside the chopper and he halted for an instant, his eyes wide as he watched on.

  Paddles had been placed across Kate’s naked chest and were sending a jolt of electricity to her as she arched up off the stretcher. They were trying to re-start her heart.

  Robert jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder and for a moment he thought it was The Gladiator but soon realized Gary had exited the chopper. Each electric shock his daughter’s body took felt like it was in his own.

  “They’ll do everything they can to save her, Rob. I know it doesn’t look good but you can’t give up hope. She had a very faint pulse when the medic reached her but we lost it on the way here.”

  Robert looked at Gary. “She was alive when the medic arrived? But… I saw him shake his head. I thought…” A sliver of hope shone through and he grabbed onto it with both hands.

  “You thought she was dead?”

  “Yeah. I’ve seen that look a thousand times, Gary. I know death when I see it.”

  “He couldn’t feel her pulse at first it was so weak, but it was definitely there. She’s a fighter, I’ll give her that—” The men’s conversation was cut short.

  “Clear!” Another jolt. Robert couldn’t stand to watch and turned his back.

  “She means everything to me, Gary. I can’t lose her.”

  “I know, buddy. These guys won’t give up on her, I promise. They have dealt with these situations before. If it was my kid on that stretcher, this is the team I’d want.”

  The words did little to comfort Robert as he heard the click of the paddles and the thud of Kate’s body accepting another shock.

  “Sir? We need to get underway,” called the chopper pilot to Gary. “The hospital just radioed through asking for our E.T.A.”

  There was no time to pause and wait for Kate to stabilize. They needed to move out now.

  “Come on, Rob, Kate needs you now. We’ve got a team of experts waiting at the other end. She’s in very capable hands.”

  Robert sighed and hunched his shoulders as he nodded and motioned for The Gladiator to climb on board, too.

  Just before he boarded, he remembered something he had to do first.

  Turning on his heels, he strode over to the Italian policeman who had helped in the search, even though he was the same one that detained The Gladiator the previous evening. He held out his hand in a gesture of thanks.

  “Thank you for helping search for my daughter. It means a lot to me.”

  “You are-a very welcome, sir. I hope-a she will be-a okay.”

  So did Robert. With everything he had, he prayed Kate would make a full recovery because he was dangerously close to going on a revenge rampage. Maybe he would do that, anyway. He needed someone’s head on a platter and he damn well wouldn’t stop until he had it.

  It was a tight squeeze even with the over-sized cabin that was the largest in its class and could house fifteen infantrymen. With the stretcher, equipment and medics, space was limited. Robert and The Gladiator found spare seats towards the back, where they sat and buckled up. A medic shut the door and they were soon airborne.

  Robert couldn’t breathe as he watched the defibrillator at work, trying to shock his daughter to life. He felt utterly helpless and wanted to do something to assist.

  He ripped his seatbelt off and moved to where he could touch Kate’s bare leg, offering some sort of comfort. It was the only offering he could give at that time apart from his prayers. He needed to touch her. To feel his baby clinging to life beneath his fingers, hoping beyond hope that by some miracle she would be able to sense his presence.

  Her skin felt like ice even though it was bright red to look at. She needed a blanket.

  “Her feet are cold.”

  Both medics looked at him, not having the time to leave their posts. “In the cupboard at the back is a blanket.” The male medic who had pulled Kate to safety motioned with his head toward a freestanding wooden structure that looked like a broom closet.

  The Gladiator got up and went to retrieve it. “I’ll get it, sir.”

  He handed a thermal blanket to Robert, where he unfolded it and placed it over his daughter’s chilly legs. It wasn’t much but it felt like he had helped in some small way.

  Kate’s body heaved once more as the shock was administered and he heard a fai
nt beep come to life as if by some miracle, the blanket had helped. He knew that was absurd but he held onto the hope that Kate knew he was with her and was fighting hard. The sound was music to his ears. The best sound a father could ever hear. It was the sound of life. The sound of hope.

  “That’s it, Katie. Be strong. I’m here, baby girl, and I’m not going anywhere. I love you so much.”

  Relief seemed to echo through the cabin as a giant foil blanket was opened and placed over Kate. The medic removed the blanket Robert had placed over Kate’s legs and placed it on top of the foil to help keep in any body heat.

  “How is she?” Robert asked.

  “Well, we need to keep her stable now. It’s still touch and go.”

  They’d be landing in around ten minutes so she had to hang in there until proper medical care could be offered. Not that the medics hadn’t done an outstanding job. They had saved Kate’s life, no doubt about that, but they were limited with their equipment.

  He returned to his seat next to The Gladiator and tightened his seatbelt.

  “Sir?” asked The Gladiator.

  “Yes?”

  “Has the mission ended? Will I be returning to the States or continuing with my assignment in Rome?”

  “This mission is far from over. I want someone’s head over this. I want Carlos Santini and his whole Organization brought down. I’m going to need you more than ever now.”

  “With all due respect, sir, just how do you plan on cracking this thing open?”

  Robert lowered his voice to keep the conversation private. He turned in his seat and moved closer to The Gladiator. “We need to find our spy. He was planted years ago and has been working undercover gathering information. I’m a little concerned that we haven’t heard from him. He’s the key to the whole operation.” He didn’t have the nerve to mention that the spy, who was apparently invisible, had been the one to tip Robert off about Kate’s whereabouts.

  ***

  Jake sat up straighter as he eavesdropped in on the conversation. “I’m right here, Goddamit! Your spy is sitting opposite you! I can tell you where Carlos is and where I am but you can’t see or hear me!” Talk about frustrating!

  It was time to play some more. He eyed Robert’s seatbelt.

  He picked the flap up and dropped it, hoping it would be heavy enough to make an impact.

  At first, Robert didn’t respond, so Jake grabbed the whole buckle and moved it up and down on Robert’s lap. That got his attention.

  Robert’s head shot downwards as he watched his seatbelt moving up and down on its own. He grabbed The Gladiator’s arm and both men looked on, bewildered.

  “What the hell is that?” Robert whispered.

  “Uh… sir… Your seatbelt is moving on its own.”

  “I know that! How the hell is it doing it?” The seatbelt kept moving up and down so Robert grabbed it to try and hold it down and even as he did so, it kept trying to force its way up.

  Jake couldn’t help but laugh at the look of astonishment on the two men’s faces. “Come on, Robert, you should be getting used to this by now.”

  Jake let go of the belt and moved his hand to just above Robert’s hair. He focused all his energy, and in seconds his mentor looked like he’d stuck his finger in a power socket. Every strand of hair stood on end. The Gladiator’s eyeballs were huge as he froze in place. As if sensing his man’s unrelenting gaze, Robert turned to see two wide eyes glued to him.

  “What is it?”

  The Gladiator didn’t speak as he lifted a hand and just pointed at Robert’s hair that was standing straight up and only moments earlier had been brushed neatly in place. It was filled with powerful static.

  “What the hell is it?”

  “Your hair, sir!”

  Robert put his hand up to his head, left it there for a couple of seconds and then lowered it into his lap.

  “Huh,” was all he said to the Gladiator.

  Jake could tell that the cogs were turning in Robert’s head, but knew he was trying hard to keep calm and not admit that he was out of his element with all the paranormal activity.

  The Gladiator watched Robert like he’d grown two heads. The dark giant of African American origin clearly was at a loss for words too as he wore a look of consternation.

  Rob looked sideways at him and mumbled, “Just a bit of static. Nothing to worry about.”

  The Gladiator didn’t answer, just turned to face the front, his nostrils flaring, a vein popping out in his neck. It was enough to know that the soldier had been affected by the strange happening but had been trained well to keep his face emotionless.

  Jake sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, turning his focus from Robert to Kate. At least for the time being she was hanging in there.

  ***

  Robert had already lost himself to his thoughts.

  I suppose I’m going to have to call Jenny and explain. She’s going to be pissed to think I suspected Kate was in trouble before I left the States and I didn’t tell her. She’s going to want to come to Italy. Shit!

  He squeezed the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He knew how the conversation would play out. Jenny would be hysterical. She’d already suspected something about this job had been suspicious. It was a call he didn’t want to make but knew he would have to when they reached the hospital. She knew the drill. Working on an important case sometimes didn’t allow the luxury of calling home every day for a chat. As much as the no contact rule held, they both found it difficult.

  In some ways, Robert felt like he’d betrayed Jenny by not being upfront. It was their daughter, after all. Christ, maybe he’d dealt with it all wrong. Should he have brought Jenny with him? He thought it had been the right thing to do at the time, keeping her in the dark and keeping her safe. Now, he didn’t know. At least if they’d flown together they could have supported each other. Jenny would have to fly halfway around the world alone.

  As much as he abhorred the thought of bringing her into danger, he figured if she was here, she’d be able to stay at the hospital with Kate while he went off to fight the bad guys. That is if Kate survived. He needed to call his wife as soon as possible.

  The pilot talked to the approaching hospital as they descended towards the roof helipad. Robert could see medical staff with a gurney waiting for them. So far, Kate was holding her own. It would remain to be seen how long that would last. He felt so helpless.

  The chopper landed safely and Gary was out before they’d barely touched down. Robert was next, giving the medics the room they needed to transport Kate onto the waiting gurney. The two men moved aside, Gary hugging Robert.

  “I’m so sorry all this has happened, Rob. I know how worried you are. Let’s just pray to God she makes it.”

  “Thanks, Gary. It means a lot to me that you’re here. I need to call Jenny and let her know and organize a flight for her. She’s not going to take it well. I lied to her.”

  “You did what you thought was best in order to keep her safe. She can’t argue with that.”

  “No, I know, but I can’t help but feel I went about it all wrong.”

  “Look, I’m heading back to base with The Gladiator as we discussed. You just take some time to make sure your family is safe. Stay here at the hospital, make sure Kate’s recovering and get Jenny on a plane. I’ll deal with the rest.”

  “Oh man! I don’t even have a change of clothes. I left in such a hurry, my belongings are back at Kate’s apartment.”

  “I’ve got to do a detour to pick up The Gladiator’s things, so if you give me a key, I’ll pick up your bags and have someone deliver them here.”

  “I don’t have a key, Gary, and I locked the door on the way out from the inside.”

  “We’ll get your bag, Rob. Don’t worry.” He nodded to the disappearing gurney, urging Rob to follow.

  Robert hadn’t remembered seeing a purse or any other item on the ledge where Kate’s body had been found. Had she not been carrying one? That
seemed highly unlikely. He knew his daughter had to carry her cell for work purposes and she wouldn’t have left the house without her keys. Maybe they’d fallen into the ocean when she’d slipped. That was possible. The other option was that someone had taken them if she had met with foul play. He needed to find out exactly what had happened but he doubted that would happen until Kate woke up.

  “You might want to cancel the accommodation you had booked for me too, seeing as I won’t be needing it.”

  “Will do. I’m on it.”

  Before Rob left he walked back to the chopper to where The Gladiator had exited and was stretching his legs and thanked him for all his help, letting him know they would be in touch, but for now he was to take orders from Gary until told otherwise. The Organization was still their top priority and would remain so until they could weed out and destroy the ones with all the power. The Gladiator’s work on this case had only just begun.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job of protecting your daughter, sir,” said the soldier. His eyes held some sort of emotion that looked to Rob like compassion. It was the first time he’d seen it since meeting the large man and was grateful for whatever comfort was offered.

  “What’s done is done. What we need to focus on now is finding Carlos Santini and the goons that are pulling all the strings. Gary will fill you in on all the details once you’re back in Rome.”

  “Yes, sir!” He held out his giant, meaty hand for Robert, and as they shook he added, “I hope your daughter makes a full recovery.”

  “Thank you. So do I.” Rob turned and started walking towards his daughter.

  Chapter Four

  Carlos had woken to his stomach growling after an odd night of sleep. At one point he thought he’d heard voices and sensed someone in the room with him but that was impossible. He was as alone as anyone could get, unless the corpse in the cell down the hall had decided to zombie-walk to scare the crap out of him. Speaking of which, he had a job to do and the sooner he got it over with the better.