by Mike Ryan
“I’m sure she’s OK,” Jones said, knowing it was on his friend’s mind. “Mia’s a resourceful person. She’ll find a way through it.”
“That’s not what bothers me,” Recker replied.
“What does?”
“She naturally tries to stand up for what’s right. What happens if someone near her gets out of line and angers one of the Scorpions and she tries to protect them? And she would.”
“Yes, I know. Let’s just pray that everyone keeps their head and they get what they want and leave without any fatalities.”
“That means losing Billings,” Haley said.
“So be it,” Jones said. “We can get him another time. We still have the tracking device planted. We can latch on to him again. We can’t replace any lives being lost in that building.”
“Looks like it’s a standoff that’s gonna last a while.”
“Quite a while. The police aren’t likely to rush into that building without knowing exactly what their up against.”
“Plus, there’s hostages involved,” Recker said. “They’re not gonna risk losing all those people by storming the building. A lot of innocent people would wind up getting killed.”
“This might go on for a day or two.”
“Nobody can let it go on for that long. Bigger question is what they want with that building.”
“What do you mean?” Haley asked.
“If all they wanted was Billings, why take the building hostage? Why not just grab your target and go?”
“Maybe Billings isn’t well enough to be moved yet,” Jones answered. “The man just had major surgery. Perhaps they are giving him a little more time to recover before moving him.”
“Could be.”
Before they could discuss it any further, Recker’s phone beeped, indicating he had a text message. As soon as he saw it was Mia, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s Mia,” Recker said.
The others could almost hear the weight being lifted off his shoulders as he said her name. The hopefulness that they had faded away quickly as they continued looking at Recker’s face, which was now looking as concerned as ever.
“What is it?” Haley asked.
Recker didn’t answer, instead reading the message again.
“I don’t know why, but Mia asked me to contact you to let you know what’s going on here. Mia has been shot and is badly wounded and needs urgent care that we cannot give while these armed men have control of the hospital. She said to contact you because you would come. I don’t know who you are, but please help us.”
Recker’s heart felt like it had just dropped out of his chest. He started breathing heavily and stumbled backwards onto his seat. His eyes darted all around the room, at least as far as they could go without him turning his head. There were so many thoughts and emotions swirling around inside him at the moment that it felt like his head was going to explode. He couldn’t lose her. He finally got a moment of clarity and his mind went back to the dream he had of Mia dying in the hospital right in front of him. Deeply concerned about what might have been happening, Haley walked over to Recker’s chair and put his hand on his shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
Recker didn’t respond. He just kept staring straight ahead.
“Mike, what’s wrong?”
Recker finally looked up at his partner, though he had a kind of glossy look in his eye, like he wasn’t really there. He was going to try and answer Haley’s question, but he couldn’t get any words out. Instead, Recker handed him his phone. Haley took it and read the message. Seeing the words on the screen was almost like a knife to his gut as well. He loved Mia like a sister. She had always been nice to him and did things for him, like decorating his apartment, cooking meals for him occasionally, just being there to talk to sometimes since there was nobody else to confide in. He had trouble comprehending the news also.
Haley looked at Jones and tossed the phone to him so he could see what was going on as well, without anyone actually having to talk about it. As soon as Jones read it, a somber look overtook his face. He sat there thinking about what they could do. Jones looked at Recker, worried about what was to come. He knew Recker better than anybody. Though the man looked despondent at the moment, Jones knew that was going to change soon. At some point, something was going to kick in and Recker would switch gears. He would become something else. Something that couldn’t be stopped. Jones was just waiting for that switch to flip.
Jones briefly turned his attention back to the computer to get the latest updates, then he heard it. He heard a fist pound itself into the desk, then turned and saw Recker unleash a few more shots upon it. Concerned about his well-being, Jones watched Recker go across the room until he got to his gun cabinet. Jones and Haley looked at each other, not knowing exactly what was going on, though they had a roundabout idea.
“What are you doing?” Jones asked.
He didn’t get a reply.
“Mike, talk to us,” Jones said. “We can’t help you if you don’t let us.”
“I’m getting Mia.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I don’t know. I’ll figure it out when I get there.”
Jones was worried his friend wasn’t thinking straight and was going to do something stupid and rush into the hospital and get himself killed. After a few minutes, Recker had a bag packed and was ready to go. He was ready for war, and he had the weapons to prove it. He started walking toward the door, not letting the others know anything else about what he was planning. Jones looked at Haley and nodded, wanting him to intercept Recker before he made it out the door. Haley rushed over to the door, getting there just before Recker had reached it. He put his hands on the front of Recker’s shoulders to prevent him from getting past him.
“Get out of my way,” Recker said.
“No, you can’t do this,” Haley replied.
“Chris, don’t make me hurt you. Get out of my way.”
“No, you can’t just leave like this. You’re not thinking straight and you’re moving on pure emotion right now.”
“That’s right, I am. Mia’s out there, bleeding, maybe dying. I’m not sitting here waiting for that to happen. I’m going to get her. Get out of my way.”
Recker tried to push Haley to the side, but he wouldn’t budge. Haley just grabbed on tighter.
“I hear you, man, I hear you. We can both do this. But you gotta calm down so we can come up with a plan.”
“I don’t need a plan,” Recker said. “Plans take time. Mia hasn’t got it. I need to go now.”
“Just give it ten minutes and we’ll think of something so that we can get Mia, and we won’t get killed in the process.”
“Chris, I don’t care about my own life right now. I need to save Mia. There might be too many guys there for us to take care of. You stay here and man the fort in case I don’t make it back.”
“No, that’s not an option.”
“I don’t have time to argue about this.”
“That’s right, we don’t have time to argue, so just listen to me. I love her too. We all love her. Nobody’s saying to just leave her there. If you wanna roll in there and get here then I’ll roll in right beside you, brother. Let’s just take a few minutes to figure out how to get her without it taking us all day to find her. We will get her. Let’s just do it right. That’s all I’m saying.”
“And if we don’t make it?” Recker asked. “What about everything here?”
Haley looked at Jones. “We’ll make it.”
Jones wasn’t about to stand in their way, not when it came to Mia’s life. “Chris is right. Mia’s life takes precedence over everything. But let’s find a way where all three of you make it back safely.”
Recker took a deep breath and briefly looked at the both of them. “You’re sure you wanna do this? We’ll probably be badly outnumbered.”
Jones took out the magazine from his pistol then jammed it back in. “Let’s kick some ass.”
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13
Recker agreed to wait a few minutes to come up with some kind of plan, though he wouldn’t wait any longer than that. The three huddled around the computer as Jones dug into the hospital building layout.
“Hospital cameras,” Recker said. “If you can hack into the feed we can see where everyone is at.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jones said, instantly changing course.
Jones spent the next few minutes trying to get into the cameras at the hospital, though he wasn’t having much luck. The faces he was making told the others all they needed to know about how he was progressing.
“No luck?” Recker asked.
Jones shook his head. “No, there’s something wrong. I’m not able to get in.”
“Cameras are down,” Haley said. “Probably got taken out already. Probably their first move when they got into the building.”
“Probably,” Recker replied, putting his hand on his head in frustration as he tried to think of something else.
“What else can we do?” Haley asked.
“It’d be a little easier if we knew where exactly Mia was,” Jones said. “But since we don’t…”
“Wait a minute. Why don’t we?”
“What?”
“It’s simple enough to find out, right? Just text back her number and ask.”
Recker tapped Haley on the chest then pulled out his phone and quickly sent a message.
“I’m on my way. What floor are you on?”
The doctor answered almost immediately. “5th. Who are you?”
“How many are there?”
“Don’t know. At least six or seven just on this floor. I think they’re everywhere though.”
“Just sit tight and take care of Mia. I will be there.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Take them out.”
“How?”
Recker didn’t need to respond any more. He’d gotten all the information that was relevant. “Fifth floor. At least six or seven Scorpions there.”
“Multiply that by every floor and we could be looking at…”
“Too many. Doesn’t matter though. I’ve gotta go.”
“We just have to figure out how to get in. They’ve probably got people watching every entrance, and don’t forget the police have the building surrounded, so you’re going to have to avoid them too.”
Recker stared at the screen. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get in. He just knew he was. If he had to steal a tank and barrel right through the front entrance, that’s what he would do. But with Mia in trouble, his mind wasn’t thinking as clearly as it usually was.
“Not sure how much you’ll wanna do this, but I got something,” Haley said.
“What?” Recker replied.
“Vincent.”
“What about him?”
“He’s got men in the police department, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And the police are outside that building, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So maybe he’s got men outside that building that can help get us in.”
Recker nodded. “It’s worth a shot. I’ll try anything right now.”
Recker grabbed his phone again and dialed Vincent’s number. Luckily, the crime boss picked up right away.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Recker?”
“I need a favor and I need it right now.”
Vincent could hear the urgency in Recker’s voice and knew it was an emergency. “What is it?”
“Washington Hospital is under siege right now. The Scorpions have taken it over.”
“Yes, I’ve heard. I guess this was their plan in getting Billings out of custody.”
“Yeah, I don’t even care about that right now,” Recker said.
While normally he wouldn’t want to divulge his reasons for doing anything, he was above playing games at the moment. He needed to express immediately why he needed to get into that building right away.
“So, what’s this about?” Vincent asked.
“I need to get in there. Now.”
“Why?”
“You know I have a girlfriend, Mia.”
“I do.”
“She’s in that hospital right now,” Recker said.
“Not to be doubtful or dubious of your reasons or anything, but I know for a fact she doesn’t work in that hospital.”
“She is this week. They had a staffing shortage and she volunteered to work there this week.”
“I’d say that’s bad timing.”
“Listen, I wouldn’t be asking you this unless it was an emergency. I got a text from someone who said Mia’s been shot. She’s on the fifth floor of that building. Now if she’s not able to text me herself, I know it’s bad. I need to get in there.”
“Ahh, the white knight coming to the rescue.”
“I don’t have time to talk,” Recker said. “If you can’t help me that’s fine. I just need to know now.”
“How do you know she’s really hurt?”
“What?”
“How do you know it’s not a ploy just to get you in that building? Maybe they’re aware of your relationship.”
“No, it’s not possible. No way. There’s no way they would know.”
“You’re sure of that.”
“Damn sure, yes.”
“OK.”
“Can you help me get into that building or not?”
“What makes you think I can help?”
“Really? The police have the building surrounded, you have police on your payroll, sometimes two plus two equals four.”
“Indeed, it does.”
“I don’t have time for this. Can you help or not?”
“Give me five minutes,” Vincent answered.
Recker sighed, not liking the answer. Everyone kept stalling him, asking him to wait a few more minutes. Each of these minutes added up.
“I don’t have…”
“Just five minutes and I’ll call you back,” Vincent said.
“OK. But after that I’m gone.”
“Understood.”
Frustrated, Recker forcefully put his phone down on the table. The others could tell he didn’t like whatever he heard in his conversation with Vincent.
“He can’t help?” Haley asked.
“He said to give him five minutes.”
“Well it’s not a no.”
“It’s just additional time that we can’t afford to waste.”
“Maybe there’s something he has to set up first?”
“Maybe. I just don’t want to wait. Mia might not have five extra minutes.”
“If he said to wait a few minutes I’m sure he has a good reason,” Jones said. “As much as I hate to say it, aligning with him on this matter might be the best possible solution.”
Recker paced around the room for a few minutes, clutching his phone in his hand, as he waited for a call back. He tried to breathe normally and keep his emotions under check, but it was a hard thing to do, knowing that Mia was lying in a hospital somewhere bleeding. Five minutes came and went without a call, and Recker was as restless as ever. He was about to forego the call and just do what he wanted to do in the first place. The others could tell he wasn’t waiting much longer and had to try and slow him down.
“Just give him a few more minutes,” Haley said. “He’ll call.”
Recker sighed. “I keep telling you guys, Mia doesn’t have five extra minutes here, three extra minutes there, ten extra minutes there. She needs help. And she needs it now.”
“No one is disputing that, Michael,” Jones replied.
“Then why are we just sitting here waiting? We need to be doing something. I can’t just keep waiting here.”
Recker was just about to make good on his words and head for the door when his phone suddenly started ringing again. He eagerly answered.
“Sorry for the delay,” Vincent said. “It took a few minutes longer than I anticipated.”
“Wh
at did?”
“I have a plan to get you in. That’s as far as I can help you. After that it’s up to you.”
“That’s fine. That’s all that I need.”
“Here’s what we’ll do. I’ve just sent Jimmy to the hospital. You’ll meet him there in the parking lot adjacent to the hospital. It’s just used for extra parking and is not in use at the moment.”
“OK?”
“From there, you’ll get in his car, and he’ll drive into the underground parking garage at the hospital.”
“Don’t the police have it blocked off?” Recker asked.
“Jimmy will take care of that. Once you’re there, there are two ways into the hospital. One is the elevator, but I believe that’s out of order. The other is the stairs. It’s likely it’s either blocked off, or they have men stationed there, or maybe both. So, you might have to fight your way in.”
“I expected that.”
“But that also means you’ll lose the element of surprise. They’ll know you’re there almost immediately.”
“It’s gotta be done.”
“OK. I assume this is going to be a two-man job?”
“That’s right,” Recker answered.
“OK. I’ll make sure you’re outfitted properly.”
“Thank you.”
“You can thank me when you have her safely in your arms. For now, better get moving.”
Recker put his phone away and went over to grab his bag. “We’re up.”
“What’s the plan?” Jones asked.
“Malloy is going to meet us in a parking lot next to the hospital. From there, he’ll drive us into the underground parking garage. So that’ll get us through the police block.”
“And the hospital? How are you getting in?”
“There’s an entrance from the steps leading from the garage to the hospital. We’ll have to use that.”
“It’s probably blocked, or they’ll have men there.”
“Most likely. But it’s our only way. We’ll have to take it. We’re gonna have to fight our way in.”
Recker looked over to Haley. “You ready?”
“Let’s go. Let’s go get her.”
Jones watched his two friends fly out the door, hoping they’d return in the same manner in which they left. In one piece.
