“What are you going to do with the time
off, Lee?” Morton asked as the two men left Nelson’s office at
NIMR.
Lee Crane smiled as
he answered the Seaview exec, “Do you really expect me to answer that after the
last time?”
Morton chuckled as
he remembered the disaster he’d caused on their last shore leave. The joke he’d
played on his friend had left him sharing a room with a rambunctious young
woman. Lee ended up with a black eye and bruised shins when he’d tried to crawl
into his bed only to find it occupied by an angry member of the opposite sex.
“It wasn’t that bad. As I recall you two ended up sharing a few dates after
that.”
“Yeah,
it didn’t end too badly but the beginning was hell, Chip.”
“So
you really aren’t going to tell me?”
“No
way. I haven’t even told the Admiral.”
“What
if he needs to get in touch with you?”
“I’ll
have my pager with me.”
“Come
on, Lee, tell me where you’re going.”
Lee
stopped in front of his car, opening the door he climbed into the drivers seat.
“See you in a week, Chip,” he said as he started the
engine.
“Lee.”
“Have
fun painting your apartment, Mr. Morton,” Lee laughed as he drove
away.
‘I
get to paint while he goes off and has a good time. I should have asked him to
help me paint. Must be getting
slow,’ he thought as he turned back to the Nelson
Institute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee
drove just above the posted speed limit, slowing slightly as he rounded the
sharp bends in the road. He’d been driving for nearly two hours and was in need
of a break. The sky overhead had been steadily darkening as night began to
descend. The map he’d studied showed a rest stop just up ahead and he looked
forward to stopping and stretching his long legs.
He drove
on for another ten minutes till his tired eyes spotted a bright light
illuminating a small building. He pulled into one of three parking spaces and
turned off the ignition. He opened the door and unfolded his long body from the
confines of the red Cobra. Stretching his arms high above his head he listened
to the sounds of the crickets in the open field next to the rest stop. The smell
of fresh cut grass permeated the air as he walked towards the
building.
Once inside Lee washed his face in the
cold water. Shaking off a feeling of fatigue he realized just how tired he was.
‘Must be the fresh air,’ he thought as he stepped outside.
His trained eyes took in the dark van parked next to his
car. Two men circled the red Cobra and Lee felt the hackles rising on his neck
as he walked towards them. One man was tall, dark haired, and wore dark
clothing. The second was shorter, but more muscular than the
first.
The dark haired
man was the first to notice him and he grinned, “This your car?”
“It
is,” Lee answered.
“Where’d ya get it?” the muscular one
asked.
Lee
Crane moved to the driver s side and opened the door. “I bought it,” he told
them.
“How much did
ya pay?” the dark haired one asked.
“That’s none of your business,” Lee told him and felt a
hand on his arm.
“That’s
where you’re wrong, Friend. It’s my business cause the car now belongs to me,”
the dark haired man told him as he shoved Crane up against the open door. “Now
we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice.”
Lee grinned as he
pulled his arm out of the other man’s grasp. He shoved away from the car,
locking his hands around the taller man’s wrist and throwing him over his
shoulder. A blow from behind told him the other man had joined in the fight as a
knife like pain lanced through his skull. He went down but was up before the
dark haired man had regained his feet.
“You’re
a dead man,” the muscular man said as he threw a fist at Lee’s
jaw.
Lee saw
it coming and ducked out of the way, at the same time bringing his left hand up
to connect with the other man’s chin, following immediately with a right to the
stomach. He smiled as he heard the
air escaping from the man’s lungs as he struggled to stay
upright.
A sound behind him warned Lee that the taller man was back
on his feet. He tried to turn but felt something solid connect with his lower
back, dropping him to his knees. He looked up in time to see the man swing a
piece of board at him. Pain exploded in his body as the board connected with his
right side and he fell the rest of the way to the ground.
Seaview’s captain knew he was in trouble as
every breath tore through his chest sending flares of agony throughout the rest
of his body. He tried to curl into a ball in order to protect his damaged ribs
but his body refused to obey his commands.
“You shoulda just let us have the car,” The muscular man
said as he lifted his booted foot and kicked out at the barely conscious man on
the ground.
Lee
fought to stay conscious as the boot glanced across his forehead. Blood tricked
from a small gash over his right eye. The world seemed to be fading as he stared
at the two men through pain filled eyes. He tried to speak but found he lacked
the strength. His eyes slowly closed as he watched the dark haired man lean
over, kneel beside him and start going through his
pockets.
“Hmm, Captain Crane. Looks like we got one a them military
types,” he told his friend.
“An
officer at that. Ya know I was in the Navy and I hated stiff-necked officer
types. Looks like I finally got the last laugh against an officer,” he said as
he lifted the injured mans head and met his hazel eyes. “Good night, Captain,
pleasant dreams,” he said as he struck the injured man one final
time.
The last thing Lee Crane saw was
a fist coming towards his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
He struggled to open his eyes as a
fiery shard of agony ripped through his body. His first instinct was to curl
into a ball and stay where he was. Slowly, deliberately ignoring his protesting
body he rose up on one arm, trying in vain to focus on the tilting world around
him. He moaned as he tried to stand up, his breath coming in hiccupping gasps as
he made it to his knees. He used his right hand and gently rubbed his lower
back, where the dull ache had become a burning sensation.
He continued to struggle, aware
only of the awakening pains in his body. He was unaware of how much time passed
before he managed to stand on shaky legs. He looked around through glazed eyes
and wondered where he was. A dirt road lay before him but he had no memory of
why he was here. Slowly he began stumbling down the narrow road, wondering where
he was going and how he’d got here in the first place.
The hot sun beat down on him as he
continued his wavering path. He’d walk for some time and then find himself face
down on the hard packed dirt. He cried out each time his injured body connected
with the ground.
~~~~~~~~
Maria Stern drove her beat up
station wagon along the winding road to her home. She’d lived in this
godforsaken area all her life, and a hard life it had been. Tears clouded her
eyes as she thought of the husband she’d lost a little over two years ago. He’d
been killed in an accident on this very same stretch of road, leaving her to
raise two children on her own.
Blinking back the tears she
reached down and turned on the radio. Soft music drifted to her ears as a local
station cut through the static. Her melodic voice joined the soft lilting words
coming from the speaker as she glanced at her children sleeping in the back
seat. A smile touched her lips as she remembered how much they looked like their
father.
‘I miss you
Tom,’ she thought and wiped the tears from
her eyes. Dust kicked up around the car as she made the final turn towards her
home. She slammed on the breaks as she spotted a still from lying on the
ground.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” a sleepy
voice asked from the back seat.
“Nothing, Joey,” she said as she
fought to control her nerves.
“Why’d we
stop?”
“There’s something in the road, “
she answered as she opened her door.
“What?”
“I don’t know, Joey. You stay here
and look after Suzie.”
“But, Mom,” the eight year old boy
protested.
“Joey, please just do as I
say.”
Joey’s dark brown eyes met those
of his mother as she turned in her seat, “Yes, Mom.”
Maria smiled at her son and
reached back to brush the black hair from his eyes. “I’ll be right back,” she
reassured him.
“Be
careful.”
“I will,” she told the young
boy.
Maria slowly approached the still
form, unaware that she was holding her breath. His back was turned towards her
so she couldn’t see his face. His dark hair was cut short and she could see a
small cut just above his hairline, the area around it was swollen and bruised.
The dark jeans and shirt he wore were dirty and clung to his body.
“Hello,” she said, stopping a few
feet from the body. Not expecting an answer she was shocked when a weak,
desperate plea reached her ears.
“H...help.”
She could not ignore the plea for
help as she walked around the form and knelt in front of him. Her eyes were
drawn to the blood encrusted face and she bit back a gasp at the pain filled
hazel eyes. Instinctively she knew she had nothing to fear from this
man.
“P...please, h...help me,” he
pleaded, grimacing as a shock wave of pain washed over his
body.
“I’ll do what I can,” she told
him. “Do you think you can stand if I help you?”
“T...think so,” he said
weakly.
Maria reached down and took his
arm, slowly helping him to stand. She ignored the muted cries of pain coming
from the injured man. It took a few minutes to get him on his feet and she
wrapped one arm around his waist. She pulled one of his arms over her shoulder
and supported him as they walked to the car.
Joey watched his mother as she
helped the man stand up. He glanced at his younger sister’s sleeping face before
getting out of the car and opening the front door. “What’s wrong with him, Mom?”
he asked as she made it to the car with her burden.
“He’s been hurt, Joey,” she
answered breathlessly.
He stared at the black haired boy
holding the car door. The boy was handsome and full of a child’s innocent
curiosity. He wanted to speak to him but his dry throat refused to work
anymore.
Maria helped the injured man into
the car. Once again ignoring the cries of pain.
“Mama,” a small voice called from
the back seat.
“It’s ok Suzie,” she said as she
lifted the man’s legs into the car. “Joey, look after your sister for
me.”
“T...thanks,” the man said as he
rested his aching head against the headrest.
“You’re welcome,” she said as she
closed the door and hurried around to the driver’s side of the car. “Put on your
seatbelt, Joey.”
“Yes, Mom,” her son
answered.
~~~~~~~~~~
Maria stopped the car in front of
her house and pulled the keys from the ignition. “Joey go open the door,” she
ordered as she passed him the keys.
The boy took the keys, helped his
four-year old sister out of the car and hurried to the
house.
She turned to look at the man in
the seat beside her. Surprised to see his eyes open and staring. “It’s not much
but it’s home,” she told him as she opened her door and came around to his
side.
He smiled weakly as she struggled
to help him from the car. He held onto her as he stood up, desperately trying to
stem the wall of darkness that threatened to engulf him. Forcing his unwilling
body to move he placed one foot in front of the other until they were inside the
small farmhouse.
“Joey, I need you to go tell
Abigail I need her and that she should bring her medical bag with her,” she said
as she led the injured man into her bedroom.
“Ok, Mom,” the boy said as he
turned and ran out the door.
“I want to go see
Abby.”
“Abby will come see you, Honey,”
Maria told her daughter as she helped the man sit on the
bed.
“Mama, I want to go with Joey,”
the tiny girl cried.
“G...go to h...her,” a weak voice
said.
“I will, you just lie back and
rest,” Maria ordered.
“Y...yes, Ma’am,” he replied as he
lay back against the down filled pillows. He closed his eyes and waited for the
pain to subside. He could hear the red haired woman talking to the small child.
He had no idea how long it was
before she returned but he felt warm hands lifting him forward and placing
something against his lips. He fought to swallow the cool water, his arid mouth
working desperately to take in every drop.
“Not too much,” Maria told him as
she took the glass away.
“T...thirsty,” he
whispered.
“I know but if you drink it to
fast it’s not gonna stay down. I’ll give you a little more
shortly.”
“K”
“What’s your name?” she watched as
a confused look came over the handsome features.
“I...I don’t know,” he answered
after a few minutes.
“It’s ok. It’ll come back to you
I’m sure. Do you remember what happened to you?”
He tried to think but was unable
to focus as jarring pain rocked his head. He moaned and turned on his side as
his stomach rebelled against the tiny amount of water he’d
swallowed.
Maria reached for the basin on the
table and placed it under him as he lost the fight against his stomach. She
rubbed his back and spoke soothingly to him as he wretched into the
pan.
He lay back against the pillows,
his eyes filled with confusion and pain. “S...sorry.”
“It’s ok. Not like I haven’t seen
it before,” she smiled. “I’ll be right back” she told him as she carried the
basin out of the room.
He closed his eyes and tried once
more to remember who he was and how he’d gotten the injuries on his body. The
harder he fought to remember the stronger the pain in his head became. Fleeting
memories were just out of his grasp and he fought against another bout of
nausea. He closed his eyes as unconsciousness took over.
Maria finished removing the dirty,
torn clothing from the man lying on her bed. A sad smile formed on her face as
she thought of the times she’d done this for her husband. He’d be so exhausted
when he returned from working the fields that she’d have to get him undressed
and under the blankets.
She’d put her daughter to bed and
the child had gone to sleep almost instantly. She took the basin of warm water
and soap and started washing the blood and dirt from the injured man. The gash
above his eye would require stitches and she hoped Joey would soon return with
Abigail Wilson.
Her eyes locked on the bruising on
his right side as she gently cleaned his chest and taut stomach. She remembered
the brutal coloring on his lower back and worried that he might have internal
injuries. She finished cleaning him as best she could and placed the cloth back
in the basin. The sound of a car pulling up outside brought a smile of relief to
her face. She hurried into the living room to meet them.
“Mom, Abby’s
here.”
“Sh, Joey, your sister’s
sleeping,” Maria said quietly. “Go make yourself something to eat while Abby and
I look after our guest.” Joey nodded and hurried to the rustic
kitchen.
“What’s happened, Maria?” Abigail
Wilson, an older woman with dark hair streaked with grey
asked.
“I found a
man...”
“It’s about time, but why do you
need me?”
Maria couldn’t stop the tiny laugh
that spilled from her throat. “Abby, I don’t mean it that way. I mean I found a
man on the road. He’s hurt pretty bad,” she explained.
Abigail Wilson, a doctor for more
than twenty years suddenly became all business. “Where is he?” she
asked.
“In there.”
“Your room?”
“There was nowhere else to put
him,” Maria explained.
Abigail’s eyebrows shot up.
“What’s wrong with the couch?” she asked as she entered the small
bedroom.
“I told you he’s hurt bad. Didn’t
think the couch was a good place to put him.”
“Handsome young fellow isn’t he?”
the older woman asked as she sat in the chair by the bed.
“I suppose,” Maria said as she
watched Abigail open her bag.
“What’s his
name?”
“Don’t
know.”
“Has he been
awake?”
“Off and on,” Maria
answered.
“So why didn’t you ask his name?”
the doctor asked as she examined the injured man’s eyes.
“I did ask. He doesn’t
remember.”
“Not surprising. Looks like he
took more than one blow to the head,” she said as she began probing the wound
above his eyebrow.
“He’s got a cut on the back of his
head as well,” Maria explained.
The older woman gently turned the
man’s head and checked the small cut at the base of his hairline. “At least this
one won’t require stitches,” she remarked as she pulled the blankets back to
reveal a dark purple and black bruise. With tender, calloused hands she gently
prodded the area, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from the pale form on the bed.
“Easy, young man. I’m a doctor and I just have to see how bad you’re hurt,” she
explained as she continued her examination.
“H...hurts,” he said as he turned
hooded hazel eyes on the woman beside the bed.
“Course it does. You got yourself
some broken ribs here,” Abigail explained as she finished probing the dark area.
“Do you hurt anywhere else beside your head and ribs?”
“B...back,” he
answered.
“He’s got another bad bruise on
his lower back,” Maria explained.
“Help me turn him on his side so I
can take a look,” Abigail ordered.
“S...stop,” the plea came from the
injured mans mouth as the two women turned him.
“Won’t be much longer, young man,”
Abigail reassured him. “Hold him like that, Maria,” she ordered as she examined
the wide bruise that covered most of his lower back from hip to hip. “That’s a
mighty deep bruise. We’ll have to keep an eye on him.”
“P...please, s...stop,” he begged
as the burning sensation intensified.
“Almost done,” the older woman
told him. “Not much I can do about the bruise. Ok, Maria, let’s put him on his
back again.”
“T...thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” the doctor said,
smiling as she opened her bag. “I’m going to give you something to help with the
pain. Then I’m gonna have to put some stitches in your head. Think you can stay
still for me?”
“I’ll t...try,” he said as he
watched her fill a syringe from a tiny bottle. He felt the cold sensation of a
swab on his hip and then a sharp prick as she plunged the needle
home.
“That should kick in pretty quick,
young man.”
“K.”
“Can you tell us your name and
what happened to you?” Abigail asked.
The hazel eyes once more glazed
over in confusion as he tried to remember what had happened to him. The image of
a red haired man with blue eyes and a winning smile became engrained on his
mind. He closed his eyes and tried to make out what he was saying. One word came
through the fog that enshrouded his memory. “L…Lee,” he said, struggling to stay
conscious.
Abigail smiled at the young woman
standing above her. “Guess his name is Lee,” she said.
Lee opened his eyes and tried once
more to focus his jumbled thoughts. Whatever the woman had given him had
succeeded in pushing back the pain. He could feel the warmth spreading through
his body as he succumbed to sleep.
“Will he be alright?” Maria asked,
as she watched the slow rise and fall of the chest.
“He will be if you’re wiling to
care for him.”
“What do you need me to
do?”
“Help me lift him up so I can bind
his ribs. Then we’ll have to watch out for kidney damage. Hopefully it’s just
deep bruising. He’ll probably have some blood in his urine for a few days, but
if it lasts longer than that we’ll have to take him to the
hospital.
“That’s a long ways away,” Maria
said.
“That’s why we’re not taking him
there now,” Abigail told her. “Drive like that would probably do him more harm
than good. If you don’t mind some company for a few days I’ll stay here and help
you look after him.”
“Thanks, Abby, I’d like that,”
Maria told her as she wiped perspiration from his
forehead.
Abigail wrapped the injured ribs,
ignoring the small cries of pain issuing from the unconscious man. Once she
finished she turned her attention to the head wound, and began stitching it.
Making a small neat row to minimize the scar. “Well that’s about all I can do
for him right now, Maria. I want to get an IV going in him so I’ll have to make
a quick trip to my office. Think you can look after things till I get
back?”
“Sure, Abby,” Maria answered as
she walked the older woman to the door.
“If he wakes up before I get back
try to get him to take some water. He’s already on the verge of dehydration from
being out in the sun so long.”
“I will,” Maria said as she closed
the door behind the doctor.
“How’s the man doing,
Mom?”
Maria looked at her son, his face
so like his fathers, “He’s gonna be fine, Joey. He just needs to rest. Would you
go feed the animals for me?” she asked.
“Sure, Mom,” he answered as he
glanced through the open door at the man lying on his mother’s
bed.
“It’s ok, Joey. Abby gave him
something and he’s sleeping right now. You just go along and do your chores. You
can visit with him when he wakes up,” she told her son. Their eyes met and she knew he was thinking
about his father.
“Ok, Mom,” he said as he hurried
out of the house.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lee felt something sharp enter his
forearm and he tried to pull away.
“Easy there, young fella, I’m just
going to start an IV on you.”
“Hate
n...needles.”
“Hmm, I can tell. Right now it’s
important to get you on an IV. It’ll make you feel better as well,” Abigail told
him.
“S...sound like J...Jamie,” the
weak voice told her, a small smile on his face.
“Who’s Jamie,” Abby asked
curiously.
Hazel eyes opened and met the dark
eyes of an elderly woman. His face once more filled with confusion and he cried
out as the pain in his body made itself known once more. “D...don’t know,” he
gasped.
Abigail Wilson finished setting up
the IV and pulled the stethoscope and thermometer from her bag. “Open your
mouth,” she told him and slipped the thermometer under his
tongue.
Lee did as she told him, closing
his eyes in an effort to ride out the pain.
Abby listened to his chest, a
frown marring her features as she heard the telltale sounds of congestion. She
took his pulse at his wrist and then reached to take the thermometer from his
dry lips.
“How’s he doing, Abby?” Maria
asked as she entered the room, carrying a tray with a bowl of thick flavorful
broth and a glass of water.
“He’s running a fever and there’s
some congestion in his lungs.”
As if on cue Lee started to cough,
groaning as he felt his ribs protest the abuse.
“We may have to get him to a
hospital if this gets any worse,” Abby told her. “For now I’m going to give him
some antibiotics. Hopefully we can kick this before it gets too bad. Lee can you
hear me?”
“Hmm.”
“I need you to take something for
me. Think you can do that?”
Once more hazel eyes met dark
ones, “K.”
“Maria, I want him sitting up
more. Can you put some pillows under his back when I lift him
forward?”
“Sure, Abby,” the younger woman
answered as she took the extra pillows from the opposite side of the bed.
Lee tried to ignore his growing
discomfort as the female doctor lifted him slightly. He felt soft hands touch
his heated body as Maria placed the pillows under him. Their eyes met as Abby
let him lie back in the bed. He smiled weakly and was rewarded by a breathtaking
smile from the red haired woman. “Thanks,” he whispered.
“You’re welcome,” she answered.
‘He’s got the most beautiful eyes,’ she thought.
“Maria,” Abby called, smiling at
the intense look on the younger woman’s face. “Maria,” she called again, a
little more sharply this time.
Maria jumped at the stern sound,
her expression that of a child who’d been caught with her hand in the cookie
jar. “Sorry,” she said.
“Hmm, nice to see you can still
appreciate a handsome man,” Abby smiled as she watched the young man’s sheepish
expression. “How are you feeling?” she asked him.
“Not bad,” he
lied.
“Hmm, you don’t lie very well at
all. Tell you what I’ll do. If you don’t start telling me the truth about how
much pain you’re in, I’ll just give you the medication on a regular basis. Now
how are you feeling?” she repeated.
“Lousy,” he answered
sheepishly.
Abigail opened her bag and loaded
a syringe with painkiller. She lifted the blanket and once more swabbed an area
on his hip and plunged the needle in. “That should help, Lee. Now the best thing
for you to do is drink the broth Maria made and then get some sleep. The
medication I just gave you is gonna knock you out before long so don’t fight
it.”
“K,” he said as he sipped the
broth from the cup Maria placed in his hands. He finished half the bowl before
his eyes closed.
Abby’s quick reaction saved him
from wearing the remaining contents of the cup. “He should sleep for a while
now, Maria. I’ll stay with him while you look after those wonderful kids of
yours.”
“Thanks, Abby,” Maria said, taking
one last look at the bruised and battered form on the bed.
Abigail smiled knowingly at the
woman’s open perusal. Even though his face was marred by bruises he was still
devastatingly handsome. “He sure is a looker,” she said and laughed at the
younger woman’s blushing face.
~~~~~~~~
“Any word from Lee, Admiral?”
Morton asked as he passed Nelson a glass of amber colored
liquid.
“None, Chip,” Nelson answered,
laughing at the paint covered form of the exec. “He’s only been gone three
days.”
“I know,” Morton said as he looked
at the paint supplies on the floor. Paint splatters were evident on the polished
hardwood floor.
“I think you should have hired
professionals, Chip,” Nelson laughed as he sipped the
scotch.
Morton laughed as he dropped the
paintbrush back in the can. “Do you think it’s too late,
Sir?”
“Probably not, but you’ll also
need to hire someone to clean up afterwards. It’s a good thing you’re not this
sloppy at work,” Nelson said as he looked around the
apartment.
“That’s for sure, Admiral. Can you
see Lee coming onboard to find Seaview looking as bad as this
does?”
“Heaven help us all if he did.
Seaview’s captain is tedious when it comes to the shape Seaview’s in. Actually
so is her exec.”
“And her Admiral,” Morton said,
meeting the eyes of the older man. “Got any recommendations on which paint
company I can use?”
“I’ll call Antonio Brothers. They
do all the work at NIMR.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Morton said,
wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Nelson laughed as he noticed the
line of blue paint on the exec’s forehead. “I’ll call the Antonio Brothers while
you grab a shower.”
Chip looked at his hands and
slowly nodded his head. “I’ll be back shortly, Sir,” he said as he hurried
towards the washroom.
“Be quick, Chip, I’d like to grab
some lunch before my meeting with Jiggs,” Nelson said.
“Yes, Sir,” Morton fired over his
shoulder as he disappeared behind the closed door.
An hour later the two men drove
towards one of their favourite restaurants located on the beach.
“Admiral,
stop.”
Nelson braked his car and turned
to look at the blond haired man, his eyebrows narrowed curiously. “What’s
wrong?”
“Isn’t that Lee’s car?” Morton
asked, pointing at the familiar red Cobra parked at the end of the
lot.
Nelson’s eyes widened in surprise
as he looked at the Cobra’s license plate, “It’s Lee’s alright. I wonder what
he’s doing here. He said he wasn’t coming back until the end of the
week.”
“Maybe we should check it out,”
Morton suggested as Nelson parked the car three spaces down from the red
car.
Without another word the two men
hurried towards the car. “Something’s wrong,” Nelson stated as he saw the messy
interior.
“I think you’re right, Sir.
There’s no way Lee would have this garbage all over his car. It looks like
someone’s been smoking in here as well. There’s a couple of burns on the
upholstery,” Morton said worriedly.
“I think we need to call Frank
Bartlett. I have a feeling Lee’s in trouble,” Nelson said as he turned away from
the Cobra and headed for his car. He lifted the phone and dialed the number for
the police station. The call was answered on the second ring and Nelson asked to
speak with Bartlett.
“Hello, Admiral, what can I do for
you?”
“Frank, I’m at the Harbor
Restaurant down by pier nine. Can you come down here?”
“What’s wrong?” Bartlett
asked.
“Lee’s car is here and it’s a
mess. Something’s wrong,” Nelson explained.
Bartlett knew to trust Nelson’s
instincts when it came to Lee Crane. “I’m on my way,
Admiral.”
“Thanks,” Nelson said as he
replaced the car phone in its cradle.
Morton stood outside Nelson’s car,
his eyes never leaving the Cobra. Silently, he cursed the fact that Lee Crane
might be injured or even dead. There was no way he’d give up his car willingly.
“Is Frank coming?”
“He’s on the way,” Nelson
answered.
“What do we do if someone tries to
leave in the car?” Morton asked.
His eyebrows rising menacingly,
Nelson glared at the restaurant, “What do you think?” he
asked.
Morton leaned heavily against the
car, waiting impatiently for the police detective to show up.
“Looks like we may have to do
something to keep these guys here until Frank arrives,” Nelson said as he
watched two men approach the Cobra.
“I’m ready,” Morton said, a
dangerous glint in his eyes.
Nelson and Morton hurried to
intercept the two scruffy looking men who swayed drunkenly towards their
friend’s car.
“What the hell do you want,” a
tall dark haired man asked.
“This your car?” Morton
asked.
“Course it is,” the shorter,
muscular man slurred.
“How long have you had it?” Nelson
asked.
“None of your business,” the short
man snapped.
“I think it is,” Morton said,
grabbing the taller man by his dirty collar. “This car belongs to a friend of
mine.”
Sobering slightly in the grip of
the dangerous looking blond, the taller man began to struggle against the vice
like grip. “We bought this car fair and square,” he said.
“I don’t think so. Lee would never
sell his car. Now where is he?” Nelson shouted, as he stepped in front of the
shorter man, preventing him from escaping.
“You got no right to do this,” the
tall man grated, still locked in Morton’s grip.
“Oh, I think we do,” Morton
answered. “Now where’s the man who really owns this car!”
“I told you we bought it,” the
muscular man answered shakily.
“And I told you Lee wouldn’t have
sold it to you.”
“Look, you’d better leave us alone
or I’m calling the police,” the man Morton held stammered.
“There’s no need for you to do
that. We already called them,” Chip informed him, his face close enough to the
other man to smell the alcohol and tobacco. He didn’t miss the fear that crept
into the man’s eyes. “Are you ready to answer me now? What did you do to Lee
Crane?” Morton shouted angrily.
“I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ till I see
my lawyer,” the tall man said as Morton released his grip.
“Here comes Frank,” Nelson said as
two police cars entered the lot and pulled up beside them.
“You gotta arrest him,” the tall
man said, his finger shaking as he pointed it at the
blond.
“Why?” Bartlett asked as he stood
in front of the two men.
“He won’t let us go and he hurt my
neck,” the tall one said as he rubbed the slightly red area on his
neck.
Bartlett looked from one man to
the other before turning his attention to the car. He shook his head at the
state of Crane’s usually immaculate vehicle. Two officers joined him and began
searching the car.
“Hey, what are you doing to my
car,” the tall man asked as he watched a police officer open the glove
box.
“If this is your car why does the
registration paper say Lee Crane?” Bartlett asked as he read the paper from the
glove box.
The muscular man answered
nervously. “We didn’t get to change it yet.”
Bartlett glanced at the two
quickly sobering men. “I think you two had better come downtown and answer some
questions,” he said.
“Why? What’d we do? It was him who
hurt my neck. We was just goin’ to drive home.”
“Well that’s reason enough. It’s
illegal to drive when you’ve been drinking,” Bartlett told the two men.
“Admiral, Chip, you two want to come down as well?”
Bartlett looked up as one of his
men called him. He reached out and took the dark wallet from the man’s hands. He
flipped it open and then passed it to Nelson.
Nelson and Morton looked at the
face on the ID card.
Nelson’s brow furrowed in anger as
he asked, “What have you done to Lee Crane?”
“Don’t know what you’re talking
about,” the muscular one man answered.
“This is Lee’s wallet and he never
would have given it to you willingly,” Morton shouted, reaching angrily for the
man again.
“Maybe he dropped it in the car
and didn’t notice it was missing,” the taller man answered, jumping back as
Nelson grabbed hold of his furious exec.
“I need your names,” Bartlett
glared as he took a notebook from his pocket and waited for the two men to
answer.
“Jason Phillips,” the taller one
told him.
“Richard Degan,” the muscular man
answered.
“You two are coming downtown,”
Bartlett said as he stepped out of the car. “We’ll get some answers there,
Admiral,” he told Nelson as the two police officers escorted the drunken men to
the police car. “Jake, I want you to wait here for forensics. Have them go over
the car and see if they can find anything useful.”
“Sure, Frank,” Jake answered as he
turned back to the car.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lee opened his eyes to the dull
light of an oil lantern. His head ached and his body felt stiff and painful. He
looked down at his forearm and wondered why there was something leading into it.
He reached out and touched it with his unhampered hand. ‘Jamie’s been
busy,’ he thought and just as quickly a question formed on his lips. “Who’s
Jamie? Doc Jamie,” he mumbled.
“I’m not exactly sure who Jamie
is, Lee, but you keep talking about him.”
Lee turned his head at the sound
of the female voice on his left grimacing at the pain the effort caused him.
“Who’re you?’ he asked.
“My names Abigail Wilson and I’m
the doctor around here. How are you feeling?”
“Ok,” he answered
automatically.
“Sure you are. From the look on
your face I can see it’s time for another shot. Now don’t be touching that IV,”
she ordered as she tapped his hand.
“Don’t w...want anymore
n...needles,” he protested as she swabbed an area on his
hip.
“Well, you’re gonna have to put up
with a few more shots. If it wasn’t for the painkiller you’d be a lot more
uncomfortable than you are right now,” she told him as she replaced the blanket
over his bandaged body. “Now just be quiet and let me examine you. Put this
under your tongue,” she ordered as she held a thermometer in front of his mouth.
As soon as he complied she placed it under his tongue. Then began taking his
pulse and listening to his chest. Finally finished she pulled out the
thermometer and read the numbers.
“What’s the verdict, Doc, am I
gonna live?” he asked, a weak smile on his handsome face.
“You’ll do just fine if you heed
my words, Lee. You need to rest and let us take care of you. Have you remembered
anything else?”
Lee shook his head, wondering why
his memories were proving so hard to retrieve. Sometimes faces swam in front of
his eyes but he couldn’t put names to them. “No, I just see faces but their
names won’t come,” he answered worriedly.
“I’m sure your memory will return,
Lee. You received a few hard knocks, but there doesn’t appear to be any major
damage. The best thing for you to do is rest and let the memories come back on
their own.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Lee said, closing
his eyes. Sleep soon overcame him and his breathing
slowed.
“How’s he doing,
Abby?”
“His temperatures still a bit
high, but his pulse is strong and steady. He needs to rest,
Maria.”
“Did he remember
anything?”
Abigail shook her head negatively.
“Not really, although he keeps talking to someone named Jamie. I think he might
be a doctor from the way Lee was talking earlier.”
“Will he get his memory back?”
Maria asked as she touched the sweat soaked dark hair.
“We’ll just have to wait and see,”
Abigail told her, smiling at the tender gaze the younger woman turned on the
injured man.
~~~~~~~~~~~
“Where’s my lawyer?” Jason
Phillips shouted.
“Your lawyer is busy with other
clients right now. He’ll be here when he’s finished. So just shut up or answer
the questions,” Bartlett ordered angrily. They’d been questioning the two men
since returning to the station but both men had steadfastly refused to answer.
“Ain’t sayin’ nothin’ till my
lawyer gets here,” Richard Degan answered, he’d sobered up as soon as they’d put
him in a cell.
“Give me a few minutes with him,
Frank!”
Phillips eyes shot to the blond
who’d spoken in anger. “You can’t do that!”
“Well then you just pipe down and
be quiet. Chip, I wish the hell I could. Where’d the Admiral
go?”
“He’s calling the
Institute.”
Bartlett smiled, “ Guess you guys
will be forming your own search party?”
“We look after our own, Frank,”
Morton told him. “Here’s the Admiral now.”
“Sharkey’s organizing the men, I
told them we’d be there as soon as we’re finished here. Have they said
anything?”
“No, Sir, they’re refusing to talk
without their lawyer present,” Morton informed him.
“Damn. Who’s their
lawyer?”
“Public Defender named Mark
Sheridan. He should be here any minute,” Bartlett
answered.
“I know Mark,” Morton told them.
“He’s an old friend and he’ll help us if he can.”
“Mark’s a good man,” Bartlett
agreed.
“Frank, remind me to tell you that
when we don’t see eye to eye on things.”
Bartlett smiled at the red haired
man with the boyish looks. “Don’t I always, Mark?”
“Sure,” Sheridan laughed, turning
his attention to the blond. “Nice to see you again, Chip.”
“You too, Mark, I just wish it was
under different circumstances. I’d like you to meet my boss, Admiral Harriman
Nelson.”
“Hello, Admiral,” Sheridan reached
his hand out and found it gripped by a strong hand. “I’ll speak with my clients
and then we’ll talk,” he told them. He followed Frank to the cell holding his
clients.
Nelson sat in the chair next to
Morton, the two men settling down to wait for word from
Sheridan.
~~~~~~~~~~~
A beautiful grey lady, but who was
she? Lee’s dreams were filled with her but he couldn’t see what she looked like.
His chest hurt and he couldn’t stop the cough that tore through him. He opened
his eyes and wrapped his arms around his injured ribs.
“Easy, Lee.”
Lee stared at the red haired
woman, unsure who she was. His head hurt as he struggled to sit up in the bed,
another bout of coughing causing him to groan loudly.
“You just lie back there, young
fella.”
Lee turned his pain filled gaze on
the older woman, shaking his head as he tried to sit up.
“Now where do you think you’re
going?”
“H...have to get b...back. Can’t
be late or...” he stopped as his thoughts clouded over
again.
“Late for what?” Maria asked
gently.
“D...don’t know,” he said, holding
his ribs as he started coughing again.
Abigail Wilson picked up her
stethoscope and listened to his chest, frowning as she heard the rattling sounds
emanating from his lungs. She looked worriedly at the younger woman as she
placed a thermometer under Lee’s tongue. She took his wrist and checked his
pulse. A worried frown creased her brow as she took the thermometer from his
mouth. She saw her worry mirrored on the face of the young woman and mouthed,
‘not now,’ at her.
“Lee, I want you to drink as much
juice, water, and broth as you can, ok?” she smiled as he nodded slightly,
opening his mouth as she placed a glass of juice in front of him. He drank half
of it, pulling away as he was once more overcome by a bout of
coughing.
“N...no more,” he told her,
letting his eyes slip closed.
“All right, Lee,” she told him.
“Maria, I’m going to sit him up a bit and I need you to put more pillows behind
him. It’ll help with his breathing.” Abby lifted Lee forward and smiled as the
younger woman gently placed pillows behind the dark haired man. She saw the pain
in his face and prepared to give him another injection.
Lee kept his eyes closed as he
felt the sharp needle enter his body. ‘Wish Jamie was here,’ he
thought as his mind drifted off to sleep.
“Abby?”
“He’s not doing very well, Maria.
His temperatures up and he’s showing signs of pneumonia. We need to make sure he
takes in plenty of fluids and try to get his fever under control. Will you bring
me some warm water?”
“I’ll be right back,” Maria
assured her.
Abby smiled at her and turned back
to her patient. “Well now, young man, where did you come from?” she asked and
was surprised when she heard a weak and barely audible
reply.
“S...Santa
Barbara.”
“What?”
Lee opened his eyes and stared at
the woman. His whole body ached and he wasn’t sure where he was.
“Pardon?”
“I asked where you were from and
you said Santa Barbara. Is that where you’re from?”
Lee’s eyebrows narrowed and he
shook his head slowly, causing white lights to dance before his eyes. “I don’t
k...know,” he gasped as he struggled to latch on to the elusive
memory.
“That’s ok. It’ll come back to
you. Just give it some time,” she told him as she helped him drink more
water.
Maria returned with the water and
a clean cloth and watched as the older woman carefully bathed the sweat soaked
head. “Abby, why don’t you take a break? I’ll look after him. I made some
sandwiches and coffee.”
“All right, Maria, I am kind of
hungry. Just keep bathing him like I’m doing and call me if he needs anything,”
the doctor ordered as she stood from the chair and moved out of the
room.
Maria sat next to the bed and
picked up the wet cloth. She gently sponged his body, amazed at the heat that
flowed through her as her hand came in contact with his body. ‘Get yourself
under control, Maria,” she scolded herself. She continued to bathe his
fevered body, unconsciously letting her hands run through his dark hair.
‘Stop it, Maria, you’re behaving like a giddy school girl with a
crush,’ she thought, disgusted with her bodies reaction. She hid her
surprise when she noticed two hazel eyes staring at her. “Hi,” she said
softly.
“H...hi,” he
muttered.
“How are you
feeling?”
“L…lousy,” his wheezing voice
replied.
“Well that’s to be expected.
You’ve taken a bad beating.”
“B...beating?” he gasped as he
tried to think. “Why can’t I r...remember?”
“Probably because you hit your
head. Abby says it’ll probably come back to you in time,” Maria told him as she
once more helped him drink some juice.
“E...enough,” he said as his eyes
closed once more.
Maria continued to bathe the
injured man, hoping he would have the strength to fight the illness consuming
his energy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Well, Frank?” Nelson asked as the
policeman returned an hour later.
“They aren’t cooperating. They
keep saying Lee Crane sold them the car...”
“Lee would never do that!” Morton
interrupted.
“I know that, Chip. I’ve seen how
much Lee Crane loves that car. It’s second only to the
Seaview.”
“So what are you going to do about
it?” Morton asked angrily.
“There’s nothing I can do about it
right now, Chip. We have to wait and see if Mark can convince them to tell the
truth.”
“Let me have five minutes alone
with them and they’ll tell the truth,” Nelson told him, fire in his voice at the
thought of Lee Crane lying somewhere possibly hurt or even worse,
dead.
“I wish I could, Admiral,”
Bartlett told him honestly.
“Admiral, Lee took his pager,
maybe we can track his whereabouts.”
“I already have Sparks working on
it,” Nelson told the blond. “Frank, we’ll be at the Institute if you find out
anything else.”
“Ok, Admiral,” Bartlett answered,
watching the two worried men leave the police station.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Nelson looked at the faces of the
men in the conference room. Sharkey’s face, usually so comedic in nature, was
filled with worry. Kowalski and Patterson seemed ready to strike out at anyone
who dared harm their captain.
Will Jamison sat quietly, his eyes
never leaving the Admiral’s face as he listened to the information on Lee
Crane’s car and the missing man.
Nelson took a deep breath and
began speaking. “Sparks was able to get a trace on Captain Crane’s pager. The
location is approximately two hundred miles north of here. We’ll be leaving
immediately to start the search. Sharkey has maps and routes for each of you.
We’ll do this in teams and hopefully cover more ground. Lee is out there
somewhere and the faster we find him the better.”
“Admiral.”
“Yes,
Chief?”
“Do you think the Skippers
alright?”
“I don’t know, Chief. I do know
that Lee would never give up his car easily. The two men who had Lee’s car won’t
tell us anything so we’re going on the assumption that he needs
help.”
“Let me have five minutes with
those two and I’ll make them talk,” Sharkey’s voice was laced with anger as his
dark eyebrows rose dangerously.
“Yeah, Admiral, why can’t we have
a few minutes alone with those two,” Kowalski asked.
Nelson looked from one man to the
other seeing the deep concern they had for their missing Captain. “I’d love to
have a few minutes alone with them as well, but that wouldn’t do Lee any good.
Sharkey give each team a route and let’s get started.”
By the time the maps were passed
out there were twenty teams of three men ready to search the wilderness north of
Santa Barbara. Nelson, Morton, and Jamie headed for Morton’s car, none of the
men spoke as they climbed in and Morton drove out of the parking
lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee opened his eyes to bright
sunlight streaming in through pale curtains. He groaned as pain lanced through
his skull and wondered why his body hurt so much. His chest felt heavy, laden
down, as he tried to breath. He coughed and held his chest as he tried to pull
oxygen into his lungs. “Oh, hell, Lee, Jamie’s gonna kill you for sure,” he
wheezed.
“Now why would Jamie want to kill
you?”
Lee stared at the older woman
sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands gently probing his body. “Says I get
hurt too much,” a hint of a smile on his face.
“I take it you’ve been injured
before?”
“Comes with the territory,” he
winced as the pain seemed to intensify.
“Take it easy now. How’s the
head?”
“Feels like there’s a mad drummer
in there,” he groaned.
“I bet it
does.”
“Ah!” Crane gasped as he felt the
needle once more slide into his hip. He coughed and struggled to get his breath
back, and felt a strong hand lift him forward. His breathing eased as he sat up
straighter and he smiled gratefully at the older woman.
“T...thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she told him as
she placed another pillow under him.
“How long have I been here?” he
asked as the pain began to subside.
“Maria found you on the road four
days ago.”
“Four days,” he repeated as he
closed his eyes and sank back into the pillows. “Guess I’m gonna be late
again.”
Abigail’s eyebrows rose as she
listened to the soft voice. “Late for what?” she asked
gently.
“Supposed to be back at the
Institute,” Crane answered but was overtaken by wracking coughs tearing at his
chest.
“Easy, Son,” Abigail told him as
she rubbed his back gently. The violence of the coughs told her he was getting
worse. There was no choice now but to get him to the hospital and the help he
needed. “Concentrate on breathing,” she ordered.
Lee concentrated on breathing,
ignoring the sharp pain in his chest. “Damn, t...that hurts.” He
gasped.
“I can see that. I think it’s time
we got you to a hospital,” she said.
“No h...hospital,” Lee gasped.
“Jamie. S...Seaview.”
“Seaview?”
Crane nodded his head as his eyes
closed.
Maria came into the room a few
minutes later. “How’s he doing, Abby?”
“Not good, Maria, he needs a
hospital.”
“When do we
leave?”
“As soon as possible. He’s burning
up right now and he’s definitely got full blown
pneumonia.”
“I’ll get the car ready,” Maria
told her.
“I think we’re better off leaving
him here and having the rescue chopper come pick him up.”
“But it’s a three hour drive into
town.”
“I know, Maria. But that town
doesn’t have a hospital. You’ll need to call for a rescue team to come get him.
To try and drive the six hours to Santa Barbara would be too much for him. At
least here I can keep the IV going and keep him relatively pain
free.”
“I’ll leave right away,” she told
the older woman.
“Maria, have you ever heard of
something called the Seaview?”
“Seaview. That’s the big submarine
with the windows,” an excited voice answered from behind
Maria.
“How do you know that, Joey?”
Maria asked.
“It’s in one of the books Dad gave
me. Want to see it?”
“Yes,” Abigail
answered.
Joey ran out of the room and
hurried back a few minutes later with a tightly bound book. He opened it to a
page showing a sleek silver submarine. The caption over the picture read NIMR
BUILDS NUCLEAR SUBMARINE.
“See that’s the Seaview,” Joey’s
voice was filled with awe as he pointed out the picture.
“S...Seaview,” Crane rasped as he
heard the voices around him.
“Is this the Seaview, Lee?” the
doctor asked.
Lee looked at the picture, his
memories suddenly flooding back to him. Agony ripped through his head as
pictures danced before his eyes. A red haired man smiling as he patted him on
the back. A blond haired man whose friendship meant so much to him. A concerned
face telling him he needed to take it easy. More and more faces floated before
his eyes and he struggled to get past the pain and grasp at the
memories.
“Lee, are you all right?” Abigail
asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to sooth the trembling man’s
body.
“I...I’m fine,” he answered
automatically as Will Jamison’s face danced before his
eyes.
“Steady, Son, it’s all right,”
Abigail reassured him.
“H...have to let the A...Admiral
know where I am.”
“We’ll take care of all that, Lee,
you just rest and take it easy. Maria, pour me some water.” Abigail took the
glass from the younger woman and placed it in front of the injured
man.
Lee sipped from the glass,
fighting for the names that went with the familiar faces. Faces he knew belonged
to his friends. “Admiral Nelson, have to talk to him,” he
wheezed.
“That’s not possible right now,
Lee. Maria is going to drive into town and call for a rescue
chopper.”
“No!”
“What do you mean no? You need to
be in a hospital.”
“No hospital. Call Nelson
Institute. Jamie will come. P...please call the institute, they’ll send the
flying sub.”
“Maria, if you can find the number
he’s talking about call them first.”
“Alright, Abby. Lee, you just do
as Abby says. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“T...thank you,” Lee said, his
hazel eyes filled with pain as they slipped closed once
more.
“Maria, be careful. There’s a
major storm brewing and I hate the thought of you out there
alone.”
“I’ll be fine, Abby,” Maria
assured the older woman. She knew Abigail Wilson had lived in the area all her
life and if she said a major storm was brewing then it was only a matter of time
before it hit.
“Just make sure you drive
carefully and don’t worry about the kids. I’ll look after
them.”
“I’m not sure when I’ll be
back.”
“If the storm’s too bad just stay
in town.”
“I’ll think about it,” Maria
hugged her kids and hurried out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The storm had come upon them with
little warning. So intent were they on finding Lee Crane that neither man
bothered to check the forecast for the area. Heavy rain mixed with large chunks
of hail struck the car with enough force to dent the bonnet. Lightening flashed
overhead and thunder resonated overhead.
“Anything, Chip?” Nelson asked as
he slowed the car and drove carefully around a bend in the road. Bright
headlights blinded him as he swung to avoid an oncoming vehicle. The car slid
along the wet macadam and came to rest against a small hill. Nelson looked at
the other two men, relieved to see they were shaken up, but unhurt. He looked
through the rear view mirror and saw that the other car had stopped on the
opposite side of the road.
“I’ll see if they’re ok,” Morton
said as he pulled his lightweight jacket up over his head and opened the
passenger side door. Wind whipped into the car as he struggled to get to his
feet. “Be right back!” he shouted above the wind, rain, and
thunder.
“Be careful, Chip,” Jamison
shouted from the back seat.
Morton forced the door closed and
ran through the deep pools of water that covered the road. He hurried to the car
and knocked on the driver’s side window. A pale-faced woman lifted her face and
looked at him. Her eyes were filled with unshed moisture as she rolled the
window down part way.
“Are you alright, Ma’am?” he
shouted.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry! I...I didn’t
think anyone else would be on the road in this weather.”
“We thought the same thing. What’s
the hurry?”
“I’ve got to get to
town.”
“In this
weather?”
“It’s an
emergency.”
“Is someone hurt?” he asked as he
looked into the dark back seat.
“Yes, back at my house. I have to
get into town and call for help but I can’t get this piece of junk to start
again,” she cried hitting the steering wheel in
frustration.
“We haven’t passed a town since
Union Circle.”
“That’s where I was
headed.”
“You’ll never make it back there
in this storm or in this car. Why don’t you come with us and we’ll take you back
to your house.”
“Dammit,” she swore as she again
hit the steering wheel. “Abigail said he needs a
hospital.”
“Look, come get in our car. At
least you’ll be warm.”
“I don’t seem to have much
choice,” she said, reading the honesty in the handsome water soaked face. She
pushed her door open and Morton caught it and held it before the wind swung it
back into her. He slammed the door and grasped her elbow steering her towards
the other car.
Jamison opened the door for the
woman to climb inside as Nelson did the same for Chip.
“Are you alright, Ma’am?” Jamison
asked.
“A little shook up, but I’m
fine.”
“What’s your name?” Nelson
asked.
“Maria Stern,” She relied through
chattering teeth.
“There’s an emergency blanket
under your seat, Jamie,” Morton said and was surprised as the woman’s head
snapped up to stare at the three men. “Ma’am are you ok?”
‘It can’t be. It’s just a
coincidence,’ she thought as she realized a lot of men were called Jamie. It
was just that the memory of Lee saying that name was fresh in her mind. “I’m
fine,” she finally answered.
“Admiral, I told her we’d drive
her home. Jamie, she said there’s someone hurt at her
house.”
“Where do you live, Ma’am,” Nelson
asked.
“About five miles down the road
there’s a turnoff. You take that and my home is at the very end. It’s about an
hours drive on a normal day. It’ll probably take at least two in this
weather.”
“Who’s injured and how bad?”
Jamison asked instantly slipping into his profession.
“His name is
Lee...”
“What?” the word was shouted from
three different mouths at the same time.
“I said his name is Lee. I found
him on the road four days ago. He was pretty badly beaten
up.”
“Admiral?”
“I know, Chip. My name is Harriman
Nelson, ma’am and we’re looking for a missing friend. His name is Lee
Crane.”
“Oh my, God,” she cried as she
realized it had to be Divine intervention that brought the four of them together
on the darkened road in a storm of this magnitude.
“How bad is he hurt, Ma’am?”
Jamison asked.
“Abby says he has some broken
ribs, a concussion, and he’s also developed pneumonia.”
“Admiral, slow down. We’ll be no
good to him if we have an accident,” Jamison ordered. In truth he wanted nothing
more than to get to Lee Crane, but he had to get there in one piece if he was to
help the injured man.
“There’s one more thing you should
know.”
“What?” Jamison
asked.
“He’s lost his memory. When I left
he was beginning to remember some things but not all of it. He does keep saying
the name Jamie,” she was startled as the three men
laughed.
“Sorry, Ma’am, but Lee spends a
lot of time in sickbay under Jamie’s care,” Morton explained as they lapsed back
into silence.
The storm continued to rage
outside as Nelson fought against natures fury to keep the car on the
road.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abby fed the kids and helped Suzie
get ready for bed. Joey was such a mature kid for his age and he’d helped keep
his sister occupied during the storm. She’d fed them dinner and they’d quietly
played board games and Joey read to her. The storm continued to rage as she
stood in the window and looked out over the darkened land. Lightening flashed
overhead illuminating the destruction already wrought to the small farm.
Anything that hadn’t been held down was picked up by the groaning wind and
deposited far away from its original resting place. A harsh cough followed by a
low moan tore her attention from the storm and brought her back to the bed.
“Easy, Son,” she soothed as she
touched the fevered brow. Shaking her head she picked up the cloth and once more
began bathing his face. She smiled as a pair of hazel eyes opened and looked at
her.
“H...hurts to b...breath,” he
gasped.
“I bet it does. Maria went for
help and hopefully they’ll get here soon.”
“She s...shouldn’t have gone in
t...this s...storm. Too d...dangerous.”
“It wasn’t this bad when she left,
Lee. There wasn’t much choice. We really do need to get you to the
hospital.”
Lee sighed and closed his eyes.
His chest felt heavy and he really was having trouble drawing in enough air. He
felt the doctor touch his forehead once more and smiled weakly at her. “Is it as
hot as I feel?”
“Yeah, you’re running quite a
fever there. Think you could swallow a couple of tablets for
me?”
“Guess so,” he answered as she
helped him sit up a little more. His breathing eased some as she placed extra
pillows behind his back. She placed the tablets in his mouth and helped him
drink some water. He swallowed gratefully, the cold water soothing his throat.
“T...thanks,” he mumbled as he felt the pull of sleep once more. Familiar faces
filled his exhausted mind and he tried to grasp their names. The only one that
kept coming through to him was Jamie. Somehow he knew Jamie would help him if he
found him. He moaned as he tried to move on the bed.
“Lie still and try to sleep, Lee,”
Abby ordered.
“Can’t, h…hurts to breath.
H...headache,” he told her, his face showing just how much pain he was
in.
“I can’t give you anything else
for pain, Son. What I have would affect your breathing to much,” she explained
as she gently rubbed his temples, carefully avoiding the area above his right
eye.
The gentle touch of her hands made
him sigh as the headache subsided slightly. He let himself become lost in the
soothing touch and drifted towards sleep once more.
Abigail continued the light
massage, relieved to see the lines of pain slowly fade from his face. She knew
he needed more help than she could give him right now and the longer it took to
get him that help the weaker he’d become. She fervently hoped that her
instincts, which told her he was a strong man and a fighter, were right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“It’s not much further,” Maria
said as the tree lined road narrowed signaling they were close to her home. The
tall pines overhead dipped to the breaking point only to be whipped around as
the wind changed directions. She looked behind her as something hit the edge of
the trunk and gasped as the lightening overhead revealed they’d narrowly missed
being crushed by a forty-foot pine. “That’s it, the lights up there. That’s my
home,” she said as Nelson drove the car into the yard.
They pulled up in front of the
tiny home but hadn’t even come to a complete stop before three men were out the
door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abby continued to sit with the
injured man. She bathed his face and talked soothingly to him, hoping her voice
would help him focus on something other than the pain. She didn’t hear the car
pull up outside and swore softly as the light dimmed. She knew Maria’s house was
supplied by an old generator, and she prayed it wouldn’t give out on them now.
She was startled as a large crash sounded from the living room and three
waterlogged men hurried into the room.
“Lee!” Nelson gasped as his eyes
landed on the pale figure sitting up in the bed.
Lee Crane heard someone call his
name, but he didn’t have the strength to answer him. The voice seemed vaguely
familiar, but the thick vapor in his mind wouldn’t let him latch on to the
memory.
Nelson stood back in order to give
Will Jameson room to work, even as every instinct in his body told him he needed
to speak with the younger man. He shifted his eyes from the man on the bed and
met the worried gaze of Seaview’s exec.
“Abby, these are his friends,”
Maria explained as she came into the room.
“I’m Will Jamison, Ma’am,”
Seaview’s doctor explained as he opened his medical kit.
“Is he going to be alright,
Jamie?” Nelson asked worriedly.
“Jamie?” Abby
asked.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Jamison said as he
continued to examine his Captain and friend.
“He’s been calling for
you.”
Jamison’s eyebrows rose but he
didn’t take time to answer. The heat emanating from the injured man worried him
and he knew he needed to act fast. He pulled out his stethoscope and listened to
Crane’s lungs, his face showing real fear as he listened to the heavy congestion
he found there.
“Jamie?”
“Not now, Admiral,” Jamison hissed
as he continued his examination, his eyes quickly taking in the IV running into
Lee Crane’s arm. “How long has he been like this?”
“His lungs became congested late
yesterday and have continued to deteriorate. He needs stronger antibiotics than
the ones I’ve been treating him with,” Abby explained as she showed him the
drugs she’d been using.
“Chip, Admiral, can you bring in
the extra supplies from the car.”
“Right away,” Nelson’s reply was
filled with worry for his captain and friend.
“Are you a doctor,” Jamison asked
as he checked the bandaging around Lee’s ribs.
Abigail nodded as she watched the
younger man work. His skilled hands and concerned tone told her he was a gifted
physician and knew what he was doing. The worry on his face told her that he
knew his friend was in bad shape and needed help immediately. “My name is
Abigail Wilson. Most folks just call me Abby.”
“J...Jamie.”
The softly spoken word brought
both sets of eyes back to the injured man. “I’m here, Lee. How do you
feel?”
Glazed hazel eyes opened and tried
to focus on the man sitting next to the bed. “I...I’m
f...fine.”
“Sure you are, Lee,” Jamison
smiled at the expected answer, something that never ceased to amaze him. The
smile quickly disappeared as Lee Crane was overcome by a bout of coughing.
Jamison and Abigail helped him sit forward and waited for the attack to subside.
Nelson and Morton came into the
room as the attack stopped, worry for their friend etched on both handsome
faces.
“Jamie.”
“Admiral, get me the oxygen,”
Jamison ordered as he eased the pale man back on the bed. Nelson complied and
Seaview’s doctor soon had a mask placed over his Captains mouth and nose. “That
should help, Lee,” he offered, not sure the man was still conscious.
“T...thanks,” came the muffled
reply.
“I thought you were sleeping,”
Jamison smiled.
“J...Jamie...S...Seaview.”
“Seaview’s fine, Lee. Now I want
you to relax and let us take care of you.”
“A...Admiral...m...mad?”
“Why would the Admiral be mad?”
Jamison asked as he took Cranes blood pressure.
“L…late...shore l…leave
over.”
“The Admiral’s not mad Lee. He’s
just worried about you.”
“N...not m...mad?”
“No, Lee, I’m not mad,” Nelson
moved to the bed and into Cranes line of sight in order to reassure him. “Now
you just rest and let Jamie look after you.”
Crane looked at the face from his
dreams and tried to make the connection. He knew he should remember who this man
was, but he couldn’t grasp the elusive memory. He looked into the intense blue
eyes and muttered, “Tell, A...Admiral...sorry,” he pleaded as his eyes slid
shut.
“Jamie?”
“It’s ok, Admiral, he’s sleeping,”
Jamison said as he arranged a bag of antibiotics on the makeshift IV pole over
Lee Crane’s bed.
“He didn’t seem to know me,”
Nelson said.
“He’s been like that since I found
him,” Maria explained.
“It’s probably from the blows to
the head he received,” Abigail told them. “He’s been confused from the
beginning, but I don’t think it’s permanent. He seems to be remembering things
in bits and pieces. He’s been calling Jamie since the
beginning.”
Jamison couldn’t help smiling at
the thought of his worst patient remembering him. With the help of Abigail
Wilson he finished a thorough examination of the injured man. He could feel two
men looking over his shoulders, the worry and tension felt heavy in the
room.
Will Jamison rubbed tired eyes and
turned to the window, shaking his head at Natures fury as it lashed against the
house. ‘Wish we were on Seaview,’ he thought as he felt the storm trying
to break into the little house.
“Jamie, how is he?” Nelson
asked.
“Maria, why don’t you and I go
make these gentlemen something to eat and drink,” Abigail suggested, knowing the
three men needed to be alone with their friend.
Jamison looked at the worried men
as the two women left the room. “We need to get him to a hospital as soon as
possible,” he answered.
“How bad?” Morton
asked.
“He’s got pneumonia, broken ribs,
head injuries, numerous bruises and cuts, Abby said there’s been blood in his
urine, I’m hoping that’s just because of the heavy bruises and not an indication
of something more serious. His temperature’s one hundred and three and it may
climb higher.”
“Dammit,” Nelson hissed as he
slammed one fist into the other. “Chip, keep trying to reach Sharkey. The faster
we get the flying sub here the better.”
“I will, Admiral, but the
electrical storm is interfering with the signal,” Morton explained as the lights
dimmed.
“Chip, we’d better find out how
Maria’s getting her power and see if we can do something about keeping it on,”
Nelson took one last look at the unconscious man before leading the other man
from the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~
He heard their voices but didn’t
have the energy needed to answer them. He felt detached from his body and wanted
to stay that way. Each time he floated towards the voices pain would slam into
him and become his entire world. His chest felt as if something heavy were
sitting on it and he fought to get the cool air into his lungs. He’d coughed so
long and hard he thought for sure he had nothing left inside. His throat felt
raw and dry, his head throbbed as if a band of drummers had taken up permanent
residence inside it.
Harriman Nelson hadn’t moved from
his Captain’s side since he’d returned from helping Morton do what they could to
keep the ancient generator working. They’d battled the angry winds in their
effort to get the job done. They’d filled the small reservoir with gasoline and
were in the process of returning to the house when Chip Morton was struck by a
piece of flying debris. He’d dragged the semi-conscious man into the house and
called for Jamison. The doctor shook his head at the sight of the drenched,
bleeding form Nelson hauled inside. Morton now rested on the couch in the living
room and Jamison was in the rustic kitchen after being ordered from the room by
Nelson.
Nelson stood and stretched the
tight muscles in his back. He looked at his friend before moving to the window.
The storm continued unabated and he could barely see across the yard to the
barn. A sound from the bed caught his attention and he moved back to the chair
he’d resided in for the past few hours. He listened, hoping to hear the tiny
sound repeated and was soon rewarded for his patience.
Lee Crane knew he was hurt as he
tried to move on the bed. His bruised and battered body protested the feeble
attempt he made and a low moan escaped his lips.
“Easy, Son.”
Crane heard the familiar voice
again and latched onto it, drawing himself up from the murky depths until he
looked into the deep blue eyes of a man he instinctively knew he could trust.
The red-haired man’s name still eluded him but he knew his rank. He knew this
man was not only his boss but a friend, a man he trusted and Lee felt some of
the coldness leave him. “A...Admiral,” he rasped through the mask on his
face.
“That’s right, Lee,” Nelson smiled
warmly at the hazel eyes. “How do you feel?”
“T...tired...w...went t...ten
r...rounds w...with an a...ape.”
“I don’t doubt that for a
minute.”
“J...Jamie...here?” Crane asked as
he vaguely remembered the face of Seaview’s doctor.
“Yes, Lee, he is. You just lie
still and I’ll get him.”
“Y...yes, Sir,” Crane answered
weakly, his labored breathing painful to Nelson’s ears.
Crane followed the man across the
room, wondering if he’d ever remember the name that went with the face. He
lifted his hand to his chest as a harsh cough ripped from his lungs. He pulled
the mask from his face as the attack grew worse. He felt hands lifting him
forward but couldn’t open his eyes. He knew they were trying to help him, but
the movement only caused more pain to flare and he cried out weakly. He had no
idea how long the attack went on or how often his face was washed but when it
ended he felt weaker than ever. As he was once more lowered to the bed his eyes
met the concern filled blue eyes and a name finally entered his fever-wracked
brain. ‘Nelson,’ he thought, a small smile on his face as something was
held against his mouth.
“Lee, I want you to drink some of
this,” Jamison ordered as he held the glass of water to the fever baked
lips.
“C...can’t,” Crane
mumbled.
“Captain Crane, you will do as
you’re told or do I have to make it an order?”
Years of ingrained training kicked
in and Lee Crane did as the red-haired man ordered. He swallowed a small amount
of water before surrendering to the darkness once more. He never felt the mask
replaced on his face or the strong hand on his shoulder, yet he knew
instinctively he wasn’t alone.
“Admiral, why don’t you get some
rest?”
“Not right now, Jamie. I’ll stay
here with Lee while you grab some sleep. He’s going to need you when he wakes up
and you’re going to need to be rested.”
Jamison nodded as he realized the
Admiral made sense. He moved away from the bed and watched as the other man took
over the watch once more. “He’s fighting, Harry,” he assured his friend, using
the man’s first name to let him know he wasn’t alone.
“I know, Jamie, I just hope he’s
got the strength to keep fighting,” he said. “How’s Chip?”
“Sleeping. He’s got a mild
concussion and it took six stitches to close up the gash.”
“He’s going to be alright though
isn’t he?”
“He’ll be fine,
Admiral.”
“Thanks,” Nelson picked up the
cloth from the basin and washed the pale face of his Captain.
“Call me if he needs anything,”
Jamison ordered.
“I will, Jamie, now get some
rest,” Nelson listened as the footsteps faded. He knew Maria’s children were up
and was amazed at how quiet two children could be. He rubbed his tired eyes
before looking back at the bed. “Dammit, Lee, it was supposed to be a nice
relaxing shore leave,” he whispered as he watched his friend fighting for his
life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Any word from the Admiral, Ski?”
Sharkey asked.
“Nothing seems to be getting
through, Chief. I’ve been trying to contact them all night,” Kowalski
answered.
“It probably has to do with the
storm in their search area,” Patterson offered.
“Well, there’s nothing we can do,
but continue with our own search,” Sharkey suggested.
“Do you think they found the
skipper?” Kowalski asked worriedly.
“I hope so, kid,” the older man
knew something serious must’ve happened to Seaview’s Captain or they would have
heard from him by now.
“The Skipper is strong. He’ll find
a way to get help and get back to Seaview,” Patterson told them as heavy rain
pelted down on their car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chip Morton opened his eyes to a
pounding headache and a churning stomach. He reached up and touched the bandaged
area on his head and moaned softly. He forced his eyes completely open and
fought to grasp the memories of where he was and why he was there. He slid his
long legs over the side of the couch and sat up, fighting the nausea once again.
His eyes suddenly grew wide with worry as the fog lifted from his mind and his
memories suddenly returned. ‘Lee,’ he thought, standing and moving
towards the small bedroom where his friend slept.
Nelson looked up as the blond
stumbled into the room, one hand shielding his eyes against the bright light.
“Admiral, How’s he doing?”
“No change, Chip,” Nelson stood
and helped the younger man into the chair.
“What does Jamie
say?”
“Jamie says Abby did a fantastic
job with him and if it wasn’t for her Lee wouldn’t have made it this
far.”
“We have to get him out of here,”
Morton’s voice revealed the pain he was suffering.
“We will, Chip,” Nelson assured
the younger man as he walked to the tiny window and looked out at the raging
storm. “As soon as this damned storm ends.”
“Still no luck with the
radio?”
“Too much electrical
interference,” Nelson answered and rushed to the bed as the first harsh cough
erupted from the injured man. He lifted his captain forward, removed the oxygen
mask and held him through the terrifying bout of harsh
coughs.
Will Jamison woke at the first
cough and rushed into the room and slid in on the opposite side of the bed as
Seaview’s captain fought to catch his breath. The hazel eyes were open and
filled with pain as the coughs wreaked havoc with his broken ribs. “Easy, Lee,
just take it slow,” Jamison told the injured man.
“Steady, Lee,” Nelson told
him.
Lee Crane slowly turned to the
familiar voice and pain filled hazel eyes met worried blue ones as the coughing
finally subsided. “A...Admiral, how’d... you f...find me,” Crane’s weak voice
asked.
“We didn’t find you. Maria found
us and brought us here.”
“S...she’s g...good at f...finding
p...people,” Lee smiled as he thought of his rescuer and her two children.
“How’re we doing in here,” Abigail
Wilson asked as she entered the room.
“F...fine,” Lee answered
automatically, causing a smile to spread on Nelson, Jamison, and Morton’s
faces.
“Sure you are, Son,” Abby smiled
as Nelson moved out of the way and let her help Jamison. The two doctors began a
thorough examination of the injured man, ignoring the tiny gasps of pain as they
probed the wounds on his body.
“I need to listen to his lungs,”
Jamison said, indicating to Nelson that he help them sit Crane forward. “Chip,
stay where you are,” Seaview’s doctor ordered as the blond moved in to
help.
“N...no,” Lee Crane was a man
familiar with pain, but the coughing had taken it’s toll on his body and the
upward movement of his body made him cry out. “S...stop.”
“Almost finished, Lee,” Jamison
assured the younger man. “Ok, ease him back down. Lee, I know you’re in pain but
there’s not much I can give you right now,” Jamison explained as he watched the
pain float across the pale face.
“I...it’s ok, J...Jamie, not
y...your f...fault.”
“Lee, do you think you can drink a
little more water for me,” Jamison asked. Lee nodded slightly and Nelson lifted
his head slightly.
Lee drank the cold liquid, glad of
the tiny respite from his dry tortured throat. He turned away and closed his
eyes as exhaustion and pain pulled him back into the void.
Abigail took in the pale faces of
the three men who’d come to rescue their friend. Each man wore his worry on his
face and neither one tried to mask it. She knew there was more than friendship
between these men. She sensed it was more of brothers than friends. That they’d
do anything for each other including giving up their own
lives.
“I’ll keep trying to get through
to Sharkey, Admiral.”
“No, Chip, I’ll try to get through
to the chief. You need to go lie down before you fall
down.”
“That’s right, Chip, you’ve got
all the signs of a concussion and I want you off your feet,” Jamison ordered.
“I’m fine,” Morton told
him.
“Are they always this stubborn?”
Abby asked.
“Yes,” Nelson
answered.
“You’re one to talk, Admiral. I
seem to remember you saying the same thing when you were last in my
sickbay.”
“It sounds like you have your
hands full, Jamie,” Abby observed.
“I do. Admiral, escort Chip back
to the couch, please.”
“Come on, Chip,” Nelson ordered as
he steadied the swaying exec.
“You’ll come get me if anything
happens,” Morton said as he held his pounding head.
“We will,” Nelson assured
him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was hours later when the
violence of Nature finally eased and Nelson breathed a sigh of relief as he made
contact with Sharkey’s search party. “Chief.”
“Yes, Sir, Admiral. Are you, Doc,
and Mr. Morton ok, Sir?”
“We’re ok,
Chief...”
“Did you find the Skipper, Sir?”
Sharkey interrupted.
“Chief, listen to me. We found the
Skipper but he’s in bad shape. We need FS1 here as soon as
possible.”
“Yes, Sir, is the Skipper gonna be
alright?”
“I don’t know, Chief. His chances
are better now that we’ll be able to get him to a
hospital.”
“It’ll take us a couple of hours
to get back to Santa Barbara, Admiral. Give me your coordinates and we’ll be
there as quick as we can.”
“We’re at a small farm, Chief.
Just home in on my pager and you’ll be able to find us that
way.”
“Yes, Sir, take care, Admiral and
I’ll be there as soon as possible,” Sharkey told him as he turned to Kowalski.
“Ski, get us back to Santa Barbara,” he ordered.
“Is the Skipper ok, Chief?”
Patterson asked from the back seat.
“The Admiral says he’s in bad
shape and needs to get to the hospital,” Sharkey explained. ‘Come on,
Skipper, show us you still have some fight left in you,’ he thought as
Kowalski turned the car around and they sped back the way they’d
come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee opened his eyes and tried to
clear his foggy mind. He knew he was hurt but couldn’t seem to remember how or
why. It felt as if something heavy was sitting on his chest and he fought to
draw in every labored breath. His eyes, so filled with pain, held no fear. If he
was going to die there was little he could do about it, but until that happened
he was going to continue to force the air into his lungs.
“Lee.”
Crane turned his head slightly
wincing as a thousand stars erupted in a brilliant display of fireworks behind
his eyelids.
“Easy, Lee, just breath slowly
now,” Nelson explained as he reached out and touched his Captains
shoulder.
“H...hard to b...breathe,” Lee
stammered.
“I know it is. We’ll soon have you
out of here and in the hospital.”
“S...storm
over?”
“The worst of it is over. Sharkey
should be on his way here in the flying sub.”
Lee’s mind still couldn’t grasp
the illusive memories that stayed just beyond reach of his troubled mind.
“Sharkey?”
Nelson saw the confusion in his
captain’s eyes and explained. “He’s Seaview’s chief, Lee.”
“C...chief?”
“It’s ok, Lee, don’t worry about
it right now. It won’t be long before you’re feeling better and everything comes
back to you. Easy, Son,” Nelson saw the panicked look on his captains face and
lifted him forward as harsh coughs erupted from his throat. “Jamie!” he shouted
for Seaview’s medical officer.
Jamison was already in the room
and helping Nelson with the injured man. Morton, Maria, and Abby rushed into the
room at Nelson’s cry of alarm in time to see Jamison and Nelson hold Lee
forward. The weak man didn’t seem to have the strength to endure much more and
each person in the room sent a prayer to give him the strength he
needed.
“Ease him back on the pillow,
Admiral,” Jamison ordered as he picked up his stethoscope. He listened to Lee’s
lungs and shook his head at the people in the room. The sounds emanating from
Lee Crane’s lungs proved that things were growing worse and Jamison knew if they
didn’t get him out of there he wouldn’t last the day.
“Jamie?” Nelson asked as he
watched the green eyes close once more.
Jamison touched Crane’s neck and
was relieved to find a pulse, weak, but still there. “He’s still with us, Harry,
for how long I just don’t know. He needs to be in a hospital. We just don’t have
the right equipment to help him. How long before Sharkey gets
here?”
“They should’ve made it back to
the Institute by now. With FS1’s speed they should be here within the hour,”
Nelson told him.
“Thank God. Did you tell him to
notify the Institute we were bringing Lee in?” Jamison
asked.
“They know,” Nelson answered.
“Sharkey said they were getting everything prepared for
you.”
“Harry, he’s probably gonna need
to be on a ventilator until he’s strong enough to breathe on his own. He’s just
not getting enough air into his lungs.”
Morton moved closer to the bed and
looked down at the too still figure. “He’ll make it Jamie. Lee Crane is a
fighter and he’ll beat this one.”
Jamison nodded and picked up the
cloth from the cool water in the basin. “He’s gonna need to be a fighter, Chip,”
he whispered.
~~~~~~~~~~
“FS1 is here, Jamie,” Nelson said,
hurrying back into the room.
“Thank God. Admiral, get the
stretcher in here while I get him ready for transport,” Jamison ordered. “Did
you hear that, Lee?”
“FS1?” Crane muttered under the
oxygen mask.
“Seaview’s flying sub. We’re
getting you out of here so just relax and let us take care of
things.”
“N...not m...much choice,” Crane
muttered breathlessly.
“Just lie still and be quiet,
Lee,” Jamison ordered as he checked the IV and made sure it was secure in
Crane’s forearm.
Lee let his eyes slide shut again
and wondered if he’d ever have clear memories again. His head pounded as he
tried to recall the details that landed him in this spot. He knew he’d been hurt
before, knew instinctively that these people would always be there to help him,
but each time he grasped something and tried to focus on it he lost the train of
thought. The pain he felt had more to do with the loss of how much these men
meant to him than the actual physical injuries on his body. He drifted away from
the pain, hoping to find a safe harbor where he could ride out the storm of
agony in his mind and body.
“Lee?”
He felt the voice pulling him back
and fought against it, knowing to return meant the return of the constant pain.
“We’re going to get you on a
stretcher and get you out of here, Lee,” Jamison explained, unsure the captain
could hear him.
“K,” was the weak reply he
received.
“Alright, let’s do this. Admiral,
you get his head and shoulders. Chief, Kowalski, you two take his legs. Abby, I
need you to slide the stretcher under him when we logroll him.”
Abigail moved to the opposite side
of the bed and readied the stretcher.
Chip, stay back,” Seaview’s doctor
ordered as the pale blond moved to help them.
“I’m ok, Jamie,” Morton assured
him.
“Not now, Chip. Just stay back.
All right gentlemen, on three… one, two, three,” as the final number left his
lips they eased Crane onto his side, ignoring the weak cries emanating from the
semi conscious man. The stretcher was pushed into the spot Lee occupied seconds
before and they gently placed him on the stretcher. “All done, Lee,” Jamison
said, noting the fine beads of perspiration on the pale
forehead.
“Doc, is he gonna be ok?” Sharkey
asked, speaking for the first time since he’d come into the room.
“He will be once we get him to the
Institute, Chief,” Jamison tried to sound confident in spite of the severity of
the situation. “Ok, gentlemen, let’s move,” he ordered.
Lee held his breath as they lifted
the stretcher off the bed. He opened his eyes and caught sight of the two women
who’d been instrumental in getting him this far. “W...wait,” he whispered,
reaching out to the two women.
“We need to get you to the
hospital, Lee,” Jamison told him.
“N...not yet. H...have to
t...thank M...Maria...Abby. F...found me...s...saved my l...life. N...need to
say t...thanks,” he muttered around the oxygen mask.
“You just worry about getting
well, Lee,” Maria told him.
“Knowing you’ll be up and around
before long is all the thanks need, Son,” Abigail Wilson smiled as the injured
man was taken from the home.
Lee felt himself drifting off
again and this time let the call of sleep pull him away from the
pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee Crane felt hands on his body
and wondered where he was. Something intruded down his throat and as awareness
returned he fought against the intrusion. His whole body was a mass of pain as
he struggled to get away from the thing causing him to lose his breath.
‘No,’ he cried, but no sound escaped his lips. ‘Stop,’ the hands
holding his own were warm and wouldn’t let him reach the offending
object.
“Easy, Lee,” Jamison soothed aware
that the captain was fighting the tube in his throat. “You’re in the hospital
and we had to hook you up to a respirator. You’re going to be alright but you
need to relax and let the ventilator do its job,” he smiled as a pair of glazed
hazel eyes opened and looked at him, a spark of recognition in them. “That’s
better. I want to ask you a couple of questions, Lee. We’ll use the blink once
for yes, twice for no, system, alright?” Hazel eyes blinked once. “Do you know
who I am?” One blink. “Very good, are you in any pain?” One blink. Jamison
signaled the nurse who added medication to Crane’s IV. “Janet just gave you
something that should help with the pain, do you remember what happened?” Two
blinks and a look of fear in the hazel eyes. “Its ok, Lee, it’ll take time,” he
assured his patient as the lids grew heavy and dropped over the hazel
orbs.
Jamison motioned for Nelson to
come in. He’d sent the Admiral down to the cafeteria with orders to eat. They’d
been back in Santa Barbara for thirty-six hours and Lee Crane was slowly
improving.
“How is he?” Nelson
asked.
“He was awake for a few minutes
and he recognized me. He was in pain so I had Janet give him a shot to help him.
I’ve set the ventilator for a trial run and if his blood gases stay within the
norms we should be able to take him off of it this
afternoon.”
“So he’s going to be
alright?”
“I think so,
Admiral.”
“What about his
memory?”
“He’s known me from the beginning.
I think down deep he knows you and Chip but we’ll have to wait till this evening
to find out for sure. I asked him if he remembered what happened to him and he
said no.”
“Will he remember?” Nelson asked
worriedly.
“That’s hard to say, Admiral,
sometimes the mind blocks out things. Lee received some serious blows to his
head and he may not get complete memory back. We’ll run some tests when he’s
more lucid, but until then we need to watch what we say. We can’t push him right
now.”
Nelson nodded as he sank into the
chair beside the bed. He’d sat in constant vigilance since they’d placed Lee
Crane in ICU. He’d dozed on and off, but his body was starting to feel the
fatigue.
“Admiral,” Jamison waited till his
friend looked at him. “Lee is going to sleep for a few hours. I know you won’t
go home, but I want you to go to the doctor’s lounge and get some rest. I’ll
come get you if there’s a problem.”
“I’m not...”
“I believe you, Admiral,” Jamison
interrupted. “You’re not tired, right? I can believe that because you passed
tired long ago. You’re exhausted and pretty soon you’re going to pass out and
we’ll put you in a room and let you sleep.”
“Jamie!”
“Let me finish, Admiral. Once we
put you in that room, I’ll leave orders not to disturb you until you wake up on
your own. Now if Lee happens to wake up before then...”
“I get your point, Jamie,” Nelson
interrupted. “You’ll come get me?”
“Of course. You’ll find Chip
already stretched out in the lounge. He refused to go home as
well.”
“All right, Jamie,” Nelson stood
up and stretched the kinks out of his back. He looked down at the sleeping man
before leaving the room.
“All alike,” Jamison smiled as he
looked from the man on the bed to the man leaving the
room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee was awake again, but this time
he knew where he was. ‘Jamie,’ he thought as the older man smiled down at
him.
“Are you ready to get rid of this
thing, Lee?” One blink. “Alright,” Jamison smiled as he began removing the tape
holding the tube in place. “Now, Lee, I want you to breath out when I tell you
too. Alright?” One blink. “OK, breath out,” Seaview’s doc ordered as he pulled
the tube from Crane’s throat.
Lee felt the tube as it slid from
his throat and fought the gagging sensation that always went with it.
Jamison reached for the small
basin and helped the injured man turn to the side as his stomach emptied. Dry
heaves soon followed and Lee held his broken ribs as they protested the violence
of his churning stomach. Jamison eased him back on the bed, washed his face and
immediately placed an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose.
“T...thanks.”
“Lee, your throat probably feels
pretty raw right now so don’t try to talk. Janet is going to give you a shot and
I want you to try to sleep.”
“K,” was the simple, weak reply as
the nurse placed the medication in his IV.
“Jamie?”
“Come in, Admiral,
Chip.”
“How is he?” Morton
asked.
“See for yourself,” Jamison told
him.
Nelson and Morton stood beside the
bed and smiled at Seaview’s captain. The hazel eyes focused on the two men and
they saw the recognition in them.
“Glad to see you’re awake, Lee,”
Nelson grinned.
“A...Admiral,” Lee whispered under
the mask and was overcome with a bout of coughing.
Jamison raised the head of the
bed, relieved when it seemed to ease his patients breathing. “Don’t try to talk
anymore, Lee,” Jamison warned.
Crane nodded his head and tried to
get comfortable. He could feel the heavy weight on his chest but it wasn’t as
bad as it had been. He closed his eyes and waited for the medication to take
control of the pain.
“Lee?” Crane opened his eyes to
half-mast. “Don’t fight the coughing. It’s gonna help clear your lungs and
that’s what we need to happen,” Jamison ordered.
Crane groaned and nodded as his
eyes drifted shut once more. He listened as the three men talked softly,
hearing, but not understanding what was being said, yet knowing he was safe and
among friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Easy, Lee.”
Crane opened his eyes and turned
to meet those of his friend and employer. A weak smile covered his handsome face
as he realized he was safe, hurting, but safe. “Admiral,” he mumbled through the
mask covering his mouth and nose.
“That’s right, Lee. How’re you
feeling?” Nelson asked.
“Tired, sore,” Lee answered
simply.
“Any pain?”
Lee turned and smiled weakly at
Will Jamison. “No,” he lied.
‘He’s back,’ Jamison thought. “Lee?”
“I’m ok, Jamie,” Crane grinned and
struggled to sit up. He watched Nelson’s hand reach down and slowly depress the
button on the bed, raising his head until he was sitting up.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Nelson watched
the hazel eyes carefully. He’d known Lee Crane long enough to read the emotions
in them and right now there was a smoldering fire just beginning to ignite.
“Lee?”
“F...feel so
stupid.”
“Stupid? Why?”
“I let my guard down for a few
minutes and ended up taking a beating and losing my car...” he trailed off and
frowned. “How did you guys find me?” he asked.
“Well, Lee, first of all we found
your car and the two men who stole it from you. They weren’t very
cooperative.”
Crane listened as the Admiral went
over the details of the search and the accidental meeting with Maria Stern. “She
saved my life, Admiral.”
“I know she did,
Lee.”
“I remember waking up on the road,
not knowing how I’d gotten there. I couldn’t remember anything and just stumbled
along the road. I kept falling, but somehow I knew I had to keep getting back
up. Had to keep moving. I must’ve passed out because the next thing I knew
someone was helping me. She saved my life, Admiral, I would’ve died out there if
she hadn’t come along. She took me back to her house and had her son go for
help,” Crane smiled as he remembered the feisty female doctor who’d cared for
him at the small farm, he struggled to keep his eyes open, not wanting to give
up the warm thoughts of the family who’d saved his life. “I owe them,” he
whispered as his eyes closed.
“We owe them,” Nelson answered as
he watched Seaview’s captain return to sleep. “He is going to be alright, isn’t
he Jamie?”
“He should be fine, Admiral, as
long as he does as he’s told.”
“Well, we’ll just have to make
sure he does. How long will he be in here?”
“At least a week. I want to make
sure his lungs are clear before we release him.”
“Easier said than done,” Nelson
smiled at the thought of Lee Crane placidly remaining in the hospital. He knew
as soon as the younger man was able he’d be fighting tooth and nail to get out
and back aboard his submarine. That was something Nelson wanted to
see.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nelson didn’t have long to wait.
He could hear Lee Crane arguing with Jamison as he walked towards the private
room. Lee’s voice lacked strength but he still drove home the fact that he
wanted out. ‘Four days, it took longer than I figured,,’ he thought as he
stepped into the room. “Having problems?” he asked, noting the oxygen mask was
gone, but the antibiotics were still flowing into Crane’s
arm.
“Just the usual,” Jamison
sputtered as he checked Crane’s vitals.
“I wondered how long it would be
before you decided it was time to get out of here, Lee,” Nelson smiled at the
still pale man.
“I’m fine, Admiral,” Crane
started.
“Sure you are, Lee. Do you feel up
to some company?”
“Company?” Crane asked, sitting up
straighter in the bed. “Who?”
“Good morning,
Lee.”
Crane smiled as two women entered
his room. “Good morning, Abby, Maria.”
“What’re you fussing about, Lee?”
Abigail asked.
“N...nothing,” Crane stammered as
he pressed the button to sit up more.
“Well, Son, that was the loudest
nothing I’ve ever heard. I’m glad you’re getting your strength back, but I agree
with Jamie that you need to give yourself time to heal. Now why don’t you just
lie back and let your friends take care of you? I mean they did save your life
so the least you can do is have some consideration and not undo what they’ve
done for you.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Crane smiled thinly,
knowing this woman could see right through the mask he used to cover the pain he
was in.
Jamison’s eyes widened and he
stared from Crane to Abigail Wilson, finally letting his eyes rest on Nelson.
“Is there anyway we could hire her?” he asked.
Abby laughed as she heard
Seaview’s doctor. “Thank you, Jamie, but I’ve grown fond of my little practice
up north.”
“How are you doing, Lee?”
Crane smiled at the woman who’d
rescued him, his eyes showing the gratitude he felt. “I’m doing fine, Maria,” he
answered. “How’re Joey and Suzie?”
Maria smiled at the handsome man
as she told them the kids were doing fine and that she’d left them with their
aunt and uncle while she joined Abby on the drive to Santa Barbara.
“I owe you both my life,” Crane
told the two women.
“You don’t owe me nothing, Lee,”
Maria told him. “I’m just glad you’re doing so much
better.”
“Thanks, Maria,” Crane yawned as
his recovering body betrayed the lingering weakness. “S...sorry,” he
apologized.
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry
for, Lee,” Abby assured him. “You just relax and go to sleep. Let your friends
look after you.”
“I will,” he muttered. “Thank
you.”
“You’re welcome and the next time
you decide to come north make sure you don’t need my medical help,” Abby grinned
as she watched the tired eyes fighting to stay open..
“I will.”
“Take care, Lee,” Maria told
him.
“You too,” he answered as sleep
finally took over.
“Thank you both for coming,”
Nelson told the two women and escorted them from the room.
Jamison turned out the overhead
lights and watched his most frequent patient sleeping. At times like this Will
Jamison could see the underlying vulnerability he seldom saw when the man was
awake. “Sleep well, Lee,” he said softly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harriman Nelson seethed as he
listened to the man on the other end of the line. He knew it wasn’t Bartlett’s
fault, but that did little to soften his anger. The two men responsible for Lee
Crane’s injuries were released on bail early that morning. “Frank, how the hell
could this happen?”
“The DA did everything he could,
Admiral, but the judge wouldn’t deny bail.”
“Why the hell
not?”
“You know Judge Watkins. He
doesn’t believe in cluttering up the jail cells if there’s any way around it. He
doesn’t feel these two are a threat to run and he figured he’d set the bail high
enough to make sure they stuck around.”
“They may not be a threat to run,
but they are a threat to Lee. If they have any sense at all they’ll know Lee is
the only one who can ID them. Car theft carries a light sentence, but attempted
murder is a hell of a lot more serious.”
“I know, Admiral, that’s why I
called you right away. I wanted you aware so you can have Lee watched. When is
he getting out of the hospital?”
“He’s due to be released tomorrow.
I’m going to insist on his being my guest until this is all
over.”
“He won’t like
that.”
“I know but there’s no choice
until those two are convicted. I’m going to enlist some of Seaview’s crew to
help in surveillance.”
“I’ll see what I can do about
arranging police protection for him as well.”
“Thanks, Frank,” Nelson said as he
hung up. He rubbed his eyes and placed his head in his hands. “Damn,” he swore
as he reached for the phone to call Chip Morton.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What are we gonna do, Jason?”
Degan asked worriedly.
“We’re gonna kill us a captain,”
Phillips answered as he caressed the silver cylinder on the pistol in his
hand.
“How’re we gonna do
that?”
A sly grin came over Phillips face
as he thought of the dark haired man they’d beaten and left for dead. “We’re
just gonna wait until he’s alone and then we’re gonna,” he lifted the gun and
pointed it at the newspaper clipping of Lee Crane from that morning’s paper.
“Kill us a witness before he gets a chance to testify,” he
laughed.
“Yeah,” Degan smiled. “He can’t
testify if he’s dead.”
“That’s right,” Phillips said,
cleaning the gun once more. “Captain Lee Crane’s gonna regret the day he stopped
at that rest area. Bang!” he laughed as his partner grinned
broadly.
“He’s gonna be real sorry. Bang,”
Degan agreed.
~~~~~~~~~~~
“Lee, your chariot
awaits.”
Hazel eyes glared at the blond
haired man. “I can walk,” he protested.
“You know the rules, Lee. Now
climb in,” Nelson ordered.
“Damn,” Crane smiled at his boss.
“I was hoping they’d revoked that rule.”
“No such luck,” Morton told him as
the injured man slid into the chair. Chip was relieved to see the bruises were
finally fading. He knew his friend was still hurting, but at least his face
wasn’t so gaunt and the dark circles under the eyes were nearly
gone.
Seaview’s Captain sat in the
chair, his left arm wrapped around his ribs in an effort to ease the lingering
pain there. His chest was pretty clear now but Jamison warned him he’d still
feel weak and needed to get as much rest as possible. Lee smiled as he
remembered the blackmail Jamison and Nelson used to make sure he would adhere to
their rules. Either he stayed in the hospital for another week or he stayed with
the Admiral. He chose the latter, agreeing to anything to get out of the
hospital. He bit his lip as the urge to cough came over him again. He held his
ribs tightly as the first hacking cough left him.
Jamison knelt in front of him and
placed a pillow against the injured area. “Let it out, Lee, you’ve got to get
rid of all of it.”
“E...easy for y...you to s...say,”
Crane ground out between gasping coughs.
Jamison watched the handsome face
contort in pain with each cough and wondered if it was such a wise idea to
release the stubborn captain.
Lee breathed a sigh of relief as
the urge to cough subsided. He smiled weakly at the ship’s doctor, reading the
worry in the man’s eyes. “I’m not staying, Jamie.”
“Lee?”
“Jamie, I’ve agreed to stay with
the Admiral for a week. You said as long as I did that I could get out of here.”
The words came easier, but the
face was still too pale for Jamison’s liking. “ Lee, it might
be...”
“No!” Crane snapped tiredly.
“Look, Jamie, I really need to get out of here.”
Jamison smiled and nodded.
“Alright, Lee, but remember our agreement.”
“How can I forget? I’m to eat,
sleep, and do nothing but relax for the whole week. Sounds more like a prison
sentence than medical advice,” he smiled as his three friends laughed. “Chip,
get me out of here before the warden here decides I need to go into solitary
confinement,” he laughed.
“Don’t tempt him, Lee,” Nelson
told him.
“That’s right,” Jamison agreed.
“It won’t take much to put you in lockdown, Lee.”
“Chip!”
“We’re outta here,” Morton assured
his friend. He pushed the wheelchair through the door and to the
elevator.
Lee recognized members of his crew
standing around the hallway. Nelson informed him they would be guarding him
until Degan and Phillips were tried and convicted. He hated the thought of
disrupting the others lives, but he knew it was useless to argue. The doors
opened and Chip pushed him inside. Crane smiled as Nelson and Jamison flanked
them, ‘My own personal mother hens,’ he thought.
~~~~~~~~~~
Degan watched the front of the
hospital. His view was pretty clear and the binoculars aided his ability to
recognize the people coming and going from the Institute. He knew who he was
looking for. Phillips was certain the rumors he heard were true and that the man
they were after was being released this morning. He smiled as three men exited
the well-kept building.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lee watched as Sharkey, Kowalski,
and Patterson walked through the front entrance and moved to the side of the
door. He shook his head at the thought of these three guarding him. They were
good men, but he hated the idea of being under scrutiny at all times. At a
signal from Sharkey, Morton pushed Crane’s chair through the door. A black Sedan
waited at the bottom of the ramp and he soon found himself bundled inside.
Nelson was soon seated on his right, Jamison on his left, and Chip Morton moved
behind the wheel.
“Is this really necessary,
Admiral?” he asked softly.
“Until Degan and Phillips are
behind bars for good, it is,” Nelson insisted.
Lee rested his head against the
back seat. He let his mind drift to the Sterns family and wondered how they were
doing. He knew he owed them and somehow he’d find a way to repay some of the
kindness they’d shown him. He remembered the boy, Joey, and his concern for a
virtual stranger. A smile covered his face as he thought of the female doctor
and all she’d done for him. He knew he wouldn’t be here if not for her medical
skills. She’d kept him alive till his friends arrived and he was more than
grateful.
Nelson watched as Crane’s features
relaxed and his breathing evened out. He knew the younger man was still weak and
would be for some time to come.
“He’s okay, Admiral, just tired
and bull headed like a few others I could name,” Jamison observed softly. He
smiled as he exchanged looks with Morton in the rear view
mirror.
~~~~~~~~~~
Degan hurried to the phone and
called Phillips’ apartment. He didn’t have to wait long for the phone to be
answered. “Let me talk to Jason,” he told the elderly woman who answered. He
waited until his partner picked up and spoke rapidly. “He’s out,
Jason.”
“Are you sure?” Phillips
asked.
Degan could feel Phillips smiling
on the other end of the line. “Yeah, they took off a couple of minutes ago. Two
cars. He was in one of them with those two fellas from the restaurant. There was
another car following them as they left.”
“That’s great,
Rich.”
“When are we gonna go after
him?”
“As soon as I’m ready. I figure
the captain don’t seem the type to stay in hiding so we just wait a few days
until he shows himself.”
“Do you really think it’ll be that
easy?”
“No, but it doesn’t matter. I know
where they’ll be taking him.”
“You do?
How?”
“There are only two places they’d
take him and think he’s safe. He’ll either be staying with Nelson or Morton
until the trial. We have to get to him before then and I know just how to do
it.”
“How?” Degan asked
excitedly.
“You’ll know soon enough. Come on
back here and we’ll go over the plans.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“Lee,” Nelson called softly, not
wanting to startle the sleeping man.
Crane opened his eyes and tried to
focus. He smiled at the hovering men and yawned loudly. He glanced out the
window and knew they were in front of Nelson’s home. “We here
already?”
“That’s right, Captain. You’ve
been asleep for nearly forty minutes.”
“Must’ve been tired,” he said,
trying to stifle another yawn.
“Sounds to me like your still
tired. Lets get you inside and settled into bed,” Jamison
ordered.
“Bed?”
“That’s right, bed,” Jamison told
him as they got out of the car.
Lee felt like he was sandwiched
between Nelson and Morton as they walked up to the house. He smiled in spite of
his hatred of being coddled. These men were not just friends they were family.
He couldn’t remember when that happened, but he felt he could trust each and
every one of them. Nelson opened the door and they entered the darkened
interior. The heavy drapes were drawn blocking out the bright afternoon
sunshine. Lee headed for the dark brown couch and sank heavily into its comfort.
He watched the other men moving around the room, but didn’t have the energy to
help. He felt his eyes growing heavy again and the next thing he knew there was
a hand on his shoulder. He smiled at Seaview’s doctor as the man passed him
three pills and a glass of water. “I don’t need anything for pain,” he
protested, knowing it was futile as the pain in his chest and ribs
increased.
“Take them, Lee, and we’ll get you
settled into bed.”
“I don’t need to go to
bed.”
“Lee, you promised.
Remember?”
Crane nodded, truth was he felt
exhausted by the short trip from the hospital, but he wasn’t about to let the
others know. He swallowed the pills with the water and sighed
heavily.
“Lets go, Lee,” Jamison ordered
softly.
Half an hour later Lee Crane was
tucked into Harriman Nelson’s spare bedroom. The others left him to sleep and he
soon found the call impossible to ignore.
Nelson looked in five minutes
later and knew his captain was sleeping. He smiled at the man he considered his
son and left him to sleep and heal.
~~~~~~~~
Lee woke up, confusion and pain
written on his face. He looked around the room, struggling to bring things into
focus. He remembered driving and stopping at a rest area and two men attacking
him. He placed his hand to his forehead, wincing as it came in contact with the
bandaged area. His head pounded as he fought to bring the memories under
control. He took a deep breath and was reminded of another injury he’d suffered
as a result of his encounter with the two men. He’d dealt with broken ribs
before and knew it was going to be uncomfortable for a while yet. He looked to
the door as it opened and smiled at the red haired man silhouetted in the
doorway. “Admiral,” he said softly.
“You’re supposed to be sleeping,
Lee,” Nelson observed, trying, but failing to put a touch of gruffness in his
voice.
“I was,” Seaview’s captain
answered as he placed his right hand over his eyes,
“Headache,
Lee?”
“Just a small one, Admiral. I’m
hoping it’ll go away on its own. Jamie says it’ll happen for a while because of
the concussion.”
“If it doesn’t, make sure you let
one of us know.”
“I will. Right now I need to get
out of this bed. Can you hand me my clothes?”
“Why don’t you rest a little
longer?”
“I’d rather not. Feels like all
I’ve done is lie in bed. I’m getting stiff and need to work out some of
it.”
“All right,” Nelson said, shaking
his head as he handed the younger man his clothes. He knew Lee Crane’s pride
wouldn’t allow him to ask for help, but nothing said he couldn’t offer it. “Need
any help?”
“No, thanks, Sir, I think I can
manage.”
“I’ll be right outside the door if
you change your mind,” the Admiral smiled as he walked out and closed the
door.
“Okay,” Lee waited for his friend
to leave and eased his aching body up in the bed. He slid his long legs over the
side, biting his lip as he finished sitting up. ‘Damn,’ he hissed as his
body protested the movement. He waited a few minutes for the headache to ease
before reaching for his grey sweat pants. He knew Nelson and Jamison went for
comfort clothing for him and he was grateful as he slid them on. He stood up and
eased them up over his hips ignoring the discomfort this caused his ribs and
relishing in the loose fit. He sat back on the bed as a wave of dizziness washed
over him. He waited for it to pass before attempting to pull the sweatshirt over
his head. Lifting his arms was more of a chore than sitting up. After two more
painful attempts he let his arms drop back to his side in defeat.
Nelson opened the door and asked
softly, “Lee, are you alright?”
Lee grinned sheepishly at his
friend. “I’m fine. Just can’t seem to lift my arms high enough to get the shirt
on.”
“Let me give you a hand,” Nelson
said, smiling at the look on his captain’s face. “It’s ok, Lee, you’re gonna
need to let the rest of us help. Between the ribs and the after effects of
pneumonia you’re gonna be a little uncomfortable. Don’t be embarrassed to ask
for help,” he admonished and eased the loose fitting shirt over the injured
man’s shoulders. Nelson knew it would take some time for the heavy bruises along
Crane’s chest and lower back to disappear. He silently swore the two men who
caused it would pay. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”
“Yes, Sir,” Crane managed a weak
grin as he slowly stood up. “I guess running a marathon is out of the question
right now,” he stated as they slowly made their way to the living
room.
Nelson laughed at the captain’s
comments, knowing it was Lee’s way of putting his friend’s mind at ease. “I
don’t think Jamie will let you do any running for a
while.”
“Damn, I was looking forward to
winning that race.”
“Lee, I think the tortoise would
outrace you today,” Nelson observed as the dark haired man sank in the
comfortable recliner.
“I don’t think so, Sir, I know
so,” he laughed.
“Can I get you something to
drink?”
“A nice
cold...”
“No alcohol,” Nelson
interrupted.
“A nice cold glass of water,” Lee
told him.
“I’ll be right back with it and
your medication.”
Crane watched the older man walk
away. He knew it was useless to argue, Jamie would just threaten him with a
shot. He hated admitting how much pain he was in, hated feeling inadequate
because of injuries. He closed his eyes and wondered where the two men behind
his misery were. He rubbed at his aching temples and sighed
heavily.
“Lee.”
He opened his eyes and took the
water and pills from his friend. He swallowed the three tablets and placed the
glass on the table. “Thank you,” he muttered.
“You’re welcome. Chip’s fixing
dinner,” Nelson’s eyebrows rose in amusement at the look on Crane’s face. Chip’s
culinary expertise left a lot to be desired and that reputation was well known
throughout Seaview. “Don’t worry, Lee, its just soup. Jamie says your stomach is
still not ready for anything too solid.”
“Admiral, Chip’s
soup...”
“Chip didn’t make it, Lee. He’s
just heating it up.”
“Thank God,” Lee grinned. He
muffled a groan as he moved the wrong way in the chair. He hoped Nelson missed
it, but the look of concern on the older man’s face told him he wasn’t fooling
anyone. “It’s not so bad, Admiral,” he assured him.
Nelson gave him his best ‘I don’t
believe you for a minute’ look and Lee smiled.
“Come and get it while its hot,”
Morton called from the dining room.
“Need a hand?” Nelson
asked.
“No thank you,” Crane smiled as he
struggled out of the chair. He swayed as he got to his feet, but immediately
felt a steadying hand on his arm. He slowly made his way to the dining room and
sat in the chair. He ate slowly, listening to the quiet conversation between
Morton and Nelson, feeling the pain meds taking control and lulling him to
sleep.
Morton looked at Nelson as Crane
dropped the spoon and eased back from the table.
“Lee, are you alright?” Morton’s
concerned voice asked.
“Yeah, just can’t seem to stay
awake,” he yawned and smiled thinly at the two men.
“Well, why don’t we get you back
to bed?” Nelson asked, pushing his chair back from the
table.
“I only just got
up.”
“Lee, you only just got out of the
hospital. You’re not completely over the pneumonia and you need to give yourself
time to heal,” Nelson told him. “Come on, Lad, before you fall asleep sitting up
and Jamie blames us for your discomfort.”
Lee sighed and stood up. He walked
towards the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He lay back against the pillow
and soon felt the blankets lifted over him. “Thanks,” he mumbled as sleep
reached out and took him in its waiting arms.
~~~~~~~
“Jason, it’s been two days since
he got out.”
“I know,” Phillips smiled at his
friend.
“So when’re we gonna do
it?”
“Tonight,” Phillips laughed at the
lopsided grin his words produced on his friend.
“How? He’s still at Nelson’s house
and it’s crawling with his men. Ain’t no way we can get past all of
‘em.”
“That’s why we need something
that’s gonna get us past security. I’ve been watchin’ the comings and goings at
the Institute. There’s a courier service they use and I have a friend who works
there. He’ll be in the truck that delivers today’s packages to the
Institute.”
“How’s that gonna help us get to
Crane?” Degan asked.
Phillips smiled as he tossed a
pistol to his partner. “Mike’s gonna let us ride in the back. He’s gonna make
sure there are two big boxes with important names on them. He’s been doing the
deliveries there for a long time and they trust him. We can hide in those boxes
until he makes the drop. He’ll keep the guard occupied while we get out of the
truck and find a good place to lay low until it’s time to take care of the good
captain. Bang!” he said as he pointed his gun at Degan.
“Bang!” Degan agreed. “Can you
trust Mike?”
“Mike owes me a heap of money and
I’ve got proof he’s been stealing from the courier company. He’ll do anything to
make sure I don’t turn over the evidence to anyone. So, yeah, Mike can be
trusted.”
“What about Crane’s men? How do we
get past them?”
“It’s a good thing one of us got
brains, Rich. We just arrange a diversion.”
“What kind?” Degan
asked.
“I got a parcel here for Admiral
Nelson,” Phillips smiled.
“What’s in
it?”
“A little explosive device. We’ll
just leave it for Mike to deliver. It’ll go off at eight-thirty tonight. That
should take care of most of the guards. They’ll be called to help put out the
fire.”
“And while they’re doing that
we’ll go for...”
“Crane.”
“We gonna kill him
straightaway?”
Phillips smiled again. “I don’t
think so. I think maybe it’s time we taught the captain another lesson. Make him
see the error of his ways before we kill him.”
“We gonna do it in Nelson’s
house?”
“Nope, we’re gonna make the good
captain help us get outta there. Then we’ll take him to that old house you stay
in when ya got nowhere else ta go. Want a beer?”
Degan nodded his head and sat
back, twirling the gun on the index finger of his right
hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee sat in the chair on Nelson’s
patio. The coffee in his hands was slowly losing its heat and he sipped at it.
This was the first coffee he’d been given since before his ordeal began and he
savored every drop. He heard footsteps behind him and knew it was Nelson.
“Good morning,
Admiral.”
“Morning, Lee,” Nelson smiled at
the younger man as he placed a sandwich in front of him.
“Thank you,” Crane said as he
picked up the salami on rye with Dejon mustard. His appetite was never that
great, but the smell of the freshly made sandwich made his mouth
water.
Nelson watched the captain eat.
The bruises were just about gone and Lee was refusing the pain medication,
saying it made him sleepy. Jamison agreed he could do without it, but he was to
let him know if he needed anything. The Admiral knew Lee would never ask for it.
He’d seen the grimace of pain on the still pale face when Crane moved too
quickly, but kept it to himself.
“Admiral, you don’t have to keep
me company.”
“I know, Lee,” Nelson smiled as
Crane enjoyed the simple fare. “I’m going to the office this afternoon. Chip’ll
be here. Sharkey and Kowalski will be on duty outside.”
“Is all that really necessary,
Admiral. I mean Phillips and Degan can’t get past the security at the
gate.”
“I’m not taking any chances, Lee.
We both know security is not fool proof. We’ve seen how it can break down at
times. No, Lee, Sharkey and Kowalski stay. I’ll be back in time to make
dinner.”
“Anything in particular you’d like
to have?”
“No,” Crane answered
softly.
Nelson could see the dark haired
man was upset with being a virtual prisoner until Phillips and Degan were
convicted and sentenced. He knew he’d feel the same way if the situation were
reversed. He stood up and patted his friend on the right
shoulder.
“It won’t be much longer, Lee.
Judge Watkins wants to set a date for the trial as soon as possible. He’s not
all bad,” Nelson said at the look of distaste on Crane’s
face.
“I don’t think I agree with you
right now, Admiral. He’s the reason I’m the prisoner and those two are out
running around.”
“I know, Son, but it’ll all be
over soon. If you feel up to it tomorrow we’ll take a stroll to Seaview and you
can check out the repairs we’ve been making,” Nelson saw his words have the
desired effect on his friend and was glad he’d cleared the excursion with
Jamison that morning. He knew Crane was far from ready to go back to work. He
was still weak from the bout of pneumonia and the injuries sustained from the
beating. Yet nothing would make the captain smile as much as a walk through his
beloved grey lady. Nelson knew he’d done the right thing.
“Can we go today?” Crane asked,
unable to mask the excitement in his voice.
“Not today, Lee,” he saw the
disappointment cloud the hazel eyes. “I’m sorry, Son, but I’ve got some things
to clear up this afternoon, then Chip and I have to attend that ceremony
tonight.” Nelson’s eyes lit up as he asked the next question. “How would you
like to attend it with us?”
Crane repressed a shudder as he
looked at the admiral. “No thanks, Sir. I think I’d rather kick back and watch
the game rather than sit in on a ceremony to honor
that...”
“Don’t say it, Lee,” Nelson
laughed. “I know you don’t think too much of Senator Brake, but he is providing
a service to the Institute and the hospitals in and around Santa
Barbara.”
“You can bet the old... the
Senator is getting something out of it or he wouldn’t be donating so much of the
tax-payers money,” Crane really didn’t like Drake, but couldn’t put a finger on
why. The man did put money where it was needed, but only after making a show of
how hard he worked to get the grants. Crane knew that was what tonight would be
about and he wanted nothing to do with it.
“All right, Lee, but if
you...”
“I won’t change my mind, Sir,”
Crane stated as he picked up the second half of the
sandwich.
“Alright, Son, but you know you
owe Chip one for going in your place.”
“I’ll make it up to him,” Crane
grinned as he thought of Morton sitting amongst all those stuffed shirts. This
was one time he really did owe Chip Morton. There was nothing he hated worse
than sitting through a bunch of speeches.
“I’m sure you will, Lee. You make
sure you rest, Son and we’ll see you when we get home.”
“Aye, Sir,” Crane said as Nelson
left. His mind wandered back to the night of the beating and the two men who’d
stolen his car and his memories for a short time. He had no idea how long he sat
there letting the memories play like a repeating movie behind his closed lids.
He rubbed at his temples as the headache that started as annoying grew to
encompass his skull. Drumbeats echoed inside his head as he placed the half
eaten sandwich back on the plate. His appetite was gone now as his stomach
rebelled against what he already put into it. He struggled to his feet, his
hands held against his temples as he forced his eyes open. He needed to get
inside, out of the bright sun before his stomach heaved. He walked on unsteady
legs into the house and tried to find his way to the bathroom. The pain grew
steadily worse and he knew he was going to be sick. Through the cloudy haze he
made it to the washroom and sat on the floor. He vomited into the toilette and
moaned softly. He knew he needed to get into bed before he passed out. He
struggled to shaky legs and forced one foot in front of the other. Bright lights
danced before his eyes and he felt the room around him spinning madly. He cried
out and fell to his knees, his hands clenched tightly against the pounding in
his head.
Morton entered Nelson’s house and
spotted Crane kneeling on the floor behind the sofa. “Lee!” He snapped and
hurried forward.
Crane heard the familiar voice but
couldn’t find the energy to answer. His stomach and head continued to fight each
other for dominance of his body and neither was ready to relinquish the pain
they were causing. He felt a steadying hand on his arm and gasped,
“C...Chip.”
“Yes, Lee, it’s me. What
happened?” he asked as he pulled Crane’s right arm over his
shoulder.
“T...think my h...head
e...exploded,” Crane stammered. He stumbled along beside his friend, grateful
for the strength he found there.
“Lets get you into bed and I’ll
call Jamie,” Morton told him.
Seaview’s Captain wanted to argue
that he didn’t need the doctor, but the solid thumping in his head convinced him
otherwise. He sank to the bed and felt Morton lift his legs onto the mattress.
He kept his eyes shut and listened as Morton dialed a number. Snatches of the
conversation seeped past the pain, but none of the words made sense. He shivered
and tried to get warm, but nothing seemed to work. He didn’t hear Morton hang up
the phone, but he felt a blanket pulled up over him. He wanted to say thanks but
to speak would take too much effort. He heard a soft moan and realized it was
emanating from his own throat.
Chip sat on the edge of the bed
and looked at the lines of pain etched in the pale face. He’d suffered his own
share of concussions and knew from experience how quickly and severely the
headache could come back. He also knew how it affected the stomach, causing
severe nausea and even vomiting. He walked to the windows and drew the heavy
drapes across to block out the sunlight. He heard the front door open and moved
towards the door. He sighed as he heard the familiar
voice.
“Chip, how is he?” Jamison asked
as he hurried into the room.
“Still the same, Jamie. I found
him coming out of the washroom. He was holding his head and I think he’d just
been sick.”
Jamison quickly moved in to
examine the younger man. “Lee?” he called softly, not wanting to startle
Crane.
Seaview’s Captain kept his eyes
closed as he answered. “J...Jamie,” he mumbled painfully.
“I’m here, Lee. I’m gonna give you
a shot. It’ll help with the headache and nausea. Okay?”
“O...okay,” Crane gasped, unable
to hold back the pain any longer. He felt the blanket and sweats pulled back and
something cold swiped just behind his hip. He felt the sharp bite of the needle,
but it was nothing compared to the pain in the rest of his body. He trembled as
the drug entered his system and waited for it to take effect. He felt someone
removing his shirt and pants and pulling the blankets back over him. The voices
were soft and didn’t quite reach his ears and he didn’t bother trying to hear
what they were saying. He placed his right arm over his eyes and sighed as the
pain began to ebb.
“That shots gonna make you sleep
so don’t fight it, Lee. Chip, I’ve cancelled the meetings I had scheduled so I
can stay with him if you’ve got anything you need to do,” Jamison explained as
he watched the lines slowly diminish on the captain’s
forehead.
“It’s okay, Jamie. I’ve got no
plans until that ceremony tonight. Want a coffee?”
“Thanks, Chip, coffee would be
great,” Jamison said as he took out a BP cuff and started taking his patients
vitals. He smiled as he looked into a pair of hazel eyes. “Any better,
Lee?”
“T...think so. T...thanks,
Jamie.”
“You’re welcome, Lee. You’ll feel
better after you’ve slept,” he watched as tired lids slowly enveloped the hazel
eyes. He waited a few more minutes and knew Crane was sleeping. He looked
towards the door to see a very worried blond standing there with two cups in his
hand. “He’s gonna be fine, Chip. He had a severe concussion and this is probably
going to happen again. He’s sleeping right now and hopefully that shot will make
sure he stays that way the rest of the afternoon. I’m going to call Cookie and
have him make something light for Lee’s dinner. I don’t want him eating anything
heavy the rest of the day.”
Morton nodded and the two men
exited the room, leaving the injured man sleeping quietly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phillips sat in the cramped box,
listening to Degan’s deep breathing. “Will ya cut that out. Mike’s gonna be
opening the doors back here any minute and if the guard’s with him he’ll hear ya
for sure.”
“I can’t help it, Jason. You know
how it is when I get excited.”
“Yeah, I do, but it’s important
that ya keep it down right now.” He felt the truck grind to a halt and hissed.
“Now shut up and breathe slow.”
“Sure, Jason,” Degan agreed. He
struggled to control his breathing and was proud when he had it under
control.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Harding pulled to a stop in
front of the closed gates of Nelson Institute. He wiped his sweaty palms on the
blue pants he wore and waited for the guard to come towards him. He recognized
the older man and was glad to see him on duty. His hands were shaking and he
kept them on the wheel to hide it from the guard.
“Afternoon, Mike, what are you
carrying today?”
“Afternoon, Tom, got a couple of
deliveries. One is for Admiral Nelson. Two for Dr. Chung.”
“Let me take a look at your
manifest,” Tom said.
Mike reached down on the seat and
came up with the clipboard and the doctored documents. He watched as the older
man’s eyes raked over the papers. He was sure the guard would hear his heart
pounding in his chest, but Tom handed him back the papers and smiled.
“I need to have a look in the
back,” Tom told him.
Mike swallowed the lump in his
throat and prayed his cargo would remain silent. “Sure, Tom.” He opened the
driver’s door and stepped out into the bright afternoon sunshine. “Something
going on?” he asked.
“No, just a routine check,” Tom
assured him as they walked to the back of the delivery
truck.
“Oh,” Mike said as he opened the
double doors.
Tom stepped into the truck and
glanced around. He ran his eyes over the names on the packages and checked them
against his memory. The parcels were legit according to the manifest Harding
showed him and he jumped back to the asphalt. “Alright, Mike, you can go on
up.”
“Thanks, Tom.” Harding hurriedly
closed the doors and walked back to the front of the truck. He climbed inside
and turned the key in the ignition. His heart raced in his chest as he drove
away from the guardhouse. He knew what he was doing was wrong, yet he didn’t
have a choice. Jason Phillips could and would turn over the evidence he had.
Mike Harding did not relish the idea of spending time behind bars. He drove
along the tree-lined driveway until he came to a spot where he couldn’t be
observed. He hurried to the back of the truck and opened the door.
“Hurry up before someone comes!”
Mike snapped.
Phillips and Degan came out from
behind the boxes and hurried out the door. Degan carried the explosive device in
his hands as the two men smiled and ran for the cover of the
trees.
‘Tonight, Crane,’ Phillips thought
as they made it to the relative safety of the trees. He turned and watched
Harding drive away in the delivery truck. A smile broadened on his face and he
saw a matching one on his partner. “Bang!” he said, cocking his finger and
thumb.
“Bang!” Degan mimicked his friend
and blew on his finger for effect.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Are you sure you won’t change
your mind, Lee?” Morton asked hopefully.
“Not no your life, Chip,” Crane
assured his friend. He watched as Morton adjusted the dark tie. He didn’t envy
the blond. He hated wearing monkey suits and knew Chip was uncomfortable in the
black tuxedo and white ruffle shirt. The polished shoes made Crane’s feet hurt
just looking at them.
“You know you owe me big time for
this one, Lee,” Morton observed. He envied Crane staying home and comfortable in
his sweats while he and the Admiral were forced to endure the stuffed shirts
they were meeting with tonight.
Crane smiled at the blond and
stood up. The headache he’d endured earlier had subsided and was now just a
distant memory, but he rubbed at his temple for show. “You know I’d go if I
could, Chip, but Jamie said I needed to rest.”
“Yeah, right!” Morton laughed.
“Since when do you do what Jamie says?”
Lee smiled, his eyes sparkling
with mischief as he looked at his friend. “Since it gets me out of hobnobbing
with stiff necked bureaucrats.”
“I’ll remember that next time I
don’t want to attend one of these things.”
“Are you ready, Chip?” Nelson
asked as he entered the room. He was dressed in a tuxedo similar to Morton’s
except the jacket he wore was white. The crease down the front of the black
pants looked sharp enough to cut paper. His blue eyes sparkled as he looked at
the two younger men. He didn’t enjoy ceremonies like this, but he knew how
important they were. He hid a smile as he saw the discomfort on the blonds face
and the look of relief on the Captain’s face. The two men were different in so
many ways, yet they had a close friendship that knew no
bounds.
“Yes, Sir,” Morton said and turned
a final glower at Crane. He loosened his tie once more and mumbled, “I’ll get
you for this, Captain.”
“I’m sure you will, Mr. Morton,”
Crane returned as he stretched out on the sofa and picked up the remote.
“Lee. Patterson and Riley are
outside if you need anything. Jamie’s number is keyed into the phone so just
call him if there’s any problems.”
Crane turned towards Nelson and
knew the older man was worried about the episode earlier in the day. “Yes, Sir.
I’m fine, Admiral. The headache’s gone and I’m just going to watch some TV and
relax.”
“Alright, Lee. Cookie sent over
his latest batch of chicken soup. It’s in the fridge when you get hungry. See
you when we get home.”
Crane smiled as the two men left.
He settled back against the firm pillow and ran his fingers over the remote. His
finger stopped as an old western came on and he settled back to watch The
Magnificent Seven.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nelson and Morton entered the
brightly lit formal dining room. The elegant tables were covered in royal blue
linen with white lace runners down the center. Fine china and crystal added to
the effect. A bouquet of lilies marked the exact center of each table. The
lights sparkled off the silverware as soft music escaped the speakers
surrounding the room.
Nelson sighed as a tall, silver
haired man hurried towards him. He knew he could not avoid the man and forced a
smile to his face.
“Harriman, so good to see you,” he
stretched his neck to see beyond the newcomer and frowned. “Where is Captain
Crane?” he asked.
“Lee wasn’t feeling very well,
Senator. This is Seaview’s executive officer. Lieutenant Commander Chip Morton.
Chip, Senator Carter Brake.”
“Senator,” Morton greeted as he
accepted the offered handshake.
“Commander! I hope there’s nothing
seriously wrong with Crane,” Brake said.
Nelson knew by the tone there was
no real concern for his friend. He knew Brake liked to show off and was upset
that he hadn’t been able to influence Crane’s opinion of him. “He was injured
quite seriously and needs to rest.”
“Injured?
How?”
“Senator
Brake!”
Brake turned at the sound of his
name and smiled at the reporter. All thoughts and concerns for Lee Crane were
dismissed as he saw an opportunity to give a private interview with one of the
more popular reporters in the country. “If you gentlemen will excuse me. Duty
calls. Give my best to Captain Crane,” he said as he hurried
away.
“I hate dignitaries,” Morton
mumbled. A laugh from beside him made him realize he’d spoken aloud. “Sorry,
Sir,” he said a chagrined look on his face.
“It’s alright, Chip, but don’t
lump all dignitaries in the same group as Brake.”
“I’ll try to remember that,
Admiral,” Morton said as Nelson took two glasses of champagne from the tray and
passed one to him.
Nelson watched Brake make his way
around the room smiling at each and every person he spoke with. He couldn’t help
but notice how the light sparkled off the man’s gold tooth. He sipped at the
champagne and greeted other guests as they arrived.
Chip shook his head as he watched
the mechanical like goings on at the ceremony. He couldn’t help thinking how
nice it would’ve been to be at home watching something on TV instead of the
animated performances going on here. ‘Yeah, you owe me big time, Lee!’ he
thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phillips smiled as he placed the
explosives next to the large dumpster on the outside of the Nelson Institute’s
main building. He remained in the darker shadows, keeping to the low fence. He
knew Degan was keeping an eye out for the night watchman. He quickly set the
controls and the timer so the simple device would detonate at eight-thirty. He
smiled as the small light signaled the countdown had begun. He hurried back to
his friend and grinned.
“Not much longer, Rich,” Phillips
smiled. The two men pointed index fingers at each other and mouthed, ‘Bang’ as
they hurried away from the building. They knew where Crane was and they only
needed to take the time to wait for the fireworks before getting their hands on
Seaview’s captain. They’d searched the area for the best way out of the grounds
and managed to find an area that was scheduled for repairs. The fence had been
torn down and was under guard, but there was only one man there at that time of
the evening. They could easily take care of him and disappear with Crane before
the fire was put out.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lee switched off the TV as the
movie ended. He stood up and stretched his lean body, ignoring the slight twinge
of protest from his healing ribs. It felt good to be alone even if there were
people outside the house guarding him. He went into Nelson’s immaculate kitchen
and brewed a pot of coffee. He reached into the fridge and took out the soup
Cookie had prepared for him. He placed the bowl in the microwave and waited for
it to warm up. The smell of fresh coffee soon hit his senses and he hurriedly
poured himself a cup. He took a sip of the strong brew as the bell on the
microwave signaled his dinner was ready. He placed the cup on the counter and
opened the door. He smiled as the rich aroma of one of Cookie’s specialties hit
him. He picked up the coffee and carried both items out onto Nelson’s patio. He
smiled as he sat next to the table. He’d spotted Riley standing near the edge of
the garden path and wondered where Patterson was hiding out. It didn’t take long
for him to spot the second crewman.
He sipped on the rich broth and
watched the two men carefully. Neither man seemed aware that he saw them as they
watched the area around them. He finished eating and settled into the chair with
his coffee. He was just about to ask his men if they wanted one when an
explosion from the Institute rocked the ground. Crane was on his feet before the
fireball lit up the night sky.
“Patterson, Riley, find out what
the hell happened!” He doubled over as a spike lanced through his skull.
“Dammit, not now!” he hissed as the headache returned with the shock of the
explosion.
“Sir, are you alright?” Riley
shouted.
“I’m fine, Riley! Go find out
what’s happening!” he ordered knowing he wouldn’t be of any help if he followed
them.
“Our orders were to protect you,
Captain!” Patterson said as he hurried up the lawn.
“I’m fine, Pat. Look just get over
there and help them till the fire department gets over there. I’ll stay right
here until you get back...”
“But,
Sir...”
“No buts Riley. Look, just go
check it out. That’s an order!” Crane insisted, ignoring the pain his own raised
voice caused.
“You won’t go anywhere?” Patterson
asked.
“I couldn’t if I wanted to, Pat.
Now go!” he watched as the two men reluctantly turned away and headed towards
the glow of the fire. He sank into the chair and held his head, praying no one
was injured in the explosion.
~~~~~~~~~~
Phillips watched as the two men
ran down the lawn and out onto the road. He smiled at Degan and signaled it was
time to move on their target. They stuck to the tree line until they closed the
distance to where Lee Crane was sitting at the patio table.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lee heard a sound on his right and
turned his head. He groaned, but tried to focus on the shifting shadows. Two
figures moved toward him and he tried to make them out. He stood up and held
onto the edge of the table.
“Pat, Riley. I told you guys to go
see what’s happening!” he hissed. A sharp laugh told him these were not his men.
“Who the hell are you?” he snapped.
“Friends, Captain Crane,” Phillips
laughed.
Lee knew there was nothing
friendly about his visitors. He recognized the hated voice from the night his
ordeal had begun. He moved away from the table, ignoring the mounting pain in
his head. He tried to focus on the two figures coming towards him, but his eyes
refused to work properly. He fought the darkness at the edge of his vision and
tried to conquer his warring stomach.
“No friends of m...mine!” he
stammered as he felt rather than saw the two men coming towards him.
“You got that right, Captain!”
Degan spat sarcastically.
“What the hell do you want?” Crane
asked, refusing to give into his body’s weakness.
“We want to teach you another
lesson, Captain Crane!” Phillips laughed as he moved towards the weaving man. He
kicked out with his right foot, easily connecting with the sluggish man’s left
knee.
Crane gasped, but didn’t go down.
He turned as a fist flew at him and was barely able to duck out of the way,
driving his own fist into the shorter man’s stomach, sending him backwards over
one of the chairs. His smile of triumph was short lived as Phillips drove his
own fist into Crane’s ribs. The air was driven from his lungs as the healing
bones gave way to the vicious attack. He held his right hand to his body as he
sank towards the ground. His arms were pulled from his side and quickly taped
behind his back. He fought back the urge to vomit, knowing he’d need all the
strength he could get if he was to get away from these two men again. Phillips
quickly placed a strip of silver tape over his mouth and Crane forced himself to
breath slowly through his nose.
Phillips pulled Crane to his feet
and signaled for the recovering Degan to grab his other arm. The two men dragged
the injured man across the patio and into the trees. They hurried around the
perimeter of the grounds until they were parallel with the small guardhouse.
Phillips shoved Crane to the ground and turned to Degan.
“Take care of the
guard!”
Degan silently moved towards the
tiny hut and smiled as he spotted the man. The guard was watching the fire
burning at the Institute and his back was to Degan. A smile formed on the man’s
face as he used his pistol to hit the uniformed man with the butt of his weapon.
He turned to watch his partner half drag half carry their prisoner towards the
opening in the fence.
Crane struggled with the mounting
nausea, knowing he needed to keep his wits about him. The soup he’d eaten was
fighting to come back up and he knew if that happened he’d choke on his own
vomit. He felt Degan’s hands clasp onto his arms and he was roughly pulled
through the opening and onto the tiny back road. His eyes kept closing only to
snap open again as he tried to watch the route they were taking. He knew this
back road led to the main roads and once there he needed to see where they were
going. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to stay focused much longer as he
fought to get air into his weakened lungs. The pneumonia had weakened them to
the point that almost any exertion would make him short of breath. Between the
tape and the running he knew it wouldn’t be long before he fell victim to
unconsciousness.
Phillips felt the man he held
stumble and looked towards Degan. He knew they were still a good mile from where
they’d hidden the stolen car.
“Shit!” Degan hissed as he lost
his grip on the injured man.
Phillips pulled the now
unconscious man over his shoulder and continued the trek along the back road. It
didn’t take long before they made it to the small non-descript van and Degan was
opening the back door for him. He threw Crane’s body inside and climbed in with
him.
“Get us out of here, Rich!” he
ordered.
Degan smiled and slammed the door.
He hurried to the front of the van and climbed into the driver’s seat. He slid
the keys into the ignition and pulled into the darkened street. He knew where to
go. The house he used when he wanted to be alone would be the perfect place to
teach Crane a lesson before they killed him.
Lee felt the tape being removed
from his mouth and breathed in the stale air. His oxygen starved lungs cried out
for more, but his ribs would not allow for deep breathing. The ringing in his
ears told him he was close to blacking out again and for once his mind didn’t
argue with his body. His eyes closed as the van pulled onto the paved road and
he surrendered himself to the inevitable.
~~~~~~~~~~~
“Skipper, where are you?”
Patterson called as he entered the spare bedroom.
The explosion had done little
damage to the building, the main brunt of the damage being done to two large
dumpsters located at the back of the building. They’d hurried back to Nelson’s
home as soon as they realized it was a diversion. Sharkey, Kowalski and several
other members of the crew were with them. Patterson and Riley were checking the
house, but so far they’d turned up nothing. They met outside on the patio. The
last place they’d seen Crane before the explosion.
“Anything, Riley?” Sharkey asked
as the four men met up by the table.
“Nothing, Chief. He’s not
here!”
“He’s got to be,” Sharkey said
worriedly. His eyes were pulled to the overturned chair once more and he knew it
was a bad sign.
“Maybe he went to the main
building to check on the damage!” Kowalski suggested.
“I don’t think so, Ski,” Patterson
told them. “He didn’t look like he could walk into the house let alone to the
Institute. He was having one of those headaches Doc told us
about.”
“And you left him here alone?”
Sharkey snapped.
“He ordered us to check out the
explosion, Chief,” Riley explained.
Sharkey shook his head and walked
towards the house. “I’m gonna contact the Admiral at the Senator’s party. That’s
an explosion I really don’t want to witness.”
The three men watched as Sharkey
hurried inside to make the call.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Nelson could hardly wait for the
ceremony to be over. He was tired of hearing everyone toot Brake’s horn and knew
most of them didn’t even know the man. He kicked Morton’s leg under the table
and smiled as the younger man shook himself.
“S...sorry, Sir,” Morton said
sheepishly.
“Don’t be. He’s a
pompous...”
“Admiral Nelson, there’s an urgent
call for you. If you’ll follow me you can take it at the main
desk.”
Morton watched the admiral
worriedly. The older man stood up and followed the waiter. The blond knew
instinctively something was wrong and quickly followed the retreating figures.
As he made his way through the close tables, he apologized for obstructing
people’s view of the ceremony that was taking place at the head table. He joined
Nelson just as he picked up the white house phone.
“Chief, what’s wrong? How long
ago? Was anyone hurt? What? When? Have you still got men out looking for him?
We’re on our way. Get every available man looking.” He hung up the phone and
turned worried blue eyes on the exec. “That was Sharkey, there was an explosion
at the Institute...”
“Anyone hurt?” Morton
interrupted.
“No.”
“Thank God!”
“Lee’s disappeared,” Nelson
informed the younger man.
“What? When? Where were Pat and
Riley?” the exec’s shocked voice asked.
“Lee ordered them to go check out
the explosion. Come on we’re leaving. I’ll call and make our excuses later.”
Nelson led the way out to their car as he continued. “The damage from the
explosion was minimal and concentrated on the dumpsters. Sharkey thinks it was a
diversion to get Pat and Riley away from Lee, there’s some signs of a struggle
on the patio.” He climbed behind the wheel and soon had them speeding towards
the Institute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rough hands dragged him from the
darkness and he bit back a cry of pain as he was shoved to the floor, his
injured ribs taking the brunt of the mistreatment. He couldn’t remember what
happened to put him in such pain, but he knew Jamie was going to be angry. He
forced his heavy lids to open and groaned as the light set off the fireworks in
his head.
“Don’t worry, Captain. By the time
we get through with you a headache will be a minor discomfort,” Phillips said as
he dragged the semi conscious man into the house. Dust, broken furniture and
garbage littered the floor as Crane’s feet were dragged across the faded
linoleum. He heard the door slam as Degan came inside. He dropped his burden
into the corner and turned to his partner. “Did you hide the van?” he
asked.
“Yeah. I put it behind the house.
No one can see it there.”
Crane heard the muffled words and
turned onto his side. He saw a rat scurry into a hole in the corner. ‘This
place could use a good cleaning woman,’ he thought briefly. He would’ve
laughed, but couldn’t find the energy. He let his eyes slide closed and ignored
Phillips’ voice as it taunted him with threats of how painful his death would
be.
~~~~~~~~~
Sharkey stood his ground as Nelson
parked the car and climbed out from behind the wheel. He saluted the two men who
hurried towards him. In spite of the brightly lit area he saw only dark anger as
the two Seaview officers stood before him.
“Out with it, Chief!” Morton
hissed. He knew it wasn’t Sharkey’s fault. Actually it wasn’t anyone’s fault.
Lee Crane was a stubborn man and if he ordered one of his men to do something
they usually obeyed without question.
“Sir, we searched everywhere, but
Captain Crane’s not here. Kowalski, Paterson and Riley found an unconscious
guard over where they’re repairing the fence.”
“Is the guard conscious yet?”
Nelson asked worriedly.
“No, Sir, Doc was with him last
time I saw him. Ah, Admiral...”
“What is it, Francis?”
“Ah, Sir, we found tire tracks on
the back road. That road hasn’t been used since they closed down that gate, Sir.
Near as we can figure whoever took Captain Crane had a car waiting out there for
him.”
“I’m pretty sure we know who took
him,” Nelson observed. “Now it’s just a matter of finding out where they’ve
taken him.”
“Those two didn’t seem too smart,
Sir...”
“Maybe not,” Nelson interrupted,
“but they were smart enough to get past security and it seems they found a way
to get Lee off the grounds without anyone seeing them.” He stopped talking as
three figures joined them. “How’s the guard, Jamie?”
“He’s got a mild concussion. The
ambulance is taking him to the medical facility for overnight observation,”
Jamison answered.
Morton turned to the two men who
accompanied Jamison. “Patterson, Riley, you two were supposed to stay with the
skipper at all times. Care to tell me why you disobeyed that
order?”
“Sir, the skipper told us to check
out the explosion,” Riley explained.
“We didn’t want to leave him, Mr.
Morton, but you know the skipper...”
Morton’s fury dissipated slightly
at the reminder of just how stubborn his friend was. He knew if Lee Crane gave
an order these men would have little choice, but to carry it out.
“Chip, we’ll deal with this after
we’ve found Lee,” Nelson said as they walked into the house.
“Admiral.”
Nelson turned to the doctor, for
the first time noting the real concern on the man’s face. “What’s wrong,
Jamie?”
“Patterson said Lee was suffering
one of those headaches before they left. We need to find him, Admiral. Between
the lingering effects of the concussion and the broken ribs there’s a good
chance Lee could have a relapse. His lungs are still weak and I’m afraid of what
this could do.”
“What are you saying, Jamie?”
Morton asked.
“I’m saying we need to find Lee
and find him fast, Jamison answered.
“Tell me something I don’t know,
Jamie,” Nelson said as he picked up the phone and place a call to Frank
Bartlett. He knew the policeman would offer any help he could in the search for
the missing captain and right now they could use all the help they could get.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lee became aware of three things
at once, pain, cold and he that he couldn’t breath through his mouth again. The
tape had been replaced over his mouth and he was struggling to breath through
his nose. He passed out soon after being deposited on the dirty floor. His head
still pounded, but not with the same knifing pain it had earlier. He opened his
eyes and winced as the sunlight struck his unsuspecting eyes. He slammed them
shut once more in an effort to ease the pain. He wasn’t sure how much time
passed since they’d brought him here, but by the bright sunlight he knew it was
late in the day. He tried to stretch out his lean form and realized he couldn’t
move. His hands were tied behind his back and a length of rope led from his
wrists to his ankles. His knees were drawn up and his back was bowed
uncomfortably. He was lying on his side, breathing shallowly as pain lanced
through his chest. He lifted his head and opened his eyes once more. His captors
were not in evidence and he struggled against his bonds.
Phillips leaned against the
bedroom door. He smiled as he watched Crane slowly come back to consciousness.
He knew the man was in pain and this gave him some satisfaction. This man had
cost him everything. He’d realized that while tying the ropes around the
unconscious man earlier that morning. There was already a city wide search
underway for Captain Lee Crane and he’d sent Degan out to see how bad things
were. Richard Degan was a bumbling idiot, but right now he needed him. They’d
have to find a way out of Santa Barbara, but they needed money in order to do
so. A leering grin adorned his face as he watched the struggling form. He shoved
away from the doorframe and shuffled towards his captive.
“Well, Captain, you finally
decided to rejoin us. There’s really no point in trying to undo these, you
know?” It was more of a statement than a question as the man stood behind Crane.
“I tied ya up myself and there’s just no way they’ll come undone without a
knife.” He explained as he pulled a long thin blade from his
belt.
Lee looked up as the figure loomed
over him and flinched at the hatred on the man’s face. He bit back a muffled
curse as he realized the man had been watching him the whole time. He knew his
reflexes were not what they normally were yet he hated being caught unawares. He
could see his captor playfully twirling a dangerous stiletto and knew his
troubles were only just beginning. In spite of the dull throbbing pain he
tracked the shiny object as Phillips walked around to kneel in front of his
prone body.
“Have you ever wondered how much a
man can take and not cry out, Captain?” Phillips asked as he reached out and
quickly ripped the tape from Cranes mouth.
Lee gasped as the tape came away
and wondered if it took any skin with it. He had no moisture left in his mouth
as he watched the man slowly bring the knife down until it made contact with his
throat. He felt the blade touch his Adam’s apple each time he swallowed, yet he
kept the fear from his eyes.
“I could easily slice your throat
right now and just leave you here for the rats.”
“You’re n...nothing but a
c...coward, P...Phillips,” Crane forced a calmness he didn’t feel into his voice
as he tried to stop the trembling in his body. He cried out as the thin blade
sank just beneath his skin. He felt blood slowly form around the shiny object
and slide down his throat.
“I ain’t no coward, Crane. Me and
Rich are gonna carve ya up before we leave here. Leave your body here for the
varmints who inhabit this little mansion,” he sneered. “Then again, maybe we’ll
just make a few cuts in ya. Maybe here,” he snickered as Crane’s body reacted
when he drove the blade into the well-muscled thigh of his right leg. “Or how
about here?”
Lee tried to roll away from the
madman kneeling beside him. He cried out as the blade sliced across his right
arm. Blood flowed freely from the wound in his leg and he knew this was the one
he had to worry about. The wound on his arm wasn’t deep, mainly just a scratch
and barely any blood was evident. Phillips pulled him onto his knees until their
eyes met and Lee grasped just how crazy the man really was. Somehow he knew he
wasn’t getting out of this one alive.
Phillips glared into the glazed
hazel eyes of his captive. “I could just let ya bleed to death right now, but
Rich came up with a plan,” he said as he shoved Crane back against the floor. He
tore off a piece of Crane’s dirt and dust-covered shirt, and used it to press
against the wound he’d just put in his thigh. “Now Rich ain’t the brightest man
around. Hell he’s about as bright as a two-watt bulb, but he may have come up
with something. Now you’d best listen to this Captain ‘cause it has to do with
how long you got to live. See, we figure we need money to ‘get outta Dodge’ as
they say in those old westerns. Since we ain’t got any we’re gonna ask your good
buddy, Nelson, to give us some. How much ya think you’re worth, Captain?”
Lee remained silent, lost in a
world of pain as the man continued to press the makeshift bandage against his
throbbing thigh. He lay on his side, struggling to stay conscious, yet he knew
he was losing the fight. He moaned softly as Phillips released his grip on his
leg. He tried to find some moisture in his mouth, but his tongue seemed to stick
to the roof of his mouth. His mind drifted towards the beckoning darkness as the
headache that was so much easier earlier in the day returned with a mind numbing
pain.
Lee didn’t hear Phillips returning
until a strong hand grasped his arm. He coughed harshly as his captor once more
pulled him roughly to his knees. He felt a glass being pressed to his lips and
couldn’t help swallowing the sickly sweet water. There was something familiar
about the taste but he couldn’t quite place it.
Phillips smiled as he let the
injured man drop back to the floor. He watched as a few minutes later a cry of
rage and pain slipped past Crane’s throat and he was violently ill. He looked at
the glass, knowing the drug he used had done its job and Crane would suffer
through some vivid nightmares before the effects wore off.
Lee felt his mind drifting and
could do nothing to prevent it. His stomach continued to rebel against the
drugged water, but all it produced was dry heaves. He lay on his side, sweat
beading on his forehead and blood seeping from the wound in his thigh. Nightmare
images danced before his eyes as he struggled to stay
awake.
A large cat walked towards him,
the claws outstretched and ready to strike him down. He cried out and tried to
move away, but his body was glued in place. Old and new nightmares converged to
torment the weak man as he drifted towards the drug-induced slumber. His eyes
were caught and held by a woman he knew was dead, yet here she was in his dreams
tormenting him once more.
Phillips continued to watch the
bound man. The satisfied smile on his face spreading to encompass his eyes. He
laughed as Crane’s weak voice pleaded with ghosts and demons
alike.
“N...No, J...Julie. Y...you’re
d...dead...can’t...hurt me.” As the nightmare woman stalked towards him he cried
out and was catapulted into unconsciousness. A place where nothing or no one
could reach him, not even the ghost of Julie
Parsons-Radcliff.
Phillips leaned against the wall
as Degan came through the door.
“Hey, Jason, what’d you do? You
used that stuff on him didn’t ya?” Degan looked angry as he threw the papers on
the floor. “I wanted to be here when ya did it.”
“Don’t worry, Rich, we’ll give him
a little more when he comes to. Now what did you find
out?”
Degan’s eyes lit up as he picked
the papers up off the floor. He handed the first one to his friend and laughed
as he pointed to the pictures. “The papers are running the story, Jason. Me and
you are on the front page of almost every paper.”
“Did anyone see you?” Phillips
asked worriedly.
“No, I just stole the papers outta
the boxes on the corner. See, it says we’re wanted for questioning in the
disappearance of Captain Lee Crane! We’re famous!” he walked over and shoved at
the shaking form on the dirt-strewn floor. “I mean none of the guys at the bar
would believe it. I’d love to see their faces when they read today’s paper. Can
we go there, Jason?”
Phillips shook his head as he read
the headlines, ‘TWO MEN SOUGHT IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF COMMANDER LEE
CRANE!’ There was a picture Lee Crane and just below it a smaller one of him
and Richard Degan
“No way can we go back to the bar.
Hell, Rich, ain’t no way we can go anywhere in this damn city. We’ve gotta get
some money and get outta here.”
“So are we gonna ransom
him?”
“Yeah,” Phillips grinned at his
friend. “I think the Captain could be our ticket outta here and on to easy
street.”
“How much are we
askin’?”
“Nelson’s got lots of money. I
don’t think he’d miss a hundred thousand or two.”
Degan’s eyes lit up at the thought
of the money. “Think Nelson will give it to us?”
“If he wants to see him,” he
pointed to the man on the floor, “alive again he will.”
Degan laughed as he bent down and
looked into Crane’s face. “He don’t look too alive right now,
Jason.”
“That’s for sure. I wonder who
this Julie person is? It’d be fun to bring her here ‘cause I don’t think he
liked her very much.” The two men stood and watched the trembling form on the
floor.
Lee floated with the effects of
the drug he was given. He relived the death of Leah Petroni, once more overcome
with a sense of guilt and grief. “Leah, S...sorry,” he mumbled as he was thrown
into another memory, a memory of knives, drugs and pain. He tried to grasp at
his thigh, hoping to alleviate the throbbing pain there. For Lee the wound was
another reminder of the women who’d made his life a living hell. He had no idea
how long the nightmares went on, or who the people in them were. Faces overlaid
each other, drifting from Julie to Degan to Phillips to Reich. On and on they
changed, each image laughing and screaming at what they would do to him. He
shivered uncontrollably, his movements causing the ropes to cut into the already
ravaged flesh on his wrists.
Phillips watched as Crane’s eyes
shot open and a scream erupted from his mouth. He laughed as the captain
struggled with the ropes binding him. He knew the man was lost in a drug-induced
nightmare and he savored every cry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chip paced back and forth across
Bartlett’s office. The man seated before them was shaking as he answered
Bartlett’s questions. Chip could tell Mike Harding knew more than he was letting
on and it was only a matter of time before he broke. The guard at NIMR had told
them about two large deliveries destined for Dr. Chung in the labs. A little
checking revealed that Chung wasn’t expecting any deliveries and hadn’t received
any. He watched as Bartlett stood up, walked around to the front of his desk and
sat on the corner. Chip smiled as he realized this move was meant to intimidate
Harding. He could tell it was working as Harding began to squirm in his seat.
“Now look,” Bartlett said as he
picked up a manifest. “This was your original manifest from your company
yesterday and it has no record of a delivery for Dr.
Chung.”
“I was just doing my job. Someone
must’ve changed the manifest,” Harding insisted weakly.
Bartlett slammed the manifest back
on his desk. Lee Crane was missing and so far nothing had turned up to lead them
to him. He turned an icy glare on the man seated before him. “The manifest
doesn’t leave your hands. Its part of your company’s security
routine.”
“Someone could’ve
sto...”
“No one stole it!” Morton snapped
as he joined Bartlett at the desk. He could see Nelson sitting by the window and
knew the older man was leaving it to him for now. “You do realize you’re an
accessory to kidnapping...”
“And should anything happen to Lee
Crane you’ll be an accessory to murder,” Bartlett
finished.
“I...I...no, I’m not. I didn’t do
anything. I c...couldn’t murder anyone. They s...said they were j...just gonna
h...have s...some fun with him so he w...wouldn’t testify a...against
them.”
“What they said and what they’re
gonna do are two different things, Harding. If you don’t tell us everything you
know I swear I’ll see that you’re prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Nelson’s voice was low, but deadly as he calmly made the threat. This man knew
more than he was letting on and might be the only way to find Lee Crane and the
men holding him.
“Look, I...if I tell you what I
know...”
“We’ll put in a good word with the
DA,” Bartlett interrupted.
Harding nodded and began to tell
the men what he knew about Phillips’ plans for Lee Crane.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee tried to move to lessen the
strain on his bound limbs. Pain slammed into his head and he moaned as he forced
his eyes open, only to slam them shut against the bright flashlight shining into
them. He knew he moaned, but the sound didn’t reach his ears. He lay on his side
trembling as memories of the nightmares assaulted his groggy senses. He slowly
forced his lids upwards, diverting his eyes as much as he could. The bright
light was still there and he tried to focus on the man holding it. He recognized
Jason Phillips and let his eyes slide closed once more. He didn’t feel like
dealing with more of this man’s sick games. He heard movement beside him and
gasped as a boot connected with his left side. He fought to draw air into his
lungs as tears came to his eyes.
“It’s time to wake up, Captain,”
Phillips hissed.
“G...go t...to hell,” Crane
gasped, painfully aware he was probably going to pay for his animosity. He
wasn’t surprised as his shoulders were grabbed and he was roughly turned onto
his stomach. He bit back a cry of pain as bruised and broken ribs connected with
the hardwood floor. He waited for the next blow to come and was shocked when his
legs were suddenly released from his hands. He groaned as he straightened them
out, sending sharp needles and pins through his ankles. He swallowed against the
dryness in his throat as he was lifted to shaky legs. A wave of vertigo shot
threw him as he forced his eyes open once more.
Phillips pulled the injured man to
his feet, keeping a tight hold on his arms in order to keep him from collapsing.
He dragged him to a small crate and shoved him onto it.
Lee looked at the makeshift table
before him and his eyes met those of Richard Degan. The second man was sitting
on a crate across form him, a sadistic smile on his face. Lee turned away as his
stomach muscles cramped and he lost what little was left in it. He felt Phillips
pull him back up and steady him on the crate.
“Now, Captain, we need you to do
something for us,” Phillips said as he sliced through the ropes still wrapped
around Crane’s wrists.
Lee’s arms were useless as they
fell to his sides. He closed his eyes and held his breath as the niggling
needles spread through his fingers, wrists and shoulders. He heard Phillips and
Degan laughing, but his world was filled with the pain spreading through his
body. Cramped muscles were awakening and sending their own protests to his brain
as he lifted his hands. He rubbed his wrists and rotated his shoulders as he
waited for the agony to subside.
“You listening to me, Crane?”
Phillips asked.
“I don’t think he is, Jason,”
Degan said of the Captain’s closed eyes.
Phillips smiled as he watched the
dark haired man’s suffering. He knew from the way Crane held his body rigid he
was hurting and it sent thrills through him. “Crane, you’re gonna write us a
letter to Nelson letting him know you’re alive and that we want
money...”
“Yeah, lots of money,” Degan
laughed.
Crane finally found the strength
to lift his head. His eyes showed his hatred for these two men and defiance
shone on his face. “Told you before, go to hell!”
Lee’s head rocked back as Phillips
backhanded him. He landed hard on the floor and fought to keep from being sick
once more as stars exploded behind his closed lids. He felt blood trickle from
the corner of his mouth, but refused to wipe it away. He kept his eyes open in
spite of the encroaching headache. He felt Phillips reach for him and brought
his bound feet up quickly. Before either of his captors could react Lee kicked
out and connected with Phillips’ chest, driving him backwards into Degan. Lee
moved quickly, reaching for the ropes around his ankles. His vision blurred as
he tried to grasp the rope. He knew he didn’t have long and he cried out as a
hand clamped down on his thigh. He gasped and tried to push the hands away.
Degan kept pressing against
Crane’s leg as he waited for Phillips to catch his breath. He smiled as
Seaview’s captain struggled with the pain. The weak sounds emanating from the
dry throat thrilled him. He used his left hand to shove the injured man’s upper
body back to the floor.
“Ya ain’t goin’ anywhere, so just
be still!” Degan warned. “Jason, are you alright?”
“Y...yeah, son of a bitch
k...knocked the w...wind outta me,” Phillips muttered as he struggled to his
feet. “Get him on his feet!”
“Now you’re gonna pay, Crane!”
Degan laughed as he pulled him to his feet. He had to use both hands to steady
the weakening man as Phillips came towards them.
“You gonna write that letter,
Captain?”
Lee used the last of his strength
to lift his head and glare defiantly at the man standing before him. “G...go to
h...hell!” he repeated with a weak smile. He watched the fist advance towards
his face and cried out as it connected with the left side of his head. He felt
another fist connect with his right side. A final kick to his right knee sent
him spinning to the floor. His eyes were tightly clenched against the new
agonies heaped upon his body. He smelled Phillips foul breath and knew the man
was kneeling beside him once more.
“If you won’t write it for us,
Captain, then we’ll just sign it with your blood!”
Crane heard the words as his mind
and body gave in to the call of darkness. He didn’t feel his arms pulled behind
him and rebound.
Phillips dragged the unconscious
man back to the corner and threw him to the floor. He turned towards the table
and sat on one of the crates. He picked up the cheap pen and slowly wrote the
ransom note to Harriman Nelson. Once he finished he walked back to the injured
man and touched his finger to the blood seeping from the leg wound. He walked
back to the table and smeared the blood along the bottom of the page. He placed
it in a dirty envelope and wrote Harriman Nelson’s name on the front of it. He
looked up and met Degan’s feral grin with one of his own.
“You drop this off at the Harbor
Restaurant. I got a feeling they know Nelson and his men there. Just make sure
no one sees you,” Phillips ordered.
“Where do I put
it?”
“Just tape it to one of the cars
parked in the reserved spaces. Now get going. The faster it gets delivered the
faster we get the money.”
“Yeah, sure,
Jason.”
Phillips watched as Degan hurried
out the door. He slowly made his way to the prone figure on the floor and
smiled. He looked at the newly formed bruise and ran his hand along the edge of
the swollen area. He pressed on the abused flesh, smiling as the unconscious man
cried out.
“Don’t worry, Captain, it won’t
hurt for much longer. Once I get the money I’ll make all your pain go away,” he
hissed as he stood up and walked back to the table. He sighed as he spotted the
half bottle of cheap whiskey. It wouldn’t do to get drunk, but he could indulge
in a couple of shots while Crane was unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Nelson drove towards the
restaurant on pier nine. He could feel the man beside him holding his own
emotions in check. The tension he felt about Lee Crane’s disappearance had
tripled with the call from Anthony Martini. The owner of the Harbor Restaurant
knew the officers and men of Seaview very well. Once his manager had come in
with the envelope with Nelson’s name on it, Martini placed a call to NIMR and
tracked him down.
Morton was out of the car before
Nelson pulled to a complete stop. His fears for his friend’s life had been
overlaid with anger during the drive from the Institute. He felt Nelson hurrying
along beside him as he rushed towards the front door of the restaurant. He held
the door for Nelson to enter and quickly followed him
inside.
Martini looked up from the main
desk as the two men came towards him. He reached into his pocket for the white
envelope and passed it to Nelson before either of them said a word. Nelson
looked at the scrawled letters of his name and ripped it open. He knew
instinctively who it was from and didn’t worry about fingerprints. He hastily
read the words and slammed his fist down on the desk, rattling the ashtray and
mint dish sitting on top of it.
“Admiral?” Morton
asked.
Nelson handed the note to Morton
as he hissed. “They want money.”
Morton looked at the note and read
the words carefully.
Nelson,
it’s gonna cost you two hundred thousand to see your captain alive. The dark
smudge on the bottom of this page should tell you we mean business. There’s more
where that came from and the longer it takes you to give us the money the more
of it we’ll send to you! I will call you at your office with instructions. Make
sure you’re there or the Captain might just meet up with the tip of my blade
again.
Morton read the letter over and
over, his eyes shifting to what he knew was Lee Crane’s blood. He lifted his
head and stared at Nelson’s irate face. He knew they couldn’t discuss Crane’s
disappearance here and without a word turned and walked out the door. He moved
to the car and slid into the passenger seat to wait for Nelson to join him. He
closed his eyes and once more thought of his missing friend. Once more Lee Crane
seemed to be beyond reach, but Morton swore he wouldn’t be that way for long.
Nelson thanked Martini before
walking out the door. He knew Morton was as worried about Crane as he was and he
wanted to assure the younger man they’d find their missing friend. He slid into
the driver’s seat and turned to face Seaview’s exec.
“Chip, are you
okay?”
“I’m fine, Admiral, or I will be
when I get my hands on those bastards!” Morton vowed as he looked out the
window. “I just hope we find them before it’s too late for
L…Lee.”
“We will, Chip, and you’ll have to
stand in line to mete out the punishment on Phillips and
Degan!”
Morton smiled as he turned back to
the man beside him. “There may be a hell of a line up if the crew finds them
first.”
Nelson nodded and headed the car
in the direction of the Institute. Phillips hadn’t told him when to expect the
call, but something told Nelson it could be any time. He didn’t want to chance
missing that call.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee wasn’t sure if the struggle to
open his eyes was worth the effort it took. He swallowed painfully and bit back
a gasp, as a fiery blaze seemed to erupt in his thigh, traveling upwards to
encompass his chest and head. His arms and legs were bound tightly once more,
but at least they weren’t tied to each other. He stretched out on the floor and
turned on his side. The light streaming in through the grimy windows did little
to illuminate the interior of the ramshackle house. He lifted his head and
spotted Phillips with his head on his arms and an empty liquor bottle tipped
over beside him. He searched the rest of the room, but didn’t see Degan
anywhere.
Lee knew the man was passed out
and he realized this was probably his best chance to escape. He rolled over
towards the table, gasping as each movement sent shards of pain screeching
through his body. He stopped and held his breath as Phillips mumbled something
before turning his head in the opposite direction. Lee remained where he was,
holding his breath until he was sure the other man was out cold. He reached the
edge of the table and saw the wicked blade sitting beside Phillips right hand.
Ignoring his body’s protests he climbed to his knees and took the blade in his
teeth. He dropped down to his side once more and rolled away from the table. He
dropped the blade to the floor and maneuvered his body until he felt the blade
touch his numb fingers. It took several tries before he was able to pick the
blade up between his thumb and fingers. He turned the blade and slowly worked on
cutting through the ropes holding him tight. He felt the blade slip once in a
while and knew he’d cut his hands, but he wouldn’t let that stop him. ‘Thank
God for ONI training,’ he thought as he felt the ropes slip from his wrists.
He bit his lip as feeling returned to his hands and he dropped the blade.
Lee took a deep breath, wincing as
broken ribs shifted in his chest. He knew he didn’t have much time and he picked
up the blade once more. He sat up and cut through the ropes around his ankles.
He looked again towards Phillips, surprised that the man hadn’t moved. He stood
on shaky legs and eased past the man on his way to the door. He backed up,
holding the knife in front of him until his back came up against the wall. He
took his eyes off Phillips and searched for the door. His hand reached for the
handle as his eyes shot back to Phillips, the man hadn’t moved.
Crane touched the handle and tried
to turn it, but his sweat soaked hand slipped several times before he had a good
grip. He froze as the man at the table lifted his head. He heard him mutter a
few unintelligible words before his head dropped back to his arms. Lee took a shallow breath, knowing
anything else would reawaken the throbbing in his chest. He worked the handle
until it clicked and still his eyes didn’t move from Phillips. He eased the door
open and felt a draft on his heated skin. He held his breath until he was out
the door and leaned heavily against the door. He closed his eyes and tried to
catch his breath. He knew he was running on adrenalin and that it would wear off
too soon.
Lee looked up and down the
darkening street, but didn’t recognize the area he was in. He held the knife in
his hand, knowing he’d probably need it before this was all over. He knew he had
to make a decision quickly as his vision blurred and the street seemed to
shimmer and shift before his eyes. He knew running was going to be pure agony,
but he called on all his training to bring him through this. He pushed away from
the outer door and raced south along the edge of the street. He kept to the
shadows, knowing Phillips could wake up at any time or Degan could be out here
somewhere.
Lee ran, he didn’t know where and
he had no idea how long. All he knew was he had to reach help. There’d been very
few cars pass him, but he couldn’t take the chance that one of the drivers would
be his captors. He knew he’d have to rest soon as each gasping breath sent fiery
air into his lungs. He stopped as he felt the world tip on it axis, and he bent
at the knees. He closed his eyes and swore as he finally registered the steady
flow of blood from his wounded thigh. He tore a strip of cloth from his tattered
shirt and held it to the bloody wound. He lifted his head, once more fighting
back a wave of vertigo as he glanced up and down the deserted street. He
recognized some of the buildings he saw in the distance and realized he was in
the old neighborhood that was slated for demolition. The old homes were to be
torn down to make room for apartment buildings and condos. He knew where he was
and he quickly came up with a plan. There was a phone booth two blocks south of
his position. All he had to do was make it there. ‘Move it, Crane!’ he
ordered, but he no longer had the strength. He slid down the side of the old
house, his eyes closed tightly before the rest of him hit the ground. His body
fought for each
gasping breath as he fought to stay conscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hey, Jason!” Degan smiled as he
stepped through the door. He frowned as he realized how dark it was. He’d been
forced to walk to and from the restaurant because Phillips had warned him
against being seen. It had taken longer than he expected, but he’d made the
delivery. His eyes focused on the dark interior and he frowned as he saw the
empty corner where Lee Crane should have been He turned to the table as Phillips
lifted his head. “Jason, where is he?” he asked as he moved into the
house.
“Huh? Where’s who?” Phillips
rubbed his head as a spike drove into his skull. He knew he’d drunk too much and
the result was the hangover he was now suffering.
“Crane...”
“He’s right...” he pointed to the
corner and swore as he stood up. “Shit! The son of a bitch got away.” He looked
back at the table to see Degan lighting the candle there. He cursed when he
realized the knife was missing.
“Look at all the blood,” Degan
pointed to the trail of blood across the floor and the bloodied fingerprints on
the handle. “He’s bleedin’ like a stuck pig so he can’t have gone too far.”
“We gotta find ‘im, Rich. He’s our
ticket outta Dodge,” Phillips warned, pulling the door open and looking up and
down the dark street.
“Which way do we
go?”
“You go north and I’ll go south.
Like ya said he can’t have gone far.”
“All right, Jason,” Degan said and
raced up the street.
“I’m gonna make ya pay fer this,
Crane!” Phillips swore as he headed south.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee couldn’t believe he’d won, not
only won, but completed a victory lap as well. He knew the victory wouldn’t last
long, but he forced himself to take advantage of what he’d been given. He smiled
as the streetlights came on and he spotted the phone booth ahead of him. “Come
on, L…Lee, one f...foot in front of the o...other!” he hissed as his leg
threatened to give out. He was going to make it to that phone if he had to crawl
the rest of the way. “M...might have t...to do ju...st that!” he swore sharply
as he fell to his knees, but was quickly on his feet again. He kept his head
down and watched his legs. ‘Right foot, left foot, right foot, left
foot,’ he concentrated on moving and was shocked when he lifted his head and
spotted the phone booth directly in front of him.
He pushed open the door, amazed at
how much effort it took just to step inside. He was tired, hot and in pain, yet
he needed to get through to his friends. He had no money, but he lifted the
receiver and called the operator.
‘How may I direct your
call?’ the voice sounded bored, but Crane
didn’t care.
“I n...need to make a col…lect
call to H...Harriman N…Nelson at the Nelson I...Institute,” he
gasped.
‘I’m sorry, Sir, could you
repeat that?’
“Collect call...Nelson
Institute.”
‘You want to make a collect
call to the Nelson Institute. Who is the call to be directed
too?’
Lee heard gum crack and knew
whoever this woman was she was past boredom. “Nelson. Harriman Nelson.”
‘Who shall I say is
calling?’
“Lee Crane.”
‘Connecting your call
now.’ Silence for a few seconds and Lee
winced as he shifted his weight onto his right leg. ‘I’m sorry that line is
busy.’ Again the gum cracked.
“Try again!”
‘Yes sir.’ The phone rang and Lee sighed in relief as Angie answered
the phone. ‘I have a collect call for Harriman Nelson from Lee
Crane.’
Lee heard Angela interrupt the
woman and tell her to put the call through. He took a shallow breath, unable to
breathe deeply as pain shot through his chest. He didn’t hear Angie as a deep
cough resonated from his chest and he sank to the floor of the phone booth. He
closed his eyes as a thundering roar echoed through his head, but he wouldn’t
give into unconsciousness.
‘Lee, come on, Son...talk to
me. Lee! Chip get on the phone and have this call traced!
Lee!’
“Ad...miral?”
‘Yes, Lee, it’s me. Where are
you?’
“Old houses...gon...na be torn
down, N...north of Santa Barbara. Can’t think str…aight.”
‘That’s all right, Lee, you
just stay put and keep this line open. Chip’s getting a trace on
it.’
“O...kay,” Lee gasped as the pain
seemed to intensify. “Better hur...hurry...after me.”
‘Phillips?’
“Yeah, passed out...took his
k...knife and escaped. N...not sure how far a...away.”
‘Is there anywhere for you to
hide until we get there?’
“Think so...old house across the
str…eet. Just can’t s...seem t...to m...move.”
‘Lee, Chip got it! Just stay
where you are! We’re on the way and so are the police. Angie’s going to stay on
the line with you.’
“Don’t seem to have much ch…oice.”
He closed his eyes and listened as Angie took over the phone on the other end.
Her voice was silky and he was content just to listen, his energy reserves were
nearly depleted and he knew he wouldn’t be awake for long. The darkness began to
descend over him, but he kept the phone next to his ear. “Ti...red, Angie,” he
mumbled.
‘Lee, don’t go to sleep! The
Admiral and Chip should be there shortly! Dr. Jamison is with them, Lee, so just
hang on a little longer.’ Angie heard a commotion on the other end
of the line and knew someone was with Crane. She prayed it was Nelson or the
police, but a sharp expletive told her she was wrong and Lee Crane’s luck had
run out once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee tried to concentrate on where
he was, but pain and exhaustion had a strong hold on his mind. He heard Angie’s
voice pleading with him to stay awake just before the small world he was in
exploded. His vision blurred as he fought to stand on his own two feet, but his
strength was seeping from his body along with the blood oozing from the wounds
in his thigh and arm.
“Yer gonna pay fer this, Crane!”
Phillips said as he slammed the door open and grabbed the injured man’s arm. His
own head pounded from too much alcohol and not enough
rest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morton drove quickly towards the
address he had and knew Nelson was sitting on the edge of his seat as they sped
towards their query. Both men knew Crane was in bad shape, and also knew if he
was caught by Phillips and Degan again, he would not survive the meeting. He
pressed his foot on the accelerator as he raced across the open street. He could
feel Nelson’s tense body and knew there would be no warning for him to slow
down. He looked into the rear view mirror and saw the glum faced Jamison seated
there. He turned his full attention no the road, knowing in his heart how much
Lee Crane needed the man in the back seat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee struggled against the beefy
hand that clamped onto his arm. ONI training kicked in and Lee Crane suddenly
found the strength he needed to fight the man standing beside him. He struck out
with his fist and connected with the man’s chin, driving the head back and
forcing him to release his hold on Lee’s arm. Lee knew he had to keep his blows
sharp and forceful in order to keep this man off balance. He had little doubt
that Phillips would get the upper hand before long, but he wouldn’t give in,
he’d fight tooth and nail until he had nothing left to fight with. He swung with
his left arm, ignoring the sharp pain in his knuckles as the blow glanced off
the side of the man’s head. His next move was to lift his right leg and lash out
at his nemesis. The kick landed on Phillips’ knee and Lee smiled as he heard the
grunt of pain, but the smile was short lived as his own leg gave out and he
dropped to his knees.
Phillips watched through slitted
eyes as Crane dropped to the ground. An evil leer formed on his face as he stood
on shaky legs. His own pain and suffering disappeared as he looked at the man
before him. “You’ll be sorry, Crane!” he hissed as he kicked at the bleeding
thigh.
Lee cried out and tried to curl
into a ball as the man standing above him kicked at him. He lost track of how
many times his enemy struck him, but felt the beefy hands grab him and pull him
to his feet. Blood trickled into his eyes and he fought to stay conscious as he
heard running footsteps. He forced his eyes into focus, praying help had finally
arrived, but the face he saw was not the one he sought. He couldn’t let it end
like this and he lifted a leaden arm and tried to strike the man holding him.
His hand was easily batted away, but still he would not give into his own body’s
betrayal.
“Ya found ‘im!” Degan said as he
stopped before the two men. “Oh, man, Jason, he sure did a job on yer
face!”
“Shut up, Rich! I gotta think. He
was on the phone when I got ‘ere...”
“Did he talk to
someone?”
“I don’t know. Go check the damn
phone!” He held Crane’s arms and kept him on his feet as Degan hurried into the
tiny booth. He saw him pick up the phone and called out.
“Well?”
“He’s talking to some
woman.”
“All right, hang it up and get
over ‘ere. We need ta get Crane out of ‘ere before his friends arrive.”
“Rich, there’s a car comin’ this
way!”
“Who’d ya call, Crane?” Phillips
screamed as bright lights quickly illuminated the three of them. He pulled Lee’s
body in front of his own in an effort to use him as a shield as the car pulled
to a stop a few feet in front of him.
“Jason, what’re we gonna do?”
Degan asked as he stood beside the two men.
“Gimme the damn
gun!”
“What? Why?”
“Ya want ta get out of ‘ere then
give it to me now!” Phillips felt the gun placed in his hand as three men got
out of the car. “Ya get away from the damn car now or I swear I’ll kill ‘im
right now!”
“Lee!” Jamison gasped as he caught
his first glimpse of the blood-covered captain.
Crane’s head came up and he found
the strength to smile at the three newcomers. “What t...took you so l…long?
P...party started w…without you, C…Chip.”
“Hell, Lee, you know I always like
to make an appearance. How’re you doing?”
“I’m o...okay,” Lee grinned as he
watched Nelson and Morton for any sign they had a plan.
“Enough!” Phillips warned and
shoved the gun against Crane’s temple, eliciting a cry of pain from the injured
man.
The startled cry of pain motivated
the others into action. Morton launched himself at Phillips, grabbing hold of
the gun hand and dragging it away from Lee Crane’s head. He reared back with his
free hand and drove a devastating blow to the man’s right cheek. They reeled
away from Seaview’s captain, trading blows, with Chip getting in more than
Phillips.
Will Jamison caught Crane as he
sagged and pulled him away from the fighting. He looked up as Nelson caught
Degan and drove a right hook into the man’s face, before connecting with a left
to the man’s unprotected stomach. He heard a sound from the man he was dragging
and stopped in his tracks. He could feel Lee’s tense body and knew he was
watching his friends fighting the two men.
Lee tried to calm his own
breathing as he watched Morton and Nelson slugging it out with the two
kidnappers. He would’ve laughed if he’d been able to, but right now any movement
jarred his injured body and sent daggers of pain through his skull. He knew his
right eye was swelling fast as his sight was becoming affected.
Nelson used his fists to lash out
at Richard Degan. He didn’t give his foe a chance to get the upper hand as fist
after fist struck the criminal, sending his body toppling over the edge of the
curb. He saw the eyes close and knew the man wasn’t getting up. He turned
towards the fight going on beside him and knew Morton had everything under
control. He turned and headed towards Jamison and Crane as sirens sounded in the
distance.
Morton threw another left fist at
Phillips’ face and the man went down. Seaview’s exec didn’t give the man a
chance to land on the ground. His right hand lashed out and grabbed onto
Phillips’ shirt dragging him back on his feet. He hit him again and felt blood
spray his own face as his hand reared back to strike his foe once more. A hand
clasped his and a familiar voice broke through his anger.
“Easy, Chip, he’s
out!”
It took a few seconds for Morton
to grasp the meaning of the words and he let the unconscious man drop to the
ground. He bent at the waist and placed his hands on his
knees.
“Are you all right,
Chip?”
Morton heard the concern in the
words and stood up. His eyes met Nelson’s and he simply nodded as he walked over
to Jamison and Crane.
Three police cars pulled up next
to Morton’s car and Frank Bartlett hurried towards them. He watched as his men
checked Phillips and Degan before turning his undivided attention to the four
men beside the car.
Since Phillips dropped from
Morton’s hands, Lee Crane lost his ability to stay upright. His head dropped
towards the ground and Jamison quickly caught him before he struck the hard
surface. A soft groan escaped the captain’s throat as Jamison quickly ordered
the men to grab the equipment from the car. Lee heard the familiar warble of the
ambulance siren and sighed as he realized it was finally over. Phillips and
Degan would not get out on bail this time. He cried out as Jamison cut through
the leg of his pants.
“Easy, Lee. Admiral, put pressure
on this!” Jamison ordered as he placed Nelson’s hand over the pressure bandage
on Crane’s thigh. He turned his attention to the wounds on Lee’s head and
quickly cleaned the gashes there. The right eye was swollen shut and a bloody
laceration ran from the outer corner in to the bridge of his
nose.
Jamison turned as two paramedics
joined him beside the patient and they quickly hooked Crane up to the portable
monitors and an IV. Between the three of them they cleaned the wounds covering
his body and placed an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. They placed a
cervical collar around his neck and quickly log rolled him onto a backboard.
They shifted him onto the stretcher and moved towards the
ambulance.
Nelson and Morton knew it was
standard procedure to place the injured man on a backboard, but it still worried
them that Lee Crane hadn’t moved or made a sound since Jamison and the
paramedics had begun treating him. They stood to either side of the stretcher as
Lee was loaded into the back and the stretcher was locked in
place.
“Jamie, we’ll see you at the
Institute,” Nelson told him as the doors were closed and the ambulance pulled
away from the scene.
Jamie kept his eyes on the injured
man and watched as the hazel eyes fluttered open and looked his way. “Ja...mie.
Lee’s breathing seemed a little
too fast for Jamison’s liking and he reached out and placed his fingers on
Crane’s wrist. He knew instinctively the pulse was too fast and he returned his
gaze to Lee. He could tell he was having trouble catching his breath and
realized one or more of the broken ribs could’ve shifted and punctured his lung.
He turned to the paramedic seated beside him and knew the man was thinking the
same thing as Crane’s ragged breathing drowned out any other sound in the
ambulance.
Crane tried to swallow, but the
effort was too much and his throat too dry. His eyes sought out the man who’d
been treating him since the day he came to work for Harriman Nelson. He tried to
speak, but it came out as a harsh whisper. “Ja…mie, c...can’t bre...” panic was
evident in the hazel eyes as he pleaded for help.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Jamison looked up from the desk in
the ER as Nelson and Morton hurried inside. He knew they’d been delayed because
of Degan and Phillips, and that they’d want information on Lee’s condition
immediately.
“Jamie, how is he?” Nelson asked
worriedly.
“Admiral, Chip, let’s go get a
coffee and I’ll tell you what we know so far.”
“Jamie, what’s wrong?” Morton
asked.
Jamison turned back to the nurse’s
desk and spoke softly. “Amy, we’ll be in the lounge if there’s any
change.”
“Yes, Doctor,” Amy told him as the
three men hurried away from the desk.
Jamison held the door open for
Nelson and Morton and followed them inside. “Sit down.”
“Jamie!” Nelson exclaimed in
exasperation.
Jamison reached for the coffee pot
and three cups before sitting at the small table. “Lee’s hurt pretty bad,
Admiral. He suffered from a punctured lung in the ambulance and we’ve put in a
chest tube. Right now he’s having a CT scan done to find out what other damage
those two animals caused. We’re probably looking at internal injuries, but until
we get the results all we can do is treat the symptoms. He lost a lot of blood
and his pressure is low, so he’s being given a transfusion. His temperature is
also on the low side and we’ll be monitoring that closely. The wounds on his arm
and leg will require stitches. His right eye is swollen shut and there’s a
two-inch laceration that also requires stitches. He’s taken several blows to the
head and we’ll be watching him closely because he was already suffering from a
concussion before these two kidnapped him.”
“Dammit, Jamie, isn’t there any
good news?” Nelson asked.
“Admiral, I wish I could give you
some good news, but right now I don’t have any. Lee should be back from CT by
now and I need to get back...”
“Can we see him?” Morton
asked.
Jamison stood up and shook his
head. “Not yet, Chip. He’s been unconscious since we brought him in. I’ll come
get you once the tests are completed.”
“Jamie...”
“I’m sorry, Admiral, there’s
nothing else I can tell you until the tests are completed,” Jamison said before
leaving the room. He knew Nelson and Morton were right behind him and that
they’d stay close by until there was definite word on Lee Crane’s condition.
Jamie hurried to the room housing Lee Crane and slipped inside. The beeping of
the monitors was a welcome sound and he looked towards the nurse making
notations on the captain’s chart. She finished her notations and passed the
chart to Jamison. He studied the results of the blood work, X-rays, and other
tests they performed before turning back to his patient. In the four hours since
Crane had been found his condition had worsened considerably, yet Jamison knew
he was on the verge of waking up.
Lee struggled with the fog
surrounding his mind, yet he wasn’t sure he wanted to wake up. Instinct told him
he was better off staying in the warm blanket of comfort he resided in, but that
was not to be as a soft moan escaped his lips.
“Lee?” Jamison asked as he placed
a hand on the Crane’s left arm, carefully avoiding the IV line running into the
top of his hand. “Come on, Captain, it’s time to wake up!”
Crane felt a cool mist entering
his lungs and frowned as he shifted slightly on the bed. There was pain, in some
places a lot of pain, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to face it again. His
eyelids fluttered, but only the left one opened and tried to focus. Six figures
became four, four became two until his eyes made out Will Jamison and a nurse he
recognized, but couldn’t remember her name. He shifted again and gasped as pain
erupted in his chest.
Jamieson was glad when the hazel
eyes finally focused on him, but he knew he had to do something about the
discomfort his friend was feeling. “Easy, Lee, I know you’re in pain, but I need
you to answer a couple of questions before I do something about that.
Okay?”
“O...kay,” the word was forced
through swollen lips and sounded muffled under the mask.
“What’s your
name?”
“Lee
C...Crane.”
“Do you know where you
are?”
“Institute m...medi...cal center?”
the answer was more of a question as Crane looked around the
room.
“That’s right, Lee. Do you
remember what happened?”
Lee closed his eyes against the
blinding headache as he tried to remember what happened to land him here again.
Two faces swam before his eyes and he turned his gaze on Seaview’s doctor.
“Phillips and De...gan...Kid...napped?” Crane gasped.
“That’s right,” Jamison said as he
took a syringe and quickly drew off the medication Lee needed to help with the
pain. He grasped one of the junctures in the IV tubing, swabbed it with an
alcohol pad and quickly injected the medication that would give the younger man
some relief. “That should help, Lee, but I can’t give you too much until we
finish with the tests.”
Lee nodded and let his eyes slide
closed once more. Memories returned in vivid color and he remembered Nelson and
Morton fighting with Phillips and Degan. He forced his heavy lids open and
looked at Seaview’s CMO. “Admiral...Chip...o...kay?” he asked
worriedly.
“The Admiral and Chip are fine and
if you feel up to it I’ll let them come in for a minute.”
“Thanks,
Jamie.”
“Anne, would you tell Admiral
Nelson and Mr. Morton that Captain Crane would like to see them?” the nurse
nodded and walked out of the room.
“Now, Lee, it’ll...” Jamison never
got to finish his statement as the three people entered the room. “Two minutes,”
Jamison warned the newcomers.
“How are you feeling, Son?” Nelson
asked.
“I’m okay, Sir,” Crane answered
automatically, causing three men to laugh outright.
“Sure you are, Lee,” Morton
observed, smiling at his friend.
“Now how do you really feel?”
Nelson asked.
“Like I was hit by a
train...”
“That good,” Jamison
laughed.
Crane coughed and held his chest
as he fought to keep his breathing under control. He felt three pairs of hands
on him and tried to tell them he was okay. The medication was quickly taking
effect on his abused body and he gave into the pain and exhaustion.
Three men watched as the fine
features relaxed and Lee Crane sank into a drug-induced
sleep.
“Jamie, how’s he
doing?”
“He’s hurt pretty bad, Admiral,
but he’s fighting. We’ll be transferring him upstairs to ICU shortly and you can
see him there. Right now I want you both to go get something to eat
or...”
“I’m not hungry!” Morton
stated
“Or I’ll have you both banned from
the ICU for eight hours.”
“You can’t be
serious?”
“Come on, Chip. I think this is
one time Jamie is serious.”
“Jamie?”
“Chip, the cafeteria should still
be open and by the time you and the admiral eat, Lee should be settled in his
room.”
“There’s no point in arguing,
Chip. Let’s go,” Nelson ordered. He took one last look at the injured man,
squeezed his shoulder and left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was several hours before Nelson
and Morton were allowed to visit Crane again. The delay came because Will
Jamison forced the two men to get checked out. Nelson now sported a soft cast
from fingertips to elbow after x-rays revealed a fractured wrist, and the left
side of Morton’s forehead was covered by a white bandage the wound underneath
had taken six stitches. Both men had bruised and scraped knuckles, but nether
regretted what they’d done to Crane’s kidnappers.
They walked into the ICU and again
saw the myriad of equipment surrounding the sleeping man. Two IVs were present,
an oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose, an NG tube ran into his left nostril,
leads ran from his body and reminded both men of an octopus.
Chip smiled as he noted the Foley
was once more in place and knew his friend would do anything to get rid of it.
He moved to the bed and saw the stark white bandage covering the gash over
Crane’s right eye, making the bruises seem more prominent. Other bandages were
also in evidence around the injured man’s body. He knew the ribs would be sore
and make movement uncomfortable once Crane was up and about again. He also knew
that wouldn’t happen for some time as the punctured lung needed time to heal
properly.
Nelson looked up as Jamison
entered the room. “Anything new, Jamie?” he asked softly.
“Not really, Admiral. So far test
results have been promising. There’s some congestion in his lungs, but I’m
hoping the antibiotics I’ve started him on will head that off. His main problem
is that he’s weak and it wasn’t long ago that he was in here battling Pneumonia
amongst other things. It’s going to take a lot for him to heal, but we all know
Lee, he’ll come through this in his usual manner and be asking, no, make that
demanding to get out of here in no time.”
“Out...now.”
The three men turned at the softly
mumbled words and couldn’t help but smile. Hazel eyes, glazed with pain peered
over the mask.
“Welcome back, Lee,” Morton
said.
“Thanks, Chip,” Lee moved slightly
and awakened the dormant pain in his body as he looked at the three men. “Does
this mean I don’t get out?” he asked.
Jamison smiled at the captain’s
weak attempt to put them at ease. He could read this man’s pain openly as he
adjusted the medication and delivered the morphine that would help him rest.
“That should kick in pretty fast, Lee.”
“Thanks, Jamie,” Crane said
softly, almost instantly he felt the warmth of the medication spreading through
his pain ridden body. His gaze fell on the cast on Nelson’s arm and the bandage
on Morton’s head. “You two all right?” he asked.
“We’re fine, Lee,” Morton
answered.
“Admiral?”
“Just a fracture, Lee. It should
be alright in no time,” Nelson answered.
“Degan and
Phillips?”
“In jail. They won’t be getting
out on bail this time,” Morton assured him.
“Glad to,” Crane stifled a yawn,
but couldn’t hide a small groan, “hear that!”
“Get some sleep, Lad, we’ll come
back when you’ve had some sleep,” Nelson assured him.
“Am kind of tired,” Crane told
them as his eyes slowly closed.
Jamison checked the IVs and
monitors to make sure everything was running properly. He looked at the two men
in the room and pointed to the door. “He’s going to sleep for some time now so
you might as well do what you told him to do. Go home and get some rest and
don’t come back until tomorrow morning. He should be in a regular room by
then.”
“You should take your own advice,
Jamie,” Nelson said as he noted the tired eyes and slump of the
shoulders.
“I plan to, Admiral. I’m going to
take advantage of the doctor’s lounge. Now get going and
don’t...”
“Come back until morning,” Nelson
and Morton finished together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee knew they’d left him alone,
well, not quite alone a nurse was still in the room with him. He wasn’t quite
asleep when they left, but he knew if they realized he was awake they wouldn’t
have left. He hadn’t missed the bruises on his friends cheeks and forehead and
knew he was the cause. They wouldn’t have been hurt if he hadn’t needed
rescuing. He blamed himself for everything that happened, yet he knew the others
didn’t, somehow that certainty didn’t ease his conscience as he gave into the
welcoming cloak of darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morton sat next to the bed,
watching the steady rise and fall of his friend’s chest. He knew Lee was
sleeping peacefully because of the drugs. He also realized how uncomfortable the
injuries would be once Crane’s stubborn pride kicked in and he again started
refusing the pain medications. The oxygen mask had been replaced by nasal
canulas and he could see more of the bruises on Crane’s face. Hearing a soft
sigh from the patient he smiled and lifted his gaze to look at the bruised face.
He knew Crane was on the verge of waking up as the eyes moved slowly beneath the
closed lids.
Lee struggled against the lethargy
caused by the drugs and slowly peeled the lid from his left eye. For some reason
the other one was swollen shut, but he couldn’t quite grasp why this was so. He
shifted slightly on the bed and gasped as he felt the tug of the tubes that
entered his body.
“Easy, Lee,” Morton said, placing
a hand on Crane’s arm in order to get his attention.
“C…Chip?” Crane stammered and
tried to find the man who went with the voice.
“Right here,” Morton said,
standing so Seaview’s captain could see him without moving around too much.
Lee slowly focused on the blond
haired man and smiled weakly. The man looked pale and tired and Crane understood
that he was the cause of the dark shadows under Morton’s eyes and the telltale
red streaks along the whites of the eyes.
He shifted again, looking for a comfortable spot and nodded his thanks as
Morton helped him.
“How are you feeling, Lee?” the
exec asked.
Crane again smiled in an effort to
relieve the worry etched on the other man’s face. “Did you get the number of the
truck?” he asked softly, and was glad to see Morton return his
smile.
“I bet it feels like that,” Morton
said sympathetically.
“It does!” the captain winced and
tried again to move.
“You want me to get the nurse and
see if it’s time for you to have something for pain?”
“No…no, it’s okay, Chip, I’m
fine!” He smiled as a familiar form stood in the doorway. “Hello,
Jamie.”
“Morning, Lee,” Jamison said as he
checked the monitors around his patient’s bed. “Thought you were supposed to go
home and get some sleep, Chip?”
“I did, Jamie,” Morton said, not
meeting the doctor’s eyes.
“Amy says you’ve been here since
five am,” he smiled as he looked at Crane’s face glad to see a real smile form
on the battered features.
“I went home for a while,” the
exec said.
“Not for long, Chip. Now I want
you to go home and get some real sleep. Stay away for at least eight
hours...”
“Eight
hours?”
“Want to try for
double?”
“Bet...ter go, Chip,” Crane
mumbled as Jamison checked the tube leading into his left lung. He groaned and
saw the blond turn his worried gaze on Jamison.
“Lee, I’m going to give you
something for pain now,” Jamison said as he adjusted the flow of medications
hanging above Crane’s head. He saw the gratitude in his patient’s eyes and knew
the pain must’ve been unbearable, as the man didn’t argue with him.
“Thanks,
Ja...mie.”
“You’re welcome, Lee, now try to
rest until we get ready to move you.”
“Get...ting out of
here?”
“Getting out of ICU, but not out
of the hospital!” Jamison said as a nurse entered with the prescribed
antibiotics and hooked it on the IV pole. She piggybacked it into the system and
started the flow running into Crane’s arm.
Lee swallowed as he felt the agony
in his body ease and he found the strength to move around a little. He felt his
mind relaxing towards sleep again and turned to Morton.
“Go home, Chip...sleep...I’m
go...ing to,” he whispered tiredly.
“He’s sleeping, Chip. Now go home
or do I make it an order?”
“I’m going, Jamie,” Morton told
him as he watched Jamison check the wound on Crane’s leg. “He is going to be
okay, right?”
“Yes, Chip, he is, but he’s going
to need to rest and let himself heal. He’s had two serious beatings in a short
period of time and it’s taking a toll on him. The most serious problem is his
lungs, especially the fact that the left one was punctured and collapsed.
Hopefully the antibiotics will help prevent an infection, but he’s going to need
to see a respiratory specialist.” He saw the fear his words conjured up in the
exec and tried to lighten the mood. “Look, Chip, get some rest, because Lord
knows I’m going to need you and the Admiral to help me keep him here.”
“Alright...you’ll
call?”
“I will,” Jamison promised. “Eight
hours! Not a minute sooner!”
Jamie watched as Seaview’s exec
walked dejectedly away from the room. He knew he was worried about Lee Crane,
they all were, but there were times when he needed to put his foot down and
order them out. At any moment he expected to see Nelson, Sharkey, Kowalski, or
all of the crew walking towards the ICU room. Lee Crane had endeared himself
with these men with his strength, his sense of what was right or wrong, and his
willingness to listen to his men. They trusted this man with their lives,
knowing their captain would do anything within his power to bring them safely to
home port each time Seaview left her dock.
He shook away the thoughts and
continued to check on his patient. Finally satisfied that everything was working
as it should be, he made a few quick notations in Crane’s chart before leaving
the room.
Lee heard the man leave and opened
his eyes once more. Again his mind turned to the Admiral and the exec. Was there
anything he could’ve done differently to prevent their being injured? He lifted
his head and looked at his own body, the pain itself was enough to tell him he’d
done all he could, yet the guilt lingered. ‘What if they’d been killed?’
he thought. He dropped his head back to the pillows and closed his eyes. Soft
footsteps announced that he was no longer alone, but he kept his eyes closed
until Nelson’s worried voice reached his ears.
“Lee.”
“Admiral,” he said, meeting the
strong steady gaze.
“Is something wrong?” Nelson
asked, noting the moisture in Crane’s eyes.
“No, Sir, I’m okay. How’s the
arm?”
Nelson looked at the cast covering
his wrist and knew instinctively his captain was feeling responsible for his
injury. “Lee, the arm’s fine. I wouldn’t have even noticed it if they hadn’t
x-rayed the damn thing!”
“How long in a
cast?”
“Jamie says four weeks. Lee, I
don’t want you blaming yourself for any of this.”
“My...”
“Don’t, Lad, this was not your
fault. This started because Degan and Phillips wanted something that didn’t
belong to them! They beat you and stole your car, Lee! They almost killed you,
not once, but twice! Make no mistake,” Nelson said from beside the bed. “You and
I are going to talk about you sending your bodyguards
away...”
“Wasn’t their fault...or...dered
them t...to g...go!” Crane said.
“That’s what we’re going to talk
about, but not right now! Right now you need to rest and get
well.”
“Not ti...red,” Crane
lied.
Nelson couldn’t resist laughing as
the captain yawned in spite of his words.
“Jamie and I were already talking
about how we’re going to make you rest and we think we have the perfect
solution.”
“What’s that?” Crane frowned as he
saw the twinkle in the admiral’s eyes.
“It seems that Abigail Wilson
called when she saw the reports on the television. She’s offered to come down if
Jamie needs her.”
“Damn...”
“Hmm, it seems you’ve made quite
an impression with her. She seems to think she’s adopted you. She told Jamie
that she and Maria would like nothing more than to have you recuperate at her
place.”
“Can recuperate on
Seaview...”
“Seaview has a few more repairs
before she’s ready to go out again. Now the way Jamie and I see it you can
either stay here at the medical center for say, the next month or so
or...”
“Month!” Crane hissed, wincing as
he shifted up in the bed.
“Or so.” Nelson smiled at the
bruised face. “The way we see it is that maybe you, me, Chip, and Jamie could
spend a week up there once Jamie releases you. Now wait a minute and hear me
out!” Nelson said, as Crane tried to interrupt.
“I’m listening,” the injured man
said.
“We figure we owe those two ladies
a lot for what they did for you. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, Sir,
but...”
“No buts...Maria needs a lot of
work done on her place and she could use a new generator as well. Abigail can
use some modern equipment in her office and again that’s easy to take care of.
I’ve already ordered most of the items we’ll need. Kowalski, Patterson, Riley
and Sharkey have also volunteered to help out.”
“When do we get started?” Crane
asked, smiling as he fought to stay awake.
“Not for at least a couple of
weeks.”
“A couple...”
“Lee, Son, you’ll be in here that
long. We’ll go over the details later, for now, rest and get well. I’ll be back
later to check on you.”
“Okay... thank you,
Admiral.”
“You’re welcome, Son.” Nelson
watched the figure on the bed and waited until he was sure Crane was sleeping
before he eased the soft blanket up over his bandaged chest. “Sleep well, Lee,”
he said as he left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Lee?” Jamison had been watching
his patient and knew the man was on the verge of waking up. They were getting
him ready to move to a private room, and he wanted him settled before Nelson or
Morton showed up. The portable monitoring equipment was already hooked up for
the short trip to Crane’s new room and he checked to make sure the leads were
properly attached and recording the necessary data.
“Jenny, Make sure that IV is
secure.”
“Yes, doctor,” the silver haired
woman answered, smiling at Jamison’s orders. She knew the man was tedious in his
job, and also understood it was not a mark on the way she worked. Twenty-two
years as a nurse, yet she still accepted the quirks of doctors like Will
Jamison. The man cared for his patients and if that meant he asked questions and
gave orders that were automatics to her, she could put up with
it.
“Lee, we’re getting you ready to
move out of...”
“Hospital...” Crane whispered,
opening the one eye as Jamison laughed softly.
“Not likely, Captain. I’m afraid
you won’t be leaving for at least another week...and then it’ll be a trip to the
Stern place for a vacation.”
“Going to help fi...fix her place
up?” Crane asked, gasping as he tried to move on the bed.
“Lie still, Lee,” Jamison ordered
as they moved the bed away from the wall.
“Now you te...tell me,” Seaview’s
captain whispered in an effort to ease the worry in Jamison’s voice.
“I figured you have enough
experience in here to know when to be still and when to move around,” Jamison
told him as they moved towards the elevator.
“Should be able to move something
by now without feeling like hell...”
“Oh, I don’t think that’ll happen
for a while yet, Captain Crane,” Jenny Lidstrum explained, smiling at the
younger man.
“Listen to her, Lee, she knows
what she’s talking about,” the physician assured his
friend.
“Okay...what time is
it?”
“Six pm, are you
hungry?”
“No, just wondering where everyone
is,” Crane answered as the bed was pushed into the over sized elevator.
“Well, I sent Admiral Nelson and
Chip home with orders to stay away for eight hours. I’d say we’ll be seeing the
two of them in exactly forty seven and a half minutes,” Jamison quipped, smiling
as a soft laugh issued from the injured man’s lips.
“They could surprise
you.”
“I don’t think so. Knowing Chip
he’s probably got it down to the second. Oh, by the way I have a message for
you,” the older man said as the elevator came to a stop and they wheeled the bed
through the doors.
“Who from?” Crane asked
curiously.
“Abby...”
“Come on, Will, I’m doing
everything you tell me too!”
“I know, but I also know that as
soon as that tube comes out of your chest...”
“When?”
“When what?” Jamison asked as he
they pushed the bed into room 212 where two other nurses waited for
them.
“When does the damn tube come
out?” Crane asked exasperatedly.
“Not for at least another three or
four days, depending on how well behaved you are and that brings me back to the
message from Abby.” Jamison watched as the portable equipment was removed and
the leads were attached to the permanent fixtures.
“Jamie?”
“What?”
“Are you going to tell me what the
message was?”
“Oh, yes, sorry,” the physician
said with a grin. “She said to tell you to behave yourself and give your body a
chance to get well before you go trying to escape from the hospital She also
said to tell you she can’t wait for you to see what the Admiral has done for her
and hopes that she never gets to test any of the new equipment on a certain
stubborn submarine captain.”
“Hope she doesn’t have to either,”
Crane assured him as the nurse finished checking the monitoring equipment.
“Good, then between us we’ll make
sure she doesn’t have to. Now, why don’t you close your eyes and go back to
sleep?”
“Just woke
up...”
“Yes, you did, but right now sleep
is something you need. You know what my next question is,
Lee?”
“Yes,” the dark haired man
answered.
“Well?”
“Around eight right now,
Jamie.”
“Alright, I’m going to give you a
shot...”
“Not yet, Jamie. I’d rather be
awake when the Admiral and Chip get here.”
“Lee, by then you’ll...”
“I know, but wait okay? They’ll be
here soon...you said so yourself.”
“Alright, Lee. I won’t give you a
shot right now, but as son as the admiral and Chip get here and you talk for a
few minutes I want you resting and that, Captain Crane, is by order of your CMO.
Understood?”
“Understood,” Crane said and let
his eyes drift closed. He heard Jamison and the nurses talking, but felt himself
drifting towards sleep. The pain was getting worse, but Lee knew the meds Jamie
would give him would make him sleep and he didn’t want that. Not yet. Now that
he was more awake he needed to see that Nelson and Morton were really okay. He
heard the others leave and opened his eyes once more. One nurse remained, but
she was turned away from him and he let the pain show on his face for a few
moments.
Lee had no idea how much time
passed, but he tried to control just how much he was hurting as Nelson and
Morton walked into the room.
“Hi, Lee, good to see you
awake.”
“How are you feeling,
Lad?”
“Hello, Chip...Admiral. I’m okay,
Sir. How’s the arm?”
“My arm’s fine Lee, now quit
worrying about me and give yourself a chance to heal.”
“Yes, Sir,” Crane managed a weak
smile as Morton patted his left shoulder. “How’s the
head?”
“It’s fine...cut myself worse
shaving,” Morton assured him and studied his friend’s face. The swelling had
come down some, but the right eye was still only open to half-mast. Bandages
were evident on the right arm and he knew the wound in Crane’s right thigh was
bandaged as well. The severity of the bruises on and around his friend’s chest
was testament to how much Seaview’s captain had gone through. He was unaware of
how hard he was studying Crane’s face when his friend’s words brought him out of
his trance like state.
“I’m o...okay,
Chip...”
“Tell me something I’ll believe,
Lee,” Morton advised and saw the sheepish look form on the too pale
features.
“How long since you’ve had
something for pain, Lee?” Nelson asked.
“N...not
long...Jamie...”
“Heard that, Captain, and I don’t
think the Admiral appreciates being lied to,” Jamison said as he re-entered the
room.
“Not a lie...not re...really.
Can’t remember h...how long it’s...” his voice trailed off as his eyes watered
and the pain increased to a point where it took his breath away. He heard
Jamison talking to the others and soon felt him at the IV line running into his
arm.
“Lee, this should help, but I
don’t want you waiting so long anymore. From now on the meds will be given at
certain intervals to keep you comfortable. There’s just no need of you being
stubborn about it,” the physician explained.
“But...”
“No buts, Captain. You do as Jamie
tells you and I’ll make it an order if I have to!”
“O...okay,” Crane said, fighting
the influence of the drugs in his system.
“Stop fighting, Lee. Go ahead and
sleep.”
“Yes, Sir...Seaview
okay?”
“Seaview’s fine, Son. She’ll be
there when you’re ready to go back to work,” Nelson said as the lids finally
dropped over the hazel eyes.
“Jamie, is he really going to be
okay?” Morton asked.
“If he lets himself rest and does
as he’s told...he should be fine.”
“Jamie, this is Lee Crane you’re
talking about. Do you really think he’ll do as you tell him?” Morton
asked.
“Probably not, at least not while
he’s here,” Jamison said, smiling at the two men.
“Jamie, what’s going on in that
head of yours?” Nelson asked.
“Just thinking there’s someone who
will make sure Lee does as he’s told,” the CMO answered.
“Abigail Wilson,” Morton and
Nelson answered in unison and knew Jamison was probably right. The lady knew and
understood who and what Lee Crane was and could be just as stubborn as Seaview’s
captain.
“You know, this trip could very
well be the best vacation I’ve had since you hired Lee, Admiral. Wonder if I
could interest her in taking an active role in the yearly physicals coming up?”
Jamison said, smiling as the two men turned away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Abby, what time did you say they
were coming?” Maria asked as she checked the pot of rich savory stew on the
stove.
“Jamie said they should be here
somewhere around six,” Abigail answered as she set the table for six adult and
two children.
“Mama, Mama, I picked some flowers
for the table!” Suzie called as she ran into the kitchen, her brother following
close behind her.
“The chores are all done Mom,”
Joey told her as he washed his hands in the sink.
“Suzie, honey, these are
beautiful,” Maria assured her daughter as she took the sweet smelling
wildflowers and put them in a vase. “Joey, make sure you clean out your
fingernails.
“Ah, Mom...”
“Don’t ah Mom me, young man. You
were working in the barn and we both know how much dirt you get into
there.”
“Yes, Mom...hey, I hear a car.
It’s them Mom!” The boy said, wiping his wet hands on his shirt and racing out
the door, his sister hot on his heels.
Maria smiled at the idea of seeing
Lee Crane again and laughed as the older woman commented on the rosy blush on
her cheeks.
“Are you just going to stand there
or are you going to come with me and see how Lee’s doing?” Wilson asked. The two
women walked out of the kitchen door and hurried towards the large
seven-passenger van. Nelson, Morton and Jamison were already standing outside
and Lee Crane was just stepping out. He leaned heavily on a cane, his right arm
in a pale blue sling.
“Hello, Abby...Maria,” Crane
greeted and spotted the two kids standing beside Morton. His eyes lit up and
some of the weariness from the trip eased as he reached for the children. “Hi,
Joey, Suzie.”
“Go easy, Lee,” Jamison warned.
Two weeks had passed since Lee was found, but due to lingering infections and
weakness he’d been kept in the hospital. With some cajoling from Crane and a
promise to do as he was told, the CMO relinquished and agreed he would probably
recover faster at the Stern’s farm. He’d spoken with Abigail Wilson and she
would help keep the stubborn captain in line.
“I’m okay, Jamie,” Crane said as
he sat on the edge of the van and hugged the two kids.
“Still being stubborn, Lee,”
Wilson said as she moved in front of the injured man.
“Me, Abby? What makes you say
that?”
“Well...” the woman said, smiling
as she hugged the handsome man. “Jamie told me all about how you cajoled him
into coming up here early and I can see by your face you should be
resting.”
“Rested on the
drive....”
“Lee, looking at reports on
Seaview is not resting,” Jamison chided.
“Well, you might as well leave the
reports in the van, because as of right now you’re still on sick leave and
that...”
“Sick
leave...”
“That’s right, Lee,” Jamison said,
smiling as he looked at his friend and captain. “Abby and I are going to make
sure you don’t overdo things.”
“You can’t be
serious...”
“You might as well give up, Lee.
If Jamie is anything like Abby you’re fighting a losing
call.”
Lee smiled as he spotted the young
woman he owed so much to. He stood up, leaned on the cane and moved towards her.
He stood before her as a smile formed on his face.
“Hi, Maria.”
“How are you feeling,
Lee?”
“I’d say I’m fine, but I might get
my head chewed off,” Crane said and smiled as he heard the others chuckle at his
attempted humor. He looked into the soft eyes and again saw a hidden beauty
seldom seen in all the years he’d been dating. “You look good, Maria.”
“Thank you, Lee,” she said,
hugging him quickly before looking at the others. “Admiral, Chip, Dr. Jamison,
it’s good to see you again.”
“Thank you for inviting us,
Maria,” Nelson said, as he helped take the luggage from the
van.
“I’ve fixed up the kids room for
you...”
“Maria, you didn’t have to do
that...”
“I know I didn’t, Lee, but we’ve
managed to find a place for everyone to sleep. Suzie will bunk in with me and
Joey wants to make a bed in the loft. He’s done it before and I believe he’s
hiding his favorite books up there,” Maria explained. “Joey, would you show
Admiral Nelson and Chip where to put the luggage?”
“Sure, Mom,” the boy said as he
led the two men towards the house.
“Dinner is ready and I hope you
like stew?” Stern asked.
“I love stew,” Crane said as they
slowly made their way towards the house.
“Lee?” Jamison said as they
entered the kitchen.
“Hmm,” the captain
mumbled.
“As soon as you’re finished
eating, Abby and I are going to check out...”
“Jamie, I don’t need...”
“Lee, no arguing or it’ll be bed
rest for another week,” Wilson assured him.
With a heavy sigh and a put upon
look, Lee Crane knew he was fighting a lost cause. The two physicians would make
sure he did what he was supposed to and he suddenly wondered whether he should
have stayed in Santa Barbara.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was nearly midnight when Lee
Crane eased out of bed and reached for his pants. Jamison and Morton were tucked
into sleeping bags on one side of the room. Nelson had the upper bunk while he
slept in the lower one. Years of ONI training kicked in as he silently pulled on
his pants with his left hand and reached for his slip on shoes. Jamison had made
sure he’d brought comfort clothing and right now Lee was only too glad he’d
accepted his CMO’s advice. He sat for several long moments allowing his body to
grow used to the upright position and ignoring the throbbing ache in his thigh.
The soft sound of snoring was evident as he reached for his cane. Finally
dressed in the sweat suit and shoes he stood up and slowly made his way towards
the door. He knew he could’ve asked Jamison for something to help manage the
pain, but his own stubborn pride refused to admit his discomfort to anyone.
Easing open the door Lee made his
way across the hall and through the living room. This part of the house was
quiet and he reached for his jacket before moving towards the door and opening
it. He stepped outside and breathed deeply of the cool air and sighed as he
eased the door closed behind him. He made his way to the swing and eased his
aching body down once more. He looked up at the night sky and was reminded of
the nights on the ocean when the darkness was nearly obliterated by the myriad
of stars and the bright orb of a full-bodied moon. Most of the time Lee enjoyed
the quiet of those late nights, but there were times when he wanted, even craved
the company of his shipmates.
Lee’s mind wandered back over the
events of the last few months. Degan and Phillips had been denied bail and would
stand trial for kidnapping and attempted murder. There was no doubt in his mind
they would be convicted, but he hated the thought of testifying because it meant
reliving everything he’d gone through. Sighing wearily he rubbed at his right
thigh, wincing as his hand came in contact with the bandage covering the wound.
“Here, Lee.”
Seaview’s captain looked up and
smiled at the older woman as she handed him a cup filled with a steaming
beverage. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,
Son.”
“Sorry I woke
you.”
“I wasn’t sleeping. These old
bones creak so much they keep me awake at night,” Abby said and saw the smile
form on Crane’s pale face. “What’s your excuse”
“Wasn’t sleepy,” Crane said and
sipped the hot cocoa. “This is good.”
“My granny’s recipe. Now tell the
truth, Lee. Why aren’t you sleeping? Wounds bothering
you?”
“You could say
that.”
“You should have let Jamie give
you something to help, Lee.”
“I know...it’s
just...”
“It makes you feel as if you’re
weak,” Wilson finished and smiled at the sheepish look on Crane’s face. “Lee,
it’s not a sign of weakness to admit when you’re hurting and lord knows with
everything you’ve been through you’re allowed to let it show. Finish that cocoa
and I’ll give you a shot...no arguments!”
“Wasn’t going to, Abby,” Crane
tried to smile as he sipped at the hot liquid, but it turned into a grimace as
he shifted and his healing ribs reminded him they were still
there.
“Yeah, right. I know you better
than you think Lee Crane and I’ve also been talking with Jamie. Seems you’re
always denying the need for help.”
“Not always, Abby, I was really
glad they showed up when they did. I think I would’ve died if they
hadn’t.”
She saw a slight tremor run
through his body and knew it wasn’t from the cool night air. Degan and Phillips
were in jail, but their presence was still felt by this man as evidenced by the
wounds on his body. “Yes, well, I’m glad they were able to find you too. It
saves me from going shopping.”
“What do you mean?” Crane asked
frowning as he looked at the woman seated next to him.
“I don’t have anything
black.”
“Black?”
“Yes, that is the color you wear
to funerals and believe me it doesn’t look good on me at all. So I’d be much
obliged if you don’t give me an occasion for wearing basic black!” Abigail said
with a grin.
“I’ll do my best, Abby,” Seaview’s
captain smiled as he downed the last of the cocoa. “It’s beautiful out
here.”
“Yes, it certainly is,” Wilson
agreed and saw another grimace form on Crane’s face. “Time for that shot,
Lee?”
“Think so,” Crane nodded as he
reached for his cane and stood up. He followed the older woman inside and moved
to the couch in the living room.
“I’ll be right back,” Wilson told
him as she moved to grab her bag and ready an injection for the injured man. She
knew she could probably just give him a couple of extra strength Tylenol, but
she wanted to make him as comfortable as possible so he could rest. She walked
into he living room and sat next to him. “Lee, I’m going to give you a shot and
then I want you in bed. Okay?”
“Sounds good, Abby, thanks,” Crane
agreed.
“Take off your jacket,” she
ordered and helped him ease it off his shoulders. She used an alcohol swab on
his arm and quickly injected the medication.
“Thanks,
Abby.”
“You’re welcome, Lee, now why
don’t you go on back to bed and let that take hold.”
“I will, goodnight,” Crane said
standing and using his acne once more. He made his way towards the bedroom and
eased the door open. The heavy curtains blocked out most of the moonlight, but
there was enough for him to see by and he closed the door behind him. Making his
way across the floor, Lee dropped down on his bed and smiled as Jamison lifted
his head and looked at him.
“You okay,
Lee?”
“I’m fine, Jamie,” Crane answered
in a whisper soft voice.
“Lee, if you need something to
help...”
“Abby took care of it, Jamie,” the
younger man said as he eased out of his clothing and laid back on the bed. He
turned on his left side and pulled the blankets up over him.
“Shot or
pills?”
“Shot.”
“Good, now go to sleep and no more
late night walks,” Jamison scolded softly.
“I’ll try to remember that,” Lee
said.
“Good, now get those eyes closed
and go to sleep.”
“Sure. Goodnight
Jamie.”
“Goodnight,
Lee.”
“About time,” Morton grumbled and
a soft chuckle issued from above Lee’s head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jamie opened the door and looked
in on the injured man, surprised that Crane hadn’t moved since returning to bed
the night before. Closing the door once more he returned to the kitchen and
smiled as fresh cup of coffee was placed in front of him.
“Thanks,
Maria.”
“You’re welcome, Jamie, is Lee
still sleeping?”
“Yes, he is and I’m hoping he
stays that way for a while yet.”
“Abby told me he was sitting on
the porch last night.”
“Yes, he’s too stubborn for his
own good sometimes,” Jamison said and sipped the coffee. He knew the others were
already at work on the barn and smiled as he heard the sound of hammers hitting
nails. “Sounds like I’d best get out there!”
“I’m so grateful to all of you for
what you’ve done for us,” the woman said as tears formed in her
eyes.
“Not nearly as grateful as we are
for what you did for Lee. He would’ve died if you hadn’t come along and taken
him with you,” Jamison explained and knew it was the truth. Lee Crane’s injuries
would have killed him eventually and if not for this woman and her children he
might never have been found.
‘We just did what anyone would
have.”
“No, Maria, you went far beyond
that. You took an injured stranger into your home and got him the help he
needed. That’s not something that happens often in this day and age. Too many
people are afraid of being hurt and turn a blind eye to those who really do need
help.”
“I could never turn my back on
someone who’s hurt,” Maria assured him as she looked out the window. Suzie was
playing with her dolls and was pouring make belief tea into the small cups
before them. She knew Joey was helping Nelson and Morton with the repairs and
was pleased the two men had taken her son under their wings.
“Where’s Abby?” Jamison
asked.
“She went back to her office to
check on a couple of patients. I think she just wants to play around with the
equipment you guys brought out to her.”
“Her stuff was outdated and if
she’s the only doctor within a couple of hundred miles then she needs
it.”
“Yes, she does,” Maria agreed as
Jamison finished his coffee and stood up.
“Well, I guess I’d better go see how
things are going. Would you mind telling Lee I want to check his wounds before
he gets dressed?”
“I will,” the woman said and began
clearing the dishes from the table.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee shifted on the bed and licked
at dry lips. He had no idea what time it was, but knew it was late when he
looked at the empty bedrolls on the opposite side of the room. Sliding his legs
over the edge he winced as the movement tugged at the wound. A soft knock on the
door had him scrambling to cover his lower body before telling whomever it was
to come in.
“Good morning, Lee, how are you
feeling?” Maria asked from the doorway.
“Better, thanks. What time is
it?”
“A little after ten. Jamie said to
tell you not to get up until he has a chance to check your wounds. I’ll let him
know you’re awake.”
“Okay,” Crane said, knowing it
would do him no good to argue. He lay back on the bed and soon heard Jamison
enter the room.
“Good morning,
Lee.”
“Morning,
Jamie.”
“How are you
feeling?”
“A little sore,” Crane answered
honestly.
“Well, let me take a look at you,”
Jamison suggested and opened his bag. He pulled out the stethoscope and placed
it in his ears. “Deep breaths!”
Lee did as Jamison ordered and sat
forward when the physician told him to. He waited for Jamison to finish his
ministrations and lay back when the man began examining the wound in his thigh.
“This is looking much better,
Lee...”
“So I can do without the
cane?”
“I said it was looking
better...not miraculously cured. If I see you without the cane I’ll have you
back in bed and might even find a reason to use restraints.
Understood?”
“Understood,” Crane agreed
sheepishly as Jamison moved to examine the wound to his arm. By the time Jamison
put him through a complete check up both men were frustrated and short tempered.
Jamie because Crane wanted to be allowed more freedom, and Lee because his CMO
refused to give in to his requests.
“Lee, I know you want to get back
to work, but right now you have to relax and give yourself time to heal. I don’t
like being the hard head here, but if I have to make it an order than I
will.”
“Jamie, it’s not like I’ll be
doing anything heavy! I just want to help out with the repairs!” Crane
snapped.
“I know and you will, but not by
climbing ladders or lifting anything heavy! You try something like that and I
guarantee you’ll be back in the hospital with tubes running out of every
ori...”
“I get it, Jamie!” Crane said as
he sat on the edge of the bed. Truth be told he knew the other man was right,
but that had never stopped him before.
“Look, Lee, why don’t you get
dressed, eat some breakfast and come on out. Maybe we can find something for you
to do without putting any strain on your ribs, arm, or leg,
okay?”
“Okay,” Crane agreed and accepted
Jamison’s help in getting into his clothes. Finally dressed he stood and headed
towards the door.
“Lee?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you forgetting
something?”
Crane smiled sheepishly as Jamison
handed him the cane.
“Nice try.”
“You’d think I was really sick if
I didn’t try.” The two men walked out of the room and Lee smiled as Maria Stern
placed a plate of pancakes and maple syrup in front of him.
“Lee, come out to the barn when
you’re done,” Jamison said and left the house.
“Coffee?”
“Yes, Please,” Crane smiled as he
watched the pretty woman pour coffee into a mug and place it in front of him.
“You didn’t have to go through all this trouble, Maria.”
“It was no trouble at all, but you
still have to eat it,” the woman said with a grin.
“If it tastes as good as it smells
I’ll be looking for seconds,” Crane said and smiled around a mouthful of
pineapple pancakes.
“I can make more,” Maria suggested
and watched as the handsome man ate ravenously.
“No, thanks, Maria, but this is
fine.” Once Lee finished eating he took his dishes to the sink and then followed
the woman out of the house. The sun was hot, shimmering across the hard packed
dirt of the driveway and Lee smiled as he looked towards the barn. Chip Morton
was on the roof, his shirt off and sweat glistening off his chest as he hammered
the board in place. Joey Stern knelt next to him and waved to them both.
Harriman Nelson worked on a lower wall, shirt unbuttoned as the soft breeze
billowed the material away from his body. Will Jamison was inside the door and
came out carrying several newly cut boards.
“Hey, Lee, it’s about time you
woke up,” Morton called from overhead.
“Better be careful, Chip, you get
sunburned and Jamie’s going to have another patient,” Crane called as the blond
continued to work on the roof.
“I don’t burn, Lee, I tan!” Morton
said with a wry grin.
“I’ll make sure you remember you
said that when you’re complaining about your back tonight!” Jamison shouted as
he moved to help Nelson.
“What can I do to help?” Crane
asked.
“Lee, maybe you can give me a hand
here so Jamie can get more boards ready?” Nelson suggested and smiled as Lee
limped towards him.
“Lee, all you have to do is hold
the boards in place. Let the admiral hammer them in place! I catch you using
that arm and we’ll both be taking a little trip to Abby’s clinic to test out
some of that new equipment she has! Do I make myself
clear?”
“Perfectly,” Crane said. At any
other time he might have been upset at Jamison’s threat, but right now he was
only to happy to have something to do.
“All right, Lad, just hold it in
place!” Nelson said, smiling as the sound of hard labor echoed through the
mountains. It wasn’t often he had the chance to work in the open and get his
hands dirty, but when he did, Harriman Nelson was a man on a mission. These
people had saved one of his officers and for that he would be forever in their
debt and what he was doing seemed minor compared to the gift they’d given him.
His captain was healing and would soon be back where he belonged.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two long months later, Lee Crane
smiled as he stood on Seaview’s deck with the smell of the ocean carried to him
by a soft breeze. This was where he belonged and he felt as if he’d come home
after a long absence. They’d spent a month at the Stern’s home, helping put the
farm back in working order and it was a tearful goodbye when they left. He knew
he could have been happy with Maria and her children, but he wasn’t ready to
settle down yet. The call of the sea was too much for him to ignore and it was
with mixed emotions that he drove away from the house.
“Are you okay,
Lee?”
“I’m fine, Admiral, just glad to
be home.”
“She does get under a man’s skin,
doesn’t she, Lad?”
“Yes, Sir, and I wouldn’t have it
any other way. Chip said everything was loaded and secured,” Crane said, smiling
as he watched the men on the docks making final preparations for them to get
underway.
“Any regrets about Maria and her
children?” Nelson asked softly.
“There’s always regrets, Admiral,
but for now I’m where I need to be,” Crane said.
“I heard from
Lewis.”
“What did he have to say?” Crane
asked.
“He said Degan and Phillips turned
on each other and both have been turning states evidence. It looks like they’re
looking at heavy sentences.”
“Can’t say I’m
sorry.”
“Neither can I, Lad,” Nelson said
as he clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “Why don’t we see what our lady
can do?”
The two men strode across the deck
as the wind picked up and sent a fine spray off the ocean. This was where they
were meant to be and it felt as if the ocean was giving its blessing. As the
grey lady moved with the waves, Harriman Nelson and Lee Crane disappeared below
decks ready to take her out on another mission that would keep the world safe
for those who were unaware of the evil that surrounded
them.