Chapter 9: A Day in the Park
11:55 A.M. Central Park – West Side
Alex and Bobby, both wearing a wire, walked side by side through Central Park. It was a beautiful spring day, 72 degrees and sunny with a light breeze. They each scanned their surroundings from behind dark shades as they traversed the park. Alex heard it first. She stopped and laid her hand lightly on Bobby's arm. She looked to the left and searched the wooded area just down the hill.
"Bobby." It was a faceless whisper and it came from within the tree line. Alex started toward the voice. Bobby grabbed her arm. "Wait here."
"No." Alex left no room for argument. Bobby led the way down the hill toward the dense cluster of large trees. They stopped just short of the first row.
"Over here." Just inside the tree line, there stood Frank with a confident smirk planted on his face. Frank lifted himself from the tree he was leaning on and stumbled forward. He addressed Alex first. "Hello, Detective Eames, you look beautiful as ever. Has my brother…"
"Frank," Bobby interrupted as he moved forward toward his brother and away from Alex. "What are we doing here?"
Frank chuckled causing him to sway just a little. "So serious, Bobby. Always so serious." He again turned his attention to Alex. "Did you know he could read in kindergarten? Big… serious… books. Boring… big serious books. Mom was always on him to have fun. Go play, Bobby! Have some fun! She didn't give a rat's ass what I was doing." Frank talked with his hands, much like Bobby did when he was agitated.
"Frank, focus. Why are we here?"
"Relax, Bobby." Frank smiled. "I just wanted to talk to you. See how life's been treatin' ya'"
"Cut the crap, Frank. Where's Nathan?"
A genuine look of confusion crossed Frank's face. "Who's Nathan?" Alex's heart sank. He knew nothing of her nephew's whereabouts.
"The little boy your girlfriend took. Where is she Frank… your girlfriend, where is she?"
"See, there you go again." He covered is face with his hands and drug them down to his chest in exasperation. "You've never even met her! Where do you get off…"
"Your right Frank, I'm sorry." Bobby tried to regain control of the conversation. "I'm sorry. I'd like to meet her, Frank. Catch up with you. Maybe the four of us could go out together." He gestured toward Alex who remained still and quiet. "Is she here, your girlfriend? Maybe she's close by, we could have some lunch."
"No, no, no. You're trying to trick me. She said you would. Why would I bring her here when you're out to get her?"
Bobby looked down to gather his thoughts. That's when he saw the crack pipe just visible from behind the large oak tree Frank had been leaning against. "So it's crack now?" Lost in his thoughts, Bobby missed the urgency in Alex's voice. "Bobby!"
He looked over at Alex surprised to see her hands covering her gun, ready to draw. His head snapped back toward Frank who had his gun firmly trained on Alex.
"Frank! What are you doing?" Bobby demanded as he took a barely perceptible step toward Alex.
"Bobby, put you hands on your head. I'll deal with you in a minute. Detective Eames, take your gun out of your holster, two fingers, nice and easy." Frank pointed his gun at Bobby and waited for Alex to drop her weapon. "Now kick it over to me." Alex did as she was told. "Now you, Bobby. Toss it over." His gun was again aimed at Alex. Bobby tossed his gun half way between him and his brother.
"Frank, please. Let Alex go. You and I, we can work this out."
"Can't do that, Bobby. See, turn about is fair play. You tried to take my girlfriend away, now I'm gonna' take yours."
"Frank," another half step toward Alex, "I don't want to take your girlfriend away. I told you, I just want to help you protect her."
"I DON"T NEED YOUR HELP!!" Frank was breathing quickly. He wiped his brow with his free hand. In a calmer voice he reiterated, "I don't need your help, Bobby, and I don't believe she's in trouble. Your lying just like you lied about the money."
Trying to pull Frank's attention from Alex to him, Bobby spoke. "Look at me, Frank. What money?"
Frank's eyes darted from Alex to Bobby momentarily. He snorted, "Mom's money. You said there wasn't any, that she didn't have anything left. You were lying then too."
"No, Frank, I wasn't." Bobby sounded defeated. "There wasn't even enough to cover her funeral. The only thing she had left of any value, she gave to you."
"You mean the ring… the one you tricked me into giving to you. You're selfish, Bobby. You always have been. You've lived this charmed life… rose above your circumstances. That's bullshit! I want you to know what it feels like to hit rock bottom… what it feels like to lose everything you care about. She saved me, Bobby." Frank started to cry. "She saved me and now you want to take her away. Well it's not gonna' happen, Bobby. This time I make the first move." Frank cocked his head to the side. His eyes were cold, already dead. It was over in an instant. Frank squeezed the trigger as Bobby spun on his toes and dove for Alex. He grabbed her around her chest with one arm, knocking her to the ground and landing squarely on top of her to shield her from anymore bullets. He saw two sets of boots jet past their heads. He lifted himself off Alex to see Frank heading deeper into the trees, followed closely by two agents. "FBI, drop your weapon. DROP YOUR WEAPON!!" Then he heard the shots, "Pop! Pop!" Bobby closed his eyes and squeezed them tightly shut. He blew a ragged breath through his nose. He turned his face back toward Alex who was still partially underneath him and focused on his chest. He touched her cheek. "Are you o.k.?"
Alex looked at his face, confused. Her mouth was open, but she was unable to speak. She shook her head slowly. "What? Are you hit?" Bobby started to panic. He searched her body frantically and saw drops of blood coalescing on her shirt. "Alex!" he screamed. She pulled herself up to her knees and grabbed his face with both hands. "It's not me, Bobby… it's you. You've been shot." He searched her eyes, giving himself time to make sense of what she had just said. He looked down at his chest. He saw the crimson stain spreading from his right shoulder down the front of his shirt. That's when he felt it. His shoulder burned as if someone was forcing a red hot poker back and forth through it. H collapsed onto his left side.
"Bobby!" Alex cradled his head in her lap and covered the wound with as much pressure as her trembling hands could muster. "Hold on, Bobby. The paramedics are coming."
She could feel blood soaking through his jacket and into her pants. He was bleeding on both sides.
"He's dead." It was a whisper, directed at no one in particular.
"I don't know," Alex answered as she looked into the dark void of the wooded area. Her voice was weak.
"He's dead," Bobby repeated.
The paramedics arrived and went immediately to work. One cut away the jacket and shirt sleeve covering the wound while the other started an IV line in Bobby's other arm. Alex started to touch Bobby's face when she caught site of her hands. They were covered in blood, his blood. She watched as they shook violently in front of her. She wiped them on the grass and placed her forehead on Bobby's, willing him to be o.k. The paramedics slipped a board under Bobby and strapped him on for transport. She saw him start to panic under the restraints. They lifted him from the ground and Alex stepped in behind one of them. "Bobby, its o.k., they're just moving you to the ambulance. The straps, they're only to keep you from falling. Just focus on me, o.k.?" Bobby nodded and kept his eyes locked on Alex.
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3 P.M. Mercy General, Surgery Waiting Room
Alex sat sideways in her chair with her knees curled under her chin. Her head rested on the cool glass window. The beautiful spring morning had disappeared under slate grey storm clouds. She watched tiny rain drops streak down the glass until she was dizzy. She turned in her chair and arched her back searching for relief. It came from a completely unexpected source. A familiar little boy stepped through the door and into the waiting room flanked by her sister and her sister's husband. Alex blinked, sure it was an apparition. "Aunt Alex!" The small framed child shot toward Alex like a rocket. Instinctively, she fell to her knees to catch him. Still speechless, she held the boy in a tight embrace and looked up at Amanda, her eyes full of questions.
"He went up to an officer in the park. He gave him his name and said he was lost. He told him that he had two uncles, an aunt, and a grandfather who were cops."
Alex pulled back from Nathan to get a good look at him. "Are you o.k., sweetheart?"
"I'm fine. I went to the park with Natalie. She's my new nanny, and I guess I just got lost from her."
Alex pulled him back into her embrace. "I'm so glad you're safe, baby."
Alex looked up at Amanda who mouthed in less than a whisper, "She didn't hurt him."
Alex closed her eyes and held the boy even tighter. This time, when she pulled back, Nathan saw the tears in her eyes. "What's the matter Aunt Alex?"
"Nothing, baby. I'm just so happy you're o.k."
"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot lately."
"Hey Nathan," his dad implored, "let's go downstairs and see what kind of ice cream they have in this place."
Alex watched as they headed out of the waiting room, Nathan in disbelief that a hospital would have ice cream of any kind available. Amanda took Alex's hands and guided her to the empty row of chairs. "How's Bobby?"
"He's gonna' be alright. They fixed the damage in his shoulder. He's in recovery. They said they would let me know just as soon as he's awake."
"But, they said everything went well in surgery."
Alex nodded.
"Agent Foster and your Captain, they interviewed Nathan. There was a counselor there too. He doesn't know where they were last night, just that it was a small apartment. He said he had fun." Amanda let go of a nervous chuckle. "The counselor is certain that he wasn't harmed in any way."
"Thank God," Alex said with her head bowed.
"Captain Ross is on his way over. We're gonna' take Nathan home. Will you call me later?"
"Yes"
The sisters stood and Amanda placed a light kiss on Alex's cheek. They hugged as Captain Ross entered the room. He nodded in greeting to Amanda as she passed him for the door. He then approached Alex. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, thank you for taking care of my family."
"You're welcome. Any news on your partner?"
"He's out of surgery. The doctor said he should recover just fine. They'll let me know as soon as he's in a room."
"What were the damages?"
"Frank shot him in the back, through the shoulder. He has a hole in his shoulder blade. The bullet traveled all the way through and out the other side. It tore an artery on the way out. The doctor said the bone slowed it down enough that the heat off the bullet somewhat cauterized the artery, else he would have bled out at the scene."
"Why don't you go home… get cleaned up. I'll wait here while you're gone."
"No," she shook her head, "thank you, sir. I'll go home after I see him."
"Very well, Detective. I'll wait here with you then."
Logan was the next to arrive, followed not long after by Agent Foster and Agent McGinty. Other detectives and support staff from Major Case drifted in and out over the next couple of hours. At 7 P.M., a plump, middle-aged nurse stepped into the waiting room and called for the family of Detective Goren. Alex stepped forward. "That's me."
"He's awake, sort of, and doing quite well. Room 516. No more than two visitors at a time." She smiled as she exited the room. Only Alex, Logan, and Ross remained. They walked together in silence to the elevator. Outside Bobby's room, Ross waited while Alex and Logan went in to visit. Logan put his arm around Alex's shoulder as they stood together at Bobby's bedside. The room was dimly lit. The monitor chirped and the IV pump whistled in time creating a crude, yet soothing melody.
"He's gonna' be fine, Alex. He's tough. Besides, he knows you'll kick his ass if he's not."
Alex smiled and leaned her head onto Logan. He squeezed her shoulder and laid a friendly kiss on the top of her head. "Call… for any reason."
"I will. Thanks Mike." He winked and made his exit. Ross entered in his stead. He stood next to Alex with his hands in his pockets. "You need anything, Detective, just let me know. I've called in two uniforms to watch his room." He shrugged, "just in case."
"Thanks, Captain. What about my nephew?"
"I've got two units over there as well." Alex took a deep breath and nodded in appreciation.
"We'll talk tomorrow… try and figure out where to go from here. I have a feeling this is far from over."
Alex tightened her lips in response. She was sure this was far from over.
TBC
Whew! Another long one! Two more chapters ought to wrap this baby up. Hope you enjoy!
