CURIOSITY PART XIV
Still at Community General Hospital—6.42pm
Mark paced the floor of the lobby. He didn't remember seeing the lobby so full. Now that all the staff, doctors and nurses occupied the sleeping room or doctors lounge, the only people in the lobby were the police, himself, Amanda, and Norman. Norman had been doing well to keep everything under control except for the odd mutter about his nightmare coming true. He had been pacing for the past fifteen minutes in frustration. Occasionally, he would run his hands through his white hair but he had no sat down. He understood that there was nothing left to solve. Everyone knew who the 'bad guy' was and now it was just a case of waiting to apprehend him. But Mark wanted to be a part of it even though it was now very much a police matter. Amanda, who had been sitting down on the bench, watched him. Finally, though, she got up and went towards him, stopping him in mid-pace. "Mark, please sit down. You'll end up wearing a hole in the floor."
Mark nodded and sat down next to her. "Don't listen to what the others say," Amanda continued. "Especially Norman."
Mark sighed. "I know, I know. And I'm trying not to. I'm just worried about Steve. I know he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself in a situation like this. It's just that…I can't help worrying, you know? There is always a risk when it comes into the line of police work and that's what I've been worrying about ever since he joined the force."
Amanda nodded. "I know there is Mark. And you're right, Steve can handle it. But don't forget, there's a whole hospital and a hell of a lot of other police in the building. There are quite a few odds against Steve that he will be the one to crash into Marcus Lavoy. He'd just be there to arrest him. You'll see that it will be fine." Mark nodded appreciating Amanda's words. "They'll get him soon enough and Steve will be there to see he gets what he deserves."
Pete, who had overheard the conversation, came down to sit next to Amanda. "Tense, huh?"
"You could say that," Mark agreed.
"I suppose it's right to get worried. I'm pretty worried about Jesse." The other two turned to look at him. "Well, he only just woke up a few days ago. He's in no condition to be going anywhere by himself as you saw, Mark, what he tried to do this morning. If he's wandering around up there, he could easily re-open one of his stitches of cause himself a great deal of pain." Mark shook his head, not believing this was happening. "I mean, it should be life threatening," Pete tried to reassure him.
A few minutes later, Norman burst into the room and came up to Mark. "We have to contact Steve. Haley Johnson and Marcus Lavoy have been caught on camera near the area D staircase on the sixth floor." Mark, Amanda and Pete followed them to see on the screen, Haley and Marcus on the sixth floor. She looked as though she was trying to get away. She managed to get away for just a few moments but Lavoy caught her again.
"Steve will never make it in time before he kills her," Mark said. "I'm going to stall him." Despite all the protests, Mark went towards the staircase and stated up as Norman began to ring Steve. By the time Mark reached the sixth floor, he hoped he had enough energy to tackle what was about to come next. He was rather afraid about what he was trying to do. But he pushed open the door and stopped dead at the sight as if he was trying to act surprised. "What do you think you're trying to do."
Lavoy narrowed his eyes and looked over at him. "And who might you be?"
"Mark Sloan."
Marcus Lavoy let out an irritated sigh as he lifted his gun towards Mark. Mark recoiled back. This wasn't the way he planned to do it at all. He could dive back into the stairs and save himself but what good would that do Haley? Just as he was about to shoot, Haley pulled the gun down. The bullets ploughed into the ground until Marcus had shrugged her off. "This is getting quite tiring now. Even if I have to shoot everyone in this hospital, I will complete what I came to do."
"And how do you plan to get out of the hospital?" Mark asked, trying the first thing he could think of. "There are security guards all over the building and outside searching the perimeter. You wouldn't stand a chance."
"You underestimate me, Mr. Sloan," Marcus Lavoy stated, a small amused smile on his face. "When you look around you see there are many of those possibilities. I found one of those possibilities. I will get out easily."
"How? As easily as it was to kill Day Passer?"
Marcus turned back towards Mark Sloan. A brief twitch of surprise crossed his face as his realized how much Mark Sloan actually knew. "Day Passer was too curious for his own good. He was waste, which had to be cleared up for my own benefit. Just like they all have been in the past. I do not understand why so much fuss has been kicked up over one person who led a ridiculously boring life anyway."
"One person on this planet is still worth a lot. And there is a fuss when you kidnap someone whose life is not ridiculously boring and does have friends only to torture. You should pick who would be less of a worry to you, Mr. Lavoy, that way, the don't become a problem in the future."
"Very wise words, Dr Sloan. But they do not reach me." He lifted up his gun again just as he was about to shoot. The elevator doors gave a sudden noise and the door opened.
"Dad!" Steve shouted. Unprepared, he could bring his gun up before Marcus Lavoy swung it round to him and shot. Steve's arm flew back and he clutched the wound on his shoulder, his face twisted with pain. Mark was tempted to go and help him but decided against it. It would only cause more problems.
"Lieutenant Sloan, I believe this must be your father then?" Lavoy asked. The panic was beginning to set into him. "If you value your father's life, I suggest you take that gun you are holding and throw it into the corridor on your left hand side." Marcus turned back to Mark. "Or else I will shook him carefully between the eyes." Father and son shared a look. Steve, knowing he had no choice brought up his gun…and threw it into the corridor. Mark sighed even though he knew his son had to do it. "Very good. Now could you bring out the rest of the people that are in that elevator."
Mark, surprised that there was anyone else up there. He didn't see anyone else in the lift but when he looked carefully, he could see coming out, were Amanda and Pete. He was tempted to say something and ask them—or even shout at them—what were they doing here? He didn't want to put anyone else's life in danger. Steve was already hurt as it was and Haley was down on the floor in a very vulnerable position. He didn't want to be responsible for hurting or even killing Amanda and Pete. He made Amanda, Pete and Steve stand on the other wise of the little alcove, as far away from Steve's gun as possible.
"It is a shame you have put yourselves into this situation," Lavoy continued. "If you had all stayed put then it would only mean one death. But now I have to be rid of five of you. As you can tell, this does not do good for some the—public knowledge of me." He clicked the gun back. "I suppose some sacrifices are worth making if you plan to stay alive."
"Sacrifice?" Steve demanded, holding his shoulder where it hurt. "You're on the verge of mass murder, Lavoy. Killing over five people is hardly a sacrifice."
Marcus Lavoy laughed. "And what would you propose I do? Give myself in willingly and confess to the crime? Watch all my work fall down the drain?"
"If possible, yes!" Steve cried, knowing he was doing a falling argument.
The smile from Lavoy's face faltered. He walked up to Mark. "If you want your father to stay alive a few more minutes than you, then I suggest you keep your thoughts and insults to yourself." He walked over to Mark. "I gather you are the most favored one. I doubt three doctors and a police officer would come up just for you," he said to Haley. She didn't reply but tried to get up. "I suggest you stay there, Haley. It would do you a lot of good." He looked round at the audience of five people. "I gather none of you would volunteer to go first." No one said anything but kept quiet. "If that is the case, then I suggest you tell me where Jesse Travis is instead."
"Why Jesse?" Amanda asked. "Can't you just leave him alone?"
Marcus smiled almost genuinely at Amanda. "My dear, you must understand that in this game, he who eliminates the opposition becomes the winner of the board game. I still had a few snakes in my board came preventing me from reaching the top. Jesse Travis is one and probably the most important. Now, are you going to tell me where he is or do I have to shoot you all down to the one person." Still, no one said anything. Marcus, in fury, raised his gun and pointed it at Mark's temple. Steve shook his head and tried to barrel through. Only Amanda and Pete were keeping him back. "I will shoot this one first if no one decides to tell me."
Steve looked almost pleadingly at Marcus. Mark shook his head and in his eyes he gave them a warning to not tell them anything. He glanced at Haley, tear eyed, looking up at them both. None of them knew where Jesse was. But from the look in Haley's eyes, something told Mark that she knew exactly where Jesse was. He begged her not to tell. "My patience is beginning to wear out," Marcus began to say. He lifted back the hook of the gun as a warning and pressed it closer to Mark.
"No!" Steve cried, charging forward. Marcus seeing this as a threat, changed positions and aimed the gun at Steve. In the small alcove a shot went off and Steve stopped dead. Almost as if in slow motion, Marcus began to fall to the ground, landing on one knee. Steve came forward and kicked the gun from his hand, sending it spinning across the other end. Everyone gave and evident sigh of relief and Mark lost all his tension. Pete and Amanda nearly collapsed into each other. "Jesse? Why did…" Steve asked in disbelief. Everyone turned round.
Jesse was leaning against the doorway, his right side pressed against the wall for support. He held the gun in his right hand whilst his left was clutching his side. "You don't think I was gonna let you die, was I?"
Steve smiled. "But how?"
Jesse gave a small wicked grin. "You shouldn't leave your guns lying around the corridor, Steve. Anyone could pick it up." He tensed as a spasm of pain jolted through his body from his appendix area. The gun dropped from his hand and he clutched his side tighter.
"You're hurt," Pete said coming forward with Amanda. "You shouldn't have come out of your room, Jesse."
"If I hadn't, you would all be dead by now," Jesse managed to say. He took in a ragged breath and then his body relaxed. With a sigh, he slowly began to fall forwards, his eyes already closed before he had started.
"Jesse!" Amanda cried, reaching out to catch him before he fell. Pete immediately took care of him as Mark and Steve walked towards each other.
"I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life," Steve admitted, putting a hand on his dad's shoulder. He let out a shuddered breath. He could tell by the shaken look on his father's face that he agreed with him as well. Steve knelt down to take Marcus Lavoy in. He was very much alive, only shot in the leg so he had not got away that easily. He cried out in pain as Steve dragged him to his feet. Steve nodded to his father over to where Pete was treating Jesse. "I think we owe him one again."
Mark nodded. "Yes, he said he wanted food from Barbecue Bobs and not the hospital." Steve smiled back.
Sloan's Beach House—1.34pm
It was two days later that Jesse was walking around again. During his remaining two-day recovery, he stayed in the hospital and then Mark insisted he stay in his house beside the beach. Jesse spent still boring days but at least he was able to sit around and not be in bed all day. He lounged around and watched the TV, read a few articles but it still did not keep him interested. He longed to go back to work and become a doctor again. After the two weeks of hell he had been involved in, the thing he wanted to do most was get back to normal.
After the two days, he got a phone call. He left it, as he always did in case if was for Mark or Steve. He was told not to act as an answering service as it mean too much getting up and down so he let it run and waited to see who would speak. What he heard was most unexpected.
"Hey, Jesse, how are you doing? It's Anders here. Just thought I might do a little check up on you and make sure you're all right, you know. If you're not in the house then you must be out on the beach somewhere so give me a call when—"
Jesse got up as quickly as he could without hurting and reached for the phone. "Hey, Anders," he said casually.
"Hey, kid, obviously you weren't on the beach. How are you feeling?"
"Well, definitely better." He paused.
"Things have been running wild here, Jess. You're a regular hero at the moment. Have you any idea how much the police here in California are grateful to you?"
"Stop with the flattering or else I'll get big headed."
"Okay, okay but you'll wish I'll flatter you more because there is always bad news where there is good." Jesse sighed inwardly, wondering what it could be. "Marcus Lavoy has to have a trial obviously, even though he doesn't deserve it. There will be many witnesses, one of them being Haley and myself. But you will be the key witness—or should I say star witness. You're are practically the only person who can stick this case together and we'd need you up on that stand."
Jesse paused, not knowing what to say. "Oh."
Anders gave a small hum. "I know it's hard kid. No one wants to go through this. Trials aren't exactly the best thing for anyone. But you want Lavoy put away as much as I do, don't you…?"
"Of course I do."
"Then you have to testify. I'll be behind you every step of the way and you got some great friends there at the hospital who have helped you through everything. You'll definitely make it through. So, what do you say?"
