Lost Tomorrows
Van lay in the middle of the alley on his back, he didn't know when he had ever hurt worse. The gang stood around him in a circle kicking at him. If only he could catch his breath he'd be able to stand up and defend himself. Where was his partner? He thought he had heard gunshots before he was ambushed and drug into the alley. Was Deaq okay? He tried to roll himself into a ball to protect his ribs and stomach but then all the blows were connecting with his kidneys. He thought his nose was broken and it sure felt like his jaw was too. He knew if help didn't come soon he'd be beaten to death. As the blows rained down on him he tried to focus on how he came to be in the alley. Anything to take his mind off the pain.
EarlierThey were heading home together after a long day and had just left the Candy Store.
"How 'bout stopping for a couple of drinks?" Van needed something to help him unwind.
"Yeah, I could use a few myself."
They had just parked the car and were heading to a nearby bar when they heard screaming coming from an alleyway. It wasn't the nicest part of town and anything could be going on. There were no patrol cars in sight so they felt obligated to check it out. They ran over to a girl standing at the mouth of the alley.
"What's going on?" Deaq asked.
"They're going to kill each other!!" She screamed
"Who?" Van asked looking toward the sounds of the screams.
"There's a whole gang of them!" The girl began, tears rolling down her face. "They………….they were shooting dope and……………Jerry pulled a gun! They're going to kill each other! You got to stop them!
Deaq and Van glanced at each other. It could be a drug bust gone wrong or just a bunch of druggies flipping out. Neither one of them knew what they could be walking into, but both knew it could get extremely dangerous.
"Hurry!" The girl tugged on Van's shirt pulling him into the alley with Deaq following. When they both pulled out guns and girl's eyes widened and she released her grip on Van and backed away. As they neared the end of the alley they spotted a group of about twelve men standing over a man who was obviously injured or dead.
"Go to the bar and call 911!" Deaq yelled over his shoulder to the girl.
"Hold it!" Van yelled as the men turned toward them then began to slowly back up. It was obvious they were getting ready to take off. One of the men held a bloody knife in his hand. "I said hold it!" Van repeated as the men continued backing up to an adjacent alley.
The gang broke into two groups each running in different directions. Van and Deaq briefly checked on the victim lying on the ground and after determining he was dead, they took off in different directions each chasing one of the groups. Van's group consisted of about eight men, including the man who had killed the man in the alley. He chased them out into the street and knew immediately this wasn't going to end well, there were just too many of them. He knew the group Deaq followed had about four men in it. Well at least his odds were better. Van knew this wasn't their job, the uniformed cops should be handling this, but till a squad car could get there the gang would be gone. As he ran around a corner and headed toward an alley he was ambushed. A trashcan was thrown at him and he went down hard. His gun flew from his hand and was immediately picked up by one of the gang. He was then dragged into the alley and one of the men reached in his pocket and took his wallet. Money and credit cards were removed from the walled then it was tossed back on the ground. Thank God he didn't have his shield in there or they would have gotten a police badge which would be worth more then the money and credit cards to the thieves. That's when the kicks began. There were too many of them and no way for him to get to his feet to fight back. One man knelt down beside him.
"So you're a big, bad hero huh? You think we're scum don't you? Well let's see how you like a little taste of this." The man pulled a syringe out of his pocket and jammed it into Van's arm.
Van felt the affects of the drug immediately. The hot liquid shot up his arm. He could feel his heart pounding forcing the drug through his system. Somewhere in the background he thought he could hear sirens. Luckily the gang must have heard them too, they ran off leaving him battered and bleeding in the alley. He knew he had to hide in case they came back but between the beating and the drug he couldn't stand. He finally managed to crawl to the side of the alley where a deep basement window well was. He rolled into it and fell to the bottom of the well. Once there he rolled himself into a ball, shivering from pain and fear. The last thought he had was whether Deaq was okay.
An adjacent alley
Deaq had given up chasing the four men when they all ran off in different directions. He ran back to the alley he had last seen Van in. He wasn't there. His heart pounded as he ran up and down the streets looking for his partner.
"Van!" He yelled looking up and down the alley ways. "Yo Van!"
He had also heard the sirens and he watched as a police car flew by chasing a car. He attempted to flag them down but they either didn't see him or were too involved in the chase to stop. He continued searching for his missing partner. Where was he? Was he still chasing the men or was he lying injured somewhere?
"Van!" Deaq shouted becoming more and more concerned. Where are you partner? He stopped dead in his tracks when he thought he heard a moan coming from an adjacent alley way.
"Van?" He entered the alley and cautiously walked down it. He heard the sound again and ran toward where he thought it was coming from. He looked into the window well.
"Van!" He cried out as he jumped down into the well beside his partner. "Oh my God." Worry filled his eyes as he looked at his partner's battered body. "Oh God Van." He said softly as he gently put his hand on Van's shoulder. He pulled out his cell phone and called for an ambulance then knelt down next to Van. Van began to moan, his face a mask of pain.
"Hold still partner, don't move." Deaq said as Van rolled over. He put his hand on Van's chest trying to hold him still. Van's eyelids fluttered and he finally opened his eyes and looked at Deaq.
"Deaq?"
"Yeah partner it's me. Just take it easy."
"Oh God Deaq, I didn't know I could hurt this bad." Van winced and squeezed his eyes shut as pain shot through his entire body.
"I know buddy, I know." Deaq gently squeezed Van's shoulder.
Minutes later when Van reopened his eyes Deaq got a better look at him. His face wrinkled with concern. Van's eyes were glassy, dilated, and not focusing on anything. He had seen that look before in the countless junkies they had encountered.
"What the hell did they give you?!"
It was obvious that they had injected Van with some kind of drug and Deaq prayed it wasn't a lethal dose. He stood up and looked anxiously down the alley hoping to see the ambulance. Five minutes later it pulled up. Van was treated the best he could at the scene then sped off to the hospital.
The HospitalDeaq and Billie sat in the waiting room while the doctor examined Van.
"What the hell happened?" Billie asked. "You guys weren't even gone an hour and then I get a call from you saying Van's in the hospital."
"We were just stopping for a few drinks and we heard screaming……….we couldn't just walk away Billie."
"That's a tough neighborhood, there should have been cops nearby."
"There wasn't and till we would have called for some the gang would have been long gone."
"Well, they're long gone anyway and look where it got you. Van could have been killed, you too, plus now they've got Van's gun."
"What do you want me to say Billie, that I'm sorry? Well I am. I'm sorry my partner's lying in there busted up! I'm sorry I didn't get to him in time before they injected him with God knows what!……….I'm sorry Billie, okay?"
Billie shut her eyes and shook her head.
"No, I'm sorry Deaq. I didn't mean to jump on you, I'm just worried about Van. I shouldn't take it out on you."
"It's okay Billie, I'm worried too." Deaq put his arm around her shoulders.
It seemed like hours before the doctor finally came out to the waiting room.
"He really took a bad beating. I don't think there's an area on his body that isn't bruised. But what I'm worried about is the injection he was given. We've been flushing the remnants of the drug from his system, but our main worry is the possibility of AIDS. Those junkies are always sharing dirty needles. We're taking blood tests and it will be a few days before we get the results back."
"AIDS?!!" Deaq swallowed the lump in his throat as he pictured Van dying a slow painful death.
"Does he know?" Billie asked.
"Yeah, he knows there's a possibility. He's conscious but in a lot of pain. We need to get some x-rays and ultrasounds to make sure he doesn't have any serious internal injuries."
"Can we see him?" Deaq asked.
"Just for a few minutes, but only one of you, he needs to rest."
"Go ahead." Billie said knowing Deaq needed to be with his partner.
Deaq entered the E R and walked over to the Van's gurney.
"Hey partner." Deaq said looking down at him.
"Hey."
"How ya doing?"
"Okay, it only hurts when I laugh." Van gave him a small smile.
"Doc, says even your bruises have bruises." Deaq smiled back.
"Yeah, I feel like I was at the losing end of an eighteen wheeler……….How 'bout you, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was lucky, I never caught up with the group I was chasing."
"Yeah, you were lucky." Van gave a little laugh but then shut his eyes as another wave of pain shot over him.
Deaq noticed the doctor give him a little nod indicating it was time for him to leave. He reached down and patted Van's arm.
"I'm going to let the doctor earn his pay. I'll check on you later."
Van made a fist and Deaq tapped it with his own.
The next dayVan was held overnight to make sure he didn't have any serious injuries. The doctor wanted him to stay one more day to make sure he rested but he checked himself out. He had always hated hospitals and he wasn't going to stay one more minute then he had to. He left with the doctor's instructions to rest and take it easy for the next two weeks. His body had taken a bad beating and he had bruised ribs and bruised kidneys, but other then plenty of rest there was really nothing else that could be done for him. He was told he would get the results of the AIDS test in about two or three days.
Both Deaq and Billie drove him home. The ride was done mostly in silence each one lost in their own thoughts. No one wanting to deal with the possibility that the test might be positive. For the next two days Deaq stopped in to check on Van. They went out a few times for a couple of drinks then went back to Van's house and played poker. Deaq didn't bring up the AIDS test but he could tell Van was worried about it by the way he couldn't seem to concentrate on the game.
Three days laterVan walked over and picked up the ringing phone. It was the hospital.
"We have the results of your AIDS test and the doctor would like to see you."
Van shut his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I'd like to know the results now."
"The doctor doesn't like giving results over the phone, he would prefer to talk to you in person."
"Just give me the results."
"I really think……….."
"Give me the results." Van repeated interrupting her.
He could hear her open an envelope.
"I'm sorry, but the results are positive."
Van felt the room start to spin and quickly sat down.
"Are they sure?"
"Yes, I'm sorry."
Van couldn't answer her. He felt like he was dreaming as he hung up the phone. His whole life had suddenly changed with one phone call. He was going to get AIDS and there wasn't a cure. He knew there was treatment he could take for AIDS but did he want to prolong the inevitable? His days as a cop were over. He couldn't take the chance that someone would come in contact with his blood if he was injured. He knew he had no choice but to resign. The thought of leaving a job he loved and the people he cared for caused his eyes to fill with tears. He took a few moments to compose himself then headed to the Candy Store to talk to Billie.
Later that day
Deaq walked into the Candy Store and headed over to Billie's desk.
"What's up Billie?" She had called him at home after Van had left and asked him to stop in.
"Deaq……………I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Van was just here……………….He resigned."
"What?!!" It was the last thing Deaq had expected to hear. "Why?!"
"He just said that after the beating he took in the alley he thought it over and decided he wanted a normal job. Not one where you had to be constantly looking over your shoulder."
"There must be more to this then that. Van loves his job. You know him Billie, he lives for the excitement."
Billie just shook her head sadly. She was still stunned from the news and didn't know what more to say.
"Well, I'm going to go have a talk with him. Something's up Billie and I'm going to find out what."
Billie said nothing but watched Deaq leave with tears in her eyes.
Van's house
Deaq knocked at Van's door. Van opened it then walked over to the sink and continued washing dishes. Deaq walked over and stood right behind him.
"Okay what's up?" He asked.
Van didn't need to ask what he was talking about. He was sure Deaq had heard from Billie about his resignation.
"I figured it's about time I found something a little less dangerous as an occupation." Van continued washing the dishes and didn't turn around.
"Van, I know you, you live for the danger. That's who you are."
"Not any more. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of never being able to be me. Always having to pretend I'm someone else."
"What's really going on Van? Hey partner, if you need to talk I'm here."
"Nothing is going on Deaq. I've been thinking about this for a while now and I just decided now's the time."
"What about me? I'm your partner, what am I suppose to do?"
"Billie will find you another partner. Maybe you'll get off to a better start with him then we first did." Van gave a little laugh as he thought back to the first time he and Deaq met. It hadn't gone well.
"I don't want no other partner, You're my partner, even though you're a pain in the ass most of the time."
"I've made up my mind Deaq, I'm sorry."
"Sorry! That's all you're going to say?!" Deaq put his hand on Van's shoulder and spun him around. He could have sworn there were tears in Van's eyes before Van pulled away and once more turned his back on him. "Van, talk to me man. Tell me the truth, what's going on?"
"Nothing!" Van plunged his hands back into the dishwater. "Owwww!" He yelped as he pulled his hand back out and turned toward Deaq. Blood poured from a deep cut in his hand where a knife in the water had cut it.
"Damn it Van that looks deep!" Deaq reached for a dish towel to tie around Van's hand to stop the flow of blood.
Van quickly pulled his hand back.
"Get away from me! Don't touch me!"
Deaq jumped back, startled by Van's outburst.
"What the hell's going on?! What's………….."
Suddenly it hit Deaq. He felt an icy chill go up his spine.
"You got the results back didn't you? You got the AIDS test back."
Van glanced at Deaq then tried to turn away but Deaq stopped him.
"It was positive wasn't it?" Deaq prayed he was wrong.
"Yeah partner, it was positive." Van said softly.
"That's what this is all about, that's why you want to quit the force isn't it?"
"Deaq, I'm a cop………I can't take the chance that I might get hurt on the job and someone comes in contact with my blood."
"Does Billie know?"
Van shook his head.
"All I told her was that I'm tired of being a cop, that I want a normal nine to five job……….Deaq, I just want to enjoy the next few years. I want to surf, I want to hang glide, I want to do the things I never seem to have time for before……..well before I get too sick to be able to."
Deaq looked down for a moment, lost in his thoughts.
"You know Van, they're looking for a cure. You can't just give up. What do you plan to do once you've gotten all the surfing and hang gliding out of your system………sky dive?"
"Maybe." Van smiled.
"What the hell are you trying to do, get yourself killed?"
"They're all things I wanted to do but didn't have the time for. Now I do."
"And what are you going to do when your money runs out?"
Van looked at Deaq for a few seconds and said nothing.
"I'll deal with that when the time comes." He said as he wrapped the dish towel around his hand.
"Van you know there's treatment you can take. Your life isn't over."
"And what am I suppose to do with a few extra years? I'm a cop Deaq, it's all I know."
"You can still be a cop, you don't have to quit."
"Still be a cop?! They'd stick me behind a desk somewhere. You know I can't do that. This is the best way Deaq………….Look I don't want to argue with you………I just need you to understand."
Deaq turned away and blinked back tears. He didn't want to lose his partner. A horrible lonely feeling crept over him even though his partner was standing right in front of him.
"Van………I……….." His voice cracked and he couldn't go on.
"Hey." Van put his hand on Deaq's shoulder. "Hey partner, we can still hang out. Nothing has to change……. except work."
"I'm sorry Van." Deaq turned around. "If there's anything I can do, you know I will."
"There is one thing."
"Name it."
"Try to smooth things over with Billie. She was a little upset when I left."
"You said you didn't tell her the reason you resigned, right?"
"Yeah, I didn't want her to feel sorry for me."
"Well I think she should know the reason behind this."
Van thought for a few seconds.
"I don't know Deaq. I know she'll try to talk me out of it, but I'm not changing my mind. This is best for everyone."
"I wish you'd take some time and think about it."
"I already thought it out. I don't want to sit around and let people watch me slowly die. I want to enjoy what time I have, not sit behind some desk." Van looked at Deaq.
"Deaq, I'm scared man, more scared then I've ever been before. But I need to do this my way. I need you to understand that."
Deaq walked over to him and wrapped his arms around him. He hugged him, tears in his eyes, his heart breaking.
"Hey partner I do understand. I'd probably do the same thing. I'm here for you, you're not alone in this. Don't forget that."
Later at the Candy Store
"What did you find out?" Billie asked as soon as Deaq walked into the building.
"He's not going to change his mind Billie."
"Did he tell you why? And don't tell me he's tired of being a cop. I already heard that from him and know that's not true."
Deaq looked down at the floor for a few seconds.
"Deaq, what is it?"
"He's HIV positive Billie. Those bastards injected him with a dirty needle."
Her mouth dropped slightly open and tears filled her eyes.
"Oh God no, not Van." She reached for her phone, she had to talk to him.
Deaq put his hand on the phone.
"Billie, he made up his mind. You're not going to change it………. I couldn't."
"Deaq, we got to get him into some kind of treatment program."
"I suggested that but………"
"But what?"
"I don't think he wants to prolong it. I think he wants to enjoy the time he has left."
"What's he planning on doing?"
"He said he wants to take some time to go surfing and hang gliding."
"Hang gliding! What the hell is he trying to do get himself killed?!"
"That's what I thought at first Billie, but I don't think Van would do something like that."
"You know he had a friend that was killed while hang gliding. The winds kicked up and he was slammed into the side of a cliff. Van saw it happen and he hasn't gone hang gliding since. Why would he all of a sudden want to go?"
"I don't know Billie………I never knew he use to hang glide."
"It was a long time ago. That's what worries me Deaq, he said he'd never hang glide again, not after watching his buddy die."
"What are we going to do Billie?"
"I want you to take some time off and keep an eye on him. If he goes surfing, follow him. If he goes hang gliding watch him."
"He's not going to like it Billie."
"Stay in the background, maybe he won't notice you. I just want him watched Deaq. I don't want him doing something stupid."
Deaq looked down at the floor, when he looked back up he had tears in his eyes.
"Billie what are we going to do. I don't think he'll go in for treatment. God Billie, he's my partner, I don't want to lose him."
"Just give him a little time to adjust to the news. When I think the time is right I'll talk to him."
"What about his resignation?"
"I'm just going to sit on that for awhile."
An alley in L.A.
"That son of a bitch saw me." Mick Chambers, the man Van and Deaq saw stab the man earlier in the alley, said. He stood among twelve other men.
"It was dark, he probably couldn't even describe you."
"But what if he can? What if he goes to the cops and they bring me in for a line up?"
"Well, what are we suppose to do about it?"
"I want him found. You all saw him and you saw the black guy he was with. I want you to go around the city and describe them to our friends. Tell them I'm offering a thousand dollars to anyone who can tell me where to find him, and ten thousand to anyone that kills him."
"What about the black guy?"
"He didn't see me close up. He's not a threat, but if he's with him or tries to stop you, kill him too. And I want it to look like an accident, I don't want any cops investigating his death and have it lead back to me."
Two days later
Deaq sat in his car in the parking lot at the top of a cliff overlooking the beach. He watched while Van paddled out then rode the wave back in over and over. Deaq couldn't believe how good he was. He smiled to himself as he remembered when they had first met and Van had told him how he had taught Dre to surf. Deaq hadn't believed him. His brother Dre up on a surf board? He still had trouble believing it. Later as it started to get dark most of the surfers called it a day. But not Van, he kept going back out. Deaq was beginning to get worried. Van had to be exhausted by now. Plus he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Didn't sharks usually attack at dusk? He decided to climb down the stairs and watch from the beach. He doubted Van would be able to spot him in the fading light. If something happened he needed to be close. At one point Van disappeared beneath an enormous wave and Deaq ran to the edge of the beach his heart pounding. Finally in what seemed like forever Van surfaced and started heading toward shore. Deaq quickly headed back to the steps and climbed up. He knew Van would be angry if he knew they were keeping an eye on him. Deaq got back in his car and pulled behind a bush hoping Van wouldn't spot him, he didn't. Van strapped his surf board onto his roof, climbed in, and headed for home.
Deaq waited till Van had pulled out of the parking lot before he followed him. He figured he'd make sure he got home then he'd leave and do the whole routine again tomorrow. He was glad Van was staying on the ground surfing and not jumping off a cliff in a hang glider. Surfing was dangerous enough, but hang gliding was even more so. Deaq was lost in his thoughts as he followed Van. All of a sudden Van's brake lights lit up and he spun his car around sideways in the road blocking Deaq.
"Oh great." Deaq mumbled to himself. He knew Van had a bad temper and soon he was going to be at the receiving end of it. But instead of Van ranting and raving about him following him he smiled as he leaned in Deaq's window.
"Hey, funny seeing you here." Van said grinning.
"I was just in the neighborhood." Deaq said knowing Van knew he was lying.
"Billie put you up to this didn't she?"
When Deaq didn't answer Van continued.
"I don't need a babysitter Deaq."
"Billie was worried." Deaq didn't add that he too was worried about Van.
"Well she doesn't need to be."
"Van I watched you out there. Those waves were huge and when everyone left you stayed. I saw that last wave wipe you out and it took you a long time to surface. You know you could have been hurt or killedout there, and know one was around to help you."
"But I wasn't Deaq……….Deaq I'm not looking to die, I'm looking to live."
"I'm sorry Van…….we just……..well we were worried."
Van smiled and reached through the window and put his hand on Deaq's shoulder.
"Hey, instead of hiding behind bushes, why not stop by tomorrow and I'll give you some surf lessons?"
"Oh no, you're not getting this brother up on a board. No way, ain't going to happen. But I will stop by tomorrow just to watch you catch a couple of waves if that's okay? You know you're actually pretty good."
"Yeah, I do okay I guess. And I would have taken that last wave but I saw you on the beach and I lost my concentration." Van smiled.
"Yeah, blame it on me." Deaq smiled back but there was a little pain in his heart. One day this horrible disease was going to rob him of his partner, his friend. He prayed it wouldn't be for a long, long time.
"Hey, how 'bout you follow me home and we'll stop, pick up a pizza and beer, then play some cards."
"Sounds good, lead the way."
Outside the Pizza Shop
A group of men stood across the street from the Pizza shop. One man stepped away from the group and pulled one of the other men with him.
"Hey I think that's him. I think that's the guy Chambers been looking for. A thin white guy, long brown hair, parted in the middle hanging with a black guy, short hair and a little bit taller then him. That's him, I bet ya. Let's get the car and follow them." Jason Ryder said quietly not wanting the other men to hear him.
"If it's him you've got a thousand bucks coming." Tim Curtis said.
"Ten thousand if I waste him."
"They said it had to look like an accident, that's what I heard."
"Well, let's first see where they go, then we can figure out some way to take care of him."
They followed Van and Deaq to Van's house and watched as he unstrapped his surf board and went inside with Deaq.
Three hours later Deaq left.
"Well now we know where he lives." Ryder watched Deaq drive away.
"What are you going to do?"
"Nothing tonight. First thing tomorrow I'm buying one of those instant cameras and get a picture of him so Chambers knows we got the right guy. Then we start following him till the opportunity presents itself."
The following day
Ryder and Curtis watched from their truck across the street from Van's house while he loaded his surfboard onto his car.
"Maybe we could stage an accident, you know run him off the road or something."
"We'll see." Ryder leaned out the window and snapped a picture of Van. He watched as it developed then put it in his pocket.
They followed Van as he picked up Deaq and headed for the beach, then parked near the parking lot and watched as Deaq and Van headed down to the beach.
The Beach
"Awwwww come on Deaq, rent a board and go out with me."
"Are you nuts?"
"Can't you swim?"
"Yeah, I can swim but I don't like being constantly pushed under by the waves. I'll do my swimming in a pool thank you."
"You're going to be bored hanging around here doing nothing."
"I'll find something to keep me contented." Deaq smiled as he nodded toward a group of girls sitting on towels watching the surfers.
Van smiled then picked up his board and headed into the water.
Deaq walked over to the girls and soon was sitting on a towel next to them. Even as he carried on conversations with them he kept an eye on Van.
In the parking lot
Curtis went to the back of the car and opened the trunk. He looked around to make sure no one was watching then pulled out a rifle with a scope on it.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ryder said as he put his hand on the rifle and pushed it down.
"Hey, you want him dead don't you?"
"How the hell is a bullet wound going to pass for an accident stupid."
"I thought maybe I'd just shoot out his board and hope for the best."
"They have ways of checking to see if a bullet did the damage. I got a better idea. I know a couple of surfers who can always use a few bucks." He looked over at the parking lot then down at the beach. "I don't see any of them here now but I know one of them owes me big time." Ryder pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey, Dennis what's happening? Hey I need a favor. Get your surf board and come out to Laguna Beach. I'll tell you what I need you to do when you get here." Ryder hung up the phone and smiled at Curtis.
An hour later
An old pickup truck pulled into the parking lot and a scruffy looking man got out. Ryder and Curtis walked over to him. Ryder put out his hand and shook Dennis's.
"What's up buddy?" Dennis asked.
"I need you to stage a little accident." Ryder pointed at Van in the ocean. "See that guy out there off to the left by himself?"
"Yeah."
"I need you to wipe him out and don't hold back. I don't want him walking away from this if you get my drift?"
"What did he do to you?" Dennis said as he watched Van.
"None of your business." Ryder handed Dennis fifty dollars. "Just take care of it."
"What ever you say." Dennis put the money in his glove compartment then grabbed his board from out of the back of the pick up and headed for the beach.
The Ocean
Dennis paddled out till he was close to Van but not too close. He knew exactly what he had to do. He patiently waited for the right wave. He watched Van surf and he even took a few waves himself so he wouldn't look suspicious. But later as Van took off on a large wave Dennis took the same wave. As the wave began to break Dennis leaned back on his board forcing it to sail through the air at Van. Van never saw it coming. All he felt was a hard hit on the back of his head then everything went black.
From the shore Deaq had just turned back to look at Van and saw the board flying toward his partner. He quickly stood up and watched in horror as the board hit Van. His head snapped back as he fell into the water. Deaq ran toward the water's edge looking frantically for Van. A few of the surfers ran to his side as did a lifeguard.
"Boy he really got clobbered." One of them said as he raised his hand over his eyes to shadow out the sun.
"Does anyone see him?!" Deaq yelled as he ran back and forth along the beach trying to catch sight of Van's board.
It seemed like eternity before someone yelled.
"There he is!"
A surfer stood on the beach pointing to something in the water.
Deaq, the lifeguard and a few of the other surfers ran into the water and dove under the waves trying to make their way out to Van. When they finally got to his board one of the surfers followed the leash down to Van's body and pulled him up. He put him on a surfboard, and laying on top of him, paddled to shore. Deaq swam next to them talking to Van trying to wake him. A steady stream of blood flowed from the back of Van's head and ran into the ocean. Deaq hated the ocean but that didn't matter right now. All he wanted was for Van to open his eyes, smile at him and tell him he was alright. Once on shore the lifeguard checked Van to see if he was breathing, he wasn't. Deaq knew the lifeguard was going to do mouth to mouth resuscitation and knew he had to stop him. Since Van had AIDS he couldn't let him do it, he would do it himself if he had to,but he couldn't let someone else take the risk of getting the disease. He was just about to stop him when the life guard pulled out a plastic mouth protector, put it over Van's mouth and performed mouth to mouth. With all the AIDS scares around all life guards carried protection from the disease. Deaq shut his eyes and let out a sigh of relief when the lifeguard got Van breathing. He started coughing up water and moaning. Deaq reached down, picked up a towel and put it under Van's head to stop the flow of blood. He then knelt beside him.
"I'll call 911 and get an ambulance down here. Is he a friend of yours?" The lifeguard asked Deaq.
"Yeah, I'll take care of him."
"Well, I'd get him to a hospital if I was you. He took a nasty hit."
After a while Van's eyelids fluttered and he slowly opened his eyes. He winced in pain and started to reach for the back of his head but Deaq grabbed his hand.
"Deaq?"
"Yeah it's me, just take it easy."
"What…….." Van started coughing up more water. His head was pounding and his lungs felt like he was trying to breathe under water. "What…….what's going on?" He managed to get out between coughs.
One of the surfers standing near by spoke up.
"Some dude dropped in on your wave man."
Deaq looked up the beach and watched as the man whose board had hit Van started quickly climbing the steep steps up to the parking lot. It was just an accident and Deaq didn't understand why the man was in such a hurry to leave. Unless it wasn't an accident, the cop in him thought. No, Deaq tried to get the thought out of his mind, I'm just reading too much into this. It was an accident plain and simple. The man was probably scared that he had really hurt Van bad and just wanted to get out of there. Or he could be scared of the other surfers. Deaq knew it was an unwritten law that if someone had already claimed a wave, you didn't try to take it from them. He knew surfers didn't take kindly to anyone breaking that rule, someone could get seriously hurt or killed. Deaq watched as once the man reached the top of the stairs two other men walked over to him and stood with him watching the scene below. The hair on the back of Deaq's neck stood up, something wasn't right. But his attention was soon drawn back to Van who was struggling to stand.
"Take it slow buddy." The lifeguard reached out to help Van.
"Get away! Get away from me!" Van pulled away not wanting the man to come in contact with his blood.
"Hey, I'm just trying to help you buddy." The lifeguard stepped back and put his hands up.
"I'll take care of him." Deaq helped Van up then stood beside him to hold him steady. Blood poured from the deep gash at the back of Van's head and ran down his back. Deaq leaned over and was about to pick up the towel when Van pushed him away and leaned wobbly over and picked it up himself. He pressed it against the back of his head.
"Keep away from me Deaq! Don't touch me!"
"What's the matter with him?" The lifeguard asked Deaq.
Since no one had come in contact with Van's blood Deaq didn't need to tell anyone about the AIDS.
"He's probably just a little confused from the blow he took to his head. I'll take him to the hospital and get him checked out." He said as he slowly led Van over to the stairs. He left Van sit down to rest before attempting to climb the steps.
"My blood didn't get on anyone did it?" Van asked worriedly.
"No, I made sure of that."
"You didn't touch it did you?"
"No, I was careful."
"Oh thank God." Van said leaning back.
Deaq winced inside. Even though Van had almost been killed his only concern was for other people.
"You know you really took a hit. I thought he took your head off."
"Yeah, what happened? I remember riding a wave and the next thing I saw was you leaning over me and my head feeling like it was about to blow off my shoulders."
"Some guy………" Deaq looked up toward the parking lot but could no longer see the man or the two men he had been standing with. "Some guy took your wave and wiped out. His board flew over and hit you in the head."
"Is he okay?"
"Yeah, I guess he got scared and took off."
Van tried to stand up but swayed a little. Deaq quickly put Van's arm over his shoulder.
"You think you can make it up the stairs or do you want me to get someone to help?"
"I can make it ……….just go slow." Van leaned on Deaq but was careful not to get any blood on him as they slowly made their way up the steps. Once there, Deaq insisted that Van go to the hospital and get his head looked at. Van objected but finally gave in.
The hospital
Once there they walked over to the Emergency Room window. A nurse kept her head down but peeked over her glasses at them.
"May I help you?" She asked.
"I guess I need a couple of stitches." Van said his hand still holding the bloody towel to his head.
"Okay, I need some information first."
The nurse looked down and filled out a form as she asked the standard insurance information then she glanced back up.
"Anything we need to be concerned with? Hepatitis, AIDS………."
"AIDS." Van said softly.
"Speak up I can't hear you."
"I'm HIV positive."
Deaq watched as everyone in the waiting room looked at them.
"Well, I'm going to need you to go into the room over there and wait for the doctor."
"Can't he just wait here?" Deaq asked.
"Not with AIDS he can't."
"He's not……….."
"It's okay Deaq." Van said as he walked to the other room. He glanced at the people in the waiting room then quickly looked away. Deaq shook his head sadly, he hoped Van hadn't noticed the people whispering and pointing at him.
Three hours later
Before Van left the hospital he was told to keep his wound dry and to come back in seven days to get the stitches out. The doctor had wanted Van to stay overnight in order for them to keep an eye on his head injury but he had refused. The doctor had also explained to Van that he should stay awake for the next twelve hours in case he had a slight concussion. If he fell asleep and the injury was worse then thought, he might elapse into a coma. Deaq told the doctor he'd stay with Van and keep an eye on him.
Deaq drove Van's car home while Van sat with his head back, eyes shut.
"Don't you fall asleep on me partner." Deaq said.
Van gave a small laugh.
"That's going to be a hard habit to break."
"What?"
"Calling me partner………..I'm not anymore you know."
"Hey, you're still my partner till your resignation goes through."
Deaq glanced at Van and noticed a hint of pain on his face.
"You okay?"
Van nodded but didn't speak.
"What's wrong?"
"I feel………..well I feel like I'm letting you down……..You just make sure Billie finds you someone that'll watch your back after I'm gone."
Deaq didn't answer but turned his head and looked out the window as tears welled up in his eyes.
Outside Van's house
Ryder and Curtis sat in their pickup truck across the street and a little ways up from Van's house.
"Damn, if Dennis hadn't fucked up I'd have ten thousand coming to me." Ryder said.
"Why don't you just push him in front of a bus or something and get it over with?"
"It might just come down to that if the opportunity presents itself."
They leaned forward in their seats as Van's car pulled up but leaned back in disappointment when they noticed Deaq was with him. They watched as the two men entered the house. They could tell Van was injured by the way Deaq kept his hand on Van's back to steady him.
As the night drug on Ryder and Curtis were becoming restless.
"Maybe he's staying the night." Curtis said.
"Well I'm not sitting here all night, we'll check back tomorrow." Ryder started the truck and drove away.
The next afternoon
They had stayed up the entire twelve hours then both fell into an exhausted sleep.
Deaq woke up before Van and was scrambling eggs when Van walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, do you do windows?" Van said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"If the price is right." Deaq smiled. "How're you feeling?"
"Like someone's playing drums in my head and they aren't that good." He sat down at the kitchen table and put his head in his hands.
"Well I guess surfing is out for now." Deaq was glad, he didn't like watching his partner get pulverized by the big waves.
"My surfboard!" Van sat up too quick and immediately regretted it. He swayed a little in his seat as a wave of dizziness hit him. He shut his eyes till it passed.
"Don't worry. When we left I saw the lifeguard pull it out of the ocean. I'm sure he put it somewhere safe."
"Yeah but I don't want to leave it down at the beach. Someone will probably walk off with it."
"Okay we'll take a drive down there later and pick it up."
Two hours later
Van and Deaq slowly made their way down the steps to the beach. Van's surfboard was propped up by the lifeguard station.
"See, it's safe and sound." Deaq put his hand on the board. He looked at Van who wasn't listening but had stopped a little ways up the beach and was watching something. Deaq walked over and followed Van's gaze. Further up the beach on top of a cliff, hang gliders could be seen taking a short run and jumping off the cliff. They sailed out over the ocean their bright colors making a rainbow in the sky.
"Don't even think about it Van." Deaq said as he saw the smile on Van's face.
"You know, I use to do that."
"Billie told me." He remembered Billie saying that one of Van's friends had been killed and that Van hadn't flown since.
"I need to get out there again. I need to see if I still have the nerve."
"Damn it Van you have a head injury! There's no way I'm letting you go up there."
"Not today." Van looked over at Deaq and winked. "But how 'bout tomorrow?"
Deaq shook his head and hoped Van was only kidding with him. It seemed Van was trying to live a year's worth of life into a few days.
They picked up the surfboard and drove back to Van's. Once there Van led Deaq into a small room he kept for storage. He pushed some boxes aside and pulled out a large object wrapped in canvas. He drug it out into the living room and opened it. It was a neatly stored hang glider.
"You mean you even have your own, you don't rent one?" Deaq couldn't believe Van was serious. He was worried that he might actually go out there tomorrow and try it.
"Yeah, she's been wrapped up for a few years, but she'll fly." Van ran his hand over the glider.
"Van I think that bump on your head rattled your brains. If Billie knew what you were planning."
"Well she doesn't, and I don't want you to tell her. I don't need Billie coming over here acting like a mother hen."
"Van, you need to take a couple of days and rest. You're not seriously thinking of taking that thing up tomorrow are you?"
"I don't know, I might."
"Van, Billie told me about your friend being killed while hang gliding. You don't need to prove anything."
"Yeah I do, I need to prove something to myself."
"You don't have to squeeze everything into a few days. Even with this damn disease you could have a lot of years left before you even begin to feel sick. You don't have to do everything today."
"Look Deaq………..I love ya man, but this is something I want to do……..something I need to do."
"Van, I really don't want to watch you go sailing off some cliff."
"Hey, if it will make you nervous you don't have to watch. Like I said I don't need a babysitter, you have your own life to live. Don't waste your time hanging with me because you feel like you have to. Go home, get on with your life."
"Well if you think I'm letting you go up to the cliff alone tomorrow you're nuts."
Van smiled at him.
"I'd like you to come…….. Hey, I could strap you onto me and I can take you out for your first ride."
"Like hell! My feet are staying firmly planted on the ground."
Van smiled.
"Hey, I'm starving." He said changing the subject. "How 'bout going for something to eat. My treat."
"You're paying?! Can't refuse that, let's go."
Outside Van's house
Ryder angrily shook his head when he saw them leave the house.
"When the hell is he going to be alone? That guy follows him around like he's attached at the hip."
"Sooner or later he'll have to go home." Curtis looked over at Ryder. "You just have to be patient."
Later
When they got back from the restaurant Van decided to tie his hang glider onto his car tonight rather then waiting for the morning. Deaq could tell Van was still feeling a little dizzy and decided to stay the night, just to make sure he got some rest. Van was too tired to object. Early the next morning they got up and headed for the cliffs. Deaq's heart was pounding in his chest as they got out and started assembling the hang glider. He would have given anything to talk Van out of it, but knew that would be next to impossible.
"Van, you know you really shouldn't be flying this thing so soon after your head injury. What if you get dizzy up there?"
"I'm fine Deaq. If I start to feel dizzy I'll come right back. Just relax and enjoy the view. I won't stay up long." Van said as he climbed into his harness. In fact he was nervous too. He kept having flashbacks of is friend being thrown into the cliffs. He shook his head slightly to get the image out of his mind. "Here goes." Van yelled over to Deaq as he began running to the edge of the cliff. Deaq shut his eyes he couldn't bear to watch. A few seconds later he opened them and watched as Van soared out over the ocean. After a few minutes Van turned the glider around and sailed along the coast line. It was a pretty sight, Van flying over the surfers on the beach. Deaq smiled. It was good to see his partner having fun, but the next minute his heart was in his throat as he watched the wind catch Van and start to push him toward the cliffs. But Van was good, he managed to regain control and head the kite back over the ocean. He expertly turned it around and headed back to the landing area. Deaq left out a sigh of relief once Van was safe on the ground.
"I hope you got that out of your system." Deaq said as he helped Van unfasten the harness.
"Yeah, I just wanted to prove to myself I could still do it."
"Well you've done that. I thought you were a goner, that wind almost sailed you right into the cliffs."
"I know, for a moment I thought I was going to end up like Mike. But somehow I managed to pull it back. You should give it a try sometime." Van smiled.
"Hell no! That's one thing I never had the urge to try. This brother is keeping his feet on the ground."
On a street near the hang gliding site
"Well, he just showed me the perfect way to get rid of him and make it look like an accident. Now all we got to do is hope his friend goes home tonight." Ryder said as he watched Van fold the glider back up and tie it to his car roof.
Later
Deaq decided to go home that night. Van was feeling better and even though Van told him he could stay if he wanted to he didn't want to make a pest of himself. He helped Van unload the glider then before he left he made Van promise that he wouldn't go hang gliding or do anything dangerous without first calling him. Van promised him that tomorrow he was going to take it easy, stay home and rent a couple of movies.
Early the next morning
Ryder pounded on Van's door. It took a while but Van finally opened it. Ryder stood on Van's porch holding up Curtis who had his arm around Ryder's shoulder.
"Yeah."
"Can I use your phone my friend is sick."
"Sure, come on in." Van led the way over to the phone. "What's wrong with………" Van started to turn around but before he could finish Ryder punched him in the jaw and Van went down. Lights flashed in his brain as his head exploded with pain.
"What the……..!" Van started to get up. Curtis went to kick him but Van grabbed his foot and twisted it around causing Curtis to also end up on the floor. Van once more tried to stand up but his head was killing him and dizziness enveloped him. Ryder kicked him in his face as he struggled to stand. Blood poured from his mouth as his teeth cut his lip. The last thing Van heard were the two men laughing as he shut his eyes and put his hands up to his throbbing head. The entire room spun around as if he were on a merry go round. One more blow from Ryder's foot which caught him on the side of the face rendered him unconscious.
"Okay, get a towel quick. We don't want them to find blood here." Ryder ordered Curtis. When he returned with a bath towel they wrapped in around Van's neck to catch the blood. "Now let's get him out to his car."
They put Van in the back of his car, then searched his pockets for the keys.
"Where the hell are his car keys?!" Ryder yelled over to Curtis.
"His friend was doing the driving maybe he took them home with him."
"That's all we need!" Ryder went back into Van's house and searched for the keys. He finally found them on the TV. He quickly mopped up the little bit of blood that was on the floor the best he could, then he and Curtis found Van's hang glider and tied it on the roof of the car. Just as Ryder came back to shut the door the phone started ringing. He glanced at it, swore then shut the door.
"His phone's ringing. I hope it's not his friend. We better get moving." He said as he climbed into Van's driver's seat. "Get our truck and follow me."
Candy Store
Billie reached for the ringing phone.
"Yeah."
"Lieutenant Chambers this is headquarters. We have a Doctor Zeffrin trying to reach you. I'll patch him through."
"Lieutenant Chambers?"
"Yes."
"Hello, I'm Doctor Zeffrin I treated one of your men the other day."
"Yes I remember."
"I've been trying to reach the officer, but I can't reach him at the number he gave me so I called the station and they put me in contact with you."
"What's this about?" Billie sat upright in her chair.
"We've made a terrible mistake. A nurse had inadvertently mixed up our lab reports. She didn't want to get in trouble so she hid it until now. We had informed your officer that he was HIV positive but it was a mistake. He's fine. There is no trace of the virus in his system. Of course he'll have to be tested again in six months just to be sure but I'm sure he's going to be fine."
Billie shut her eyes.
"Oh doctor that's great news. I'll find him and let him know immediately."
"Be sure and tell him we're very sorry for the mix-up and the nurse involved will face disciplinary charges."
"I will, thank you so much."
Billie hung up the phone and dialed Van's number. No answer. She called his cell phone but still no answer. Next she called Deaq at home.
"Hello." Deaq said sleepily.
"Deaq, it's Billie. Is Van there?"
"No, why?"
"I can't seem to reach him. I tried his cell also but no answer."
"What's the matter Billie?" Deaq sat upright in bed suddenly very awake.
"I just wanted to give him some good news. Deaq, Van's going to be okay. There was a mix-up at the hospital. Van's fine, he doesn't have AIDS. We got to find him and let him know. He doesn't have to quit the force."
"Oh thank God. That's great news Billie. I don't know why he doesn't answer, he told me he'd be home all day. Maybe he went out somewhere for breakfast. I'll drive over and wait for him."
Deaq got out of bed and quickly dressed. He couldn't wait to break the news to his partner.
A half hour later
Deaq pulled up at Van's house and immediately noticed his car was gone. He pulled out a spare key Van had given him and left himself into the house. He sat down on the sofa just as an uneasy feeling came over him. He knew Van had promised not to go hang gliding unless he was with him but maybe, just maybe he decided to take it out for one more spin by himself. He hoped he was wrong. Damn it Van. You're going to have your whole life to hang glide. Don't get yourself killed with no one around to watch your back.. As he stood up something caught his eye. Deaq reached down and touched the dark spot on the floor. Blood. It looked like someone had attempted to clean it up. Was Van's wound bleeding again he wondered? Maybe he had bumped it and he had gone back to the hospital to have it checked. He called the hospital but was told Van wasn't there. He looked in the back room where the hang glider was stored, it was gone. That damn fool is out hang gliding. He's going to get himself killed. Deaq quickly left, jumped in his car and headed toward the cliffs.
"Damn it Van!" Deaq was angry. Van had promised he wouldn't go any where without letting him know, especially hang gliding.
He needed to find Van and let him know that he was okay, he didn't have AIDS. He had his whole life ahead of him. He smiled to himself, he couldn't wait to see the look on Van's face when he told him he wasn't sick and that he could still be a cop.
As he neared the cliffs he could see Van's blue and orange hang glider sitting at the top. When he got a little closer he noticed two men who appeared to be trying to help Van into the harness. Deaq breathed a sigh of relief, at least Van wasn't up there by himself but as he got closer he could tell something wasn't right. Van wasn't helping the men fasten the harness in fact it looked like he wasn't moving at all but hung limp in the harness. Deaq stepped on the accelerator. What the hell was going on?! He was too far away to do anything but he beeped his horn hoping to see some reaction from Van. Nothing. He floored the accelerator and watched in horror as the two men each picked up an end of the glider and started running toward the edge of the cliff. Deaq could see Van's legs dragging on the ground. Deaq kept his hand on the horn hoping to scare the men off. Why were they doing this? His heart pounded and his eyes widened in fear as he watched the men release the glider and it sailed off the cliff.
"Oh God no!!" Deaq screamed as the glider disappeared beneath the cliff. Within a few seconds the wind caught it and it rose in the air and took off over the ocean. The two men ran to their pickup, jumped in and sped off. Deaq managed to get their license number as he slid his car to a stop at the cliff's edge and got out.
"Van!....Van!" Deaq shouted out to the glider praying Van was just unconscious and not dead. He took out his cell phone and called Billie.
"Yeah." Billie answered.
"Billie, I'm at Laguna Beach! Two men tied Van into his hang glider and pushed it off the cliff!" Deaq blurted out knowing he wasn't making much sense, his only concern was not losing sight of his partner.
"What?!!" Billie stood up.
"It didn't crash, but it took off over the ocean! Billie I need the coast guard or some kind of rescue boat out here!..........Billie if it comes down over the ocean and no ones near…………"
He didn't have to finish Billie was already calling for help on another phone. She told Deaq help was on the way and Deaq gave her the license number and briefly explained to her what had happened. He kept his eyes on the glider which was growing smaller and smaller as it sailed off. His heart felt like it was going to burst through his chest. If help didn't come soon Van was going to be lost out over the ocean and it was only a matter of time before a gust of wind would send him crashing into the ocean. Deaq couldn't believe his eyes, as if by a miracle a small boat was coming into view with what appeared to be fishermen on it. Deaq ran to the steps and began running down them to the beach waving wildly at the boat.
The hang glider
The cool air hitting his face began to revive Van. He groaned in pain as he slowly opened his eyes. He was immediately struck with nausea as everything in view spun crazily around. He quickly shut his eyes and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. Where the hell was he? Was this some kind of weird dream? He tried opening his eyes again and could see the ocean rushing by below him. How the hell did he get out here? Nothing seemed real as he struggled with the harness, in the back of his mind he knew he had to somehow turn the glider around, but a blinding white light shot through his brain and quickly swallowed him in darkness.
On the beach
Deaq finally managed to flag down the boat and explain to the men what had happened. The hang glider was barely a spot in the sky when the boat took off after it. It seemed like an eternity till the boat finally caught up with it. Deaq was handed binoculars and he anxiously looked up at his partner through them. Van's face and hair were covered in blood. Deaq said a brief prayer that he'd see him move. Anythng to indicate that Van was still alive. But Van only hung lifeless from the harness. His body swaying with the breeze. Deaq began to panic. How long could the glider stay up in the air with no one controlling it? What if the boat ran out of gas and the glider sailed off?
"Van! Van, hey come on you got to move for me buddy!" Deaq shouted toward the glider. There was no response. Deaq blinked back tears. Van could already be dying or dead. He tried to push the thought out of his mind. Van was alive and they were going to get him back. He had to think that, he wouldn't think any other way.
Half an hour later
One of Deaq's worries was becoming a reality.
"Hey buddy we're getting low on gas, we have to turn back." One of the fishermen said to Deaq as he looked at the gas gauge.
"We can't! We'll lose him!"
"Sorry buddy but I don't have a radio on my boat and if we get stuck out here no one will find us."
The man attempted to turn the boat but Deaq grabbed for the wheel.
"My friends up there hurt! I can't leave him!"
The fishermen's friends started pulling Deaq away from the wheel. Deaq turned back and looked in horror as Van's glider started to sail away from the turning boat.
"Noooooooo!" Deaq fought with the men for control of the boat. He couldn't lose sight of his partner. He knew if he did Van would be as good as dead if he wasn't already. Finally he caught sight of his partner moving his arm.
"He's alive! I saw him move! You can't just leave him here!" Deaq struggled in the men's grasp.
"Listen buddy, I'm sorry but we all could die if I don't head back."
"You can't…………you can't leave him!" Tears stung Deaq's eyes.
Suddenly in the distance a police helicopter appeared and a few minutes later a coast guard boat appeared on the horizon.
"Oh thank God, thank God." Deaq kept repeating when the men finally turned him loose.
The fisherman turned to Deaq and patted him on the back.
"I'm sorry, but I had to think of my men."
"I understand but now just try to keep up with the glider. The coast guard will be able to gas you up if you run out."
They once more flew after the glider. The helicopter circled near by as did the coast guard each trying to decide what to do. The helicopter could maybe send a line down and try to grab the glider and hopefully pull it back to shore. But that could be dangerous and the glider, if it caught a strong wind, could pull the helicopter down. The only other possibility would be for the coast guard to shoot a wire up to the glider that had a hook on the end. Hopefully it would snag onto the glider and they could pull it down. It could be dangerous for Van though because the glider might lose altitude too fast and crash into the ocean. They had to try and bring it down slowly. They had divers ready but the impact could kill Van. They had no choice, they had to do something.
In the glider
Van had once more woken up and tried to understand what was happening. The sound of the helicopter flying near by sent sharp pains through his head. He looked over at it and could have sworn he saw Billie's worried face at the passenger's window. What the hell was Billie doing in a helicopter he thought? And what the hell was he doing in the air? He next looked down at the two boats below him. This was sure some kind of weird dream. He could see Deaq waving frantically at him. He tried to put up his hand to wave back but he was too tired. Then he watched as a man on the coast guard boat held up what looked like some kind of gun and pointed it toward him. He tried to pull back out of the way but then realized he was in some kind of harness and could hardly move. The man fired the gun and a hook flew by Van but didn't connect to anything and fell back to the ocean. Why were they shooting at him? What had he done? Why couldn't he wake up? Sharp flashes of light shot through his head. He looked down in horror as the man once more fired the weapon toward him. This time the hook hit a portion of the wood near his leg. As tension on the wire tighten, the hook slid along the wood then firmly imbedded itself in his thigh. He screamed in agony. This wasn't a dream!!!
The fishermen's boat
Deaq watched through the binoculars in horror as the sharp hook grabbed Van's leg. He could see the agony his partner was in as the hook began pulling on his leg, threatening to rip it off.
"Cut him loose! Cut him loose! You're going to pull his leg off!" Deaq screamed at the coast guard boat.
The coast guard already saw what had happened and cut the wire once more releasing the glider. They could see that the hook was firmly imbedded in Van's leg and the loose wire whipping in the air as it dangled from the hook. They readied the gun to shoot again. It was the only option they had. They had to snag the glider and bring it down as gently as they could or take the chance that the wind might bring it down and kill the man inside.
Deaq frantically waved his arms at the coast guard when he saw what they were going to do.
"Let me try to talk to him! Maybe I can get through to him and get him to turn the glider around!" He shouted over to the boat.
"Okay but hurry, the winds picking up and if it takes hold of the glider we might lose it!" They shouted back to Deaq.
The fisherman positioned his boat right under the glider. Deaq looked up and could see Van, his face was etched in pain.
"Van! Van listen to me, it's Deaq! You got to turn the glider around! You got to head back to shore!" Deaq yelled hoping he was getting through to Van. He could see that Van had his eyes shut and he prayed he hadn't passed out again. "Van! Come on partner I need ya!" Deaq watched as Van slowly opened his eyes and looked down at Deaq. "Good to see ya buddy!" Deaq shouted. "I need you to listen to me! I need you to concentrate!" Van looked terrible and Deaq didn't know how long he would remain conscious or if he even could understand what he was saying. "Van, I need you to turn the glider around! I need you to head back to shore! Do you understand me?" Deaq pointed in the direction of the shore.
The hang glider
Van's leg felt like it was only hanging on by threads. He glanced at it and realized it was still attached but just felt that way. He shut his eyes and could hear Deaq shouting to him but all he wanted to do was wake up from this nightmare. Hearing Deaq say that he needed him caused him to reopen his eyes. Was Deaq in trouble? He tried to concentrate on what he was saying. Something about turning the glider around. He was too tired, why didn't Deaq turn the darn thing around himself he wondered.
"Okay, okay" Van mumbled to himself when Deaq kept screaming at him.
Van shifted his weight in the glider and slowly turned it back toward shore. At least what he thought was shore.
"Are you happy now Deaq? Now let me get some sleep." Van said softly as he shut his eyes.
Deaq was ecstatic that Van now had the glider heading back to shore but he could tell he once more had his eyes shut.
"You got to stay with me partner! You gotta stay awake!"
Van fought to keep his eyes open. Between the pain in his head and his leg he just wanted to sleep to get away from it. But the urgency in Deaq's voice made him fight to stay awake.
Deaq glanced at the gas gauge and told the fisherman to yell over to the coast guard that they needed gas. The man did as he was told and the coast guard pulled up next to them and handed over a large container of gas which should be enough to get them back to shore. Deaq gave a thumbs up to the helicopter and he could see Billie give him one back. All they had to do now was keep Van awake and on track and pray he didn't slam himself into the cliffs. Their best bet was to get him to try and land on the beach instead of trying for the top of the cliff where most gliders landed.
About an hour later they neared the beach. The helicopter hovered overtop and the coast guard stood ready in case the glider crashed into the ocean.
"Bring her down gently Van! Bring her down gently on the beach!" Deaq once more shouted.
Van leaned forward and the glider started to drop, but it was picking up speed.
"Easy! Easy!"
Van leaned back and it slowed down a little, but he couldn't move the leg that had been pierced by the hook. The hook must have gone through his leg and was pinning it onto the frame. Even though semi conscious he knew he was going to be in a world of pain when he landed.He grimaced in pain as he tried to pull his leg away from the frame in order to steer the glider. The pain became unbearable and he could feel himself starting to black out again.
"Bring it down Van! Bring it down easy!" Deaq could feel his heart pounding. He knew Van was in trouble, he knew it wasn't going to be a good landing.
The last thing Van remembered was trying to ease the glider down and avoid hitting anyone of the beach, then a big bang, then nothing.
The two boats and helicopter all landed on the beach at the same time. The occupants all ran toward the crashed hang glider which had landed in shallow water. The men carefully pulled away most of the frame then lifted Van's face out of the water. He coughed a little and his eyes slowly opened into the smiling face of Deaq.
"Hey partner, you had me scared there for a while."
Van winced in pain and worry when he saw that Deaq's hands were covered in blood, his blood.
"Deaq………….Deaq get away from me…………..you got………….you got my blood…………….all over you. Wash it………wash it off." Van gasped out. "Please, get it off of you."
Deaq gave Van a big smile, he felt like shouting from the rooftops but out of respect for Van's privacy he leaned close to Van's ear.
"You don't have AIDS partner. You're fine, there was a mixup at the hospital."
Van looked at Deaq, his breaths coming in short little gasps. His mouth moved as he tried to speak but nothing came out. Instead his head fell back and his eyes rolled back in his head.
Deaq was quickly pulled back by the coast guard medic who immediately started working on Van. Deaq walked over to Billie.
"He's got to pull through this Billie. We can't lose him now, now that we know he's not sick."
"He will Deaq. He's been through worse then this before. He'll be fine." She hoped she sounded more confidant then she felt.
"Do we know who these guys are that did this to him?"
"Last I heard they had the car and were taking the men into the station. Once I know Van's going to be okay I'm going to sit in on their interrogations."
They stood back and watched as they cut Van from his crumbled glider then gently laid him on the beach. An ambulance was called for as the medic did the best he could for him at the scene. The only thing he could really do was to tie a loose tourniquet around Van's thigh in an attempt to slow down the bleeding. He didn't attempt to remove the large hook from his leg in fear of creating more damage.
Deaq angrily looked at the fresh bruises on Van's face. He clenched his teeth trying to fight down the anger knowing there was nothing he could do about it right now.
"You find out why those son of a bitches did this to him Billie and if you can't, you give me ten minutes with them and I'll get the bastards to talk."
Billie knew how Van was feeling, she felt the same way. Nothing was worse then watching your partner suffering and not being able to help him. Plus not even knowing why.
Finally the ambulance arrived and Van was rushed off to the hospital. Deaq drove Van's car and Billie drove Deaq's as they followed the ambulance.
The waiting room
"Damn it Billie, why were they trying to kill Van?" Deaq said as he paced back and forth.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
"And if they wanted him dead, why not just shoot him, why go through all the trouble hooking him up to the hang glider?"
"Looks like they wanted it to look like an accident."
"Buy why?"
"I don't know………most of the cases you two work on are people that have money, they would have just hired a good hit man. End of story."
"So you think who ever wanted Van dead was an amateur?"
"I don't know Deaq, I don't know what to think."
Three hours later
The doctor finally came into the waiting room.
"Your friend has a bad puncture wound on his left thigh, we've flushed it out and he'll have to go up to the OR to have the damaged repaired. It's painful and will keep him off his feet for awhile but I think if he takes it easy till it's fully healed he should have no problem. It's the head injury that has me worried. He keeps going in and out of consciousness. I read his report. It said he had been in a surfing accident a few days ago and it appears he has some new head injuries since then. We're running some tests on him but we're worried he could have a blood clot in his brain. If it is a clot we need to dissolve it before it breaks loose."
"And what if you can't." Deaq asked.
"Well then……..we might lose him."
"Damn!" Deaq turned and looked out the window.
"Can we see him?" Billie asked.
"Yeah, but keep it brief."
They walked into the emergency room and stood next to Van's bed. He had his eyes shut but when Billie touched him he opened them.
"Hey." Billie said softly as she smiled at him.
"Hey Billie." He gave her a small smile back.
"I thought I told you no more hang gliding." Deaq also gave Van a smile.
"I don't think I have a glider to fly anymore." Van gave a little laugh then winced in pain as he put his hand up to his head which was throbbing.
"Do you know who did this to you Van?" Billie asked.
"No. They didn't look familiar."
"Did they say anything?"
"I heard one of them say something about getting ten thousand dollars."
"Ten thousand." Deaq repeated. "It sounds like a hit."
"Anything else?" Billie asked.
"I……..I think they took pictures……….I just remember some flashes going off."
"Probably to prove they got the right man." Billie ran her hand through Van's hair. "You just take it easy now and get better."
"I don't feel too bad if only this damn headache would go away." Van shut his eyes.
Deaq glanced worriedly at Billie. She took his arm and pulled him a short distance from the bed.
"I'm going to go down to the station and see what I can find out. If there's any change in Van you call me and let me know immediately."
"I will Billie."
Billie leaned over Van's bed.
"I'll see you later buddy I have some work to do."
Van nodded.
After Billie left Van opened his eyes and looked at Deaq.
"I thought I heard you say I wasn't HIV positive. I hope I wasn't dreaming."
"You're not. There was some kind of mistake at the hospital. You're fine Van, you don't have to quit the force."
"Well then I guess you're going to have to put up with me for……….." Van suddenly squeezed his eyes shut and cried out in pain. He pressed his head back into the pillow then suddenly went limp, his head falling to the side.
"Doctor!!" Deaq shouted as he stepped back from the bed.
The doctor ran over and quickly examined Van.
"He's crashing! Let's get him up to the OR! Now!" The doctor shouted as the rest of the ER staff prepared to move the gurney to the operating room.
"Doctor?" Deaq grabbed the doctor's arm, as he blinked back tears.
"I'm sorry."
Deaq's body went completely cold and he felt like he'd never be able to catch his breath again. He watched in stunned silence as they wheeled Van out of the ER. The doctor said he was sorry, what did that mean? Did he mean Van had died or was going to die? Deaq suddenly thought of Billie. He ran into the hallway and toward the exit. He had to find her before she left. He saw her just as she was about to leave.
"Billie!"
She spun around fear in her eyes.
"Oh God no Deaq!" She could tell by Deaq's expression that something had gone terribly wrong. "He's not……..?"
"I don't know Billie." Deaq choked back a sob. He had no idea if his partner was alive or dead. This couldn't be happening, not now, not after learning he didn't have AIDS and had a full life ahead of him. They hurried up to the OR waiting room.
Waiting room
"This can't be happening Billie. Van should be celebrating that he doesn't have AIDS, not fighting for his life."
"I know Deaq, we just got to pray that he pulls through this."
Four hours later
The wait was agonizing but finally the doctor came into the waiting room.
"Right now he's holding his own. We had to open the base of his skull to get to the blood clot. It was bigger then we thought and trying to dissolve it would have taken weeks. So we suctioned the clot out and have a tube in the back of his skull for drainage. He's on blood thinner right now to stop any other clots from forming. Thank God he was in the hospital when the clot started to break loose or we probably would have lost him."
"What's his prognosis?" Billie asked unconsciously holding her breath.
"He's young and in excellent shape. I think with about two months rest he should be as good as new. Of course there's always the chance for complications but I'm not going to worry you about those unless I need to. He'll have to be on light duty for a while but then he should be fine."
They both let out a sigh of relief as the doctor walked away.
"Billie why don't you go to the interrogation, there's nothing you can do here. I'll stay with Van. Try to find out what this was all about."
"I might just do that. They were going to hold the questioning until I got there. You be sure and let me know if there are any changes."
Deaq smiled.
"This time I hope I don't have to call you back."
"Believe me so do I." She gave Deaq a hug and left.
Recovery room
Deaq had fallen asleep on the sofa in the recovery room. When Billie came back she sat down next to him and put her head back. She too was exhausted and didn't want to wake Deaq who she knew needed to get some much needed rest. Soon she curled into a ball at the other end of the sofa and fell asleep too. They both woke up an hour later.
"Find anything out Billie?"
"They confessed to everything to save their own butts. Apparently a man named Mick Chambers is the man you saw kill the man in the alley way the other day. He thought Van could identify him and had put out a reward of ten thousand to anyone who killed him. But he left it be known he wanted the murder to look like an accident so the trail wouldn't lead back to him. Ryder and Curtis the two men in the pickup spotted Van and were following him for the last few days. The surfing incident wasn't an accident. They had paid a man only known as Dennis to cause the accident. They were hoping Van would be killed by the blow to the head or drown, which thank God he wasn't. Then they staged the hang gliding accident. They had watched Van hang gliding earlier and decided that would make the perfect accident. They went to Van's house and pretended one of them was hurt and needed to use the phone, then fought with him till he was unconscious. They didn't worry about the bruises they inflicted because they figured any investigator would come to the conclusion that the bruises came from the accident. All we need to do now is find this Mick Chambers and the case is closed."
Deaq shook his head.
"This Chambers must be a drug runner or something if he can spend that kind of cash to knock off someone."
"Well, we've got a good description of him. We'll get him." She said confidently. She opened her purse and took out some pictures which she handed to Deaq.
"They needed proof that they had the right man."
The first picture was of Van putting his board on top of his car. Three were of Van lying on the floor of his house unconscious. Deaq flinched when he saw Van's blood covered face. The last one was of them strapping Van into the hang glider. Deaq handed the pictures back to Billie.
"All of them are going down for attempted murder." She said. "And once Chambers is brought in he'll go down for the murder of the man in the alley as well."
Three days later – The intensive care unit
Van was finally fully conscious and allowed visitors. Billie and Deaq both winced with sympathy when they saw Van's bandaged head and the drainage tube still intact to the back of his head. They were told that in another day or two the tube would be removed and Van would be moved to another room for a few days then if everything was fine he'd be released. He smiled at them when they entered.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself partner. How are you doing?" Deaq said.
"Pretty good. Can't wait to get out of this place."
"Just a few more days, then you'll be almost as good as new." Billie said as she put her hand on Van's arm.
"Did you get the guys who did this?"
"Yes, they're all locked up." Billie then told Van the story of what had happened.
Van shook his head and smiled.
"The funny thing is I never saw Chambers clearly. I would never have been able to identity him. The alley was dark and all I remember doing was trying to block their kicks, so all their trouble was for nothing."
"Well I hope you've given up on hang gliding." Deaq grinned.
"Well, I don't have my glider anymore………I guess I could rent one, or…………maybe take up sky diving."
"If you take up sky diving I ain't going to be anywhere near. I lost ten years of my life watching you sail off into the blue. I'm not going to lose the next ten years watching you jump out of a plane."
"Hey partner, it's something we could do together. Kind of like a bonding experience." Van looked over at Billie and winked. She smiled back glad things were getting back to normal.
"Hard habit to break huh?" Deaq said grinning.
Van looked confused.
"You told me it was going to be a hard habit to break, me calling you partner, because you weren't anymore."
"Oh damn my resignation!" Van started to sit upright in bed but Billie gently pushed him back.
"Don't worry about it." Billie smiled. " I never turned it in."
"So we're still partners?" Van looked at Deaq.
"Yeah, until you say otherwise."
"Not going to happen." Van raised his fist and Deaq tapped it with his.
Epilogue
Van made a full recovery from his injuries. Chambers was convicted for the murder of the man in the alley and for the hit put out on Van. He got life in prison. Ryder and Curtis were both convicted of attempted murder and received a sentence of twenty five to life. The surfer Dennis's body was found a few days after Van's hang gliding incident floating in the ocean. The coroner found the cause of death to be drowning due to a blow to the head which rendered him unconscious. How it happened was never determined and the surfers who surfed that beach weren't talking.
The End