Max paced the small lobby of Riverside hospital, awaiting a doctor's return from 99's exam room. Gray was off getting stitches for her three gashes, and Cassie sat in the waiting room, reading the newspaper. The Chief was on his way from Washington, but it would be hours before his arrival. The local authorities agreed to let Washington investigate the kidnapping; they just brought all twelve KAOS agents into custody. Max looked over at Cassie, who looked over the paper back at him. Her eyes lit up.
"GRAY!" She exclaimed. Max turned around to see Gray, her left arm bandaged, returning with one of the doctors. Gray gave them a hint of a smile and sat down by Cassie.
"Mr. Smart?" The doctor asked. Max nodded. The doctor took a deep breath. "Your wife's going into surgery right away. She has several infections from her open wounds, and she's weak from the loss of blood. Her body temperature's a bit low, and her shouler, the knife only cut through muscle, not a serious wound."
Max thought a moment. "How long before she can travel?"
"About three weeks." Max sighed.
"Mr. Smart?" Max looked over at him. "Another three days in that cavern and your wife would probably be dead."
"How long before she's out of surgery?"
"A couple hours. I suggest you go home and get some sleep." Max looked over to see Gray and Cassie nodding in agreement. He reluctantly decided to leave the hospital.
Later that evening, Max sat in the easy chair, staring out the window, waiting for Riverside to call the office. Cassie came over and handed him a beer.
"Drink." She said. Max took it, and drank half of it down. It settled the monster. Max continued to drink. Gray entered the room, rubbing her eyes. Cassie turned to her.
"Gray- you gotta take it easy." Gray nodded.
"Jus' go' ba' from the offi'. Max- Riv'si' called- 99's alri'." Max leapt up from his chair. Gray continued to stare at him "An' yer Chief's a' Riv'si'- We c'n go an' meet 'im." Max threw on a sweatshirt. Cassie yawned and turned off the light. Gary started up the ever- faithful Osprey, and off they trekked to Riverside hospital. Max trudged into the waiting room, where the Chief waited.
"Max-"
"Chief! How is she?"
"Max, calm down, she's going to make it." The monster inside of Max executed a perfect back flip of joy.
"Where is she?" Max asked earnestly, looking around.
"She's in ICU, and you can go see her." One of the nurses said, coming from the hall. "Come with me." Max followed her down a different hallway. "Remember, she's asleep, and still very weak. We've got her breathing humidified oxygen, and she's got a few IV drips. We don't mind if you get into bed with her, but I'd wait until she's off the oxygen and out of ICU. " She opened a door, and Max entered the dimly-lit room.
There was a hissing noise as 99 inhaled and exhaled from the oxygen tank. There was a bandage around her neck and an oxygen mask on her face. Her eyes were closed, and her arms were covered in bandages. Max's hands shook as pulled over a chair. He sat by the side of her bed, too tired and numb to cry. He took her thankfully warm hand, and gave it a squeeze. He then laid his head on the bed, and fell asleep.
"Max… Max!" Max felt hands on his shoulders as someone shook him awake. He opened his eyes to see the Chief standing next to him.
"Huhwha?"
"Are you okay? One of the nurses thought you might've died." Max shook his head, then glanced over at 99, who was still asleep.
"Max?" he turned back to the Chief, who pulled up a chair beside him, "You need to tell me what happened. I sent Cassie and Gray back to their house, they'll be back later today."
Max cracked his neck, then took a deep breath.
"Well," he began. He described the night's trip to the cave, how when they got there, all the KAOS agents were drunk, and how he stepped on the KAOS agent's hand going to 99, and then the fight that proceeded.
"…Damn, Chief, you should've seen Gray. She got sliced in the chest, and she kept on going. If one of the KAOS agents complains of bleeding 'down there', it's because Gray nailed him with the knife." The Chief laughed.
"Cassie, I don't know how she did it, but somehow she held off at least eight of them, no sweat." Max said.
"Almost all agents had guns, Max, I'm surprised no shots were fired."
"Cassie took care of that. Before the agents woke up, she grabbed all the guns she could find and threw them into the river."
"Max, we found how KAOS is smuggling. They're using the ships. Only select companies, but they're transferring cargo from Lake Superior to the Atlantic." Max nodded.
"What companies did they bribe?"
"Only two- Patterson Shipping and Kingston Atlantic Overseas Shipping, which by the way, is a company owned and created by KAOS."
"Oh, the old 'creating your own company for smuggling' trick1 that's the second time I've seen it this month!"
Three days later, Max sat in 99's room, clutching her hand. Her temperature had been rising slowly, she was still using the oxygen mask. She still hadn't woken up, and Max was worried sick. Gray and Cassie had visited, even bringing an amazing "river bouquet", a vase filled with yellow, white, and purple water lilies, accented by pine boughs from Devil's Island and juniper twigs from Tom Thumb. All twelve KAOS agents were at CONROL headquarters, facing charges of kidnapping, assault, and treason. As Max held 99's hand, he ran his fingers across her knuckles, memorizing every contour of her hand. He paused as he brushed her wedding ring and her engagement ring, taken from the League of Bald-Headed Men. He gave her hand another squeeze, and he felt a squeeze back. He loosened his grip, and felt her hand clinging to his. He looked up at her face. She groaned and her eyes fluttered open, searching the room for Max. She focused on him and gave a small smile.
"99…" he began, and bent over her, kissing her cheek.
"Love…" she hissed through the mask.
"How you feeling?" he asked.
"Not….good…" she said. "How long…" she began. Max patiently waited for her words. "How long… have you been…here?" she murmured, breathlessly.
"Three days." Max said. 99 raised her eyebrows.
"...And…loving it." She added. Max laughed.
"Oh, Sweetheart…" He kissed her forehead.
"Max…"she muttered back. "Max…in the cave..." she started, "they…they…" Tears spilled from her eyes.
"They what, 99?"Max asked wiping the tears.
"Max…they…" she tried. The monster inside Max curdled.
"Rape." It was a barely audible murmur. 99 started crying. Max's eyes widened.
"99..." He said, wiping her eyes, "99- listen. Those- those bastards, they'll pay, don't worry- I still love you. You loved me enough to go through all that crap- I'm sticking with you." 99 stared. Max smiled at her, then took off his shoes and snuggled into bed with her. Her held her against him.
"Better?" he asked.
"Yeah..." 99 said, and sniffled. Max leaned his head against her shoulder.
99's progress was immaculate. After only one week, she was out of ICU and in her own room. The mask was off, and she was much stronger-she could sit up on her own. After another few days, she wanted to meet Cassie and Gray. Max agreed.
"Gee, Max, she don't look half bad!" Cassie exclaimed coming into the room, carrying another bouquet. Gray whistled in agreement. "Hi, I'm Cassie Raye." She said, shaking 99's hand.
"Gray O'Connor." Gray said, and nodded to 99. "Cleans up perty gud." Wolfe barked. 99 saw her arm.
"Oh, no, is that from the cave?" Gray nodded.
"Don' worry, nailed em' in the balls wi' the knife- said it was fr'm you." 99 burst out laughing.
"Did you really?"
"Heah- then punched 'im in the face."
Two weeks later, 99 was officially released from Riverside. Her neck healed nicely, a freckle-like scar was the only reminder. As she walked on the dock in Alexandria Bay, holding Max's hand, she noticed he was uneasy: he was jumpy and constantly looking over his shoulder.
"Max?" she asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'm nervous about the lack of-" Suddenly they were both shoved off the dock and into the cool water. They both looked up to see Cassie laughing her head off on the dock.
"Hey, where's Gray?" 99 yelled. Cassie shrugged.
"I dunno… the Osprey was here this morning." she said with a giggle. Gray appeared from behind her and grabbed her.
"GRAY!" Cassie yelled, "You throw me in and I'll.." Gray's eyes gave off an evil twinkle, and she walked to the edge of the dock, holding Cassie precariously over the edge, a huge grin on her face.
"ONE!" she yelled, swinging Cassie back over the dock.
"Gray, you even try..." Cassie yelled in protest.
"TWO!" Gray swung Cassie over the water.
"JENNIFER GRACE!" Cassie yelled.
"THREE!" Gray yelled out, swinging Cassie back over the dock, dropping her with a THUD onto the wood, and leaping into the air in a perfect cannonball position. 99 ducked into Max's chest as water engulfed them. The splash not only soaked Max and 99, it spread well over the dock, drenching Cassie in the process. She sat up, water streaming down her face as Gray gave her a innocent smile from the water.
"You goin' Down, Gray!" Cassie yelled, and dove in just as Gray disappeared underwater. Max smiled, and reached his arm around 99's shoulders. his fingers scraping the scab by her neck. She grinned at him, and treading water in the mighty St. Lawrence River, they kissed.
NOTES:
-- Cassie Ann Raye and Jennifer Gray O'Connor are named after friends and a P.E. coach.
-- Katie Maxwell and Tom Cavanaugh are named after teachers.
-- The Seaway Osprey is a spin-off of George Lucas's Millennium Falcon, and the number1209 is a modified zip code
-- The Seaway Queen and Edmund Fitzgerald were both ships built in 1959, when the St. Lawrence Seaway was opened. The Seaway Queen was sold for scrap in 2002, while the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1976.
-- The town of Alexandria Bay and the village of Clayton are located on the Saint Lawrence Seaway in upstate New York.
-- Boldt Castle was purchased in 1972 by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, and has been restored as a museum.
-- In honor of Bill Johnston and other pirates of the Thousand Islands, the town of Alexandria Bay holds the "Pirate Days" festival every August. Guided dives into Devil's Oven are popular.