"Godzilla and The Smog Monster"
Chapter Six
Less than five minutes later…
Brice braked Squad 16 to a stop, about fifty feet from the Diamond Groove Disco's front doors, and cut its siren.
Judging by the long line of people waiting to get inside the club, the Diamond Groove was apparently a real 'happening' place to spend New Year's Eve.
John eyed the rather large, 'masked and costumed' rowdy crowd for a couple of seconds. "Pull right up in front of the main entrance," he nervously requested. "The area has a lot better lighting," he quickly added, catching his partner's questioning glance. "A-and I want us to be able to make a fast getaway…if we have to."
Craig obligingly pulled the truck ahead and then parked it, almost right in front of the club's main entrance.
The two men bailed out, and one of them waited—impatiently—for the other to unlock the compartments containing their gear.
"There is a medical term for your condition, Gage," Brice determined, as he began inserting and twisting his key. "Paranoia."
"I'm just being cautious."
"Overly cautious," Craig quickly corrected.
John could feel his BP beginning to rise. "Talk about paranoia! You keep every compartment in the entire Squad locked!… At all times!"
"I am merely following Departmental—"
"—Oh! That's rich!" Gage angrily interrupted. "When I'm 'overly cautious', I'm being paranoid! When you're 'overly cautious', you are merely following Departmental Procedures!" He grabbed some of their gear and then elbowed the empty compartments' doors closed—rather forcefully. "We-ell? Go ahead. You'd better hurry up and lock 'em! Lock the front doors, too, while you're at it. Somebody could steal the call slip! In fact, maybe you should sit out here on the hood—so nobody steals the battery!" The paramedic completed his angry outburst and went stomping past the club's front door bouncer.
Craig calmly finished locking the Squad's compartments. Then he picked his equipment up, and followed his complaining partner into the club.
Brice found Gage waiting—impatiently—for him in the entryway.
The two men stepped up to a man behind a counter and requested the where-abouts of the woman in need of medical assistance.
The guy complimented them on the authenticity of their costumes and props, and then informed them that they would have to pay a cover charge of $3.50—each—to get inside.
They assured him that they were the real deal, and that management had summoned them to the club for a real medical emergency.
The man behind the counter remained somewhat skeptical, but—reluctantly—waved them both inside.
The firemen carried their medical equipment into the club and were immediately assaulted by colorful flashing strobe lights and LOUD pulsating music.
Fittingly, the 'groovy' club's décor was diamonds. The walls were covered with huge, diamond-shaped mirrors. The dance floor's pulsating tiles were patterned in the shape of diamonds. There were rotating disco balls suspended from the ceiling and even their tiny mirrors were all in the shape of—diamonds.
The dimly lit nightclub was packed to capacity, and the whirling and twirling, and bumping and boogying couples were obviously enjoying the combination New Year's Eve/Costume party—immensely!
The paramedic's wove their way over to the bar.
"Did somebody here call the Fire Department?" John half-shouted, to be heard over the blaring, diamond-shaped speaker that was embedded in a nearby wall.
The bartender picked a phone up from behind the bar and pressed a button. His lips moved for a few moments. Then he hung up and nodded to them. "Ladies' Lounge!" he half-shouted back, and pointed off across the dance floor. "Right down that hallway! Third door on the left!"
They gave the guy a pair of grateful nods and began weaving their way over to the Ladies' Lounge, getting complimented on the authenticity of their costumes and props, all along the way.
The firemen stepped down the designated hallway and stopped in front of the third door on the left.
John set their drug box and bio-phone on the floor and began knocking. "LA County Fire Department!" he shouted out. "We're coming in!" he warned and started opening the door.
No one screamed.
So he picked the drug box and base kit back up and stepped into the Ladies' Lounge.
Craig followed him inside.
The two of them gazed around the Lounge's elegantly furnished interior for a few silent moments. Then they glanced at each other and exhaled a pair of exasperated gasps.
The plush, red-velvet sofa and four matching lounge chairs were devoid of any victim. In fact, the entire room was empty! There wasn't a 'woman down' anywhere!
They heard a toilet flush and a metal door bang.
There was the sound of water running in a sink and then paper toweling being torn.
A few moments later, an extremely attractive young lady came out of the adjoining washroom, wearing a pair of tight, figure-flattering, faded blue jeans and an old worn T-shirt, tied at the waist. Judging by the bright yellow hard hat perched upon her pretty blonde head and the lunch pail clasped in her delicate left hand, her costume was that of a construction worker.
The girl didn't act the least bit surprised to find the two firemen standing there. "Hi, fellahs!" she greeted them with a grin. "You're a little lost, aren't you?" She stepped up to an ornately framed mirror and set her lunch pail and hard hat down on a ledge. "The only thing burning around here is the dance floor." She opened the pail, pulled a make-up compact from it and started powdering her nose.
The two fellahs sighed and set their heavy equipment cases down.
"Was there a woman lying down in here when you came in?" Gage suddenly inquired.
The girl gazed at his reflection in the mirror, looking thoughtful. "Yeah. The Bride of Dracula." She replaced the compact and began brushing her hair. "I remember thinking how she really looked the part…Sorry," she added, realizing her comment was unkind. "Why? Did you lose your date?"
John glanced around the Ladies' Lounge. The fireman suddenly felt extremely awkward and out of place. "We…uh…we got a call that a woman was sick…well down…well in need of medical attention…and we were told that she was in here…But she's not in here…and she probably wasn't…in need of medical attention, that is."
The girl found the tall stranger's obvious embarrassment endearing. She picked her lunch pail/purse up, tossed the hard hat back on her head, and then quickly closed the gap between them. "I tell yah what," she proposed, latching onto his left hand and giving it a slight squeeze, "if it'll make you feel any better, you can give me a-all the 'attention' you would've given her…"
Gage gulped and then glanced at Brice.
Craig rolled his eyes and started reaching for the HT that was strapped to his left wrist.
"My name's Karen," the girl introduced. "What's yours?"
"LA, Squad 16 is available at the scene. Cancel the ambulance."
John pulled his trapped appendage free and snatched the radio from his partner's hands. "LA, Squad 16. Correction. Cancel the ambulance, but show us Code 7 at this address. Also, standby for possible request for police back up…"
"10-4, Squad 16…LA standing by…"
Gage handed the HT back to Brice.
Craig was just standing there, in a state of shock and confusion.
John exhaled another exasperated gasp. "Don't you see? This has gotta be a setup!"
Brice's confusion gave way to disbelief. "You really are paranoid. We get a 'no show' at a disco…and, right away, you assume someone is setting us up?"
"Okay. I admit. I may be mistaken. But I really don't think so! And we ain't leavin' here til we check it out!" Gage slid his helmet and turnout coat off and passed them to his doubting partner. "Can I borrow that?" he asked the pretty miss, and pointed to her hard hat.
The girl was somewhat stunned by the stranger's new 'look'. She nodded, rather numbly.
"Thanks!" the paramedic adjusted the hat's band. Then he tossed it on his head and started heading for the door. "Stay put," he advised Brice. "And, if I'm not back here in five minutes, call for the back-up!"
Brice headed his rapidly departing partner off at the door. "Where are you going?"
John suddenly recalled Craig's dry-humored joke from earlier in the evening and smiled, rather wryly. "Undercover," he teased, and immediately took his leave.
TBC