"Godzilla and The Smog Monster"
Chapter Nine
John made it back to the Lounge in less than three minutes. He carted the backboard into the room and set it down on the carpeted floor beside the sofa. "Well, I spread it around. And I had Arnie spread it outside, too. He says the cowboy is still standing in front of the Squad."
His partner seemed pleased. "What do you think?" he inquired and motioned to his finished product.
Gage stared down at their heavily bandaged victim, his facial expression a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "It's a bit thick. Isn't it?"
"Well, we have been in here a lo-ong time," Brice reminded him.
His partner's slight smile graduated into a grin. "I gue-uess…"
The paramedics placed Karen down on the backboard and then proceeded to completely immobilize her.
John suddenly realized that their victim's friend's right arm was in a sling.
"Your plumbing accident has claimed another victim," Red explained.
"Good news!" Gage announced, stepping up to the girl and sliding her arm from the sling. "You've just experienced a miraculous cure! And it's a lucky thing, too. Because, with the two of us on the backboard, we're gonna be needin' both of your arms to carry our equipment."
The girl's pretty face filled with disappointment.
"Here," the paramedic rearranged the sling into an impressive looking head wrap and then ushered her up to a mirror. "You fell again…and now have a severe scalp laceration."
Red took the news surprisingly well. In fact, she appeared to be downright delighted.
John just had to smile. His smile suddenly vanished and he turned in Craig's direction, as the handheld radio that was strapped to his wrist began to 'bleep'.
"Squad 16…Be advised…Police back-up is now at your location…Officers on scene request you delay your departure until they can get into position…"
"10-4, LA. Squad 16 delaying departure," Brice replied and began piling gear onto the backboard with their victim. He handed Nance their trauma kit and bio-phone.
"Gosh! These are heavier than they look!" Nance complained.
Gage placed the hardhat and lunch pail down on the board and then slid his turnout coat and helmet back on. He placed their victim's IV packet between his teeth and then stooped down to pick up the foot of the backboard.
Brice stooped and latched onto its opposite end.
"On two," John told him, through clenched teeth. "One…two."
They raised the backboard off the floor and themselves to their feet.
Gage got himself turned around and then led the way over to the door.
Nance set the bio-phone on the floor, so she could shove the chair aside and hold the Lounge door open for them.
The 'ladies in waiting' gasped in horror as the paramedics exited the Lounge with their victims. Their 'How is she?'s and 'What happened?'s filled the crowded hall.
John was saved from having to reply, by the IV packet he'd strategically stuck between his teeth. He suppressed a grin and listened, as his partner patiently explained how the two ladies slipped on the wet floor after the toilets backed up.
Craig went on to truthfully announce that both girls would soon be just fine, and that the Ladies' Lounge had been officially certified as being perfectly safe and dry.
The waiting ladies were tremendously relieved to hear the news. Especially that last part, about the Lounge. Everybody suddenly started heading for the washroom—and more pressing matters.
The paramedics' little procession reached the end of the long hallway. The two men watched, as a sudden wave of frigidity rolled over the swaying, costumed couples.
The dancers stopped moving and started parting, providing them with a wide—and perfect—path to the exit.
John took very short, deliberate—er, delaying steps and realized their slow and solemn exodus probably resembled a funeral procession.
The firemen left the dance floor and stepped into the club's exit/entryway.
John brought their little procession to a halt in front of the counter, and then stood there, hesitating to go any further.
The cover charge guy's jaw went slack, as he saw how the 'liar' in the bright yellow hardhat and white dress shirt was now dressed.
Gage gave the gaping-mouthed man another annoyed glare. "Not everyone," he taunted, through tightly clenched teeth. Then he glanced back over his left shoulder. "They don't expect us to actually go out there? Do they?"
"They apparently intend to catch them in the act," his partner calmly replied.
John's eyes widened and he gritted his already clenched teeth even harder. "In the act of doing wha-at? We sure can't take these two out there!"
Both girls voiced their determination to 'see this thing through to the end'.
"C'mon!" Karen urged, her voice somewhat muffled by her oxygen mask. "Let's get out there and nail 'em!"
Her supporters were both amazed and amused.
"Okay. You, we'll take," the lead fireman informed their victim. Then he turned to their equipment carrier. "You-ou, stay put!"
Nance looked tremendously disappointed, but nodded her compliance to his order.
The backboard toting paramedics reluctantly exited the building and stepped out onto the crowded sidewalk.
The masked cowboy stiffened suddenly and then made a mad dash—straight for their drug box.
A plain-clothes police officer attempted to cut the assailant off, but the cowboy had built up such a tremendous head of steam, he just blew right on by the guy—and snatched up the drug box.
The plain-clothes policeman was spun completely around and ended up plowing right into the lead paramedic's solar plexus.
Gage gasped, as the air was forcefully expelled from his lungs, and he was knocked to his knees. The IV packet fell from his mouth and his face filled with a grimace.
Police were now everywhere—shouting out warnings and orders, scuffling with suspects in the shadows…and checking on fallen firemen.
"You two—er, three okay?" another plain-clothes officer anxiously inquired.
The first one had scrambled back onto his feet and gone racing off after the drug box thief.
"Yes. No thanks to you-ou!" Craig smartly replied and slowly lowered his end of the backboard to the sidewalk.
"There's no law against standing around fire trucks," the policeman reminded the upset paramedic.
Brice's attention suddenly turned to Gage.
His silent partner was still kneeling on the sidewalk and his hands were still holding onto the backboard. John still hadn't spoken, because his wind still hadn't returned.
Craig crouched in front of his fallen comrade and placed his steadying hands upon his hunched over shoulders. "Will you be breathing anytime soon?"
His perfectly calm question transformed Gage's grimace into a grin.
John gave his concerned associate a grateful nod and then gently set the backboard down on the sidewalk. The paramedic's breath eventually returned, in several sharply inhaled, and exceedingly painful, gasps.
"Lieutenant Bristol, LAPD," the plain-clothes officer introduced and extended a hand.
"Brice," Craig stiffly acknowledged. The still unhappy fireman stood just as stiffly. Then he reluctantly took and shook the policeman's proffered appendage.
"Gage," his partner replied. John accepted the officer's re-extended hand and was hauled up onto his feet.
All heads turned, as two uniformed officers dragged their kicking and squirming handcuffed suspects out of the shadows and into the streetlights' eerie glow.
John saw that there was a fourth member of the gang, and that he was fittingly costumed as 'Count Dracula'.
The arresting officers got their first good glimpse of their suspects.
"No-ow," one of them began, "this is what I call a real 'blood-thirsty' pair of criminals!"
Gage suppressed a grin and turned to his partner. He saw that Craig had Karen un-immobilized. He stooped and pulled the oxygen mask from their victim's pretty face. "You sure you're okay?"
The girl grinned and nodded. "I'm sure! Gosh! That was so-o exciting!" She propped herself up on her elbows and stared off down the dark sidewalk. "I hope they catch that cowboy! My wallet and car keys are in that box!"
John gave his partner a confused, questioning look.
Craig calmly picked the lunch pail up and opened it.
Gage stared disbelievingly down at all the drug bottles it contained. His gaze returned to his impressive partner and he flashed him an appreciative smile.
"I don't believe in leaving anything to chance," Craig modestly explained, and gave the Lieutenant another annoyed glance.
John's appreciative smile broadened into an appreciative grin.
The other plain-clothes officer came scuffling back up to the Squad, half-dragging and half-carrying the handcuffed cowboy. "The posse never would a' caught 'im," he breathlessly began, "if he hadn't a' tripped on his spurs!"
Everybody within earshot grinned and snickered—with the exception of the cowboy's two accomplices, of course.
Karen was delighted to see that the cop had also managed to recover the stolen drug box.
Speaking of almost getting away…
John suddenly recalled that there was one gang member missing from the police roundup. He shed his coat and helmet, snatched up Karen's hardhat and began heading for the club.
"Whoa-oah!" the Lieutenant urged, latching on to the fleeing fireman's? arm. "Where are you going?"
"I need to speak to the manager!"
"Let him go!" Karen pleaded and pulled the policeman's hand from John's arm. "He's working undercover!" She gulped and flashed the fireman an apologetic smile. "Gosh! I'm so-o sorry! That's supposed to be a secret, isn't it…"
The undercover fireman gasped in frustration. "Look, I'll explain everything when I get back!" he promised. Then he turned and disappeared into the club.
Nance carried the paramedics' heavy equipment cases over to their Rescue Squad and set them down on the sidewalk. She saw the suspects that had been taken into custody and turned to her companion. "Notorious dope fiends?" she incredulously inquired. "They're just kids!"
"Yea-eah," one of the uniformed officers sarcastically agreed. "But they've been very naughty tonight. So we had to take away their toys." He held up a .22 caliber handgun and an extremely sharp looking knife.
Nance gazed at the lethal weapons for a few moments. Then she glanced back at the innocent-looking 'kids', and gulped.
Brice swallowed hard and then stood there, feeling somewhat queasy.
TBC