Ch. 2: Visiting Hours (TWO MONTHS LATER)
Sgt. Tholen pulled her squad car into the parking lot of Sangre Sedianta Hospital in Ezparta, Stilwater as the dark set in. She picked up the flowers out of the passenger seat. I hope she's doing ok. I haven't seen since the incident at the club, she thought to herself as she entered the hospital.
"May I help you?" The front desk nurse asked politely.
"Yes, can you possible tell me in which room would I find Captain Abby Gillam?" Barbara responded.
"Just a second, ma'am," She said, typing the name into the computer. "Room 312, 3rd floor. Elevators are just down the hall,"
"Thanks," Barbara stated, smiling.
She walked down the hall and entered the elevator. What am I doing? For all I know she blames me for what happened that night. God, I should have gone in with her, she wondered as the lift lifted her up to the 3rd floor. Barbara stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened. She walked down the hall and stopped when she reached Abby's room. She contemplated just walking back out to the car and leaving. No, this is something I have to do, she thought. Barbara put on a smile and entered the room.
"Hey, Barb," Abby said, laying her head on her pillow.
"How are you doing?" She asked, setting the flowers down on an end table.
"I got shot. How do you think I'm doing?" Abby scowled, raising her head.
"Touché," Barbara laughed. Even Abby allowed a giggle to escape her lips. "When you leaving?"
"Doc said I can return to duty next week,"
"Oh, that's great," Barbara said, smiling. The smile faded as she said "Listen, 'bout what happened at the club…"
"Don't worry 'bout it. I just hope the S.O.B.s got what was coming to 'em," She stated.
"One of them got a slug to the chest, the other pissed his pants. Courtesy of the partner of the toughest, meanest, most-brutal Captain of the Stilwater Police Department," Barbara said, with a peaceful tone in her voice.
"You let McKinzie get ahold of them," Abby said, causing Barbara to roll her eyes.
"It's you. The toughest, meanest, most-brutal Captain is you," Barbara shouted.
"Oh," Abby said quietly.
"Did you really think I'd let the ignorant, lazy, stupid, redneck make the arrests," She questioned.
"You're right. So how's life outside of the dreaded place," She asked.
A green 1980 Coupe Deville silently parked outside the hospital. Three Sons of Samedi members stepped out. They walked in the main entrance, ignoring the nurse who was trying to stop them. She picked up the phone.
"Get me security," She ordered.
The three of them stood next to the elevator, waiting for it to open. A security guard came up to them.
"Excuse me, gentlemen. I'm going to have to ask you to return to the waiting room," He stated.
One of the thugs pulled a silenced Vice 9 handgun out of his jacket and put a bullet into the guards head. The elevator opened and the 3 crooks stepped in, heading to the 3rd floor.
"Do you remember when we caught those 2 kids who stole a car? A freaking Cadillac and then drove it on the freeway like freaking maniacs," Abby laughed.
"Where's Abby Gillam?" The thugs asked, holding a janitor at gunpoint.
"Could you say that again? I couldn't hear you over the sound of me crapping myself," The janitor responded.
"Yeah, I also remember that you got suspended for hiding that crap," Barbara responded.
The door flew open and the 3 gangsters stepped in. Abby rolled off and underneath the bed, pressing the call nurse button on the remote by the bed. Barbara unholstered her NR4, and fired, taking down one of them. She ducked down beside the bed and handed Abby a Stun Gun. Abby took it and nodded, knowing what she must do. She stood up and tazed and one in the middle. He fell, as Barbara unloaded 3 rounds into the gangster on the left. She aimed at the last one and he ran from the room. Barbara handcuffed the surviving one. He began to laugh as she picked him up from the ground.
"What's so funny?" She asked him, as Abby looked out the now broken window.
"Barbara, I think we need to leave like right now," She stated, backing up from the window.
"Why?"
"There are more of them on the way," She responded.
"How many?" She asked, looking at Abby.
"All of 'em I think," She said, reloading the stun gun.
Barbara cursed under her breath as she walked out of the room. She scanned the hallway. Her eyes set down upon a wheelchair and a table of surgical knifes. A smile spread across her face.
"What are you thinkin'?" Abby asked, limping into the corridor.
"Idea," She stated.
A number of Sons of Samedi thugs sat behind a blockade they had constructed out of gurneys. The General had ordered them to assassinate Lt. Tholen, and Captain Gillam. They all stood up at the sound of the elevators open. A wheelchair came shooting out. They opened fire, not stopping until they realized that nobody was there.
Suddenly scalpels and surgical blades filled the air as an unidentified assailant threw them out of the elevator. Abby dropped down, a plate of surgical equipment in hand. She continued to throw, hitting multiple thugs in the head. Barbara dropped down, seconds later, sidearm in hand. She fired while running beside Abby to an ambulance sitting out front.
"Ah, freedom," Abby stated, breathing in her first breathes of fresh air in months. Suddenly the ambulance exploded into flames.
"Not yet," Barbara stated running back inside the bloodied hospital. The pair ran back to the elevators, fending off the few remaining gang members.
"Well, that plan was shot to hell, literally. What's next?" Abby panted, as the elevator doors shut. Barbara banged her head up against the wall several times. Suddenly, she stopped and turned to Abby.
"What?" Abby asked.
"Can you fly, Abby?!" She asked, with a deranged look in her eyes.
"You know my dad was a navy pilot. I've been flying since I was fifteen," She responded.
"Good, we're getting outta here," Barbara said, hitting the button to the roof.
The doors opened and revealed an Air Ambulance. Barbara helped Abby onto the helipad. The two loaded up. As Abby lifted the helicopter off the ground, a Sons of Samedi member ran out of the elevator and grabbed for the rails. But with the rails out of his reach, he stood there cursing at the two officers.
"There's the Calvary," Barbara said, watching a line of double file police cruisers rush up the street, sirens blaring. On the spur of the moment, a light flooded the cabin.
"What the hell," Abby said, looking out the window. Automatic fire came from the source of the light.
"Oh crap," Abby said, trying to keep control of the helicopter.
"What do you mean 'oh crap'" Barbara questioned.
"We got an attack chopper behind us," Abby stated, regaining control. Barbara opened the side door, and leaned out, shooting at the attacker.
"Come on; give me something to shoot at. Show me that ugly face of yours," She said, continuing to fire.
The spotlight went out and the pilot was visible. His panicking face showed that the spotlight had gone out on its own.
"Say hello to your friends," She screamed, firing the last shot in the gun.
It hit the windshield of the helicopter. The pilot looked at it, confused, as the bullet was still moving, just slower. Suddenly it shot through of the glass and into the pilot's head. The helicopter spun out of control, and crashed into a Sloppy Seconds Thrift Store.
"We sure taught the boy how to fly," Abby laughed, seeing the smoke rise. "Oh no"
"What is it?" Barbara asked, returning to the co-pilots seat.
"Our engines are failing. One way or another we're going down," Abby said.
"Take us down," Barbara said.
"Where? If we crash into the pavement, we're dead meat," Abby responded.
"The river," Barbara said, pointing at the water.
"To hell with you," Abby said, unbuckling herself.
"Where the hell do you think you going," Barbara said, quickly turning on autopilot.
Abby ignored her, strapping on a parachute. She opened up the side door and saluted Barbara.
"See you on the ground," She yelled before leaping out.
Barbara quickly took over the helicopters controls and attempted to keep it steady. It was losing altitude, and fast.