Chapter 9
Saturday, June 6, 1987-Afternoon
Riding in the backseat of Brad's squad car, Donovan's thoughts roamed from Julie's supposed relationship with Steve Maitland to whether she would die before Donovan had the opportunity to notify Maggie of the shooting.
Does Maitland really have the right to make life-and-death decisions for her? Does he even know what she'd want?
Donovan tried to shake the thought of Julie dying, his mind slipping back to conversations shared when they'd lain in one another's arms as lovers. Sometimes the topic of dying in battle came up.
Donovan noticed the large crowd outside Science Frontiers as Brad pulled into the lot. Press gathered in front of a police barricade. Brad drove past the mob, parked in front of the yellow tape then let Donovan out of his car. A flurry of reporters gathered around Donovan. Donovan's head throbbed and his stomach hurt from worry. Trying to squeeze past his colleagues, he avoided eye contact with them.
"Mike, were you involved in the shooting?" his KDHB co-reporter, John Nicholson, called from the crowd.
Ignoring him, Donovan scanned past the people, and past the barricade where his car remained parked.
"Did you know the victim?" Channel Five's June Whitko asked. He'd met her on several occasions, tall, skinny, very attractive, and married.
"MIKE!" Another woman called out.
Maggie? He turned to see the tall woman who'd once shared piloting responsibilities with him. Ham Tyler was at her side.
"Where's Julie?" Maggie demanded.
"Not now," he said, knowing it was unwise to discuss Julie's fate and whereabouts in the media's presence. "Not here."
He felt Ham's hand on his shoulder.
"Your place?" Ham asked.
"Yeah." Donovan ducked under the yellow tape then marched to the driver's side of his Camry.
#
Feverish and resting in a bathroom stall at Macarthur Park, Pico pressed his forehead against the coolness of a metal wall, hoping it would provide some relief for his fever. Moments ago, he'd drank from a water fountain, hoping to lower his body temperature.
A nagging, deep cough sent pain rippling through his chest and down his back. He leaned over, and hacked up mucus into a filthy toilet.
"You okay, Mister?" asked a boy in the next stall.
"Didn't your mother teach you about privacy, kid?" Pico cleared his throat.
The pungent stench of the boy's urine aggravated Pico's respiratory system. He spat more phlegm into the toilet.
"You sound sick," said the boy. "Want me to get my dad?"
"No."
Stupid fool. If you hadn't dropped your gun, you could take care of that brat.
Pico waited until the boy exited the restroom before he did the same.
#
Inside Donovan's Spanish Colonial home, his telephone rang several times. He'd taken side streets evading any media that tried to follow him. Donovan assumed his KDHB colleagues thought they should have first dibs in interviewing the only witness to the shooting. During the journey from Science Frontiers to his home in Echo Park, Donovan managed to shake Ham from his tail as well. He knew Ham and Maggie were due to arrive any minute now.
The answering machine kicked on as Donovan opened the front door.
"Thanks for not showing up again, Dad." Sean's bitter tone resonated through the speaker.
Donovan raced to grab the phone. The receiver clicked in his ear. He slammed it down as Ham walked in the foyer with Maggie not far behind.
"Where is she?" Maggie asked.
"Med Center," Donovan said.
"Of course," Ham muttered.
The Los Angeles Medical Center was the very place where Julie had unmasked the Visitor ex-Supreme Commander, John on live TV. She'd later paid a high price for her misdeed.
"Is she still alive?" Maggie questioned.
"Do you know who shot her?" Ham asked before Donovan had the chance to answer Maggie.
"Yes." Donovan walked into the kitchen.
Maggie trailed after him. "Is she going to survive?"
Donovan took a clear glass from a cabinet above the sink and filled it with cold water from the tap. "Dunno. They wouldn't give me that information."
"Is there more than one suspect?" Ham asked.
Donovan was surprised. Maybe the media got their story mixed up since the police arrested me.
"Just one. Why?" he asked.
"What do you mean they wouldn't give you that information?" Maggie interrupted.
Feeling caught in a verbal tug of war between Maggie and Ham, Donovan explained, "Because her boyfriend, Steve, wouldn't allow it."
"Her boyfriend?"
"The reporter said they took one suspect into custody and were looking for another," Ham stated.
"I was interrogated and let go." Donovan dumped the remaining contents of his glass in the sink then placed it in a green dish strainer. "I'm glad you came, Maggie, because I was going to your place to get you. Apparently I'm not allowed in the ICU, but you are."
"Why?" she asked.
He gently grabbed her arm, directing her to the front door. "Dunno, but we'll find out."
"I want to know what happened at Science Frontiers," Ham said. "Who shot her?"
"Ride with us. I'll explain," Donovan replied.
#
Annoyed that Ham seemed more concerned about the assassin's whereabouts than he did about Julie's condition, Maggie started in with her own line of questioning as Donovan's Camry approached the Med Center.
"Did Steve actually say he was her boyfriend?" she asked.
"No." Donovan made a right turn onto Westlake. "I could tell."
"I thought she dumped that wuss," Ham uttered with contempt.
"It's been a while now," Maggie said.
"How long is a while?" Donovan asked.
"A few months. She can't stand him. He's done a lot to make her angry."
"Then why does he think he's in charge of her situation now?" Donovan parked in the visitor lot, just to the east of Seventh Street.
Maggie looked out among the sea of cars, dreading the long walk that lay ahead. "It's the way Steve is, I guess," she said, realizing that Donovan probably didn't know Steve was also Julie's lab partner. "They signed a contract before she left him. She's been stuck working with him until they finish the job."
"What are they working on?"
"Well, I'm not supposed to talk about it, but I guess it really doesn't matter if—" she broke off, not wanting to admit Julie might die. "Steve will have to finish it on his own then."
"What?" Donovan asked, leading past a row of parked vehicles.
Maggie stopped and looked him in the eye. "They were awarded a contract to create a vaccine for-."
"Combatting Red Dust exposure?"
Maggie nodded.
Donovan opened the lobby door, let Maggie in first then Ham. "I know. She was devastated Pico burned her files. She thinks there are some back up copies on data disks."
"Then maybe Steve can use them, even if she doesn't," she swallowed, "make it."
"Either way," Donovan cast a sincere glance. "We'll get them."