"The partially, nearly Naked Gun 3 : 'They Saved Crumpf's Brain'..."

Summary: Frank Drebbin is out of retirement and on the case when he learns the fanatical former president and loser candidate Fred Crumpf may not be quite as dead as he left him and he and/or his crazies including his family threaten the newly elected President Woodrowmina Wilson.

Of course, Nordberg is no longer on the squad because of, well, we never talk about that...

Part LVII…

"Hang in there, buddy." Frank looked up from where he lay in the Department of Presidential Security's unmarked van to see a beaming Ed Hocken smiling down on him…And a worried, anxious Marjorie next to him. Her warm brown eyes fixed on him…

"Frank? Are you all right? We're getting you to the hospital as fast as possible. Try to lie still, you have some broken ribs, a possible puncture lung." She noted.

"And concussion…" Ed added. "Really earning the hazard pay on this one, buddy." Grin.

"Morene…" Frank groaned.

"We've got people looking…Fortunately, you left that hoodie in the van." Marjorie smiled. "It has a tracker embedded in the fabric. Our people are following it, hopefully to Morene."

"Good…" he gasped. "Marjorie…You and the President…You're in danger."

Ed eyeing Marjorie…

"Frank? Morene said that?" she eyed him.

"His…People…You're a target." He gasped.

"Stands to reason…" Ed nodded.

She looking at him.

"Well, you are head of Presidential Security." He noted. "And a close friend of the President's. They'd target you right after her and people around her."

"I've considered that…As have my people." She nodded. "Frank? I'm sorry, but I have to ask…" she returned to Drebbin. "Did Morene or his people give you any clues as to how they mean to attack the President or her staff? Or where he was headed?"

"Not…Sure…" Frank gasped. "But…Morene…He's the son of Vincent Ludwig…"

"Ludwig?" Ed stared. "No wonder he wanted you…Old enemy, major suave. Always reminded me of Ricardo Montalban." He explained to Marjorie who nodded.

"I've read Frank's file…And Ludwig's file. But nothing about Morene's being his son." She pondered. "He would have had to conceal that, of course."

An agent seated, monitoring equipment called to Marjorie… "Madam Director, the van's entered a tunnel, they lost signal but are pursuing. It's turning into an exit for a private airstrip in Maryland."

"Morene must be flying out…Send a message to the FAA, block all private flights out of the area. Put a hold on commercial as well. The usual excuses…" she noted.

Grin to Ed's look…Wow.

"So, was it you who delayed my trip home out of DC last year from the police squads' conference?" he asked with smile.

"Probably, sorry. There was some middle east nut looking to kill an official in DC about that time." Casual reply, smile.

"What do we do if Morene's airborne?" Ed asked.

"Force the plane down if we can, shoot it down if we have to." Calm tone.

Whoa…Your wanna be (I mean her, Jane) girlfriend's got balls there, Frank boy, he grinned down at Frank staring up.

"You try to rest, Frank." Marjorie, gently. "We'll be at the hospital soon. Ed?" she motioned.

He following her carefully to a seat as the van hurried along.

"Morene let him go. It's the only explanation." She noted to Ed quietly. "He would have taken him. I've read his file. Any son of Vincent Ludwig would be determined to kill Frank. Unless he had bigger fish to fry."

"Really? What kind? Sorry, I'm a little hungry." Ed noted. "But what would he gain letting Frank go?"

"He wants us to think he's fleeing in panic. He's not. This is all part of a plan." Marjorie considered. "The Crumpf people want us to think we have them on the run and they're retreating to wherever they have their base. And they want us to pursue them."

"What? Why?" Ed stared. "Well, I guess safety in numbers or such but why would they want us to come? They can't fight the US…Unless…They got their own superpower? The Russkies or the Chinese?"

"I doubt they have either per se but probably are in alliance with both…We've had some indications from agents in the field, CIA, etc." She noted. "No, they want us to come to them, wherever they are."

"A trap?" Ed stared. "But what good's that? The President and you and anyone else aren't just gonna waltz in and let them take you."

"I think that's exactly what they plan." Marjorie noted. "Which means Morene probably infiltrated some of our staffs with his people while he was trusted…And when we're busy and less well guarded…"

Whoa…Ed blinked. "But you've been checking your staff…And the President's?"

"Constantly. But Morene must have gotten people in, probably before we knew to check or through some other way. We have to be careful. If they're close to the President, they might try to simply kill her if we tip our hand."

"Ma'am?" the agent monitoring the other field agents called to her. "Team three has located the van, empty on an airstrip. Only the driver was there and he's not talking."

"Not yet, but he will." Grim tone. "Did a plane leave?" she asked.

"Not while or just before they came but three left the field several hours ago." The agent called.

"Morene's gone." She sighed to Ed. "He must've left long before they took Frank on the road, probably within minutes of meeting him. Sinclair?" she turned to Agent Sinclair seated at his own monitor, pausing in his mix of work and chatting up the pretty agent next to him.

"Ma'am?"

"Get me the FAA, the Department of Defense, the Air Force, and the President…"

"Uh, yes, ma'am."

"And Shelley? This jerk's married." She told the agent who'd been in conversation with Sinclair. Who frowned at him. Sinclair, a bit sheepish now.

I mean I was going to tell you how Betty doesn't understand me…

"I try not to interfere in my people's personal lives but sometimes…" Marjorie eyed Ed.

"And yeah, I am going after Morene's plane and the other two." Nod.

A local but well respected hospital in Maryland…Waiting room.

Marjorie, seated with staff constantly reporting in, Ed seated next to her.

"Yeah, Edna…Well, busy night, honey." He told his phone. "You're feeling better? That's great, honey." He beamed. "Oh, honey…" earnest tone. "Ya don't have to keep apologizing. I love the kids, regardless. Well, I'm still here in the hospital waiting to hear on Frank. Yeah, the big bad guy is still at large. Maybe tomorrow night, we'll see. Oh? Well… Are you sure you should be traveling, honey? No, Edna…I'd love to see ya. But…He does? The doc would? Well, if he'd be with you… Thing is I don't know if we'll stay here or go…Somewhere. No, I mean I don't know where we might have to go. It's that kind of a case. Yeah, hush-hush. He does, huh? Well…I dunno honey. I don't want you in any more danger… Aw, sweetie." Smile.

Marjorie, looking over to him from where she was discussing via staff aide on phone with two generals, the President, the Secretary of Defense, and others, to smile at Ed.

"Edna ok?" she called.

"Pretty good!" Ed replied. "Just talkin' to the Director of Presidential Security, our friend Marjorie…Yeah." He noted to phone. "Yeah, the one sweet on Frank…No, no more word on him yet. But they think he'll be fine. He just took a beatin' falling out of that speeding van. So, as to the doc? He really thinks…? Hang on." He turned to Marjorie, waiting for her to be free a second.

"Sorry, hey the doc back home says he thinks Edna could be a help here. Did he talk to you?"

"Yeah!" she replied, called over her staffers clustering. "He thought her brainwaves might be similar to those of the transplants…Similar stress shadowings or some such…"

"Should she come?" he asked.

"Well, if she feels up to it. But…Sorry." She waved for a pause as an aide urged her to laptop phone. "Yes, Madam President…" she began…

"Hang on, Edna. Marjorie's talking with the President. Yeah, movin' in high circles, these days." He chuckled. "Lets hope it improves my pay grade. I should put in for a promotion when I get home, then re-retire. Are you really feelin' better, honey? Ok, good. Well…Lets see what Marjorie says and the doc too. Ok. You know I do. How are the kids? Yeah? Great. Tell him that's fantastic…"

"Ah, thank you, my dear." Morene, accepting a cocktail from the young lady stewardess on his private flight on a small business jet cleared for such a while ago. Several other "business" partners seated about, some actually clueless business people. "Is it all right to use my laptop now? Thank you." He smiled at her affirmative response.

"Steve…Good to see you." He told the image of Banner on his screen. "I'm enroute with one stopover to see some 'patients' of your son and mine."

"Good, but are you sure you should delay?" Banner's image asked. "The Americans must be after you hue and cry now."

"Oh, for certain. But given there's a flight plan, we'd need to refuel, and it would only draw attention to us to try to divert from that plan…Plus there's some valuable data and useful results to collect…I think the risk can be taken. After all, it's only my life I risk."

"Well, if you're sure nothing will be compromised?" Banner noted.

"Deputy Leader, you know I'm always read to die for the Cause." Morene smiled. "Perhaps not today, unless I must, but always. And you have the essentials from me should I fall."

"We do…Mabuse does. But I shouldn't like to lose you, Morene. Not to mention, the Americans might pause if they took you."

"Believe me, my friend. Should they somehow manage it, I will simply encourage them to press on, to their doom." Morene smiled to the image on screen.

"All right. I leave it in your hands. We're prepared for them in any case."

"Glad to hear Operation 'Deadwood' is in full swing." Smile. "And how I would love to be on scene to witness the sad fate of some of our 'friends'. But the Leader remains well and stable?"

"He's doing well. Very eager for Plan B to succeed. But doing well."

"Excellent. I shall hope to survive to see him. By the way, Evelyn is en route to you by her own plane, wounded, the poor thing. I understand she'd decided to go with the Directorship…And to date our dear Mr. Drebbin." Smile.

"I'd love to see the sad end of that relationship." Banner smiled back from the screen. "If we can pull it off."

"Steve…Recent events should have taught you that nothing is impossible." Morene smiled. "It may be difficult to get Plan B to fully succeed but we have come so far."

"And at least 'Deadwood' should succeed easily. And there's always Plan C." Banner's image nodding.

"Yes, well…" Morene, slight frown, sigh. "You know I've never been a true fan of Plan C. A bit gross, if you ask me."

Banner, eyeing him. He's experimented on innocent people, cut up and even transplanted their brains out and tossed them into stasis or even the garbage bin, murdered a good number of folks, and this he's squeamish about?

Though I suppose…And he's rather more about the ladies than I am.

"Oh and you know Phyllis, my former nurse and experimental subject…With Otto Erlinger's brain now?" Morene, pleasantly.

"I remember Otto, sure. A major early success." Banner noted.

"Yes, wounded also, sadly. But she will recover, although…It's interesting, really. I wanted to ask your opinion…"

"Yeah?" Banner, puzzled.

"The poor fellow seems to have had an odd reaction…She wants to resume Phyllis' old life. Or rather Otto does. Very curious, it may be an effect of the implantation of her old memories to Otto's brain at the time of transplant. I and my late colleagues didn't think it would have such an effect but there it is….Curious."

"Very much so…Have you seen this in others?"

"No, none have reported so…Though some do report better access of the host's memories than others, that may be important. Given such, I would recommend we allow Phyllis to proceed."

Banner stared… "Really? Let him/her go back to the host…Hostess' life? Isn't that a bit…?"

"Dangerous? Well, he/she will be monitored and warned. And if she seems ready to divulge information, we can have her killed. I'm myself very curious to see just how far this might go. I really do think it useful information. So, with your approval…I'll tell Phyllis she can go and have her happy ending, under full surveillance?"

"I'd no idea you were such a Romantic, my friend." Banner smiled. "Permission granted, with full surveillance and an immediate kill order if she should ever betray us. We really should know about such effects. But you're sure no others…?"

"I think it's largely psychological. Otto was always the loner type. Having a family and memories of them affected him. That our psychologists did consider, as you recall."

"I do but…Oooh…Hate to see it do so in the Leader." Banner, blinking.

"I'm quite sure we wouldn't see the Leader a happy woman, doting on her husband and family, and responsibly ruling the damned Yankee dogs." Morene smiled.