Mike Smith Is Dead—Pt. 25

Lucky for Giles, one of the bullets passed through her and hit a car, which set off the alarms. Within minutes she was discovered in a pool of blood. A person walking to their car spotted Giles’ slumped body and called 911. Minutes later EMTs and police arrived and Giles was transported to Washington Hospital Emergency room. Although her pulse was barely visible she was alive and immediately put on life support. Without any identification security forces were forced to take DNA and fingerprints in the emergency room and by the time the doctors were ready to treat her they still had no answers to who she was or where she was from. She was toe tagged, “Female 1-alien” and given a name of “Miss Ava.”

Sam sat on a side chair and read the doctor’s report on her friend Giles.

Patient Female 1-Alien (Ava)

She had been shot in the back of the neck twice, one bullet nicked her ear and jaw; the other entered near her spinal cord. Neurologic examination showed intact cranial nerve functions, with paralysis of all four extremities except for her forearm flexion, which was possible against gravity. Sensory examination was intact for pinprick and light touch throughout. However deep tendon reflexes were absent throughout her body. The bullet entrance wound was in the left posterior cervical region, above and medial to the left scapula. The exit wound was midline in the anterior aspect of the neck. A bullet fragment was palpable in the left anterior aspect of the neck, lateral to the cricoid cartilage. A large left anterior neck hematoma was present. Initial radiographic studies showed multiple bullet fragments dispersed in the left side of the neck and multiple fractures of the cervical spine. It was guessed that her long flowing hair might have slightly deflected both bullets.

Because of the severity of the wound, she was taken immediately to the operating room. Surgical exploration of the left anterior cervical region revealed an extensive hematoma and a lacerated left external jugular vein, which was ligated. The hyoid bone was fractured and repaired.

Postoperatively, she was taken immediately to the radiology suite for computed tomography of the cervical spine and cervical and cerebral angiography. Cervical spine CT revealed multiple bullet fragments extending and comminuted fractures of the left transverse processes and a 9-mm bullet fragment inside the spinal canal, against the left inner laminar surface.

Subsequently, serial neurologic examinations she showed significant improvement. Eventually she will be able to walk without assistance and move all extremities against significant resistance. The paralysis to her face and neck lingered and doctors predict correction after many months post surgery.

By the time Sam arrived in her room at Washington Hospital, Giles was sitting in a chair sipping soup with the help of a candy striper. She looked up when Sam entered but did not smile. Her head and face was wrapped in gauze and tape with only her eyes and mouth exposed. Oxygen tubes extended from her nose.

“How’d you find out?” she whispered.

Sam settled into a chair next to the bed. “I called your office looking for you and your clerk told me that they were told you were in DC but had not communicated, but some strange things were going on and you went to DC to investigate, and your secretary feared that you may be dead by the time I could get here cause there were a lot of strange deaths occurring of people associated with a Mike Smith. I called hospitals 'til I found one with an unknown blond.” She giggled. “We had a little event ourselves but I came to Washington as fast as the airline could get me here, I still have diplomatic papers though if anyone checked they expired years ago. Do you know what’s going on?”

Giles eyes went up and down. “It’s a general purge; anyone involved in the Latin American process from the 80s to a few years ago is disappearing as well as those who had contacts. Especially, anyone who has had contact with Mike Smith, I guess that’s Kip Waller now. I told the doctor here to keep me listed as Ava. I was surprised, he agreed.”

“I know, I had to ask about Jane Doe and went through a list.”

Giles eyes went up and down in agreement.

“Hasn’t the State Department checked up on you?”

“Thankfully, no. And, as a foreign employee of the US, my fingerprints and DNA are not in any data base the police can use.”

A young doctor appeared in the doorway.

Sam stood and it was obvious that she was a foot taller than the man.

“I’m Doctor Ramirez, I’m a Resident here and am the one attending to Miss Ava. I speak Spanish, so no secrets.” He laughed then switched to Spanish. “Indeed I was probably assigned to Ava because her post operative babbling was all in Spanish.” He patted Giles hand. “Don’t worry what you said would not even make sense to a psychologist. However, you must have been a surfer in your earlier life.”

Giles eyes went up and down.

He turned to Sam again. “I take it you are a relative or close friend.”

Sam shook his hand. “Let’s just say we’re sisters of sorts. And, our wild days together go back further than you’ve been in Medical school.” She paused looked directly at the doctor. “How soon can I take her out of here?”

“Most gunshot wounds are in and out within a day. But, this one is neurology and a bit different. She came within a hair to be totally paralyzed or dead on the table. Her surgery was just a week ago, and she’s not totally out of the woods, so I need to keep an eye on her.”

Giles eyes glared.

“Doc,” Sam put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “We need a favor.” Sam closed the door. “First I need a death certificate for Jane Doe foreign alien—since you don’t have a Jane Doe right here, there’s no problem. Secondly, you need to fill out the papers to send the body out of the hospital. And finally, you need to find a trusted nurse and let's get Ava,” she looked back at Giles wide eyes, “out of here in the next 24 hours.”

“I can’t do that, I’d be thrown under the accreditation bus,” the doctor pled.

“Let me put it another way doc, if we don’t move her, the people who did this to her will kill her right here in this hospital and it is my experience, it won’t be a lone gunman this time; these people are better known for tossing C4 into the elevator. How many people here will they kill or wound is your best guess. Now, you can run to hospital security which will alert the people trying to kill her along with the local police that she is alive and here and cause them to act, thus endangering hundreds of innocent people; or you can help us get her home and into a hospital far away.”

“Is she somebody special?”

Giles started to stand.

“Let me put it this way doc,” Sam said angrily. “She is responsible for hundreds of thousands of Latin American lives as well as US Expats. Now will you help us or do I have to forcefully take over a gurney and wheel her out?”

The young doctor paled. “Okay, let me get some help and we can make it happen; just like we did with a Chinese diplomat last month.” He opened the door and virtually ran down the hallway.

“Giles, I don’t know what I started, but we’ll either end up in jail or on the way home. I need to make a call.”

Tears were running down Giles face and she seemed to smile.

A tense hour later the doctor reappeared with a young nurse in tow and a package of papers. Giles moved to a wheel chair and a blanket thrown around her shoulders virtually hiding her bandaged face.

“Okay, you hold on to the drip bottle and we’ll roll down the hallway.” She placed a portable oxygen bottle on her lap and unhooked the wall unit. “I’ve got four bottles for you, that should last almost a day. Okay, we’re loaded up.” She looked up at Sam. “Ma’am, open the door please. The doctor made sure there were no nurses at the desk, but we only have a couple of minutes.” The nurse started slowly pushing Giles.”

“Ambulance needs to take us to Dulles and the regional hangers. I have a flight arranged.”

“Death certificate has been filed for Jane Doe and Ava’s description.” The doctor handed Sam the papers. “I hope this works for you.”

As they walked the doctor pointed to things on the papers. “The next doctor will need these. But, really, this is a dangerous move.”

“There will be people looking for her. It’s for the safety of this hospital as much as anything. I’m surprised they haven’t been here already. But, you need to make it really look like a death happened.”

The doctor handed Sam a bottle of pills. “She’ll want one of these in her about two hours while you travel and after until they run out or you get medication somewhere else.” Seconds later they were in the elevator.

The nurse unhooked the IV from the rolling stand and re-hooked it in the vehicle and then helped Giles into the ambulance; a portable oxygen bottle was placed at her side, the others in a box on the floor; Giles reclined on the gurney and light straps were put over her torso and padding placed around her head to restrict any lateral movement. Sam tapped the driver’s shoulder and they began a slow roll through the streets of Washington DC on the way to Dulles Airport. The special flight to Panama City lasted five hours with Sam sitting by Giles prone body the entire trip. An ambulance met the airplane in Panama City to take Giles to the Hospital Punta Pacifica, where she checked in under her mother’s family name Juanita Chavez.

Sam made sure the hospital had all the records and notes from the earlier surgery. She met privately with a neurosurgeon and explained the situation and was assured all would be handled. A day later Sam moved into Giles apartment and called Marcos with the news.

“Rosa and Kip are in San Jose for the funeral I dropped them off earlier today. I hope we see them again—alive.” Marcos’ voice echoed on the speakerphone. “I’ve got a Fokker 50 to bring back tomorrow, wanna ride?”

“I’m not leaving here.”

“I understand. But, Sam, watch out. That guy you put down was a hired hand. That means they’re still out there.”

“Yeah, Giles says it’s a general purge of anyone who had contact with the State Department activities in Latin America.”

Marcos laughed. “I’m just a pilot, why me. The only thing I ever did was buy fruit from a company I later found out was a clandestine operation.”

Sam giggled. “And you didn’t know who you were transporting?”

“Okay, you win. I have to work on the beast, I’ll call later.”

The next day in Washington DC a van pulled up to the visitor’s door of the hospital and two dark suited men hopped out of the side and pushed through the doors into the hospital. Four more men exited the van and generally looked around. Each wore sunglasses and an ear piece. “We’re looking for a woman brought in last week with bullet wounds, she was unidentified. A tall blond woman.”

The attendant looked up at the two men. “You want what?”

One of the men flashed a badge and credentials. “We need to find this woman.” He held up a picture of Giles from State Department files.

“Just a minute.” The clerk dialed a number and minutes later a chubby man with a crooked blue tie and stained white shirt appeared.

“Help you guys? I’m Stu Jones, head of security.”

The dark suited man gave the picture to Jones and re-explained their need to find the woman.”

Jones motioned for the two men to follow and took them to emergency room admitting. “Show your picture to these people.”

One of the nurses looked at the picture and nodded. “She came in here with bad wounds, went to surgery after that I don’t know. We tagged her Woman 1-alien. Just a second I’ll check the computer.” A minute late she looked up. “Didn’t make it. I didn’t think she would when she came in, but they tried.”

Jones motioned to the two men. “We need some paperwork for these guys probably.”

One of the men nodded. “She was wanted. We’ll have to report it.”

The two men left with notes on the surgery and the subsequent death of the patient, whose body was claimed by a friend of the poor; an organization that helped indigent families at the time of loss. So, it was explained to the two men. According to the records, the woman would be buried without ceremony in a common grave.

Mitch VanHorn put his feet on his desk and read the report. “So, she died. Wish they had seen the body, but the death certificate will do.” He mentally scratched off Giles name. “Two more.”

His phone rang and he sat up. The call came from a scrambler so other than the code word he didn’t know who called.

“One of our cats killed during the event. However, I got out after setting the bomb and escaped. None of the birds were hurt. Did not see original sheep. The DC bird was plucked as was fat boy in CR and the midget.”

“Oh, birds like that fly away all the time, not a problem. It’s the sheep we’re interested in. Sheep should be in home pen sometime on Monday. Will wait your final report on the roundup. Monies already deposited.” They disconnected.

In San Jose a cab crept up to a church residence. Kip and Rosa got out and waved the cab away, then quickly slipped into Father Luis’s private residence.

On a hill nearby a man with binoculars picked up his cell phone and called. “They just went into the priest’s house.”

To be continued...