Chapter V
illiam stood there for at least another five seconds just calmly gazing at the woman. She forced a smile again then said "can I help you sir?"
Something about that voice. He knew that voice. He KNEW this woman and he did not like what he was feeling in the least. He stepped closer to her and held out his hand. "I'm William Travis. I don't think I've met you on this floor before."
He stooped over far enough to get a look at her name tag then said "are you any relation to Lela Padian?"
"Why no, I'm sure not" the woman lied. And William knew it. And, she knew William was aware of her lies. He was still talking to her when Lane walked up behind the Dr.
Just before Lane reached her side William said "hello Lane. I'd like you to meet Dr. Mary Padian."
Lane stepped up close to her, stuck his XD .45 in her ribs and said "if you move I'll splatter your guts all over this hospital. William brought out a pair of cuffs and shackled her, read her the Miranda rights, and frisked her pockets. Lane was calling to Len to get to the hospital A.S.A.P. and bring a female agent.
Lane walked Dr. Padian into an office beside the nurses station, asked the nurse to leave, then put another set of cuffs on Dr. Padian, this time cuffing her to a chair with her hands drawn tight so she could not move. He pulled a chair up close as William shut the door. To keep an eye on Sharon's room, he had to stand leaning against the wall.
In less than ten minutes Len came rushing down the hall with an agent William was familiar with Her name was Agent Paige Lundgren an excellent and very capable agent. He stuck his head through the door to get Lens attention, then introduced Len to the woman in the chair.
Lane and William stepped out while the female agent did a very close search of the Dr., bringing out a syringe full of a clear liquid, some little blue pills in an aspirin tube, a knife, a .32 automatic pistol and a cell phone. This was the first break they'd had in the case. And she would give some information that would cause them to contact Scotland Yard.
Within another half hour another couple of FBI Agents walked in, one of which was carrying a straight jacket. They didn't mean for this one to get away. They strapped the Dr. into a straight jacket, then stepped around the corner to change clothes. They came back dressed in medic garb and was pushing a gurney.
They entered the room with the gurney and soon exited, this time with a "patient" on the gurney. On her head was a medical hair net covering her entire head of hair, on her face was a full oxygen mask, and the Dr. was asleep, very asleep.
All this had been done under the noses of the nursing staff, and no one was aware of the Dr. being wheeled away . . . . that is, except for one nurse. Lela Padian. She was supposed to be nursing Sharon Travis tonight. And William was feeling it. He just didn't know which one she was, but he could feel her.
He spoke of all this to Len and Lane. With Agent Lundgren now free Len instructed her to go spell Melinda for a couple of hours. In less than a half hour Melinda was striding toward them with the precision that only she had. She stepped around the corner into the room to see Sharon, then came over to the little office where the confab was going on.
Will was astonished at what Lane had just told him. Len had run across an old acquaintance who'd spent some time in London and was stateside. He was headed back overseas, this time to Germany. While he was chatting with Mason Cabiness, he asked Len if they'd ever found The Codes.
"Where did you hear about The Codes?" asked Len. Then he asked "and why do you mention them now?"
"I was in the know about The Codes when the original ordeal went down. I followed the case all the way through. Then, less than a month ago, an informant who works in G4S learned of a man from Wales who had just been executed over here. By the name of Trent Bradshire, nephew to Trace Bradshire of New York.
Trace was a son to the ME they'd just put to death in Texas. The name of that ME was Alex Padian.
He knew of someone who was in possession of some discs he'd gotten in a burglary and was wanting to sell them. The discs were labeled "Death Vengeance." He also acquired a case with some kind of hand weapons, some like he'd never seen, and described them to a 'T'.
Suddenly William was feeling sick. He thought that was all over with. He looked at Lane and Lane just nodded. "That's not all William" Lane added. That's what Chief Daniel was wanting to tell you about."
William then asked, "is this a separate investigation to the shootings or are they connected in some way?"
"We don't know for sure as of yet, but we think we have some solid leads. Here's what we are going on:
Tracy Blanton - shooter of Officer Fremont
Trace Bradshire, a man with a heavy English brogue - half brother to Tracy Blanton - shot in holdup
Grace (Bradshire) Blanton spouse of Tracy Blanton
Lela Padian - RN - trying to off William. Half sister to Grace Blanton.
Alex Padian - father to Lela, executed in Britain.
Mary Padian - mother to Lela and an ME.
William sat up suddenly and said "she's here."
Melinda bolted for the door and noticed a nurse who was walking toward Sharon's room. She covered the distance toward the room as the nurse stepped past, then went in to Sharon's bedside. Breathing fine, nothing amiss, nothing wrong. Lane had followed her into the room then called both guards.
"There is to be no one, and I mean NO ONE come into this room besides us five, which includes Victor Bension. You got that? One of us will be here 24/7. If anyone, and I mean ANYONE starts into this room, you stop and detain them and make sure one of us five are here, and we are aware of the person coming into the room. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir" they both answered in unison. Both of these men knew and had a great respect for The Team, and both knew what would happen if they failed. Not only would they lose their jobs, but, charges would be filed against them. But that was not the bad part. Sharon Travis could lose her life if they failed.
Melinda then came up to William and asked "what made you say that William?"
The same feeling I felt when I walked past the Dr. earlier. Lela Padian was here, whether she is now or not, she was. Melinda, would you mind going back and spending the night with agent Lundgren? I feel this whole thing is about to break, and those people have nothing else to live for and nothing else to lose."
I really wish you would pick Billy up and head to your house, but keep Agent Lundgren with you. One of you stay awake. Don't you and Len have a dog?"
"Good idea, I'll leave right now. She kissed Len and quietly told him of the plan, then started down the hall. Bad news would follow within the hour.
Melinda was on the phone with Paige Lungren and asked if she wanted something to eat. When she showed up at Williams house, the same feeling that William spoke of went up her spine. She quickly looked around and saw a woman coming up the drive way behind her. Retrieving her Glock, she waited, all the while watching the woman walking up the drive way.
She hadn't shut the engine off as of yet, and saw the woman as she pulled something from a sweater pocket. Stomping the accelerator, she slammed the Crown Victoria into reverse and the vehicle lunged backward striking the woman, knocking her to the ground. She then stomped the emergency brake slammed the gear shift lever into park and leapt out.
Paige had been waiting on Melinda and had gotten up to unlock the door for her. Upon hearing the Crown Vic engine screaming and tires squalling she knew something was up, drew her firearm and rushed outside. Melinda was running toward the rear of the car from the drivers side, and Paige came in from the passenger side.
Just as Paige cleared the back of the vehicle she felt something strike her leg, saw the muzzle fire of the woman on the ground, but heard nothing. She fell as the woman fired again. Melinda tackled the woman grasping the barrel of the gun and pushing it upward away from Paige. Melinda then brought her own gun down on the woman's head with all her might.
The woman went limp, and Melinda cuffed her securely, and hit the speed dial yelling at Len to come to Williams house on the double. She then hit 911, and got the Police and an ambulance on the way. She stripped the leather belt off her purse and tied it securely around Paige's leg, then pushed her knife handle under the belt, giving it a twist to tighten it. The improvised tourniquet staunched the flow of blood, but it desperately needed professional attending to.
She used Paige's cuffs to shackle the woman to the trailer hitch of Wills truck sitting close by, then grabbed another set of cuffs from her vehicle and cuffed her legs so she was trussed up enough to not move in any way. Noticing a slight bulge on the woman's side, Melinda raised her top up enough to reveal a bandage which was showing some blood seepage.
"This is the same woman that shot Sharon and William" Melinda thought to herself.
She heard the roar of Lens vehicle as it screamed up and slid to a stop. Paige was still on the ground with wound to the upper portion of her calf and the bleeding furiously. Melinda gave the knife handle used to tighten the tourniquet another round and it slowed down to a trickle. Jumping out of the car with him was Lane, both with guns drawn.
Upon hearing the frantic call for help, William slipped into Sharon's room, and stood waiting for Lela. He knew she was there, and if he had to shoot her, he would. The killing was going to stop even if he died in the process.
A nurse William knew started into the room and the Policeman named Hank stood up and stopped her. I'm sorry ma'am, but there ain't nobody going into that room until William gets back."
"Good thought William. He's playing the part that I'm not here."
Then another nurse came up, then another. They had Hank backed around the corner and was giving him a dressing down. The other Policeman stood up and stepped to the door to look after Hank, and then hit the floor as something struck his head. Within a couple of seconds, William felt her presence when she glided noiselessly into the room like a ghost.
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