Ionshaker (Part I) by Felix Timothy (best short novels txt) 📕

sighed, stepped away from the ambulance and turned to the staring drivers awaiting his ruling.
“Everyone make way for the paramedics now. Move out of the way,” he ordered in a loud commanding voice.
As the drivers began obeying the order and made way for the ambulance, one of the drivers, a melancholic-looking man in his early thirties stepped out of a blue Chevrolet Optra to plead with the guard.
“Please, you have to let us go too. My wife has just had a baby and she needs to rest,” he earnestly implored.
“I hear you but I’m sorry. Get back into your car,” the guard was adamant.
“We can work something out. Check the car, and if you don’t find anything you let us go. Please, I am begging you.”
“Sir, get back to your car now before you get into trouble,” the guard said harshly. He was not making any more concessions.

* * *

In the rear of the ambulance, bit by bit Robin started regaining consciousness. At first, it was all hazy and she thought she was dreaming. But after a while she realized she was in motion.

Though helplessly strapped on the stretcher, she was grateful to still be alive. Perhaps she’d get one last chance to plead for her life. She was ready to pay her captor all the money she had just to let her keep breathing.

Powerful lights on the sides brightened the rear of the ambulance. It was full of first aid supplies.

Then she sensed a drastic decrease in speed. It could only mean one thing: they were drawing close to their final destination. She hoped it wasn’t the slaughterhouse.
For a short while, the ambulance drove roughly on a bumpy road, probably heading deep into the countryside, before it came to a halt.
She tried to control her adrenaline-boosted shortened breaths; her heart almost beating out of her chest.

Then she heard the driver and passenger doors bang. They were no longer afraid of being heard, nobody would hear anything anyway – they were in the middle of nowhere.

It was over.

She’d be tortured to give up whatever information they believed she possessed, then they’d slaughter her like a sheep and dump her in a river for nature to take care of the rest. And then, the stench from her reeking body would call the attention of wild dogs, hyenas, foxes, wolves and other rapacious beasts wandering about looking for such a scrumptious meal, and they’d devour her with a beastly appetite.

With all her might, she tried propping herself on the stretcher into a sitting position, but was unable. The straps that bound her on the stretcher, plus her dwindled body strength, made her efforts futile. All she could do was tilt her head and stare at the door, waiting for the bogeyman.

Then, the hour came and the doorknob turned with a loud creaking sound. Instantly, her heart skipped three beats instead of one, and her eyes closed reflexively as torrents of tears streamed shamelessly down her cheeks.
When she heard a footstep on the rear bumper, she let it out instantly. It was a hysterical scream, a scream of madness, a scream of fear, a scream of a frightened dying woman.

“It’s me. It’s okay, Robin, it’s me, I’m here for you…” Trey said reassuringly.
She couldn’t believe it. It was her savior, entering the ambulance to rescue her like a super-hero. Trey undid the straps and hugged her as she whimpered in his arms, refusing to believe the nightmare was over.
“Trey,” she said in his arms after calming down, looking at him, “I was so scared.”
“I know, but you’re safe now. I’m here,” he said gently pushing back strands of hair from her face.
“How did you find me?” She asked looking at him.
“The whole thing was my idea. It was the only way to pull it off and it happened so fast. When I left your bed earlier to day I went to meet a man who helped me plan how we’d sneak you out of the hospital, but when I came back to tell you, you had been sedated. So am sorry if we scared you.”
“Yeah. You scared me; I thought he was the killer, why didn’t he say something? He just grabbed my arm and gave me a shot…”
“And if he had told you I had sent him would you have believed him?” He challenged her gently stroking her hair.
Robin paused for a while then smiled as she answered, “Not in a million years.”
“You see, he had no choice. But nevertheless, I’m sorry that our genius plan freaked you out.”
“Promise not to leave me,” she demanded with a serious face.
“I promise. Now let’s get out of here, okay?”
“Okay,” she said with a smile amidst the tears on her face. Trey gently hoisted her from the stretcher. She knew as long as she was with him, no one would dare touch her.

* * *

The man with the fake ‘Jake O’Dell’ ID, the one sent to kill Robin Ironside was on the phone speaking with his boss.
“We have a problem,” he said warily.
“Another problem?” The boss responded harshly.
“The target had already been moved when we got to the hospital.”
“Do you know what defenestration means?”
“No sir,” the junior responded respectfully.
“Grab a dictionary and look it up,” the boss yelled over the phone then hung up.


16


A half hour later, the media had already pitched tent outside the hospital waiting for a statement from either the police or the hospital administration. On their part, the police had done a thorough search for the missing patient inside and outside the hospital as well as searching all the vehicles on the hospital premises, but to no avail. Still, Robin Ironside was missing.

But the police captain hadn’t given up yet, he was still digging. He asked the guards at the gate, “Who was manning the gate?”
“I was,” said the guard who’d been on duty.
“The hospital claims you were notified immediately the patient went missing not to let any vehicle leave the premises, is that correct?”
“Yes sir,” the guard answered confidently.
“That means, when you closed the gate the patient and her kidnappers were still in the premises, which implies you let a vehicle go, which is in breach of the order you were given, which means you’ll be in a great deal of trouble if you don’t come clean now. I only have one question. Did you let out any vehicle after closing the gate?”
“No,” the man answered with a poker face.
“Are you absolutely sure?” The captain made a step forward closer to the guard studying his face.
“Yes,” the guard responded looking at the ground and shifting his weight.
Just then, the melancholic-looking man stepped out of his blue sedan and slowly walked towards the two men. They both turned at the approaching man. Everyone watched on, a showdown was looming.
“Can I help you sir?” Asked the captain.
“Actually, I want to help you,” he responded with his unsympathetic eyes staring at the guard. It was payback time.
“Excuse me?” The officer didn’t get him.
“He let ambulance 67 go,” The man said, his eyes sternly fixated on the guard. Then the captain turned squarely on the guard.
“You lied to me?” The captain’s voice went up.
The guard glanced around to read the mood of the people he’d held up at the gate.
“I can explain…”
“Its too late to grow a spine,” the captain cut him short, then turning to the other guard he said, “You can open the gates and let people go home,” then turning back to the guard who had just confessed to letting ambulance 67 go he said, “You come with me, now!”

* * *

Nicole came out of her bathroom, wrapped in a towel, her hair dripping wet, on her way to the bedroom when her cell phone was ringing.
“It better be important Kate,” she answered the phone walking to the bedroom.
“It’s Kaiser,” Kate said from on the other end of the line and an instant grimace formed on Nicole’s face as she stopped walking to say, “I’m listening.”
“Robin Ironside has just gone missing.”
“What? How, she could barely blink!” Nicole exclaimed.
“Kidnapped, the police are still investigating,” Kate answered quickly.
“How long ago?”
“Over a half an hour.”
“Thanks.”
As soon as she hung up, she speed dialed Brett who was stretched on the couch in front of his plasma with a pint of ice cream in his hand, watching the news.
“I need to sing you a lullaby before you can go to bed?” Brett teased with a broad smile on his face.
“Don’t flatter yourself. It’s about Kaiser.”
“Kaiser?” he sat up straight.
“Robin Ironside just went missing a half hour ago.”
“You gotta be kidding me,” he said with a puckered brow formed on his face.”

* * *

He’d been summoned by a wrinkled, cold, coarse-voiced and eye patched, fifty eight year-old man. The man had been befittingly nicknamed “Hitler”. It was going to be his second meeting with Hitler since being contracted to mark Ironside. But as it had turned out, Ironside had refused to die and had cheated death twice.

During his recruitment, Hitler had emphasized well enough, Ironside could not be let to live. Their success depended on her being taken care of alongside Brooke. And because that had failed to happen, Hitler was hopping mad.

He knew there was a high chance he’d leave the meeting in a body bag, but there was no backing out. How ironic that Ironside’s hired killer could actually die before Ironside herself! Even if he imagined running, where would he go? Al Fakir had its tentacles everywhere and there was no burrow too deep for them.

It became apparent that even killers fear killers.

He drove eight bocks before abandoning Artesia Freeway to take a deserted tunnel, no actually – a death tunnel. The tunnel was more of a death trap than a conference venue. Through the windshield, he saw Hitler’s slick black H2 Hummer. He parked his gray Cherokee behind the H2, got out, walked to the Hummer’s left side and stopped at the rear door. The tinted window rolled down just enough for him to see Hitler’s vile eyes.
“Sir, a third party got involved...” He