American Heroes Series - 01 - Resurrection (39 page)

“I know you will,” she murmured, kissing him one last time. “Take care of yourself. I love you.”

He stroked her cheek before letting go. “I love you, too, baby. More than you know.”

Tyler was standing by the bedroom door impatiently, rolling his eyes at the sentiment going on.    

“Geez, you guys,” he snorted. “Get a room!”

Cydney snickered as Ethan turned to his son. He passed the kid as he headed out the door.

“You and I are going to have a talk about what getting a room really means when I get back,” he said as he walked by.

Tyler made a face at his father as Ethan went out into the hall and closed the door. “I already know what it really means,” he muttered bravely once his father was gone.

He didn’t realize Cydney was standing right behind him, zipping up her purse.  When he heard the noise of the zipper and turned and saw her, he just smiled sheepishly. Cydney shook her head, not doubting him for a minute. Kids grew up so quickly these days.

“Come on, Ty,” she went back into the bathroom to grab half of the bagel Ethan had brought her and eat it on the run. “Let’s go find your mom something nice.”

Tyler didn’t have to be told twice. It was a beautiful day outside as they walked the charming Italian streets but Cydney didn’t really notice. Her thoughts, heart and mind were with Ethan and Olivia, wherever they may be.

Her daughter’s salvation was at hand.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

The Hospital San Pietro Fatebenefratelli was founded in 1848 by a healing Catholic Order. It was an older hospital with gorgeous architecture that sat on the heavily-foliaged Isola Tiberina about a couple of miles down the Tiber River from the Vatican.

 It had been the place that Coral had named and J.D. had asked Ethan what he had done in order to secure that particular bit of information. Ethan wouldn’t respond, something that both irritated and concerned J.D., but he couldn’t imagine Ethan doing anything truly unethical or immoral. Risky, yes; but not unethical or immoral. Still, Ethan was so desperately in love with Cydney that there was no knowing the lengths the man would go to for her.  J.D. suspected Ethan would tell him in his own time.  But until then, J.D. was both seriously curious and seriously concerned.

It was early afternoon by the time J.D., Ethan, Christophe, Penryn and Daniels, plus six U.S. Marines and a S.W.A.T. team from the Rome Police arrived at the hospital.  The compound sat on a little island in the middle of the Tiber and parking was limited. So was the ability to arrive unannounced.

The police parked their white S.W.A.T van around the corner from the front entrance beneath the shelter of some lovely old trees while J.D., Ethan, Christophe and several agents from the U.S. Embassy parked along the east side of the structure.  They got out of the black unmarked sedans, popped open the trunks, and began putting on flak vests.

Ethan removed his coat and put on the heavy dark Kevlar vest over his dress shirt and tie. With his dark aviator sunglasses and stunning good looks, he looked like a movie star getting ready to shoot a scene. J.D. was next to him, also wearing his Kevlar vest and handing him a Glock 22, a police issue forty caliber weapon.

Ethan took the gun, plus a Springfield XD 9mm that he personally owned, and strapped the holsters on; one to his belt and the other over his shoulder. He was focused yet anxious, preparing for the battle to come. He’d never faced anything more serious.

Christophe came around the side of the car, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, a vest on, two hand-held weapons holstered to his body and both hands holding shotguns. Rounds of extra ammunition bulged from his pockets and he looked like he was about to invade a small country single-handedly. J.D. and Ethan gazed at him with some amusement.

“Are you sure you’ve got enough firepower?” J.D. asked with mock seriousness.

Christophe pumped a shell into the chamber of the shotgun in his right hand. “Perhaps,” he shot J.D. a pointed look. “Perhaps not.”

“I can give you more if you feel you need it,” J.D. pressed, obviously making fun of him.  “I don’t want you to go in there under-manned.”

As Ethan snorted, Christophe blew smoke in J.D.’s face. “I’ve got plenty. Worry about yourself, hotshot.”

Ethan laughed out loud as J.D. coughed away the smoke. He finished securing the holster around his shoulder. “We’re going into a hospital, Christophe,” Ethan said. “I’m not sure you can pick and choose your targets carefully with four guns blazing.”

Christophe puffed heavily on the cigarette. “Cela est la façon il va.”

Ethan cocked an eyebrow. “Faire attention vous ne tirez pas la mauvaise personne.”

Christophe flashed a toothy grin and Ethan snickered, shaking his head in resignation. Christophe was going to enjoy this just a little too much.  J.D. made a face.

“Quit babbling in a foreign tongue, both of you,” he snapped at them. “Are we ready?”

Ethan slammed the trunk of the car. “I was just telling him not to shoot the wrong person,” he said, facing J.D. and removing his sunglasses. “I’m ready.”

J.D. eyed him; this was the professional agent he had known for so many years. Flawless in judgment and execution, someone he trusted his life to. Ethan was a model agent.  But he knew what was at stake and knew that Ethan, in spite of his calm façade, was edgy. He found the need to be clear, just between the two of them.

“Your objective is to get Olivia,” he lowered his voice. “Don’t try to be a hero and take anyone in to custody. Just get her out of there.”

“If we meet resistance?”

“That’s why we brought half of the Rome police force and six Marines.”

Ethan drew in a long, deep breath. “I’m worried that they might kill her when they realize we’re on to them,” he muttered. “That’s been haunting me for a while.”

“We can only hope the element of surprise is on our side,” he slapped Ethan on a big shoulder.  “Focus on your task and we’ll get through this.”

Ethan simply nodded, his worries clouding his focus at the moment.  By this time, several other agents had joined them at the back of the car, all dressed for action. More police cars pulled up and Ethan waved them over to park on the side streets. With more back up showing up, J.D. got down to business.

“This hospital isn’t particularly large so it’s not like we have a tremendous amount of ground to cover,” he said, unrolling a schematic that they had managed to get from the Rome police. It showed the floor plan of an older building with straight halls and square rooms.  J.D. laid the plan on the trunk of the sedan and thumped a finger on it. “We’ve been able to discover that Dr. Gioia works on the second floor of the west wing and, according to a call placed to the hospital an hour ago, he was scheduled to work for the rest of the afternoon.mWe are simultaneously serving a warrant on him and searching for the captive young woman. You have your teams and you’ve already been given your assignment; you’ll search by twos, room to room, until the entire second floor is covered and the American captive is located. Any questions so far?”

Everyone seemed to be clear.  J.D. nodded with satisfaction. “Good,” he went on. “Break up into your pre-designated teams for entry; Group One goes in through the front entrance, Group Two has the east entry and the east stairwell and Group Three has the west entry and the West stairwell. The S.W.A.T boys go with Group One and the Marines are split between Groups Two and Three. We have units covering every entry and exit, so the entire structure is covered. If there are no questions, then let’s get going. Keep the radios on and constant contact. Let me know when your rooms have been cleared and, subsequently, when the girl is located. If you run into any trouble, holler.”

Everyone scattered.  J.D. had command of Group One, Ethan had command of Group Two and Christophe had command of Group Three.  The air was heavy with anticipation and excitement, especially for Ethan, as they ran to take position. 

With their earpiece radios all on the same frequency, they all gathered into position. J.D. spoke into the radio, his gaze on the big glass doors before him.   He could see a few people in the lobby beyond as they stood there, gathered against the exterior of the building, people walked in and out of the facility.  A few noticed the group of cops and hurried away as fast as they could.

“Try not to scare people to death,” J.D. said. “We have a purpose. We’re not here to roust the place so everyone stay focused.”

The agents around him nodded, including Agent Penryn.  Daniels was with Ethan. With a sharp bob of his head, J.D. gave the signal and the teams began to move.

***

The room was dark.  Olivia struggled to open her eyes, feeling the effects from the powerful anesthetic they had used to put her under.  She had been fighting so much that they had ended up giving her too much anesthesia to knock her out and now she was both groggy and nauseous.  

Still, she struggled to open her eyes, trying to figure out where she was.  A cold and sterile room met with her foggy gaze.  Moving slightly, she was aware that she couldn’t lift her arms or legs.  It took her a moment to realize that she was wrapped in restraints.

With a groan, her head slammed back on the pillow and she stared up at the asbestos tiled ceiling.  She had an itch on her chin and she couldn’t even scratch it. The angry tears came and ran down her temples on to the pillow.

Gazing up at the ceiling, her mind was gradually clearing and she began to count the holes in the tile just to keep from screaming. Anything to keep from going crazy.  She was so far beyond fear now that all she was feeling was fury; deep-seated fury that grew by the hour. She hated these people more than she could put into words. She just wanted to go home.

At some point, the door opened softly and, startled, she closed her eyes quickly. She wanted to convey the illusion that she was still asleep, just for the moment until she could figure out what was going on.  She heard soft footsteps on the cool linoleum, moving towards her from the open door.  The gentle pit-pat drew close.  Olivia could hear someone breathing.  Slowly, she opened her eyes.

Joseph stood there, gazing down at her.  He looked particularly pale. When he saw that she was awake, he smiled wanly.

“Hey,” he said softly. “How are you feeling?”

Olivia was in no mood for his pleasantries. “Why am I tied down?”

Joseph immediately moved to the ties on her wrists. “Sorry,” he murmured, releasing her arm and going to work on the other. “We didn’t want you to wake up and go crazy.”

Olivia rubbed her wrists as soon as he released her second hand.  She watched him as he moved to her feet. “I’m not going to go crazy,” she muttered. “I don’t even know where I am. Where am I going to run that someone, somewhere, doesn’t have ties with you guys and will turn me in? I thought I was safe with the Paris Police but I was wrong.  Even if I do run away, you guys will just find me again.”

Joseph released her feet, listening to her rant in relative silence.  When all four limbs were unrestrained, Olivia sat up and rubbed at her ankle.

“Can I have some water, please?” she asked with an attitude.

Joseph went into the adjoining bathroom and she could hear water running. He returned with a plastic cup and handed it to her. Olivia drained it.

“So,” she said, licking her lips, feeling her stomach settle. “What happened to me? What did they do?”

Joseph didn’t seem his normal jovial self.  He had just come from a very disturbing conversation and had been pondering what to do about it for the better part of the morning. 

They were at the end of a very long journey and, more than ever, he was having difficulty justifying what was happening. He’d never been keen on his role in all of this but as the days and hours passed, and as Olivia Hetherington’s role because larger than his, he was beginning to question everything.  The tides were beginning to turn.

“I need to talk to you,” he said quietly.

“What about?”

He sighed, moving up on the side of the bed. “I think there’s a problem,” he said after a moment. “Look, Olivia, I know you don’t trust me and I know this whole adventure has been like a nightmare for you, but I think we’ve reached a crossroads and I need your cooperation. If you want to live, you’re going to have to trust me.”

She looked at him curiously. “What are you talking about?”

Joseph chewed his lip as he thought on how to tell her what he must. “There’s something wrong with your eggs,” he lowered his voice. “When they knocked you out and went into harvest whatever eggs they could from your ovaries, they discovered that something was wrong with them.  I’m not a doctor but from what I can gather, the fertility specialist said they’re underdeveloped or something like that. Anyway, this means that you’re not a viable subject for their DNA plot.  Right now, they’re talking to the doctor about what they should do with you.”

Olivia’s fear returned. “
Do
with me?” she repeated. “What do you mean?”

Joseph looked rather fearful himself. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I don’t like it. They’re talking about hormone therapy and other crazy stuff. But if that doesn’t work, I’m afraid they’ll just get rid of you and find somebody else for their experiment.”

Her eyes widened. “They’re going to kill me?”

“Maybe,” he said honestly.  He suddenly reached out and cupped her sweet little face, forcing her to look at him. “You need to trust me, Olivia.”

Her big eyes gazed back at him apprehensively. “What are you going to do?”

He hesitated before speaking; what he was about to say went against everything he was brought up to believe and fulfill. “I’m going to get you out of here,” he finally spit it out. “This whole scheme with you was never what was originally intended. I was never too hot on the idea of kidnapping you, anyway, and now it’s just getting worse. The plans we’ve had for decades have suddenly turned into something convoluted and scary. There’s no knowing when or how it will stop, or what will be the result. This is more than just creating a new Holy Roman Empire.  This has turned into creating God in Man’s image and I don’t like it. I don’t want to be a part of it.”