Cross-Over Murders by Frank F. Atanacio Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Dr. Peres held out her hand and smiled. “Nice to see you again, Pete.”
The captain was taken by surprise when the doctor totally ignored his presence. He had no recollection of doing anything to offend her. None whatsoever until...
“Hey guys,” Nick said as he walked into room 308. “How’s it going, Pete?”
“Nick,” O’Brien offered.
“Hey Nick,” the captain said while biting down on the inside of his cheek.
“Oh god,” muttered the doctor. “What is that doing here?”
“I can see by your expression that you are happy to see me,” Nick said. “Trust me, the feeling is mutual.”
“Drop dead,” she said in a sarcastic tone.
“Ladies first.”
“I hate you.”
Nick smiled.
“Did I miss anything here?” O’Brien asked.
“Trust me,” said the captain as he pulled O’Brien closer to him. “You don’t want to know.”
He nodded.
Dr. Peres gaped at Captain Frank Roque. He could see the anger in her eyes, but she had to be professional. There was an investigation at hand and she didn’t want her dislike for Nick Barnum to interfere in anyway. What she really wanted to do was rip his face off and shove it down his throat for allowing Nick to attend the investigation. She wanted to do that, but instead she walked over to the victim.
“Do what you guys can,” she said. “He really doesn’t have much time.”
“Did you call his next of kin too?” Asked Nick.
She ignored him.
“As you know captain,” she started. “He has no family here, and he was found by a tractor trailer driver. He did mange to tell us he was stabbed by that serial killer.”
Nick smiled.
She turned her back toward him giving him what anyone would believe as the cold shoulder.
“What’s his name?” O’Brien asked.
“Luis Perez,” she replied.
Nick was just about to say something until she glared in his direction.
“Mr. Perez,” the captain started. “Can you tell me who did this?”
The young laborer was trying to form a word.
“What contractor,” the captain continued.
“El diablo,” he mouthed.
“The devil,” Nick translated.
“We know that,” said the doctor. “I really hate you.”
Nick smiled.
Three Latino men rushed into room 308 with guns directly pointed at the doctor and at Peter O’Brien. They were wearing heavy jackets, that they needed for concealing their weapons when they walked passed security.
“Hey!” Shouted the captain.
One of the men hit the captain over the head with the butt of the gun. “Move over there!”
O’Brien grabbed the captain and helped him to a chair.
“What’s the meaning of this?’ the doctor demanded an answer.
“We come to take our friend home,” said what appeared to be the leader. “He can’t stay here.”
“Why?” Nick asked.
The doctor stared at Nick with hatred.
“Just shut up and move over there!” ordered the leader.
“Just wait one minute,” the doctor said as she walked toward the leader. “You have no right!”
The leader punched the doctor in the mouth knocking her backwards and onto her backside. She quickly glanced over toward Nick just waiting for a laugh, or a remark. She got neither.
“Tie them up!” He instructed.
“You know we’re the police,” said O’Brien.
“I don’t care!”
The captain handed the doctor a piece of tissue and she pressed it delicately to her bleeding lower lip. She removed her lab coat and she was wearing a long beige skirt and a matching blouse. Here fingers were ring-less but her wrist was covered in silver bands. Her legs were smooth and Nick glanced at them frequently.
“Tie them up!” he continued shouting as the others quickly did what they were told. They tied the captain up to the chair. They handcuffed O’Brien to the heating unit with his own handcuffs, and they tied Nick Barnum back to back with Doctor Peres on the floor.
“Get Luis out of that bed,” he continued barking orders.
“He’s going to die,” Nick shouted.
“We’ll save him,” he replied.
“You won’t get far,” said the captain.
“We will get out if we take you, old man!”
“I’m the captain of police!”
The leader smiled.
“El es el kapitan!” shouted a henchman.
“Better for us,” said the leader. “They won’t dare try to stop us if they want to see the captain survive.”
“He’ll give you a struggle,” Nick added.
“What?” The leader looked confused as he walked over to the private eye. “What do you mean?”
“Take the doctor,” Nick said. “She’ll be easier to slap around.”
“I really, really hate you,” she said.
Nick smiled.
“No,” said the captain. “Take me.”
“I’m telling you, amigo,” Nick continued. “Take the woman, and you’ll be out of here quickly. You know that the captain will give you a hard time. The doctor, well, you can just slap her around.”
“God, just kill him!” she shouted.
“Hey Mano, he has a point.”
Nick smiled.
“She is a doctor.”
“And easy for you to slap around,” Nick added.
“Can you do me a favor,” the doctor added. “Just kill this son of a bitch first. I really hate him.”
“Are you two married?” asked the leader.
“He wishes,” she quickly replied.
“She likes you,” said the leader. “And yet you want us to take her. I don’t understand that.”
“Trust me,” said Nick. “If you get to know her, you’d want her dead too.”
The leader couldn’t help but to laugh. “Okay, we take the lady.”
“Don’t forget to slap her around a bit,” Nick added.
“Nick, control yourself!” Shouted O’Brien.
The leader knelt down as he tried to untie the ropes. He kept pulling at them, and found it difficult to get loose. He looked up and saw Nick smiling, and tears were streaking down the doctor’s face.
“Get me a knife,” he ordered.
One of the henchmen brought over a knife and handed it over to the leader. He turned to face Nick and found a fist heading in his direction. Nick Barnum hit him head on knocking him backwards. The private eye quickly grabbed the gun that was tossed because of the impact and mange to get off two shots. One shot hitting one the henchmen in the leg, the other shot caught the last henchman on the shoulder knocking him to the floor. Nick quickly scrambled to his feet and grabbed the leader and pushed him against the wall.
“Don’t even try to move,” he snapped.
Nick Barnum quickly untied the captain and removed the handcuffs from Peter O’Brien.
“Quick thinking,” said the captain.
Nick smiled.
“Captain, he was going to let these men take me!” Shouted the doctor as she rubbed her wrist.
“No,” said the captain. “He wanted them to untie him so he could make his move.”
“What?”
“He needed them to take you because you guys were tied up together. I figured it all out immediately,” the captain explained. “Nick knew what he was doing all along.”
“All we wanted to do was help Luis,” said the leader as O’Brien cuffed him.
“That’s too late,” said Nick. “Your buddy is dead. He is now victim number four.”
The leader looked shocked.
“Take them away!” The captain ordered as several security guards stormed into room 308. “Get the ones shot some medical attention. Make sure they get well enough to stand trial!”
“Yes sir,” replied security.
“Good job Nick,” O’Brien said knowing damn well he didn’t want Nick there in the first place.
“Yeah, good work,” added the captain.
The doctor just huffed.
“You're welcome,” Nick added.
“I still hate you.”
Nick smiled.
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