William Redman Carter: Chapter 23

Posted: January 09, 2006 - 06:54:47 pm



William bent over his keyboard studying the outputs of his program. The ringing

of the cell phone broke his concentration. Irritated at another interruption, he

pulled the phone out of his pocket and glanced at the caller id. The fact that

the call was from Lucy concerned him. He answered, "Hello, Lucy."

"William, I'm here on campus and there's this old Chinese woman who looks lost,"

Lucy said.

"What do you want me to do?" William asked surprised by the nature of the call.

"She doesn't seem to understand English. Could you talk to her?"

"Sure," William answered thinking that it would have been much easier to find an

oriental student on campus and have them talk to the woman.

"Okay, I'm going to hand the phone to her now," Lucy said.

A female voice speaking Mandarin said, "Get away from me you..."

By the way in which the voice had faded, it was clear the old woman had pushed

away the phone. Smiling, William, in Mandarin, said, "Sometimes I think my

Chinese mother is senile."

The result of his comment was a string of curses delivered rapid fire. He

listened, laughing at the creativeness of the old woman, until Lucy asked,

"What's she saying?"

"She says that she wants you to leave her alone," William answered using

creative license in interpreting what the old woman was actually saying.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later," Lucy said.

They exchanged farewells and disconnected the call. William swiveled in his

chair and said, "Colt, we've got to go to the university."

"Why?"

Grinning, William answered, "There's a senile old Chinese woman who needs to be

taught a lesson."

The bodyguard frowned and said, "It's best to keep your distance from mentally

unstable individuals."

"You can say that again."

On campus, Lucy and Natalie left the old woman behind. Lucy paused occasionally

to look back at the old woman concerned that she would get into trouble. She

said, "We really should do something for her."

Her patience near an end, the bodyguard said, "She doesn't want your help. Let's

get some lunch so that you can get to your next class on time."

"You're right," Lucy said looking back at the old woman. The woman raised an

angry fist in her direction.

Two young men wearing shirts with the name of the university on them approached

talking animatedly. There were carrying plastic tubes, the kind that was often

used to hold large photographs. Lost in their conversation, the pair bumped into

Lucy and Natalie. Lucy was knocked back, but Natalie had seen them coming and

braced herself. As the young man who had bumped into Natalie sputtered some

apology, the other hit her on the back of her head with his tube. Natalie went

down like a mobile home in a tornado.

Her hand over her mouth, Lucy backed away while staring at the man who had

knocked Natalie down. When both men turned to face her, she realized that she

was the real target of the attack. They had attacked Natalie so that they would

be able to get her without interference. Turning, she fled across the campus

unable to believe anyone would attack them in broad daylight and in public.

At first, she ran without a destination in mind. With the pounding of her

pursuers' feet closing in on her, she veered and headed towards the one place

where she thought she would be safe. Her sudden change in direction was

fortunate as one of the men had leapt to tackle her. It took the men valuable

time to recover and resume the chase.

When she passed under the sign at the entrance to the park, she started

screaming, "Help. Help. They're after me."

Behind her, one of the men went down as a bag lady jumped on him. With animal

savagery, she bit and scratched the man. His partner finally kicked her in the

head and the other pushed her off. With a final angry gesture, he kicked her in

the ribs.

Lucy spotted Fat Fred and ran to him. Tears streaked her face as she collapsed

at his feet. The big man stepped around her as he said, "Don't worry now, Lucy

Diamonds. You're safe."

Gasping for breath, she said, "I think they killed Natalie."

By the time the men reached Fat Fred, he was not standing alone. At least ten

homeless men had joined him. Angry expressions on their face, they moved to

surround the men who had chased Lucy into the park. The men, surprised to find

themselves surrounded by homeless, started to back away.

They hadn't gone more than five feet when an old Chinese woman charged into the

fray. Lucy stared at the woman in shock as the feeble old woman turned into a

fighting machine. Using her cane, she gave each man a solid hit to their knees,

groins, elbows, and chins. By the time she was done, neither of the men was able

to do more than lie on the ground in pain.

Seeing Just Jan on the ground and knowing that Natalie was hurt, Lucy became

fully aware that she didn't even know first aid. Feeling helpless to help them,

she broke down in tears. Sobbing wildly, she said, "Go help Just Jan. Go help

Natalie."

Lost in her tears, Lucy didn't see the police arrive followed a little later by

the ambulances. When she finally recovered her wits, she found that Fat Fred was

holding her and rocking her in his arms. His big body felt comforting and she

whimpered. He whispered, "Everything's going to be all right."

The old Chinese woman knelt down next to her shaking her head. In a familiar

voice, she said, "You're too kind for your own good. I kept trying to get rid of

you and you kept trying to help me."

Lucy stared at the old woman trying to make sense of what she had seen. Although

she looked eighty, the old woman moved like she was much younger. She looked at

the old woman's hands and realized they were young hands. Shocked, she looked

back at the face.

Although he had run all the way to the park, William slowed to walk when he

approached the trio. He tried to look calm and collected, although he was

anything but that. He could see that Lucy had not been harmed. Even though the

old Chinese woman had her back to him and he couldn't see her face, he knew her.

He greeted her, "Hello, Ling."

Ling spun and looked at William putting her hands on her hips in an angry

gesture. In an irritated voice, she said, "How dare you tell a complete stranger

that I'm senile!"

"I knew it was you," said William with a smile. He shook his head as he knelt

down beside Lucy noticing that she hadn't figured out the identity of her

rescuer. Breaking down into tears, she flowed from Fat Fred's embrace into his.

The big man stood and moved to stand beside Ling.

Hugging Lucy tightly, William said, "You did the right thing. Natalie is okay; a

student helping her told me that you had run in this direction. Right now, Colt

is taking care of her."

"I was terrified. Who are they?"

Looking over at Ling, he said, "I don't know. I imagine they were hired by

Missy. We'll know more after they're questioned. For a change, Ling left them

healthy enough to be questioned although I think she may have broken the jaw on

one of them."

Shrugging off the implied criticism, Ling said, "You only need one to talk."

It finally dawned on Lucy that William had known it was Ling after the telephone

call. Curious, she asked, "How did you know it was Ling?"

Laughing at the look Ling gave him, William answered, "I knew that she was

worried about your safety. The idea that she would sit back in Arizona was so

preposterous that I knew she was in the area. When you mentioned an old Chinese

woman wandering around on campus, there was only one person it could be."

Growling, Ling stamped her foot and said, "It still wasn't a nice thing you said

to me."

"What was I supposed to say? Hello Ling, how about I blow your cover?"

Frustrated, Ling didn't answer. She knew that he was right. If he had identified

her to Lucy, the young woman wouldn't have acted naturally. Fat Fred said, "So I

take it you are related this ne'er do well."

"Yes. He's my son," answered Ling.

"Nice boy. He's got a good character," Fat Fred said nodding his head. Pointing

around his domain, he said, "William arranged that it would be okay for us to

stay here. It ain't a homeless hotel, but it is good to have a place to sleep at

night where you won't be rousted by the cops."

"Don't put more into it than there is. They wouldn't have gone for it if you

weren't here, Fat Fred," replied William. He helped Lucy to her feet. Once she

was steady, he said, "I've got to ride in the ambulance with Just Jan. She took

a good hit to the head."

"I'll go with you," Lucy said looking over at the men working on Just Jan.

Several of the homeless were over there making sure she was being treated well.

Watching as William and Lucy went over to the ambulance, Ling's eyes misted. She

said, "I'm so proud of him. He'll make sure that the woman is well taken care

of."

"I know," Fat Fred said. "That's why I'm here rather than over there."

"You like William, don't you?"

Fat Fred nodded his head and said, "That boy and Happy Harry saved my life. I

was trapped under a bridge when a flash flood hit. The water was almost over my

head when they found me. William jumped in that rushing water and grabbed me. I

got no idea how that boy managed my bulk. I don't know how Harry managed to

handle the rope. All I know is that I came to on solid ground and they were

taking care of me."

Surprised that she'd never heard the story before, Ling looked over at Fat Fred.

His eyes glistened with tears. Voice quavering, he said, "Can you imagine that?

A boy like him risking his life for a throw- away like me. I know he's rich, but

you'd never know it by the way he treats us. He's always respectful and actually

listens to folks."

"His fathers are like that," Ling said. That was what she loved about them.

"As long as we're around, you don't have to worry about William. I'd give my

life to protect him. He's worth a thousand of me."

Both Ling and Fat Fred jumped when William said, "That's where you're wrong, Fat

Fred. You're worth as much as I am. You're worth as much as anyone else and no

one is worth more than you."

The big man, his back to William, held up a hand as he moved away. In a broken

voice, he called back, "A man needs to be honest to himself. I know my worth."

William watched the big man move away and said, "He's a good man. Happy Harry

always chooses good folk to help."

The idea that a homeless man would show such loyalty to her son was touching.

Maybe he was a little safer with them around then she had thought. Rather than

let her emotions show, she asked, "What are you doing over here?"

"I just wanted to let you know that we're leaving for the hospital. The police

want to talk to you," he answered.

"Go," Ling said not trusting herself to say more than that. Seeing the effect

her son had on the people around him was overwhelming.

William returned to the ambulance and climbed in the back. After the door of the

ambulance closed, Ling found she was surrounded by police. Until William had

left, she hadn't wondered why they weren't questioning her. She hadn't realized

that he had such pull with the local police.

The cop said, "Ms. Carter, I guess you didn't know that Fat Fred is employed by

the city as park security. He has limited rights to arrest folk. You didn't need

to attack those men."

"Too many of my son's friends would have been hurt if I hadn't," answered Ling.

She pointed to the plastic tubes that were lying on the ground. "You'll find

those are filled with metal. I knew that the moment Lucy's bodyguard went down."

"Oh, so you saw the original assault," the cop said. That changed the situation

significantly.

Knowing the kind of problems that he would face, William entered the hospital

like a king. He hated to do it, but the women who had risked their lives to save

Lucy needed his help to get the best treatment possible. The petty bureaucrat in

charge of admissions was immediately dismissed as he was greeted by the Director

of Admissions.

The woman, dressed in an expensive business dress, was clearly flustered. She

had received a call from her boss informing her that the two women arriving at

the hospital were to be treated very well. There was an implied threat that

she'd lose her job if things didn't happen to the young man's satisfaction. She

said, "They are being taken care of even as we speak."

William said, "I'll need to talk to her doctor. Just Jan has a pre- existing

medical condition that he should know about."

"Right away, sir," said the woman. She turned and barked some orders to a young

man standing behind her. Turning back to face William, she said, "The doctor

will be with you right after he's finished with the patients."

Lucy had watched the interaction with wide eyes. She had listened as William,

talking to someone on his cell phone, had offered to donate twenty million

dollars to the hospital while they were still in the ambulance. She'd never seen

so many people rushing around in such a frantic state to make sure that he was

happy.

The woman said, "We have a private office for you to use while waiting. If

you'll follow me, I'll take you to it."

"Thank you. That would be most kind," William said.

The three of them went down a hall to a small office. The woman pointed to the

phone and said, "If you need anything, please call my office. Just dial 5555 and

you'll be connected to my secretary. Would you like some coffee while you wait?"

"Sure," William answered. He watched as the woman left the office. Turning to

Lucy, he said, "I hate doing that."

"What?"

"Using my money to cut through red tape," William answered in disgust. Shaking

his head, he said, "We'd still be arguing with the person in admissions if I

hadn't made that call."

"It sure was effective," Lucy said. She'd watched the nurses and doctors

scramble to get to Just Jan and Natalie. They had been rushed to an examination

room without question.

William pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed home. When Mary Gold

answered, he said, "I need to talk to Momma Kelly. I've got two people with head

injuries that need her."

Mary Gold replied, "She's already on her way there. Ling called five minutes

ago."

"Thanks," said William with relief. All they had to do in the hospital was to

keep them stabilized until his mother arrived.

He hung up and turned to face Lucy. Smiling, he said, "Momma Kelly is on the

way."

Puzzled, Lucy asked, "Why is she coming here?"

"She's a healer. By this time tomorrow, Just Jan and Natalie will be good as

new," answered William.

The doctor and the coffee arrived at the office at the same time. Taking the

coffee from the assistant, William turned to the doctor and asked, "What are

their conditions?"

"They are both in pretty bad shape. I had to drain the pressure from their

skulls. The next twenty four hours will be critical," said the doctor.

"Can you keep them stabilized and alive for the next eight hours?" William

asked.

"I should be able to do that, but they both took a pretty good hit to the skull.

The younger one looks like she was hit in the back of the head with a baseball

bat. The older one was definitely kicked in the side of the head," answered the

doctor. A look of puzzlement came over his face and he asked, "Why do you say

eight hours?"

"My mother will be here by then," William answered.

"So?"

"She's a Druid Healer."

"Oh," said the doctor. He had heard of the abilities of the Druid Healers. As a

man of medical science, he wasn't sure that he believed the stories that made

the rounds. Head injuries were not to be treated lightly.

"Just Jan is on some kind of medication. My mother won't be able to help that

condition," William said.

"We found a bottle of pills when we got her out of those filthy clothes. I've

requested her medical records from the Fusion Foundation Clinic that is

currently treating her. I'll know more about her condition once I get the

records."

"Thank you," William said extending his hand.

Shaking the young man's hand, the doctor said, "You didn't need to donate the

money to get them treated. They were emergency patients."

"They risked themselves to save the life of my fiancée and I want the best for

them," William said. Taking a breath, he added, "Besides, I was going to donate

the money anyway. I just used the situation to do it now when it would help the

most."

"I'll let you know when you can see the patients," said the doctor. Shaking his

head, he left the room chuckling at how the young man had the hospital

administration jumping through hoops. In a way, he enjoyed watching them work to

make sure that a patient was treated to the highest standard for a change.

Returning to his seat, William looked at Lucy and said, "You did the right

thing. When you ran off, they chased you rather than finish off Natalie. You ran

to the right place. Everyone in the park was ready to protect you."

"I just feel so bad that they got hurt," Lucy said. The idea that people were

willing to die to protect her was staggering and humbling. Fat Fred had moved

between her and the bad guys without thought. She barely knew the homeless man.

"I'd like to suggest that we hold a picnic at the park tomorrow to let our

friends know that we appreciate their support," William said.

"That's a great idea," Lucy said. Her thoughts ran to other issues and she

asked, "What about Missy?"

"She'll be picked up once the men have been questioned," William answered.

The door of the office opened. Ling, Colt, Rock, and Nicole entered the room.

Nicole said, "Thanks for taking care of my sister."

"You're welcome," William said looking her in the eye. "My mother will be here

in a just a little while and your sister will be good as new."

"When did you call her?" Ling asked.

"Five minutes after you did."

Turning to face Nicole, Ling said, "Your sister did her job well. They went

after her rather than Lucy. I saw it happen and it took me by surprise. You

should be proud of her."

The compliment coming from Ling meant a lot to the young woman. Smiling, she

said, "I'll tell her you said that."

"No need. I'll tell her myself. I would suppose with you being a family member,

they will let you see her," said Ling.

"Go," William said when she hesitated. He smiled when she left the room. Looking

at Rock, he said, "Your girlfriend needs you. What are you doing here?"

"Thanks," said the man as he bolted from the room.

Turning to Colt, William said, "You might be able to see your girlfriend if you

aren't standing in here."

"I've got a job to do," replied Colt standing up straighter.

After giving forth with a barked laugh, Ling said, "I'm here. Go."

The man left the room. Ling took a seat in one of the chair and looked at

William. She commented, "I didn't realize you had so many friends around here."

"Of course you didn't. You were busy checking everyone out assuming they were

enemies. Fat Fred told me about the private investigator asking questions among

the homeless."

Laughing, Ling said, "I'll admit his report on that interview surprised me. The

homeless aren't exactly viewed as stellar citizens. It's good to know that they

actually told you about the incident."

"You saw the way they treat William," Lucy said.

"Yes, I did. In fact, I heard a story or two about my son from them," Ling said

looking over at William to check his reaction. He didn't react. Turning back to

face Lucy, she said, "You did all the right things. If you had hung around to

help Natalie they'd have killed you. As it was, you led them away from her while

making good your escape. You didn't panic and you ran to the right place. Those

men would have died to protect you."

"I feel real bad about Just Jan," Lucy said.

"I saw her take down one of the men. She was a tiger and went after them without

a single concern for herself. May I ask how you know her?"

"She warned us the other night that Missy wanted to hire some people to hurt

me," answered Lucy. "We talked a little bit. William bought her some ice cream.

All she wanted to do was to help us."

"Amazing," answered Ling.

Seated in his chair, William wasn't paying attention to the conversation. He

would take a sip of his coffee and then think about the events that had

occurred. The casual observer would think that he was idling his time in a

relaxed manner. The truth was far different. William was furious. Someone had

tried to hurt his true love and almost succeeded. Even worse, he'd had no idea

that it was happening.

Attuned to the moods of her fiancée, Lucy could see that he was not happy. She

tugged on his arm to get his attention. Once she knew she had his attention, she

said, "You're upset."

"I'm not upset," answered William in a cold hard voice, "I'm angry. They tried

to hurt you and I will not tolerate that."

A chill went down Lucy's back at his answer. Never having seen William upset,

Ling sat up and stared at him. She was seeing the warrior emerge and even she

was impressed.