Chapter 99

Chapter #96

"I'm not getting any answer, Kabir: from either of them. I hope nothing is wrong."

Rachna turned and reasoned that so intent was he on watching Sonal, that her husband probably hadn't even heard her.  He wasn't the only one, as both Sareena and Jack kept a close eye on the mother who had come to the airport to see her child off for his beach vacation. For his part, Rachna noticed that Sanjay was far more receptive towards his estranged parent than he had been in weeks; most likely due to his child-like belief that now all was well between his mother and his adored Aunty Reena. She listened, as did the others in their group, as the little boy animatedly discussed what he knew of his destination.

"We are going to stay in a room that has a pool and a beach, Mama. It's going to be so much fun for me and my sister and my whole family, Mama."

"That sounds lovely, beta. You must get Aunty Reena to take lots of pictures of you and Aryia having fun, so that I can see them when you return, thik hai - a lot of pictures."

Sanjay nodded enthusiastically and then turned to get validation from his Aunty that this would be possible. When Sareena nodded, Kabir finally turned his attention to his wife, who he thought had spoken some time ago.

"I'm sorry, Rachna, what..."

"I cannot reach Naomi or Rajeev, Kabir," Rachna whispered to him urgently. "They will miss the final check in if they..."

Kabir placed on hand on Rachna's arm and smiled at his wife indulgently, "I'm certain they are on their way." He looked at his watch. "If not coming through the doors in the next seconds, they will have surely reached the parking..."

Suddenly their attention turned in Jack's direction; specifically to the distinct alarm that came from his immediate area. He smiled sheepishly and reached into his coat pocket.

"Exactly one hour fifteen minutes until our flight," he announced. "Sorry I'm just a little anal retentive when it comes to my travel arrangements."

But again, as he had seen and recognized in recent days, Kabir noted that the bodyguard's eyes did not mirror the disarmingly sheepish smile he wore. He deactivated the alarm and went back to the magazine he had been reading, as if everything was okay, which Kabir felt sure was an act.

"I think something's wrong," Kabir uttered under his breath. "Follow his lead Rachna, until we get rid of Sonal, act as Jack does."

Rachna hummed her understanding, and went over to where Daadi played with a giggling Aryia who sat in her travel seat on the bank of chairs beside her grandmother.

"Look Mama, I have a watch too..." Rachna heard Sanjay exclaim as she tried to act as normal as possible while she attempted to make sense of what could be the issue.

 

A few minutes later, Sonal, having exhausted her lunch hour, excused herself to make her way back to her office. She thanked Sareena, and then bid the rest of the group a good trip. As soon as she had left their sight, Kabir walked over to Jack, who was fishing his mobile out of his coat pocket again.

"Jack, that wasn't just a timer, was it?"

The bodyguard shook his head while also holding up one finger for a moment's peace, so that he could complete what he was doing. He confirmed with whatever it was he had to verify, and with a frown immediately dialed a number; cursing under his breath after a period of time, when obviously there was no answer to his call.

"Jack," Kabir said more forcefully.

The bodyguard looked up and made sure that Rachna had not come any closer.

"Naomi is wearing a personal alarm..."

Kabir's eyes widened. "And she has activated it?"

The bodyguard interjected, "I'm pretty sure she isn't even aware of it, but at any rate, this particular device doesn't work that way.  It's triggered by blunt force, and then only after it recognizes the wearer as incapacitated for a period of time afterwards. So if she smacked into a wall by mistake it wouldn't activate, but..."

"If she struck something and was knocked unconscious then..."

"Exactly," Jack stated confirming Kabir's supposition.

"So what could have...?"

Kabir was prevented from completing his sentence, when Rachna suddenly screamed. He turned in time see his wife collapse on the floor in uncontrolled tears, her mobile still registering an open call.

 

Sonal's eyes widened in delight and she paused in her retreat, when she heard the cries of distress coming from the direction she had just left.  It was just the signal she had been waiting for. She would now prepare to go to her next destination, but not before she made sure to note if all of the travelling party responded to the emergency. She stepped into one of the small kiosks inside the arrival terminal and waited.  Sure enough, the group hurried past her, and only after ensuring she had provided accurate details did she leave and make her way  to the decided on meeting spot.

*********

 

They checked in with the admitting desk and separated on realization that Rajeev and Naomi were on two separate wards; he on a general ward, and the expectant mother who for obvious reasons  was considered the more critical of the two accident victims, having been  admitted  directly to the maternity ward.  Kabir and Rachna would head for the maternity ward to find their sister, while the rest of them would check on Rajeev.

 

Her assigned room was empty, but the kind ward nurse assured them that she would soon return; that the expectant mother had just gone for a precautionary scan to confirm that all was well with the twins she carried. They were told that they could wait in the room and sure enough, not five minutes had passed when an orderly wheeled the bed holding their friend through doors.

Rachna stood immediately. "Naomi..."

She looked absolutely shaken as the man came near and elevated the head of the bed at so that she could meet her friends. The disorientated expression and her two bandaged arms looked to be the only indications of the mishap she had suffered.

"The babies," Kabir asked worriedly.

"The babies," she answered in a thin strained voice. "The babies are okay. They have their father's strength..." she added almost defiantly, and then fell strangely silent.

"Are you comfortable Madam Ji," the bespectacled aid asked leaning towards her.

"Yes...thank you."

The man placed a call button in her hand. "Press this should you need assistance, we are never far away..." he added before he nodded briefly and left the room."

The nurse, who had also returned with Naomi, hung the IV bag and then looked to the patient's visitors. "Please try not to overly excite the patient. We would like to keep her vitals as stable as possible for the babies' sake. She has been administered a mild sedative so may be a little disoriented right now."

 

Naomi brusquely began fiddling with her mangasultra almost as soon as the medical staff turned away, and she began breathing rapidly. "Rajeev?" She whispered, looking from Rachna to Kabir. "You have to..." She paused when the nurse turned back and made to adjust the flow of the IV. She pulled her hand away from her wedding chain, and held it fast.

"I think it's best that you leave, just until she gets a bit more settled- for the babies' sakes," the nurse insisted with a brittle smile.

Rachna approached her friend. "We will go and check on Rajeev and come right back, okay?"

**********

He had obviously been very near when he called to see where exactly in the hospital she was, as he reached there not long after they had hung up. At top speed, Vihaan had run into the hospital and on locating her, tugged Sareena into a fast embrace, shocking her to the core. "Thank God you're alright," he muttered over and over in complete gratitude. He set her away from him and began running his hands over her. "Are you sure...wait, where is Sanjay...did he get hurt?"

"Vihaan, what are you ..."

"Were you travelling separately?" he stopped and closed his eyes. "Shit, I'm sorry...Kabir, Rachna... the children, are they okay?"

He couldn't understand why she first looked at him as if he was crazy before her expression turned sorrowful.

"Vihaan," she began gently. "You've got it all wrong; we weren't the ones in the accident. Naomi and Rajeev have been admitted..."

"No, that's not possible," he said shaking his head in denial.

"Yes. Yes, Vihaan, "she answered "I don't know the extent of their injuries, but."

"No!"  He protested violently and then began pulling her to the entrance and out of the building.

She pleaded for him to stop: to realize that there had been a mistake of epic proportions, and that he needed to contact his parents right away. He dragged her along with him into the parking lot, passing rows of vehicles until he stopped and pulled out the key and electronically unlocked the car in front of them.

"Vihaan, are you crazy...we can't leave!"

He shook his head, needing her to understand. "This isn't my car: it's bhaiyaa's; I have his spare key. Now tell how if they were in such an accident that both of them had to be admitted, that their car is here undamaged?" He then showed her his mobile. "And why would Bhabhi have text me the message that they were turning back because..." Vihaan paused and then began pacing frantically, contemplating the news that had delayed his departure to the airport and now this... It's a trap, he thought...it had to be a damn trap...but against which family?

********

Rachna grew uneasy as soon as she recognized the physician who was heading in the direction of maternity ward. It couldn't be just a coincidence that the doctor who treated Sonal after her accident, would also specialize in obstetrics.

"Kabir, we have to go back."

The designer stopped in the middle of the florescent lit corridor, and looked back at his wife. "Rachna, what is it?"

"I don't want her to be alone; I can't shake the feeling that she shouldn't left alone right now. Go and check on Rajeev, and come back, but..."

Kabir took his wife by the shoulder and shook his head. "Thik hai, I will check on Rajeev and then bring Daadi and Aryia back with me."

 

They separated and Rachna quickened her steps so that she can verify her suspicions. She had to stop short when near the ward clerk's desk, the doctor was approached by a technician who handed him a necklace of some sort. Straining to hear, Rachna was shocked when the woman indicated that it must have come undone and slipped off Mrs. Agarwal's neck during the recent scan.  It made no sense as the only necklace Naomi had been wearing was her mangalsutra; which she definitely still had on. Rachna blinked recalling how her friend was fidgeting with it so much. Something was definitely awry, and she had to get back to her right away, and for some reason she needed to keep this doctor away from her friend. Making a quick decision, Rachna rushed past the physician and approached the Head Nurse.

"Excuse me Sister, can you tell me if Doctor Visra has been contacted for Mrs. Agarwal yet?  She said that she hasn't seen her and wanted to make sure that her own obstetrician has been informed of her accident." From the corner of her eye Rachna saw the doctor react to her overly loud question, cutting his conversation with the technician short, before leaving the way he had come. Satisfied that she had kept the man away for now, Rachna then headed back towards her friend's room.

**********

There was some mild  facial swelling, but nothing that Jack could immediately pinpoint would be the reason for Rajeev's  lack of consciousness, but then again neither were Daddi nor he physicians, and the only one who had the expertise to shed any light hadn't made it to the room yet, having been waylaid by an incoming telephone call. All he knew was that something felt off about the situation.  He walked around the room, attempting  to figure what could be the reason for this unease he couldn't shake off. He heard the crunch of something beneath his shoe as he passed the foot of the hospital bed, and bent down to see what it was. Almost at the same time he heard the door open and Daadi greet the new arrival.

"Doctor, thank God ..."

Jack pocketed the broken bangle pieces he had found and then stood up to meet the physician who stood in his white lab coat, holding what  Jack assumed was Rajeev's medical chart.

 

The doctor took note of them, offering a special greeting to the two children before turning his attention to Daadi as the eldest of the group.  He began detailing the circumstances of the accident and the injuries that Rajeev had suffered.

"But Doctor, he looks to have suffered no external injuries; why does he remain unconscious?"

The physician moved to placate the elderly woman. "These things can be complicated to understand, Aunty..."

"Perhaps then you can explain to me and I will be able break it down to everyone," Sareena interjected as she charged into the room. She smiled and held out her hand to the tall man. "Dr. Sareena Arora," she said compellingly. "I'm a friend of the family." She stepped forward to let Vihaan and Kabir into the room.  She watched the doctor; clearly he hadn't expected to be besieged by the two additional men, who rather than appearing worried for the incapacitated man lying in the hospital bed, were each considering him suspiciously.  Jack's nod told her that he was of the same vein, and definitely lent credence to some deception in the works. When the physician remained silent, Sareena walked over and began examining Rajeev herself. Feeling that the slight contusions were insufficient to have disabled the fit coach, she commenced a head to toe examination, which didn't last long when she located two tiny red areas on Rajeev's neck.

"I still have some to learn, but would I be correct in assuming that these are two injection sites, Doctor?"

When the doctor remained obstinately silent, Sareena sighed ruefully. "Jack, do you mind," she asked.

********

They were almost home free, Abhi thought as the ambulance raced to towards the airport where the Lear-jet was confirmed to have landed. In the back of the fast moving vehicle, Abhi smiled gently at the burkha clad woman who lay quietly in the gurney. She was strapped in securely for the safety of their children; the two daughters that the two of them would raise together. He was going to be the father of two beautiful girls who he and Naomi would raise together as a family. She had accepted that this is the way it was meant to be quickly and without much complaint, and for that he was so very proud of her. Once he explained to her that he was only reclaiming what should have been his right from the beginning, she had come to the same conclusion. He regretted having to trick her one last time and administering one final dosage of the mild sedative, but he had to be guaranteed that there were no encumbrances to their escape brought on by a sudden change of heart. Thankfully the effects would not last long, no longer than it would take them to reach cruising altitude since he would not stand for any undue harm to come to their children by the tranquilizer. She would come to and he would beg her forgiveness, which he knew Naomi would grant - now that she had seen the light.

 

He looked over at the second gurney which lay empty due to the last minute change that had come about in procuring the boy. In the end the doctor hadn't been able to do this alone, but Abhi had taken the skittish man's inabilities into consideration and had arranged for his own men to be at the hospital: ones who could deal with the bodyguard. They were about fifteen minutes behind them, but were now making their way to the airport, where Sonal and the child would liaise with the ambulance before they entered the private concourse. Afterwards, the husband and child of the imperiled pregnant patient would be medivaced with their private medical staff to a more high tech facility in Dubai. Abhi looked forward where the physician sat with the driver and orderly. Both had been paid handsomely to keep quiet, and had not questioned the doctor's decision to ride up front with them, nor the deviation of their straightforward route to the airport. Abhi smiled; for his part, the physician had done a good job in arranging this aspect of the plan, but once they were onboard the private plane, his use would be over in Abhi's eyes. He had no idea what Sonal's intentions were for the man, but had he the option, then he would sooner get rid of the man: the doctor's sense of honor would eventually betray Sonal, and lead to her downfall.

But that was entirely her problem.

**********

Only through his quick reflexes had Jack been able to deflect what had been a certain kill shot into one that merely wounded, when he had been set on by the two goons in the public toilets. Bleeding copiously from his left shoulder, he had still managed to incapacitate the attacker who had been armed with a small caliber firearm, but had been unable to prevent the other, more wily villain, who had grabbed Sanjay and run for it. That the police were already on their way to the medical facility had been an advantage, as they were able to  validate the information that they had got both from the remorseful physician, who when confronted with his wrongdoings had cracked under pressure, as well as the apprehended criminal who would have resorted to murder to kidnap the little boy.

"Jack, you need stitches at the very least, "

"Bind it dammit; I will worry about it after..."

Vihaan interjected, pointing to the bodyguard's injury. "Sareena's right, it's bleeding like hell, you won't be able..."

"I will tend to it after I've done my job," the bodyguard responded through gritted teeth. "I have never failed in protecting a client, and like hell will I start now..." He looked to his friend who was barely holding it together. "...Especially not when it matters so much." He reached out and stroked Sareena's ashen face.

"I promise on my life, that I will get him back, Reena."

Whatever she saw in his eyes had her believing him. She nodded and stepped away from him, and began rifling through the emergency supplies in the examination room they had been left in. She secured the wound in minutes, and then looked up at her schoolmate as he immediately put his jacket on covering the injury. "I'm coming Jack, and don't even think about trying to stop me."

"It never entered my mind Reena. And you Vihaan?"

"Bhai will go insane if Bhabhi isn't at his side when he regains consciousness - let's do this."

 

Vihaan did the driving, while Jack coordinated over his mobile with the Police Inspector who had informed him that they had managed to have the airport operations issue a departure delay on the air ambulance that had been ordered. This would give them sufficient time to reach there in time to rescue both Naomi and Sanjay. As he hung up the phone, Jack turned to Sareena, who was monitoring the movement of the vehicle that carried Sanjay via the GPS in the little boy's wristwatch. It appeared to have deviated from the course that would take it to the airport, most likely to intersect with the ambulance. Jack then turned to his own mobile to check his own data. What he hadn't had the opportunity to relay to Kabir earlier was that Naomi's device was not only a personal alarm; the modified piece of fine jewelry was also fitted with GPS. Actually he was shocked that the savvy young woman hadn't figured it out yet: Rajeev had slipped up a couple of time already in using the device - the first time being when he showed up unexpectedly at the doctor's office in search of his then fiance.  It had been proof positive of the value of the bracelet, but now when it was most needed, there seemed to be an issue.  Jack frowned for a second and then realized that it wasn't a failure that was the reason for the seemingly erroneous information.

"Did either of you see Rachna before we left the hospital?"

In all that had occurred, it dawned on both Jack and Sareena that neither had seen her all. She, Kabir had told them, when they had met with him in the hall, had returned back to the maternity ward to sit with Naomi.

Jack incredulous laughter surprised them in response to their negative answers.  The bodyguard put his hand up to his eyes and shook his head in complete disbelief.

"Vihaan: you father's mobile number," he demanded, dialing even as the man beside him recited it.

"Uncle Ji, it's Jack...I have news...Is there is an available police officer, if so get him to accompany you to the maternity ward...Naomi's GPS is indicating that she is still there... Yes sir, I am more than certain...Please do call us back right away."

 

Sareena spoke first. "Jack you don't really think..."

 

The bodyguard ignored her; he was too busy messaging Kabir that the woman in the back of the ambulance that the designer was riding in, under the guise of an hospital orderly, was most likely not Naomi at all, but in all probability, his own wife. Rachna, who had somehow managed to exchange places with Naomi, if not only to save her best friend, was like her husband: on a mission to resuce the little boy, that the married couple considered their son.

[NOCOPY]

crtkelly2016-04-07 15:50:37