Chapter 190

word count 1306

"Oh dear," Winnie murmured. "But we both knew it was coming to this, didn't we? I must say it doesn't make it any easier."

Algie wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they stood quietly in a treasured moment...until Trudy burst through the door.

"Now, looky here! Someone better listen to me soon or else!" she clamored.

Winifred snapped. Casting Algie aside, the older woman charged Trudy, grabbing her by the shoulders and slamming her against the wall.

"Now you listen to me, Mrs. Hunt. This world does not revolve around you, and you have no business barging into my room uninvited. Algernon has just told me some very distressing news, and at the moment I don't give a rat's ass what is on your mind. Now get out and let us speak in peace."

That said, she tossed a startled Trudy out the door.

"Now then," she turned to Algie. "What is our next course of action?"

* * *

Hank arrived. Pushing through the throngs of spectators like a madman, he made his way to Stephanie. She had just been lifted onto a gurney. Her lower leg was secured with a huge white cast.

"Steph! My God! What happened to you?" He grasped her hand in his, afraid to touch any other part of her. She looked bruised and broken.

"Hank," she murmured.

"We gave her sedatives to settle her down. You can ride in the ambulance if you like. She looks a lot worse than she is. But she does have a broken leg." The paramedic shot him a reassuring smile.

* * *

Big Rudy and the Rainman continued pushing through the throngs of people. Soon they each were in the line behind the velvet rope, shoving past startle travelers, advancing toward Dr. Bigelow. One stalwart Japanese tourist refused to step aside, until Big Rudy grabbed his shoulders and convinced him to step back by virtue of the intensity of his murderous stare.

Sweat beaded on Dr. Bigelow's forehead, while his hand fished in his pocket. His pudgy fingers struggled to uncap a syringe within the confines of his jacket. The ticket line inched forward as two more people were serviced and stepped out of the queue. He took three small steps forward, now six people back from the counter. Rudy and Rainman were twenty people back, advancing quickly. Muzak from the loud speakers pounded at Dr. B.'s brain, the same tune over and over, a jazzed-up Beatles number. With each repetition, it felt like time had stood still. He was smothered like in a time warp with no escape. Feeling trapped, his stomach revolted from the stress, churning acid up his esophagus...and at the same time giving him a plan.

"I'm sorry! Emergency! I'm ill! May I please buy my ticket and sit on the plane!" He pushed and shoved his way to the counter. "One way ticket to Rio," he blurted out, slamming his credit card down. The startled clerk took the card and worked, finally murmuring, "Gate 3. Your plane leaves in 20 minutes from Gate 3."

Rudy and Rainman watched him in dismay, next beginning to madly struggle to extricate themselves from the queue. The people they shoved when earlier moving up in line not surprisingly were reluctant now to let them back through. The two mobsters watched with dismay as Dr. B. sprinted toward Gate 3.

Big Rudy was dying to take out his Glock and move people with more efficiency. But he held his temper. Finally, he bellowed, “NOOOO!” and burst through the line like a runaway truck. Rainman followed his lead, and the race began.

For their size, the two mobsters moved with incredible speed. Dr. Bigelow, larger than either of them, had by this time become winded and his pace was reduced to a stumbling crawl. His hand wrapped the syringe in his pocket as he looked behind him to see the other two approaching.

Their pace was slowed now as well, and they arrived breathless. At last the three met face to face. Even as they stood, looking at each other, all gasping and gagging for breath, Dr. Bigelow could see fiery intent in their deadly eyes. The dressiness of their suits and ties gave the stares all the more permanence. Big Rudy wiped slobber from his chin with the back of his fat hand, and the fight began. The struggle of the big men, all of them exhausted, was a fight in slow motion, a succession of grunts and pulls rather than vigorous punches or unexpected kicks. Indeed, as the three wrapped up in each other, the combination of wrath and bodies interlocked looked like a huge, angry ball of string bouncing back and forth. In only a few moments, the only movement left for the exhausted giants was their collective drop to the floor, still entwined.

Dr. Bigelow's extricated one hand and with a succession of grunts and groans managed to moved his arm to slip the hand in his pocket and grab the syringe. One try at one thug was his only chance. They were all hung tight on each other, each gangster held in place by the next. Thusly trapped, the doctor tried to maneuver his hand, twisting his wrist until it hurt, but he couldn't get an angle to stab one of the other two.

That was when Rainman spied the needle. He twisted and turned with a grunt, next clutching Dr. Biglow's hand to snatch the syringe.

“A taste of your own medicine, Doctor!” he said and plunged the needle into the doctor's chest. Dr. Bigelow grabbed his heart area and fell backwards as the others let go, an expression on his face of utter surprise. His eyes rolled in his head as he started making gagging noises, reaching for his throat as his face turned red. It seemed only a matter of seconds before he was out on the floor like a giant, beached whale.

Security was coming from all directions and closing in as Big Rudy and Rainman searched the doctor's pockets. Big Rudy found the gem, held it up for Rainman to see. The Rainman grabbed it and the two took off racing toward the nearby concourse. When they reached the busier, main hall, they slowed and blended into the crowd, rushing to the “people mover” to ride it to the main gates.

Trudy arrived at the airport, lugging a big suitcase, making her way to buy a ticket. Being thrown out of Winnie's room was the last indignity she intended to suffer. She was leaving town. As soon as that ghastly woman had thrown her out, she packed her bag and called a cab. She stood now reading a list of flights, trying to make a decision on where to go when something that felt like an oncoming locomotive slammed into her petite body, tumbling her to the ground. She pulled herself up, the wind knocked out of her, to see one huge man in a suit on the floor and another hovering over him with a worried face.

“Big Rudy, get up! COME ON!” the standing guy said. He looked to Trudy and fear set in. The crazed woman was glaring at him with intent to kill. Before the Rainman knew what happened, Trudy came flying through the air, one leg extending for a deadly kick.

“EEEYAAH!” she bellowed like a Valkyrie in flight. She flattened the fellow with the one kick, her petite but lethal foot slamming into his Adam's apple, shooting daggers through his neck, knocking the breath out of him and shutting off the lights. As he fell, his hand unclasped and the Diana diamond fell and slid, gliding like on ice along the waxy, shining floor to disappear into the throngs walking by.