Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center (33 page)

Alex looked at
Robert sleeping, and on impulse, kissed him on his forehead.  She could've sworn he smiled, but she was so tired she wasn't sure.  She covered him with a quilt, and decided to sleep in the bedroom with the lime green shag carpeting.  Alex set the antique alarm clock for four-thirty
p.m.
so she could get up
, shower, and wait for her gown
and her grandfather.  Her lingering thoughts as she fell asleep were whether Yvonne Le'Fleur would include a hair dryer a
nd a curling iron with her gown….and to think she had planned to have her hair done in an updo for tonight.

* * *

Alex woke, disoriented and startled to see Robert at her bedside.  Then she recognized the lime green carpeting and remembered that they were in the safe house. 

Alex, still groggy from sleep
,
said, "What time is it?  Has Francois gotten here?"  She nearly jumped from the bed to see the clock.

"It's four.  We should start getting dressed."  Robert continued, "Rest a little while longer and I'll jump in our vintage shower."

Alex smiled at Robert. "I think I'd better make some coffee and bagels.  It's going to be a long evening."

While Robert showered, Alex went to the kitchenette and made fresh coffee
.  She found sugar and cream
in the cupboard and heated bagels in the oven.  As she was sitting down to eat, there was a loud pounding at the door.  Alex peered through the keyhole and saw Francois and her grandfather at the door, their hands full of packages and bundles.  She opened the door with a big smile.

"
Granddad
, why are you here?  You didn't need to come.  Anyway, I'm glad to see you."  Alex hugged her grandfather
and felt
secure in his welcoming arms
.

"I'm going to be your date to the ball.  The Good Captain
here
got me a tailor-made tux, and you and I are going partying
with NOPDs finest….and probably some crooks and murderers. God
knows,
there are
plenty of them in New Orleans."

Alex kissed her grandfather and hugged Francois.  They settled down in the living room for coffee and bagels
, a poor substitute for hors
d'
oeuvres
.

"Sorry the appetizers are so bad.  The captain didn't provide us with room service or go
urmet treats,
” Alex
said as she
gave
Jack a sideways grin.

"I promised you a safe house, not a five-star resort.  Your grandfather needs to talk with you and Robert, Alex.  Where's
Robert
anyway?"  Francois was looking around the flat.

"He's in the shower for heaven's
sake, Jack.  Where the hell
do you think
he is
? 

"
Tell him to hurry up.
  Where's the bathroom?
"  Alex nodded her head towards the
hallway.

As
Franc
ois headed towards the bathroom to get Robert, Adam looked around and said, “This place looks like shit.  How’d they manage to find a place this bad?”
 

Before Alex could respond, Jack returned with a clean
,
but
embarrassed Robert who felt he'd been caught in a love nest with the Congressman's granddaughter.

Adam stood and offered Robert his hand.  "It's been a long time.  Kathryn sends her best.  Said I was to give you a kiss for her, but if you don't mind, I'll pass." 

"I'd prefer to forego the kiss, too. 
It’s good to see you too, Congressman.
Perhaps I'll get to Virginia soon and she can give me one personally." 

Francois cleared his throat and looked around impatiently.
  "
OK, OK, enough.
Your grandfather has some information about Raccine."

Adam glared
at Captain Francois and said, "First of all, every bit of information I have, for the most part, is unsubstantiated rumor.  Whatever I say here now is completely off the record."  The Congressman gave all of them a hard
, penetrating look. It was his serious and “don’t push you luck” look that Alex remembered from her childhood.

"Anyway, the governor appears to have some dirt
y linen.  I had
my aide
up all night doing some investigati
ng
and initially, he turned up nothing
.  Finally, in the wee hours of the morning
he called and told me that Raccine recently had a million dollar campaign debt mysteriously paid off by a hospital holding group.  He traced the known members of the group, and found some had significant
, actually
huge
holdings in international health care conglomerates in
Central
and South American as well as the United States.
  Plush hospitals where
the rich go for
plastic surgery and hip replacements
and such, you know, hospitals like
we’re gonna need after Obama Care
in phased in.
"  

Congressman Lee continued, "
Anyway, the plan and mission of Health Trust is to buy up large, prestigious hospitals in the US so they can in essence control all hospital and health care services in the
U.S.  That would give them
the ability to reduce costs through economies of scale and let them deliver
efficient health care whi
le they wipe out any
competition around.” 

Alex was dying
to speak, but held back and waited
for her grandfather to finish.  She noticed that Robert looked pensive and Francois' face was impassive as he continued to listen.

"There's also
a
rumor from one of
the
Louisiana Senators that Raccine h
ad been in cahoots with the mob
and had pushed legalized gambling here in Louisiana in return for some sort of favor.
I l
iterally had to beat this information out of a colleague at four this morning."   

Congressman Lee turned his face toward Robert, "Do you want to say something?  I know your fam
i
lies go back a long way?"

Robert shook his head. 

"Well," Lee continued, "the only other bit of information I have is that Raccine was involved in some sort of politically damaging scandal in Central America a few years back.  No one knows the particulars, at least no one's telling.  Apparently used some international connections to shut the incident up.  His enemies no
w want him to
pay up or else." 

"Are you suggesting these attacks are all connected to this international holding group?" 
Alex
aske
d incredulously.

"I am not suggesting anything, Alex.  I'm presenting information that's been given me.  There are two critical pieces here."

Alex interrupted her grandfather. 
"
What you are saying is that Health Trust wants complete control of the healthcare system in the US
.
  That is unthinkable
!
”

"
Jack, what d' you make of all of this?"  Robert
aske
d cautiously.

Jack shook his head as he said, "You ain't going to like it, but I think Raccine's dirty and I think he promised CCMC as payback.
I think the Congressman is correct and there are many health care facilities and hospitals being pushed and bullied by these people.
"

Robert replied in a low, barely audible voice. "It's just hard for me to believe. George is like my father and I can't believe he'd stoop to this."

Alex reached out to touch Robert’s hand as a gesture of comfort but she was still preoccupied with what a complete monopoly would mean for healthcare in American.  “If these people are successful they would be able to control everything about acute care…who is admitted,
who
gets surgery, who gets paid…
everything… the whole nine yards.
They could control physician salaries,
payers
,
and insurance
companies.  It’s just unthinkable
!
”

Congressm
an Lee interrupted, “More importantly, Alex, they would control the largest financial sector in the U.S.  Can you imagine the devastation that would cause for all of us?  Can you imagine the decision-making power they would have?  Who lives, who doesn’t, and that is just the beginning
!
”

As the realization dawned on
the
group
,
they
all sat
and stared at each other mutely before the Congressman added, “This is massive…I am contacting the FBI.”

The group sat staring at one another for what seemed like an eternity.

Francois broke the long silence.  "Okay folks, look lively, the carriage for the Endymion Extravaganza leaves in forty-five minutes.  I certainly wouldn't want to miss the Tableaux.  The Extravaganza's theme is Saga of the Sea.  Tonight I think we'll see the sea monster."

"Or monsters," the Congressmen added.

Alex retreated to the bathroom to dress, while Robert, Adam, and Francois changed in the bedrooms.
  As they left the safe house,
Adam Lee held Alex back for a moment. 

"Alex darling, slip this into your evening ba
g.  Hope you don't need it, but
it's better to be safe than sorry.
It won’t kill quickly, but it sure will slow ‘em down.
"

Adam slipped her a pearl handled derringer.   Her grandmother's gun.  "Remember how to use it?" 

"Of course.  I still target practice.  How d
id
you manage to smuggled this aboard a commercial flight?"  Alex smiled and tucked it into her evening purse.   It was a perfect fit.

"Didn't.  Had is sent FedEx.  It was waiting for me at the airport." 

"Thanks for thinking of it,
Granddad
."

The traffic going down Poydras was maddening.  It took over an hour to make the normally fifteen minute trip
to
the Super Dome. As they approached the Dome, Alex was struck by its magnificence
and also taken back to the tragedy that had occurred at the Dome in post Katrina New Orleans.

  Outside the Super Dome were hundreds of Endymion Krewe members and guests milling around and watching the crowd.  As the limo stopped at the Extravaganza entrance, Alex
craned her neck,
frantically searching
for Mitch, or the ponytailed stranger.

Her heart sunk when she realized how difficult it was going to be to find anyone.  Of course, she reasoned with herself, it'll be equally difficult for them to find us. 

"I've never been to the Endymion Extravaganza," said Robert.  "Most of the balls are much smaller.  I went to Comus several weeks ago and there were only five hundred people."

"Are you a member of this group?"  Adam
aske
d
of Robert
. 

"No, I'm a member of Comus and Rex, old-line New Orleans
k
rewe
s
.  Endymion's a newer krewe
and almost anyone can be a member
."
As Robert realized how stuck up he sounded, he started to apologize.

Francois spoke up.  "
Forget it, Robert.
After tonight, you may never want to go to a ball again.   This is going to be tough.  You all keep you
r
eyes peeled for our friends.  I know they're here.  We've about a dozen NOPD undercover officers with us, and Super Dome security is cooperating completely.  They've descriptions of the ponytail and Mitch.  We're
hooked up with headpieces for sound, so if anybody spots anything, we'll know immediately.

"How'd you manage such cooperation?"  Alex said.

"The attack on Raccine helped me get additional help from the NOPD, and your grandfather made a few select phone calls.  Surveillance is in good shape."

Ada
m
, Alex, Robert and Jack made their way
through the glittering array of sequined ball gowns, masked figures, and tuxedoed men
to their table.  They seated themselves as a waiter approached them with a bottle of Virginia Chardonnay. 

"This is for Miss Alexandra Destephano
,
"
he said.
He placed the bottle on the table and left.

"It's from Mit
ch.  He must be here," Alex looked
around frantically.  Her grandfather stared at her.

Robert broke the uncomfortable silence by proposing a toast, and the group drank accordingly.  Alex looked up and saw Donald Montgomery headed their way. 
Oh my God, she thought.  Could this day get any better? 
Before she could warn anyone, he was at their table.

"What a surprise to see the three of you together.  Something special going on?"  Don glanced around suspiciously.
“Oh, are you two dating?  How sweet.” he smirked
as he looked
from Alex to Robert.

"Hi, Don.  No.  We're just waiting for the Tableaux to begin.  Would you like to join us?" Alex
aske
d.

"No.  I'm with friends.  Just stopped by to say hello. 
I t
hought something might be happening since you were all together."  He looked back and forth between them.

Alex said, "I don't believe you've met my grandfather, Congressman Lee from Virginia.  He
loves
New Orleans and
wanted to be a part of the festivities tonight."  Alex turned to Mr. Lee.  "This is Don Montgomery, CEO at CCMC."

The Congressman and Don
shook hands and were exchanging pleasantries when a thunderous roar arose.  The King and Queen of Endymion were entering.  Their costumes were resplendent and glittered in the low lights.  The couple glistened and sparkled like characters from a fantasy world.

"Got to go.  Nice meeting you, Congressman."  Don smiled briefly before he disappeared into the crowd. 

Alex's eyes followed as Don returned to his own table.  She paled as she saw Montgomery sit down at a large table directly across from Jonathan Mercier.

Alex leaned toward Francois and said, "
OMG, l
ook who Don's with.  I can't believe it.  He hates Mardi Gras. Think it means anything?"

Francois shrugged his shoulders.  "Could, although I think Montgomery's too stupid to be a part of a plot against his own hospital.  Course, Mercier's another question.  He could be using Don.  What do you think, Robert?"  Jack looked at Bonnet.

"I'm no good judging people.  I thought George Raccine was spun gold until two hours ago.  All I know is Mercier hates me and is out to get me."  Robert looked so despondent that Alex squeezed his hand.

She said softly, "It's all speculation.  It could simply be that Don's entertaining his newest board member." 

Robert's expression was bitter, sarcastic.  "Yeah, sure.  Raccine's a crook, and Mercier's part of the conspiracy.  We just don't know Montgomery's part." 

Robert was interrupted by the roll of drums as the orchestra began playing the soundtrack for the ball.  Alex watched, enthralled as the curtains opened
to reveal
a beautiful underwater, ocean scene.   The backdrop of teal water, pink coral and hundreds of sparkling starfish provided an awesome sight.  On the left stage was a
horrific
swamp creature, fifteen feet tall, covered with green seaweed.  The monster's face was covered with Spanish moss.  Red fluid oozed down his face as his eyes
feast
ed on a dead dolphin at his feet. 

The ball proceeded as the Master of Ceremonies began telling the tale of the Saga of the Sea.  As the story unfolded, the Tableaux began.

Ten women, maids to the Queen of Endymion, represented the characters in the story.  The first maid wore a gown of iridescent gold lame
'
trimmed with sequins.  Across the gown's bodice were shells, oysters and fish that sparkled in the light.  The maid's headpiece was a pink conch shell at least a foot tall. Alex knew the woman would have neck pain for days following the ball as she struggled to hold her head up under the weight. 

One by one the maids were presented by the Master of Ceremonies.  Each was spectacularly dressed as a sea creature.  The third maid was an octopus.  Her headpiece was the head of
an
octopus, and her gown wound around as the legs wind around an octopus.  Her
arms were outstretched in a "T" fashion, and she was carrying two ocean lanterns.

Another maid's headpiece was a treasure chest
overflowing
with diamonds, rubies, and other gems cascading from the trunk. 

Alex was spellbound by the Tableaux.  As the maids were presented, it was difficult to decide which gown was the most creative and lavish.  The array of fabrics, colors, sequins, rhinestones, and feathers were outstanding.  Even Congressman Lee appeared impressed.  He whispered to her that he'd like to bring her Grand next year.  Alex nodded in approval.  She'd never seen such creativity in her life.

The show continued without interruption.  Each maid and her escort paid homage to the King and Queen of Endymion.  The costumes, backdrop, and participants in the Tableaux were a testimony to the glitz, opulence and fantasy of the Mardi Gras season.  Alex was sure the Tableaux had cost
at least a
million dollars
… but it was worth it, she thought.  A true testament to the rebuilding and
rebirth
of the Crescent City after the devastation of Katrina.
 

   At last, the finale.  The crowd gasped at the roar of the sea monster on stage.  He began to move toward the maids leaving a wake of slime, moss, and silt.  The
maids cowed as he moved toward them.
The
monster
was
intent on their destruction.  The crowd w
as spellbound as they waited
for the sea monster to attack the maids.

Out of the corner of her eye, Alex saw another masked sea monster emerge from the right wing of
the
stage
.
This sea monster was carrying
a
black
AR-15 assault rifle with an enormous
magazine
clip hanging from its underside.
The gunman could kill dozens without reloading.

Alex screamed and pointed before she reached for her grandfather to pull him under the table.  Francois pulled his gun and dove into the crowd, upsetting tables and chairs as he headed towards the masked man.  Robert followed. 

Shots sounded in the huge
auditorium and high-pitched
screams
rose from the crowd.  A unit o
f police officers rushed toward
the right stage exit. 

Alex ran forward, her derringer pointed towards the floor as she vaguely noticed Mercier just ahead, his gun raised and pointed directly at Robert.

  Robert, who was unaware of Mercier, had seen Mitch just to the side of th
e shooter.  As Mitch ran toward
Alex, the monster aimed his rifle directly at Francois.  Robert raised his arm in a defensive posture to protect Francois.  At the same time, Mercier fired at Robert, the bullet deflect
ed
off the bone of Robert's upraised arm and into Mitch's neck.

The sea monster turned quickly in time to see Mitch fall.  He aimed again at Francois
, getting off two quick shots
. 
One shot
hit Francois as he dove toward
the man.  Jack landed on the floor, blood oozing from a chest wound.

R
obert was bending over Francois and ignoring his own wound as he attempted
to see if the captain
was
alive.  There was bedlam in the right corner of the ballroom as people screamed and climbed
under tables
.

The monster with the rifle began to back out of the ballroom through the stage door.  Alex finally made it within four feet of him.  She raised her derringer and fired into the grotesque mask of seaweed and moss.  He wavered a little as he frantically searched the crowd for his assailant.  He saw Alex and raised his gun.  She fired again, this time hitting him directly in the head.  He fell backwards against the wall
.  The blow
knocked off his mask
to
revealed
dark hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Mercier ran toward Robert Bonnet, who was still bending over Franc
ois.  He stood over them and waved
his gun.  "I'm going to kill you, Bonnet, you son of a bitch, just like you killed my wife and baby."

The seconds seemed endless while Robert looked up at Mercier.  Robert's voice was quiet and he said simply, "I didn't kill your wife
and unborn child
. I did all I could to save them."

Mercier's shouted back
, “
You're a
fucking
liar
!
You killed them
!
  I've been waiting a long time to do this." 

Alex watched as she saw Mercier's finger start to compress the trigger.  Suddenly, in front of her eyes, Mercier's head exploded and he slumped forward onto Francois.  Alex had no idea where the shot came from.  No one saw Frederico Petrelli shoulder his weapon and leave the ballroom quietly.

Two men pulled Mercier's body off Francois who wasn't breathing.  The paramedics were at the door when Robert started CPR.  Robert, since his arm was useless, was doing the breathing and someone else did the chest compressions.  Finally, the paramedics took over.

"Take him to CCMC and I'll follow to operate.  Get my operating room team in."  Robert barked at the paramedics.

Alex touched Robert's elbow gently.  "You can't operate, your
arms
injured."