Distant Memory (36 page)

With deliberate steps he moved across the roof, stepping as quietly as possible on its gravel-and-tar surface and stopping at a four-foot-square sheet-metal box. It was one of four air-conditioning units. Crouching down, Massey circled the noisy device. A humming-whirring noise filled the night air.

Massey found the intake vent. He placed his hand near the vent and felt the air rush past. This was ideal. Setting the pail down by the grill, he opened the top of one bottle and emptied all of it into the pail. The powerful, pungent aroma of ammonia assaulted Massey’s nose, but he ignored it. Reaching into the second pail, he removed a cardboard box and extracted two three-inch tablets. He dropped them in the ammonia. Immediately a yellow-green gas bubbled out of the pail. The smell of ammonia was replaced with the thick, irritating mist of chlorine gas. Massey’s eyes began to tear.

Chlorine gas, Massey recalled with satisfaction, was first used in gas warfare during World War I. It had been effective then, and it would be effective now. Quickly he moved to the second air-conditioning unit. He had only enough material for two of the four units, but that was all he needed. In fact, it was all he wanted. In moments an evacuation would begin, and Massey wanted everyone to move out the front of the building. Scores of people would soon emerge, but he was interested in only one of the throng. No, he decided, two. Blanchard needed to die also.

Without hesitation, Massey trotted to the edge of the roof over the stolen truck, sat on the parapet, swung his legs over the side, and then dropped to the roof of the cab. Seconds later he scrambled into the truck, started it, and drove to the front parking lot.

It was all just a matter of time now—a very short time.

“What are you doing out here?” Hobbs asked Nick. “What’d she do? Throw you out?” The look on Nick’s face answered the question. “What happened?”

Nick frowned. “She has doubts about me.”

Hobbs thought of saying,
Well, so do I, buddy
, but he decided against it. He didn’t need a confrontation in the corridor of the hospital. Hobbs was too tired for that. “I was thinking of finding some coffee. How about joining me?”

“That depends. Are you going to grill me again?”

“Probably,” Hobbs said, glancing at the silent Ojai policeman who stood guard. “It’s part of my nature. But if it’s any comfort, I’m out of questions for now.”

“Okay, just remember: Ask me no questions; I’ll tell you no lies.”

Hobbs was about to respond when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. A nurse shot out of a room at the end of the hall. She was holding a hand to her mouth. Hobbs watched as she raced by. Her eyes were wide with fright, and her skin was pale. “That can’t be good,” he said.

“Some patient must have taken an awful turn for the worse.”

“Wait,” Hobbs said, his face twisted into a display of puzzlement and disgust. “What’s that smell?”

“I don’t smell anyth—” Nick began then stopped abruptly. “Chlorine?”

Suddenly the hall filled with nurses, doctors, interns, and other hospital personnel. “What’s going on?” Hobbs called out to a passing man in a white coat.

“We’re evacuating the hospital. We can use all the help we can get.”

The sharp odor grew in intensity. “Chlorine gas,” he said to himself, then exclaimed: “Chlorine gas. That stuff is deadly. We have to get these people out of here.”

“You get your partner,” Nick said decisively. “I’ll get Lisa.” Without waiting for Hobbs to respond, Nick turned and limped into Lisa’s room.

“Go with him,” Hobbs said to the policeman. “And stay with them. Also, make sure the fire department has been called.”

“Got it,” the man answered, but Hobbs was already headed down the corridor, crossing the short distance to Tanner’s room in just a few steps.

Tanner was asleep on the bed. “Tanner!” Hobbs shouted. The man jerked awake in fright.

“What are you doing?” Tanner stopped and sniffed the air. “What is that?”

“No time to talk. We’re out of here.” Hobbs was already by the bedside pulling Tanner to a sitting position.

“I’m up. I’m up,” Tanner protested as he slipped from the bed and stood unsteadily on his good leg. Hobbs stepped to his side, took Tanner’s arm, and placed it around his shoulder.

“We need a wheelchair,” Hobbs said.

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Outside the room a flood of patients poured by. Those who could walk did, some pushing wheeled IV stands in front of them. Most wore only a hospital gown. Hobbs was thankful that it was summer. At least they would be warm. Hacking and coughing filled the air. Those who - could not walk were pushed in wheelchairs or rolled along in their hospital beds. In the panic, people stepped on others; bare feet were rolled over by wheels.

“Calmly. Don’t panic.” Someone was shouting.

“I can make it by myself,” Tanner said. “See if anyone else needs help.”

“You can’t walk.”

“Sure I can. I’ve got plenty of motivation. Now go. Don’t worry about me.” A lone woman in a wheelchair was trying to make her way through the morass of patients and having little luck. Tears of fear flowed down her cheeks. Tanner hopped on one leg and took hold of
the wheelchair’s handles. “Allow me, ma’am,” he said. Hobbs watched as the ingenious CHP officer helped the frightened woman while providing support for himself. Hobbs decided that when everything was over, he was going to take this unique man out for the best dinner he - could afford.

“Are there more patients back there?” the detective asked a passing nurse.

“Yes. Help us if you can.”

“Use the rear exits,” Hobbs shouted over the clatter of people.

“We can’t. They won’t open. Everyone has to go out the front.”

The truth of the matter was suddenly clear: This was no accident.

It was like swimming up a waterfall, but Hobbs worked his way to the back of the corridor where it intersected another hall that ran to his right. The air was now thick with a yellow-green gas that was quickly settling to the floor. In high school chemistry, Hobbs had learned that chlorine gas was heavier than air. That was very bad news. There were only minutes left before the corridor and all the rooms would be filled with the toxic gas. Tears streamed down his face as the fumes irritated his eyes. The invasive gas burned his throat and lungs, and he began to cough. He checked rooms. The first few were empty. Hospital personnel were braving the deadly mist, valiantly trying to move every patient.

In the third room, Hobbs found a young child, a girl he judged to be only seven or eight, lying in the first bed. She was sound asleep. Without preamble he scooped her up in his arms and returned to the hall, moving as quickly as he could. Awakened by the sudden movement she opened her eyes and stared fearfully at Hobbs.

“It’s all right, sweetheart,” he said softly. “Just be still for another moment.” He stopped suddenly. An elderly man had collapsed in front of him. The man was gagging, struggling for air. Hobbs dropped to a knee. He had to think quickly. He turned to the girl in his arms. “Does your daddy ever give you a piggyback ride?”

She nodded, then said. “The air smells bad. It hurts to breathe.”

“I know, darling. I’m taking you to a place where you can breathe, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I need to give you a piggyback ride, so I can help this man. Can you hang on tight?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then, hop on my back and put your arms around my neck and hold on tight. Hold your breath as long as you can,” he added as it occurred to him that she would be nearer to the ceiling on his back and closer to where the deadly gas was pouring in.

The little girl crawled onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck tight enough to choke him, but that didn’t matter. Fresh air was a few steps away. He turned to the choking, gasping man. “You’re coming with me, sir.” Hobbs reached underneath the frail frame and took him in his arms. As he stood, the muscles in his back protested the strain. He ignored their protest. He had no other choice. Holding his breath, Hobbs raced toward the lobby. Rancid fumes clung to him as he charged through the cloud of death. In a few more minutes there would be no breathable air in the hospital. He could only hope that the others got outside safely.

There was a crowd at the lobby doors where the clutter of beds, wheelchairs, and people were trying to exit simultaneously. Panic had set in.

“Everyone STOP!” It was Tanner’s voice. He was still leaning on the back of the woman’s wheelchair. He pointed to a young orderly who was pushing one of the rolling hospital beds. “You, go now.” Miraculously, the others who were jammed next to the bed pulled back just enough for the young man to push through the opening. “Now you.” Tanner ordered a nurse who was pushing a child in a wheelchair. She complied. “Now you. Now you.” Tanner barked out orders with unmistakable authority. The strength of his voice had stopped the panic. One by one, the people emptied the lobby. Next Hobbs saw Tanner turn to him. “Out,” he ordered. Hobbs didn’t hesitate.

Once outside, Hobbs found an empty spot on the lawn that fronted the hospital and laid the elderly man down. As he crouched down, the little girl released her grip and slipped from his back. “Stay here, sir. Someone will be by to help you.” He brought the little girl around to face him. She was frightened, and her cheeks were smeared with tears. “You’re a brave little girl,” Hobbs said with a smile. His voice was turning hoarse from breathing the gas.

“Thanks, mister,” she said.

“And polite, too. You stand right here, okay?”

“Okay.”

“What have you got here?” Hobbs rose and turned to see who was speaking. It was a man in a white coat. His eyes were red and watery. “I’m Dr. Lawrence. I’m setting up triage.”

“I found the little girl in her room. She seems in pretty good shape. The elderly man fell in the corridor.” The doctor bent down to examine the man. “Did everyone get out?” Hobbs asked.

“I think so,” the doctor said. “Nurses and orderlies are going around the outside of the building looking in the windows to see if anyone was overlooked.”

Sirens filled the air. “Help is on its way.”

“We need it. I don’t know how this could have happened.” The doctor stood.

Hobbs had an idea of how it had happened, and he didn’t like the idea one bit. Keller? Where was Lisa Keller? Nick was supposed to be with her. Hobbs scanned the crowd but in the scores of patients and medical personnel he couldn’t locate her. The smell of chlorine escaped the confines of the hospital through the open doors of the lobby and wafted into the night air.

“Air conditioners,” Hobbs said. He turned back to the doctor who was starting to walk away, continuing his triage evaluation. “Hang on, Doc. Where are your air-conditioning units?”

“What?”

“The air-conditioning units. Are they on the roof or at the back of the building?”

“The HVAC system is on the roof.”

Hobbs turned and looked up. He saw nothing.
No
, he told himself.
He wouldn’t attack from the roof; there would be no exit. Nick said that Massey was a smart man
. What then? The rear exits didn’t work. Massey must have blocked them somehow. He wanted people to come out the front. That had to be it.

Pushing his way through the crowd, he began looking for Lisa. “Ms. Keller,” he called and then listened. Nothing. He called out again. Still nothing. There was too much noise. Too many people were coughing and talking, and the more frightened ones were weeping. Medical personnel were calling out instructions and information to each other as they attended the sick.

“What’s wrong?” It was Tanner.

“I think the attacker is back,” Hobbs said. “This whole thing was a way to flush the woman out.”

“Are you sure?” Tanner asked.

“As sure as I can be. The rear exit doors were blocked, and the gas came in through the vents. How do you get chlorine gas into a ventilation system unless someone puts it there?”

“I saw Blanchard and the woman make it outside,” Tanner said. “They were ahead of me, then things got backed up at the lobby.”

“That means that they were among the first ones out. Where’s our guard?”

“Over there,” Tanner motioned with his head. “He got several lungfuls of the gas. The guy went back in to pull more patients out. He’s a hero.”

Looking at the police officer, Hobbs saw that he was out of commission. The man was on his hands and knees gulping air. A nurse stepped up to the downed officer. “I have to find her,” Hobbs said with desperation. He began pushing through the crowd.