Operation Last Ditch Effort

Chapter 4: Heads Will Roll

This can't be happening.

The man replayed the day's earlier events through his mind. He could see Rutherford bursting through the door out of breath. The words that came out of his mouth made his world spin. The scene replayed in his mind like an unwanted rerun. He could feel the tension building in his chest. The pounding of his heart almost made his blood vessels vibrate. He sat behind a massive oak desk with his head buried in his hands.

He couldn't wait for the day to be over, but it was far from finished. He knew that. His office was larger than most with the desk taking over a majority of the room. He hadn't decorated the room, but there was a book shelf filled with an assortment of mostly brown and grey books. Only one book stood out from the rest. It was blue with gold letters etched on the spine. The rest of pale grey walls held a few framed items here and there, mostly certificates of honor, but the largest frame held a picture of Irvin James.

The man let the events of the day continue to repeat in his mind thinking to himself.

Why can't I have a normal life? How did I even end up here?

Rutherford came bursting through the door with his hair flipping up, ripping the man from his thoughts. As the larger man began to rise his height cast a large shadow across the room. He stood taller, not allowing his stress to overcome him in the presence of his subordinate. He pursed his lips and straightened his shoulders.

Rutherford looked up to the giant of a man and said, "Mr. King, the two men in the ambulance are in the hospital wing. The driver is still unconscious, but the passenger is waiting to speak with you."

Mr. King moved out from behind his desk knocking his chair out of the way, it hit the wall with a thud. He made his way across the room in two strides yanking the door handle, leaving it rattling as his door hung open.

Heading down the hallway towards an elevator his thoughts ran rampant: It's time for answers. Surely he saw something. Anything. He better pray we find them. If not. No. Don't worry we'll find them. We must. We have to or they'll... No time for that. Focus.

Mr. King stood in front of an elevator twisting the watch on his wrist and tapping his foot until the elevator arrived. Before entering the elevator, Mr. King tapped his watch three times. The music inside the elevator was smooth jazz which only further aggravated Mr. King who continued to tap his watch.

Jamming his finger on the button Mr. King selected a floor labeled M watching with an intense glare as the numbers slowly went down. Bing. Bing. Bing. Not forgetting to tap his watch again, he flew out of the elevator as the doors slid open. Practically sprinting towards the hospital wing like he was on fire, Mr. King jolted both arms into the swinging doors of the hospital entrance, scanned the room, his eyes landing on a man behind the desk. The man wearing a bright yellow-green tie lowered himself into his chair almost falling into the floor.

Mr. King barked, "Where is he?"

The receptionist, slipping off of his chair, caught the desk, pulled himself up, fixing his tie and pointed to a nurse. The nurse's olive green eyes widened when Mr. King turned to face her. Blinking several times, the nurse spun on her feet guiding Mr. King to the room where the red-headed doctor was lying down. As Mr. King came in the room like a raging bull, the man in the bed shot up and went pale with fright. The nurses working in the room lowered their gazes and made their leave.

Booming with anger Mr. King tore into the ambulance doctor, "You had one job. Martin. One job. I'm not a very rash man, but your incompetence today is making me consider rash decisions."