Conversations With My Mother Pt 10

Chapter 10

They had listened in and then started to speak with their wives. They all quickly gathered everything up and cleaned up what little mess they had made and one by one came over to hug me. I was holding the phone to my ear but not talking as the little ones wanted to say goodbye to their new aunties.

I rang her straight back.

I heard muffled sounds as Amanda was talking to someone else. "I'm all right, leave me alone, stop for fucks sake," And then the phone went dead again.

This time when I rang back it rang out. I was about to ring a third time when the phone vibrated in my hand. I answered it, "What happened," I asked expecting Amanda to be on the other end.

It was an American accent and a male's voice, very stern and businesslike, "Ma'am, she can't talk right now we are bringing her in," As we were speaking the two agents came into the room and took me by my arms and instructed me to hang up.

"Ma'am, our instructions are to keep you safe, we have another room closer to the ICU. The FOA is inbound, and we are to inform you that she has taken some hits but is safe,"

I was stunned, everything racing through my mind said, 'I was just talking to her,' I looked at my big brother as I was whisked out of the door and was half-carried and half-walked. I can't be sure but I was pretty certain my feet weren't touching the ground. I tried to talk to them but they were not hearing me. They just wanted to get me to wherever we were going.

I am not one who usually panics in situations that I now found myself in, but I have become somewhat anxious, to put it mildly. Living with Amanda has taught me never to fear the unknown, to wait for things to actually happen first, and then to take the required action to remedy the situation. She had taught me that in certain situations I had to remain calm, that if she were caught up in something I had to put my faith and trust in those around me who were trained to do a specific job. She told me that I had to do some things, without fail, to ensure her personal items were kept safe and accounted for. Any documents or briefcases have to be accounted for, first and foremost, even before her. I remember her saying that last part and I scoffed at it. She made me promise her.

I closed off my mind to the outside noises, trying to remember the details of who I had to ring, to notify.

Above all things, 'Don't Panic'.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't put that fear of the unknown out of my mind.

The agents were hustling me through the crowded corridors of this busy hospital. I was taking in all of the strange looks that were coming my way. People were pushed aside and others jumped out of their way. I smiled as best I could.

We rounded a corner and we were confronted with a wall of people, all talking at once, and working on some poor soul who was lying on a stretcher bed, a drip of some description was attached to them, and blood had covered their lower parts of their body. I knew it was a she because her chest was bare and her breasts exposed. The oxygen mask over her face stopped me from seeing who it was. I was rushed past them.

We went down a short distance from that scene and the agents opened a door, turned on a light and one of them went into the room, the other eased me up against the wall. We were back to back, he was squashing me. I could hardly breathe let alone move, my eyes looked down as I adjusted my head against the wall. It was only then I noticed he had his weapon drawn and in his hand.

Now I was scared. This was playing out like something from a Hollywood movie.

"Clear," Came the voice from inside the room. His tone was strong and reassuring. It is strange what a single word can say to you in a time of crisis.

Quickly the agent who had squashed me up against the wall, eased off me, grabbed my arm, and twirled me around and into the room. It was a quick movement that spun my head.

The door was shut and the agents stopped and listened before reporting to whomever they reported to.

"Angel secured," One of them said into their sleeve. I looked at them both and watched as they secured their weapons under their jackets.

Hearing what they named me, I suddenly looked around. I thought I heard my Mother call to me.

"What's going on?" I asked in a quivering voice, even though I was anything but calm. I surprised myself by how quiet I was, I must have given the impression that I was calm.

"Ma'am, the FOA was hit, we don't believe it is serious but she is being rushed here for treatment,"

I raised my voice, "That FOA has a name, it's Amanda, fucking well use it," They looked at each other briefly and both replied.

"Yes ma'am,"

If I could have seen my face I am sure it would have shown me turning a whiter shade of pale. I went to reach for the door but a strong hand on my arm stopped me.

"Ma'am, you have to stay here with us. As soon as she is here and the area is safe we'll take you to her," His tone was firm and authoritative. I stopped and looked deep into his eyes.

"What's going on? Why all of a sudden rush to get me here? Tell me, please," I put my best puppy dog eyes on, the ones I use with Amanda to get my way.

They didn't work on this young man.

"Ma'am, you will be safe here and when the FOA, eerrr Amanda, is secured, we will take you to her. Those are our orders," His tone was still firm and icy cold. I decided not to push any harder.

The time dragged by slowly,

"A moment ago you told me that Amanda was hit, did you mean as in 'shot' or just pushed to the ground type of thing? She also has two mobile phones and a laptop, they have to be found, they are very important. More important than her safety," I couldn't ever manage to think of a set of circumstances where I would have to say such a thing. Surely some pieces of equipment can't be more important than a life. especially my Mandy's life.

"Ma'am, we have no further information, but I will try and find out what her current condition is. The Embassy man will have all that under control ma'am," And with that, he once again spoke into his sleeve.

The other agent was standing with his back against the door his hands clasped in front of him. I could tell he was listening to something being said in his earpiece. He smiled and put a hand on the doorknob and looked at his partner.

There was a gentle knock on the door I took a deep breath and froze. The two agents smiled at my reaction.

The door was opened and another two agents were standing outside. My whole body relaxed and I let out a long slow sigh.

The two new agents smiled at me and introduced themselves.

"Ms. King, I am Senior Agent Myles Netherby, this is Sally Holmes. We'll be taking over your protection detail from here on in. I understand you want some details on Ms. Felixstowe and her cell phones and laptop," He said something quietly to the female agent who left the room.

He looked back at me and had this weird look on his face. He cleared his throat and began to tell me, "Ms. Felixstowe was shot twice by an unknown assailant, he shot and killed two of the detail looking after her. We are unsure how serious it is. She took two hits, one in her thigh and the other in her lower back. She is currently going into surgery. We are told the wounds are not life-threatening,"

"Why didn't she say something when we were talking earlier?" I asked to no-one in particular. The tears rolled from my eyes. A small part of me felt betrayed and then I realised that in her situation, I would have done the exact same thing. She wanted to protect me. She knew I'd worry.

He continued to explain as best he could. "Ma'am, at that time she would have been unaware of the serious nature of the wounds plus I suspect she didn't want to alarm anyone,"

A doctor appeared in the doorway and coughed to get our attention. I looked up at him. "Sorry for interrupting you, but I just want to let you know that the surgery will take around five hours, I'm not sure if you want to wait here or to wait at your home, even after the surgery, it will be a little while until she is strong enough to see visitors. Give the nurse station your contact details and we will inform you when she is awake and ready to see some visitors,"

The doctor wasn't actually talking to me but to the whole room. I wiped away the tears. Agent Netherby smiled and thanked the doctor.

It was then, for some unexplained reason that it occurred to me that Amanda and I had spoken about such a situation like this. Actually, it was a road accident not a shooting, and she was complaining about my driving.

I had to do something.

I looked at the doctor remembering what I was supposed to do. "Doctor, where are her clothes?"

He looked back at me with a totally dumb look on his face, as if he was thinking to himself, 'How the fuck would I know'. He didn't say a word.

I went on to explain. "Inside her jacket pocket, there is an emergency medical USB containing her medical history. The surgical team will need it,"

He nodded and disappeared. Agent Netherby spoke to another of the agents and he went off talking into his sleeve.

I went to Myles Netherby and told him that her two phones and laptop had to be accounted for as a matter of urgency. I stared at him eyeball to eyeball. To make certain my message was received loud and clear.

He looked at me. His hard cold stare did not unsettle me. I placed my hand on his arm. "It is of paramount importance. It will be the first thing she asks me when she wakes up,"

There was a knock on the door and a nurse opened it and walked in carrying a heavy-duty red plastic bag. She looked at the lead agent and then to me. I smiled at her and raised an eyebrow. "You asked for the victim's clothes,"

Hearing my Amanda being called a victim, threw me for a second. I suddenly came back from wherever I was and held out my hand. She gave me a sad smile and handed over the bag. "Her name is Amanda and Thank you,"

I held them close to me and then opened the zipper seal and looked inside. Her clothes were covered in blood, and her blouse was in pieces, obviously cut from her. I tipped the contents out onto the floor. Picking up her jacket and felt the pockets, her medical USB was missing but her wallet was still there. I took it from the jacket, opened it, and quickly browsed through it. I made certain that her personal credit cards and the 'company' credit card were still there. Her personal phone was there and smashed, but not totally broken. I put it in my pocket.

I then checked her slacks, they were stained with blood, and both legs were torn where her knees would have been. Once again I padded around her pockets and found a phone. Her personal phone was missing but her company one was still there. I grabbed it and held it tight.

Everything was happening now as if I was on some sort of remote control.

I looked at the agent and took a deep breath. This next call was going to be difficult because if the Australian Government wasn't aware of what was going on, this would come as a shock to them.

I opened the phone and started to scroll through her contact list. I found the one I was looking for. I then opened her wallet and found a laminated card with an encryption code of letters, symbols, and numbers.

I tried to do a quick mental calculation of the time difference. I had no idea what time it was in San Diego let alone Canberra.

I turned to Myles Netherby, "What time is it?"

"Ten after four ma'am," Came an answer. "We are sixteen and half hours behind Canberra," He then told me.

I smiled at him, and as much as I didn't want to look flustered, I couldn't hide it.

I looked at him and without saying anything, he told me it was just after eleven pm in Canberra. I half smiled.

"I have to make a private call to the Australian Government. They are most likely going to ask me about the Embassy man, Bruce McLean. What do I tell them? He is going to be ok isn't he?"

"I believe your Ambassador has been informed ma'am," He dropped his eyes and pursed his lips.

He then turned to the others in the room and ushered them out. "We'll be right outside the door ma'am,"

I looked at the phone and entered the code. It lit up and I started to scroll through the contact list again until I found the Foreign Minister's private number. I pressed the number and waited.

It was answered on the fourth ring. "Amanda is that you?"

"No Minister it's Bobbi, Amanda has been shot and is undergoing surgery at the moment,"

There was silence for a few moments.

"Bobbi, did you enter the security code before you rang me?

"I did Minister,"

"I had to ask, protocol and all that. I am putting you on speaker phone and we need you to tell us everything you know. But before you start, are you safe and secured?"

"Yes Minister, I am," I replied.

"That's good. Now tell us what happened."

"To be honest I don't know a lot. This morning soon after we got here we were told the threat had escalated and that Amanda was being moved to a safe place or a safer place. About an hour later she rang me to tell me something had happened. Then I found out about half an hour after that, that both Amanda and the Embassy man had been shot. We are in a hospital and Amanda is having surgery. There is a small group of Secret Service Agents watching over us both. That's all I know, but there is something else,"

"Yes," He asked me.

"Her laptop hasn't been located yet,"

"We have to find that and bloody fast. Don't do or say anything to anyone, leave the rest up to us over here. Don't you worry, we will have some people there as soon as we can,"

"I think the agents over here are out looking for her laptop," I told him innocently.

"I bet they are," Came his sarcastic reply. "Is there any chance you can find it before them?"

I stopped and thought about what he had just said and the way he said it.

"I can try, but they are keeping a very close eye on me," I told him.

"Yes, silly of me, of course, they would be, sorry to have asked. Don't let it worry you we will sort it out at a later date,"

"Yes Minister. As soon as Amanda is able I will get her to ring you,"

"No need to Bobbi we will have our Embassy team there before she is out of surgery. I forgot to ask you, how is your Mother a hell of a thing to happen and now all this. Something right out of one of your bloody novels I dare say,"

I smiled, he seemed relaxed about everything. "Not even I could conjure up a storyline like this. Truth is stranger than fiction so they say,"

"Yes, so I'm told. I must go, the Embassy will be in contact with you shortly,"

"Yes Minister," I replied and he ended the call.

I thought through everything we had just discussed, something was afoot,

something that Amanda didn't want me to know, now she was in a sterile room with a group of specialists fixing her body, her beautiful body, and not able to look at me in the face and tell me not to worry.

So I decided to do what every loving partner would do in my situation, worry like hell.

Damn this room for not having a simple chair for me to sit down on, I looked down at Amanda's clothes, all bloodied, torn, and cut to ribbons. Tears were freely running down my face. I took out her phone and opened it. I scrolled through her text messages, the ones I sent her, nearly every message came from me, a couple of missed calls. I smiled and wondered 'What now'. I didn't bother to ring them back.

I rang my brother using her phone. It was answered almost immediately and his voice answered hesitantly. "Amanda?"

"No, it's me," I told him. "She is still having surgery, it might be some time yet, maybe tomorrow before we can see her. I'm going to stay here, I'll be with Mum tonight and that way I'll be here when Mandy wakes in the morning,"

The quietness in his voice made me feel safe, it always had. He had a way of speaking to me that calmed me. Even with all those armed men outside the door, it was Ken's quiet words of love for our family that made me feel so much more at peace with myself and safe.

"Surgery?" He asked me. I realised that he didn't know what had taken place since I was taken away so suddenly from them earlier that afternoon.

"Amanda was shot, I'm told it isn't life-threatening, it will be a few hours before she is in recovery and she will need a few hours before she can see anyone. I'm thinking tomorrow morning," I was repeating myself.

"Is it always this chaotic around you two?" he asked jokingly.

I chuckled as I heard him say it. "No, sometimes it is a lot worse," I told him. He laughed with me.

"Do you need anything from us?" He continued. "I can bring it down to you,"

"I don't think so. I've got company by the dozens and coffee at my fingertips, what else does a girl need?"

"I'll bring the family up in the morning, are you sure you're OK?" He asked me for the tenth time.

"I'm good big brother,"

"I'm not convinced but knowing how stubborn you are I'll say no more and let you go, you take care and try not to worry,"

"I will, you know that don't you," I told him before saying, "Good night sweetheart," I hung up and leaned against the wall.

I looked down at the mess on the floor, I shook my head at the scattered bloodied mess and started shovelling Mandy's clothes back into the heavy-duty red plastic bag. I zipped it up then picked it up and opened the door to face the men in black suits with their black ties and white shirts. I clung to the bag as if it were the most precious of treasures I had ever held.

I smiled at the faces looking at me. I found Myles Netherby and told him that I wanted to go back to see my mother. That I would be staying with her overnight and then going to see Amanda in the morning, "As soon as they let me," the look in my eyes reinforced my words.

He nodded. "Yes Ms. King,"

I led the way to the nurse station and informed the duty nurse as to who I was, and that as soon as Amanda was awake I was to be informed. I told her where I would be and gave her a mobile number to be on the safe side. I'm not sure where this self-assured me came from, maybe it was my brother's gentle words reminding me of who I was deep inside.

Part of me felt weak and fragile, but I dare not show it. What was it that Bruce said to me earlier this morning? 'If you're strong, Amanda will be strong,'

Bruce where was he I wondered.

Turning to Myles I asked if he had any further information on him.

He put his hand on my arm and brought me to a halt, then looked at me, it was a look that told me what was coming next. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to have to tell you but, he succumbed to his wounds on the way to the hospital. We're all sorry for your loss,"

I felt the colour drain from my face, a chill went through me. I turned away from him, not saying a word. I walked slowly at first and then increased my pace until I was almost running. I was determined not to cry in front of them. I clenched my jaw and took in a deep breath. I wanted to run, run back to my mother, where I felt safe all those years ago. That self-assured me vanished as fast as I found her.

I slowed down as it started to dawn on me, that a man had given his life to save Amanda. "Did you know him very well, did he have a family?" I asked quietly of Myles Netherby, my voice was breaking up as I spoke.

"No ma'am, I met him for the first time yesterday. I'm unsure about his situation. He was a very likable character, easy to get along with, if you know what I mean," He told me and then continued. "I am certain the Embassy staff will have all of that information when they take over from us later this evening,"

I started walking faster again, and kept up a steady even pace turning corner after corner before I realised I was totally lost. I stopped and tried to gather my thoughts. I was hopelessly lost. Turning to the four agents with Myles and me and not recognising any of them. I had to own up to Myles, "I'm lost, Myles,"