“I should finish you now,” Svetleva says with hesitation. “I can’t do it, I hope you make it.”
Belle jumped in the car started the engine and before anyone could stop her raced to the street. She didn’t look in the back seat or she would have noticed Mother. He got up as she was turning left on to Pacific Avenue. As he leaped she went for her pistol. Mother was rolling into the front seat when she fired another shot. It struck him in the left side creating the start of what would be an ugly scar on the right side of his stomach. Mother managed to get the gun from Belle. He tossed it into the back. With blood exiting from several places he tried to stop the car and subdue Belle.
She was a tough cookie. Mother had all he could do to keep her from hurting him. As he tried to apply the brake his foot managed to catch the accelerator pedal. He jammed it to the floor. Mother grabbed the wheel from Belle and turned left on Chelsea Avenue. There was no one walking on the street. It was a short block and he would have to steer the car up a ramp and on to the boardwalk. He pushed and held the horn as Belle continued to scratch and claw at him. The people on the boardwalk heard the horn and quickly got out of the way keeping other people from getting in the path of the runaway automobile.
People were screaming as the car continued up on the boardwalk.
Weisman, Solly, Jonas and Muddy headed toward the sound of the horn and screaming people. They were followed by a throng of onlookers who were building into a large crowd.
As the car came up the ramp onto the boardwalk at a very fast rate of speed Mother realized the street he had turned on was the same street where the new amusement pier was being built. The construction crew had called it a day. There was a pile driver, on a barge, in the ocean, tied to the end of the pier. The pier was about half done, some 1500 feet out from the boardwalk. It was barricaded so Mother steered the car on to the newly built pier. The car was moving faster and faster. As it reached the end it flew into the air for a short moment and took a dive straight into fifteen feet of ocean water.
Belle and Mother hit the water hard. Before the car hit Belle let out with a loud scream and a louder adjective, which explained clearly how she felt about Mother. She hit her head on the steering wheel and passed out. Mother hit his head on the windshield but before he passed out the automobile settled on the sandy bottom. He realized the water was slowly filling the interior. He also knew he was about to pass out.
He saw them four, maybe five, swimming around near the car. They were frogmen! Mother passed out.
Weisman and the crew worked their way through the crowd. They got the story from different people. Slightly different stories from each person but they all ended the same. The car had gone over the end of the pier and slowly sank into the water.
“What a way to go,” Muddy said, “a blaze of glory, that’s what it is. Mother went out in a blaze of glory.”
“Muddy, don’t be so dramatic,” Jonas told him, “someone is going to save him, I know they will, I just know!”
Solly was at the end of the pier. He waved to Weisman who put his hands in the air as if to ask, what are you saying. Solly quickly called him and explained there were men in masks and air tanks bringing two bodies to the surface.
“Are they all right,” Weisman asked.
“Don’t know,” he said. “They’re out cold. Send the medics out here as soon as possible.”
The Atlantic City police department had responded and were clearing a path to the end of the pier. The first EMT to arrive was from Margate, they had been to Atlantic City hospital with a burn victim and heard the call. The magazine writer Kris Kurswell was in the truck and in charge of the crew. It was one of four jobs he held down. If anyone could save them he could.
Muddy yelled, “Go get em Kris! Bring my friend back.”
The next thought Mother had as he started to come out of his unwanted sleep was his headache. There was a large bump on his head. He was bandaged from head to toe. He had been shot four times. Once in his right arm, his upper left leg, left ear lobe and his right side, which was burning as if it were on fire. He wanted to scream but couldn’t get any sound to emanate from his mouth. On no, my singing voice, is it gone?
The room was empty except for a nurse who looked to be sleeping in the chair to the right side of the bed. “Wake up!” He tried to holler. She didn’t respond. He tried again. This time a gargling sound was audible. It woke the nurse.
“Doctor, doctor the patient is coming to,” she called.
Within minutes the room was filled with people wearing green coats. They were examining Mother as if he were a cadaver in a college laboratory. Mother was getting worried, maybe they know something I don’t, he thought.
“Can you hear me?” asked one of the doctors.
“Gargle, gargle… yeah!” Came the sound from Mother’s vocal cords.
“Fine,” said the doctor. “Your vital signs are all reading good. We’ll have the nurse clean you up and we’ll return for a closer look.”
The word quickly spread. Mother had pulled through and was ready for visitors. Muddy and Jonas were first in line. Solly followed close behind.
“Are you all family?” asked the attendant at the door.
“Yes, we are,” said an exuberant Muddy. “How you feeling Mother?”
More gargle ensued before Mother was able to say a few words. He gave a thumb up!
“You’re a crazy man, Mother,” Solly said, “you could have been killed.”
“We have a lot to tell you; they will only give us a few minutes,” Jonas shared, “we’ll come back later.”
“Did your granddaughter make it?” Mother asked.
“She made it; she’s not my granddaughter.”
Mother heard what he said, but thought he was hearing things. He hoped they would be back soon to explain. Everyone was ushered out of the room and back came the doctors. They gave him a thorough going over.
“You’ll have a few scars but nothing that’ll slow you down,” said one of the older doctors in attendance. “You’re a very lucky man. Four bullets whizzed by and only grazed you.”
Down the hall was another story. There were two police standing on either side of the door. In the room was Svetleva. The room had bars on the window. She was strapped down to the bed. Svetty was still out cold. Her vital signs were good. The nurse was waiting for her to regain consciousness.
Weisman had been busy tracing Gerald. No luck. He was frustrated. Jewel had been shot by a ricocheting bullet and had died from loss of blood. They would work all the angles to try and find Gerald. They could only hope he would make a mistake.
Two young doctors came in and checked with the nurse.
“How’s she doing?”
“The same.”
“Call us if there is any change.”
“I will.”
Jonas was sitting next to Muddy wondering what happened to the fake Belle his so-called granddaughter.
Mother had a good night’s sleep. Surprisingly, he felt good in the morning. The doctors had already checked him out and gave him the okay to sit up. He was sore in a few places but it was to be expected. After all he had jumped over a car, was shot four times and drove the car off a pier, he was lucky to be alive. He waited until 10:30 before anyone came to see him. It was Solly.
“How’re you coming along. I want you to know, you’ve been through more in one day then I’ve been through in my whole career as an FBI agent.”
“I feel pretty good, just a bit sore here and there.”
“I guess you want to hear what’s been happening?”
“You bet!”
Solly related the story. Mother remembered everything he told him until the car had gone underwater.
“Were there frogmen swimming around in the ocean or was I having a before death hallucination?”
&n
bsp; “It was no hallucination,” Solly explained, “they don’t call them frogmen anymore. They’re called divers. They were checking the construction work. You were lucky they were there.”
“You’re not kidding. I want to thank them.”
“I’m sure they’ll be around to see you after work.”
“What happened to Belle or should I say Svetty? I heard Jewel call her Svetty.”
“Her full name is Svetleva Andropov, she is the half-sister of Jewel and Gerald. Jewel told us before she died,” explained Solly.
“Jewel and Gerald were brother and sister?”
“Yes, they were and Svetleva is their half-sister. Same mother, different fathers.”
“Has Gerald been found yet?”
“Not a sign of him,” Solly said.
“Everybody else doing well?”
“Jonas is very worried about Belle, the real Belle. There is no clue as to where she is or what happened to her or if she actually exists.”
“I guess Svetleva will explain when she comes to,” Mother said. “Have you seen the paper? What do you think of my picture?”
“It’s quite a story. You made a splash. The article says you’ll be on all the talk shows as soon as you get better.”
“How are they getting all the information, nobody has talked to me?”
“Your lawyer and friend, has taken charge. Solly laughed. “Mutle Blumberg has the newspaper boys eating out of his hand.”
“Good old Mutty.”
“You’re going to be a busy man when you get out of here. They’re calling you a hero. Not only did you capture Svetleva but you saved the lives of countless people by running the car into the ocean. I think you’re nuts myself, then again, what do I know.”
Solly laughed and told Mother he would see him later. He would let him know if and when Svetty starts talking.
“Have a good day.”
“Thanks, Solly.”
Mother was resting in the comfortable hospital bed when he heard another knock on his door.
Four tall muscular men entered the room. They all said, “hello,” as if they knew Mother. They introduced themselves as they put diver’s masks on their faces.
“The frogmen,” an astonished Mother realized, “were you the guys who saved me from certain annihilation?”
“If you mean, did we get you out of the car and on to dry land, yes, it was us,” the tallest one replied.
“Thank you, thank you very much,” Mother said.
~
Mickey McGrath was up and about he was busy packing before putting a few final touches on his makeup. He had called the same travel agent he used before. They were able to book him on flight 423 from LaGuardia directly to Amsterdam, Holland, leaving at 6:35 pm, EST. He would take a chance and not go through Canada with the new diplomatic look.
Svetleva was stirring, the nurse called the doctor on duty. He hurried to the room. She was moaning softly. Her eyes were twitching as if they were trying to open.
“Have the desk call, Doctor Fetters, and tell him what’s happening.” The doctor on duty ordered. The nurse went to the station down the hall and told them what the doctor asked.
“Is she gone?” asked Svetty.
“Yes,” said the wannabe doctor.
“Thank goodness you’re here. I heard your voice the last time you came in to check on me.”
“I’m here what do you want me to do?”
“I need to get out of here, have you got any ideas?”
“Yeah, we’ll use the old laundry basket trick. It’s such an old gimmick nobody will suspect.”
“Good, but first I want you to get rid of the idiot who put me here.” Svetty said. “Have you found the room he’s in?”
“I got it!”
“Good, go do the job and then come back for me.”
“I’ll be wearing an attendants uniform when I come back,” the wannabe doctor said. “I’ll be pushing a laundry hamper into the room next door. Will you be able to get to the room on your own?”
“I’ll be there.”
The nurse came back as the wannabe doctor left. Svetty returned to her sporadic light moans.
Svetleva’s personal doctor went to Mother’s room to finish him off. Mother had no idea what was about to happen. He was resting as the door opened.
“Hello doctor,” said an unknowing Mother.
It was about twenty minutes later when a man in an attendant’s uniform walked into the adjacent room to where Svetleva was being held. He was pushing a laundry hamper. The guard looked over but paid no mind to the attendant who gave a wave and a slight smile to the guard. He entered the room immediately calling the desk to have the attending nurse recalled. When he heard her leave he gave the one, two, pause and knock again on the adjacent door. Svetleva got up from her bed. She had worked hard to loosen the straps whenever the nurse was gone so by the time she was ready to leave they were completely un-tethered. She entered the room next to hers expecting to find her wannabe doctor dressed like an attendant.
But it wasn’t him. Solly, looking suave in an attendant’s uniform greeted Svetleva with a large smile and a friendly, you’re under arrest. He read her the Miranda rights, word for word. Weisman entered the room and cuffed her.
“Did he finish Mother?” she asked.
“No,” came a sound from behind her, it was Mother. “Unknown to me these two guys had been ready for your chicanery. They were in the next room with a video camera showing all who entered my room. They knew who he was because not only was your room being videoed but they had a court order, signed by the local judge and were also listening in to your false moans and phony drooling, disgusting as it was.
“And when you gave orders to have me done in they had you dead to rights. There is now no way you will get off. You are at best, a lifer in the penitentiary. Congratulations!”
Svetleva spit at Mother but missed as the gob hit Weisman in the face.
“Gag her,” Weisman ordered.
“You can’t do…mmm,” was all Svetty could say.
“So, do you guys think I can get out of here soon?”
“My name is agent, not doctor,” Weisman said.”
“Get back in your bed and I’ll call the doctor. Maybe you can be released this evening,” said Solly.
FortySix — Caught Up in Atlantic City
The local network had received permission to interview Mother.
He was asked to get partially dressed. A shirt and some makeup applied by a woman who looked like the weather girl from the evening news. Actually, it was her, she did makeup when she wasn’t doing the weather reports.
“Hold still please,” she said to Mother. “Where did you get the name Mother?”
“Do you have a few hours to hear the story?”
She didn’t answer. The camera crew was ready as the interviewer stood by with a microphone.
“Let’s take it,” she said to the video and audio crews. “Mr. Mother, hold it let’s start again.”
“Sir, what should I call you?”
“Call me Mother.”
The producer gave the go sign and the interview started. When it was done Mutty Blumberg entered the room.
“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Will the interview be on this evenings news?”
“You bet your life,” said the producer, “this is the hottest story, and we have a leg up on everybody.”
“This is going to be great,” Mutty told Mother, “your story is everywhere. There is even some video taken by a few onlookers shows you jumping over the car trying to tackle Belle and the car going off the end of the pier is on at least a dozen videos.”
“What are you talking about,” Mother asked.
“You’re a hero, all the stations across the country and the world are showing the videos. There must be a hundred videos on You Tube. Everybody wants an interview. The Tonight Show and every daytime show want you on as soon as it
can be arranged.” Mutle said. “We are going to make a pile of money in the next few months. There is even a movie company wanting the movie rights should there come a time to do a flick, featuring the heroics of Mother, the crazy man!”
“You’re joking, right!”
“No!”
Svetleva was being escorted to a prison hospital. Solly was questioning her but she would have none of it.
Solly put Svetty in the EMT truck and secured her. There were three agents escorting her to the prison hospital. Solly had the paperwork ready for the agents to sign; they did and they were off.
As the EMT vehicle drove up the Garden State Parkway a limousine passed them traveling at a slightly higher speed. Svetleva didn’t know this was as close to her half-brother Mickey as she would get. The limo distanced itself from the EMT and was soon out of sight.
Gerald (Mickey) would never know how close to Svetleva he had been as he headed to New York’s, JFK airport. He looked very distinguished as a retired diplomat. He spoke English with a slight Dutch accent. It fit his look and the demeanor which he threw around convincing even the most untrusting people he was who he said he was, Karl Kreslow.
Jonas was still feeling low, when his phone rang.
“Hello,” he said.
“Hi grandfather, it’s Belle your long-lost granddaughter.”
“Is this for real,” he replied, “it’s not a cruel hoax is it?”
“What are you talking about, grandfather, it’s me, Belle”
“Where are you?” Jonas asked. “There’s been so much going on here my head is going around in circles.”