Jay and Jillian walked hand-in-hand back to Marty’s house. They were still laughing about the look on Kyle’s face when Jay surprised him.
As they walked up the grassy slope, Jay noticed a black Suburban in Marty’s driveway. CJ and Gia were standing in front.
“Jill, I had a great time tonight, but I have to go.”
“I had fun too,” Jillian said.
Jay kissed Jillian goodnight and ran up the slope to the house. “Hey, guys, what’s going on? Why are you here?”
“Get in,” Gia said. “We’ll tell you inside.”
“I need to change out of my bathing suit and grab my duffle bag.”
“Here it is,” CJ said, throwing a small nylon bag at Jay.
Jay caught the bag, then got in the rear seat and slid over. Gia jumped in the front, shutting the door.
“Gia?” Jay said. “What’s going on?”
“There’s been another explosion. In New York outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral.”
Jay grabbed clothes out of his duffle bag and changed.
Gia said, “We’re being picked up at Otis Air Base.”
“I don’t understand. Why are we going to New York?”
“Your sister. She was there.”
“What do you mean?” Jay said as he pulled a t-shirt over his head.
“I’m sorry. Jessie might not make it.”
The words struck like a sledgehammer. Jay struggled to catch his breath. After a few moments, he said, “How? What happened? Was anybody else hurt?”
“Yes. Jessie’s friend Roger is in critical but stable condition. He has a fractured skull and internal injuries. A bomb squad member was killed. He was Victor Salinas.”
“Oh man, how is that possible?” Jay said. “We were together in Boston. What happened?”
“Mack called me,” Gia said, placing her hand on Jay’s. “Reports are sketchy, but your sister tried to get into the Cathedral but was turned away by a cop. She was nearby when the bomb went off.”
“How bad?”
“Bone fragments punctured her thigh and clipped her femoral artery. She lost a lot of blood. Mack said she’s still in surgery.”
CJ pulled through the guard gate at the joint military base in Bourne. He parked the suburban at the Coast Guard air station. Two orange and white rescue helicopters sat on helipads, ready to launch. Jay heard a faint whisper above the Suburban. He opened the door and looked up to see his ride approach. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It looked like a private jet, but instead of engines, this aircraft had three circular fans. It hovered above the airfield, then lowered to the tarmac. It reminded Jay of an oversized drone. But this plane was sleek and shiny. Jay and Gia stepped out of the truck to watch the aircraft land.
The door opened, and a ladder extended down. A moment later, Michelle Goddard stepped out. She waved at Jay, then ran down the ladder, “I’m so sorry about your sister. When McCoy called me and told me what happened, I dropped everything. Let’s go. We can be in New York in an hour.”
Gia climbed onto the aircraft. Jay turned to look for CJ and found him standing outside the Suburban.
“CJ, are you coming?”
“No, the Bishop requested twenty-four-hour protection. Madman and I are going to take twelve-hour shifts until you get back.”
“Okay, stay in touch. I’ll call you from New York.”
Jay took a seat next to Michelle in the cockpit. Gia made herself at home in one of the leather seats in the cabin.
“Michelle, what is this thing?” Jay said. “It reminds me of one of the spaceships in the Jetsons.”
“It’s a Trifan 600 from XTI. I’m launching an air taxi business in Manhattan. This is the first VTOL in my fleet.”
“What’s a VTOL?”
“It stands for vertical take-off and lift. It’s like the V-22 Ospreys used by the Marines. But it flies faster and lands like a helicopter. I’m using it for flights between New York and the other northeast cities. What do you think?”
“It’s amazing,” Jay said. “I think it’s going to be a big hit.”
“So do I. The bombings have people rattled. I’ve had executives request security guards to protect them on business trips. What do you think about working together?”
“Sounds like a great idea, but let’s talk later. I’m too worried about Jessie to think straight.”
An hour later, they landed at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan.
Michelle opened the door and hugged Jay, “Everything will be okay.”
“Why are you doing this for me,” Jay said.
“Are you serious? You tried to save Michael’s life in Pakistan, and you stayed with me when he died. For days you held me and never complained. For God’s sake, you were a pallbearer at his funeral. I’ll always love you for that. Now I’m praying that Jessie survives. I’m going to return the trifan and will be back as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Michelle,” Jay said. “I don’t know what to say.”
Jay was escorted to a family conference room with a small couch and two chairs. GNN was on the TV. The headline read Sister of Priest Murderer Injured in a Bomb Blast.
After fifteen minutes, a female Asian doctor came in and shut the door.
“Mr. Mendes, my name is Doctor Chin. I’m the trauma surgeon who operated on your sister.”
Jay looked at the doctor. Something was wrong. She seemed very nervous. “What’s going on?”
“Your sister is alive but in grave condition. She’s lost a lot of blood and has severe internal bleeding. We’ve been able to get the bleeding under control, but her leg is the main concern. She has severe tendon damage, and a bad infection is threatening her life.”
“So, are you going to be able to fix it?” Jay said. “She’s a kid.”
“No, I’m sorry. We can’t save the leg and keep your sister alive. I need your permission to amputate. And I need it now.”
Jay stared at the doctor. He couldn’t believe what he heard. And now he had to give permission to remove his sister’s leg? Will it ruin her dreams to be a journalist? Will she ever be able to forgive him? But how could he let her go? Then he thought of Jojo. He never had a chance to save him.
“Mr. Mendes, please,” Chin said. “We don’t have much time.”
“Will she survive if you don’t amputate?”
“No, sir. She won’t.”
“Then you have my permission.”