“This is more like it,” Jack said.
They entered a room whose windows fronted on the square. Between the windows were a large pair of doors leading to the outside. There were a few couches and chairs on area rugs forming distinct conversational groupings, but it was nothing like the lounge they’d initially entered. But like the lounge, this space had a glass-fronted information cubbyhole.
Jack again knocked on the glass. Another woman slid open the glass partition. She was equally as cordial.
“We have a question,” Jack said. “We’re doctors, and we’d like to know if there are currently any transplant patients in the hospital?”
“Yes, of course, there’s one,” the woman said with a confused look on her face. “Horace Winchester. He’s in 302 and ready to be discharged.”
“How convenient,” Jack said. “What organ was transplanted?”
“His liver,” the woman said. “Are you all from the Pittsburgh group?”
“No, we’re part of the New York group,” Jack said.
“I see,” the woman said, although her expression suggested she didn’t see at all.
“Thank you,” Jack said to the woman as he herded the group toward the elevators that could be seen to the right.
“Luck is finally going our way,” Jack said excitedly. “This is going to make it easy. Maybe all we have to do is get a look at the chart.”
“As if that’s going to be easy,” Laurie commented.
“True,” Jack said after a moment’s thought. “So maybe we should just drop in on Horace and get the lowdown from the horse’s mouth.”
“Hey, man,” Warren said, pulling Jack to a stop. “Maybe Natalie and I should wait down here. We’re not used to being in a hospital, you know what I’m saying?”
“I suppose,” Jack said reluctantly. “But I kind of think its important for us to stick together in case we have to mosey down to the canoe sooner than we’d like. You know what I’m saying?”
Warren nodded and Jack pressed the elevator call button.
Cameron McIvers was accustomed to false alarms. After all, most of the time he or the Office of Security was called, it was a false alarm. Accordingly, as he entered the front door of the Inn, he was not concerned. But it was his job or one of his deputies’ to check out all potential problems.
As he crossed to the information desk, Cameron noted that the lounge was as subdued as usual. The calm scene bolstered his suspicions that this call would be like all the others.
Cameron tapped on the glass, and it was slid open.
“Miss Williams,” Cameron said, while touching the brim of his hat in a form of salute. Cameron and the rest of the security force wore khaki uniforms with an Aussie hat when on duty. There was also a leather belt with shoulder strap. A holstered Beretta was attached to the belt on the right side and a hand-held two-way radio on the left side.
“They went that way,” Corrina Williams said excitedly. She lifted herself out of her chair to point around the corner.
“Calm down,” Cameron said gently. “Who exactly are you talking about?”
“They didn’t give any names,” Corrina said. “There were four of them. Only one spoke. He said he was a doctor.”
“Hmmm,” Cameron voiced. “And you’ve never seen them before?”
“Never,” Corrina said anxiously. “They took me by surprise. I thought maybe they were to stay at the Inn since we had new arrivals yesterday. But they said they had come to see the hospital. When I told them how to get there, they left straightaway.”
“Were they black or white?” Cameron asked. Maybe this wouldn’t be a typical false alarm after all.
“Half and half,” Corrina said. “Two blacks, two whites. But I could tell from the way they were dressed they were all American.”
“I see,” Cameron said, while he stroked his beard and pondered the unlikely possibility of any of the Zone’s American workers coming into the Inn to say they wanted to see the hospital.
“The one who was talking also said something strange about his bodily functions working fine,” Corrina said. “I didn’t know how to respond.”
“Hmmm,” Cameron repeated. “Could I use your phone?”
“Of course,” Corrina said. She pulled the phone over from the side of her desk and faced it out toward Cameron.
Cameron punched the manager’s direct line. Siegfried answered immediately.
“I’m here at the Inn,” Cameron explained. “I thought you should be apprised of a curious story. Four strange doctors presented themselves here to Miss Williams with the wish to see the hospital.”
Siegfried’s response was an angry tirade that forced Cameron to hold the receiver away from his ear. Even Corrina cringed.
Cameron handed the phone back to the receptionist. He’d not heard every word of Siegfried’s invective but the meaning was clear. Cameron was to get reinforcements over there immediately and detain the alien doctors.
Cameron unsnapped the straps over both his Beretta and the radio simultaneously. He pulled the radio free and made an emergency call to base while he started for the hospital.
Room 302 turned out to be in the front of the building with a fine view out over the square looking east. Jack and the others had found the room without difficulty. No one had challenged them. In fact, they hadn’t seen a person as they’d made their way from the elevator to the room’s open door.
Jack had knocked but it was obvious the room was momentarily empty although there’d been plenty of evidence the room was occupied. A television with a built-in VCR was on, and it was showing an old Paul Newman movie. The hospital bed was moderately disheveled. An open, half-packed suitcase was poised on a luggage stand.
The mystery was solved when Laurie noticed the sounds of a shower behind the closed bathroom door.
When the water stopped running, Jack had knocked, but it wasn’t until almost ten minutes later that Horace Winchester appeared.
The patient was in his mid-fifties and corpulent. But he looked happy and healthy. He cinched up the tie on his bathrobe and padded over to the club chair by the bed. He sat down with a satisfied sigh.
“What’s the occasion?” he asked, smiling at his guests. “This is more company than I’ve had the whole time I’ve been here.”
“How are you feeling?” Jack asked. He grabbed a straight-back chair and sat down directly in front of Horace. Warren and Natalie lurked just outside the door. They felt reluctant to enter the room. Laurie went to the window. After seeing the group of soldiers, she’d become progressively anxious. She was eager to make the visit short and get back to the boat.
“I’m feeling just great,” Horace said. “It’s a miracle. I came here at death’s door and as yellow as a canary. Look at me now! I’m ready for thirty-six holes of golf at one of my resorts. Hey, any of you people are invited to any of my places for as long as you want to stay, and it will all be on the house. Do you like to ski?”
“I do,” Jack said. “But I’d rather talk about your case. I understand you had a liver transplant here. I’d like to ask where the liver came from?”
A half smile puckered Horace’s face as he regarded Jack out of the corner of his eye. “Is this some kind of test?” he asked. “Because if it is, it’s not necessary. I’m not going to be telling anyone. I couldn’t be more grateful. In fact, as soon as I can, I’m going to have another double made.”
“Exactly what do you mean by a ‘double’?” Jack asked.
“Are you people part of the Pittsburgh team?” Horace asked. He looked over at Laurie.
“No, we’re part of the New York team,” Jack said. “And we’re fascinated by your case. We’re glad you are doing so well, and we’re here to learn.” Jack smiled and spread his hands palm up. “We’re all ears. Why don’t you start from the beginning?”
“You mean how I got sick?” Horace asked. He was plainly confused.
“No, how you arranged to have your transplant here in Africa,” Jack said. “And I’d like to know what you mean by a double. Did you by any chance get a liver taken from some kind of ape?”