My Kind of Town
>> Queen's Medical Center The Sequel
On the other side of a heavy curtain, Quinn Ah Sun heard another ER team working on the handcuffed Samoan cabbie. Most people don't realize how frequently a person who's just committed a crime goes to the ER before the cellblock. There's a reason you often see cop cars in the ER lot.
The ER would be busy with the cabbie for a while. There was his left knee, which had been locked for leverage -- as the cabbie tried to drag Quinn's cousin Lily out of her car window by the throat -- when Quinn's wheelchair plowed sideways into it. It blew out with a pop. Then there was the cabbie's bloodied, maybe fractured hand, injured when Quinn ducked a fist and the cabbie punched pavement. And there was the knockout kick to the side of the head administered by Sherlock Gomes.
By comparison, re-sewing the gunshot wound to Quinn's leg would be a breeze. He'd won this one. And in the war between cops and bad guys, that's the bottom line.
>> Arizona Memorial -- Theater 2
What a great film, Muhammed Resurreccion was thinking. And there were so many parallels between that Day of Infamy in 1941 and today. The Japanese had their reasons for attacking: America cut off Japan's oil supply. Muhammed had his reasons for attacking: America was siding with the Catholic government of the Philippines in fighting Muhammed's people, the Muslims of Mindanao.
On Dec. 7, 2,400 Americans died. Far fewer would die today. But it was inevitable -- no, crucial -- that some must die. Muhammed had been pleased to see Japanese tourists waiting in line for the film and to hear a young couple speaking German. The shot fired on this Day of Infamy the Sequel would also be heard 'round the world. The dead might or might not include his late cousin Jesus' widow Rosalita and her daughter Elizabeth. It all depended.
Muhammed was feeling pretty good about his plan when the female voice narrating the film said something he hadn't considered: "The attack did what the Japanese thought was impossible. It united Americans ..." But not today's attack. No, this would send Americans reeling. Just nine months after 9/11, it would break their spirit.
Two rows behind Muhammed, Commander Chuck Ryan was listening to the same narration. And the Navy intelligence officer was not going to pull another Adm. Kimmel or Gen. Short. He would not allow another attack. The problem was, he didn't know what -- if anything -- Muhammed was planning. What if this really was just a family outing, as it appeared to be?
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin
with weekly summaries on Sunday.
He can be emailed at dchapman@midweek.com