Chapter 17: First Recovery

The driver, a competent looking woman in her middle thirties exclaimed, "You're Amanda Lust?" She stopped struggling to get away. "I thought this big guy was a nut."

"He is a nut," Amanda told her. "But he's my kind of nut. "Will you take us?"

"I can't get you all in my ambulance," she said, apologetic she couldn't squeeze all the others in with Amanda...

Amanda's voice became stronger as the drugs left her body. "Mark and Willow ride with Mike and Dirk. Sam you follow close in your SUV and Billy rides with me in the ambulance for personal protection. Let's go."

The traction was removed, leaving Amanda in the body cast. The two paramedics were extra careful as they transferred her to a gurney and then into the ambulance. She realized she was in for a long and miserable ride. Even with rolled blankets and pillows strategically placed she felt as if she was on a torture rack. In minutes they were gone. They left behind a band of reporters chattering with each other as they tried to understand what they had just been told.

One determined young woman climbed into her car, thankful she had filled the gas tank that morning. She followed Amanda's mini convoy led by a screaming ambulance siren. She grinned to herself as she did her best to keep them in sight. "Dirk is not going to get away from me this time," Nancy Drew, ex copy girl, said aloud.

With the siren warbling and wailing the ambulance raced up I-5 at a smooth pace while the driver followed the exact route Mark and Amanda had taken in the limo. Right then Amanda wished she were riding in the limo instead of the ambulance. "Lordy, this is a bitch," she said to Billy.

"Think what it was like riding in one of these things in Afghanistan where some of the super highways are barely wide enough for two goats to pass each other." Billy smiled across from the other side of the ambulance. "Ask Mike to tell you about a couple of his ambulance rides in Iraq. Now that is a balls up joke of a war fought to keep the world safe for Corporate America."

They lapsed into silence for the rest of the trip until they started up Sunset Boulevard. Billy sat straighter and looked out the front windshield. As they turned onto Benedict Canyon Road, he pulled out his cell phone and called ahead to the house. As soon as a voice answered he asked, "What is happening?" He listened and told the person he was talking to, "Be there in fifteen minutes."

"Everything okay at the house?" Amanda asked.

"Quiet as a shadow. Now let's hope it stays that way." His phone sounded, "Yo." He listened. "Okay, we'll be right there."

"What's up?" Amanda asked.

"Cops have showed up. The cook called to tell me. She has a cell phone in her purse. Nobody is permitted near a house phone. This sounds bad."

"Tell the driver to take us to Cedars Sinai Hospital. Call Sam and tell him what has happened and to call Hartman. Tell Mike and Dirk to have the camera rolling. Also, how about another interview with the press?"

"You're hard to keep up with. Yesterday you were dead or dying, in a coma and not expected to wake up. Today you are riding around the countryside giving everybody orders."

"Go to Cedars-Sinai," he told the driver, Change of plans." He unclipped his phone and started to make his calls in order of priority. The ambulance turned around and headed toward the new destination.

As soon as they were stopped at the emergency entrance, a bed was brought out. The hospital personnel transferred Amanda straight from the ambulance. Mark followed close behind as Amanda was wheeled away. Sam made the financial arrangements. Mark returned to them. "They took her to x-ray. I told them what happened in San Diego. They are going to take their own pictures."

"Amanda is right, something stinks." Billy had a thoughtful look on his face. "How do we know those are cops? The cook told us." He answered his own question. "How does the cook know? They told her they were cops. Did she ask to see ID? Doubtful."

Dirk came up with Hartman in tow. Billy explained the problem. "Well," the lawyer smiled, I do know how to check that out in a hurry. Lend me your phone.

When Billy handed it to him Hartman punched in the number of the Beverley Hills Police Department. "Captain Martha, please," he said. He waited and then said, "Arthur, this is your favorite lawyer. Did you hear anything about the police securing Amanda Lust's home up in Benedict Canyon?" He listened.

"Would you do me a favor and send a half dozen or so of your finest to Amanda's home to check things out? People who identified themselves as Beverley Hills Police took the place over. If it's a false alarm I'll pay the tab. Call you later." He disconnected and handed Billy back his phone.

"What happens now?" Billy asked.

"We wait. Six men in swat gear are on their way up to Amanda's. They will either come back quite angry and I'll owe the city of Beverley Hills a couple thousand dollars or somebody gets arrested."

"Come on Dirk. Let's go look see." Mike hurried out to his old Blazer. Dirk followed. In seconds they were on their way to Benedict Canyon.

Willow watched Mike leave and rejoined Sam and Mark. Sam said, "Mark, you lied. It is not nice to lie to your agent."

"Well, then stop getting dumb ideas," Mark told him.

"Well, I told Stanley I liked his concept for Alice to have a twin brother named Argyle. He looked at me like I was crazy. Any way, by the time we figured out you had fabricated the whole thing it was too late. Karl is on the first camera and Stanley personally directs. Stanley thinks a twin brother named Argyle is a great twist.

"Now most of the casting is straight forward except Karl's gay father will play the ugly Queen Of Hearts. If anyone was ever type cast to play an ugly queen, Auntie Savage is it. He said it was about time he had a role that was made for him." Sam laughed.

"Sam, are you lying?" Mark asked. "It is very dangerous for an agent to lie to his client. I might hurt you"

"No, dear man, I kid you not. Stanley wants to let out all the stops and make it an epic comedy with minimum special effects and strong acting. Mean Streets Two is almost in the final stages of planning. We intend to start shooting in six months. You and Willow costar and both will have hefty draws and a percentage of the gross.

Billy pulled his cell phone out and answered it. "Jesus Christ! I don't believe it. They were all fake?" He laughed hard for a moment. "You and Dirk caught the whole thing on camera? Great. Thank the cook and tell her to ask for ID the next time. Tell the numb nuts on the gate he's fired. He should have asked."

"What happened?" Mark asked.

"Four clowns bluffed their way into the house. That idiot I had on the front gate let them in without checking their IDs. He never even asked to see a badge. What a balls up." He shook his head. "Their boss called back my experienced men for other jobs and gave me a bunch of fools. I'm going to ask Amanda if she could use two or three over the hill Special Forces types to sweep her floors. Marty, Freddy and I are going to be unemployed after I kick the shit out of Lester Drummond. He has no idea about protection."

"You're hired. You three are our personal security." Mark looked at Billy, "You and those two are all we'll need for now. Try to get hold of York. The first thing I want you to do is get the right people out to the house to fix those gates and fences so nobody can get through. I want cameras like my father has in his stores, the works. Okay?"