For soldiers these guys are lax on security, was the thought that troubled Steve Austin as he knocked the patrolling guard senseless. "Jack," Steve whispered, "this is too easy. Something's wrong."
Jack Hanson was on alert with gun drawn but he was impatient with his cautious companion. "You worry too much. Just get in that building. We'll cover you."
With a squinty frown, Steve sarcastically replied, "I bet agents are flocking to work for you."
Jack glared at Steve's back as he twisted the door handle off and walked into the quiet building.
Steve stepped in the building to find four cell doors on each side of the hall. He listened at the first two doors to determine if there were signs of life before he broke them open. In the quiet building the sound of the breaking locks was incredibly loud. After the second door was opened, Steve heard the wail of alarm bells. Not good! Steve gave up on caution and settled for speed. Since no one had come bursting out of the cells at the alarms, there must not be anyone in the rooms who could get out.
Steve ripped open two more doors before he found what he was looking for. With a wince Steve raced over to his best friend. Sprawled on the floor, Oscar appeared to be severely beaten up. Much to Steve's chagrin Oscar was unconscious. "Oscar, come on Pal, we got to get you outta here. You've got an altar to walk down."
Oscar moaned and mumbled as Steve dragged him from the room. Steve could detect some attempt by Oscar to walk but it was only slight.
"AUSTIN!" Jack yelled as he ran down the hall. When he saw Steve dragging Oscar out of the cell, Jack groaned then waved the pair towards the door. From outside they could hear gunfire coming from all directions.
"Jaime," Bill slowly says as he attempted to get up. As his mind cleared he heard alarms and gunfire. "What, what's going on? How did you get here?"
"The Calvary's here, it's time to go. Here, lean on me." Jaime took him by the arm. Bill was a little wobbly but able to walk with assistance. Jaime could hear shouting and orders being given by the military men and her fellow rescuers as the gunfire seemed to surround them. Jaime looked out a window in the door to see what was in front of them. At least 25 yards away, Russ and the agents were blasting away.
"COVERING FIRE, NOW!" Russ shouted as he saw Jaime looking out of the building.
Jaime busted out of the building assisting Bill towards the waiting OSI and NSB agents. Her hatred of guns and bullets made Jaime all the more determined to finish this rescue.
James Lane was running across the camp giving orders. Of all the other people engaged in the battle, only Lane was standing unafraid of being shot. He was taking no defensive postures in his arrogance. He was making his way to the buildings when he saw a woman helping one of his captives. Jaime Sommers, you are mine! Lane drew his revolver and made a determined march to his target.
They were within ten yards of the group when Bill Parr stumbled. Being a large man he drug Jaime down with him. "Get up, it's not far, come on." Jaime urged him.
A short distance behind them a wild-eyed James Lane stopped to take aim.
Jaime's legs buckle as one shot hit her right calf and another hit her left thigh. To the surprise of many, there was smoke and a small explosion from her left leg. Jaime turned over on her back to see Lane, gun in hand, bearing down on them. Next to her a wounded Bill Parr tried to get up but was unable. Jaime could see that Bill was wounded but she didn't know how badly. Just as Lane was prepared to shoot again, Jaime threw a rock at his hand. The gun was knocked away but not before the bullet struck Bill in the side. Lane was undeterred as he approached the wounded couple. Jaime attempted to sit up so she could use her arm to block whatever may be coming at them but she was fading fast. Why am I so weak? Radiation?
Chris Williams had been focusing on giving covering fire until out of the corner of his eye he saw Jaime's situation. Both she and Parr were down. A crazy looking man with a sword was just in front of them. Chris leapt up, "JAIME!" and ran towards the group. It was all he could do to tackle the man as he raised the sword high in the air.
The last thing Jaime saw before becoming unconscious was Chris wrestling with Lane over control of the sword. Russ and another OSI agent rushed to Bill and Jaime to drag them to cover. "FALL BACK, FALL BACK!" Russ yelled over to his agents. Turning his attention to where Chris and Lane were fighting, Russ saw Chris slam Lane against the building.
Steve and Jack with a very injured Oscar ran out of the building under a hail of bullets. There's no way we're going to get out like this! Steve thought to himself. He pointed to a spot, "YOU STAY THERE. I'M GETTING A JEEP!" Without waiting for Jack to agree, Steve ran as fast as he could towards a jeep. Although bullets were flying all around him and he was hit in his bionic arm, Steve slammed into two soldiers who had been using the jeep as cover. Steve jumped in, fired the jeep up then headed in a zigzag pattern to where Oscar and Jack were under cover.
To Steve's dismay, Jack got up with Oscar before the jeep reached them. Steve then saw Jack turn around shooting behind them. Steve got the jeep going as fast as it could go but just feet away he witnessed Oscar and Jack being hit by machine gun fire. Steve drove around the shot men towards the soldier with the machine gun and aimed the jeep right at him. The soldier turned then jumped out of the way thus losing his machine gun. With tires squealing and dirt flying, Steve jumped out of the jeep near where Oscar and Jack were laying. When he turned both men over he saw that Jack Hanson was dead but Oscar was alive, barely. Lots of blood. Not good. Steve lifted Oscar into the jeep then he drove headlong into the fence to make their escape. Overhead Steve heard helicopters. He turned to see the soldiers falling back as the helicopters landed with Marines quickly jumping out. He was also relieved when he heard the sound of ambulances.
At the nearest hospital, Rudy Wells was beside himself with what to do first. Jaime, the nearest thing he had to a daughter, was unconscious and sinking fast. Both her legs were beyond repair. The exploded left leg had sent an electric shock into Jaime's body. Unfortunately, there was also a possibility that radiation was leaking out of the legs. He didn't know because they'd neglected to bring the equipment to check and the hospital didn't have a Geiger counter.
Rudy found Steve in the hall. "Your arm. I need to look at it."
"No, Rudy, Jaime first. How is she?" Steve was extremely worried about her. No matter what, he would always love Jaime.
Rudy ran his hand over his neck and shook his head, "Not good. More of my team are on the way." With a grim look at his friend, Rudy continued, "Steve, we have to remove her legs."
"What? Why?" Steve interrupted.
"It's the only way. We can't tell but they may be leaking radiation. The sooner they come off, the better. They're not repairable so will eventually have to be replaced anyway."
Steve looked torn. No legs. I couldn't bare it before…I still can't. "Rudy, that's…that's going to be a big shock to her. Are you sure there's no other way?"
"I wish I were. There's Howard. I've got to go." Rudy ran down the hall towards his arriving team leaving Steve to process what he'd just heard. Where is that surgeon? Steve went down to another area where he'd left Oscar when they were brought in. The surgeon was at the desk.
"Doctor, how is Oscar Goldman, the man you were working on? I brought him in – Steve Austin."
"He's not good. We have him on life-support. One of the bullets perforated his right lung. On top of almost drowning on his own blood, it appears that he had a heart attack. We're assessing his condition and getting him stabilized before we do additional surgery to remove the bullet that went through his lung and one that is lodged in his left shoulder. Mr. Goldman also has bruised kidneys, a concussion and numerous bruises all over his body from being beaten. I'm sorry the news isn't better."
Steve nodded, "Thank you Doctor." He was then left alone with his thoughts. His best girl and best friend were fighting for their lives when they should be getting ready for their wedding. The wedding. Steve went to the hospital phone to make a call he had dreaded since hearing about James Lane.
"Mom, hi."
"Steve? You sound…what's happened?" Helen heard the fatigue and anguish in her son's voice. Her heart pounded and she turned white as Steve told her what had transpired.
"If I can get it arranged, can you come today? We'll need to call all the wedding guests. Tell them it has been postponed, or something." Steve wanted someone else around that both Jaime and Oscar knew, just in case the worst happened.
"Of course. I'll…I'm almost packed anyway. You know me. Call us with details." When Helen hung up the phone, she barely registered her husband's questions.
"HELEN, what's happened?" Jim impatiently asked again.
Helen sat down and with tears in her eyes she recounted what Steve had told her. "I knew this would happen, I just knew it would. Oscar is a wonderful man but a dangerous one to be around. As long as he is who he is, Jaime's life is threatened."
"Helen, honey, Jaime'll be alright. You'll see. She's a tough girl."
With set jaw Helen replied, "Maybe, maybe not. If she stays with Oscar Goldman, her luck just might run out someday. Being with him will be the death of her."
Jim was surprised at his wife's anger with Oscar but he put it down to shock and worry. He decided not to continue this part of the conversation any further. Like it or not, Jaime loves Oscar. Once Jaime makes up her mind… Jim gently asked what he could do to get them ready to leave for Washington earlier than they'd planned.
Everything was a haze for Bill Parr when he woke up. Not only was his wife in the room but so was George Wiggington. Why isn't Hanson here? "What, um, report. What happened?"
"Well, Mr. Parr, Lane's men were all rounded up and are being held for questioning. Lane died from a head injury he received from an altercation with Chris Williams. Mark Russell from the OSI is handling the interrogations."
"Tell me about the operation?" Parr was gaining strength as the minutes went by. Somehow he knew things were not well.
"We lost four agents including…Jack. The OSI lost three agents. Nine personnel, including yourself, were injured."
Jack dead. He was a good man. Bill asked for the details of Jack's death plus the deaths of his other agents. "What about Goldman and Jaime Sommers?" Bill's memories of his rescue were vague but he remembered the shooting.
"Mr. Goldman is in ICU. He's not doing well. I'll have to get the latest update from Steve Austin. Miss Sommers is in surgery. The OSI doctor Rudy Wells is working on her. I understand she's in pretty bad shape too. I heard something about them removing her legs."
Bill sighed as all the information sunk in. "Keep me informed. Thank you, you may go."
Helen and Jim Elgin arrived at Oscar's house to attend to Max before they visited the hospital. All the way from California Helen had been fuming about Jaime being severely injured and she had been trying to think of ways to influence Jaime to give up Oscar. Max was thrilled to see them when they arrived. It almost seemed to Jim that the dog knew something was wrong by his behavior.
"It's just us boy. Jaime and Oscar will be gone for awhile but they'll be back before you know it." Jim scratched Max behind the ears. Max cried a little in response before leading Jim to where the dog food was kept.
Helen looked around the house as she attempted to settle in. They'd last been to Oscar's house over Thanksgiving. Everywhere she looked were reminders of how much Jaime and Oscar loved each other. There were flowers on the kitchen table with a note, "For my beautiful, wonderful, loving bride- to-be. Love forever, Oscar". The wall had received a new frame with copies of photos from their cruise and a large engagement portrait. Helen made her way into the den. Scattered around the room were wedding presents.
On the desk Helen was drawn to a letter Jaime had started. Curiosity overcame Helen when she saw it was to Jaime's aunt. The aunt was James Sommers' oldest sister. From Jaime's letter it appeared that she was not able to attend the wedding. Helen's heart broke when she read what Jaime said about her husband-to-be and how much she loved him.
Jim found Helen clutching the letter to her chest. She started crying when she saw him. "I want to break them up but look around," Helen waved her free arm around, "I can't. I hate that they're together but…so much love. I just can't."
Steve was still in the hospital when his parents arrived. After quickly greeting them and reassuring his mother he was alright, Steve filled them in on Jaime and Oscar's conditions. "Rudy just finished with Jaime about 10 minutes ago. For safety reasons, he removed…both her legs."
Helen gasped and put her hand to her mouth. "Oh Steve!"
"Yeah, it was the best thing for her, for now. He is giving her radiation treatments as she received some exposure. She should recover quickly. Once he can get her to Colorado, he'll fit her with new legs. As bad as it sounds, Jaime's lucky." Steve paused for a moment before continuing. "Oscar," Steve had to take a deep breath, "Oscar, is in ICU. He had a mild heart attack. They're keeping him, Jaime too, heavily sedated. If he has a good night, Oscar will have surgery to repair his lung and to remove the bullet in his chest and one in his shoulder."
Jim piped up, "Shouldn't they have already removed those? What about infection?"
Steve nodded, "Normally they would have but the doctor didn't think he'd survive if they had continued working on him."
"What…did they say…what are his chances?" A very pale Helen asked.
"He didn't."
Jim patted Steve on the back. "Why don't you go get some rest. We'll take over here. Is there someone who can drive you home?"
Steve was very relieved when his parents took over. Jim went to sit with Oscar while Helen went to Jaime while Steve had an NSB agent drive him home.
The next day a drowsy Jaime learned of her own condition from Rudy. It was also his very unpleasant duty to tell her about Oscar although he left out some details. He and Helen were hard pressed to deal with her devastation. Circumstances were made worst by the necessity of moving Jaime to Colorado that afternoon to speed the attachment of her new legs. Jaime wailed, "RUDY, I can't…I can't leave him."
"Jaime, you've got to go. We have to attach the new legs before…the stumps heal. Honey, you know I wouldn't take you away if there was any other way. Jaime, he'll be out of surgery before we leave. IF, and that's a big IF, I can arrange it, I'll get you in to see him before we leave."
Jaime sniffed and looked to Rudy like she was going to put up a fight. "Okay but I WILL come back here as soon as possible after the operation."
"It may be awhile. I've got a great idea. As soon as Oscar is fit enough, how about we move him to Colorado. He'll need rest and time to recover too." Rudy offered.
Jaime smiled through teary eyes and clasp Rudy's hand, "Oh Rudy, that…that would be wonderful!"
"Rudy, what about everyone else? Parr was hurt. I have vague, um, memories of Chris fighting with Lane. Was Lane captured?" Jaime hammered Rudy with questions.
"Whoa, Tiger. How about you get a little rest first? We can talk more, later." Rudy squirmed a little as he didn't want to upset Jaime any further.
Jaime saw Rudy hesitate and she instantly knew something was wrong. "What? What happened?"
Rudy exchanged glances with Helen, who responded with a little nod. "Parr is recovering. He was shot the same time as you. He'll probably be released in a day or two. Lane is dead. As I understand it, Chris shoved him into a wall. He died from his head injuries. All his men were arrested and are being held by the military."
Jaime's fuzzy brain took in what Rudy had said but looking at him revealed he had more to tell her. "What? You're holding something back. Oh my…Steve? Where's Steve?" Jaime looked from Rudy to Helen.
Helen took Jaime by her other hand and smiled. "Steve's fine. His arm is hurt but he's alright. We sent him home to rest. He'll probably be back later today."
"What then?" Jaime nervously looked at them.
Rudy took a deep breath. "Chris…Chris is dead."
It took Jaime a few seconds for it to sink in. "How? I thought…he'd killed Lane," Jaime tearfully replied.
"He was on his way out of the compound when…one of Lane's men shot him from behind. He died at the scene." Rudy knew that although they'd had a bitter breakup, Jaime had cared for Chris.
Memories flooded Jaime's mind of her time dating Chris. With pangs of guilt, she also remembered how she'd hurt him so much when she broke up with him. Jaime had forgiven him for turning against her and Oscar. She was relieved that she and Chris had mended fences in the van on their way to the compound. By the actions that had resulted in his death, Jaime knew that he still loved her. "Not Chris," was all she could say as the sobs came.
Rudy spoke to Steve, Helen and Jim while Jaime was able to make a brief visit with Oscar before they left. Steve was going to Colorado as well so his arm could be repaired. Helen and Jim were to stay with Oscar. "The team is setting up as we speak. I've scheduled Jaime's surgery for 8:00 in the morning." Rudy informed the Elgins'.
Tears formed in Jaime's eyes as she saw Oscar hooked up to various monitors that were checking his vitals every few minutes. She rolled her wheelchair over to the bed so she could take his hand. "Oscar, I'm here. We're at the hospital and we're safe." Jaime struggled with what to tell him so she started recounting all their wedding plans. "Everything's had to be postponed but I'm determined that we're going to get outta here to get hitched."
Oscar awakened the following morning. His surgeon and doctor, John Noland, tactfully and gently told him of his condition as well as Jaime's. He was also told, much to his distress, that she'd been moved to Colorado. After the doctor left the room, Oscar's teary eyes pleaded with Helen, "How is she, really?"
Watching the heart monitor and remembering the instructions from the doctor to not stress him too much, Helen gently told him, "Oscar, what the doctor told you is all there is. Rudy is to contact us when the replacement surgery is completed. Listen, we spoke to her before she left. She's going to be fine." Helen and the doctor left out the radiation treatment as the damage was not known at the time.
Bill Parr had continued to receive updates from George Wiggington and he felt acutely aware that he must act. "Wiggington, get me a secure line to the Secretary."
Two days later Bill was released from the hospital. On his way out he insisted on visiting Oscar. After a few pleasantries and exchanges of conditions, Bill got down to business.
"Oscar, that lady of yours is amazing and I don't just mean because of her bionics. Jaime showed such grit and determination. I'm…grateful beyond words for the efforts, beyond the call of duty, to save me. My wife wants to take you and Jaime out to dinner to thank her for my safe return."
"I will pass that on to Jaime when I see her. I'll be going to Colorado as soon as I'm released here."
"There's more. This has cost you and Jaime a great deal in suffering. I spoke to the Secretary. If Jaime wants to retire, the NSB won't stand in her way. There will have to be some conditions, including Jaime keeping her bionic strength, but they are reasonable."
Oscar's eyebrows shot up as Bill spoke words he'd never thought he'd ever hear. "Bill, that's…well, thank you. Thank you."
"I also want you to know that if, you decide to make a change, you'll have reasonable conditions given to you."
Oscar was unable to speak but he held out his hand. Bill took it and with nods they sealed their deal. Bill took his leave from a very relieved and elated Oscar.
We're free, Oscar thought to himself as tears of joy and relief rolled down his cheeks.