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Chapter One

Jaime paced restlessly across the carriage house floor. She was a free woman now and she had absolutely no idea what to do with herself. She had cleaned out the fireplace, scrubbed down the bathroom and kitchen and even polished the hardwood floors, trying to stay busy so she wouldn't have to think. She'd been well aware she was blindsiding Oscar with her unexpected resignation and she knew he'd be shocked and maybe a little bit angry. One thing she hadn't foreseen was the hurt in his eyes.

This was the right thing to do, she reminded herself. I've become little more than a puppet – the OSI's pet robot – and I need to be just 'Jaime' again. I gave them three years, put my life on the line any time they called me and saw things no one should ever have to see. I've more than paid my debt. If I'd have stayed any longer, they'd have taken my soul, too...

She was so deep in thought that she never heard the big, black car pulling up the driveway and barely registered the knock on the door downstairs. The knock grew louder, more urgent and insistent. "Jaime, it's me! I need to talk to you!"

Oscar. No...I can't face him right now. His face, once he realized what I was doing, looked like...like I'd slapped him. She debated pretending she wasn't home, but the knocking turned to frustrated pounding and Jaime reluctantly padded down the stairs to let him in.

His face was a stunning mix of fear and fierce determination as Oscar wordlessly placed a gentle hand on the small of her back and quickly ushered her back up the stairs to her apartment.

"Oscar, if you're here to try and make me change my mind, it won't work," Jaime announced, flouncing down into her favorite chair with her arms folded stubbornly across her chest.

"Where's your suitcase?" he demanded without preamble. "We have to get you out of here and we don't have much time."

Jaime scoffed. "If you think a vacation is gonna help, forget it! I mean, it's a nice thought, but -" She waved her arm in an almost-dismissive gesture, but Oscar grabbed both of her arms and stared into her eyes with an intensity that frightened her.

"Just listen to me, for once – please!"

"I don't work for you anymore," Jaime said in a flat voice.

"Believe me, I'm aware of that!" he snapped, and then his voice softened. "You want your freedom, right? Well, in less than half an hour the NSB will be coming to take you into custody."

"For what? I haven't done anything!" Jaime's anger quickly dissolved as a horrible realization hit her. "They...they're gonna 'neutralize' me, aren't they?"

"Not exactly. They plan to send you to their own private version of a retirement community. They'll take care of your every need, but you're there...for life."

"They can't do that! Can they?" Jaime was instantly on her feet, her eyes wild with panic. Of course they could, and she knew it.

Oscar looked at Jaime, with the tears she was fighting so hard to hide, and thought she'd never looked more vulnerable. The idea of the NSB locking her away was more than he could bear. Without taking time to talk himself out of it, he drew her into his arms and held her close, trying to soothe her fears away. "They can try, but we're not going to let them," he whispered.

"We?"

"I'm not letting you face this alone. You've got the skills – strength, stealth, intelligence – but you can't outrun the NSB. I have connections that can help; I'm going with you."

"Oscar..." Jaime was very close to breaking down in his arms. His embrace was warm and comforting and she suddenly understood exactly what he was telling her. "Your career...you can't just leave! And it would mean they'd be after you, too."

"I haven't had a family in many years," Oscar told her softly, "and I've buried myself in my work to try and forget that, but you're very special to me, Babe. Rudy believes that I think of you as my prodigal daughter, but you mean so much more than that. I've never really been any good at voicing these things, but...I love you, Jaime. And nothing is more important to me than keeping you safe and happy."

"But -"

"Nothing else matters."

Jaime's whole body relaxed in his arms, and she sighed. "I love you, too, Oscar – I really do. But I can't let you throw everything away like this!"

"Not everything; I'll be gaining the most important part of all. Humanity." He drew himself up to his full, authoritative height and smiled at her. "Now let's get you packed. We've got ten minutes."

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