Chapter Twelve

The voice came from directly behind him, so Oscar couldn't see the face. "Well, Mr. Goldman, so nice to finally meet you in person. You must have been hot on somebody's trail today – my employees tell me you were walking hand-in-hand with Miss Sommers. At an amusement park, no less! Must be some case you were working on, huh? Well, no matter now. You are officially off duty. And as for Jaime Sommers..." Oscar's captor laughed, sending icy-cold daggers through Oscar's heart.

"What did you do to her?" Oscar asked softly.

"Do I detect a note of pain in your voice, Oscar? I cancall you Oscar, right? Since we'll be getting so well acquainted."

"Where is Jaime?"

"On a first name basis with all of your agents, Oscar? Or perhaps just the ones you walk so close to? Hmm? Well, don't worry about her. You have more pressing matters to attend to."

Oscar stiffened in the chair, struggling angrily against unbreakable bonds. "Where. Is. She?" he demanded.

"It sounds like this cold-blooded bureaucratic machine may have softened a little," the unseen voice said, mocking him. "Don't worry, Oscar. We haven't hurt her. Yet."

Jack Hansen frowned. "How do you know she didn't merely lose her keys?"

"That's ridiculous!" Steve barked. "How long have you been an idiot? They're in trouble!"

"What, exactly, makes you think that?" Hansen queried.

Jenn eased a quiet arm around Steve's waist, trying to keep his temper in check. "My instinct," Steve insisted. "My gut."

"We don't operate on instinct, Colonel – we operate on facts."

"Fact One," Steve seethed, "Jaime has never in her life lost a set of car keys. Fact Two – we've already had them paged. Twice. Fact Three -" Steve took a step toward the ally who was quickly becoming a nemesis. "If you had a little bit of instinct yourself – or even an ounce of common sense – you might be able to do your damn job!"

"We've already placed tracers on the phones at Sommers and Goldman's residences and at Goldman's office – and I have agents monitoring them all," Hansen replied with exasperating composure. "There have been no ransom demands. We have no witnesses, Colonel, no clues and zero evidence. I don't suppose your instincts might like to suggest where we go from here?"

The interrogation had now begun in earnest, but Oscar wasn't about to give up anything. At least, not without one string attached. "I'll tell you everything you want to know," he promised, "once Jaime is freed – unharmed."

"I don't think you're in a position to be calling the shots, Oscar," his captor taunted.

"Non-negotiable. Take it or leave it." Of course, Oscar had no intention of telling them anything, but he knew full well what they would do to him in the end (no matter what), so securing Jaime's safety and freedom was the very least he could do.

"I'm afraid that's not open for discussion. My buyers would be most displeased if they arrived to find their merchandise was gone. But I wouldn't worry too much. Some of them can be fairly compassionate. If the right bidder takes her, they may even put her out before...well, I'll let you picture the rest."

Jaime woke up very slowly, then immediately closed her eyes. Instinct told her she'd be safer if they thought she was still asleep. In her one quick glance, she saw that she was in a bedroom with expensive white-oak furniture and huge bay windows that looked out onto a vast, green estate. There was a large, burly man in the doorway who (fortunately) didn't appear to have noticed she was awake. As her eyes snapped closed, Jaime caught a glimpse of the glint of a gun sticking out of his belt.

Where was Oscar? Was he hurt...or worse? Carefully, she tried to focus her ear for any signs of his voice. Then...she heard him. Take it or leave it... When she heard their captor's voice, detailing the plans he had for her, it was Jaime's worst nightmare brought vividly to life. The voice echoed through her mind until, combined with what she'd seen of her surroundings, she knew exactly where she was – and who had captured them. Shewas the target – not Oscar! Jaime allowed herself one moment of raw, sheer terror before her mind clicked into gear and began scrambling, trying to come up with a way to get them both out alive.