Chapter 22

'It's been a few days now Dr. Wells.'

'I know, it's time.' Rudy walked into the side room, a nurse and junior doctor following after him. 'Let's start.' Between them they moved monitors and computer equipment. After a few hours the junior doctor and nurse left the room again, leaving Rudy alone with his patient. 'Alright now Jess, time to wake up.' Rudy said as he checked all vitals again, looking down at the young woman. Rudy watched for a while when Jessie started to stir.

'Jaime?' Jessie called just above a murmur.

'Jess, it's alright, wake up for me now, come on.' Rudy coaxed.

'Rudy?' Jessie asked as she woke and came to. 'Rudy, I can't move or feel my legs.' Jessie explained groggily.

'I know Jess, it's OK, I'm rebuilding your bionics, until then I'm sorry but you're…'

'Paralysed.' Jessie finished for him as she became more and more aware. 'Where's Jaime, is she OK?' Jessie started to grow in with concern, Rudy could hear the fear in her tone.

'She's fine Jess, just fine. Jaime's home, safe and sound, it's all over for now.' Rudy explained just as Oscar walked into the room, a file tucked under his arm.

'Jessica, how're you feeling?' Oscar asked as he approached her bedside.

'Confused Oscar, and a little cloudy headed.' Jessie explained as she lifted her hand to her face rubbing her eyes.

'That's to be expected.' Rudy soothed as he checked Jessie's vitals again.

'What's going on guys, why isn't Jaime here?' Jessie asked looking around the room. 'In fact, where are we?'

'Jessica, we need to talk.' Oscar cleared his throat as he picked up a chair, putting it beside Jessie's bed he sat and began to speak. 'Your mission with Jaime was successful but, the threat of a mole within the OSI isn't, and it goes deeper than we thought.'

'And?' Jessie asked trying to get Oscar to the point quicker.

'Jess we need you to go deep undercover, with your abilities and training we think you'll be able to help us track down our enemies and stop them, once and for all.' Oscar explained.

'What about Jaime? What's her role in this?' Jessie asked.

'Jess, Jaime won't be with you on this one, you'll be alone. Your only contact will be with me and Rudy.'

'I can't just stop all contact Oscar, Jaime will get suspicious and you know what happens when Jaime gets suspicious.' Jessie said a light teasing to her tone. She noticed the two men looking to one another from under their eyebrows. 'What haven't you told me yet?' Jessie asked, scowling.

'Jaime won't be coming to look for you or track you down Jess, in fact…' Oscar paused for a moment. 'Jess, the truth is Jaime and everyone else apart from Rudy and myself and the small medical team here, everyone else believes that you died from the injuries you sustained in your fight with David.' The room fell silent as Oscars words fell on the room, until Jessie spoke up.

'Jaime, everyone, they all think I'm dead?' Jessie asked out loud.

'They do. I'm sorry Jessica but, I felt this was the best thing to do, our best option to finding the traitors amongst the OSI and bring them down.' Oscar explained, his voice determined, angered. Jessie rolled her head back, looking up to the rooms' ceiling.

'So, I'm alone.' Jessie simplified. Oscar was about to speak again when Jessie did first. 'Rudy, how long until I'm back in action?' She asked, her eyes still locked on the ceiling.

'It's going to be a few weeks Jess, to get your bionics updated and then grafted, have you train to get used to them, they'll be different from your last ones. If anything from your encounter with Stanton, we've learned how they corrupted your bionics and with my team, we know how to counter that from happening again.' Rudy explained.

'Well, at least something good came out of this.' Jessie said her tone heavy.

'Jess, by doing things this way you're now literally a ghost to our enemies, they won't know or expect you, should you cross with any of them personally.' Oscar explained standing up from his chair. 'I need you to read this file Jess, it has all the most up-to-date information we have since your mission.' Oscar explained handing Jessie the file. Rudy lifted the head of Jessie's bed so she could be in a more comfortable position. 'There's one name in there we're hearing more and more, we've dealt with them once before, I think you should start with that.' Oscar explained as Jessie started leafing through the file.

'What is it?' She asked without looking to him.

'Fortress.' Oscar replied.

12 years later…

'Kate, back off!' Steve shouted, followed by Jaime.

'Kate!' A loud crash was heard as Kate was thrown across the room, Jaime catching her, the pair of them falling to the ground. Their assailant was about to leave, taking Oscar with them, when another burst into Jaime's home trying to stop them. Again, the man, all dressed in black, wearing a ski mask, stumbled back from the front door opening swiftly towards him as he carried Oscar. Before the surprise attacker placed another move to the man in black, he again with bionic strength shoved the person blocking his way, sending them flying backwards. The assailant in black left the house casually, Oscar over their shoulder. Again, he was attacked outside from someone trying to stop him from taking Oscar, putting the unconscious Oscar down on the ground the man in black came to blows with his combatant, they were pretty evenly matched and both were swift not only in attacks, but responses to blocking. Suddenly Oscar seemed to make a noise that he was coming to, the fighters paused to look towards him, using the distraction to his advantage, the man in black punched then kicked his assailant away from him, using his bionic strength. His assailant went flying back crashing down on to the porch of Jaime's home. Grabbing up Oscar again the man in black left almost as quickly as he had arrived.

Picking themselves up, the stranger who tried to stop Oscar's kidnapper stood and looked out to where the man had disappeared to. Hearing voices in the house, they turned to go and check on those inside, being met by Steve as they did.

'Is everyone…' Before they could finish speaking, Steve grabbed a hold of them slamming them up against the wall by the side of the front door. 'OK?' they finished as colliding with the wall.

'Just who the hell are you?' Steve asked pinning the woman, he discovered, to the wall.

'A friend, Colonel Austin.' Steve looked her in the eyes and then released his hold, stepping back towards Jaime and Kate, never taking his eyes off of her. 'Now, is everyone alright?'

'We're all fine, who are you?' Steve asked again.

'Jessica?' Jaime asked stepping in beside Steve, looking at the woman in front of her, narrowing her eyes as she looked at her.

'Hello, Jaime.' Jessie replied, standing a little straighter as she did.