Chapter Forty Nine
Jason drove the sedan doggedly through the autobahn. Finally receiving confirmation that night that a partial match had been found on the plates. Also there had been some leak from Rosco's camp that made the address seemingly correct. He looked over at Elizabeth who sat tensely in the passenger seat. "You still shouldn't have come," Jason warned.
Elizabeth's greyish blue eyes met his. "You know that I had to."
Jason shook his head. He'd tried to explain that this was one of those dangerous situations that she couldn't come along on, but she was stubborn.
"Look Jason, I know you don't like this, and you don't have to like it. But Jaime's my friend and you're definitely not going to keep me from coming along. So you can stop the silent treatment," Elizabeth lectured.
Jason raised his eyebrows. "Silent treatment? I wasn't giving you the silent treatment."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Yes you were. You don't like the fact that I'm going…"
Jason interrupted her. "I don't like the fact that you're going, but you're here anyways and what would be the point in giving you the silent treatment?" he finished.
"You'd better keep your eyes on the road." Elizabeth stated.
"I would if you wouldn't keep talking," Jason teased.
Elizabeth looked at him uncertainly. She smiled and shook her head. "Fine. But you used to like me talking."
Jason smiled. "And I still do."
***
Jaime got up that morning feeling anxious. Something was different.
Jaime had heard people talking downstairs. She tried to ignore it, but it didn't work. All of the sudden, the voices ceased. Jaime heard a slam of the main door and all was quiet. As she crept down the stairs she peered over the banister. The usual guards that stood in the hallways seemed to have disappeared.
"Hello?" she called. Silence.
Jaime peered into the living room and found it empty. As Jaime continued her inspection of the house, she found the entire place deserted. Had something happened? Then it dawned upon Jaime, I'm free!
Her heart raced. How was she going to get out? Where was she?
Jaime picked up the phone to see if it worked. As the dial tone hummed she jumped for joy. "Yes!" Jaime proceeded to phone Donnie.
"Hello?" the older man answered. He seemed to sound a little ragged. 'How he must have worried!' thought Jaime.
"Donnie?" she exclaimed.
"Jaime?" he cried.
Jaime felt herself begin to cry, "Yes. Donnie, it's Jaime! I've missed you so much!"
"Bella! Are you okay? We thought you were kidnapped! Why haven't you phoned?" he demanded.
"I was kidnapped, but it's weird, they're gone?" Jaime laughed.
It felt good to laugh. It felt good to hear Donnie's voice.
"What do you mean they're gone?"
"They're just gone! I'll explain later. Is Jason there? Or maybe Elizabeth?"
"No. They're in Rome. Where are you?" he asked worried.
"I don't know. I think I'm still in Rome, but I'm not sure. Could you *69 this call and find out from the phone company where I am? I can't think of anything else…" Jaime was distracted because of a creak of a door.
"Jaime?" Donnie called.
"Just a second. I think someone's here," Jaime whispered.
"Jaime, get out of there!" he cried.
"Just let me check who…" her voice trailed off.
Jaime put down the phone. Jaime wandered into the foyer. The main door was opened but she couldn't see anyone. She crept up the stairs and checked the first room. Empty. Jaime quietly opened the door of her former bedroom. Empty again. She walked over to the second to last bedroom when she heard a rustling in the room. Jaime looked around for a weapon of some sort. There wasn't any. She could hear the whisper of voices.
"I don't see anyone here! Are you sure she's here?" a woman's voice whispered.
"I'm sure. My contacts told me that Rosco was held up here," a man replied.
Jaime took a deep breath and pushed the door open as she leaned against the wall. Jaime called out, "Who's there?"
There was silence. Jaime could hear footsteps moving towards the door. As she saw the point of the gun, Jaime waited for the hand to appear and Jaime grabbed the man's wrist and struggled to wrestle it from his grip. The man grabbed her around the waist and turned her body so that she faced him.
"Jason!" she exclaimed.
"Jaime!" he stated.
Jaime wrapped her arms around Jason's neck and never wanted to let go. As she finally decided to release him, Jaime spoke. "How did you find me?"
"I had a couple of leads," Jason stated.
Out of the corner of Jaime's eye she saw Elizabeth. "Elizabeth! Oh, it's sooo good to see you!"
Jaime walked past Jason to embrace the relieved Elizabeth. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm all right now that you guys have found me," she sighed. Jaime knew she had this huge grin on her face.
"Where are Rosco and his men?" Jason asked, looking around.
"I don't know!" Jaime exclaimed. "I was in my room and I heard some voices and a door and then nothing. I came down the stairs and looked for the guards and Rosco and they were all gone. I'm telling you, it was weird."
Elizabeth grasped Jaime's hand. "Well, it's over now. Let's go home. Donnie has been worried sick about you. He's been calling Jason at least twice a day for information about our search."
Jaime gasped, "Donnie!" She ran down the stairs and into the living room. "Donnie? Are you still there?"
"Jaime? What happened? Was there someone there?" he asked worriedly.
"Yes, I mean no. I mean, Jason and Elizabeth found me," she stuttered.
"They did? Thank God! Come home safe now you hear signorina?" he commanded.
"Yes. I'll come home as soon as possible."
~~
As the plane landed in Venice, Jaime couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Rosco. I hope he's not hurt.
Jaime shook her head. What was she thinking?
"Jason," she called over the aisle, "Do you know what day it is?" It had been so long since she had bothered to look at a calendar.
"It's the 18th of March," he replied softly as Elizabeth's sleeping head rested on his shoulder.
"So how long have I been gone?"
"11 days," he stated.
"Wow." Jaime never expected time to fly by so fast. It seemed to go by too slowly at the house.
"Are you sure you're okay? You haven't talked about what happened there."
"I don't know, " Jaime whispered. "I just can't think about it right now. I just want to forget you know?"
Jason smiled and nodded. "Yeah... just promise to let me know when you want to remember."
Jaime nodded.
~~~
She'd been back in Venice for several days now. Jaime felt everything seemed to go on exactly as it did when she had been here. They seemed worried when she wouldn't eat, leaving trays of food untouched during the days and evenings. She would pick at them, but never eat an entire meal. Everyone seemed to dote on her and want her to talk about it. Jaime didn't even want to think about it. Everything seemed surreal. Sometimes Jaime wondered if it ever really happened.
Jaime wandered out from the living room into the garden out back. She sat at the garden table under the cherry blossom tree. Everything was too normal. Nothing had changed except her. Jaime felt out of synch with each and every person in the house. Even Jason and Elizabeth seemed to have changed. They seemed to spend a lot more time together. Each invited her to join them on their hikes or jaunts to the city, but she always declined. After declining Jason and Elizabeth offered to stay, but Jaime shooed them away. Jaime just couldn't manage it all.
Her memories seemed to flash before her in the garden. Jaime remembered waking up in that dank basement, Rosco's menacing face squeezing her throat. She shivered at the memory of Ben's body on hers. How could she feel normal again?
Unexpectedly her thoughts turned to the kiss. There was so much horror in that experience, yet something so unexpected. How was she supposed to deal with that kiss? Apparently it had been nothing. Rosco had gone. Part of her praying that it was for good, but a tiny part of her wished she might speak to him again. Maybe ask him why he kissed her.
Jaime felt a hand on her shoulder, which made her jump. She found Donnie standing behind her, looking on in concern. "Signorina, what can I do for you?" Donnie asked, his eyes pleading for some way to help.
"Nothing Donnie. Nothing. I seem to have lived this horror by myself and now I have to heal by myself," Jaime sighed, looking beyond the distance of trees.
"Not by yourself daughter."
The voice that spoke chilled her blood. Jaime felt her body tense and everything in her just wanted to run away. "Father," Jaime spoke without turning around to acknowledge his presence.
"Jaime," Lee
stated, almost seeming to choke on the name.
"Are you okay?"
Jaime felt Donnie leave her side and another un-welcomed presence take its place. She stood rigid, not ready to face her father yet.
"I'm fine, as you can see."
Jaime took a few steps forward and turned around, facing her father. "I think you can leave now," Jaime said sternly.
The softness that appeared on her father's face, hardened into creases. "I need to know where Rosco is."
Jaime swallowed hard. "I don't know."
Her father took a step forward and reached out to grab Jaime's shoulders. "You need to think. I need to find him. We have unfinished business."
Jaime clenched her teeth and pulled out of her father's grasp. "I said I don't know," Jaime repeated.
She didn't know why, but Jaime felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I don't know and I don't care!" she yelled, but somewhat in control.
"Jaime, you know this cannot be left alone," Lee hissed. "He must pay."
It was all that Jaime could do, not to scream and pound on her father's expensively dressed chest. "Oh YES! He must pay. You monster! YOU are the reason I was kidnapped. YOU!" Jaime screamed.
Jaime swirled around and threw her hands up in the air. "You don't get it! Do you?"
Her father stood silently, as if letting a five year old have her temper tantrum. Jaime stood bewildered. "It doesn't even faze you. Does it? DOES IT?"
Lee swallowed. "I was worried about you Jaime. Of course I was. Everyone in the family was. And we will make the person who put you through it, pay."
Jaime shook her head in amazement. The control, the malice – all was hidden under a $1000 suit. "You make me sick. Don't come here again. And don't kill him in my name. I washed my hands of you so many years ago and I can see it was the best decision of my life. In some way, I thought there might still be hope for you. I thought to myself, 'he couldn't be so focused on himself and the hurt it caused him.' I though you did love me and that when you walked through that door, even though it made me cringe, that it meant somewhere deep inside, you cared."
Lee nodded his head. "And it does. The family cares."
Jaime chuckled. "The family cares all right. Cares that someone dared to dishonour one of their own. The family cares that it has been humiliated. The family cares for all of those reasons. And NOTHING else!"
She'd had enough. Jaime felt a little light-headed and breathless, leaning a moment on a nearby tree. She swallowed, trying to catch her breath. Jaime felt her father's hand take hers in his. She waved him off dismissively. "Don't."
"Jaime, are you all right?" a familiar voice called.
Jaime looked up and saw Jason and Elizabeth rushing to her side. "I'm all right," she smiled.
Taking a deep breath Jaime stood up and began walking towards the house. Again light-headedness passed over her and Jaime looked over to a concerned Jason before passing out.