Chapter Two
More than 48 hours had gone by with no sign of Michael. A few times, Jaime thought she sensed (but never saw or heard) someone outside the house, just...lurking. Steve was glad they'd equipped him for the long haul. There was a tiny half-bath next to the laundry room, with a sink that allowed him to wash up and gave him a source of running water. He had a coffee maker, plenty of provisions, a radio transmitter, should he need to call the OSI or for an ambulance, and some books and magazines to pass the time. Steve knew he wouldn't be able to take his attention off of Jaime and keeping her safe long enough to read. The coffee maker was definitely getting a work-out, though. Since arriving two nights earlier, Steve hadn't allowed himself so much as a nap. He had seen the unnatural glint in Michael's eyes up close, six months ago, and knew he was capable of anything. If he had gotten even worse...Steve didn't want to think about that.
Everything was quiet upstairs. Jaime had turned off the tv at 11, read a book for a little while (Steve could actually hear the pages turning) and then gone to bed. His earpiece was so sensitive and well-tuned that Steve could hear her steady, rhythmic breathing, and he knew she was already asleep. He put on a fresh pot of coffee and settled in to wait.
Several hours later, in the quietest, most lonely part of the night, a gloved hand pressed a chloroform-soaked cloth over Jaime's face. She rolled over in bed, but the hand stayed firmly in place until the figure standing over her was satisfied that she was fully under the effects of the drug. Then he picked her up and carried her silently from the house. Her breathing remained slow and even; Steve never heard a thing.
Jaime's abductor placed her soundlessly in the back of the van he had stolen a few hours earlier and proceeded on to step two of his plan. Steve's earpiece went silent as the van pulled away into the darkness.
Steve was immediately alarmed. The implant in Jaime's ear ran off the same power source as her bionic ear itself, so there was no battery to wear out. The only people capable of de-activating it were Rudy...and...Michael.
He was up the stairs at bionic speed, his fingers switching on the transmitter that was already tuned to OSI frequency and hitting the button. He saw that Jaime's bed was empty, and felt a sudden, almost physical blow, as though a lead brick thrown at warp speed had slammed into his chest.
OSI Headquarters answered immediately. "Yeah, Steve - it's Russ."
"Is Oscar in the office?"
"Yeah, he's here. First time he's -"
"Get him - now."
"Steve?" Oscar answered just seconds later.
"She's gone, Oscar."
"What do you mean, gone?"
"Her bed is empty, her implant is dead, and I can smell chloroform. Dammit - he took her while she was sleeping. She never made a sound; she never got the chance..."
