Chapter Five
The next morning, Oscar made breakfast for Jaime, watched as she swallowed her horse pill and made her comfortable in the easy chair before leaving for his office. "I'll be back before lunch, and I'll have a surprise for you. Everything you could possibly need in the meantime is on this table, so -"
"Oscar, you're turning into a fussy old woman." She smiled at him, pure happiness dancing in her eyes. "And I love you for it."
"I love you too - and I won't be long." He kissed her and forced himself out the door. Jaime sighed contentedly, nestled back into the pillows and closed her eyes.
She dozed off, waking about an hour later when she heard the mailman on the porch. Reminding herself to move slowly and gently, she put the blanket aside and went out to the porch for the mail. Jaime had just removed everything from the box - still so many cards! - when she felt a sudden sharp, blinding pain at the back of her head, and she crumpled to the ground.
Oscar returned home just minutes after the car carrying his unconscious, pregnant wife had sped away. He saw the open front door before he'd even parked the car. She couldn't stay put for one hour? He was slightly annoyed. Then he saw the mail scattered across the porch, and his blood ran cold with sheer terror.
"No...Oh God, no..." He flew into the house and ran from room to room, calling her name. He found the blanket, neatly set aside on the arm of the chair. Whatever had happened took place on the porch, amidst the scattered envelopes. He searched the porch quickly but thoroughly and found no blood, no note, no clues. Jaime's car was still in the garage, and as Oscar returned to the den and picked up the phone, he saw the bottle of medicine, intended to keep Jaime and the baby healthy, still sitting on the coffee table.
Jaime moaned softly as she began to wake up. Her head hurt terribly, and she couldn't clear away the strange, dizzy feeling. She was lying on a sofa that wasn't hers in a house she didn't recognize. Her eyes closed again before she could see the two men with guns and realize she was in grave danger. Just before she drifted off, she heard the voice of an angry man she didn't know. "How hard did you hit her, moron?"
At the same time, Oscar was pacing the floor of his den, completely distraught. Steve was the first friend to reach his side. "Oscar, are you sure she was taken? Maybe she went for a walk -"
"The door was wide open, and the mail..." Oscar's voice broke. Steve knew he had to take charge; Oscar was in no shape to lead this investigation.
Steve picked up the phone and notified the NSB, the FBI and the police. "Yes, less than an hour. Look - I don't care if she's only been gone for five minutes; she's in serious danger. She needs medicine and it's sitting here on the table. I need every available person on this now. If they aren't available, you make them available. Twenty-four hours is too late. Now. Thank you."
Jim and Russ joined them, followed by Peggy Callahan. When Steve saw Rudy coming up the walk, he went out onto the porch to talk with him in private.
"Oscar told you what happened?" Steve asked in lieu of a greeting. The doctor nodded grimly. "Rudy, if Jaime is without that medicine for a day or a couple of days, how serious a situation are we looking at?"
"Jaime's blood pressure is already dangerously high. Given the stress of the situation, this could be very bad."
"She'll lose the baby?"
"Or worse," Rudy confirmed. "We could easily lose both of them. Jaime's already had one cerebral hemorrhage; with her blood pressure untreated, we're looking at a strong possibility of a major stroke."
"Ok. Well, we're gonna find her. I've got all available personnel in the tri-state area on the case. In the meantime, do me a favor and don't tell Oscar what you just told me; he's already a wreck."
"You got it. I'll stay with Oscar to keep an eye on him, and be available as soon as Jaime's found. I'll want her in the hospital for tests even if she seems to be ok."
Steve nodded. "We'll find her soon, Rudy. We've got to."
