Chapter Four

Jack did exactly as Jaime had requested. He told her everything, as told to him by Kirk and his accomplices. While Jaime was still under the effects of the chloroform, the shock device was implanted directly behind her right ear. Kirk's security clearance was high enough that he was able to obtain a 'blueprint' and his salary was high enough to allow him to buy all the assistance he needed.

They kept her heavily sedated with hypnotic drugs for the first two days, keeping headphones on her at all times, blaring the phrases "Death to America", "You feel nothing, you say nothing" and "You are a stone cold killer", 24 hours a day.

On the morning of the third day, they lightened the dose of hypnotics and administered a chemical very similar to LSD. Before she was entirely awake, they removed the headphones and placed Jaime in a very small sensory-deprivation cell, with the same three messages blasting even louder from speakers on all four walls. As she began to wake up and the hallucinogen took effect, they left her alone in the cell, letting her mind take her to places no one should ever have to go.

At this point in his narrative, Hansen noticed that Steve had gotten up and moved to the window, not wanting Jaime to see the fury that was building inside him, but he returned instantly to her side when he saw the tears in her eyes. He quickly swept her back into his arms on the sofa, holding her close and gently rubbing her back as she leaned into him for comfort.

"Jack, I think she's heard enough," Steve told the NSB Director.

Jaime immediately sat up, forced back the tears and said to all three men, "No - I want to keep going. Please."

"Sweetheart," Steve began softly, "you know how they did it now, and you know the end result -"

Jaime, still nestled a bit against Steve, exhibited more inner strength than any of them had given her credit for. "No - there's more. Isn't there, Jack?"

For God's sake, Hansen, lie to her, Steve begged silently. But Hansen had given his word. "Yes," he told her, "there's more."

"Tell me."

"Honey," Jack said to her, "I'll tell you the rest, if you really want me to, but how about a little break first?"

"Yeah, that'd be good, I guess," Jaime sighed. No one moved.

"Sweetheart, how 'bout if we take a quick walk?" Steve asked. "A little fresh air?"

"Ok."

Steve helped her to her feet, noticing she seemed a little wobbly (just like that newborn colt, again). "We'll be back in a few minutes," he said, guiding her out the door.

Jack Hansen waited until he heard the outer doors open and close. "What did she decide about the tape?" he inquired.

"She didn't say. Jack, what you've been telling her, there are three days left before the Pentagon," Oscar noted. "How much worse...?

Jack looked grim. "When I said torture, I wasn't exaggerating. Can she really handle this?"

"I've got Rudy Wells on call."

"You might want to have him in the building, Oscar."

Oscar nodded agreement and thanks and made the call. When he hung up the phone, he looked even more worried.

"Oscar?" Jack asked tentatively.

"He'll be here in ten minutes. He said to watch her very closely for any sign of flashbacks from the hallucinogen." Before they could discuss it further, the door opened and Jaime and Steve re-joined them. She seemed to be held together primarily by Steve's arms encircling her. Her face was pale and her body trembled slightly, but all traces of tears were gone from her eyes. Once they'd returned to their seats, Hansen continued the story.

Jaime had been kept in the tiny cell with the deafeningly loud speakers for more than 24 hours. She had been led out several times for food and bathroom breaks (and re-drugging), but each time, before she was allowed to take one step from the cell, the headphones were put back in place so the bombardment would be constant. The first time, she had rebelled and torn them off of her head. That was when she was hit by the shock device in her head for the first time. The pain was unlike anything she'd ever felt, worse, even, than the blinding headaches of bionic rejection. Jaime made no more attempts to remove the headphones or rebel in any way; she knew she was helpless.

By the time they removed her from the cell for the next phase, Jaime had been without sleep for almost four straight days. She was made to sit on the floor of a slightly smaller room while three or four men stood over her, shouting insults, anti-American slogans and the order that she would kill or die for them without question. If she argued or reacted in any way other than a silent stare, she was shocked again. they alternated between that room and the tiny, loud cell right up until the moment they took her to the Pentagon.

Her orders had been very specific: she was to set a large fire in the War Room, killing anyone who got in the way. Jaime was likely no longer forming conscious thoughts of any kind at this point, her transformation from human to machine (temporarily) complete. They hadn't expected her to leave the Pentagon alive, believing that if the guards didn't shoot her, the NSB would. Fortunately, that final piece of the plan had failed.

Hansen looked up at his audience of three. Oscar had placed a comforting hand on Jaime's shoulder and Steve's arm was around her waist. Her face was now extremely pale and she appeared to be shaking violently, but her eyes were clear and her head held high.

"All that to try and take Oscar's job," she said softly.

"And one other reason," Jack told her. "Kirk had hoped to have one of his people recover your body, and then say it had burned up in the fire -"

"And sell the bionics," Steve concluded.

"Right." Hansen looked at Jaime. "I'm so very sorry you had to endure that. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Just one thing: I wanna see the tape."

"NO!" all three men echoed, a little too loudly.

Jaime smiled at her protectors (and wondered for a second when Jack had become one of them). "Not all of it; just the beginning. I want you to freeze on a face shot - I need to see my eyes."