Chapter Two
The FBI agents rose from their chairs when Steve escorted/pushed Jaime into the conference room. "Miss Sommers, I'm Special Agent Dupree and this is Special Agent Thomas. Thank you for coming."
Jaime sat down. "It was my understanding that I didn't have a choice," she muttered.
"Jaime!" Steve looked at her with one raised eyebrow.
"They want the truth, don't they?" she argued. "That's the truth."
"Knock it off, Jaime," Steve told her through clenched teeth.
"Miss Sommers," Dupree began, "were you present yesterday morning for a discussion between Jack Hansen and Oscar Goldman?"
Jaime sat in stone-faced silence. Steve sighed. "Answer the question, Jaime."
"They already know I was."
Steve stood up. "Gentlemen, I'd like to have a word with my operative. If you could excuse us, we'll be right back." Dupree nodded. Steve took Jaime's arm again and led her out of the room and into a tiny, unused office next door. "Care to tell me what the hell you were doing in there?" he seethed. Jaime didn't answer. "You're just begging them to throw you in a cell. Is that what you want?"
"Your operative?" Jaime said bitterly. "What happened to your fiancee' ?"
"Look, I didn't want this job. Given a choice, I would've said no. I was drafted, but since I'm here, I have to do this job to the best of my ability." Steve's eyes softened as he looked at her, but his voice remained firm. "At home, I love you with every fiber of my being, more than life itself - you know that. But here, I've got a job to do. Jaime, I'll put you in that cell myself if I have to. Please don't make me do that." Jaime was speechless - stunned and furious. "Come on," Steve said softly, "let's just get it over with." Jaime silently followed him back into the conference room. "We're ready," Steve told the investigators.
"Miss Sommers, to the best of your knowledge, how did yesterday's confrontation begin?" Dupree asked her.
"Oscar called Jack into his office to talk about the security the NSB provided during a cooperative mission last week. Or...I guess I should say lack of security," Jaime explained.
"Please go on," Dupree prompted.
"We were infiltrating a drug cartel, down in South America: two operatives from the NSB, Steve - I mean, Colonel Austin - and me. There were also two more from the NSB whose job was to oversee security for all four of us."
"Did they do that?" Dupree asked Jaime.
"They did an excellent job - for the two NSB operatives. Colonel Austin and I were left wide open, while we thought they had us covered, and we were very nearly killed."
"Mister Goldman was angry?"
"All three of us were."
"Who was present during this discussion?"
"When it started, there were five: Oscar, Jack, Colonel Austin, Peggy and me."
"Peggy...Callahan?" Dupree asked, looking at his notes.
"Right."
"Did you see or hear Oscar Goldman threaten Jack Hansen?"
"Not then; not in the office."
"How did the location of the argument change?"
"Jack laughed, said it was Oscar's problem if he couldn't keep his own people safe. He started to leave, and Oscar followed him."
"Then what happened?"
"They stopped by the outer doors and Oscar reminded Jack that the NSB was charged with all of the security on this assignment, for all four operatives, when in fact they'd left Steve - Colonel Austin - and myself more vulnerable than if there'd been no security at all."
"Why was that?"
"It was almost like they'd drawn a line in the sand; the ones on their side of the line, their own co-workers, were camouflaged. Safe. That was like pointing a big red neon arrow at the other two of us," Jaime told him.
"I see. And that's when he threatened him?"
"No. All five of us wound up in the front lobby. Jack kept turning to walk away, and Oscar grabbed him, first by his arm, then by the collar of his shirt, and made him stay. He just wanted Jack to admit responsibility. He didn't really threaten him. It was more of a ' what if '."
"Please continue," Dupree urged.
"He asked Jack how he'd feel if the guns were aimed at him and the security he'd been depending on wasn't there."
"Did Mister Goldman threaten to shoot him?"
"No," Jaime answered.
"Did he threaten to have him shot?"
"No!"
"Miss Sommers, did you shoot Jack Hansen?"
"No, I did not."
"Who do you think killed him? As an experienced operative, you must have some sort of theory."
"I don't know who killed him. I only know who didn't. Oscar Goldman wouldn't - couldn't - ever do something like that."
Dupree looked directly into Jaime's eyes, and she stared back, unflinchingly. "What about Steve Austin?" Dupree theorized.
"Colonel Austin was with me last night. He couldn't have done it either." Jaime sighed. "To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone from his own staff. He was never the nicest person. But that doesn't mean he deserved to die," she quickly added.
"Alright, Miss Sommers; that's all we'll be needing from you at this time. Thank you for your cooperation."
Before getting up, Jaime looked at Steve. "Am I free to go, Colonel?"
"Yes," he answered, feeling defeated and suddenly very tired.
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