Chapter Six

(Steve's turn):

Ironically, Hannah made the tougher jump – almost 2 stories from the attic to the garage roof – without a problem. Then, in a much shorter leap to the ground, she broke her ankle. Somehow, she made it into the woods where she was out of sight. She'd been intending to run two miles through the trees to our nearest neighbor – Erleena Drake – on the other side of the woods, but just a few yards in, Hannah reached her limit. Watson, who'd followed her, began nuzzling her and whimpering, and Hannah told us she petted the dog until they both calmed down.

Fortunately, she'd had the foresight to stuff a few sheets of paper and a pencil into the pocket of her jeans, probably intending to write things down and sort them out like she usually does. Jaime has nurtured our children's minds so well that it didn't take Hannah long to come up with an idea.

Every day, when she took Watson for his walk, they'd either take the sidewalk or the path through the woods and end up at Mrs. Drake's house, where they'd rest for a few minutes before coming back. Erleena always kept a good stock of cookies for Hannah and doggy treats for Watson, so Watson knew and adored her. Hannah's heart must've been pounding at near-bionic speed, but she took out the pencil and wrote a note:

Mrs. Drake, please call 714-386-9811 and tell whoever answers that Jaime and Hannah need help fast. Thank you. Hannah Austin.

Our eight year old genius threaded the note through Watson's collar and told him "Find Mrs. Drake, Watson! Get your treat!" Good old Watson took off running, and Hannah crossed every finger...

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Red told me they'd already killed Steve, and while I suspected they were playing mind games, trying to hurt me in any way possible, I didn't know for sure. I was trying to come up with some way to get everyone back outside before they did what they'd come to do. If Hannah was lucky enough to stay hidden, I didn't want her coming downstairs later and finding...me.

The Knights had other plans, though. They'd made it quite clear what the end result would be, but I didn't know why they were dragging it out. I tried to get out of the chair they'd shoved me into, but one of them had a stun gun which doesn't play nicely with bionics and I had no choice but to stay put. And...to wait.

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All of a sudden, with no warning, the Knights told me to leave, that I was "needed at home". I definitely didn't like the sound of that, and knew right away that Jaime was in big trouble. I called Oscar's office, to have him meet me at the house, and Callahan told me that he and an entire posse were already on their way over there. She told me about the message that Jaime and Hannah needed help, and it sent a chill straight through me. Where were the rest of my kids? I decided to beat the traffic and just ran there instead, and Oscar and the others had just set up outside in the driveway. The downstairs drapes were all drawn shut, and we couldn't see what was happening inside.

Oscar had just hung up his mobile phone, and he pulled me aside, away from the windows, and told me they were looking for me and wanted him to call them back again when I got there. He also told me both sets of twins were with Jim and Helen, but no one knew where Hannah was. Threatening me is one thing, but these idiots had my wife (and quite possibly our daughter); I've never been one to agree to a terrorist's planned itinerary, and I wasn't about to start now. My talking to them would've fed into their plan, and we were running on MY plan now! First, though, I had to have a plan.

Oscar had originally thought of bombing them with nerve gas, but Rudy couldn't say for sure how that might affect Jaime – or Hannah. Knockout gas was an option, but could easily do more than knock out a child.

I will forever be happy and grateful that we decided to buy Hannah the dog, because at that moment, when we were up against a figurative brick wall, Watson came bounding out of the woods, his tail wagging. I stayed in front of the garage, where the men inside couldn't see me if they looked out, and asked the dog to find Hannah. He looked at me, and I could almost swear that dog nodded – then he headed off into the trees and took me straight to my daughter!

Hannah cried when she saw me, but very quietly, so I knew she was fully aware of what was happening. She hugged me tight, and I could see she was hurt. I got down on the ground next to her to look at her ankle, but Hannah shook her head and asked me to please get her mom away from those men. My heart swelled with pride and broke at the same time. I got on the datacom and called for Rudy to come and stay with Hannah, then went back toward the house to reclaim my wife.

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