Chapter Three

The outer hallway of the Bionics Section at National seemed eerily deserted. Steve sensed, even before he saw it, the maelstrom of activity centered in Jaime's ICU cubicle. As he ran down the hall, the first person he saw was Chris Williams, slumped dejectedly into a chair, his head in his hands, all alone.

"What happened?" Steve demanded anxiously.

"She...coded." Chris told him, without looking up.

"What?" Steve looked into the cubicle and saw the cluster of doctors, nurses and technicians and heard the ominous, steady single tone of the heart monitor, and his own heart broke. "Oh, God...no..." He sank down into the chair next to Chris and assumed a near-identical posture as Oscar and Russ caught up.

The four men barely breathed until the steady, deathly drone of the monitor began to jump once again into light, reassuring beeps. Most of the medical staff had filed out before Rudy finally emerged. Four necks nearly whiplashed as everyone snapped to attention.

"We got her back," Rudy told them, sighing with worry and exhaustion. "It was close, but she's finally stable. Critical, but stable. I've given her medicine to counteract the swelling in her brain, and so far it appears to be working." He patted Chris on the shoulder. "You can go in now."

"Not so fast," Hansen said, joining them. "Mr. Williams and I have some talking to do."

"Come on, Jack," Steve said sharply. "His fiancée almost died tonight. Whatever it is can wait."

"This can't," Hansen responded flatly. He grabbed Chris by the arm, stopping him from entering the cubicle. "We can talk in the conference room here, or I can take you down to headquarters. Your choice."

Chris looked bewildered. "Whatever you have to say to me, just spit it out, Hansen."

"I think you'd rather talk about this in private," Hansen insisted, especially conscious of Steve's eyes upon the two of them.

"Just get it over with so I can get back to Jaime. I'm not sure what your problem is, but I have nothing to hide from you or anybody else!"

"Alright; if that's how you want it played." Hansen placed Chris in a chair on the other side of the hall, away from the cluster of men. "Tell me about your new car, Chris."

"Huh?"

"Two weeks ago, you bought a brand-new sports car," Jack persisted.

"What's your point?"

"When was the last time you drove that car?"

Chris frowned, his gaze still focused on Jaime. "I took Jaime for a drive about a week ago...that was when I proposed to her. Hansen, get to the point! She needs me in there!"

The NSB man shook his head sadly. "She needs you about as much as she needed a car wreck."

Steve had heard enough. "That's it, Jack – leave him alone!" He pulled the investigator away from Williams and glared angrily at him. "The man is grieving; can't you see that? Maybe you need to leave!"

Hansen turned back to Chris. "Why don't you tell Steve – tell all of us – what type of car we're talking about, Williams?"

"It's back at my house, in the garage. If you're that overly concerned about my new car, feel free to check it out!"

"Oh, believe me, we already have. But for now, tell these men what kind of car it is, so they know exactly what sort of monster we're dealing with here!"

"Jack!" Steve protested. Chris was too numbed, emotionally, to stick up for himself, but clearly Hansen was going too far.

"Tell them, Chris!" Hansen prodded.

"It's a Trans-Am."

"A black TransAm," Hansen finished for him. "With gold fire design. And it's not in your garage. I just got a phone call from my investigators, who saw it pulled out of Lake Casitas with massive front end damage. Chris Williams, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of a Federal agent." He jerked the new prisoner roughly to his feet. "You damn well better hope and pray that she lives," he growled, snapping on the handcuffs, "or I will personally see to getting you a one-way ticket to the electric chair!"

"This is impossible!" Chris protested. "I'd never hurt Jaime – I love her!" He tried to pull away from Hansen, his head turned toward the cubicle where Jaime was still lying comatose in her bed. "There's been a mistake – an awful mistake! Please...I need to be with her!"

Hansen shook his head again and began forcing the distraught man down the hallway. "You need to be in the Hole – for the rest of your short life, if I have my way."

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