Chapter Five

"Oscar! Great to see you again; to what do I owe the pleasure?" Doctor Courtney was quietly jovial, welcoming Oscar into his inner office.

"Unfortunately, this isn't a social visit, James," Oscar informed him. "This is Jack Hansen, NSB – and we need to talk to you."

"Alright," Courtney agreed warily. "Let's sit down and I'll see what I can do for you."

"Tell us about Lisa Galloway," Hansen requested without preamble.

"Who?"

Oscar's brow furrowed. "Lisa Galloway – she's your patient, Doctor. She was here for a follow-up hypnosis session just two weeks ago!"

"Oh, yes....Miss Galloway. Very sweet girl, but she just can't seem to let go of those cigarettes. Frankly, I think she may be beyond any help I could offer her."

"Was there anything unusual about her last visit?" Oscar probed.

"Not that I noticed. She was still smoking."

Oscar nodded. That was it – they had him! "Jack, have your men take him into custody."

"Oscar, what's this about?" Courtney demanded, as the penguin suits filled the room.

"Where is Jaime Sommers?" Oscar shouted, as James Courtney was handcuffed and thrown roughly back into his chair.

"Excuse me?"

Oscar's fist pounded the desk in fury as he stared down at the man he'd thought was an ally. "Lisa Galloway had plastic surgery recently, which was fully healed as of five days ago – which means her appearance had changed drastically the last time you saw her! Or maybe the surgery was performed here....? Funny thing is, she turned out looking exactly like Jaime Sommers – and you didn't see fit to mention that tiny detail to me?"

Jack saw Oscar's fists tighten and shouldered his way in. "Your formula was never in jeopardy, and neither was your clinic! You set her up!" Jack grabbed the front of the doctor's shirt and shook him violently. "Didn't you?"

Courtney settled back into the chair, unfazed. "Mr.....Hansen, is it? This is police brutality, and I won't stand for it!"

"We're not the police," Hansen growled. "We're the NSB."

"What have you done with her, Courtney?" Oscar demanded through teeth clenched even tighter than his fists.

"I can't help you," the doctor replied. "And I demand a lawyer!"

"You'll need one when we're done here," Hansen told him. "Until then, it would be in your best interests to cooperate. Now, where's Jaime?"

"I haven't seen her since she left here last week."

Oscar bristled with rage. "You sent Lisa to take her place, and if you don't have Jaime yourself, you know exactly where she is!"

"I still have no idea what you're talking about. I'm afraid you've made a mistake -"

"Ever see the inside of an interrogation cell?" Oscar threatened. "Not a place anyone would like to be – but that's exactly where you're headed if you don't start working with us here. Now!"

Just like Lisa, James Courtney's response was stone-cold silence.

"We don't have time for this!" Oscar snapped, taking out his datacom. "Rudy, come on up."

Rudy strode in just as 'no-nonsense' as the others, took a large syringe from his pocket and – without a word – plunged it straight into Courtney's arm.

"What the hell was that?" Courtney sputtered.

"Shouldn't take long," Rudy told Oscar, ignoring the handcuffed man in the chair. Within minutes, Courtney's eyelids fluttered, his body slumped and his head nodded numbly.

Oscar leaned closer, his voice soft but unmistakably ominous. "Do you know where Jaime is?"

"Yes...."

"Where did you take her?" There was no response. Oscar was not deterred. "Dammit, Courtney! Where is she?"

"Can't.....tell....you that...."

Oscar nodded to Rudy, who went into the outer office and returned with an IV bag and pole. Still silent, he forced the needle roughly in the other doctor's vein.

"That hurts!" Courtney slurred.

"You bet it does," Oscar agreed. "We're not playing games, Courtney. Answer the question!"

"What....was it?"

Oscar scowled angrily. "Rudy – increase the drip." He watched as their prisoner began to squirm. "Is she in DC? Los Angeles?"

"D...C..." Courtney mumbled, thrashing weakly.

"Where?"

"Doesn't.....matter....."

"The hell it doesn't!" Oscar thundered.

"Went....too far...." Courtney was barely conscious now. "You're...too....late...."

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