Chapter Six

While Oscar and Jack hammered questions at their groggy prisoner, Steve worked his way down every corridor of the Courtney Clinic, showing Jaime's picture to every person he found. When Oscar made his second datacom transmission – that Jaime was in DC – it added more fuel to Steve's already roaring fire.

After quickly covering the lobby, he moved on to the basement, kicking open the doors to the locked, padded 'quiet rooms' in the hope of finding Jaime in one of them – but finding no one confined inside. "Have you seen this woman?" he urgently asked the guards who soon arrived to investigate the ruckus.

The first man shook his head. "Nope – sorry."

The second guard, though, stared at the photo and then nodded. "Yeah; she was here last week."

"I know," Steve confirmed. "But have you seen her since then?"

"Not on my watch. Now, can I ask why you've broken the doors to our quiet rooms? There could've been patients in there – and you've done some serious damage."

"I'm afraid we'll have to detain you," the first guard added.

"There's no time!" Steve flashed his government ID badge. "This is a National Security matter; you can either help me or get out of my way!"

"I...we're sorry, Colonel," the first guard sputtered, taking several steps backward. "What can we do to help?"

"Start searching for this woman," Steve instructed, holding up the photo one more time. "If you find her, contact Oscar Goldman immediately. You'll find him in your illustrious leader's office."

"Y-y-yes....Sir!"

- - -

Up in Courtney's office, things were not going smoothly. Once their prisoner had passed out, Rudy removed the IV from his arm, revived him and stood ready to re-inject the chemicals upon Oscar or Jack's command.

"What have you done to her, James?" Hansen demanded, the moment Courtney opened his eyes.

Courtney's eyelids fluttered wildly as he slumped forward, nearly falling from the chair. Oscar reached down and slammed him none-too-gently back into place. "We are nowhere near done with you," Oscar seethed. "Maybe you'd like another dose?" He nodded to Rudy, who poised the needle in very a very clear threat.

Courtney moaned and quivered slightly. "Wasn't....supposed to....happen....." he slurred.

"What wasn't?" Jack demanded.

"She should've...woke...up....by the...second....day..." He was still barely conscious, but leaned as far as he could from Rudy's readied needle. "Didn't, though...."

"You drugged her?" Oscar yelled. "You son-of-a -" His fists were twitching. "What happened to her? Where is she?"

"Don't...remember...."

Oscar reached down and, with one rough, furious motion, lifted Courtney by his collar and slammed him into the wall, holding him there. "You'd better start remembering!" he growled, slamming the weakened man once more. "Now!"

"Too...late..." Courtney repeated, just before blacking out.

- - -

On the second floor, Steve found plenty of staff members who remembered seeing Jaime – on her assignment, the previous week. There seemed to be no trace of her since then, but most of the staff members who were not directly caring for patients agreed to help in the search. Steve knew the penguins were covering the offices, the penthouse and the surgical wing, so he sent all available help to the uppermost floors, having them work their way down while he worked his way up.

The third floor, made up primarily of exam rooms and a couple of labs, seemed nearly deserted. His heart pounding in his chest, Steve headed for the fourth floor – and the hospital wing.

- - -

"Dammit, Rudy, we need him awake!" Oscar insisted.

"I'm trying! And he will be – just give him a few minutes."

"In the meantime -" With a nod of his head toward the outer office, Hansen summoned Oscar and Rudy to an impromptu conference/strategy session. "Did Courtney know that Jaime was bionic?" he asked quietly, when they'd assembled out of Courtney's earshot.

"Was? You mean is!" Oscar bristled, even though he was rapidly losing the last of his hope. "And no, I don't think so. Why?"

"I'm assuming Courtney drugged her to incapacitate her for a cross-country flight," Hansen explained. "I don't mean to sound indelicate, but if he thought her entire body was flesh-and-blood..."

Oscar's eyes darkened as the awful realization hit; Rudy voiced it for all three of them.

"Overdose."

- - - - -