Chapter Eight

The Medivac landed in a parking lot across the street from the abandoned storefront and warehouse, and Steve was out before the blades had stopped spinning. "Steve, the State Police will be here any minute," Oscar called over the resulting wind. "Wait for them – you may need back-up."

"They can join me when they get here," he called over his shoulder.

"Steve!"

Jack joined Oscar in the parking lot, and they watched Steve speed toward Jaime. "Did you really think he'd wait?" Jack mused.

"Of course not, but I had to say it." Oscar, too, began heading for the warehouse.

"Oscar?"

"She's like my daughter, Jack, and she needs help. Besides, reinforcements are coming." He stopped just outside the building. "You wait out here, and point the way for them."

"Wrong. They have the address, and someone has to watch your back."

- - - - - -

The gunshot into the ceiling sounded just as Steve entered the warehouse. "Jaime!" he called, racing across the room toward the source of the shot. To his amazement (and with a deep sense of pride in her abilities), Steve found Jaime standing guard over two men who were flat out on the floor, with six others scattered against the wall, their hands in the air. Jaime had apparently just finished grinding a gun into scrap beneath her foot.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

"Whoever you are, Buddy," one of the 'wall' men stammered, "I wouldn't go getting the lady angry. Best to just stay outta her way."

Steve saw that Jaime wasn't visibly injured, and he chuckled at the man's remark. "Never happen," he said, intending his comment solely for the owner of the hazel eyes he'd never been more relieved to gaze into.

Jaime met Steve's gaze with a serious expression. "I'm ok," she confirmed. "You'd better take this one off my hands, though," she told him, motioning to 'Oz'. "Steve...he's the one."

"The one?" Steve was confused for a moment, then it hit him. She did it; she actually found a murderer, after ten years! He nodded, looking up to acknowledge Oscar and Jack, who were just joining them. The sound of multiple sirens wailing to a stop filled the air. "Jaime's got this wrapped up," he told his boss. "We can all go home. Jack – got your handcuffs?" He pointed at Ozwold. "Murder One for him."

"The so-called Dean, too," Jaime said softly, "once the paramedics finish with him. He's not dead; I just gave him about one percent of the pain and destruction he caused my family." She leaned into Steve with a sigh of exhaustion and relief. "Can we get outta here now?"

Steve's arms enveloped Jaime tenderly as he led her out of the office and the warehouse. "Wouldn't wanna get the lady angry."

- - - - - -

Because Steve and Oscar insisted, Jaime let Rudy check her over before Steve took her home. The last 24 hours had taken their toll, and she slept for 16 hours straight, while Steve dozed on her sofa, far more worried about Jaime than he was about getting a good night's sleep. Rudy had warned him that the emotional trauma she'd suffered had likely not hit her yet, and Steve wanted to be available to comfort her if she woke up feeling alone and afraid.

When he heard the first stirring sounds coming from the bedroom, Steve placed a roast beef sandwich, fruit salad, cold milk and hot coffee on a tray he'd found in the kitchen, along with a flower, and took it to Jaime. She had just thrown back the covers and was about to get up when she saw him and grinned happily.

"Oooh – breakfast in bed!"

"Actually, it's lunch," Steve told her, helping her get re-situated before placing the tray on her lap. "I made the sandwich, but it wasn't too complicated; should be edible."

Jaime reached out her arm and drew him in for a kiss. "It looks great – thank you. But what's the occasion?"

"Aside from wanting to throttle you for taking off on your own yesterday, I have never been prouder of you. Things could've so easily gone the other way. Ya done good, Sweetheart." Jaime beamed at him. "Oh," he told her, "Oscar called a little while ago. Branson and Ozwold both gave full confessions. They were pretty tight-lipped at first, until Oscar told them if they didn't start talking he'd bring you in to do the interrogating."

"That cracked 'em, huh?" she asked, taking a second bite of her sandwich.

"Like a couple of eggs. One more thing...Jack Hansen wants to meet with you in his office, whenever you're ready."

"Why?"

"He didn't say. Oscar didn't sound too worried about it, so I'm sure it isn't anything bad, but if you don't want to...I mean, he did blow you off when you asked him for a meeting -" Steve looked at her closely, but was unable to quite read her reaction. "Since I know you pretty well, I'm gonna take a stab and say you're going anyway, aren't you?"

"Soon as I finish eating."

"I'll come with you."

"Thanks, but I think I need to do this alone. Besides, I've got another place I need to go afterward. And lunch is really good, by the way; your skills are improving."

"Guess you're a good influence," Steve mused, smiling back at her.

- - - - - -