Chapter One
Steve usually woke at around 7:30, but without the scent of fresh-brewed coffee to rouse him he slept soundly until almost quarter to nine. There were no happy noises coming from the children's playroom, no aromas of breakfast waiting in the kitchen...and no note to explain the absence. Steve was instantly alarmed; where was his family?
If Jaime had taken the kids to the store or the park, she'd have left a note - and a pot of coffee. If Oscar had called for her, she'd have gotten Steve out of bed and left Adam and Jenna with him. Then he saw the van on Jenna's pillow, with Jaime's carefully chosen contents inside. He almost passed it by, but the Hamburglar doll poking strangely out of the top caught his eye. Wedged in beside the Hamburglar were Jenna's Mama, Baby and Little Girl dolls. Steve knew his wife well, and to him the odd assortment made immediate, awful sense.
Mama...little girl...baby...burglar. Jaime and the kids were in trouble!
- - -
The van slowed to a stop as it reached its destination. Jenna sat very close to her mother's side and Adam was asleep, cradled in Jaime's arms. She'd fed him a bottle during the ride and Jenna had nibbled on a banana. She had accurately sensed Jaime's discomfort but Jaime flashed what she hoped was a reassuring smile and tried to keep the little girl occupied with a picture book to calm her and allay her fears. Jaime had been relieved that the children had been allowed to sit with her, but she was keenly aware that both the driver and the man who'd entered the house were extremely well-armed. She had not been bound or restrained; the implicit threat to her babies ensured that she didn't need to be.
Their abductor got out and opened the back door of the van. "Let's go," he ordered sharply, his hand gripping the gun in his pocket. Jaime angled the baby away from him and wrapped a protective arm around Jenna's shoulders as they stepped out onto the gravel driveway and were led into the house.
The bedroom that they were locked into had obviously been prepared in advance for its new occupants. A bed for Jaime, a crib and a youth bed lined one wall and a pile of children's books and toys sat between a rocking chair and a loveseat against the opposite wall. The small adjoining bathroom was stocked with a large supply of diapers; chillingly, they were exactly Adam's size.
Jaime shivered. How long were they going to be held...and why?
- - -
"Are you sure they aren't just running errands, Pal?" Oscar suggested to his stricken friend. He could feel Steve's distress, even through the phone line, and tried to project a sense of calm in return.
"Oscar...!"
"I'll be out there tonight, but in the meantime I'll send Russ over...and I'll call Jack Hansen."
Hearing that, Steve groaned inwardly, but he knew that ultimately this was a case for the NSB.
- - -
About an hour after sandwiches for Jaime and Jenna and a bottle for Adam were delivered to the locked bedroom, the abductor and a sidekick returned. "Mrs. Austin, you'll be coming with me," the gunman announced. "Your children will be looked after."
"No," Jaime said flatly. "I'm not leaving them here."
"You have two choices: come with me now - on your own - or we will take you by whatever means are necessary, in full view of your children."
"I'll be back in a little while," Jaime said in a calm, even voice, kissing her daughter's cheek.
"Don't try anything," the gunman warned as he led Jaime down the hall, "or you won't like what happens." They entered the kitchen and he opened a door leading to the basement steps. "Down there." He nodded toward a curtainless concrete shower with a chair placed inside. "Sit down - and don't move."
"You hurt my children," Jaime said very quietly, "and I will kill you with my bare hands."
"We have no intention of harming them - unless you make us. Now sit down."
Jaime followed his orders with glaring eyes. "What do you want?" she demanded.
"You'll find out soon; I'm merely the facillitator. My boss is fairly reasonable - as long as he gets his way - so watch your mouth, do what you're told and -"
"I'll take it from here," an unseen male voice insisted. Without another word, the gunman was gone.
It seemed that Jaime was alone. After about 10 minutes of silence, she stood up and peered around the concrete wall of the shower.
"Sit down!" the invisible enemy commanded. As she turned to comply, Jaime noticed the speaker on the wall...and a small camera. Once she was back in the chair, before she could even hear it coming, a skin-stinging blast of icy water hammered down on her, stealing her breath. It lasted less than 30 seconds but it left Jaime soaking wet, disoriented and shivering.
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