Chapter 14

''After hearing what Steve and Jaime - especially Jaime - went through, what they did to me seems almost trivial,'' Russ told the OSI psychiatrist.

''Brutal beatings are hardly trivial,'' Doctor Conrad pointed out. ''The threat of terror can be equally as effective as any act; often more so.''

''I know. But they believed that I was only a driver - so they didn't really bother with me so much.''

''Still, make sure that you aren't trivializing what they did do.''

''I'm not,'' Russ explained. ''But in this line of work, we know the possibility exists; we train for it.'' As much as he'd hated Resistance Training when he'd gone through it (in his early days as an operative, before his promotion), he had to admit how helpful it had been. He'd gone to 'another place' in his mind while they were hurting him...and it had worked. Russ had successfully compartmentalized the beatings, put them away to be dealt with at a later time and place.

''Just know that I'm here for you - for all of you - and if you should need me, I'm just a phone call away.''

''To be honest,'' Steve admitted, ''what's haunting me the most is the fact that...I screwed up. And because of that, Jaime's nightmare isn't over.''

''It was a nightmare for all of you,'' Conrad said quietly. ''The important thing now is to let yourself heal. Allow yourself time to process everything that happened and -''

''But there isn't time! They're still out there! And we're their targets - both of us now, because they saw me use my bionics too. I mean, I can fight them off if I have to, but Jaime...I just don't know. When she finds out what happened, that some of them got away...I don't know how to even begin to tell her...''

''How about letting me help you with that?'' Conrad suggested.

''Jaime, this is Doctor Mark Conrad,'' Steve began (with more confidence than he actually felt). ''He's on staff with OSI and he's here to help us deal with everything that happened in that attic.''

''So you're a shrink,'' Jaime deduced.

Conrad smiled warmly as he approached the bed. ''I prefer 'psychiatrist' - or even 'doctor' - but yes, I'm a shrink.''

''So they think I'm crazy now?''

''Of course not, Sweetheart,'' Steve soothed. ''But they need to be sure we're processing this in...in a healthy way.''

''And what happened to you could make anyone feel a little crazy,'' Conrad added. ''How are you feeling - physically?''

''Aside from one heck of a headache, better.'' It had been just over two days now since she'd been allowed to wake up, and while her strength was still very slowly returning, Jaime's condition had stabilized enough that the repairs to her leg had been completed that morning...and she was already pestering her doctors to let her get up. ''Michael says my balance might be 'off' for awhile, 'cause my brain was 'insulted' - that's how he put it - twice in a month. I'm just glad I'm still here...and in one piece...mostly, anyhow.''

''Any nightmares?'' Conrad probed.

''Some,'' she admitted.

''That's normal. They should fade with time; I can certainly help you in that regard.''

''At least they're locked away now; that's a really good thing,'' Jaime concluded.

''Sweetheart,'' Steve said gently, taking her hand, ''there's something we need to talk about...''

''Uh-oh...not sure I like the sound of that...''

''There was a problem,'' Steve explained. ''Two of them are in custody; probably still being interrogated as we speak. But the other three...they got away.''

''No...''

''I'm sorry; I wish we'd been able to bring you better news,'' the doctor added.

''What about the one...the one with...the drill?''

''He's still out there,'' Steve said reluctantly. ''But Oscar and Jack Hansen have their combined manpower on this. They'll find him.''

''You don't know that...'' Jaime's eyes filled with tears. She could still vividly feel that drill whirring away with horrific promise, so very close to her face.

''And they've got this place literally crawling with Security,'' Steve assured her.

''I - I don't wanna talk anymore...right now...please...'' As if to emphasize this, Jaime turned her face to the wall and closed her eyes.

Mark Conrad headed down to his temporary office. He wouldn't be leaving the hospital just yet. He suspected that Jaime would be needing him desperately...just as soon as she fell asleep.

The drill could not have been any closer. Jaime could feel its vibrations as well as sense it (and hear it). The fact that she couldn't see it made it that much more terrifying. His awful laughter penetrated every corner of her mind and the implied threat shook her to her very soul. She was helpless...and she knew it. He knew it too; it was by his design and he took great satisfaction from watching her tremble. As he moved the terrible instrument to her leg and it began to bore into her, Jaime knew with absolute certainty that she was about to die...