Chapter One

Rudy rushed to Oscar's side, knelt down and placed two fingers on his neck. "Call an ambulance!" he yelled. "And clear the room – I want everybody out!" The doctor looked toward Steve, who was trying to shield Jaime from the horrific sight. "You two, stay here, please. Watch the doors." He leaned in closer to his fallen friend. "Are you alright?" Rudy whispered.

Jaime's head turned quickly toward them – what an asinine question! - but she had to look away and was grateful for the distraction involved in keeping everyone out. To her surprise....Oscar answered.

Very softly, to be heard by no one except Rudy (and Jaime's ear, of course), he spoke without moving a muscle or even opening his eyes. "Some bruised ribs....but I'm okay."

Jaime whirled around. "What the hell -?" A sharp, warning glance from Rudy froze her in her tracks. Truly frightened now, she moved to Steve's side.

He frowned at her outburst...and her sudden silence. "Sweetheart, what is it?"

"Something is really wrong here," she told him quietly.

Steve drew her into his arms and held her tightly. To himself, he thought that Jaime must be in shock or half out of her mind with fear. Of course something was wrong – Oscar had been shot! He was dying right before their eyes! Before he could find the words that might give her false comfort, three medics burst through the door with a gurney. Oscar was quickly lifted onto its surface and as the medics carried him out with Rudy right behind them, the doctor turned to Steve and Jaime.

"I'll need you two to come along – for security." His extra glance to Jaime told her to keep quiet about what she'd heard...for now.

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Once the ambulance had pulled away from the curb with its siren screaming, Oscar sat up and winced in pain as he began to slowly peel off the layers: tie, jacket, cummerbund, shirt....and bullet-proof vest.

"It was....a set-up?" Steve concluded.

"Right down to the fake blood packs," Oscar confirmed.

"Let's have a look at those ribs," Rudy told him, pressing as carefully as possible on Oscar's heavily-bruised chest and abdomen. Oscar grimaced sharply and pulled away. "I think they're more than bruised, my friend," Rudy told him.

Steve was nearly struck dumb. Jaime (who'd had a little longer to digest it) was done being quiet. "Why?" she demanded. "Why would you do this? And at Russ and Peggy's wedding!"

"The wedding was over," Rudy said patiently, trying to placate her even though, in Jaime's current state of agitated anger, that would be next to impossible. "Russ and Callahan are happily on their way to their honeymoon."

"And there's fake blood all over the reception hall floor!" Jaime snapped. "Do you know how scared I was? How absolutely terrified everyone was?"

"It wasn't a picnic for me, either, Babe," Oscar told her. "Believe me, if there'd been any other way -"

"And where was the Secret Service?" she continued, her fury only growing. "They should've been all over this – and they....disappeared!"

"Exactly as they were supposed to," Rudy added.

"Sweetheart, if you calm down and let them talk, I'm sure they'll explain it to us," Steve said gently.

The ambulance slowed as it reached the Emergency Room entrance. "We're going to need your help," Rudy told Jaime and Steve. "Give us a few more minutes, and I promise we'll answer all of your questions."

When the ambulance stopped, Oscar crawled painfully into the seat next to the driver. One of the medics (who had donned Oscar's tuxedo jacket) climbed onto the gurney and the blanket was pulled over his head. He let one tuxedo-clad arm hang down into view. The other two medics opened the rear doors and wheeled him into the hospital as the ambulance pulled away, this time at a normal speed and without its sirens.

Rudy set up the pull-out gurney and fluffed the pillow. "Up you go," he said to Oscar, helping his friend to lie down.

"Alright," Jaime began, trembling with fear, anxiety – and anger. "Where are we going....and what is going on?"

"Are you faking your death?" Steve wondered.

"Not exactly," Rudy explained. "There will be a total news blackout on this – aside from the fact that Oscar was shot, no one will know any further details. If they believe he's died though, well...so much the better."

"They...who?" Jaime asked.

"We don't know. There was supposed to be a real attempt to assassinate Oscar tonight at the reception. We precluded it with an attempt of our own, to hopefully throw the killers off track – and bring them to the surface where they can be apprehended. That's where the two of you come in."

Steve nodded. "Just tell us what you need us to do."

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