Chapter Fourteen

"I know who you are," Barney said with his teeth clenched as tightly as his fists. "My old friend Gregory filled me in after our little run-in on the stairs." Jaime simply stared mutely at him. "You're Austin's wife," he said, practically spitting with fury and hatred. "And that makes you very, very valuable to me. You see, you're my ticket out of here. Of course, you are bionic, which just makes everything so much more interesting – don't you think?"

"Why are you doing this?" Jaime asked in a weak voice.

"Ah – so she does speak!"

"What can you gain now?" Jaime persisted. "You killed your partner – the one who was probably paying you – so -"

"Shut UP!" Hiller thundered, slapping her again. He began to pace in front of the chair. "So you know about that, do you? Well, Gregory may have thought he was in control, but I was the one pulling the strings all along! That's right – ME. Sure, he stood to gain from it, too – if I let him live. But that was never part of the plan."

"What was the plan?" Jaime asked, trying to keep him talking, hoping it would buy her some time to recover – and keep him from whatever he intended to do next.

"Simple, little lady – revenge. Your precious husband and his OSI buddies destroyed my life. Did you know that? My wife left me, just took our son and left...said I was too angry and bitter. Well, guess what? I AM angry. I'm damn angry!" Barney upended a table that barely missed Jaime as it rolled over, breaking into pieces. As Hiller paced across the cabin floor, his back temporarily to her, Jaime picked up one of the larger pieces...but she wasn't fast enough. Hiller whirled around and ripped it from her hand.

"Real stupid move. You're lucky I don't use this to smash your pretty little head in!" He threw the chunk of wood furiously across the room and Jaime heard it splinter as it hit the wall behind her. Barney moved in close, staring directly into her eyes. "Where are they hiding Goldman?" he asked in a menacing near-whisper. "Because you and I both know he isn't dead." He straightened up and began to pace again. "That's how you want it played, huh? Not going to tell me....willingly? 'Cause I could make things very unpleasant for you...."

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Steve was doing some major floor-pacing himself. They had absolutely no leads; it was as if Barney Hiller had disappeared into thin air, taking Jaime with him. Rudy had arranged for Lynda to bring Rose back to the hospital, where she could be kept under the watchful eyes of security along with her sister. All they could do now was wait for word from any one of a fleet of officers and agents who were scouring what seemed like the entire planet for even the smallest clue. Steve had never felt so helpless.

No one in the room had spoken for nearly an hour when suddenly the phone rang. Steve kept his voice calm and steady, even while his heart was threatening to pound right through the floor. "This is Colonel Austin."

"I would think you'd want your friends to call you Steve," the voice on the other end said smoothly.

"Barney?" Steve replied, mostly to alert the others in the room. Hansen immediately sprang into action, manning the tracer.

"So you do still remember me. That's very good, because I believe you've lost something very valuable today – something you'd probably like to see returned in one pretty little piece."

"Barney, I swear....if you hurt her -" Steve caught himself and took a deep breath.

"Best learn to control that temper, Steve. Or I may not be able to control mine...and who knows what might happen then...?"

"What do you want, Barney?"

"That's better. Get a pencil, Steve, because I have a list. You're going to do every little thing on it, too, or your wife will pay the consequences."

"Let me talk to her first," Steve demanded.

"Forget it. I'm calling the shots now."

"How do I know you haven't already...killed her?" Steve asked, nearly choking on the words. "Put her on the phone and then we'll talk demands."

"Fine," Hiller snapped. Steve heard the next words from a distance, as though Barney was holding out the receiver. "Tell your husband he'd better listen, little lady – or you'll never see him again."

Steve held his breath...but Jaime never came on the line. He heard Hiller cursing, then the sound of a slap – then Barney was back. "She can't come to the phone right now," he said in a mocking, sing-song voice. "Get a private plane ready to leave Andrews in one hour. No police, no Intelligence officers. Anyone tries to intercept me....and your wife dies. I'll call back in a little while with the rest of my demands."

Abruptly, the line went dead. Steve looked to Hansen, who shook his head. "Wasn't long enough. He knows what he's doing."

Steve sank into Oscar's chair with his head in his hands. "We'd better get a plane...."

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