Chapter 17

Russ approached Jaime's cubicle rapidly and once in the doorway, he drew his weapon. The Security man dove for him just before he fired, knocking him to the ground as the gun went off. The bullet missed its mark and broke through the cubicle glass in a spiderweb pattern and Russ fired again as he hit the floor. The second bullet hit the glass below the first...and shattered it. The guard proved his worth by hitting the alarm button on his radio as he pinned Russ to the ground and disarmed him.

Alerted by the gunshots, Steve and Mark both ran down the hall even before the alarm went off. The guard from Becca's cubicle had already jumped in to help and Steve knocked him aside and then there was only one guard between him...and punching Jaime's would-be killer in the face. Mark caught his arm after the first blow as Oscar reached them and the hallway quickly flooded with guards and penguin-suits.

Steve was the first to look to Jaime while everyone's attention was still focused on Russ. Either the shots or the surrounding ruckus had pulled her from the deepest sleep - and she was moaning softly, her initial flailing having caused severe pain. Steve rushed to her side. ''Page Corinth!'' he called into the hallway. ''Sweetheart,'' he soothed in a soft, quiet voice, ''you're safe. Everything's gonna be okay. It's over now...and you're safe.''

''I heard...shots...'' Jaime sobbed.

Steve tenderly brushed the tears from her face and caressed her cheek. ''Yes, you did,'' he told her. ''But it's taken care of. You're safe.''

''What's...happening?'' she asked. Jaime heard the commotion (and the glass breaking) but turning her head was proving too painful. Instead, she stared straight up at Steve and waited for his answer.

''We aren't sure,'' Steve answered honestly. ''But -''

''Shots...'' she repeated in a groggy voice (still under the effects of the sedative). ''There were...shots...and I heard...Russ.'' Before Steve could figure out what to tell her, Jaime had drifted back to sleep.

Corinth arrived quickly and checked the monitor read-out. ''Her vitals were all over the place again a few minutes ago,'' he announced, ''but she's stable now. May as well let her sleep.''

Down at the nurses' station, Michael was viewing the same results on the remote monitor. The first regeneration surgery was scheduled in a day a half, moved up a day at Oscar's insistence to the earliest time Michael had felt was still safe...but if her vital signs continued to show these erratic episodes, it would have to be postponed. He wasn't about to risk his patient's life and well-being for the sake of a statement or testimony that would still not be a sure thing in any case.

Michael wasn't sure how the nearly unbearable headaches might affect him in the OR. He hadn't gotten to talk to Mark before the shots went off...but maybe even Oscar would believe him now...

Russ was immediately thrown into a car and driven back to The Hole, this time in full shackles. He struggled furiously against the bonds while still being transported but by the time they reached the NSB-HQ he had grown silent, his eyes frightened and confused.

Hansen reached the tiny cell before Oscar did. ''I'd ask you why,'' he stormed, ''but there's no explanation that would be good enough to justify this! No excuse for what you've done.'' Russ merely stared at him silently, too frightened at first to even speak. ''Nothing to say?'' Hansen fumed. ''Not even a lame platitude?''

''What happened?'' Russ whispered. ''My hands...''

''The cuffs hurt?'' Hansen snarled at him. ''Good!''

''Please...what happened?''

The cell door opened to allow Oscar inside. He and Jack would 'double-team' his former right-hand man. ''I trusted you,'' Oscar said with quiet, white-hot anger. ''Jaime trusted you.''

Russ was glad to see him, in spite of the circumstances. Maybe his boss could help clear things up. ''Oscar, I didn't shoot Jaime,'' he said, almost inaudibly. ''I was home...in bed.''

''How can you even say that, when we just caught you red-handed, trying to shoot her again?''

''I don't...I didn't...I've been here!''

''We're not stupid!'' Hansen scoffed. ''If you're going to make an excuse, at least think of a good one!''

Oscar looked closer. Russ' eyes weren't the same eyes he'd seen when his right-hand man had been pinned to the floor outside Jaime's cubicle. Had Michael been telling the truth? Was it even possible? Mind control...?

''There's something wrong,'' Michael began, when he'd found Corinth and pulled him into his office. He described the headaches to him as being like an ice pick straight through the skull - with the burning rage that accompanied them. The other neuro listened to him carefully then arranged for an immediate brain scan. The results were normal; no implanted chips or alterations. What Michael had told him - about mind control - was beginning to have the ring of truth...

Anja paced impatiently, waiting for word from her contact that the Austin woman was finally dead...but it never came. She was still undeterred, as she still had her ace-in-the-hole, activated and hopefully ready to carry out her plan. It was just a matter of time - and the results would be well worth the wait...