I am SO sorry for taking so long to get this chapter up. I feel like slapping my self upside the head. I had a huge amount of writer's block but now this chapter is finally finished I hope you like it. Thanks to Quest for proof reading this. A BIG thanks to you reviewers, I may not have gotten past writer's block without your encouragement.

"Emma's gone. She's been taken by the Strand…" Brennan said somberly.

Jesse sat there speechless in reaction to Brennan's words. While silence had overtaken both sides of the communiqué Adam walked in "Jesse what's going on?"

"Adam!" Brennan said in interruption to his question to Jesse. "The whole thing was a set-up to capture Emma."

Shalimar had just entered the lab and heard what Brennan said. "What the hell would that freak want with Emma?!?" Shalimar said joining into the conversation.

"That's what we need to find out," Adam said solemnly "Brennan, did you hear anything Ashlocke may have said that could clue us in?"

Brennan looked around frantically as he walked up to the Helix. "Adam I was barely conscious when she was taken, I could barely tell anyone was talking let alone comprehend what they were saying." Unexplained fear and anger seemed to rise within Jesse along with some resentment towards Brennan for letting them take her. He also partly resented himself for letting Emma go on the actual mission.

"Well let's go find her and bring her back," said a frustrated Jesse his voice beginning to rise.

"Look Jess we all want Emma back but we can't just rush in there. This guy is a complete lunatic and rushing in there would risk not only Emma's safety but all of ours." This sense of caution was a first for Shalimar, but that wasn't necessarily a good sign. It just meant she was so afraid of Gabriel's power that it scared her into submission.

Taking into account Shalimar's reaction to the situation Jesse relaxing a bit continued, "I just hope she's alright."

Shalimar's face relaxed a bit too "So do I… we all do, let's just hope we won't be too late."

~The Strand~

Emma moaned and slowly moved as she awoke from her unconsciousness. Opening her eyes she brought herself back to the reality of the situation. She was a captive of the Strand that was all she could remember at the time. Emma wondered whether Brennan had been captured as well, but she didn't have time to think about that. Realizing that she was without her comlink she was about to think up an escape plan when the sound of approaching footsteps rang in her ears.

"Well Emma it's good to see you conscious," Gabriel said dominantly, "but now its time for more important forces to go to work within the Strand."

A bit side tracked Emma snapped back to attention with the feelings she could sense in the room. "What is that supposed to mean?" She replied some how dreading the answer.

"You Emma are going to play a very important part in my plan." Gabriel continued. Right outside the room Sharon peered in through a crack in the doorway. For a normal human she would be to far away to pick up anything but because of her canine hearing ability she heard every breath. Her feral senses were telling her she would need to get this psionic out, and then maybe she could get Gabriel to come to his own senses.

"You know that sounds like loads of fun," Emma interrupted sarcastically, "but I think I'm just going to go now." Getting up to leave Emma started speed walking towards the door. Gabriel just smiled and with a wave of his wand he telekinetically dragged Emma back onto the chair she had been sitting in. Although this didn't surprise Emma she was left very disoriented. Gabriel walked up to her, hunching down he brought himself face to face with Emma, leaning with each hand on the chair's armrests.

"Now its time to do things my way…" Gabriel said and before Emma could even process what he said he placed his right hand on the back of her head holding her steady and the center of his pupils glowed a sickly green. Emma tried to look away but couldn't, and she began to intensely stare into his eyes. Then the same glow began in her eyes and she sat so still it was as if she were in a trance. "Well, now that's better." Gabriel went on saying but more smugly.

"Gabriel you can't do this." Sharon whispered harshly rushing onto the scene. "It just isn't right. Why don't you and I leave this place? I mean we could go far away, away from Mutant X and all our troubles." Sharon was not about to give up on the Gabriel that was the reason she joined the Strand.

"I am beginning to get tired of your incessant whining, and now it's time for you to see things as I see them." And with that Gabriel formed a sphere of light in front of his forehead (like Emma's) and before Sharon could run it hit her in the head causing her to spin on her heel and land on another chair in the room. Lifting her head she starred blankly at Gabriel but smiled.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked in voice that sounded more than willing.

"That's more like it. Now do what you do best," he said shooting her that smile of his.

Sharon stood up and almost effortlessly strolled over and placed her hand just above Emma's forehead. Then concentrating hard a silvery light was forced from her hand and into Emma's mind. Once it went into her she kind of jerked backwards a bit in her chair and her eyes flashed a few times. When this procedure was done Sharon backed up next to Gabriel as Emma stood up. Her hair dangled in her face, so she flung her head back to get it out of her face. Turning to Gabriel she had a smile on her face and a glow in her eyes.

~Sanctuary~

Getting up from the computer console Shalimar had just finished searching for possible Strand hideouts. "Shalimar! Any luck?" Adam said as she entered the lab.

"Nope, any possible leads were dead ends. I just hope Jesse and Brennan are having better luck than we are. We… will find her won't we Adam? Adam looked up at her from his work.

"Of course," he answered to the child like question "I just pray we get to her before he does." Shalimar's worried stare met with Adam's.

******************************

Meanwhile Brennan and Jesse were out looking for any sort of clues around the scene of the abduction. Here is where Jesse lets off some of his steam.

"How can you have let Ashlocke get away with this?" Jesse mumbled angrily under his breath. Brennan stopped in his tracks and turned his gaze on Jesse.

"Let Ashlocke?!? Look you can imagine whatever you want but whatever happened I didn't let anything happen. It was a set up, if we had known we obviously wouldn't have gone in there now would we? Now lets just focus on looking for clues on getting Emma back." Jesse glanced back at Brennan has he had continued forward. After thinking for a bit Jesse realized that it was foolish of him to blame Brennan for something completely out of his hands.

"Hey man I'm sorry, it's just that it's frustrating you know? First Shalimar now Emma, I mean at least Shal wasn't taken as well."

"Well enough of that, too bad neither of us is telempathic otherwise we'd probably find Emma in a heartbeat."

Time Lapse

Nighttime, Jesse and Brennan got in touch with Sanctuary. "Adam no luck, we haven't found any clues or trails and we've been up and down this city for hours." Reported Brennan.

"Alright Brennan, you two come back now and you can go out first thing tomorrow."

"We're on our way." Said Jesse finishing up the contact. The two men were about to enter into the Helix as Jesse deactivated the cloak when they heard someone holler from behind.

"JESSE, BRENNAN!!! Wait up you guys!" It was Emma, miraculously. Both of them whipped around as they welcomed their friend and teammate back.

"Oh my God, are you alright?" Jesse asked very concerned.

"Hey I'm fine, just a bit shaken." She answered breathlessly.

"So they didn't do anything to you?" Questioned Brennan.

"No, I escaped just in time."

"Well then lets get you back to Sanctuary. Adam and Shalimar will be relieved." Jesse told her. "I know I am," he thought to himself. The three of them boarded the Helix as Brennan took the controls. Jesse switched on the video cam. "Adam! We got Emma back."

"You did?" he said in a relaxing voice, "Good how is she?"

"I'm fine Adam, I escaped." Then on the cam Shalimar came on.

"It's good to see that you're okay, we were getting worried."

~Sanctuary~

As the Helix landed Adam and Shalimar came out to meet them. When Shalimar saw Emma she gave her a friendly hug.

"You sure you're alright?" Shalimar asked as she released from the hug.

"Come on people I'm more than fine," she said "really," as an answer to doubting faces.

"As long as you're sure," Brennan said with a mocking smile and voice.

"Hey!" Shalimar said, playfully hitting Brennan as payback for Emma. "You pick on someone your own size."

"I'm sure that'll be hard for you to find Brennan." Jesse said mocking him. As this went on Adam just checked Emma's forehead and pulse as they all walked into Sanctuary. Adam caught up but Emma still hung back a few feet and walked slower than the others.

"So, how was that?" Emma said mentally.

"Perfect." A separate thought, other than her own answered back. "They won't expect a single thing coming, and it's all thanks to you Emma."

"How much longer must I go on with this little charade? Pretending to be someone else." Emma asked this voice in her head.

"Don't worry not much longer. Otherwise all the fun would be taken out of the game. They can't expect anything, but we can't do it immediately either. For me to win we have to take them by total surprise and what's a better surprise other than betrayal."

"Well, you can count on me no matter what Gabriel."

"That was the answer I was hoping for."

TBC

Tell me whether you like it or not, but not only that. I'd like suggestions as to better the story. What do YOU think will happen next, I challenge you to find one thing you think is wrong with the story so far besides spelling and grammar errors. PLEASE REVIEW!!! I will really appreciate it. This time I will get the next chapter up sooner than 2 months.