--------------- Chapter 8 ---------------------

"I thought Adam told us to check the doors." Emma complained as Brennan settled himself at a computer console.

"And that's what I'm going to do. A stage by stage work up of the doors. Any that are open will show up as green on this schematic..." Brennan trailed off as Emma walked away from him. "Emma?"

She stopped at the entrance to one of the main exits to the hall. "Wasn't this door shut earlier?" Brennan looked down at the console, noting with surprise that the door was indeed a system door.

"Hell. I'm going to give up. You should be running this show, Em." He joked. "Have you been able to connect with Shal?" He asked, seeing the worried look on her face in place of the satisfied smile he had expected.

"No. I haven't been able to find her since earlier. I'm so worried, Brennan. What if there are people out there and they have her..."

"Hey." He interrupted. "She's out there and she'll be fine." Moving over to the doorway, Brennan looked out. "This is definitely how she got out. There's a straight line right to the outside."

"Brennan... I..." Emma was interrupted by a feline screech. "Shalimar!" Emma called, running for the exit.

"Emma, NO!" Brennan called after her. He hesitated in the doorway for a moment. "Adam." He spoke into his comm. link. "Emma's gone after Shalimar. I'm going to follow her and try and keep her out of trouble." Before Adam could object he took off out of the door.

Rounding the corner Brennan came face to face with Emma, a strong hand clamped over her mouth and a gun to her temple, her eyes wide. A woman with long dark hair and feral eyes stood behind them. At his questioning glance the feral screeched, falling theatrically to the ground to pounce up again, laughing loudly. "Sucker." She mouthed.

"Now Sir." The voice came from behind him and he span to face the new aggressor. "I advise you don't make any moves to try and free your friend. Mr. Josh here," He gestured to the man with the gun on Emma. "Has quite the itchy gun finger." The man nodded, face deadpan. "And we wouldn't want this young lady to get hurt, would we?" He smiled insincerely. "Oh, and I wouldn't bother with any type of communication with the others inside. There's a low-level interference field covering this area, all communication devices are completely inactive. Follow me and we'll get you settled down shall we?"

"Yes!" Jesse shouted, jumping out of his chair. "Adam, I've got it. I'm in. I've started the clean up but once it's done we'll need a controlled reboot to have complete control of the system again."

"Is there much damage to the system?"

"None, it was all some kind of mask to make us think the system was down while they controlled it externally. It has to be a telecyber to do something that complex."

"I agree. Will the clean-up run its self?"

"Yes, but it'll take at least another ten minutes."

"Are Brennan and Emma's comm. links offline?"

"Um... no, they're showing on the tracer. But the communication's down, just like with Shalimar's."

"There must be something outside keeping us from talking to them."

"Do you want me to check?"

"No, say in here. When the system's back online we can use the security systems to find out what's going on up there."

Emma ducked quickly as a psionic blast ricocheted of the bars and back over her head. Sighing she sat down beside Brennan who was busy cursing loudly at anyone who was listening. He'd spent the last couple of minutes trying to use his powers to break out of the shielded cage they were locked in, but all he'd managed to generate were a couple of measly sparks which had died in his hands. Outside military guards laughed at their efforts. They had been strangely unaffected by the projections of fear and pain that she'd thrown at them, but one had almost been convinced to open the cage door to his mother before he'd been called back by his friends. She wondered absently whether it was the cage or the interference field that was affecting Brennan's powers. The man that had caught them had only said that it would stop any psionic attacks that she threw at it, he'd said nothing about electrical powers. It seemed strange to her that though he didn't appear to know who they were, he knew exactly what they were.

"Don't worry, Em. Shal's out there somewhere and Adam and Jesse are still safe in Sanctuary." Brennan reassured her. "They'll have us out in no time."

"What if Shalimar's in a cage like this somewhere, Brennan? It'll kill her. She won't survive being this trapped, not like she is at the moment."

"She's free Emma. You have to believe that. You can't give up on her that easily."

Rogers looked up, pulling back into himself from his most recent psionic search. There was only one red dot down below him now, the fifth person still strangely elusive. Perhaps their data had been incorrect, or maybe the fifth was away. Whatever the case, it was time to move in. His men were getting bored and he needed all of the targets in one place before those who were still absent had time to put into action a counter-attack. Standing up he rejoined the troops, calling their attention.

"We're going in. From what I can see there is only one inside, though there is a fifth missing. I want the mobile troops with me, the guards stay put and be prepared. Watch out for movement from over there," He gestured to the forest, "As well, understood? I don't want the feral escaping us a second time."

Jesse jumped up as soldiers poured into Sanctuary through the open door. Warning Adam on his comm. link what was going on, Jesse grabbed hold of a gun that Adam had set up for him in preparation for this eventuality and stood up to face the incoming army. He solidified as three tranquilliser darts from enemy guns came hurtling towards him. Dropping his shield long enough to dive behind a desk he called Adam again.

"Adam, there's too many of them. I'm not going to get enough time to get them all."

"Just hold them off for as long as you can, Jesse. I'm nearly done here." Nodding Jesse turned so that he could shoot around the desk he was using as a shield. Taking down three men with the gun Jesse moved a moment too late as one of their darts hit him and he faded into unconsciousness.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!! Chapter Nine up some time this millennia.