AN: Some a/a coming soon, I promise.

--------------- Chapter 9 ---------------------

Brennan and Emma looked up as there was a cheer from the guards that had been left watching them. Unable to see what was going on from where they were they had to wait to see what was happening. The taller of the two of them, Brennan saw Adam and Jesse dragged around the corner first, but it wasn't long before all four of them were in the cage together. Jesse looked up groggily as the sedatives wore off.

"Adam?" He asked.

"Yes, Jesse. It worked." Adam replied to his unasked question.

"What worked?" Brennan demanded. "As far as I can see we're screwed. You were supposed to come and rescue us! Now we're all trapped in here together."

"The mighty Brennan Mulwray needed rescuing?" Jesse asked in mock-horror, sitting up with Emma's help.

"Jesse, this isn't funny." Emma interrupted. "What do we do now?"

"First, Emma," Adam spoke. "I want you to try and connect with Shalimar. We're going to need her ready if this plan is going to work."

"I'll try." Emma nodded. She took a seat in the corner of the cage, closing her eyes as if she would fall asleep. Holding a picture of Shalimar in her mind she reached out to her as she had done so many times before. 'Shalimar', she called 'I'm looking for you.'

She was running, running, running had to hide...

Flames licking at her heels, she could feel the heat burning

She was on fire, why else would she be so hot?

they had her, she could feel their hands

tightening around her chest, her heart, restricting...

there was fire, she couldn't escape

fire, can't escape...

Emma opened her eyes, breathless, flames leaving an afterimage on her retina. Slowly she became aware, through the white noise buzzing in her ears, of Brennan knelt at her side calling her name.

"Shalimar." She cried, shooting upright.

"Where is she Emma, Are you OK?" Brennan asked, steadying her. She nodded automatically, the gesture changing to shaking her head as she processed what she'd seen.

"No, no, no... There are fire elementals after Shalimar." She managed eventually. "She's so... she's terrified. It's killing her Brennan." She couldn't help the tears that escaped her as she tried to recollect herself.

Brennan turned to Adam. "She's not going to be able to help us, Adam."

"OK, well, Jesse you have five minutes and then we head to plan B."

"What's plan B?" Brennan asked. "Are you going to let us in on this or what?"

"Brennan, calm down and listen and I'll explain. We got the external cameras up a couple of minutes before they invaded Sanctuary. I saw the cage and recognised it immediately - I assume your powers are being suppressed?" At Brennan's nod he continued. "I saw the prototype when it was first put into production. There was some serious problems back then but I have no doubt it has been improved since. I've programmed the helix to do a fly-by and let off an electromagnetic pulse. It might knock you out for a little while, Brennan, but it was the best I could come up with at such short notice. It'll give Jesse time to phase us all out of here and we can use Sanctuary's systems to contain these people. There are more of them than I expected, but I think we can still carry it out." Checking his watch he nodded to Jesse. "Time's up." Grinning, Jesse turned and punching Brennan in the stomach, hard.

"I'm really sorry for this." He said quietly as Brennan keeled over. "But it's all we could come up with." Louder he shouted. "This is all your fault!" Within seconds the attention of all of the guards and many of the other soldiers was on the pair battling it out in the corner of the cage. No one noticed the small craft as it edged its was over the corner of the cliff. Emma was trying to keep her attention on the men, not wanting to reveal the helix's position, when a tap on the shoulder caused her to turn.

The feral, the one who had called out pretending to be Shalimar, was stood behind her. She looked nervous, as if she expected to be caught at any minute. "Your friend's plan won't work." Emma frowned, if the feral had heard their plan how many others had too?

"Why not?"

"The cage isn't suppressing your friend's abilities. Only yours. Rogers has the power to suppress them, but he can't affect psionics because he is one. That's why he's using the cage. All the blast will do is knock out your friend, you won't be able to escape unless you stop Rogers."

"Is Rogers the man leading you?" A brief nod was her confirmation. "Why are you telling me this?" She asked, curious.

"You belong to her - the one in the forest. I can tell. Rogers doesn't know what that means to our kind. If she knows he's threatening you... I don't want to be in the way when she comes back."

"But there are fire elementals in the forest."

"You think that's going to stop her?" The feral's eyebrow rose before she started at something Emma couldn't see and ran from the cage. Before Emma had time to think about what she had said an explosion and fizz of sparks from the console next to her, and then a larger spark from Brennan, pulled her attention back to her friends. Blue bolts still marked lines across Brennan's chest, shorting out as they reached the ground beside him as she watched. Adam pulled Jesse back as he went to check on him.

"Wait." He warned. When he was sure Brennan had finished discharging he released Jesse who quickly checked his pulse and breathing. Satisfied he smiled up at Adam.

"He's OK, just out of it for now." Diving for the wall of the cage, Jesse grabbed hold of one of the bars, breathing out heavily to phase a hole for the others to walk through as the guards checked on their damaged equipment. He kept breathing out, confused as to why the bar wasn't being affected. Gulping back a breath, he shook his head at Adam. "It didn't work, I can't do it."

"It's not the cage." Emma told them, quickly relaying all that the feral had told her. "I know what to do. I just need Rogers nearby." Jesse looked out of the cage trying to spot the elusive leader.

"I see him." He called eventually. "He's just over there." Forming a psionic blast, Emma moved to where Jesse had been.

"Duck." She warned. "Just in case." And carefully targeting the khaki clad man she let off the blast. She let out a sigh of relief as the energy ball passed through the cage's field and watched it hit its target... only to diffuse on contact, spreading out from him in tiny glowing blue streamers. He was beside the cage in seconds.

"You plane has been shot down. It was a clever trick, but a little too rough for me. And you..." He turned to Emma, his voice lowering to a growl. "I may not be able to suppress your gifts like I can your friends, but your measly talents can't harm me." Addressing all of them again he said. "Now lets see if we can't get that pussy-cat out of the forest shall we, and we'll have a nice little reunion. I'm bored of playing games."