As the four of them sat in the Helix Emma turned her head slightly to inform the guys of their plans, making an effort to speak towards Jesse and not Brennan.

"So when we get there Shal and I will take half the warehouses and you and Brennan will search the others."

"Wait a minute," Brennan said, quickly protesting the arrangement. "Why are we splitting up?"

"So we can cover more ground."

"Well, I'll go with Shalimar."

"This was Adam's suggestion, Brennan. Why don't you just go along with it?"

He sighed and quickly tired to hide his frustration.

"Adam, we're almost there," Emma informed as they saw the warehouses up ahead.

"Good," Adam's voice came through. "Be on the lookout and be careful. If you find anything that might connect to their other operations be sure to bring it back."

"Alright, Adam."

After searching the warehouses for an hour Brennan and Jesse hadn't turned up much. Brennan sighed loudly in annoyance and threw the broken pieces of wood back down as he stood up.

"It's not that bad, Brenn," Jesse called. "I don't think the few that got away are running business anymore."
"Nah, it's not that. I've just been kinda annoyed lately."

"Why what's up?

"It's Shalimar."

"Shalimar?" Jesse suddenly became very interested at the mention of the ferals name. "What about her?"

"Because I think she's ready for us to be together but one minute she's all over me and the next she wants me to leave." Brennan shook his head at the thoughts of the undecided feral. "Women."

Jesse grinned. "Ferals," he added.

Emma sighed and stood beside Shalimar in the middle of the abandoned warehouse.

"I think they've got some other connections still in town," she said. "They came back for their hidden goods so I'd say they're still working the market." She looked to Shalimar holding the large, white powdered bag.

"Well that market's about to crash," Shalimar said. "Adam," she called over her link.

"Yeah, Shalimar, how's the search going?"

"We found some interesting stuff. I think there's still a few creeps hanging around town that need cleaning up. Emma and I are gonna head over and see if the guys need a hand and then we'll head back there."

"Alright. Good work."

"Let's go," Shalimar said to Emma and began to walk through the warehouse. Emma followed the feral and tried to ignore what had been on her mind all day.

"Shal," she began softly.

"Yeah?" Shalimar turned to look at her friend as the two kept walking.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Emma offered an apology.

"It's ok, Emma."

Shalimar smiled to inform her friend there were no hard feelings.

"So I guess you decided to be with Brennan."

"Actually I haven't. I kinda just got caught up in the moment and I could sense something from him. Something weird. I don't know it didn't really sit well with me."

"So you're not sure if it's the right time to be with him right now?"

"I don't know. I'm too confused and I've had a lot of other things on my mind lately."

"Oh, well-"

Emma cut herself off as she suddenly felt Shalimar's hand on her chest, pushing back against her breasts preventing her from walking any further. The feral stooped short and Emma stood still in her place as well.

"What is it?" she asked the feral whose yellow eyes were already scanning the seemingly empty warehouse.

"Shh."

Shalimar looked around the warehouse as her keen feral senses forewarned her of nearby danger.

"Get ready," she warned.

Emma's body tensed up as she peered around the empty silence that surrounded them. She suddenly felt herself being pushed fiercely aside by Shalimar and she ducked behind a large pillar. She looked to see Shalimar's acrobatic body flipping out of the way of a large fireball which seemed to just narrowly miss her.

Shalimar landed on her feet and quickly began fighting the large man beside her. As she fought the man she dodged the fireballs the other man across the warehouse was throwing at her.

Emma watched for a moment from behind her pillar and decided she had to do something to help her friend. She rushed to her right and ducked behind another pillar closer to the fire thrower. She peeked her head around the corner and sent a psi blast knocking him off his feet. She rushed over to ensure he was going to stay down when she felt a blunt and painful blow to her back causing her to fall to the ground.

"Emma!" Shalimar gasped at the sight of her friend in trouble. She turned her attention back to fighting the two psionics who'd attacked her. She kicked each of them down and quickly turned and headed for Emma at the other end of the warehouse.

Emma grunted in pain and rolled herself over onto her back. As soon as she did so she felt the sharp pain of a boot kicking her in the ribs. She cried out and looked up to see a grinning dark haired man standing above her. She tried to recatch her breath she'd lost when the wind was knocked out of her. The man lifted his foot again and she could see he aimed to crush her neck. She quickly raised her hands and caught his foot an inch from her throat and fought to hold him back. She felt him getting closer and suddenly she watched as Shalimar leapt over her, tackled him to the ground. She sat above him repeatedly hitting him before wrapping her hands around his head and snapping his neck.

Shalimar stood up and turned her head around to see the two psionics heading straight for her and Emma. When they were close enough she ran up the wall in front of her and back flipped toward them, kicking them both across the face. As they lost their balance Shalimar pounced on the backs, forcing them down to the ground. She grabbed the back of their heads and slammed their faces into the cement. She quickly got up and rushed to Emma's side.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked, her voice full of concern. She extended her hand and gently helped the psionic stand up.

"I think I'll live but- ow!" Emma braced herself against the feral as pain washed over her wounded body.

"Easy. I got ya."

"I'm sorry I let my guard down like that."

"It's ok," Shalimar informed.

The two looked up to see Jesse and Brennan rushing into the warehouse.

"Shal, you alright?" Brennan called as he quickly rushed to her side. He noticed her shirt had been slightly burned on the side and her stomach now bore a few bruises and minor cuts as well. Neither he nor Jesse seemed to notice Emma leaning on Shalimar's shoulder and clearly hurt.

"What happened, Shal?" Brennan asked, gently touching her cut stomach with his fingertips.

"Psionics attacked us and it looks like they've got fire elementals working for them now." She gestured to the motionless men on the floor, most of whom were now dead. "Let's get that one into custody."

"You sure you're alright, Shal?" Jesse asked full of concern for his friend as well.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "Emma's the one I'm concerned about. Come on, let's get outta here."

Shalimar led the way back to the Helix helping a limping Emma along as well.

"You sure you don't need any help, Shal?" Brennan asked again as he closely followed her outside.

"Brennan, really I'm fine."

Emma couldn't help but feel ignored as Brennan and Jesse gushed all over Shalimar's well being and hadn't even asked her if she was ok. They'd hardly even looked at her since arriving. She couldn't help getting the readings from both of them informing her their only concern was for Shalimar. The more she felt of their emotions the worse it made her feel until she turned her attention to Shalimar and realized the feral cared for her deeply and was apparently the only one who did.