Summary: Set during "And Jesus Bought a Casserole". Zack enlists Jondy's help to rescue Max. Unexpectedly Jondy brings some wild friends along and their past catches up with them at a very bad time.

Just want to thank my reviewers, your comments are always appreciated. I'm sorry it's been so long since I last updated but real life got in the way. Hope to do better!

Friends and Family

Chapter 5 – Picking up the Pieces

Brin had chosen her target carefully. Her orders were to capture any transgenics, not kill them; but civilians were expendable. She had chosen the woman because she was clearly the better fighter, faster and more ruthless than the two men. And now Brin had a clear shot. She calmly pointed the gun at Fay's heart and squeezed the trigger.

Jondy had just put another soldier down and had spun round to help Zack. In an instant she had taken in the scene before her. Radar was struggling wildly with a soldier, but he had seen the gun come up and he swiftly swung the pair of them in front of Fay just as the gun went off. Jondy was a split-second too late to stop the shot, but she caught Brin unaware and viciously punched her either side of the head. Brin collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Fay turned when she heard the gun fire and her eyes widened as she saw the blood splattered across the floor. Radar was bent over in agony, softly swearing under his breath, his hands bloody where they clutched at his side. Just in front of him in a pool of blood lay the body of the soldier. The bullet had passed straight through him and then hit Radar, just below his ribs.

An eerie silence settled over the warehouse as Max knocked the last of the soldiers unconscious. She saw Syl rush over to Zack who was still sprawled across the floor, his face a mask of blood. Max felt her heartbeat quicken as she ran to help. Meanwhile, Jondy went and knelt down by Radar's side. Fay was already there trying to pull his shirt above the wound, but Radar wasn't exactly helping. He was still swearing through gritted teeth and clasping his side with both hands. Jondy simply swatted his hands away and took a brief look. There was too much blood around the wound to see clearly so she gently ran her fingers across it. Radar looked like he was about to pass out.

"Flesh wound, you'll be fine," she looked over her shoulder. "Krit, can you give him a hand? Fay and Sam, collect up all the weapons," she ordered. Then she quickly began to move around the room, which was littered with bodies. Most of the soldiers were just unconscious, but she wanted to be sure that none of them could pose a threat. Krit came over, knelt beside Radar, and took a quick look at the wound.

"Hurts like hell, doesn't it?" he grinned down at Radar as he gestured toward his own wound. His shirt sleeve was drenched in blood. "Mm, we need bandages," he looked thoughtfully down at Radar. "Let's get you out of this jacket."

Gently he helped Radar ease his arms out of his leather jacket and slid it off. "There you go. That wasn't so bad, was it," he said conversationally. "Nice shirt, must have cost a few bucks?"

Radar, although still hurting badly, was starting to calm down, but before he could tell Krit that, yes, the shirt had cost a small fortune, suddenly found himself with a bare arm. Krit in one smooth motion had casually ripped the left sleeve clean off. Casually he folded it and pressed it hard against Radar's side. Radar hissed and grimaced in pain, "I did my best work in that shirt," he gritted out. Krit looked down on him sympathetically then took Radar's left hand and pulled it across his body to place it over the makeshift bandage.

"Right, you need to keep the pressure on that to stop the bleeding, ok?" Don't worry, it probably needs a few stitches, but you'll live.

"What about you," asked Radar, indicating Krit's bloody arm.

"Thanks, that's good of you," said Krit gratefully as he swiftly raised Radar's right arm and removed the other sleeve.

"Don't mention it," murmured Radar as Krit hurriedly tied it tight round his arm and then went to join the others.

Logan emerged from behind the hummer and hurried over to help collect up the scattered weapons. He glanced over to where Max and Syl were helping a shaky Zack to his feet and was about to help Radar up, when he sensed a sudden stillness amongst the five transgenics. Simultaneously, they had all straightened and turned their heads towards the smashed doorway. It could only mean one thing. Back-up was on its way.

Jondy made straight for the nearest hummer, the one that Max had driven in. She threw open the rear door, ready for people to climb in, then froze when she saw a bound figure lying on the floor. She recognised him instantly and felt the hatred stirring within her. It was Lydecker.

Suddenly Max was by her side and laid a comforting hand on Jondy's shoulder.

"I'll explain later," Max insisted and Jondy knew that if she wanted everybody out alive she had to think calmly. She let the hate go and grabbed Radar's jacket from the floor. She threw Radar's keys to Max.

"Take Radar's bike and go as fast as you can, it's got plenty of gas. We'll call you as soon as we've taken care of things." Max was gone almost before Jondy had finished speaking. "Logan, get Zack, Krit and Radar out of here. Syl, you go with them. Call us when you're safe. Fay and Sam, we're going to be the welcoming committee. Get the bikes out of sight. Come on everybody, move!" She could hear Radar's bike roaring away and knew Max would be safe.

Jondy helped Logan and Syl get Radar and Zack into the back of the hummer and Krit sat between them. Then Syl jumped in the passenger seat as Logan started the engine. He quickly reversed out between the other parked hummers and sped away.

Jondy ran out and joined Sam and Fay, who had been hastily hiding the assorted weapons and their motorbikes. The whole thing had only taken a couple of minutes, but now the sound of more hummers was too close for comfort.

"We need to hide, fast." Sam looked around as he spoke and then shouted to the others, "follow me," as he ran towards a small hut which had once served as a guard station, before the Pulse. They all squeezed in just seconds before the first hummer sped into sight.

"That was my nose," Sam hissed as Jondy accidentally kneed it trying to get into a better position. The three of them were crouched down underneath the low window. Jondy had a good view through a small hole in one of the wooden panels.

"We've got three hummers and a van with animal control written on it," she reported. "I'll bet any money that's the one that's tracking Max."

"So all we have to do is get to the van, steal it, and drive away," said Sam thoughtfully.

"They've secured the perimeter. We'll need a distraction," Jondy pointed out.

Fay was happy to let the other two do the planning, if it was up to her she'd just run out, knives flying and hope for the best. She became aware that the other two were staring at her.

"What?" she asked confused.

"You're our distraction," said Jondy. "You're going to go out there and get their attention while we steal their van."

"You want me to go and take a few down with my knives?" Fay asked hopefully.

"No, Fay. We're going to be a little more subtle than that," replied Jondy and then turning to Sam, "you explain."

"Fay, you are one gorgeous, sexy woman," Sam whispered in her ear as he smoothly released her hair from the tight band which held it severely back from her face, "and if we weren't in mortal danger and in a tight, confined space, with an audience, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Now, take your jacket off. There we are. And now this sweater. Much better. Give me your knives, all of them Fay. Now, get out there and distract those soldiers."

Fay had done this before, plenty of times, when she had helped Radar with his scams, but she'd had more time to prepare and more appropriate clothing and make up. She was about to voice her doubts when Jondy slipped behind the door and Sam flung her out of it. She briefly thought to close it behind her when she heard the soldier.

"Hands above your head," he ordered. "Now!"

"Thank God you folks are here. There was the most almighty gun fight, right over there. Am I safe now? I was just so frightened." Her voice had lost its usual sarcastic edge and now she sounded young and vulnerable. She flicked her long glossy mane of dark hair over her shoulder and bit her lip nervously. A few tears began to trail down her cheeks. Sam and Jondy were listening intently, waiting for the right moment to slip out.

The soldier looked Fay up and down.

"It's ok, Miss, put your hands down. Did you see which direction they went?" he asked, guiding her towards a larger group of soldiers where his superiors were.

"Well, I'm not sure. It all happened so quickly. I think they split up. Some went that way," she pointed down the road the hummers had just arrived on, "and the others that way. It was hard to see from the hut and I was trying to keep my head down." As she mentioned the hut, Fay tossed her head back that way and saw that the door was slowly opening. The soldier smartly saluted his superior officer.

"Henson, who the hell is she?" snarled an older man and Fay knew he was in command. Fay decided a few more tears wouldn't go amiss and managed a few sobs as well. What she'd really like to do would be to knee him in a very painful place, but instead she suddenly clasped her arms tightly round him, buried her face in his shoulder and started to cry hysterically.

"That's my girl," whispered Sam. "Time to go, I think." He and Jondy slipped out of the door and ran silently along the side of the van, out of sight. Jondy pressed her ear to the van's door and listened intently. She held up two fingers and Sam nodded. He quickly checked the driver's compartment, but it was empty.

"I'll drive, you get rid of them" he jerked his head towards the rear of the van and Jondy nodded.

Radar carefully opened the driver's door and slipped in silently. Jondy quickly looked out from the side of the van and, happy that Fay's performance had everyone's attention, pulled open the rear door and climbed in. The two geeks inside were no match for Jondy and she swiftly rendered the pair of them unconscious.

"Go," she yelled and Sam hit the accelerator. He made a swerving turn and headed straight for Fay and the group of soldiers. At the last moment he swerved away and Jondy threw the two geeks out. In the ensuing confusion Fay dived in through the open door. Jondy had found a loaded automatic weapon in the van and now she made good use of it. "Keep it steady," she yelled at Sam as she methodically shot out the hummers' tyres. "Ok, go."

Sam threw the wheel round once last time and then they were gone.