Night still covered the city as Dakota climbed up the latter along the wall of The Mercury Room. It did not quite reach the roof but that did not stop Dakota. He jumped and reached for the ledge. No problem, he thought.

When he had both feet planted firmly on the roof he set the package down and pulled Julia up with him. "You OK?" He asked.

Julia grinned. "I'm not a porcelain doll babe, but thanks for your concern." She kissed him on his nose.

Quietly they walked over to one of the windows. Two-dozen heads bobbed up and down as they danced to the music. Paul and Karma leaned against the bar. Karma guzzled a bear while Paul sipped a glass of wine. They paid no attention to the dancers, but stared at each other in deep conversation.

"OK," Dakota said. "Before we do this let's go over the plan one more time. I'm going to make a hole in the glass. Push this button for the gas to come out and put the mask on. When they all fall asleep, I'll climb in and get Mira...uh..." He searched his pockets for the map of the building Sterling had drawn him. Sterling knew it well from when he had betrayed them for a while.

Julia handed the white piece of paper to him. They laughed for a moment. "What would you do with out me?" She asked.

"Fall apart," Dakota said. "Now if they start waking up before I come out-"

"Pump more gas," Julia finished.

"And if the gas runs out and they wake up again or still don't fall asleep-"

"Create a diversion."

"No, no, wrong answer," Dakota said. "You get out. I'm not going to let you get caught."

Julia put her hand on his. "I'm not leaving you. Besides," She pulled out a gun. "I have this if necessary."

Dakota smiled and kissed her hard. He then focused his eyes on a spot on the glass. A little hole appeared just big enough for the tiny tube to fit. "OK, start pumping."

They flipped the button. The dancing slowed down and Paul and Karma sat on their bar stools. After about five minutes everyone lay on the ground or the bar fast asleep. Dakota and Julia put on their masks. He melted the iron around the window and pulled it up just enough to slip through and drop to the ground. Dakota looked up at the now closed window. Julia gave him the thumbs up.

He took a deep breath and walked carefully over the bodies. Following Sterling's map, he trotted down three flights of stair into almost complete darkness. He pulled his little flashlight out and walked down the long hallway. When he past Paul's office he grinned. I remember that, he thought. At the very end of the tunnel he reached a door. It stood wide open. An old haggardly woman lay on the ground, but he took no chances. Dakota carefully crept over to her and waved a hand over her face. Nothing. He touched her neck to feel a calm pulse, then he tied her hand and foot and threw her over his shoulder.

Relief filled him when he saw the moonlight that poured from the window. As he walked past Paul and Karma he saw a gun hanging out of Paul's belt. He reached out and slipped it from it's holster. Paul did not move. For a moment he toyed with the idea of shooting him right then and there. All their problems would be over. All he had to do was hold the gun to Paul and Karma's heads and pull the trigger. No one would stop him. No one would blame him. Not after all that he had done to him. But he flipped the gun into his own belt and climbed back up the rope Julia had thrown down. Then, they escaped into the night.