OK – This is for you, Meg. You know what? I am also very upset about Mutant X. But I will not leave my fans hanging the way they left us. I apologize it has been so long. I had no idea, really how long it had been. I had to sit for the Bar exam and studying took everything I had – after that – all I did was work. Anyway – no more excuses – let's move on.

Shalimar managed to open her eyes. The wave of terror that had hit her was all but a heavy and dull presence. She heard a terrible laughter both inside her head and inside the room. She couldn't figure anything out. She was finally able to look at Emma and she did not like what she saw. Emma's face was wild. Her eyes were black and her lips were bleeding from her teeth, which were now sunken deeply into them. "Emma?" Shalimar managed to say.

"Emma!" she screamed. There was no response. "Oh God!" Shalimar grabbed her head and tried to shake the pain. She thought of Emma happy and of their shopping trips together. Those thoughts gave her strength and she managed to crawl to Emma's side. Emma had dropped to her knees and was looking right at Shalimar. Shalimar searched Emma's eyes back and forth all the while with tears streaming from her own. "Emma," she whispered, "I'm sorry." With that, Shalimar hit Emma along side of her head as hard as she could manage. Emma fell to the floor of the cell with a crash. Her teeth released her savaged lips and the horrible sneer left her face. Shalimar quickly checked to make sure she was merely unconscious. When she was satisfied she was all right, Shalimar picked Emma up and carried her towards the door, which remained open. She noticed that daylight was waning and she needed to get them out of there and to safety as quickly as possible. With her burden on her back, Shalimar squinted as she emerged into the fading light of the day.

XXXX

Draper slammed back into his own mind. He was alone. An alarm began going off on one of his monitors. He looked and saw Shalimar on the screen carrying Emma. Draper smiled. "Here we go." He flipped a switch on his controller and got comfortable in his chair. He looked at the monitor that maintained vigil on his two most important guests. He decided to start the show.

XXXX

"Adam, what brings you to this wonderful place?" Eckhart asked in his usual monotone voice.

Adam sighed. He had an idea why both of them were here but he didn't want to face that reality. "Listen, Mason. I don't have time. We don't have time. Do you remember Dr. Draper?"

"Yes, yes, Adam. As usual I am just a bit ahead of you in problem solving. I know who brought us here and I know why we are here. What I don't know is the whereabouts of the rest of Mutant X. From what I understand, Mulwray is dead and the other three aren't far behind."

Adam had experienced all he could by this time and couldn't stand the way Eckhart coldly with no compassion at all just relayed his knowledge about the Team. "Brennan is NOT dead!" Adam stoutly replied.

"No?" Eckhart replied, "Then where is your hero? Where is your team?" Eckhart laughed a bit under his breath before continuing. "Oh, Adam, you just can't accept the fact that you've lost can you? You see, I am here to watch a show, I believe, and you, well, you are a prisoner."

"And just what are you, Mason?" Adam asked. "If you were free to leave, I hardly think you would be sitting next to me in this filthy place."

Just then, a wall of three television screens appeared in front of them. Each had a different scene of the woods. The light finally allowed Adam to look over and see Mason. His suspicions were confirmed. Mason was also a prisoner. Eckhart just looked at Adam in disgust and said nothing. They both peered at the screens absolutely helpless to prevent what they were about to see.

XXXX

Jesse made his way along the ledge wall. He was trying to find a cave or something for them to shelter within. Bugs and cobwebs continued to assault his face as he moved forward. No one had been through this way in some time. He noticed an overhang just ahead and proceeded forward to check it out. He didn't notice the camera in the tree as he passed by.

Brennan was awake. He hurt like hell but knew that he needed to do something. "Jesse," he yelled. "Jesse!" Brennan looked around as much as he could from his angle. He managed to form a small arc in his right hand and singed one of the ropes that secured him to the stretcher. He attempted to sit up and quickly realized it was a bad idea. He decided to try and roll out of the stretcher. He smiled as he realized how well Jesse had secured him. He cried out as his body rolled onto the cold, wet ground. "God, I'm so tired of being wet," he murmured to himself. He attempted to move his right leg and realized quickly that he could not. 'Jesse must have splinted it again,' he thought. He coughed sharply and vomited up blood and water. He was still heaving when Jesse got back.

"Brennan!" Jesse exclaimed as he ran to Brennan's side. "Brennan, what are you doing?" He tried to get him to lie back down on his back but Brennan signaled him with his hand to stop. Jesse didn't know what to say.

"Jesse," Brennan whispered through his raspy voice, "just wait. I can do this." Brennan managed to pull himself into a sitting position. He leaned partially up against a tree to rest. Jesse began checking his wounds for recent bleeds. "Brennan, you shouldn't be moving. You have some really serious injuries here."

Brennan smiled and chuckled a little. "Jesse, you're not Adam and I know you're not my mother. I'm alright."

"Brennan, you are not alright. Do you want me to run down your injuries for you? I will. Let's see, your leg is broken, many of your ribs are broken, you have a gunshot hole in your side, pneumonia, and several bites and cuts everywhere."

"And a needle," Brennan added.

"What?" Jesse asked.

"A needle. I have a needle broken off in my arm."

"Where?" Jesse asked.

Brennan motioned to the area where Jacob had broken the needle. Jesse looked in disgust. It was festering. "Does that hurt?" Jesse asked.

Brennan just looked at him. Jesse smiled. "That, I can take care of," Jesse said as he phased Brennan's skin. He grabbed the needle and pulled it out. Brennan sucked in a cry as he felt it removed ever so slowly. When he was done, Jesse showed the needle to Brennan. "There, as good as new." Jesse was pleased with himself that he managed to help Brennan. He knew that he would have to do the same thing when they got home to remove the bullet. For now, at least, it wasn't bleeding. Jacob and Adam had managed to stop that before all hell broke loose.

Jesse finished checking over Brennan's wounds and covered him as much as he could with what garments he had available. Brennan shivered. "You cold?" Jesse asked. Brennan nodded his head indicating that he was. "Tired," Brennan replied.

"I found an overhang back against the ledge wall. If we can get back there, I can get some sticks together and we could start a fire." Jesse wasn't certain that a fire was the best idea. It could attract beasts. But they needed to keep warm as well and Jesse feared that rain may be on its way. He needed to get them to some shelter. "Do you want to get up?" Jesse asked Brennan.

"Yeah, let's do it," Brennan replied. Jesse got his arms under Brennan and lifted. He grunted again with the new assault to his already exhausted muscles. He managed to get Brennan to one leg. They leaned on one another as they made their way to the ledge wall. Jesse thought he heard something behind them as they approached the overhang. It sounded like a tiny motor. He shrugged it off as he got Brennan to the overhang. It was fairly deep and would provide adequate shelter from any rain. It would also narrow the direction from which an attack could come to a 6-foot square area. Jesse set Brennan down gently. He was glad he was still awake. Maybe he was going to be alright after all. He moved out into the trees in front of the overhang to gather some wood. Once they started a fire, things would be easier. The beasts would fear fire if they came.

XXXX

Adam and Eckhart just continued to watch the forest pictures. Every now and then they would see a beast flash by. Adam was trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. He was going to need Mason. Suddenly, Adam heard Mason chuckle. Adam looked at the screen Eckhart was watching and gasped at what he saw. He watched as Jesse moved Brennan through a wooded area towards on overhang of rock. He was shocked, relieved, scared, and really angry all at the same time. "Oh no," Adam whispered, "they're outside." A realization struck Adam and he suddenly knew exactly why they were here. He watched in horror as two beasts came into view on the screen.