Sorry for the delay again, I got a new puppy so I have been very busy. Thanks to all my reviewers. I can't believe you are all still reading this nearly three years later.

Adam took up the lead with Shalimar following closely behind. Jesse was carrying Emma now after Shalimar had knocked her out for the third time that day. The girl's pretty face was becoming a canvas of bruises. Brennan did not stir with any signs of life. Shalimar continually noted this as she shouldered his form out of the hellhole they had found themselves in. Adam followed the route that Draper took earlier to get out of the compound. He slowed his pace as he approached the main hallway.

"OK, everyone, real quiet now," he said as he crept around the corner. He was deathly afraid of running into beasts now. With both Brennan and Emma out of commission, they would not stand a chance and would likely end up leaving Brennan behind in order to save themselves – and that could not be an option. Adam looked back at them. They looked so tired and scared. Jesse and Shalimar, his original team members now carrying the two who had joined them not two years prior. He was proud of both of them for being such caring individuals. The world had not succeeded in making them cold even after everything they had been through. Adam did not know exactly what he was going to do once they reached the surface. The Helix was all but destroyed and completely unusable. They were going to have to walk out on foot. Adam cringed at that thought. He did consider, however, that there must be some type of plane or helicopter on site in order for Brennan to be here. How did Draper get him here? Adam shook his head to rid it of these thoughts for now. He could not burden his brain with this now. "One step at a time, Adam," Adam whispered to himself as he continued down the hall.

Shalimar whipped around when she heard someone yell from behind. She nearly dropped Brennan in the process. Jesse and Adam heard it as well. "Adam," Shalimar exclaimed in a whisper. "What was that?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Let's keep going." Adam, however, knew exactly what that was. It was Eckhart. But he didn't want to tell them that he was here. He feared they would want to rescue him out of some kind of human kindness and they didn't have time for that now. Besides, Eckhart got himself into this; he could get himself out. Just then, moonlight filtered into the end of the hallway from some hidden doorway to the outside. The team tucked them selves into the wall as best they could to hide. Shalimar's eyes grew wide as she watched what was about to come down the hallway. She smelled them before she saw them – beasts.

"Um, Adam? I think we'd better turn back, and now!" Jesse said as he began to tap Emma on her face to wake her up.

"We can't, Jesse, where are we going to go?" Shalimar responded. Adam continued to watch in the direction of the open doorway.

"Come on, Emma, wake up!" Jesse was pleading now. Emma began to stir.

"What happened?" she asked as she rubbed her face yet again and entered a state of full awake. Jesse smiled. At least with Emma awake, they stood a chance against the beasts. He helped Emma to her feet and filled her in on where they were. "Emma, Shalimar had to hit you to get you away from Draper," Jesse explained. Emma dashed an angry look at Shalimar until she saw what Shalimar was carrying. Then it all came back to her. "Oh my God, Jesse!" Emma exasperated. Her words were nearly inaudible. "He's not dead," Jesse reassured her as they both looked at Brennan. Emma looked at Jesse in desperation. "I – I killed Draper, though."

Jesse looked at her with sympathetic eyes. He took her into his arms and pet her hair. "I know, Emma, I know."

Adam turned to them both. "Emma, I don't believe you killed him. Draper has a way of restarting himself. I only hope you knocked him down long enough for us to get out of here." Adam was whispering. Emma looked toward the end of the hall in the direction where Shalimar continued to stare. "Shal?" Emma asked.

"I smell more than beasts," Shalimar stated.

"What else do you smell?" Adam asked.

Shalimar glanced back at him puzzled. "Cologne," she replied.

Just then, shadowed objects appeared in the moonlight as it filtered into the hallway. They were definitely beasts, but they were also carrying others. Jesse pulled Emma towards him to get her away. The team scrambled back in the direction from which they came. They tucked themselves into a small room off of the hallway and waited for the beasts to pass by. Brennan was stirring and Shalimar soothed him to remain still – and quiet.

The beasts and their burden were about ten feet away when they heard the same yell come from somewhere in the compound. The individuals whom the beasts were carrying began to struggle. The team immediately knew who they were by what they were saying and how they were saying it.

"GSA?" Jesse questioned – bewildered by the thought of Genomex being here.

Adam smiled. "Shhh," Adam cautioned with his finger up to his mouth.

The beasts roared at their captives. "Keep quiet!" the lead beast, Don, warned. "Dr. Draper will be very happy with us that we captured you before you could damage the experiment."

"What experiment?" one of the Genomex team members asked. The beasts laughed. "You'll see."

The group passed by without incident. Adam let go of the breath he was holding in a sigh.

"Adam, why is Genomex here?" Shalimar asked.

"Easy, Shalimar," Jesse answered. "Because Eckhart is here, isn't he, Adam?" Jesse asked in a somewhat accusatory manner.

"Eckhart?" both Shalimar and Emma commented at the same time.

Adam rolled his head to the side as he turned back toward the now open doorway at the end of the hall. "Yes," he replied as he started to move.

Shalimar looked at Jesse and then at Emma. They looked down the hall in the direction of the beasts whose laughter was now subsiding. They heard the scream again the other two then recognized the voice that Jesse had previously. "Come on," Adam whispered.

Shalimar repositioned Brennan, who cried out at the unanticipated movement. "It's OK, Brennan," Jesse calmed as he ran up behind Shalimar. He squeezed Brennan's battered hand. "We're getting out of here."

They approached the opening quickly this time and exited out into the night.

"Where are we going to go?" Shalimar asked.

Adam turned and smiled. "Where there are GSA troops, there are vehicles to get them there – and this time, those vehicles should be in the form of helicopters."

Shalimar smiled at Jesse. "Do you?" she asked.

Jesse replied, "Of course."