It wasn't pain, Shalimar decided. There was something preventing her from springing up out of bed as she usually did in the morning, but it wasn't the agony that she remembered from just a little while ago. Her limbs felt like Jesse had turned them diamond-hard while she wasn't looking, and opening her eyes was truly beyond her capabilities. Most frustrating. She growled under her breath.

"She's waking up."

Shalimar knew that voice, identified it as belonging to the large hand that currently engulfed her own small one: Brennan. The man she loved. The man she'd always loved, but had refused to acknowledge that feeling until almost too late. Then Sanctuary had been blown up, and they'd had to put any further actions on hold until it was safe to indulge those feelings.

But that didn't mean that the hunger wasn't there. Shalimar felt better just knowing that Brennan was at her side. Safe.

Little bits and pieces came floating back to her: the fire in her belly. The chopper coming in for a landing on top of the truck and Jesse and Lexa going out to give the crew a warmer welcome than any they'd ever had. Brennan lifting her up in strong arms, and then the rest dissolved into a blur of anesthesia.

Damn. Bandage on her belly. Surgery. Shalimar really hoped that the empty feeling inside meant that someone had taken out the ouchy part.

"Shalimar?" The large hand caressed her forehead, pushing back the hair that tried to droop into her eyes. Shalimar tried to say something positive, but it came out as a groan.

"It's okay, Shalimar. You're safe. We're among friends."

Brennan wouldn't say that unless it was true. Shalimar sighed deeply, and allowed herself to drift back off to sleep.

Combat planning had begun in earnest, the group huddled around an overlarge mahogany table. The velvet curtains remained closed against anyone trying to see in and spy on their plans. Ben had scrounged black clothing for all of them, adding black knit caps to tuck hair under, and they made a somber group as they readied themselves for action. Ben spread a large map out on the table for them to look at, Brennan reaching to smooth the corners. The elemental looked around the room.

"Where's this Treo guy?" Brennan asked. "He should be in on this. And, no offense, Ben, but I like to know how good a guy is that I have at my back. This Treo have any training?"

"He's coming," Ben said absently, concentrating on the paper under his hand. "This is the Arrigo complex. Believe me, this info is fresh; I picked a lot of it up a couple of days ago when we got our wrists slapped by Arrigo's men. Some of the defenses are pretty straightforward: there's a brick wall around the perimeter with an electric wire barrier on top to fry any would-be intruder who thinks they can climb over. Brennan?"

"No sweat. I can take it down. Next?"

"Next is this expanse of open territory." Ben indicated a quarter mile radius around the building. The map suggested that it contained bushes, trees, and someone with a warped sense of humor had drawn a crude picture of a squirrel with a nut. "This area is dotted with men with rifles. Rifles with scopes. They're pretty good with them, as we found out. Aaron will be out for the next two weeks."

"You can't hit what you can't see," was Lexa's response. "Next?"

"The building itself has only two stories, but many rooms to be searched. You can see on this map that I've already sketched in five wings. That's where Treo comes in."

"And that's my cue for an entrance." A young man, blond and pale, sauntered into the room accompanied by an older silver-haired man who looked substantially like him. The young man couldn't have been more than eighteen and had lived a life of luxury. His clothes were high quality, his hair neatly cut before falling over his face, and his mouth pulled down in what looked like a perpetual frown. The older man was three inches shorter but with the same frown. Piercing eyes of intelligence and drive peered out of sharp features. Father and son, Brennan surmised, Windom senior and junior. Windom senior was perusing Mutant X just as much as Mutant X was watching the pair. But Brennan got a funny feeling; Mutant X was concentrating on Treo as the next member of the rescue mission but Windom senior had eyes only for Jesse. Why? Brennan couldn't figure that one out. Maybe Jesse reminded him of someone?

The younger man spoke. "Justin Windom. Treo, to my friends. And my father."

Abner Windom extended his hand to be shaken. "A pleasure to meet you all. I've heard a great deal about each of you. I'm lucky that you happened to be in the area."

"We're the lucky ones," Brennan replied. "I understand you assisted in Shalimar's surgery. We're grateful."

"Yes, we got to her in time. Another hour, and the appendix would have ruptured. That would have been bad." Windom senior turned to Ben. "You're ready, Sutter?"

"Yes, sir. Just going over final details. Treo, you understand your part in this?"

"Not a problem, Ben. Just get me inside. I'll do the rest."

"I don't understand." Jesse held them back. "Treo, Ben tells me you're a molecular. What can you do that I can't?"

"As in, why are we both going?" Treo held no animosity. "You're Jesse Kilmartin, right? Ben told me about you, that you can phase or you can mass out. I'm a little different; for while no one was sure whether to classify me as a water elemental or a molecular. I've got three phases, not just two."

"Three phases? What three phases?"

"Solid," and Treo suddenly turned to ice. "Liquid," and he turned to something approaching water to slosh over the carpet, "and gas," floated out of the sloshing being as it steamed up into a minor cloud to sail around the room. Treo abruptly re-materialized into normal. "I can seep through half a dozen doors at the same time to search for Mandi. Can you do that?"

Jesse had to admit that he couldn't. Treo was in.

On closer inspection, Arrigo's stronghold held a number of similarities to that of the Windom facility. Both had extensive security and guards, the obligatory high concrete wall to keep unwanted visitors out and desirable prisoners in, and both facilities were high tech. Jesse could appreciate that. Up until recently he had had his own high tech secure living space.

But Sanctuary was history, blown to dust along with everything he'd ever owned. Even the comm. links that they still wore were worthless without Sanctuary's computers to transmit one signal to the other. The only things that Jesse Kilmartin had besides his good name were the clothes on his back and the friendship of the other three. Not a heck of a lot to show for so many years of sacrifice. Was it worth it? Let's not go there, not right now. There's a mission to accomplish. Philosophy can wait.

Ben boosted Brennan up along the concrete wall. The bricks were tall, over both heads, but sitting on top of Ben's massive shoulders Brennan could reach the wiring that danced along the top carrying enough electrical current to fry anything foolish enough to touch. Ben widened his stance for stability, and Brennan reached.

The wiring sputtered, trying to go for the sizzle. Brennan hung on, grinning, excess sparks flying out of the wires. "That's enough," he finally whispered, almost a giggle in his voice. "No problems here."

"Brennan?" The elemental sounded strange to Lexa.

"Just a little…high," Brennan slurred. "It's okay. It's safe."

"You're drunk."

"Lil' too much juice," Brennan agreed sloppily. "Need to ground off somewhere."

"Not yet," Ben ordered. "Remember the plan. As soon as we get through the wall, take Brennan to the site where Arrigo's men will be expecting an assault. Lexa, you and Brennan will draw them away from us, away from the building. The three of us will get Mandi out. Clear?"

"Clear." Ben was sounding damn smart for a man who up until a couple of years ago had the mind of a four year old, Lexa thought. She took Brennan by the arm, wincing at the static electricity that jumped from his arm to hers, and slipped through the suddenly insubstantial wall that Jesse had created in the massive bricks. She gave the molecular a warning look. "You be careful, hear?"

"Me? You've got the tough part, Lexa. You've got people shooting at you. You two be careful. I need you both back in one piece." Jesse took her hand and squeezed it, trying to put a world of emotion intohis gesture. Not a kiss, but close enough. Lexa didn't get close easily. It would have to do.

Yeah, but you're with two mutants that I didn't know existed less than twenty-four hours ago. I don't like that. Lexa turned and walked away, dragging Brennan with her. And a moment later the two faded from plain sight as Lexa exerted her own gifts to turn them invisible.

Jesse turned back to the pair. "Well, that's that. One diversion on its way. Shall we go pick up our date?"

Ben extended his hand. "After you, Mr. Kilmartin."

"No, I insist. After you, Mr. Sutter."

"How about we split the difference?" Ben turned to Treo. "Go get 'em, ghost boy."

"Thought you'd never ask." Grinning, Treo turned himself into a steam bath and wafted off toward the building, scouting the way for any bogies that might impede their progress. It was the perfect disguise; who would expect to get whacked by a fog bank?

"This the place?"

"Hush. Keep it down, Brennan. You want them to know we're here?"

"Well, yeah! Isn't that the point of being a diversion? Dammit, Lexa, I really have to let loose here! Hurry it up!"

"Over there." Lexa could tell that she wasn't going to be able to keep the elemental under wraps much longer. They'd dodged two patrols with invisibility, but it was rapidly approaching the zero hour. Brennan himself was losing control, dancing around with suppressed energy like a three year old toddler who desperately needed to use grown up facilities. "All right. It's time. See that electrical transformer over there? Take it out."

"Finally." No warm up. No gyrations. No arms windmilling. Just a flat out bolt of lightning.

The transformer blew. Not only did it blow and take out the lights, but with the juice that Brennan gratefully got rid of, the entire structure shattered into tiny pieces of shrapnel. Lexa and Brennan dropped to the ground, covering their heads with their hands, trying to protect themselves from the danger. The area slowly burned down, the flames dying into the night.

Lexa levered herself up to glare at Brennan. "Think that might have been a little bit of overkill, Sparky?"

Jesse let the trio into the building through the wall, turning the solid bricks into the consistency of warm gelatin and checking the interior before they entered. Hand signals went into effect: the lights were out, courtesy of a certain elemental blowing up a certain transformer, and a couple pairs of night vision goggles went on. Treo didn't need any, Jesse had learned; he perceived things differently in his gaseous state.

The search for Amanda Windom began. Treo searched one side of the corridor, his gaseous state allowing him to float freely through the infinitesimal cracks around the door, able to stretch himself to cover six rooms at a time. He oozed down the corridor, swiftly searching each one with the speed of, well, of dissipating gas. "Brownian movement with an attitude," Jesse muttered.

Jesse and Ben took the other side of the corridor. Ben, as a super-soldier, possessed superior hearing. He was able to ascertain if there was any breathing behind the door. If there was, a single jolt with a massive shoulder was enough to jar the door loose. He would stick his head in, locate the presence and identity of the occupant(s), and take whatever action seemed appropriate to the situation. Usually that action involved a mild case of concussion.

Jesse was the slowest. It took a moment to exhale, stick his head in, and identify the personnel in each room. The men he could rule out but the women required a second look to make certain that it wasn't Amanda. Jesse only had a picture to go by, a picture of a young girl with dancing red curls. Pretty enough to attract Brennan, Jesse thought, if he weren't already hooked up with Shalimar. The elemental was plenty popular, and there would be a number of broken hearts if they ever came across Brennan again. But the elemental was a changed man. There was a woman that he was now committed to, one who was sleeping off a close call back at the Windom facility. Any old flame would be in for a surprise. Fat chance. Not in this lifetime. Assuming this lifetime has a lifeline.

Concentrate, Kilmartin. Jesse peered at the sleeping body on the cot across the room, determined that it was a man, although a small one, and withdrew.

"This level's clear," Treo hissed, reverting to his normal state to speak. "She's not here."

"And it seems to be mostly labs. No living quarters," Ben added, a look of swift calculation on his face. "Look, I say we head straight upstairs. Maybe there'll be living quarters up there where they've got her. Plan?"

"Plan," Treo echoed. Jesse nodded in agreement. They knew Arrigo's personality, Jesse didn't. He'd follow their lead.

The second floor was looking better. These rooms were clearly living quarters. Like Windom, the security staff and the lower level researchers of Hector Arrigo were expected to live on site and devote 99 of their waking hours to the goals at hand with perhaps an hour or two per year devoted to personal pursuits. More heads got quietly thumped into unconsciousness so that Arrigo's staff wouldn't interfere with the mission. It meant slower going, but progress was made.

Jesse was the one to hit the jackpot. As he'd already done more than fifty times that night, he exhaled and stuck his low density head through the wall to check out the insides.

It wasn't a pleasant sight. By now, after looking at the photo more than fifty times, it was easy to identify the girl in the room as Amanda Windom. The red curls were a dead giveaway, the green eyes and the uptilted nose only confirming his suspicion. What the photo hadn't shown was the slender waist, the delicate hands, the bust swelling from adolescence into adulthood: a package to uplift any normal male on the spot. That was the gratifying part of the scenario.

The less than pleasant part was the position that the girl found herself in. A man that Jesse was able to identify as Dr. Hector Arrigo, again from an oft-viewed photo, held her firmly in his grasp and was busily engaged in removing her clothing without benefit of unzipping the zippers, unbuttoning the buttons, or even unsnapping any snaps. Seam-ripping through sheer force however, was acceptable to the geneticist physician. Also acceptable, apparently, was the assistance of two other men that Jesse could only characterize as apes. Both were large, almost as large as Ben, and both were holding the girl down so that Arrigo could ravish her.

"Stop it! Stop it! Hector, stop it! Hector, you're hurting me!"

Step one: summon assistance. "Guys! In here! Now!" Despite the fact that Jesse felt quite capable of resolving the situation in Amanda's favor by himself—rage was a terrible thing to waste—he suspected that both Treo, as the outraged brother, and Ben, as the equally outraged team leader, would take it amiss if Jesse were to hog all the fun to himself.

Step two: begin counter-measures. Jesse crossed the room in three swift steps, ripped Arrigo away from his clothing-ripping activity, turned his own arm as solid as he could make it, and made it clear to Dr. Arrigo that his attentions to Ms. Windom were unwanted. And also that the young lady had informed the good doctor that his intentions were unwanted, and that Mr. Kilmartin was there to aid in the good doctor's comprehension of that fact. Usually when Jesse was taking down an opponent he would aim for the chest, above the waist; Marquis of Queensbury rules, playing straight, take the honorable action, that sort of thing. This time Jesse aimed a good deal lower. Seems only right, given what Arrigo was trying to do.

Ben slammed through the door, Treo in his wake. It took less than a millisecond for each to understand what had almost happened, and the other part of millisecond to ensure that the rest of the combatants were in no condition to object to the escape of their victim. Mandi clung to Ben, tears flowing down her face. Even that did nothing to mar her beauty; who would have thought that smeared mascara could look lovely?

Ben enfolded her into his arms protectively, although his training still shown through: he kept scanning the area for additional threats. Damn, Jesse thought, he's in love with her! And wondered at the longing in himself. Was it just the girl? Down boy; Amanda Windom is an empath. She must be broadcasting. Ben is reacting to her. And so am I. Damn, but she's hot!

He cleared his throat roughly. "We need to get out of here, meet up with Brennan and Lexa."

Ben went back to being team leader in a flash. "You're right. Let's move out." He spared an angry look for the scientist out cold on the floor. "I wish we could do something more."

"No time," Treo said. "Not his fault. Let's get out of here before they catch on."

"Too late," Jesse said, peering out through the shattered doorway. "They're at either end of the hall. I think I saw a lot of guns." He grinned, no humor in it. "I can cover one side of us, but getting us out of here intact down the staircase is not going to happen. We've got more than one side."

"We need another route." Ben looked out through the window. "Too far down, and rocks below. One or more of us would break a leg. Yeah, I know, it won't be you, Treo. But if it's me, it'll take three of you to carry me which leaves nobody to do the fighting. Find another way."

Jesse pulled his head back in. A shot whizzed past, and he winced involuntarily. "How about straight down, to the floor below? Ten foot drop; can you manage it?"

Ben looked at Jesse, then at Mandi. "I can get her down. What—?"

"Center of the room. Fast." Jesse gathered them into a circle, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

The floor dissipated. The four of them sank through the formerly solid material to plop into the room below. Mandi would have fallen to her knees if Ben hadn't stabilized her. The floor above, now properly described as the ceiling, snapped back into reality.

"Good thing this room has a rug," was Ben's only observation. "Let's go." He grinned at Jesse. "You're coming in handy. How about a door?"

"Any time." Jesse crossed to the wall, exhaled, and created a path out into the night.