In the back of the pickup, Logan leaned against the side of the bed, letting his mind wander. He had not been exaggerating when he told Eames they were heading in with New York's most boring. While both women appeared interested in the abbreviated history of the New York subway system they were being subjected to, he could care less. He was worried about Goren. While he had no doubt Eames was, too, and she was listening to be polite, it was common knowledge that he had no manners, so he was free to ignore the man and look bored.

"Um..." he interrupted.

"Yes, detective? Do you have a question?"

The engineer's name was Donald Greenfield and he looked the part. Skinny, glasses, ugly green suit and mismatched tie. In spite of the fact that Goren was a genius and dressed well, Logan was convinced that having a high IQ did not necessarily mean you could match your socks. "Yeah, I do. Did they get those fires out?"

"The ones that were in this area, yes. The ones at the other end of the line, no. But we'll be safe here."

"Safe? Is that a relative term, in this case?"

"Well, yes. In this case."

"How safe is this tunnel?"

"Safer than the one we're investigating."

"That tells me nothing, Don."

"The tunnel we are investigating has been structually weakened by the explosions. We are going to start off by drilling a one foot square hole through from this tunnel to that. The wall's about two meters thick. We'll see what that does. Assuming anyone survived the crash, we'll widen the hole as we can, with proper precautions, of course."

"Oh, of course. What kind of precautions?"

"Stabilization precautions, naturally."

"Sorry. I don't mean to be an idiot."

"That just comes natural to him," Barek added.

The truck began to slow. The second engineer, Terry Fellows, looked less the part than his buddy did. At least his clothes matched...and he had more muscle and no glasses. He stopped the truck and got out, looking around the tunnel. Slowly, he nodded. "Ok, guys. This is it. The cave-in stops right about here, and continues down that way a couple of hundred feet. So we have this cavern of unstable tunnel right about here."

"Now what?" Eames asked.

"Now we do a few tests on the wall to find the most stable place to drill. We'll do our test hole and go from there. Most of all, pray we don't bring the whole damn thing down on whoever's in there...if anyone is."

Eames looked at Logan and Barek. Logan rested a hand on her shoulder and asked the engineers, "How big an 'if' is that?"

Fellows met his eyes. "Considering the extent of the damage and the size of the explosions...it's a really big 'if,' detective."

Greenfield leaned closer to them. "Just have a seat and try to relax. We'll let you know when we're ready to drill. We've got eight guys from Wood Construction coming down. They've done this before. It'll be ok."

"Come on," Logan muttered to the two women. They returned to the truck and he lowered the tailgate. Then they sat and waited.

------------------------------------------

"So why do you prefer hanging out here in the tunnel, Bobby? You still looking for rats?"

"Actually, yes."

"I had to ask."

"Why are you hanging out here with me?"

"I just want to keep an eye on you."

"Why? In case I collapse again?"

"Yeah."

He sighed. "I, um, I don't want to scare the kids, or the passengers in there who are on the edge of freaking out."

"Then you know how bad you're hurt?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. Couple of fractured ribs...I've had those before. But I'm...I'm bleeding, internally...not fast, but too fast to clot...and fast enough to put me...in danger...as more time passes." He sighed. "Liver or spleen laceration? Hard to tell...but it hurts like hell...burns, too."

Steve looked down at the ground. "Sorry I couldn't find a way through."

"Thanks for trying."

"You sure you don't want that joint?"

Goren laughed, wincing when the pain flared. "I'm sure, Steve. But thanks for the offer."

"Let me know if you change your mind." He sighed, picking up a rock and throwing it, frustrated. "I'll stay out here with ya."

"You really don't have to...there's nothing you can do."

Steve leaned back against the wall. "No, there's not, and I'm sorry about that. But no one...no one should have to die alone."

Goren didn't really want to think about that...but Steve was right. If they didn't get out of here soon, there would be no leaving for many of them, including him. There wasn't much else for him to do but sit and think...and his mind turned to Eames. While he was glad she wasn't here, in a way, part of him wished she was. He...didn't want to die without seeing her again...at least to tell her it was ok...at least to tell her...that he loved her...

---------------------------------------------

Goren had dozed off. Steve watched him nervously. He liked this big cop and he didn't want to see him die...but there was nothing he could do.

"Steve?"

He looked toward the car, where Kelsey was making her way across the tracks to them. "Hey, Kelsey. Everyone in there ok?"

"As ok as we've been, I guess. The kids are hungry and scared."

"Heck, I'm hungry and scared."

She looked down at the sleeping cop. "How is he?"

"He's ok."

"Don't lie. I'm not a little kid. I know he was hurt and he's been trying to hide it. I can see that he hurts."

Steve sighed. "He's not doin' so good."

"So why are you guys sitting out here?"

"He's looking for rats."

"Why? I don't think any of us are that hungry."

Steve laughed. "He's not hunting, Kelsey."

"Then why...?"

"I have no idea, but he thinks that not seeing any is a bad thing." He looked around the tunnel. "Like being here at all is good..."

"Did he...collapse again?"

"No. He's just sleeping. Sleep won't hurt him any. Maybe it'll delay the inevitable...but, well, he's a smart guy. He knows how bad he's hurt."

Goren groaned and shifted, waking to more pain than he'd gone to sleep with. He sat up slowly, holding an arm tight across his abdomen. "Steve?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Feeling any better?"

"No." He frowned at the second figure standing in the shadows, but he had no idea where his flashlight was. "Who's over there with you?"

"It's just me, Bobby."

"Alex?"

"No. Kelsey."

"Oh, Kelsey...sorry."

Steve squatted at his side. "Bobby, Alex isn't here."

"She...no, she's not." He rested his head back against the wall of debris. He wasn't comfortable, but he couldn't find a comfortable position any more so he gave up.

A trail of dust dribbled from the ceiling and a loud grinding came from the far wall. "What the hell...?"

Slowly, painfully, Goren got to his feet, helped by the two young people. They started to move him away from the wall, but he stopped and pulled away. "No..." He started toward the vibrating noise, looking warily up at the roof of the tunnel. More dust filtered down, followed by a couple of chunks of concrete. "Shit..."

He pressed himself against the wall, joined by Steve and Kelsey. "What is it?" Steve asked.

"They're drilling."

"They found us?"

"I don't know, but they're looking, at the very least. If they keep it up, though, they are going to bring the rest of the tunnel down around us."

"So how do we make them stop?"

"We can't. We just stay here and pray they get through before they shake that roof loose."

------------------------------------

Logan strolled over to where the construction workers were drilling. He leaned toward Fellows, whom he considered the more competent engineer. "How're they doing?"

"They're almost through."

"They bring down the rest of the tunnel?"

"I sure hope not."

The cry went up. "We got through!"

Eames and Barek joined Logan as they approached the hole. Fellows squatted down. "Hey...anybody in there?"

A voice came back, one they did not recognize. "Hey...it's about time!"

"How many folks are in there?"

They heard muttered voices. "Not sure the exact number. A hundred, maybe less. Want me to get a head count?"

"No, that's not necessary. We'll get you guys out of there. What happened in there while we were drilling?"

"Parts of the roof came caving in."

"Damn."

"Hey, you guys gotta hurry up. We got some critically hurt people in here, and they won't last much longer."

"We'll work as quickly as we can. You got a name?"

"Steve. Steve Cavanaugh."

"Ok, Steve. You keep talking to us and tell us what happens when we do anything on this end."

"Sure."

Fellows stepped away, nodding at the three detectives. Eames squatted beside the hole. "Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm a detective..."

"Eames?"

"Bobby? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you ok?"

"Am I ok? I didn't have a subway fall down around my ears, Goren! How are you?"

"I...um, I've been better."

He leaned against the wall and slid down to sit beside the hole. He groaned involuntarily. "Bobby?"

"I'm here."

"How badly are you hurt?"

"I, uh...I really hurt, Eames." He couldn't lie to her, much as he didn't want her to worry any more than she already was.

She could hear it in his voice. "We're going to get you out of there. You hang in there."

"I'll try."

Try? She looked up at Logan and Barek. Logan squatted beside her; she was sitting with her back against the wall. "Hey, Bobby?"

"Hey, Mike."

"'There is no try; there is only do.'" He did a fair impression of Yoda.

Goren laughed. "Don't make me laugh, Logan. It hurts."

"I don't want to see your partner here cry, man."

"Neither do I."

"Ok, then. I guess we won't be shooting pool tonight, huh?"

"Sorry about that."

"Not a problem. Instead of going to Delaney's, shooting pool and getting wasted, we'll just sit down here in a damp and crumbling subway station, talking and dodging the chunks of concrete that fall from the ceiling."

"Leave it to you to see the bright side of things."

"If that's the bright side, I'm not sure I want to see the dark side."

"That would be sitting on this side of the hole."

Logan had no argument for that. "There is one thing I like better about this new scenario."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Eames and Barek are here with us."

"That does make it better."

"If you wanted to hang out with us," Barek pointed out. "All you had to do was ask. This is a little extreme, boys."

Grinning, Logan leaned forward and rested his head against the cool wall. "We never do anything halfway, huh, Bobby?"

"Never."

He sighed. "We'll stay here till they get you out."

"Thanks...but don't put yourselves at risk."

"No problem. We have hard hats."

He laughed again, doubling over. The pain was definitely getting worse. "Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"Get them to hurry, so I can kick your ass if you make me laugh again."

"Sorry, man. Habit."

"I'll take care of him for you, Bobby," Barek said, smacking her partner across the back of the head.

"Ow, hey!"

"Be a little considerate, you baboon."

"Steve?" Eames called, smiling at their antics.

"Yeah?"

"Are you staying there with him?"

"Yep. There's two of us here with him. Kelsey and me. We'll watch him."

She sighed. "Bobby?"

"Still here..."

"Tell me how badly you're hurt."

"You don't need to know, Eames. Just sit there, and talk to me."

"You sound like you're in pain."

"I am. Talk to me. Please."

Talk to him...what could she say...just...talk... "I talked to Lewis this morning."

"And?"

"It was the alternator. He wants me to go along with you when you pick it up."

"Sure. If you want to."

Her voice became quiet. "I was worried about you."

He knew she would be. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I didn't mean for you to worry."

"Ok...I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

"Eames...oh, ok, I get your point."

"Good."

He smiled. Steve was watching him. He seemed more at ease now, talking to her. Steve relaxed a little, hanging on to the hope that he was going to be ok...but it was still a small hope..

A/N: Naturally, Yoda belongs to George Lucas...