John scrambled slowly to his feet and peered over the bonnet of the car. The hangar was ablaze, the roof hanging open and the sides buckled from the blast, smoke and flames climbing into the sky. He stared in horror at the sight and finally took a breath.

"I think that was the last of your nine lives."

John spun and saw Trangh slumped against the side of the car, smiling up at him in amusement.

Moving carefully on his knees amid the shattered glass from the car's blown out windows, John neared Trangh and glared at him angrily.

"How many more explosions will you miraculously survive?"

John frowned, lost for words, remembering how Trangh had grabbed him and pulled him round to sink behind the protection of the car. "Why?" He managed hoarsely.

Trangh laughed softly and clutched at his injured shoulder. "I think you mean 'thank you'."

"Thank you?" John demanded aghast.

Trangh frowned slightly.

"Just what the fuck do I have to thank you for?" John demanded furiously, moving away from Trangh and slowly getting to his feet. He moved round to the front of the car and stared up at the burning building.

"Well … I guess that's that."

John spun back and saw Trangh standing uneasily. "Where do you think you're going?"

Trangh sighed deeply, "It's over John." He offered and turned to walk away.

John crouched down quickly and collected his gun from the ground. He cocked the weapon and aimed it at Trangh. "STOP!"

Trangh paused.

"Stay right there!" John ordered, looking down and searching the area for the phone he had also dropped when Trangh had grabbed him.

"You're going to let me go, John."

John looked back up and saw Trangh frowning at him. He smiled suddenly and shrugged an apology. "Your tricks don't work on me. Remember?"

Trangh watched him in interest. "So … what …? You're going to kill me?"

"No." John replied, suddenly spotting the phone beneath the car and keeping his gun on Trangh as he quickly ducked down to grab it. "You're going to jail." He opened the phone and smiled as he saw it was still working. Entering the number, he looked back up at Trangh. "For ever, this time."

Trangh frowned.

"And then maybe we'll find a way to turn off that power of yours."

Trangh watched John in intrigue. "And who, exactly, are you going to lock up?" He smiled suddenly, "I'm dead."

John put the phone to his ear and heard the connection activated.

"What possible reason could they have to arrest Raja Mudhar?" Trangh continued, walking back towards John. "Trangh Belagant died in Kazakhstan."

John kept the gun trained on him and listened to the dialling tone.

"And so, it seems, did you."

John's heart thudded against his chest and he focused on the call, trying to ignore whatever Trangh was trying to do.

"You know … I never knew what she really did to you." Trangh persisted, "But I heard the noises. I can only imagine - "

"Shut up!" John shouted suddenly, tears stinging his eyes, "Shut the hell up!"

"I should think it felt very good to kill her."

John gasped and turned slowly to face Trangh, "How can you possibly know that …"

Trangh shrugged, "I knew about the call Scott and Alex made to her, asking for her help ... and then we lost contact. It was easy to guess what must have happened." His smile faded, "Reading Ustin confirmed my suspicions."

John lowered the phone and stared at Trangh in stunned confusion.

Trangh stepped closer. "I could take it away, John." He held out his hands, wincing as the action pulled at his shoulder, "I could make it all go away. Give you back your life."

"No." John backed away from him.

"What?" Trangh laughed suddenly, "You like what your life has become?"

John frowned and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

Trangh edged closer, "I suppose I ought to be flattered by your obsession."

"I …" John's frown deepened.

"But what now, John? Where will you go? You've torn up quite a path across the world in your pursuit of me. You think all that will be left unquestioned?"

John lowered the gun and closed his eyes.

"What of all the lives you have ruined?" Trangh took another step forward, "The life you took."

John hung his head and his shoulders sank.

"John!"

John gasped and spun back towards the hangar to see Trangh's assistant stumbling through what was left of the door.

"Don't listen to him!" The man shouted huskily, clutching at his chest and falling to his knees on the ground. "Help is coming, John. Don't do anything stupid."

John watched the man in puzzlement.

"Why, Art." Trangh chuckled softly, "Are you still alive?"

John turned back and saw Trangh's eyes glowing red. He then heard the man behind him cry out in pain and it made his stomach turn.

"Stop." John raised the gun and glared at Trangh. "Stop it, now."

Trangh turned to him and saw the renewed hatred in John's eyes.

"John!" Art called out urgently. "Don't! My people are coming. Please!"

Trangh was suddenly distracted by this and growled angrily.

John looked behind him and saw Art smiling in delight despite the pain that tore through his head.

Art laughed softly, clutching at his temples and grimacing as blood trickled from his nose and spilled into his mouth. He glared up at Trangh and somehow managed a snort of amusement. "CIA, you son-of-a-bitch." Art husked, "You're fucked."

"No!" Trangh cried in fury and deepened his focus on Art.

John cringed as Art screamed in pain and he looked back at Trangh. "Stop." He ordered coolly.

Trangh was no longer listening to him.

John closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.

The pain suddenly gone, Art crumpled forward onto the ground with a loud sigh of relief and lay still for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He then lifted his head and saw Trangh lying crumpled on the courtyard floor. Groaning in dismay, Art rolled onto his knees and got to his feet. He stumbled forward and frowned in concern, seeing John standing over Trangh and the gun still in his hand. "Oh no …" Art quickened his pace and then saw Trangh move.

"Ow!" Trangh doubled over and grabbed at his left thigh, hissing in pain.

Art smiled and stepped up beside John.

John looked down at Trangh in bewildered silence, the gun in his tight grasp still trained on him.

"It's okay, John …" Art tentatively reached out and placed his hand on John's arm, lowering the gun. "It's over…"

John turned slowly to face him.

"It's over." Art assured and gently tried to prize the gun from John's grasp.

"No!" John shouted suddenly, shoving Art hard and send him tumbling backwards. Raising the gun, he looked down at Trangh's fear-filled face and choked on a sob.

Everything flashed through his thoughts. Everything this man had done. Everything from the moment he had fired a missile at Five and changed John's life forever. John pulled back on the trigger and could feel the tension on the spring build.

And then suddenly he stopped.

John stared down at Trangh and tears welled his eyes as his mind was suddenly filled with blackness. Cloudy grey-black nothing. And then a tiny silver-grey form was floating in the void. He closed his eyes and fell to his knees.

"It's okay." Art was back with him and knelt down beside him. He grabbed the gun and pulled it from John's grip. Tossing the weapon clear out of reach, he then placed his arm around John's shoulders and gave him a gentle hug. "It's okay, buddy. You'll be okay."

John leaned against the stranger, grateful for his presence and sure that it was the only thing holding up his exhausted body. He hung his head and could feel the world spinning round him.

"Okay, bud." Art could feel John beginning to sag and was himself too bruised and battered to hold him up. "Easy ..." He moved back from him and gently lowered him to the ground.

John sighed wearily and then opened his eyes. He looked up through the dark smoke and could just make out the stars blinking through the gaps in the clouds above them. He watched them in wonder and his mind was suddenly quiet and still. Sleep seemed too good to resist and he could feel his body shutting down. Then a gentle rumble filled the air around him and he watched the smoke spinning wildly, blown away by the sudden breeze that was now shooting dust and ash across the courtyard.

John smiled and groaned in relief as he turned his head and watched One slowly sinking down to rest gently a short way down the road. And then his world went black.

Tbc …