"Help! Help!"

The door crashed open and Officer Callahan stood there. His eyes were drawn to the motionless figure on the cell floor. The colour drained from his face.

Jonathan appeared behind him. "What's happened?" But he could see; Max was lifeless on the floor. Her red hair fanned out around her pale face. He looked at Officer Callahan. "You know first aid, right?" Officer Callahan nodded, but his mouth was hanging open as if in shock.

"Please! She's not breathing." Lucas was kneeling at Max's side. He touched her face. "She's so cold," he said.

"We need to help her," Jonathan shouted. For a moment he thought he might have to slap the police officer, but he suddenly seemed to grasp the severity of the situation. He unhooked his keys and with shaking hands unlocked the cell door.

He dashed over to Max, but Lucas had thrown himself over her body.

"Don't touch her," he yelled. He began to sob uncontrollably. Jonathan edged into the cell. Officer Callahan tried to pull Lucas away, but he held on, wailing.

"You need to let me attend her son," he said, trying again to dislodge Lucas, but he just cried louder. Officer Callahan looked at Jonathan. "I need help," he said.

Jonathan nodded and walked further into the cell. He positioned himself behind Officer Callahan and looked at the holster he wore around his waist. At the gun that sat nestled there. Officer Callahan was sweating now and grunting with exertion.

Jonathan took a deep breath and leaned down and with a swift movement, he pulled the gun free from its holster. Officer Callahan felt it and turned around puzzled. He came face to face with his own revolver.

"I'm sorry," Jonathan stammered. "Get up Max," he said. "Lucas."

Max opened her eyes and stood up. She glanced at Lucas and a small smile played across her face.

Officer Callahan was whiter than he had been before. "What the hell is going on here?" he asked.

"Grab his keys Lucas," Jonathan said. Officer Callahan watched, in horror, as Lucas unhooked the keys. "I'm sorry," Jonathan said again. He began to back away.

"You're going to get in serious trouble for this," Officer Callahan said. His face had gone from being white to red. Jonathan saw him clenching his fists.

He nodded. "Maybe, but what if I told you Hopper was alive."

Officer Callahan shook his head. Then he laughed with derision. "We buried him," he said.

"So they would have us believe." Jonathan stepped outside the cell. Max and Lucas followed. "Why did they say to keep my Mom and Nancy locked up back there," Jonathan said gesturing to the closed door at the end of the hallway.

Officer Callahan went to speak, but then shut his mouth again. He frowned.

"Did they threaten you?"

Jonathan closed the cell door and Lucas began to fumble for the key, but his hands were shaking. Max took them from him.

"Hurry," Jonathan said to Max. He looked back at Officer Callahan. "This is bigger than all of us," he said. "But Hopper is alive and we're trying to find him. And they, whoever they are, are trying to stop us." He smiled. "Hopper will be grateful to you."

Max was on her third key. She turned it and heard the welcome sound of the lock sliding into place.

Officer Callahan slumped in defeat. "They'll find you," he said. "So, unless you can disappear, I'll see you back here sometime soon."

Jonathan nodded. "Then I guess we're going to disappear," he said. He looked at Max and Lucas. "Okay," he said. "We need to move."

They walked to the closed door and listened, but it was silent on the other side. Jonathan looked at the lock. It was different and there was only one key that could possibly fit it. He unlocked the door with ease and pushed it open. It was thick metal, and heavy. The gloom of the space beyond came to meet them.

With the gun still clutched in his sweating hand, Jonathan stepped over the threshold. There were two doors, one either side. Both closed. But there was no keyhole, just a latch lock. He looked at Lucas and then at Max and then back at the lock. He turned it and pushed the door open.

Nancy was sitting at a white table. She had a rag stuffed in her mouth and her hands were attached to the legs of the chair either side of her. Her head was lolling forward onto her chest.

"Nancy!" Jonathan ran to her. "Nancy," he said again. She lifted her head and looked at him. He saw a tear fall from her eye. "It's okay," he said. "It's okay." He took the rag from her mouth and hugged her as she leaned against his shoulder.

"We need the bolt cutters for these cuffs," Jonathan said. "And check the other door," he said. "Be careful."

Max nodded and gestured for Lucas to go with her.

"Bonnie and Clyde," Lucas said with a grin. His grin got bigger when he saw Max smile.

"We need to leave," Mike said panic stricken. El stood up. She was tired. She had wanted to rest. Needed to rest. "We need to leave NOW!"

"What is it?" Will asked. His voice sounded calm, but inside he was panicking.

"Move now, talk later!" Mike grabbed Will by the scruff and dragged him to his feet. He looked at El and she saw the fear in his eyes. They were here for her. They all knew it. "Let's go," Mike said.

"Where?" El looked towards the front door.

Mike waved keys at her. "Basement first, then out the window and then…"

"You're going to drive us out of here," Will asked.

Mike pulled him along to the door that led downstairs. "Unless you want to," he hissed.

Hopper cried out in pain. The point of the knife had drawn a line down the middle of his chest. The woman smiled, enjoying herself.

"Can she hear you screaming, do you think?" she whispered.

Hopper ground his teeth together. He looked at the woman. At her blue eyes that seemed ablaze with pleasure.

"Why do you want her so much?" he asked. "She's just a little girl."

The woman laughed. "But she's not just a little girl, is she? She's probably the most powerful weapon we can ever hope to possess."

Hopper shook his head. It was difficult to think. Much less speak.

"Weapon?" he said. He was confused. Were they talking about El still?

"The Russians wanted to control the creature. We thought we could control it too, but we were both naïve. Only she can, of course. It knew that and that's why it wanted to kill her. But we don't want to kill her," she whispered. "We want to harness her mind and learn from her." She smiled like a shark. "With her help, the creature will be under our control."

She ran the sharp blade of the knife against Hopper's leg. He watched it, afraid. Then she leaned against its hilt until it pierced his skin. He grimaced with the pain. He felt the sweat soaking his body. Then he felt the warm flow of his blood.

"It can't be controlled," he said, panting.

"We'll see," she said. She licked her lips. "I missed your main artery, but I won't next time, and even without you, we'll still get the girl." She sighed and pouted. "It would have been easier if you had complied. We could have had some fun together." She sighed. "Never mind. I still get to have my fun."

The door opened. The thin grey man stood there. Hopper looked at him over the woman's shoulder. She was leaning over him still. Her hair was tickling his face. She didn't bother turning around.

"They think they've found the girl," he said.

"I'm still not going to let you live," the woman whispered to Hopper. She gripped his leg that was now wet with blood and squeezed. Hopper closed his eyes. He was a big man. A strong man, but this woman was breaking him. He tried not to think of El, but he knew if she could find him, they would come for him and this would all be over. The woman squeezed tighter still, and Hopper gasped, then he opened his eyes and stared into her soulless ones.

And all he could think of was that he wouldn't be there to protect El.