Back in the head office, Briggs roughly shoved Wagner in a chair and Leland got to within an inch of his face. "Tell us what you did with Detective Monk, or I'll..."

"You'll what Stottlemeyer? You'll hit me? I don't think you would risk your precious pension to leave a mark on me." Wagner said.

"Don't be so sure. Monk is my oldest friend. I would risk my career and even my life to help that man. And I would enjoy leaving a mark on you. But so help me, if you push me to it, I will make it worth my while or I won't do it at all. Now where is he?"

"Gentlemen" Greenway interrupted. "Please, keep it down. The Zenith is about the launch. History is being made."

The conversation halted as everyone gathered around the large screen television on the wall.

"It's a beautiful morning for this launch" said the announcer. "We've received word that Commander Grayson has received the all clear sign from the command center and he's revvvvving up his engines." He said as they posted Grayson's photograph on the air.

"GRAYSON!" Natalie screamed. "That's him! That's him!"

"That's who?" Leland responded as the television anchor said "30 seconds 'til liftoff."

"That's him! He's the guy!" Natalie cried. "You've got to stop him! He's the man who kidnapped me! He's the man who shot Adrian."

"20 seconds."

Stottlemeyer turned to the chief officer and yelled "We've got to cancel this flight! Call command and have them cancel it!"

"But sir..."

"No, but sir! Do it!" Leland yelled.

"T-minus 10. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6..."

"Sir. "I'm afraid it's too late"

"You still have five seconds!"

"There's no time!"

"But..."

"3, 2, 1... We have LIFTOFF! The Altman Aeronautics Zenith One has just taken off on its quest for the moon!"

The room sat in still silence as the rocket burst forth from its platform and soared into the sky every eye attentive to its trajectory as it rose through the deep blue sky.

45 seconds after launch, Wagner began to laugh.

Stottlemeyer turned to him in anger. "And just what's so funny?" he asked, sharply.

Wagner stared straight ahead with a satisfied look on his face. "Well, Captain. You wanted to know where Mr. Monk was."

"Yes?" Leland replied as he, Briggs and Natalie began to circle around him.

Wagner grinned. "Well, I'll tell you. Right now, he's about 150 miles above earth's surface and climbing."

Stottlemeyer and Natalie's eyes grew wide. "What?!"

Wagner responded "Oh yes. Our dear Mr. Monk met with an unfortunately 'accident' in which his cranium inadvertently collided with the handle of my gun. Last I saw him, he was out cold and stuffed in a storage container that was destined for the rocket's cargo bay."

"ADRIAN!" Natalie screamed, going into hysterics.

"Oh don't worry yourself too bad, Natalie." Wagner sneered. "He won't suffer long. Without a space suit in an unpressurized cabin, he'll last two, maybe three minutes tops. Of course, in the interim between now and death, if he wakes up, the pain will be excruciating. His body will swell and it'll feel unbearable until the pressure sucks the oxygen right out of his system... By my count, he has about 30 seconds left."

"OH PLEASE! NO! PLEASE GOD, NO!" Natalie sobbed.

Leland turned to the screen and watched in horror as the rocket carrying his oldest friend in the world rose through the clouds and pierced the atmosphere, slipping away from the bonds of earth.

"Three minutes. Time's up." Wagner sneered. "Goodbye Mr. Monk!"