A/N: I'm back! Hold on to your Jensen teddies, gals, these are getting a lil faster and a lil more intense as I go along, here. JJ needs a huggle! The next update will come at you a little sooner, too. The muse has decided she wants to play with this story for a bit, so the next one's already in the works. :)

Pooch steps outside, a wide smile splitting his face when he sees what Cougar has done with the scientist. The man, his leg wounds haphazardly bandaged, is tied neatly to the top of Max's car, the driver nowhere in sight. He is on his back, the ropes forming a neat bow on top of his chest like a birthday present.

"Cougar, you are one sick sonuvabitch," Pooch laughs, strolling towards his "gift."

The scientist mumbles something through his gag, his tone pleading and desperate. Pooch puts his gun away, the grin falling off his face as he stands with his arms crossed, looking thoughtful as he contemplates where to start with the man. Coming to some conclusion, he steps forward and slowly pulls the bow apart, then roughly yanks the scientist off the car. He lands hard in the dirt with a muffled cry, which only serves to bring the smile back to Pooch's face briefly. It turns back into a dangerous scowl as Pooch squats down, leaning over the man's face.

"So you like to cut people, huh?" he snarls as he pulls the gag out of the man's mouth.

"It was just a small scratch," the scientist whimpers.

Pooch laughs coldly. "I can do small scratches, too." He flips open the pocket knife that seems to have magically appeared in his hand and with one quick slash, opens up a tiny cut in the man's arm. The scientist cries out more in shock than in real pain, causing Pooch to shove the gag back into the man's mouth. He smiles again. "I can do a whole lot of scratches…"

"Where are you, you little snake?" Clay whispers as he stalks through the building.

"If I catch him first, I'm not saving any for you," Aisha quickly informs him.

"Then I guess I'll just have to move faster," he smirks, ducking down the next hall just in time to avoid being seen by a group of soldiers.

The two of them remain silent for a while in their race to track down Max first, while at the same time trying to avoid becoming target practice for those members of the enemy militia that are still alive. They keep their comm. links open so they can hear each other as they progress through the compound, listening for any sign that their common target has been located.

"Fuck!" Aisha suddenly hisses.

"You hit?" Clay asks. He hears her curse again followed by what sounds like her boot making contact with the metal wall.

"He's gone," she snaps.

He peeks around the corner and backs further down his darkened hall, pressing his hand to his ear. "Say that again."

"Max. He's fucking gone. One of these control panels was an escape tunnel, damn near tripped over the damn door." She kicks it and it clatters across the floor a few feet. "I'm going after him."

"Negative, Aisha-"

"You are not my Colonel, Clay. I am going after Max."

Cougar's voice suddenly cuts in. "Colonel."

Clay looks in the general direction where he knows Aisha to be, then back towards the lab room. "Shit," he mumbles. "On my way. Pooch?"

"Already movin'," Pooch answers.

Aisha crouches down and crawls into the tunnel, only gets a little ways in before she hesitates, punches the wall, then backs out and makes her way to the lab, cursing to herself. She makes certain to inflict pain on any straggling soldier she happens to find along the way.

Clay grins when their paths collide. "Thought you were going after Max."

She holds a hand up and pushes past him. "Not now, Clay, or I swear to God I will break your face."

"Fair enough," he nods, and follows after her, still smiling.

Pooch races up to Clay and Aisha just as they reach the lab doors. "Colonel, we got a problem."

Clay arches his eyebrows. "This is not our day."

"Yeah, no shit," Pooch replies. "Overheard one of the soldiers back there confirming a request for backup. We need to get this done fast and get out of here before the cavalry shows up."

"I could stay out here and deal with them," Aisha offers.

The sound of the front doors of the compound being blown off echoes down to them. Clay looks at Pooch and Aisha and shakes his head. "Too late. Cougar, get the door, I want everyone inside."

"Guess it's blow shit up and ask questions later for those guys," Pooch grumbles as he steps into the room.

Aisha follows him in, but Clay stops and goes back out in the hall for a few seconds. He tinkers with something on the door hinges before nodding to Cougar to close it, waving off the questioning looks from his teammates. "A little surprise for our new friends," he briefly explains, then looks at Jensen. "You ready for this?"

Jake looks up at the Colonel and his red-rimmed eyes look nearly vacant. He nods absently at the question, causing Clay to frown and turn to Cougar. "He still with us?"

"Yes," Jensen answers for himself. He slowly turns his gaze to the chair and the machine in the corner. "Help," he mutters.

"Jesus, you look like shit... This better work," Aisha says as she moves to wheel the apparatus back over to the chair. "Where's this thing go?"

Pooch helps her slide it back to position while Cougar and Clay practically carry Jensen to the chair. "And if it doesn't work?" Pooch asks, scrunching up his face in disgust as he lowers the metal rods back over Jake's face.

"Shoot…me…" Jensen answers, and they look at each other in alarm when they realize he means it.

Clay swallows. "How long before we know?"

"Day…tops," the tech answers.

"You're sure?" Cougar asks.

Jensen shudders again and gasps. When he can speak again he answers in a whisper. "Day…tops…please…" He sucks in another sharp breath. "...hurts…"

The Colonel shuts his eyes for a long second. When he opens them, he squeezes the tech's knee. "I'll do what I have to," he responds.

Jake's lips quirk up for a brief second. "Not…an…answer."

"That's as good as you're getting," Clay says.

Any other conversation is cut off by the sound of metal scratching against metal. They look towards the door as if expecting it to fly open any minute. "Now or never," Pooch points out.

"Do…it," Jensen demands.

Cougar crosses himself and flips the switch. They all step back as streamers of electricity shoot back into their friend's eyes and ears. His back arches off the reclined chair for several seconds before his body falls limp. This time he doesn't scream.