p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Jasmine saw the flash bang grenade and just about managed to throw an arm in front of her eyes before it went off. She blinked furiously and swept a leg round to where Linagar was. She connected and tracked the man shaped blur as it fell. She was on him immediately and made sure he wouldn't get up again soon. She got to her feet, irritated by the ringing in her ears, only to be taken down by a rugby tackle. Someone - Orson presumably - scrambled furiously to pin her down and then vanished. It didn't occur to her to stay down and take stock, that was a sure fire way to get killed in her world. He vision had cleared enough to see two GDF uniforms going at it. She growled in annoyance. The flash bang must have roused Portwell and he was now trying to kill Orson. Jasmine had removed Portwell's gun when she'd knocked him out which at least took out one option, but it seemed Portwell was quite handy in a fight. Determined to keep the young private alive she reentered the fray and things became very confusing. Portwell assumed Jasmine was on his side, Orson (now on the brink of hysteria) was becoming more and more unpredictable and lunged for either of them and Jasmine… We'll she'd had about enough of it all. Jasmine took a deep breath, Oracle smiled, and a few minutes later Portwell was down with no hope of getting up without medical intervention and Orson was cowering against the wall, his rifle and side arm thrown into the darkness before he'd been able to react./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Jasmine began going through Portwell's pockets, taking zip ties, a lighter, the radio and anything else that could come in handy. She told herself she was giving Orson time to pull himself together but really she knew she was reigning Oracle back in. The problem was it'd felt /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"so good /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"to have that kind of advantage again. Both men had been determined in their fight but neither had known what they were up against. The Adrenalin rush it gave her and the savage joy from their fear - she loved it and she hated herself for loving it. It'd been almost two years since she'd felt it, a year since she'd longed for it and now Oracle was back in all her technological glory and Jasmine? She didn't know if she wanted to see her go or become her again./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"She looked up to Orson who flinched hard and bit back a cry./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"It sobered her up completely. She never wanted anyone to look at her like that ever again. Her stomach dropped out. What would Virgil say?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil!/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He wasn't here. But she knew where he would be. The idea that he'd made a run for it never occurred to her. Virgil wasn't like that, he saved people, he didn't abandon them./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"She deliberately softened her face and looked at Orson again. Right now he embodied everything she hated about the GDF. Snivelling, cowering and utterly useless without a gun and a team to back him up. But he hadn't been like that initially had he? He'd been bright and chatty and definitely star struck at meeting Virgil. She rose slowly, empty hands spread so he could see them, unconsciously mimicking Virgil from such a short time ago. Orson wasn't wasn't some useless, nameless cog in a faceless wheel. He was a young man terrified out of his wits because he colleagues had turned on him and the supposed victim had become a monster right in front of him./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Orson" she said gently "everything is going to be okay."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""What are you!?" He demanded./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm with International Rescue" she said dodging the question./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Like hell!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I am" she said. "Look, you know that IR had a mole inside this operation feeding them intel; the mole is me."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I don't believe you" he said shaking his head. "There were meant to be three victims and the rescuer down here. Instead we find just him and you and he says you're the victim but look at what you just did." He cast his eyes down to the bloodied form of Portwell and looked away quickly./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""The boys do the rescuing, the girls get the other jobs" she said. "But speaking of the boys, that man that was here with me? His name is Virgil, and he's very dear to me. Someone took him and they don't intend anything good for him. I need to go and get him back. But I need something form you as well."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"At that Orson's wide yes met hers./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You need something from me" he said with the finality of one condemned./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Yes" she moved in closer and took his trembling hands in hers. "The GDF is compromised. Linagar and Portwell aren't GDF they're mercenaries."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's not true" Orson said in a small voice. "They're from Rikers Garrison, they knew all about the mission, knew all the clearance codes."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"At that Jasmine blanched. The GDF actually were compromised and it went a lot farther than she'd ever anticipated./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's how bad it is. They're mercenaries" she insisted. "That's why Linagar was so gun-ho about killing you. All he cared about was abducting Virgil."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""He thought you were working with them" Orson said, realisation dawning./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""He did but I'm not. I need to get going."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""What did you need from me?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Get back to your staging area. Tell them they've been compromised. Trust only those you know and are absolutely certain about. Or anyone in and IR uniform" she said as an after thought./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Orson took a deep breath./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Okay" he said./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Good man" Jasmine clapped him on the shoulder and turned to leave./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Wait!" Orson stopped her. "How do you know where Virgil was taken?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Because I helped build this trap" she said grimly and set off back towards the O'Learly building and the second basement./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22.5px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil's heart was hammering in his chest. His right arm was twisted so brutally he was sure it had fractured on the all too short march. He'd done everything he could think of but he was simply out powered - that alone was a sobering thought for him. He hadn't been physically overwhelmed since he was a kid. With Scott having moved up to the next school and John being a softer target than he was the bullying for Virgil had gotten pretty bad, so he'd started weight training. It helped him lose the puppy fat he was being bullied for and the extra muscle deterred the worst of the kids. But right now he was thirteen again and being pushed around by someone bigger, stronger and more intimidating than he'd ever be./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"They reached a staircase and Virgil was given the option of walk down or be pushed. He couldn't believe this was happening. Months of everyone telling him it wouldn't come to this and below it all, the stone cold belief in himself that he could handle it if he needed to were eroded away./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Suddenly he was there, hauled in front of a short man with grey hair, a youthful face and a look of pure glee. But for the moment Virgil wasn't his focus, his captor was and the look Steven shot him was anything but joyous./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Where is Jasmine?" he demanded./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""She got herself caught in the crossfire of three GDF" the man explained with a shrug, unintentionally pulling Virgil with him. "I figure best to bring him to you before she loses him."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""A pity" Steven said turning away and balling his fists./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil tore his eyes form the short man who was now just standing with his back to them, not moving. It was unnerving to say the least. Maybe he needed a moment to pull himself together? For what? Virgil chose not to believe that Jasmine had been lost in the fight with the GDF but was it her loss that had upset Steven so? But why would he care? Then another though stuck Virgil; just how close had Jasmine gotten in order to preserve her cover?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Doing his best to shelve that thought (even though it rang in his head like a gong) Virgil took stock. The basement was oddly clean and bright. His mind had conjured up dim lighting and dirty plastic sheeting for an underground torture chamber. Maybe rows of instruments laid out to incite fear, or a table with rusted manacles. This room was none of those things. There was a patient table, yes, but it had no obvious signs of restraints attached. There was a desk with a comfy leather chair, just like you might find in any office - it wasn't so dissimilar to his father's now he came to think of it. There was nothing on the desk. It held draws down one side just like a regular office. In fact the entire place looked like a GP's room. It was only missing the anatomy posters or comforting landscapes./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The man holding Virgil shifted uneasily and Virgil wondered if now was the time. The grip on his arms was loosening and they were no longer pressed together. Cautiously he began to shift his weight to the left, freeing his right leg for a solid back kick. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"No reaction. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil struck. The man cried out in either pain or surprise and Virgil slammed his head back making solid contact with his captors face. But he wasn't released. Instead the hands around his wrists tightened enough to grind bone together. Virgil ignored it as best he could, he couldn't afford to give in now!/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Jasmine would have had him here in one piece" Steven said quietly. "Mikhael, bring him here."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil planted himself, he simply refused to move forwards and it soon became very clear that if Mikhael continued trying they'd both end up in a heap on the floor./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Mikhael you're trying my patience" Steven said, finally turning back to the struggling pair. What he saw caused his face to harden. He reached out behind him and the hand came back with a short handled knife./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You're not the only one!" Jasmine thundered into the room. It wasn't lost on Virgil that she placed herself between him and the sociopath. "You threw a fucking flash bang at me!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You were outnumbered" Mikhael said sounding extremely apologetic. "There were three of them."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""One! One you blockhead. Two were ours and he" she flung a hand In Virgil's direction "was talking down the one lone GDF twat. Then you blundered in and suddenly it's a free for all."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Where are they now?" Steven asked. Virgil looked up to see the squat man looking very happy as he lent against the metal bed./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Dead" she said over her shoulder as though it was obvious. "I handled it." She turned back to Mikhael and jabbed a finger at him. To Virgil's surprise the man actually backed off, dragging him back a pace. Steven chuckled and Virgil was struck by the thought that his captor was using him as a human shield against his own girlfriend. It was almost funny. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm not losing my cut because you got impatient!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"At those words Virgil finally realised she was stalling and started to get himself together. Moving cautiously he refound his balance and tested the grip Mikhael had on his, now screaming, arm. Once he'd noticed the pain though it took him a moment to get it back under control. He didn't see Steven sidle over to him until the man was close enough to whisper "I'm enjoying the show" just loud enough for Virgil to hear. "You wait your turn."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil realised he had lost track on the heated, one sided rant, but as Steven moved away Jasmine moved in. Something flashed in the left hand and Virgil took great pains to make sure he didn't stare at it. He couldn't afford to give anything away now./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You bet your arse you will" she said dangerously. "You're in enough trouble as it is without adding me to that list."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"At Michael's lost look Jasmine quirked a wry smile and nodded towards Steven./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You damaged his toy" she said and Mikhael flinched, the reflex running through Virgil thanks to the tight hold. "I was bringing him here unharmed and with a song in his heart but you? Just many many times did you hit him in order to get him here?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Suddenly all eyes were on him and Virgil swallowed. Just at a mention of the beating his battered side and arms twinged./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Oh I've been looking forward to that look" Steven said coming to stand in front of Virgil. This meant Jasmine had to back off and whatever was in her hand vanished. Steven was out of arms reach though, Virgil noticed, which meant he wasn't one hundred per cent confident that Mikhael could hold him. "She called you here so you could be mine" Steven said, placing a gentle hand on Virgil's face and turning it so he could look Virgil in the eye. "She was mine all along."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil didn't know how he was meant to react so he didn't. This seemed to please Steven even more./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""He's the challenge you wanted" Jasmine said. She was now sitting on the table, legs swinging gently like she didn't have a care in the world./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""What's your name?" Steven asked. After a moment Jasmine offered;/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Well, it isn't Rory."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Is that what he told you?" Steven asked rhetorically. "Now, now, I won't have a liar in my office" he turned away. "String him up."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Mikhael surged forwards, causing Virgil to stumble half a dozen paces. When he finally clattered to a halt it wasn't Steven before him but Jasmine and she held two manacles attached to long chains which reached pulleys the ceiling and angled off to the far wall. He was so stunned that Mikhael had bought his arms forward and she'd clapped the metal round his wrists before he could react./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"Why would she do this? Why would she go through all this only to trap him down here?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Ah betrayal" Steven said watching Virgil closely. "You wanted to save her but she wanted this all along."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Why?" Virgil managed, directing the question to Jasmine. She looked up from setting the manacle and Virgil didn't recognise the woman looking back./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Money" she said. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I don't believe you." The phrase was out before he'd thought about it. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's not really my problem" she shrugged./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Mikhael stood and Virgil found his ankles had been shackled as well./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Jasmine very carefully took each chain and placed it in his hands. She gently folded his fingers round the unforgiving metal like she'd just handed him something fragile./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Steven has something he wants to ask you" she said softly, almost apologetically. "I suggest you tell him. Sooner, rather than later."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm not telling him anything" Virgil managed, putting as much conviction into his voice as he could. Unfortunately, it didn't come out as confident as he would have liked./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Think about it" she said. "We're under a fallen building. No one knows you're down here and with that storm outside no one is coming."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"She released his hands and they were immediately jerked upwards until he was at full stretch, the grip on the chains the only thing keeping him under any semblance of his own balance. He sucked in a breath as he tried to keep his feet under him but the ankle manacles were short and caused him to stumble. There was another pull on the chain and now only his toes were on the floor. This was it, he was caught! Helpless. There was no getting out now./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'll fetch you the other one." The heavy accent cut through Virgil's panic like an ice bath. /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"They knew about Scott!/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Well would you look at that" Steven said with the air of a scientist observing test results. "I should have realised he would care more for others than himself." He turned to Mikhael and Jasmine. "Bring me the other one." They both nodded and moved in separate directions. Mikhael towards the back of the room and an exit Virgil hadn't noticed before and Jasmine back to the door Virgil had been brought through./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""This is faster" Mikhael said. Jasmine shook her head./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I know a work around" she said./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Then they left./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Jasmine left. After everything they'd been through, every moment together, every promise made out loud or whispered to each other, she'd just gone. She hadn't even looked back./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You have until they return to tell me what I want to know" Steven said. "Once your colleague gets here I'll leave you strung up and tear strips out of him. You'll know what it feels like, by then. In fact you be intimately aware of how it feels when I place my hands on you. So, a few questions then. What is the primary access code for Thunderbird Two?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil didn't answer. He couldn't. He had no doubt that Steven meant every word he'd said and he now knew, with cold clarity, what his next few hours would be. But, he believed in Scott and he believed in Gordon. Neither would be caught easily and neither would go down without a fight./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Good" Steven said quietly. "I was hoping you'd say that."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Jasmine began going through Portwell's pockets, taking zip ties, a lighter, the radio and anything else that could come in handy. She told herself she was giving Orson time to pull himself together but really she knew she was reigning Oracle back in. The problem was it'd felt /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"so good /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"to have that kind of advantage again. Both men had been determined in their fight but neither had known what they were up against. The Adrenalin rush it gave her and the savage joy from their fear - she loved it and she hated herself for loving it. It'd been almost two years since she'd felt it, a year since she'd longed for it and now Oracle was back in all her technological glory and Jasmine? She didn't know if she wanted to see her go or become her again./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"She looked up to Orson who flinched hard and bit back a cry./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"It sobered her up completely. She never wanted anyone to look at her like that ever again. Her stomach dropped out. What would Virgil say?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil!/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He wasn't here. But she knew where he would be. The idea that he'd made a run for it never occurred to her. Virgil wasn't like that, he saved people, he didn't abandon them./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"She deliberately softened her face and looked at Orson again. Right now he embodied everything she hated about the GDF. Snivelling, cowering and utterly useless without a gun and a team to back him up. But he hadn't been like that initially had he? He'd been bright and chatty and definitely star struck at meeting Virgil. She rose slowly, empty hands spread so he could see them, unconsciously mimicking Virgil from such a short time ago. Orson wasn't wasn't some useless, nameless cog in a faceless wheel. He was a young man terrified out of his wits because he colleagues had turned on him and the supposed victim had become a monster right in front of him./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Orson" she said gently "everything is going to be okay."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""What are you!?" He demanded./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm with International Rescue" she said dodging the question./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Like hell!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I am" she said. "Look, you know that IR had a mole inside this operation feeding them intel; the mole is me."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I don't believe you" he said shaking his head. "There were meant to be three victims and the rescuer down here. Instead we find just him and you and he says you're the victim but look at what you just did." He cast his eyes down to the bloodied form of Portwell and looked away quickly./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""The boys do the rescuing, the girls get the other jobs" she said. "But speaking of the boys, that man that was here with me? His name is Virgil, and he's very dear to me. Someone took him and they don't intend anything good for him. I need to go and get him back. But I need something form you as well."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"At that Orson's wide yes met hers./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You need something from me" he said with the finality of one condemned./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Yes" she moved in closer and took his trembling hands in hers. "The GDF is compromised. Linagar and Portwell aren't GDF they're mercenaries."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's not true" Orson said in a small voice. "They're from Rikers Garrison, they knew all about the mission, knew all the clearance codes."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"At that Jasmine blanched. The GDF actually were compromised and it went a lot farther than she'd ever anticipated./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's how bad it is. They're mercenaries" she insisted. "That's why Linagar was so gun-ho about killing you. All he cared about was abducting Virgil."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""He thought you were working with them" Orson said, realisation dawning./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""He did but I'm not. I need to get going."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""What did you need from me?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Get back to your staging area. Tell them they've been compromised. Trust only those you know and are absolutely certain about. Or anyone in and IR uniform" she said as an after thought./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Orson took a deep breath./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Okay" he said./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Good man" Jasmine clapped him on the shoulder and turned to leave./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Wait!" Orson stopped her. "How do you know where Virgil was taken?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Because I helped build this trap" she said grimly and set off back towards the O'Learly building and the second basement./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22.5px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil's heart was hammering in his chest. His right arm was twisted so brutally he was sure it had fractured on the all too short march. He'd done everything he could think of but he was simply out powered - that alone was a sobering thought for him. He hadn't been physically overwhelmed since he was a kid. With Scott having moved up to the next school and John being a softer target than he was the bullying for Virgil had gotten pretty bad, so he'd started weight training. It helped him lose the puppy fat he was being bullied for and the extra muscle deterred the worst of the kids. But right now he was thirteen again and being pushed around by someone bigger, stronger and more intimidating than he'd ever be./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"They reached a staircase and Virgil was given the option of walk down or be pushed. He couldn't believe this was happening. Months of everyone telling him it wouldn't come to this and below it all, the stone cold belief in himself that he could handle it if he needed to were eroded away./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Suddenly he was there, hauled in front of a short man with grey hair, a youthful face and a look of pure glee. But for the moment Virgil wasn't his focus, his captor was and the look Steven shot him was anything but joyous./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Where is Jasmine?" he demanded./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""She got herself caught in the crossfire of three GDF" the man explained with a shrug, unintentionally pulling Virgil with him. "I figure best to bring him to you before she loses him."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""A pity" Steven said turning away and balling his fists./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil tore his eyes form the short man who was now just standing with his back to them, not moving. It was unnerving to say the least. Maybe he needed a moment to pull himself together? For what? Virgil chose not to believe that Jasmine had been lost in the fight with the GDF but was it her loss that had upset Steven so? But why would he care? Then another though stuck Virgil; just how close had Jasmine gotten in order to preserve her cover?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Doing his best to shelve that thought (even though it rang in his head like a gong) Virgil took stock. The basement was oddly clean and bright. His mind had conjured up dim lighting and dirty plastic sheeting for an underground torture chamber. Maybe rows of instruments laid out to incite fear, or a table with rusted manacles. This room was none of those things. There was a patient table, yes, but it had no obvious signs of restraints attached. There was a desk with a comfy leather chair, just like you might find in any office - it wasn't so dissimilar to his father's now he came to think of it. There was nothing on the desk. It held draws down one side just like a regular office. In fact the entire place looked like a GP's room. It was only missing the anatomy posters or comforting landscapes./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The man holding Virgil shifted uneasily and Virgil wondered if now was the time. The grip on his arms was loosening and they were no longer pressed together. Cautiously he began to shift his weight to the left, freeing his right leg for a solid back kick. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"No reaction. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil struck. The man cried out in either pain or surprise and Virgil slammed his head back making solid contact with his captors face. But he wasn't released. Instead the hands around his wrists tightened enough to grind bone together. Virgil ignored it as best he could, he couldn't afford to give in now!/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Jasmine would have had him here in one piece" Steven said quietly. "Mikhael, bring him here."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil planted himself, he simply refused to move forwards and it soon became very clear that if Mikhael continued trying they'd both end up in a heap on the floor./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Mikhael you're trying my patience" Steven said, finally turning back to the struggling pair. What he saw caused his face to harden. He reached out behind him and the hand came back with a short handled knife./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You're not the only one!" Jasmine thundered into the room. It wasn't lost on Virgil that she placed herself between him and the sociopath. "You threw a fucking flash bang at me!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You were outnumbered" Mikhael said sounding extremely apologetic. "There were three of them."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""One! One you blockhead. Two were ours and he" she flung a hand In Virgil's direction "was talking down the one lone GDF twat. Then you blundered in and suddenly it's a free for all."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Where are they now?" Steven asked. Virgil looked up to see the squat man looking very happy as he lent against the metal bed./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Dead" she said over her shoulder as though it was obvious. "I handled it." She turned back to Mikhael and jabbed a finger at him. To Virgil's surprise the man actually backed off, dragging him back a pace. Steven chuckled and Virgil was struck by the thought that his captor was using him as a human shield against his own girlfriend. It was almost funny. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm not losing my cut because you got impatient!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"At those words Virgil finally realised she was stalling and started to get himself together. Moving cautiously he refound his balance and tested the grip Mikhael had on his, now screaming, arm. Once he'd noticed the pain though it took him a moment to get it back under control. He didn't see Steven sidle over to him until the man was close enough to whisper "I'm enjoying the show" just loud enough for Virgil to hear. "You wait your turn."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil realised he had lost track on the heated, one sided rant, but as Steven moved away Jasmine moved in. Something flashed in the left hand and Virgil took great pains to make sure he didn't stare at it. He couldn't afford to give anything away now./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You bet your arse you will" she said dangerously. "You're in enough trouble as it is without adding me to that list."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"At Michael's lost look Jasmine quirked a wry smile and nodded towards Steven./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You damaged his toy" she said and Mikhael flinched, the reflex running through Virgil thanks to the tight hold. "I was bringing him here unharmed and with a song in his heart but you? Just many many times did you hit him in order to get him here?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Suddenly all eyes were on him and Virgil swallowed. Just at a mention of the beating his battered side and arms twinged./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Oh I've been looking forward to that look" Steven said coming to stand in front of Virgil. This meant Jasmine had to back off and whatever was in her hand vanished. Steven was out of arms reach though, Virgil noticed, which meant he wasn't one hundred per cent confident that Mikhael could hold him. "She called you here so you could be mine" Steven said, placing a gentle hand on Virgil's face and turning it so he could look Virgil in the eye. "She was mine all along."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil didn't know how he was meant to react so he didn't. This seemed to please Steven even more./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""He's the challenge you wanted" Jasmine said. She was now sitting on the table, legs swinging gently like she didn't have a care in the world./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""What's your name?" Steven asked. After a moment Jasmine offered;/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Well, it isn't Rory."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Is that what he told you?" Steven asked rhetorically. "Now, now, I won't have a liar in my office" he turned away. "String him up."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Mikhael surged forwards, causing Virgil to stumble half a dozen paces. When he finally clattered to a halt it wasn't Steven before him but Jasmine and she held two manacles attached to long chains which reached pulleys the ceiling and angled off to the far wall. He was so stunned that Mikhael had bought his arms forward and she'd clapped the metal round his wrists before he could react./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"Why would she do this? Why would she go through all this only to trap him down here?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Ah betrayal" Steven said watching Virgil closely. "You wanted to save her but she wanted this all along."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Why?" Virgil managed, directing the question to Jasmine. She looked up from setting the manacle and Virgil didn't recognise the woman looking back./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Money" she said. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I don't believe you." The phrase was out before he'd thought about it. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's not really my problem" she shrugged./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Mikhael stood and Virgil found his ankles had been shackled as well./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Jasmine very carefully took each chain and placed it in his hands. She gently folded his fingers round the unforgiving metal like she'd just handed him something fragile./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Steven has something he wants to ask you" she said softly, almost apologetically. "I suggest you tell him. Sooner, rather than later."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm not telling him anything" Virgil managed, putting as much conviction into his voice as he could. Unfortunately, it didn't come out as confident as he would have liked./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Think about it" she said. "We're under a fallen building. No one knows you're down here and with that storm outside no one is coming."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"She released his hands and they were immediately jerked upwards until he was at full stretch, the grip on the chains the only thing keeping him under any semblance of his own balance. He sucked in a breath as he tried to keep his feet under him but the ankle manacles were short and caused him to stumble. There was another pull on the chain and now only his toes were on the floor. This was it, he was caught! Helpless. There was no getting out now./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'll fetch you the other one." The heavy accent cut through Virgil's panic like an ice bath. /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"They knew about Scott!/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Well would you look at that" Steven said with the air of a scientist observing test results. "I should have realised he would care more for others than himself." He turned to Mikhael and Jasmine. "Bring me the other one." They both nodded and moved in separate directions. Mikhael towards the back of the room and an exit Virgil hadn't noticed before and Jasmine back to the door Virgil had been brought through./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""This is faster" Mikhael said. Jasmine shook her head./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I know a work around" she said./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Then they left./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Jasmine left. After everything they'd been through, every moment together, every promise made out loud or whispered to each other, she'd just gone. She hadn't even looked back./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You have until they return to tell me what I want to know" Steven said. "Once your colleague gets here I'll leave you strung up and tear strips out of him. You'll know what it feels like, by then. In fact you be intimately aware of how it feels when I place my hands on you. So, a few questions then. What is the primary access code for Thunderbird Two?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil didn't answer. He couldn't. He had no doubt that Steven meant every word he'd said and he now knew, with cold clarity, what his next few hours would be. But, he believed in Scott and he believed in Gordon. Neither would be caught easily and neither would go down without a fight./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Good" Steven said quietly. "I was hoping you'd say that."/span/p