Rick had just dropped Penny off at school when the first explosion shook the city Monday morning. A sound like a million shotguns going off at once rang through the southern end of Reno. Rick watched as the earth belched a black plume of smoke. He flicked a switch on the dashboard of his Ford Mustang and a light bar rose from the top of the car. A siren kicked in and he made a sharp turn in the direction of the explosion. Cars slowed and even stopped as drivers looked on incredulously.

Rick didn't even reach for the radio on the dash. He activated his internal radio and spoke as he swerved past slowing or stopped cars. "This is Detective Barnes. I'm on route to an explosion of some kind in the South Reno Area. Please confirm the emergency."

There was a sharp crackling in his ears that made him wince and then Sergeant Hanson's voice came back, "We're getting a number of 911 calls patched through to us. The Barnes and Noble Warehouse exploded. Paramedics and Fire Fighters are on the way. What is your ETA to arrive on scene?"

Rick looked at the smoke and calculated the distance as best he could. "I'd say within the next five minutes."

"Proceed. Begin by evacuating anyone inside who's still alive."

"10-4." Rick replied.

The connection went dead. Rick continued past cars on Mount Rose Highway. He was lucky to be so close. Penny's school was up at Tahoe. A private academy with uniforms and all. Rick didn't trust a school bus up the winding narrow path so he took her to school himself.

He sped onto the north bound freeway towards the growing smoke cloud. A few seconds later he could see the flames and the destroyed building. The warehouse had a huge gaping hole in the side. Boxes of books had shot out of the opening and were either in flames or covered in blackened dust.

Chunks of cement and twisted steel littered the parking lot outside of the building. Some had fallen on or crashed into the cars of the warehouse employees. Heat rolled off the flaming wreckage as did the thick black smoke.

He barely shut the SUV off before he darted into the opening. He wasn't worried about smoke inhalation or getting burned. He was impervious to that sort of thing now.

Debris fell around the inside like intermittent rain. Flames lit the room with a fiery red glow and the smoke clung around the ceiling. The scent of ash and burning paper was almost overwhelming. And then there was the smell of burnt flesh. It hung around the bodies of victims like a noxious gas. Rick searched for those still alive.

He collected a pair of women and rushed them back out. His HUD screen gave him a reading on who was alive and who was already gone. He tried not to let his eyes linger on the mutilated faces and blistered arms. He grabbed a young man and raced for the opening again. He set the people one at a time in a row on the asphalt a short distance from the building.

He made a total of four runs before he noticed that others had arrived. Paramedics were already racing around those he'd rescued. Police were forcing the crowd back and setting up a perimeter. Fire trucks were on scene and spewing water at the burning building.

Firefighters suited up ran into the building searching for survivors. Rick followed them in. He went back for another man he knew was still alive. He found him struggling to get up. Rick approached the man slowly. "Let me help you." The man nodded through his shock and fear. Rick hauled him over his shoulder effortlessly and looked around for anyone else nearby. A teenaged girl with one of her legs missing lay barely breathing a few yards away.

Rick managed to snag her and make his way back out. As he raced out of the building the wall where he'd just been collapsed. Fire Fighters carrying victims poured out. Rick dropped his people off at the paramedics and turned back towards the building. A helicopter flew over carrying an enormous bucket. The bucket opened and water rained down onto the warehouse.

This weakened the flames considerably. The smoke worsened and spread out towards the rescue workers and police. A car at the far end of the lot exploded in a bright ball of fire. Someone trained a hose on it instantly and the flames were quenched in seconds.

The Fire Fighters continued spraying the building and as the flames began to turn into smoldering piles of ash more ran in. Rick was about to follow after when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Come on Barnes. You and I have somewhere else to be." It was Greg Tanner.

"Where?" Rick asked. The two hadn't been partnered up in a while.

"A threat has been broadcast about a second explosion at the convention center. Hanson wants you and I to try and stop the arsonists before they blow another building sky high."

Rick nodded. "Alright Tanner, but this time we take my car." Greg didn't argue.

They raced to the Mustang and hopped in. Rick turned the lights and siren on as he pulled out. Greg grabbed the radio on the dash and pressed the button. "This is Tanner and Barnes, we're on route to the convention center."

Hanson's voice came clearly through the speaker. "Good. They've got some kind of chemical bomb. I want you two to stop and apprehend the bastards. I want to know who's blowing up this city!"

"Yes sir." Greg replied before returning the radio mic to it's cradle.

"So they blow up one building, then let us know where they are gonna set off the next one?" Rick asked as he got on the highway.

Greg nodded with a grimace on his lips. "They sure wanted to get some attention."

Rick looked at his partner and decided it was time for some fun. "You might want to hang on." The other man looked at him in question. Rick's reply was a slight devious smile.

He pulled open the console between the two front seats. Inside was a panel with a series of switches on it. Rick kept his eyes on the road and flicked a couple of them. "Get ready for this." Rick warned.

He then pressed his thumb on what looked like the finger pad on laptops. A green light came on and the car suddenly jolted forward. The road began to fly by as did the cars they passed. Rick kept his eyes fixed on the road and navigated the busy highway with ease.

Greg clutched the arm rests as he tried not to scream. The city sped past and in seconds Rick was taking the Convention Center exit. He flicked another switch on the panel and the car slowed to a normal speed. They came off the highway hot though and sped through oncoming traffic and made a few sharp turns. They came to a screeching halt in the Center parking lot.

Greg got out of the car quickly and almost threw up. "What was that?"

Rick raced by towards the building. "That was the jet propulsion system." He answered the question as if it were a common car accessory. He was used to Alex's fancy inventions.

Greg followed behind slowly. They entered the building with guns in hand and whispered decisions.

"You take the left I'll take the right." Rick murmured. Greg nodded silently. "If you find them fire a shot into the air." Rick pulled away towards the main hall.

He crept through the open doors into an empty exposition hall. There was no one in sight at first glance. But there were stacks of chairs and tables that could be hiding anyone.

Rick headed for the nearest hiding spot and began a methodical search. After about twenty minutes the speakers came on. "Greetings officers."

Rick froze. He looked up at a security camera. Of course the suspects were in the security room. "You have exactly five minutes to leave before the bomb goes off."

The cyber cop was already charging for the security room. He dashed up a flight of stairs followed by Greg a moment later. Rick kicked open the door right as one of the criminals was about to make his escape. The door flew off it's hinges into the man. Rick leveled his handgun and searched the darkened room. In the center of it was a large wooden box. Wire looped around it and a digital timer read 4:33.

The seconds ticked off as Rick raced to try and diffuse it. He did a quick over look waiting for the HUD to respond with instructions.

CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DETECTED.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

DIFFUSE DEVICE BY SEPARATING THE CONTROL WIRE FROM THE TIMING DEVICE.

USE EXTREME CARE.

Rick knelt to take care of it when something struck the back of his head. It hurt but he didn't go down. He spun around to see that it was Greg who had pistol whipped him. The other man looked a little deflated.

"What?" Rick asked as he dodged a second attack.

"You don't deserve to be alive." Greg replied crossly. "You're an abomination that needs to be destroyed."

Rick jumped to his feet and activated the targeting array. He needed to use force on Greg. "So you want to kill me too?" Rick asked. As of late a lot of people had wanted him dead. A long list of death threats from white supremacists and anti-medical groups had been coming to the precinct.

"You made a fool of me once. You and your cybernetic body." Greg snarled. The man was pointing his gun at Rick's head.

"Tanner, just drop the gun. What good will killing me do?" Rick asked. He had to stop the crazy cop before the bomb went off.

"It'll put an end to creating more monstrosities like yourself."

Rick took offense at these words. He kicked the gun from Greg's hand in a sudden flash. "You always were too slow." Rick snapped as he took a couple cheap shots. He didn't care. There was a bomb that only had 3:00 left on the timer.

Rick slammed Greg into a wall and was surprised by a sneak attack from the goon on the floor. He tried to strangle Rick from behind. The detective remained calm and drove his steel framed fist into the man's face. The arsonist fell to the floor unconscious.

"Tanner, I hereby arrest you for the attempted murder of a fellow officer of the law." Rick said grabbing the man's right arm and pulling a pair of cuffs from his trench coat. Greg pulled a tazer from his pocket and activated it against Rick's arm.

He pulled back in pain. "Take that." Greg swung a foot into Rick's face. Rick fell backwards onto the bomb. He glanced at it. There were two minutes left.

He activated the blade in his right arm and was about to slice what his HUD told him was the master cord when Greg rammed full force into him.

Rick went to the ground slightly dazed. Greg came up a bit disoriented as well. Rick swung his right arm in a wide arc forcing Greg to back up. "Don't even try it again." Rick warned activating the other in his left.

Greg circled around him and threw a coffee mug at Rick. Rick deftly knocked it away to the ground where it shattered. But Greg had given himself just the opening he needed. He lunged forward through the opening and tackled Rick to the ground.

"Listen up." Greg growled. "You die and no more explosions."

Rick paused his struggling. "I don't believe you."

"Honestly. My employer has given his word."

Rick frowned. "Employer?"

"That's right. A man who wants to simplify the world. And cyber cops like you aren't a part of it."

"Who is this man?"

"They call him The Claw." Greg smiled. "Because one day he will have a grip on the entire world."

Rick's HUD noticed something. A small black square stuck against Greg's neck. Rick wondered what it might be, he turned and checked the bomb. 1:00 and dropping fast.

Rick deactivated the blades. "Alright Tanner." He said. "You win, but diffuse that bomb first." Greg laughed.

"No can do." He pulled out the tazer again and Rick lifted his arm quickly. It hit the square attached to Greg's neck and knocked it loose. The metal device dropped to the ground and Greg's eyes rolled to the back of his head. He looked shocked and confused for a moment before passing out.

Rick pushed him off and hurried to the bomb. There were twenty seconds left. He grasped the master cord and yanked.