As Steve knocked the remote control free, Lawrence screamed in pain. Steve wanted to make him scream even more. He wanted to hammer him with his fists. He wanted to make the man pay for what he had done - to Steve, to Kayla, to their family.

But revenge would have to wait. He had a man's life to save.

He had hated playing along with Lawrence's game, but he had no illusions that it was just for show. Like Shane had said, Steve had no "choice." Lawrence had no intention of leaving the school untouched. But with no chance of taking Lawrence down before making a "choice," Steve had done what he and Shane both knew had to happen. Any attempt to attack Lawrence before the toxin was released in the chamber would have resulted in Steve being shot.

Steve had needed a distraction, and Shane had known it. The only option was to let the toxin be released - and now Shane could be dying.

Not if I have anything to do with it.

Steve pulled Lawrence off the ground and demanded to know where the antidote was. Steve knew enough from his time as Lawrence's lab rat that the antidote would be nearby. There was still time to save Shane. Steve just needed to make Lawrence reveal where the antidote was.

"Tell me!" Steve shouted. Even as he did, he heard Shane cry out. For a moment, Steve could almost feel the burning as the uncontrollable spasms flared painfully through his body. He knew what Shane was feeling. No man deserved to die like that.

"Give me the antidote," Steve demanded, his face inches from Lawrence's. "You've got five seconds to tell me where it is."

Lawrence laughed weakly. "Five seconds won't matter," Lawrence said. "He's already dead."

The new plan was already forming in Steve's head. If Lawrence wouldn't give up the antidote to save Shane, there was one person he would try to save.

"Wrong answer," Steve growled, pulling Lawrence into a headlock. He dragged Lawrence toward the cell. Spotting the control panel, Steve had figured out that it had an emergency release for the door. The lever he could see was his best guess. But first he would give Lawrence one last chance.

"You're going to tell me where the antidote is," Steve said, shoving him face-first against the plexiglass. At their feet, Shane shook again, the convulsions causing his body to twist and contort. Hang in there, Donovan, Steve pleaded silently.

In Steve's grasp, Lawrence was laughing and gloating. ". . . when an hour passes without my pushing the other button, Ivan will release the toxin at the school. You've stopped nothing."

That was it. That was the point of no return. "Oh, I'm going to stop you," Steve said. He lifted the lever and the door opened.

Lawrence panicked and tried to break free of Steve's grip, but Steve was the stronger man today. "You'll kill us all," Lawrence shouted.

If I have to, Steve thought. If that's what it takes. But Lawrence Alamain was a coward who did not understand that sometimes a man's life was worth risking for others. Lawrence did not believe in self-sacrifice - and that was exactly what Steve was counting on.

You'd better hope you're right, a tiny voice in the back of Steve's head muttered.

"Guess you didn't see that coming, did you?" Steve said, keeping a plastered grin on his face. He could not let any sign of doubt show as he pulled Lawrence into the chamber still filled with the choking gas. "This is your party, Alamain. We can't have you miss out on all the fun."

He pulled the door back, though it did not seal behind him. That done, Steve held Lawrence tightly and waited. The gas was still thick in the enclosed space. "Take a deep breath, Alamain. Come on now. Just a deep breath."

Lawrence tried to hold his breath, but Steve was not going to let him get away so easily. With his free hand, Steve brought a hard fist into Lawrence's abdomen. Lawrence grunted and gasped for breath, taking in the toxin he had so desperately tried to fight.

"We're all dead now," Steve said. "We're all dead unless you tell me where the antidote is."

Lawrence shook his head.

"You don't get it," Steve said. "You think I'm going to collapse and then you're going to rush out and get the antidote." Steve clenched his hold even tighter. He could feel his tongue starting to get heavy, but he knew the effects were even more pronounced on his adversary. "Do you feel that, Alamain? The poison is filling your body. Having trouble seeing now? You're running out of time. Soon you won't be able to speak at all."

Lawrence was gasping for breath. He still had some strength, but his efforts were weak compared to Steve.

"Tell me where it is and we all can live," Steve said. He prayed that was true. Glancing down, he saw that Shane was no longer shaking. He was lying motionless. Only faint movement in his chest and some tiny, strangled gasps gave any sign that Shane was still alive. No! Steve screamed silently. "Tell me!" he shouted again. He spun Lawrence around and raised his fist.

Lawrence's eyes were struggling to stay open due to the effect of the poison, but Steve saw the fear and shock in them. "How?" Lawrence whispered in a choking gasp.

"Tell me!" Steve yelled again. He could feel the toxin trying to strip him of his strength, but it was not working as fast as on the others. Steve grinned. "I can still save us," he said. "You're already too weak, but I can get to it. Tell me where it is."

Lawrence's eyes fixed on some drawers across the room. "Second drawer. . . third from right. . . . Blue . . . blue label. . . ."

That was all Steve needed. He let Lawrence go, paying no attention as the man dropped heavily to the ground. "Hang on, Shane," Steve urged, but he wasted no time checking Shane's condition. Just hang on. He ran through the door, fighting to control muscles that did not want to work completely. Stumbling, he crossed the room. His hands were shaking by the time he reached the wall.

Third from the right, he repeated, even as his brain struggled to process the thought. Two follows one. Three follows two. Steve's mind worked slowly, but he thought he found the right set of drawers. Second drawer. There were five of them and Steve guessed Lawrence meant the second from the top.

The drawer was heavy and refused to budge. Or was it just that it seemed heavy because the toxin had sapped so much strength from his muscles. Help me, Steve screamed silently as he jerked at the drawer.

It slid open and Steve saw rows of vials, but his sight was fuzzy. He struggled to make out the different vials. Some, he could tell were wrong. There was a row of vials containing a red liquid, but his memories told him that was more toxin. Blue label, he reminded himself. He looked through the rows, trying to spot a sign of blue through the gray fog that filled his eyes.

There.

There were only a few vials with the blue label - maybe ten in all. Steve grabbed one, uncorked it, and drained it in a single gulp. Carrying a few more vials, he crossed back toward the plexiglass cell. Lawrence was on his hands and knees just outside the chamber. He had crawled through the open door, having enough strength to make it out. But Shane was not moving at all.

Please let me be in time, Steve prayed. He could tell the antidote was having an effect. His strength already was returning to his muscles and his vision was clearing.

On the floor of the chamber, Shane lay still. His eyes were slightly open, but Steve could not tell if they were seeing anything. Shane's mouth hung open, but that was likely due to the toxin's effects on his muscles.

"Come on, dude," Steve said, as he crouched down beside Shane. He dropped most of the antidote vials on the ground while he uncorked one. He thought he felt Shane's breath on his hand as he poured the liquid down his throat, but Steve feared that might be wishful thinking.

I have to get him out of this thing, Steve thought. He had no idea if more toxin was being released, but even if it wasn't, he wanted to get Shane out of this plexiglass prison.

Grabbing under the shoulders, Steve used his returning strength to pull Shane through the door. He dragged him past Lawrence, who was now curled on his side. Steve lowered Shane to the ground, so he was flat on his back and searched for some sign of movement in Shane's chest that would indicate if he was breathing. Steve stared into Shane's half-opened eyes. "Don't give up, Donovan," Steve begged. "Don't you give up now."