Thanks for the all the reviews.

I hope I got the police codes correct.

TechSpecs Headquarters

Somewhere in Toronto

"I have to get back in," The woman repeated, "I…"

"Ma'am, SRU, Constables Callaghan and Marlowe," Jules said, flashing her identification. "You are…"

"Lauren Robinson" the lady answered. "It's a prototype device which releases an explosive to mimic IEDs explosions. It's currently unstable and I was about to shut it down when the alarm went off."

"Ok, Ms Robinson, why don't you describe how to reach the device and we…"

"It's not so simple. It's a security locked by card, codes and retina-scan," Thornberry pointed to her eyes. "I have to get back in within the next thirty minutes or there will be a disastrous explosion!"

Jules quickly understood the seriousness of the situation and responded, "Okay, I'll accompany you inside Ms Thornberry. Kira, can you liaise with Fire Services and other EMS? Break, Ed, we've got a 10-33, which could lead to a 10-100. I'm going in." Robinson quickly guided Jules up a flight of stairs and to a special service elevator. As they moved, Lauren asked about the SRU's presence and Jules reprised what they learnt so far. "Oh Kathryn's been hurt? Well she wasn't acting strange lately but the last few days she kept shifting her feet during meetings and taking calls on her personal phone often."

"Right," Jules absorbed this information then as the elevator open she breathed in the air. "Wait, they said there's a fire. I don't smell anything and didn't the alarm just switch off?"

"I don't…" Suddenly shots burst out, striking the woman in the arm. Jules instinctively dragged her to the corner but couldn't raise her MP-5 fast enough as a pair of bullets struck her upper torso, one slightly penetrating her Kevlar vest. "Argh!" She cried, falling and knocking into Lauren.

"Jules?" Kira radioed back, hearing her scream. "Jules, come in." It took Kira several more tries before she heard a faint, "Kira…twentieth floor, middle wing, armed subject…"

"Jules?" Kira asked again but got no reply.

"Ed, I think Jules is down, has been hit," Kira radioed. "I…"

"We're almost there Kira," Ed said, weaved his van in and out of traffic. "Hold it till we're there."

Kira clicked off her radio for a while and looked around. The local division police and other services had contained the rest of the office workers and crowd well back. Should I wait? She thought for a few seconds then checking no one was looking, she readied her weapon and entered the building. Remembering the last message from Jules, Kira used the same service elevator part of the way, then ran up as fast as she could to the twentieth floor. As she entered that level, she peered cautiously until she felt the coast was clear. As she inched forward, she spied the two ladies. "Jules," she knelt down and immediately removed undid her vest. "Damn, I think bullet just grazed your stomach."

"Kira…Ms Robinson," Jules responded weakly and Kira suddenly remembered the SRU code and moved to Lauren. Her injuries weren't as terrible with only slightly grazed by a bullet. Kira immediately applied an antiseptic lotion and bandaged it up. "Don't worry, EMS will fix you up better. Let me..."

"The device…" Lauren spluttered. "I have to disarm device!"

Suddenly, Kira's radio cackled. "Kira, where are you?" Ed asked. "Report."

"Ed, I'm on the…twentieth floor of the building. Jules is injured, the subject slightly injured and there's a device that needs to shut down," Kira responded, forgetting to apologise.

"I need to go now," Lauren Robinson said, getting up. "The clock is ticking."

"Ok, Kira, escort Miss Robinson. I'll be up with Leah shortly." Okay, now you have a huge responsibility, she thought as she followed Robinson to several corridors, checking each corner as she moved. With all employees gone, the building was eerily quiet. Finally, they reached a set of frames. "Stand back," Lauren ordered. "It may look like an open path but there are invisible beams that will give you a sharp electric shock if you aren't careful." She slide two different cards on a nearby panel and punched in two codes before signalling Kira to move ahead. After a few more metres, they reach a translucent set of doors and Lauren turned to another side panel, shifted her head until a short laser beam read her retina and the doors popped open. Suddenly, shots came, just missing the panel.

Instinctively, Kira raised her MP-5 and shifted to the side. "Strategic Response Unit!" She cried with her loudest voice. "You're surrounded!" She lied, "Drop your weapon!"

Two more shots came out from inside, this time closer to Kira, who motioned Lauren to crouch down. "Get out," the deep voice cried. "Or you'll die!"

"Carter?!" Lauren called out, recognising the voice. "What are you doing there and why are you shooting?"

"Lauren, you know damn well. Get away or you die fast."

Kira mouthed a silent 'who is he?' and Lauren whispered to her. Apparently, Carter was a co-worker designed anti-IED equipment and testing them when he fell in to arguments over product variants and his share of profits. The board of directors placed administrative leave but somehow, security forgot to remove his ID from their server. "Mr. Samuelson," Kira began, using his surname. "My name is Kira. Look, I understand your grievances. But there's a device there that…"

More shots came out. "You don't know me! Get out of the building or you'll die!"

Ok, great, nice try, Kira Marlowe, she scolded herself. "Ed, Leah, Spike? Anyone there?" Kira only received static.

"You said there was thirty minutes," she whispered to Lauren. "How much time do we have left?"

"Uh, twelve."

Not great time, Kira thought. "Stay back, don't come in until I clear the area." Or if I manage to get this perpetrator, she thought. She slowly shifted herself inside and crouched down only to receive another shot that barely missed her. Damn, she thought, how many bullets does he have? The interior of the room was lit only with yellow lights and several devices blocked her view. Kira decided against using her MP-5 further and lifted out her Glock 17. Ok, she rolled again to the side and saw the man's shoe. "SRU!" She called again but he only toppled some device in her direction and fired a shot which luckily missed. Kira sprang up and raise her gun at him. "Drop it I said!" She shouted then then came two shots. A bullet sprang out from his Smith & Wesson 5904 but that only struck the edge of her shoulder. The bullet from her Glock him directly in his left lung, blood immediately splattering out.

"Oh my," Kira breathed massaging her left shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Lauren asked, entering.

"Yeah," Kira lied, then she pointed to the device on the table. "Hurry!"

"Oh, wait, oh shit, he sped it up!" She cried, looking at the device. "It's going to blow in two minutes!"

"But you can stop it right?" Kira cried.

"Yeah, ow, hold on," Lauren her own wound and unlocked the device, revealing a mass of wires and copper disks. "I just have to pull away that brass handle there." Lauren tugged several times with all her strength but the handle wouldn't budge. "Damnit," she said. "Officer, why don't you get out here. If you shut the room, the blast could be localised.

"No, come on, let me try," Kira tried her turn with the handle but it still wouldn't move. Sixty second to go… "We need some rod or some kind to dislodge it," Lauren said, sweating profusely.

"I don't…" Suddenly a shot rang out and Kira instinctively pushed Lauren down. "Now you'll both…" the injured man Carter raised his gun at them then dropped to the ground. Just then, Ed and Leah burst into the room and immediately restrained him. "The device!" Kira yelled but then saw Lauren laughing. The last bullet had dislodged the handle of the explosive.

To Be Continued.