Cynthia wasted no time in connecting to Jacob's communicator. Three buzzes and then he picked up.

He was gasping as he ran. "I've noticed them!"

Cynthia quickly processed the new information in a nano second. She immediately queued for a map and the comm's Signal to be displayed on it. Both images displayed on the screen overlapping one another. Jacob was currently running down an alleyway at a breakneck pace. At this pace he would tire himself out before he reached 5 miles.

Cynthia could hear cursing on the other end. "What's wrong?"

Jacob then went left. "Oh nothing, except I've got Mason and 2 boomers breathing down my neck!" He continued running.

Nene was already grabbing the phone. Cynthia then glanced back to the map. She then brought up cabs, garbage trucks and everything that was on the system. One caught her eye.

"Jacob there's a cab coming up. Get in and tell the driver to step on it"

Jacob double tapped the microphone in confirmation. His dot slowed as a cab rolled along next to him. Both dots quickly merged.

"Where would you like to go?" a computerized voice inquired.

Jacob took a moment to catch his breath. "Anywhere but here!"

Cynthia continued watching the screen as the dot didn't move. Nervousness began to creep up on her. Move already. She pleaded.

"I'm sorry but anywhere but here is not a registered address. Please try again"

Suddenly Jacobs dot exited out of the opposite side of the car. "Fucking self driving taxi!"

Cynthia felt a wave of dread come over her. Jacob darted down another alleyway continuing to run like a madman. Finding a human driven taxi in this city was like trying to find Waldo. Doing a quick sorting routine she found no human driven taxis near him. If only she could get a pinpoint on the C-55s then she would be able to gauge everything more efficiently. A wrong calculation could quickly lead to him having his guts pulled out in front of a crowd of dozens if not hundreds of people. Then she saw Jacob's dot rushing out into the open street.

"Cynthia point me to the nearest cop!" Jacob's strained voice rang though.

She quickly checked the screen. There was an A.D police cruiser parked on the other street. "There's a cruiser on the other street just ahead"

"Thanks," he then reached the other end of the street. "Fucking hell, I should try out for the Olympics"

Cynthia simply shook her head. "Please just focus on staying alive"

With Jacob.

"I'm trying," he responded. "These guys aren't making it easy"

Ducking down another alleyway he continued running. Glancing back he saw the two boomers coming up the rear. Attempting to outrun them was a fool's gamble. Increasing his speed Jacob looked back forwards. Tilting himself forward he shot out into the open street. Turning a sharp right he saw a subway entrance 200 feet away. As he approached it a rumbling sound emanated from inside. Like large metallic footsteps. As Jacob drew closer he could hear screaming. Slowing down a large metallic body no taller than 8 feet began walking up to him. The top part of the head had a lighter gray compared to the darker gray of the body. A single green optic on the right side of the face locked onto Jacob as he stared in shock. It was bulky but Jacob figured it was far more maneuverable than the construction mecha he piloted.

"Mason"

An audible laugh came from the speakers. A laugh Jacob recognized. His entire body went cold as he slowly backed up. Mason in his battle armor reached for the top of the stairs. It looked like a hardsuit on steroids!.

"I'd start running if I were you" Mason's cold voice sounded to the speakers.

The thing was big, not blocky, A bit too smooth in areas. It was a contrast to all the organic layering of the C55. Jacob saw people running for it and one of them was a motorcycle rider who left his bike. It was just beyond Mason maybe 30 feet away. The keys were still in the ignition. Suddenly he broke into a full run pivoting right around the mecha and the subway entrance. Running up to the bike he jumped on. Kicking up the stand he turned the key. The engine roared to life and he gunned it. The front tire kicked upwards as he launched down the sidewalk. Pushing all of his weight forward, the front tire slammed against the ground.

"If only I had a garland unit" Jacob grumbled.

Mason watched before his hover engines powered on. His feet lifted off the ground by 2 feet and he blazed off after the boy.

"Come on Jacob. Let's see how much you want to live!"

Jacob slowed as he shot around a corner. If he had been going any faster he would've been one with the wall. Applying more speed he straightened himself out. Triggering the communicator now attached to his collar he took a breath.

"Mason's on me tight," he said, his voice filled with stress. "I wish you could see this. Fucker's wearing something that makes your hardsuit's look like kids toys"

"Jacob, I need you to lead him to the 17th ward. Try to avoid the more densely populated areas" Sylia ordered him.

"No promises,"

Suddenly, a hail of a gun fire tore past him. "Holy shit!"

Jacob skidded right and into an alley. His front knocked away garbage bags as he raced to the other end. Mason was a bit too bulky to fit in the narrow space and had to go above. Leaning into a hard left turn Jacob checked his mirror. Mason was coming back down.

"Come on is this the best you got?" Mason taunted.

Shooting past two cars Jacob continued racing up the road. Mason drawing closer and closer with each passing second. An intersection was coming up. The lights facing him were red.

"Fuck it!"

Pulling the throttle down all the way he began to put some distance between himself and Mason. The intersection was rapidly approaching, his heart pounding on his chest as he saw a small gap opening up. Leaning into it he held his breath. There was a brief gust of wind that hit him from all directions as he went racing between the cars. Seeing another alleyway Jacob did three break pulls before drifting into it. Racing up the alley he turned right once on the other side. Jacob briefly chuckled. If only Priss could see this.

With Leon.

Today has been a rather slow day for him and his partner Daley. It was peaceful days like this he took the time to enjoy. Maybe he would grab a cat from a tree or deal with a local dispute between two others but that was just about it. No boomer crimes to speak of. It was almost too good to be true. The door to the police cruiser opened and in came Daley with twin cups of coffee.

"Here ya go" he said.

Leon took his cup. "No donut's?" he asked.

Daley nodded. "They ran out. Either way I'm on a diet"

That perplexed Leon. Daley was not as muscular as Leon but he was more in shape than the chief. Then again Daley did pride himself on his good looks.

"You do man," Leon said. "Now let's see if they actually got the coffee right this time"

Daley chuckled, taking a step from his cup. His face twisted into a scowl. Leon took a sip from his own cup and he had to hold back from spitting it up. He was not gonna be the one to clean the interior again.

"Why do we still keep coming to this place even though they keep screwing up our orders?" Daley muttered, dumping his coffee out the window.

"I dunno. Maybe because they make a better donuts than coffee"

Daley agreed. The only thing keeping them from leaving permanently was those delicious donuts. Leon was dumping his coffee out the window as well when a call came in.

"All officers we've got a large power armor chasing a man on a motorcycle down near tinsel city"

Leon looked at Daley in surprise and both dismay. Starting the engine is shifting into drive.

"So much for the peace and quiet," Leon then grabbed the radio. "This is Officer McNichol and Daley we are near the District and on our way"

Back with Jacob.

"Get out of the way!" Jacob screamed while blaring the little bike's horn.

People jumped out of the way and began running. Traffic was a nightmare as cars were bumper to bumper. Now he was taking the sidewalk and was having close calls every second. He could swear he was about to have a heart attack!. Crossing streets to another sidewalk he glanced down at the fuel. His heart sank at what he saw. He probably had no less than five minutes left. He had been so focused on getting away he didn't even check the gas!.

"Oh that's just great!"

Merging back onto the road he saw Mason in his rear view. Possibly getting a target lock. It was hard to tell. He had shot at him so many times Jacob couldn't help but wonder if his nerves were still in his body. Bleeding off some speed he began to round another corner. He was probably 10 minutes away at this rate. Another blaze of gunfire sounded. He felt the bike shake and shutter and jolt. Looking back he saw The rear end along with the back tire had been completely shot. His eyes went wide. Not good.

"Time to abandon ship" he declared, skidding the bike to a dead halt.

Jumping off he began running again. Zigzagging left to right hoping the dear god he wouldn't be hit. The sounds of the hover engines growing closer and closer with each second and step Jacob took.

"You're not gonna get away that easy" Mason's Voice sounded directly from behind.

Out of pure instinct Jacob yanked the communicator off of his collar and swallowed it. Looking back he saw a hand closing in to grab him. Another hand came in from the left side. A small electric prod extruded out from a part of the hand. It touched his body sending an electric charge throughout him. Jacob staggered forward, his vision turning to a blur. Falling forwards he lost consciousness.

With Cynthia.

"He's not responding but I can still track him"

Nene grimaced. That wasn't good. Either they planted the communicator on someone else or Jacob had done something to hide it.

For all they know he was probably dead already. "Can you tell if he's alive?" Nene grimly asked.

Cynthia nodded. "I can hear breathing and a heart beating. I think he swallowed the communicator. A rather clever trick"

Nene breathed a sigh of relief. At least he's alive. Stepping towards the door she then paused.

"Call us if anything changes," she told her. "Linna and Priss should be here any minute"

Cynthia watched the dot. "Do you think the whole group is compromised?"

"I don't know but we're gonna find out" Nene then exited the room and began her way to the garage.

Cynthia watched the dot. The rhythmic breathing being the only thing to comfort her. The only thing to tell her that he was alive and there was a chance to save him.

Unknown.

His head felt like it was in a cement mixer. He was sitting upright. Tied to a chair from what he could feel. Slowly opening his eyes he saw his own shoes and another pair not even 7 inches away. Business shoes that one would usually see on executives. Oh shit. He put two and two together. Slowly he looked up and saw an expensive tailor made suit of black. Then Jacob saw the face of Brian J Mason. His slick black oily hair and eyes filled with rage bared down on Jacob.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Yes," Jacob replied. "You're Brian J Mason. Everyone knows who you are."

Mason continued to stare at Jacob. Jacob glanced around the room. It was a dark lab and the only light was the one above them. Hopefully they're tracking me. Getting a feel for the ropes he found they were tightly knotted. His hands cannot reach said knot meaning he would need to be freed by someone else or have a knife on him. He had neither.

"That's right," Mason leaned in closer, getting face-to-face with him. "And you've caused some big setbacks, boy."

Jacob felt a drop of sweat dripping down the side of his head. "How about you bill me? We can negotiate a price point, you can sue for compensation…"

Without warning Mason whacked him across the face. Spit and blood flew from Jacobs mouth as his head jerked right. His vision blurred for a few seconds before correcting itself. Jeez that hurt. Looking back at Mason he saw the enraged look on the man's face.

"You know," Mason said, "You're really something. A ghost with a past that doesn't make sense, has to be fake, coming in and stealing my shit and aiding that goddamn Triad. But you can't be a foreign agent – I've checked your background against our databases. So… who are you?" He thought. "Eh. It doesn't matter. Ghosts have no relations. I can kill you repercussions-free, I think."

Jacob felt a fire billowing in his stomach. It was either the batteries from the communicator breaking open or his reaction to those words.

"Like how you murdered Dr. Stingray."

Mason's blood went cold at the mention of that name. A name he had not heard in a long time. The boy was too young to be aware of that at the time. It was labeled as a lab accident so how did he know?

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Jacob sneered. "Oh please, you shot the poor bastard and destroyed the lab. Not before taking all of his research and claiming it as your own."

Mason's face went pale. "How do you know about that?"

Jacob suddenly felt himself go cold. How could he have been such a fool!. He just put everyone in danger!. He could feel his mouth going dry as the executive stared at him.

"It's been a prevailing theory for years. I learned it from a friend"

Mason shook his head. "I would've heard of it if that were the case," He pulled out a pocket knife. "Tell me or I'll spill your guts all over the floor."

Touching a small stud a small 5 inch blade protruded out. Jacob gulped as he looked into Mason's eyes. He held no doubt he would stab him right here right now.

"You're smart enough. Figure out for yourself."

Mason chuckled. "Fair enough. Who would know about that? What kind of friend would employ a ghost like you? Who indeed."

Jacob's eyes remained glued onto the blade. He would've kicked it out of his hand if not or his legs being tied as well. He was helpless. Hurry up guys. He watched as Mason began pacing. Trying to sort through the internal list in his head. There were no boomers in the room. They were probably patrolling the area. At least I bought myself some time. The reprieve however was short-lived when Mason suddenly stopped. Jacob hoped you would get the answer wrong.

Mason remembered something. The document he had read hours beforehand of where he worked. A name he simply glossed over in his rage.

"Sylia Stingray," he muttered in surprise.

Jacob felt his heart sinking into his stomach. Oh fuck. Mason then turned to face him. Upon seeing the horrified look in Jacob's eyes he smiled.

Mason chuckled amusingly. "I always had a feeling it was her but I had no proof. Now I do."

"You go after her I'll break out of this chair and..."

Mason drew close, folding the knife and placing it back in his pocket. He got almost 2 inches from him as they both looked each other dead in the eyes.

"And what? If you kill me the boomers will just kill you. But since you two are connected I'll delay your execution," he told him. "Once I defeat her I'll make sure she sees everything I will do to you. Make her suffer for all she's done to me."

Before Jacob could even process what he was doing he headbutted the exec. Mason staggered back, falling over onto his rear. Grasping his head he groaned in pain. Jacob instantly regretted the decision upon feeling his head throb. Oh that was stupid of me. Mason composed himself, pulling himself back to his feet. He only chuckled even more.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy what I'm going to do to you. Luckily she'll be here soon following the little tracker in your gut."

Jacob felt as if a bomb detonated in his head. His face went ghostly pale. The bastard knew. It was a trap!. Jacob lowered his head feeling a wave of grief come over him. I'm so sorry Sylia. Suddenly the alarms began to sound. Mason's grin only grew.

"Looks like we've got company. Oh don't worry you'll all be together soon enough. Then – then I'm going to enjoy myself the way I deserve after all this trouble."

Jacob wanted nothing more than to bash Mason's skull against the computer repeatedly. Mason then began walking away from him. Vanishing beyond a pair of doors. Jacob was now alone. Looking around he hoped to find a sharp object to cut himself free on. It was too dark to see anything, though.

"I'm not gonna like this," he muttered.

With a quick motion he dislocated his arm. Screaming aloud in pain he managed to slip his arm out. Fucking hell that hurt!. The ropes relaxed just enough around his chest for him to pry his other arm free. Quickly on tying his legs and shedding the ropes he began gagging. After a few tries he emptied his stomach. His communicator came flying out and clattered on the floor.

Quickly grabbing it he triggered it. "Sylia, watch yourself. Mason's figured it all out!"

With Sylia.

They were in the van already, suited up, Jacob's red hardsuit sitting empty, idle. They were bringing every Motorslave they had on hand, too, all four armed with machinecannons and rocket launchers.

No chances could be taken. Mason had access to Battle Boomers, maybe even Dobermen brought down from Genaros, real tank-hunting motherfuckers. And if Wilson was in his hands, the entire organization's composition could be revealed instantly. If that happened – well, Sylia kept six cyanide pills at home for just this occasion.

And then the worst-case scenario: "Mason's figured it all out!" came over Wilson's comm.

Silence. Then Cynthia, kicking her legs back and forth on a little seat, spoke. "That was a likely outcome. Kind of a Bummer. Are you okay, though?"

"Well," Jacob said, "I had to dislocate my one arm to get out of the ropes, and I had to force myself to puke the communicator out, but I am loose, so… we'll call it a mixed bag."

Sylia frowned. "You're in a spare generator room in the upper layers of the complex. We have your hardsuit ready with a flechette machinegun – the 'Pigman' combat pattern – but I suspect there's far too many Boomers between you and us right now. See if you can get outside somehow."

"Somehow, she says… Fuck fuck fuck!"

Linna froze. "Jacob!"

"Sorry. Arm hurts, that's all. I'll be fine." He did not sound fine to Sylia, but that was irrelevant. She had to pull him out somehow, then face Mason's forces with five combat-capable units instead of just four. But Mason knew that and would probably force a confrontation before she could do that. He knew she was coming, doubtlessly.

An idea came to her. "Cynthia, can you pull blueprints of the facility from – someplace?"

"Okay!" The little Boomer blinked. "Done!" A 3D wireframe of the facility, all towering smokestacks and industrial pipework and blocky buildings, materialized in place of Jacob's tracking system. A white dot, someplace in the upper levels of one of the auxiliary towers. "That's Jacob…"

And then a handful of small red dots across the complex, mostly on the lower levels.

"And those are hypothetical locations to station Boomers."

"Most of them'll be empty, right?" Nene said. "I mean, we can find out when I run an initial scan, but this facility's a skeleton at this point, mostly abandoned, and I, uh, don't think Mason's got as much force behind him as he'd like?"

Sylia thought. A plan came to her. Or the rough outlines of one, anyway. Nene was right, her sources in GENOM had said Quincy hadn't taken kindly to losing that datadisc… But still. No risks. Heavy armaments.

"We need someone to fly in on a Motorslave and pick up Wilson," she said, "but I don't doubt that there are Boomers there which can play AA roles. So we'll need to engage his primary force as quickly as possible, use the environment to our advantage, drag them down into fights where they don't have a clean shot at us or, let's say Linna. Cynthia, highlight any possible hazards we can exploit. We'll run it through our HUDs as an overlay."

"Okay!" Cynthia blinked, and a network of multicolored piping now ran through the facility. "Liquid nitrogen is one of the primary systems used to flash-freeze the Boomer components that were supposed to be grown here, circulating in tanks below the facility before being piped to different areas within the facility. In addition, semiorganic growth constraint compounds are kept at high pressure within certain areas of the compound to mitigate tumors or metastasizing of Boomer components. Spill those and even a heavily armored Boomer will have to avoid it for fear of its meatier parts being broken down… Oh, and there's a few liquid-hydrogen storage tanks in the core of the facility, but those are armored. And if you blew them you'd blow the entire facility. Not recommended to do that."

Priss hmphed. "We'll get em' on the way out, how's that?"

Sylia nodded. "Then we have our plan of action. We'll elaborate on it as we go.

Mackie spoke over the intercom. "I just cleared the initial line of monitoring. They know we're here now. One minute before we breach the first wall. Sis, where do I hit 'em?"

Sylia canned the wireframe. Got up, swiped around, found where the truck was – found a small loading bay outside of the main entrance – and tapped it.

"There."

With Jacob.

"That's great," Jacob said to the comm beacon, "but what am I supposed to do from here?"

"Find an exit and an easy pickup spot for Linna," Sylia said. "I can't relay instructions to you directly, obviously, but we'll see what we can do."