He had checked the monitors over and over again. They were all sleeping. He had run through the computer program until it was imprinted on his eyelids. He had a little under one hour. Zane Shearer knew it was now or never. He pulled the program up one last time, he wanted it ready for when he returned to this room, after that he wouldn't have much time.

He stepped through the control room door, he voiced his code number. The buzzing stopped and the lights went off. He walked to the third door on the left. He knew who he would find in that room. He slowly drew the Walther PPK out of his boot. Reese hadn't wanted him to bring it, thought it was too dangerous. But he wasn't walking into that room defenseless. Not against that bitch, he didn't trust her.

The door gave a slight creak as he opened the door. Topolsky was bent over Maria DeLuca as she lay moaning on the bed, she looked up at the sound. "Mr. Shearer, is there a problem?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so." Zane replied. He brought the gun up, pointing it directly at her heart.

Topolsky straightened, with a look of disbelief she snapped at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Zane looked around the small room, "where's Dr. Hanson?"

Hearing his name. The doctor poked his head out of the bathroom door, he saw the gun. "Oh my."

"Get out here, now, doctor. I'm going to need your assistance," he used his free hand pointing to the two folded wheelchairs parked against the wall. "Unfold both of them doctor. Ms. Topolsky if you would do me the honor of parking your ass in the first one. Pull the other one next to the bed."

The thin blonde woman smiled. "You're kidding right, there is no way your getting out of here, especially with her. There are too many guards, too many checkpoints. Why don't we just talk about this…Zane."

She's good Zane thought, the bitch knows how to play her head games, making it personal, hell, she'd never called him by his first name in the last two years they had worked together. Reese had worked it into his head over and over again, do not communicate with them. Speak as little as possible.

Zane wished Reese was here now. They had known that this would probably happen one day and he had to be ready, but talking and planning for this wasn't the same as actually pointing a weapon at someone and bringing all their plans to consummation.

The doctor had the chair up in no time, which amazed Zane, usually he was a klutz. Zane still had trouble believing that someone actually had assigned him to this project.

"Sit." He motioned with the gun for Topolsky to get into the chair.

She reluctantly sat down. "I'm only doing this because we both realize you're not going anywhere. This will all be over in a few minutes." She sighed as if she was bored by the whole proceeding.

Zane picked up a roll of sterilized tape and tossed it to Dr. Hanson, "strap her in, and for God's sake tape her mouth shut." The doctor did as he was told, he didn't do it too gently either. Zane believed the doc was working all his frustrations out on her for all the times she had talked down to him.

When he had her tied securely, Zane told him to removed the cords and wires from Maria. As soon as he had all the wires removed, without being told he placed Maria in the other chair, using the straps to keep her secure. Zane checked his watch, thirty-five minutes left. "Ok, doc your driving, lets go."

Maria had started moaning and shifting around in the chair. Zane reached down and felt her forehead.

"Her fever is pretty high, are you sure about this, if you remove her from this facility she could die." The doctor's voice actually sounded like he cared.

"She won't die." Zane replied simply. "Let's move, back to the holding cells."

The doctor pushed the chair out of the room, Zane followed, he could hear Topolsky mumbling behind the tape as he tugged the door closed behind him. When they reached the door Zane gave his clearance, the door opened and as soon as they stepped through it, the buzzing was heard from the corridor again. Zane walked to the control panel and started flipping switches. The lights came on in the holding cells, the occupants never bother to get out of their beds to see what was happening.

"Can you really get them out of here?" Dr. Hanson ask him. "I mean to say, I hope you can get out. This isn't right, when I first started on this project it was different, it was like…" he couldn't continue, he lowered his eyes to the floor.

"Like they weren't really people to you doc? Is that what your trying to say? What about the man in fifty-nine, what about him." Zane was still flipping switches, he really didn't have time for this, but he continued, he couldn't stop the anger from creeping into his voice, and the doctor heard it loud and clear. "You did your little experiments on him didn't you, you didn't have a conscience then doc."

Dr. Hanson's head jerked up, "you're right, but it was different then, he was a grown man. These are just children, I can't condone what she's done to them."

"Well, here's your chance to make up for it." Zane flipped the last switch, he watched as the counter started. Fifteen minutes and counting down. He ran to the door and opened it, the doctor wheeled Maria through the doorway.

Michael felt her before he saw her, he didn't know what it was at first, like a small tingle at the back of his brain. Then he knew, he sat up in the bed and saw the three people coming through the doorway. Jumping from the bed he screamed her name.

"Maria!" He reached her side before the others had a chance to get through the door of their cells. Cradling her face in his hands he could see how pale she was. She was so lifeless. She had lost weight. He never took his eyes from her face, he started to unwrap the straps from around her, his hand bumped against her stomach. He felt her swollen abdomen, , "what the hell did you do to her."

"We don't have time to explain, we're getting out of here. NOW!" Zane stated loudly so everyone could hear.

"What the hell are you talking about, how, this place is tighter than Fort Knox." Kyle didn't know who this clown was, but he didn't appreciate his little game. "Topolsky is behind this, it's just another one of her games."

"Max, Kyle's right, I don't trust them." Liz whimpered. Max gripped her hand tightly, pulling her with him as he strode into the group of people standing at the door. He could see Maria in the wheelchair, she didn't look good.

"On no, Ms. Topolsky is tied up in the medical room." Dr. Hanson nervously informed them. "Mr. Shearer says he can get you out of here."

"And why should we believe you?" Isabelle demanded. She didn't trust this either, nothing these people had ever done to them hadn't been this bad before. There was no way out of this place.

Zane ignored their questions and their arguments, he walked to the center of the room and placed the device on the floor. He started punching in numbers. "We have ten minutes, we're leaving now, if it's a game you can kill me later, ok. But right now, we don't have time for this."

Isabelle had had enough. "We're not going anywhere with you. Go back and tell that bitch that we're no longer playing her games."

"Fine, but let me warn you about something, this building is rigged to go in about.." Zane checked his watch again, "…eight minutes and forty seconds. Every computer is hooked up with a small device, C4 is run throughout the network. There's not going to be anything left of this place. And I guess I should tell you that I can't take no for an answer." Turning he brought the gun up. "We're all leaving, and we're leaving now."

He backed away from the box and waited for about three seconds. Suddenly a brilliant white light came up out of the box, it reached the ceiling in a single line. It started to waver back and forth, then it grew bigger, until it was a large square, fifteen feet by ten feet.

Max watched as the light shifted back and forth. "Who are you?" he turned and ask Zane.

Zane turned to him and smiled. "I'm a friend. And there are more friends waiting on the other side of that light. Trust me, please I can get you out of here."

"Max, I say we go for it. Staying here is not an option anymore." Michael said. "If we stay here we're all going to die. You said this place was going to blow, is Yeager in the building?"

He watched at the other man shook his head yes.

"Good, I want that bastard to burn. Let's do it Maximillan." Michael said.

Zane didn't wait for Max's answer, they weren't taking a vote on this. They were leaving. "I want you all to listen to me. Walk straight into the light. Don't stop and don't turn back, do you hear me, DO NOT TURN BACK. You turn back and your dead."

A low rumbling could be heard coming from the light now, Zane knew it would get louder until it became a roar. The louder it got, meant they had less and less time.

"Michael I want you to carry Maria, do not let go of her, do you understand me. If you let go there is no way she is gonna make it out. Do you hear me?" Zane was shouting to be heard over the wailing coming from the bright hole. Michael bent and picked Maria up in his arms, he didn't quite make it, he started to falter. Max reached to help him.

Zane moved to stop him. "Don't touch her. Let Michael carry her." Max eyebrows shifted as he watched Michael tried to lift Maria again. "You're touch will cause her pain." Zane said. Michael stood this time with no trouble. He tightened his arms around Maria and stepped up to the light.

Michael turned and looked at Max, everything he had always wanted to say to Max was in his eyes. Max smiled and nodded his head. Michael turned to Isabelle and smiled at her. "See ya on the other side Izzy."

It was typical Michael she thought. Her shoulders shook, she didn't know if she was laughing or crying. "Not if I see you first, you jerk."

And Michael stepped through and was gone.

"Max and Liz your next" Zane yelled.

Max wrapped his fingers around Liz's and stepped up to the shifting, swirling hole, a light breeze blew across his face, he turned to Isabelle. He could see the tears glistening in her eyes. She suddenly threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him so tightly he could barely breath. When he pulled back she was smiling. "I'll be right behind you brother."

"Max I'm scared." Liz had lost her self-assurance in the last few week. Max hated seeing her like this.

"We're together in this, don't worry. It's going to be alright." Wrapping one arm around her shoulder he stepped into the void.

Zane checked his watch and saw that it was only a matter of seconds before this place went, herding Isabelle and Kyle to the exit he told them one last time, "remember don't turn around." When he felt them hesitate he gave them both a shove into the light. Turning to take one last look behind him he noticed the doctor was standing at the door, his mouth was hanging open. Zane figured he was in shock. He pitied the man. "I'm sorry doc." And he stepped through.