CHAPTER TEN

I

Snake walked into the Slice that after noon for lunch.

He had been in Sanctuary for almost three weeks now and was slowly becoming accustomed to the peaceful, winding pace of Sanctuary life. It had been such a long time since Snake had spent days lazing around with no agenda in sight , that he might even have confessed to being content.

He was even had a routine which he really found amusing in a novel kind of way. The Slice, he learnt was not a bad place to eat and Snake made it a point to have lunch in the diner when he came into town for supplies or gas. Even his appearance in town was common place now while his celebrity status had dissipated to a point where he was now considered one of Sanctuary's more eclectic personalities. Most didn't stop to stare any more. It could even be said that they were as used to him as he was to them.

The Slice was busy today.

Snake was actually quite surprised that he was able to tell that it was busier than normal in the Slice at all. He immediately thought of the Inner Circle and realised the group must be taking a meeting. The diner was almost filled up to capacity as Snake walked in, which indicated it must have been an important meeting if the town had shown up for it. On his way to a booth, he grabbed a copy of the Sentinel, a community paper that was printed every few weeks. Probably when there was enough news to warrant one he supposed. Sliding into a booth at the far end of the diner, away from the occupied ones, Snake sat back scanning through the paper. The Sentinel's contents were mainly titbits and gossip about the locals. There were also snippets of the crops in harvest, apparently tomatoes and apples were in good season and someone name Fredrikson was trying to get a television station going, It was an attempt he supposed, at a return to some semblance of a normal life for everyone, to cling to the routine of that previous existence. Even if it was a newspaper that came up every so often.

Snake looked around and saw the table occupied by the Inner Circle to be vacant, seems most of the esteemed crowd had yet to arrive, although the waitress Sherrie was currently setting things up for their arrival? Would Kathryn be here? He wondered instinctively. As soon as the thought had flashed through his mind, Snake immediately swore under his breath. He felt ridiculous, not to mention like some asshole for behaving like a kid, hoping that he'd catch a glimpse of her. Disgusted, he shook the thought out of his head and tried to return his attention to the Sentinel's contents once again.

Still the unmistakable buzz of something was in the air. Something beyond just a normal town meeting. For a moment he wished he kept abreast of the local gossip just out of curiosity. He knew how to read people and there was definitely something going on. He looked around and saw people were lingering purposefully at their tables, almost in silent expectation. Snake recognised some of the faces, although he was not here long enough to be able to attach names to them.

"Hey Snake." A new voice greeted.

Snake looked up and was greeted by Sherrie who'd finished work on the Inner Circle's table. After their one night stand, Snake had forged and uneasy friendship with the gorgeous red head, finding her a better friend than she would be a lover. Her pleasant smile often mirrored her personality. Sherrie had often regarded the failure of their sexual relationship as what she termed as `conflicting star signs'. Sherrie was into astrology and often claimed he had badly aligned planets which explained why he had such a turbulent life. Snake believed none of it of course, but she seemed to overcome his cool, abrupt personality enough to make Snake look forward to seeing him whenever he was here for lunch.

"Hi." Snake shortly. He liked Sherrie, even if she was a little too cheery for his liking. It was odd how he suddenly had all these people in his life. He never went out of his way before to get to know anyone and Sherrie seemed to be the latest in the new acquaintances he was making.

"In town for supplies huh?" She inquired, as he scanned through the chalk board on the opposite wall, displaying the daily specials, which was usually what was in harvest at the time. Today, it was potato and leek soup, a combination that was light enough for him to try. Snake mused momentarily where all the potato and leek farmers in town were. He knew the Chief's main produce was tomatoes.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'll have the special."

"Okay," Sherrie answered scribbling it down on the pad. "Its been crazy today." She remarked. "Feels like everyone's here today. Poor Cookie is going crazy trying to fill the orders." Snake glanced at the kitchen and saw a rotund Native sweating profusely while he ran circles trying to keep up with the enormous custom.

"What's going on?" He asked gesturing to the packed room with a slight nod of his head. "Looks like the whole town is here."

"There's some kind of emergency meeting." Sherrie replied and it was the first time Snake noticed that there was some apprehension in her face. Emergency meetings must be rare and probably took place when there was some crisis at hand. Snake wondered what kind of situation had arisen now.

Suddenly, Sherrie's name was called out from someone in the diner and the young woman stuck her order pad into her uniform before hurrying off. "Talk to you later Snake." She sang out as she said before disappearing into the busy luncheon crowd.

Snake didn't react to her departure but chose to occupy his time reading the Sentinel. Although he did have a passing curiosity as to what the emergency meeting was about. Was the Englishman finally starting to make good the threat he made to Snake weeks ago? Was this his plan to invade Sanctuary territories? He was still reading the paper, letting his attention waver his immediate environment and didn't notice a familiar figure approach his table.

"Hello Snake."

Snake looked up and found himself looking up at Kathryn.

For a moment, he wasn't sure whether he was happy to see her or not, even though a while ago, he'd been looking around like a teenager trying to catch her out in the crowd. Now that he heard the sound of her voice and had her standing before him in the flesh again, he looked upon her sudden return into his life with a certain amount of suspicion. She looked radiant as ever thought, still wearing that same cotton dress that clung to her body, reminding him why he was so attracted to her.

Snake said nothing at first, keeping his gaze on Kathryn as he folded up the paper and dropped it on the table again. While he did enjoy seeing her, he was unable to forget what happened between them that night or how she had avoided him after. They needed to talk about it, especially since she had ran off like a terrified teenager. She sat down meekly, as if she had something on her mind and was summing up the courage to say it. Even after she had seated herself, she shifted nervously unable to get comfortable under the light of his scrutinising glare. The awkwardness between them was as thick as tension and for a while they just looked at each other not knowing what to say.

Snake wondered why she here if it was so damn uncomfortable for her to be in the same room with him.

Was she finally ready to talk about that night? It was undeniable that something was happening between them and that night it had reached an apogee, even Snake wasn't blind to that. The question he supposed, was what they would do with this crazy relationship. Relationship, he snorted. They didn't have a relationship of any kind because she had run out on him.

"I haven't seen you around." She spoke finally deciding there was no point wasting time or trying to stall what was on her mind.

"I've been around." He said shortly, his eyes staring at her like sharp instruments. Despite his attempt to sound indifferent to it all, Snake felt more emotion than he would liked to have admitted.

"So Tristan tells me." Kathryn answered, wondering if this had been such a good idea in the first place. She had something to tell him and had been trying to work up the courage to do so for weeks now. When she'd walked in a moment ago and seen him, she'd decided not to put it off any longer. Maybe she was insane, exposing herself to hurt. However at least then there would be some finality to it all, instead of this blanket uncertainty that kept her awake at night. Yet, doing it was no simple matter, now that she was in front of him.

"I'm sorry about the other night," she replied, finally raising her eyes to meet his. Snake's expression did not change, except now he seemed to look even more imperceptible than ever. "I didn't mean to run off like that, but you got to admit things were going to fast for comfort."

"I like fast." Snake answered.

Kathryn took a deep breath, he was making this any easier. Did he feel anything for her or was she wrong? Was it all her imagination? That night it had been so hard to break away because Kathryn sensed Snake's feelings for her was more than just sexual. That he had felt something deeper for her.

"I wasn't ready to cross that line." She declared, even though she didn't sound very convincing. "It was a mistake."

"Didn't feel that way to me." He retorted, lighting himself a cigarette in complete indifference. "Matter of fact, it felt to me like you were enjoying crossing that line." Snake leaned a little closer to her, "I heard you baby, I heard how much you wanted it. If you had stayed, we would have gone for a hell of a ride and all this other shit you think is so important wouldn't mean a whole lot."

His simplistic attitude angered her. Why was he being so difficult? Didn't he know how hard this was for her? "You just know everything don't you?" She snapped. "Nothing is that simple Plissken, nothing."

"I know enough," he looked at her hard. "I know enough to work out a few things. I catch on fast. That night, you wanted it as much as I did. You were almost begging me for it. You've been wanting it since I got here and I was happy to oblige. Half way through you got scared and ran like a rabbit."

Her expression hardened at the insult. Why did she bother? All he cared about was fucking her, not the implications of what happened after. He only cared about the sex. Sometimes, he could be so typically male. "Yeah Snake," she glared at him. "I wanted it but I also wanted a few other things. Things I can't get with Snake Plissken, the great war hero okay? You may be great in bed, but I want more than just letting you fuck me and before disappearing in the sunset. I am not some thing you can use for the duration of your stay like some hotel gift. I don't care who you think you are."

"Bullshit." He said firmly. "You know that would never have happened. If you had then we wouldn't even be having this conversation. That night baby, you didn't want the war hero or the legend or whatever you want to fucking call me. You didn't even want Jack Travis. You wanted me and I could have given you what you needed. After that," he added with a trace of something that could have been hurt, "I might have surprised you."

Kathryn closed her eyes, "we're not right." She whispered. "We're all wrong, don't you see?"

"Maybe," he said ruefully. "But we'll never know now will we?"

Yes, she had been a fool, not because she had ran, but because she hadn't given him the benefit of the doubt. Snake Plissken was all about taking chances and she had to take a chance with him, that's the only way anything was going to work. Since that night, there wasn't a moment when she hadn't lay in bed envisioning every second of those heated moments. The potency of his touch was almost masterful and she wanted to become lost in his presence. However, any man who could do that to her in such a short time, scared the hell out of Kathryn and that was the honest truth. What would happen if he were to leave? She hadn't imagined him to be anything like what he was. In the past, he'd been one of those icon's of pop culture, comfortable and distant. All those years, seeing him in magazines, TV, wanted posters and god knows what else, was lousy preparation for this moment. Yet, when she tasted him in her mouth, when she felt his hand touch her body and swallow her soul comfortably into his, it had never felt more right.

"I did want you." She said looking him straight in the eye. "I wanted you. The guy who fought Jack Travis for me, who looked down my dress whenever I was driving, who knew bullshit for what it was. I didn't care about the legend the Snake Plissken who saved a President, who once robbed a bank or even the guy who set off the Pulse."

Snake looked at her sharply.

Everything she said after that was a blur, unheard and indistinguishable. For a moment Snake thought he was mistaken, that he hadn't heard her say what he thought she did. However, he was rarely that fortunate.

She knew about the Pulse.

Kathryn stopped talking when she saw the sudden shift in his eyes. For a moment she wondered what she had said that had changed the mood in his face so radically. However it hit her soon enough and when it did, she cursed herself for doing so. Until now, it had been her own little secret she had told no one, and never meant to. Now it was too late though, he

knew and the look in his eyes, told her how devastating her discovery was to him.

For a moment, he said nothing. Unable to do much other than take it in. After he had gathered his composure, even though to Kathryn he wore an expression of stone behind the glare of his dark eyes. "Let's take it outside." He said icily, standing up first and walking out of the booth without even looking at her.

In that instance, everything he had wanted for himself in Sanctuary had started to disappear, the life he might have had. The peace and quiet, the friends he had made and even the future he considered building was leaving him far behind as it dissolved into nothingness. Snake hadn't wanted anyone here to know about his part in the Pulse. Especially Kathryn. Her knowledge was one he could not bear. It reached inside of him and made it impossible to stomach.

He led her to a quiet corner out side the Slice, well away from everyone's prying eyes and listening ears. Once they were alone, he turned to her again. He could see the fear in her eyes, the fact that she had revealed what she had known. With a flash of insight, Snake suddenly realised that she had known for a long time. Probably from the beginning. She knew all along and hadn't told anyone. Why?

"How long have you known?" He asked her.

Kathryn took a deep and decided to face up to the mess she had created out of this whole situation. "Since the first time you arrived." She said defeated. "I saw you on television when you came back from LA, I saw what that lunatic was about to do, how he was going to declare war in the name of his insane moral vision. I knew what you did was the only thing left to do Snake." She pleaded with him to believe that. "I don't blame you, I almost understand why you did it."

He could barely look at her and his words seemed to slide off his back like water. For two years he had been running with this on his conscience and to a certain extent he regretted nothing, but he couldn't explain why her knowing was like an open wound. It forced Snake Plissken to look into himself like he had never done before. For the first time in too long, he started speaking of things from the heart, revealing a part of himself, no one had privy.

"I didn't have a choice you know."

Suddenly Kathryn came forward, sliding her arms around his body and holding him close to her chest, letting her head rest against his shoulder. The intimacy of it didn't escape him and he found it strangely fulfilling to let her hold him like that. For a while, everything seemed far away.

"People don't remember things any more Snake." Kathryn whispered in a voice that made him understand why people looked up to her, why Querto and others like him respected her. Why they would die for her. At that moment, Snake almost felt that way himself.

"People look at what it was like before the Pulse and they can only see the good times. They miss the movies, television, fast food and hotted up cars. Most don't even remember what it was like at the end. The edge of war we were about to fall into. I don't know whether we would have been better or not for the Pulse, I'll never know, but I don't blame you Snake. If it matters any."

It did matter quite a lot.

He turned around slowly and felt her arms slid around his back, savouring the closeness they were now sharing. For Snake Plissken, it was time to tell someone, just once, of another thought that crossed his mind that night. One that he never thought he'd reveal to anyone because of its sheer magnitude. "If I had let him use the Pulse that night, he would have probably kept on using it you know, not just to keep the invasion from happening, but to invade himself. There would be no way the Soviets let it go that easily. Think about it, would you let a man like that with the power he had in his hands, blackmail the world into line? They would have nuked us and we would have nuked them and everyone would have been fucked."

Kathryn nodded, taking in what he said. In truth it mattered little. The Pulse was a deed done, one that was irrefutable and unchangeable. What was the point of arguing into exhaustion something that could not be changed. She knew inside of him there was a man who had courage and conviction, buried under years of loss and almost homicidal rage. "You've spent years moving around trying to find a place for yourself in this world you created for us. Can't you see? You make sense here."

Snake stepped away from her at that. There was still resistance left to fight that notion. Was this all she cared about? Sanctuary? Did his staying here just have to do with her cause. "I don't make sense anywhere and I don't give a shit about this place."

It was a lie and they both knew it.

"We need you! " She declared in exasperation. Why was it so hard to admit that he wanted to stay? As much as Sanctuary needed Snake Plissken, Snake needed it even more. What was it about him that made it so damn hard to admit? "We need you because you're Snake Plissken! This is the world you created Snake!" She looked at him hard, trying to make him understand, trying to keep from passing over a threshold that could never be undone once the crossing was made. "You created it when you set the Pulse off! Did you think your responsibility ended with just that? It doesn't end with you walking away. Not one of us can do what needs to be done here Snake, just you. We need you to protect us!"

"We need?" He stared her down critically. "This isn't all about Sanctuary. He started to walk back towards her. "Come on baby, I'm no asshole. You want me to stay but it ain't just because of this little paradise you got going here. Don't tell me what my responsibilities are, cause I know better than you think. If you got your own reasons for me staying, say so instead of jerking me around with this patriotic crap."

She swallowed hard, knowing at last that it had come down to this. To what she wanted, not for Sanctuary or what was the practical thing to do, but for herself. Deep down in the recesses of that place she barely looked and often thought dead. That same place which for a moment came alive that night when he had almost taken her body and soul. "Alright," she nodded defiantly. "I need you okay? You're right, I don't want the hero and I don't want Jack Travis. I want you. I wanted you and I need you to stay."

Snake merely responded "why?"

Kathryn closed her eyes. Did he understand nothing? Everything in his life, someone had always offered it to him in return for something else. Why should she be any different from those who had come before her? "Why?" She almost laughed softly, but it was no laughing matter. "I don't want a thing from you." She said angrily. "because I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you."

There, she had said it.

She said it because he gave her no choice but to say it. Kathryn found herself painted into an invisible corner, never feeling more exposed in her entire life. She never wanted him to know that, because she swore she'd never make him stay unwillingly. Yet, looking into his eyes now filled with the knowledge that she'd exposed his secret, Kathryn was almost certain that he would run again if she didn't give him something to stay for. Whether that something was her, she had no idea.

Snake merely stared at her for a while, unable to believe that she had actually said it to his face. Oh yeah, he had some idea of her feelings for him. He played a hunch that she cared more than she admitted. To some degree Snake had felt enough of that same emotion himself for both of them. Yet hearing it out loud astonished him because he looked into her eyes and knew that she was telling the truth. He had never had a woman make such a declaration to him, not one like Kathryn, whose world was so far removed from his. Kathryn was a lady and yet she wasn't a Park Avenue bitch with fancy clothes and a snooty attitude. She knew what he was and that didn't matter to her. It didn't matter what he had been before, to her Snake Plissken was just the guy she was in love with, nothing more.

Once it sunk in, a part of him felt elated while another part was stunned. Once upon a time, he had wondered what it would be like to have a woman love him as much as Maggie loved Brain, in those few moments after he had died. Now, he saw that same look in Kathryn's eyes and knew in no uncertain terms, that feeling was for him. Knowing that suddenly made Snake's black and white existence cloudy and left him unsure. Now that he knew for sure she loved him, what now?

They were both aware that they had crossed some unseen barrier, seldom noticed until it was left far behind. Snake looked at her, realising with each second just how true her words had been. She loved him and no matter what happened after today, that would not change. He was perceptive enough to see that his future was not going to be what he had imagine previously. His life was never going to be simple again.

Shit, things were going to get very complicated.

Anything he was going to say was suddenly cut short by a sudden, loud screech in front of them. A rider on a motor cycle had skidded against the hard tar, screeching across the granite surface before crashing into a stack of dustbins. Kathryn hurried past him to investigate and after a few seconds he followed her. As they approached, Snake saw clearly visible bullet holes all over the motor cycle, as well as the tarnish metal under the shredded paint.

Snake also recognised the rider was Taylor.

II

The day had started out rather well for Taylor actually.

It was daylight when he finished co-ordinating a large convoy of trucks that were due to leave the Zone that very night for Sanctuary. He had intended to join them and help them across the border. The underground network which carried out most of these operations were professionals who knew how to keep a low profile and Taylor had stayed well away from the Englishman to keep any suspicion of him.

The moment he stepped out onto the streets, they had him surrounded. Miranda, the Englishman's main squeeze had come for him with her men, personally which indicated to Taylor the kind of trouble he was in. In the Englishman's court, Taylor was like a court buffoon, a passer-by who listened closely but said little and always tried to remain as inconspicuous as problem. Thus when she sought him out in particular, Taylor had a feeling he was in deep shit and sinking fast.

He had attempted to feign ignorance when they claimed he was a spy working for the other side, however, it was very clear very quickly, that they knew exactly what it was he was doing in the Zone. The questions they asked were specific and they were willing to use any means necessary to get the information they required. Taylor could smell the smoke rising out of the fires they had set to the tenements occupied by the Underground. He only hoped the network managed to escape before it was too late.

His greatest fear however, was that they would learn about the escaping convoy scheduled that night. There were almost a hundred families on those trucks, occupied with children and guarded by parents who would fight to the death, every last one of them before falling into the Englishman's clutches.

Taylor didn't want to let that happen despite Miranda's interrogation. Miranda however, was no fool. She knew they couldn't kill Taylor yet because the Englishman would have their heads even hers, if she let a spy die without telling any of his secrets. Instead she had set her men to work on Taylor, with their knives and their fists.

The beatings followed shortly after his capture.

Taylor took the worse of it in silence, trying to blank out the pain that was screaming out in protest from every part of his body. He could feel blood everywhere, in the eye he could not longer see past the pulpish flesh, the arm he knew was broken and deeper cuts all over his face. He had wondered momentarily where his glasses were before he remembered Miranda had crushed it underfoot with one leather boot. The sadomasochistic bitch that she was. It was good pair of glasses too.

By the early morning, Taylor knew they were becoming impatient with their lack of progress and they would soon kill him. He knew he didn't want to die even though he had come to expect that this was a possibility in his chosen vocation for Sanctuary. Finally, in a desperate plan borne out of agony and the reality that he would soon break, Taylor told them he would

show them the Underground hideout.

Miranda didn't argue with his claim and foolishly led him outside with her men. Taylor didn't know how he escaped but he did. Perhaps it seemed to them that he was half dead and wouldn't put up a fight which allowed them to slacken their attention. Whatever the reason, Taylor didn't complain. He broke free and found a motorcycle. In his escape he heard gun fire and he thought he might have been shot, but the haze of the journey back had forced him to focus on his pain instead of the cause.

"I thought you could take care of yourself?" Snake retorted when he went to Taylor and found him thankfully still alive.

"So did I." Taylor mumbled as he made out Kathryn leaning next to him and soon felt her hands on his bruised and bloody skin.

Kathryn's examination was quickly and after a moment, she looked up at Snake. "He's been beaten within an inch of his life." She said barely unable to conceal her rage. "I feel broken ribs, an arm I think and possible some fracturing of the skull. We've got to get him to the hospital."

"We need a car." Snake pointed out.

"I got one." Kathryn replied tossing the keys from her pocket at him.

Evans had emerged from the diner with some other people. They approached the scene with questions and the usual commotion. Kathryn and Snake tried to ignore the bulk of their questions, except for Evans who was the only one who asked answerable questions. Still they were unable to answer him because they knew as much as he did at the moment.

"Come on," Snake helped Taylor to his feet. "Can you walk?" Kathryn helped him on the other side while she examined Taylor's broken fingers.

"I don't know." Taylor said with a half smile on his blood streaked face. "Didn't we do this already?"

"No," Snake retorted. "This is the second act." He looked in the direction of Kathryn's car, which was another convertible and was grateful this time. It would be easier to put Taylor into the back seat.

"What happened to you?" Evans demanded. "I thought your cover was safe."

"I thought so too," Taylor spoke, forcing himself to stay conscious because he had important information to impart. Lives depended on it, "But they knew who I was, they knew my name. They knew I had a brother who died and that he was a friend of Snake Plissken's. They also knew I saved Snake." Taylor glanced briefly at Snake. "They knew all the right questions to ask me."

Suddenly Snake saw Kathryn and Evans exchanging glances which spoke volumes to him. Somehow, this was not a surprise to them. Which brought Snake to the question, what was today's emergency meeting about anyway? "That's enough," Kathryn said to Evans. "He's slipping into shock and we can't waste anymore time. He needs a hospital now."

"Wait!" Taylor shouted with all the strength he could muster, "there's a convoy coming in tonight, across the border. If they've made me, they might have made the Underground too. If they're discovered it will be a running fire fight all across the border. If we're not there at the border, you know the Englishman will violate the border to get those people back. We've got to be there waiting. They were supposed to leave tonight."

"You got enough from him!" Snake said abruptly.

"Evans," Kathryn looked at the former Mountie, "you get our people sorted out for tonight. Snake and I are taking Taylor to the hospital. I'll co-ordinate things up there and contact you shortly. Evan's nodded and hurried back into the diner.

"Let's go." She looked at Snake and for a moment, their eyes met as something undisclosed past between them. They had been discussing things of great importance before all this had happened and looked like those matters would have to wait for now. Snake met her gaze, knowing they had much to resolve between them.

This was not over yet baby, Snake thought, not by a long shot.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I

Snake lingered around the hospital even though Kate disappeared with Taylor once they passed through the front doors. Even though Taylor was unconscious most of the trip there, neither Kate nor Snake picked up their interrupted conversation subsequent to his arrival. Instead, they drove there in silence and only spoke of things that were incidental, knowing it was all an attempt to talk about what mattered.

Snake didn't know what to do. He thought sitting around the hospital waiting room while Taylor was being tended to would help him figure something out, it didn't. The more he thought about it, the more complicated it got. What did he need Kate Ellison for? Sure, okay, she was a lady, drop dead gorgeous and probably incredible in bed, but she didn't fit into his life. Snake Plissken was not the kind of man to be tied down, he didn't put down roots and he didn't think she was the kind to leave all this behind just for him. Even if she did think she was in love with him.

Now here's the sixty four million dollar question Snake, he told himself, already gone through a pack of cigarettes, how do you feel about her?

It was something he wasn't ready to answer, because once he did, then he would have no illusions about just how soft he had become. Sanctuary was like that, it made people weak because everybody was so civilised. The thing was, the world was not like that any more. In fact, it hadn't been like this in quite some time. Snake Plissken was borne out of an era where death and murder were common place. He had fought wars, then governments and finally society itself because he was the creation of their corruption.

The America he had come from was an America were Superman and what he stood for was a myth. Truth, justice and the American way were words that disappeared the further the nation slipped into its urban decay. Ideals were tarnished, cops didn't protect neighbourhoods any more, they became soldiers to keep what was left from slipping further into the slime. There were no decent neighbourhoods, just pockets of civilisation struggling against the dregs. Even America's heroes were not what they used to be. Its soldiers were tired and its medal meant less. Snake Plissken looked in the mirror at times and wondered why anyone had ever considered him a war hero. With his bad eye and disillusionment, he was what remained after the golden age heroes had died.

He was the exhausted veteran, battered and uncompromising.

To become a part of Sanctuary would mean more than just being tied down, it would require feeling hope again and that was something Snake Plissken had little faith in. Hope was obsolete, just as religion and all those other feelings that made people believe everyone was good, deep down. Snake had little use for those feelings. Most people were assholes, those who thought themselves civilised, just hid it better. To survive in the jungle with the rest of the animals, Snake had to become one, tougher and angrier than the rest. That was his edge.

But she loves you.

Knowing that, somehow made it impossible to walk away. And it was going to get him killed.

He looked up from the waiting room to see the hospital alive with activity. The long corridor in front of him was filled with nurses running back and forth, packing medical equipment into boxes. Surgical instruments were being packed away neatly with medicines and all the necessary implements, Snake was certain, would be used for emergency medical treatment. With a flash of insight, he remembered when he had seen such preparation last.

He was in a hospital, somewhere on the edge of the European border. There had been heavy fighting, the Soviets were advancing fast. Ten miles away, troops were fighting for his life. He was being patched up for a shoulder wound, nothing serious but enough to warrant the attention. Ambulances were few so the doctors chose to go to the front to treat the troops. There was the same kinetic atmosphere, with people moving back and forth, faces filled with grim determination of the work to be done.

He looked at them moving back and forth across the floor and knew that it was the same feeling here as well. He saw the Vietnamese doctor, Vihn ordering the nurses about supervising the movement of equipment required for the enterprise, while orderlies were packing stretchers and mobile surgery equipment. Snake walked through the hurrying staff as they worked quickly and went towards Vihn. Doctor Vihn was an elderly man in his fifties. He was a small Asian with white hair and hid his eyes behind steel rimmed glasses.

"Mr Plissken, we are very busy here. Perhaps you should join Mr Evans group." He replied, before turning to Judy, the Inuit nurse and barked some instructions at her.

"What's going on?" Snake inquired.

"According to Kate, there is a large convoy coming possibly under fire. Taylor told her there were many children in those trucks. We are despatching our mobile medical unit to the border, in case the casualties are many."

"You have a mobile medical unit?" Snake looked around at the doctors and nurses running about to their orders and common cause and couldn't help feel a little impressed.

"We formed one when the Englishman first tried to attack us. I suggested the idea to Kate and she agreed that it was best since we were fighting a guerrilla war and we expected our casualties to be heavy." Vinh replied. "Now if you will excuse me Mr Plissken, I have work to do." With that, he hurried away down another corridor as Snake saw portable stretchers whizz past him, being carried by orderlies.

They seemed to know what they were doing and Snake didn't think he could help them very much by his presence. Even though he wanted to stay and see how Taylor was doing, Vinh was probably right, he would do better tracking down Evans if he wanted to help out. Besides, it was the most action Snake had seen since he arrived here and he sort of missed it a little. Either way, it was a good way to find out how all this soft living had affected him.

"Snake!" He suddenly heard Kate call.

She had just emerged from a treatment room at the far end of the corridor and Snake walked quickly to meet her. "How's he doing?" Snake asked, when he reached her.

"He's okay." She nodded, gesturing at the tiny window on the door. Through it Snake could see Taylor resting comfortably, his wounds cleaned and a young brunette sitting at his bedside, in silent deliberation.

"Who's the girl?" He inquired.

"That's Rachel."

Snake remembered Taylor telling him about the young woman when Snake had been in the same shape weeks ago. Rachel was one of the news people who worked on the Sentinel. She had heard about his condition through the diner and come here at first opportunity.

"He's pretty banged up, but he'll be okay. Just needs a lot of rest."

"Good," Snake nodded, noticing she had trouble meeting his eyes. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to go to meet the convoy with Vihn and our medical unit." She answered as she started walking down the corridor toward s the elevator. "If Taylor is right and the Zone knows those people are leaving, chances are a lot of them are going to be hurt before they make it to the border."

"Assuming they get to leave at all." Snake pointed out as they reached the lift and entered its doors.

Kate nodded slowly, not liking to entertain that possibility but also having to admit that such an outcome might be true. "I suppose." She answered. "But we got to try I guess."

Suddenly, he reached for the stop button on the lift and pressed it. The lift came to a halt with a sudden jolt. Kate looked at him in question and notice Snake took a step closer towards her. "We have unfinished business." He remarked.

"No we don't." She said firmly, looking at him directly. He was inches away from her now and she was unable to deny his closeness affected her. "I said everything I had to," she answered, her voice softer. "Now its your turn."

He didn't speak, choosing only to lean closer to her until his mouth was pressed firmly against hers. He heard her whimper slightly, as his tongue snaked past her teeth, touching hers. He was impossible to resist and Kate found herself pushed against the cold steel wall, but caring nothing of it except his demanding mouth, kissing her hard while his hand slid under her dress feeling the soft flesh of her thigh.

"Snake," she managed to whisper, dizzy by his touch as her awareness heightened to almost feverish state. "We don't have time for this."

"You want me to stop," he said huskily.

Closing her eyes, forcing herself to speak, she pushed him gently away. "Yes, I do."

Disappointed, he drew away but this time he didn't seem to mind as much. This time he knew she had other concerns on her mind, none of which had nothing to do with the shit she thought so important. Touching her this time, Snake knew if the circumstances were different, he would be well on his way to making love to her now. She had shed some inhibitions about their relationship at least. He ran his fingers through his dark hair as he pressed the button and the lift started moving again. "Next time, I won't be so accommodating."

She almost smiled, but held it. "Neither will I."

************

Snake left Kate shortly after. She had things to do and he would be of more use to Evans and his group then he would be with her. Besides, he didn't relish being stuck with a bunch of doctors for the bulk of the day, even if Kate was one of those. He took the car back to the diner and left it there with the keys in the ignition.

There were almost thirty men in the town square, Snake recognised Querto and Red in the mix, as well as Washington, Erikson and even the big Chief. Evans seemed to be supervising things and most of the men were centred around a truck in the middle of the road. As Snake took his cycle towards the crowd, his arrival was noticed by Evans who had wondered what Snake Plissken would

do in this instance.

"We're meant to hold position until the convoy arrives." Evans said standing on top of the truck addressing the men. "Taylor's information indicates the convoy will be coming through Beggar's Canyon, taking the old camping trail. We will not fire on any Zoners until they open fire first. If there is a treaty to be violated, it will not be done by us."

Suddenly Snake Plissken made his appearance. Swaggering through the crowd with almost invincible arrogance, Evans couldn't help but smile faintly as he saw the man approach. No speech he could have made or any pep talk he might have devised could be more effective than Snake's sudden arrival. Snake walked up to where Evans was on the truck, aware that all eyes were on him.

He looked at Evans with that same noncommittal look he always gave everyone, before reaching into the back pockets of his fatigue pants and produced himself a cigarette. Evans waited patiently, wondering if the notorious war hero had any idea what kind of a morale booster he was. Snake Plissken was a hero to many of the men here and that was something Sanctuary seriously lacked. Like Kate, he had wanted Plissken to stay, even though he suspected that Kate's reasons might have been a little more of a personal nature. Still, that wasn't bad either. There was no better reason for a man to put down roots than the love of a woman like her. No one spoke as he came forward, all wondering what Snake would do.

"Where do I sign up for this little action?" Snake asked casually.

"Help yourself to a gun." Evans gestured to the tray of the truck where he was standing. Around him were an assortment of weapons, brought out of the armoury from the Police Building in town. Snake smiled faintly as he reached in and helped himself to a set of handguns and the appropriate ammunition. Sliding them into the holster around his waist, Snake then grabbed himself a pretty nasty automatic, rapid fire machine gun.

"Incidentally," he said looking up at Evans while loading a magazine into the gun. "If you're going to wait for them in the Canyon, then I'd suggest you get some snipers on that ridge. I understand its ambush terrain."

"Thanks." Evans replied, pleased that Snake was making the effort and also because the advice was sound. "Any ideas?"

"Hey Querto," Snake said without looking at the crowd. "Can you still nail a Ruskie at 1000 metres in lousy weather?"

"I don't know Snake," Querto remarked. "Its been a while, but I can give it a good try."

"Anyone else who can do that kind of shooting, now would be the time." Evans spoke up, now that he knew where Snake was going with this. A few voices spoke up and very soon a dozen men had formed a sniper team who would wait at the ridge that sat on the border, waiting for the convoy. Evans climbed down the truck after he had ordered the men to get their weapons.

"Thanks for the help." Evans said as he found Snake moving towards his bike. "You're better than a recruitment poster you know."

Snake felt uncomfortable at that. He didn't mean to be looked upon as some kind of hero, but something Kate had said earlier had gotten to him. He did have some measure of responsibility to these people and even if he wasn't about to plunge wholly into some kind of commitment, he could at least help them out a little. Besides, he was starting to get a little bored and a little target practice keeping the skills intact was never a bad idea.

"I'm just keeping busy." Snake retorted.

"Sure." Evans replied, wearing an expression of smug superiority that drove Snake crazy. For a minute, Snake almost regretted being so magnanimous.

"Alright Plissken!" He heard Crow shout somewhere in the background, "I want to see your ass in action!"

"I hope he means in combat." Evans replied before turning towards his jeep.

II

Beggar's Canyon was a hundred and fifty miles from Sanctuary. It was a terrain between was surrounded by thick redwoods and craggy hills the closer they reached the border separating Sanctuary from the Zone. Snake made the trip on his motor cycle even though he could have ridden on the one of the trucks and pick ups that were heading towards the rendezvous point. Ahead of him, he could see the medical trucks ahead and wondered which one Kate was riding. He hadn't seen her seen their exchange at the hospital but he looked forward to continuing their conversation after all this was over.

At least she wasn't still in that denial thing.

He didn't have much experience with women, well not in the relationship sense anyway but he knew no denial was a good thing. In the past his sole experiences with women hadn't extended much beyond a night's encounter or past the kind that expected to be paid the next morning. Kate was the first woman he ever thought of staying with for any longer than that.

Shaking thoughts of her out of his head, Snake focused on the mission ahead. In some ways, he had join Evans because he wanted to get back into action again, but also because he wanted to give the Englishman some payback for the bullets he had taken from the bastard. Snake hadn't forgotten the incident that brought him to Sanctuary almost dead. Neither could he forget the Englishman's threat. Snake knew men like the Zone's leaders and despite the lack of action so far, Snake was certain that the Englishman's threat was no idle one. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, Sanctuary's tenuous existence with the Zone could not got on indefinitely. The Englishman was not satisfied with allowing Sanctuary to exist and eventually he would come for them. If he hadn't done already. Further more, Snake was dubious whether or not Sanctuary could successfully defend itself.

The problem with Sanctuary and its residents Snake decided and this included Kate, was they were too civilised. Unlike the people in the Zone. The Englishman kept his army strong by keeping them mean and hungry. Snake knew how hard it was to fight crazies like that, because he lived in that world. The people in Sanctuary had been comfortable for so long that they had forgotten what it was like to get down in the dirt and fight dirty. In that instance, he could understand why Kate wanted him to stay. She was aware of Sanctuaries deficiencies and knew that someone with Snake Plissken's edge could be invaluable to them.

Snake wasn't sure if he was ready to make that kind of commitment. The last time he had trained anyone or been apart of anything was during his time in the Service. At the memory, he remembered briefly, the men under his command in Leningrad and then that memory slipped into the unpleasantness of realising that all those men were dead. He and Taylor were the only ones who walked out of that mission alive and put Snake Plissken on the road to where he was now.

Anyway, according to Taylor, the convoy should be arriving at sometime during midnight. However, it was daylight out when they had left town but Snake could see the sun starting to set in the horizon. The temperatures were starting to plunge again as it usually did at this time of the day. As Snake drove through the cooling winds, he was glad he wore his long leather coat. He looked into the hills and saw the jagged terrain covered in tangerine coloured trees, which was a stark contrast against the amber sky. It would be dark soon.

A pick up honked loudly as it overtook him on the road and Snake saw the driver to be Querto and his group. Red stuck his head out of the window as they moved past the Chopper.

"Hey Snake!" Red cried out.

Snake shifted his eyes momentarily towards the man, which was adequate enough for an acknowledgment. Crazy drunken bastard, Snake thought to himself as the vehicle moved in front of him. Red was still half way out of the passenger window.

"Let's kick some Limey ass!" Red laughed taking a swig from a bottle being passed around the front cabin.

Snake jammed the accelerator and the motor cycle sped up, catching the pick up easily as Snake pulled the chopper alongside it.

"Want a drink man!" Red shouted, brandishing the bottle close up. Snake ignored the offer, reaching for one of the guns in his holster. He looked in the cabin and saw Querto getting pretty tanked up. Much to tanked up for a guy whose job when they got to the rendezvous, was a sniper. The radio was blaring out loud, playing ancient Rolling Stones. Snake unhooked the flap of the holster, his eyes still fixed on the road before pulling out the gun and needed a quick glance to get a decent aim.

"What you doing Snake?" Red cried out, his voice slurred and barely coherent.

Snake didn't speak, his response being one shot from the 45 calibre weapon he was holding. The bottle shattered in Red's hand, raining rotgut and glass over the tar road. Red fell back. Red fell back on to the seat and Snake allowed himself a faint smile as he accelerated forward and got in front of the pick up. Even over the roar of his engines, he could hear Querto's hysterical laugh as he drove by.

***********

Beggar's Canyon was a stark contrast to the greenery barely a mile away. The path that twisted through the hard rocky terrain was barely visible to even Snake Plissken's trained eye and the rendezvous point was on a plateau at the top of the ridge. From that point, they were afforded a bird's eye view of the canyon and would have a vantage point over anyone who tried to come through.

It was dark by the time they reached the canyon, with sun disappearing fast into the tree line in the distance. By now the temperatures had dropped well below what was comfortable. Snake remembered weather like this in Leningrad, fortunately this was not that bitter. It was quiet out there, with little sound except for the animals who were scurrying into their hiding places at sudden human invasion.

Snake walked towards Evans who was coordinating the snipers. Snake wondered how Red was doing. Querto was all business now, showing no visible signs of his past intoxication.

"So what's the op?" He heard someone say in the darkness and Snake saw it was Crow.

"We were waiting for you actually." Evans replied and Snake saw that Evans was actually serious about letting him run this whole thing. For a moment Snake was going to say fuck you and leave, but then he glanced sideways and saw the medical unit being set up in a safe distance from where the shooting would be. Even in this light, he could see Kate.

Shit. It was starting already. She was going to get him killed, he just fucking knew it.

Snake looked down at the ground, knowing the men before him were waiting for his response. He looked up at them. By now, all of the group was standing before him in anticipation of his leadership. Even Evans was looking to him in the same way, with a hint of expectation at what he would do. Evans believed he was a criminal, a psychopathic murderer who'd escaped justice because of the Pulse.

This was the moment, Plissken. Snake thought silently to himself. Time to make or break, time to make some hard decisions....

"Alright," Snake Plissken looked up finally, "This is what we're gonna do.."

Fuck, she was really going to get him killed.

CHAPTER TWELVE

I

Time.

There seemed a lot of it in the darkness. The moon above them illuminated the canyon below, while they held their breath in silent anticipation. The temperature had dropped to a few degrees above freezing and most had to fight the desire to move in order to warm up. With the benefit of the moonlight, it was easy to see everything below them with some measure of clarity. This was an advantage and a disadvantage in some sense. They were as visible as their quarry.

It had been a long time since Snake Plissken had to plan an ambush like this. Not since Leningrad and the people under his command in those days were trained professionals, not like this motley collection. Very few of them had any established weapons training. The majority were ordinary folk, blue collar workers who had always relied on local law enforcement and soldiers to protect them. As well as this, the men who made up the bulk of the Englishman's army were street thugs, kept mean and hungry so they'd always have an edge.

Still when it was all said and done, there was no use worrying about things he could not change. They had asked for leadership and he had given it. The rest would take care of itself.

Over the ridge at a safe distance away, Kate and her group of doctors waited with equal anticipation. He knew that the worst case scenario would be a fire fight and the chances of it were high since Taylor's espionage activities in the Zone was discovered. Snake had been wondering about that. Since arriving at Sanctuary, he had come to learn a few things about way Sanctuary regarded its security. Sure, someone on the inside had given Taylor away, that much was certain. However, not many people knew his relationship with Taylor. Whatever his reputation might have been, he knew of no media record of his friendship with the older Taylor, who was killed at the Federal Repository prior to his New York rescue of the President. That kind of information came from someone who knew Taylor personally and that worried Snake a great deal.

The Englishman had said that he intended to have Sanctuary within thirty days. Did he mean to accomplish it with the help of someone inside?

Snake shook the thought out of his head, knowing that this was not the time to think about such things. He lit a cigarette, taking the smoke into his mouth with a contemplative gaze as he sat behind the cover of some rocks. Next to him Evans was looking dead ahead, staring into the night in tense concentration.

"What was the meeting about?" Snake asked, just to pass the time.

Evans looked at him in puzzlement, before the light of understanding struck him. "That's right," he remarked. "In all the confusion we never got a chance to deal with that."

"So?" Snake stared at him.

"Jack Travis." Evans responded. "He's disappeared. No one has seen him in two days."

At the mention of the name, Snake tensed. He remembered the exchange between Travis and himself, weeks ago. He remembered the hate in the man's eyes during those few occasions Snake had come across him. Suddenly, Snake didn't feel very happy about this situation. As much as Travis might hate him, Snake felt inclined to believe his anger towards Kate would be greater. Maybe even enough for him to harm her.

"This is too much of a coincidence." Snake said simply.

"Yeah," Evans agreed, indicating he had given the matter some thought already. "I know."

Instinctively, Snake looked at the ridge, to where Kate was currently waiting. She was pretty good at taking care of herself and he shouldn't really be worried, but the fact of the matter, was he still did. Christ Plissken, Snake thought to himself with disgust, the lady knew how to take care of herself well before his arrival. Isn't that what he loved about her in the first place?

Suddenly Snake Plissken realised what he said. Did he actually use that word?

Before he could ponder the further implications of what had just happened, the silence was shattered by a new sound. All thoughts about his confusing personal life were shunted aside as he recognised the new sound instantly for what it was. Around him, his companions had yet to pick it up. Hardly surprising of course since Snake had trained himself to detect such things.

"I hear gun fire." Snake spoke up.

Immediately Evans looked up at him and hurried next to Snake. "Are you sure?" He asked staring into the darkness, trying to focus on the sound. "I don't hear anything."

"Wait for it." Snake responded coolly.

The gunfire approached like a whisper, carried on the waves of a rolling breeze. It tickled the ears as it started to rise in momentum. Very soon, they were all hearing it.

"Tell everyone to hold position." Evans spoke into the old valve walkie talkie.

Snake moved to the edge of the canyon, ensuring that he could not be seen. Even at this light, he could see Querto huddled behind parapet on the canyon's eroded surface. The Mexican was using a nub of rock to rest the rifle as he took careful aim. Around the canyon, there were several other snipers taking position. Beggars Canyon was technically Sanctuary territory. Once the Zoners crossed into it in pursuit of the refugees, they would be in violation of the treaty.

"Remember," Snake heard Evans say, "we do not fire until they have crossed into the canyon."

Snake saw the headlights' first, approaching at rapid speed as the set moved over uneven terrain. It was the first of numerous such headlights flooding the canyon and Snake lowered himself to gain more cover.

"Tell everyone to stay out of the light." Snake told Evans.

The first vehicle that entered the canyon was a truck. It was followed by several others that were just as riddle with bullets. Fortunately their trailers were made of steel and afforded the people huddled within some protection. However, not all the trucks had such good protection. Others had back trays that were little more than canvas and the shredded material were more than an indicator of how much it had endured during the trip.

The smaller vehicles were definitely the Zoners. Fast moving and voracious like wolverines, it appeared that they had dogged the escapees all the way from Victoria city and Taylor's worst fears were concerned. Even as they approached, Snake could see the shattered windscreens, the blood on some doors and the bullet ridden paint work where high calibre ammunition had torn at it.

"May be we ought to let them know we are out here." Evans replied seeing the size of the Zone force. Snake could understand his apprehension. He counted almost a dozen vehicles, with Zoners hanging out an each window firing blindly into the dark.

"Maybe." Snake responded. "You got any ideas?"

"Not one," Evan replied. "Except maybe standing up and announcing it to them."

Snake looked at him for a moment, considering. "Maybe you ought to do just that."

Evans stared at him for a moment, wondering if this was another example of Snake's sardonic humour. However, Snake's insinuation suddenly dawned on Evans who shook his head in understanding. "Might get my ass shot off."

"Probably will." Snake retorted, the darkness hiding his smile.

Evans gave him a dirty look and started towards his jeep parked a short distance away. Snake turned his attention back to the trucks below. The vehicles had definitely crossed the threshold separating Zone and Sanctuary borders. The escapees had made it and it didn't seem as if the Zoners were giving up. As Taylor had once again predicted, the Zoners were going to violate the treaty to ensure the return of their escaped citizens.

Snake pulled out his own walkie talkie, hearing it cackle in his jacket.

"Are they here?" He heard a familiar voice on the other end.

"They've just crossed the border baby." He smiled faintly at the sound of her voice.

"Is it as bad as we thought?" She inquired, referring to Taylor's prediction.

Snake nodded, watching the vehicles sent dust in the air, illuminating the canyon with headlights and gunfire. "Its worse."

"Snake," he heard her say softly. "Be careful."

Snake looked into the walkie talkie and almost smiled. It had been a long time since anyone had said those words to him with so much feeling attached. "I can take care of myself baby." He replied, with his voice reduced a husky tone reserved only for her.

Evans chose to return at that moment and Snake had to cut the conversation short. The man was carrying marking flares, made from phosphorous and manganese that promised a blinding light when used. Snake tucked the walkie talkie into his coat and stood up to hear Evans plan.

"When they come into this way, I'm going to drop the flares." Evans replied.

"Your people are going to be exposed down there," Snake pointed out but then added after a moment thought. "Which may not be so bad." He replied. "Maybe seeing what they're up against might make them think twice."

"Yeah," Evans agreed. "Maybe long enough to decide its not worth it."

Snake didn't need to speak to show his feelings regarding that possibility. No, the Zoners weren't going to quit nor where there going to be frightened away by flares. He knew people like this all his life. They were like wolves, with more aggression pumping through their veins than good sense. They would stop, size up the enemy and decide simply out of bold defiance that no one was going to tell them what to do and start firing. Snake had seen it too many times before.

Snake thought a moment. He had an idea. "Maybe they'll be easier convince if we had a little surprise for them."

II

Ten minutes had passed since they first sighted the Zoners.

The enemy had passed into Sanctuary Territory, almost reaching the half way point in the canyon. Snake remained out of sight allowing Evans to take the lead. Whether tipping their hand to let the Zoners know they were out here worked in their favour or not, didn't matter. It was a diversionary tactic, no more. Even as the shooting became a loud cacophony of deafening sound, further amplified as the Zoners moved closer towards them, the Sanctuary force was moving silently in darkness, their movements an exercise in stealth. Snake had to give them some credit, there were not as green as he thought. While they didn't know much about military tactic, they had common sense and some times that was more valuable than anything else.

Knowing how to shoot someone's ass off was no good if you couldn't keep yourself alive.

Meanwhile Evans was nervous.

He had climbed down the side out the canyon into the narrow passage way that cut between the rock. Flanking him were two walls of rock, easier to climb down than up, making him feel boxed in and anxious. Evans was no coward. He was used to the terrain and he was used to the action, years in the RCMP had prepared him for that. Still, he wasn't as young as he used to be and he did fear dying. Evans believed that was much he could do in this life and he wasn't afraid to admit that things frightened him, unlike his younger companion in all this, Snake Plissken.

Sometimes Evans admired Snake's ability to keep it all inside.

He could see the headlights bearing down on him now. The first truck was approaching fast. Its headlights illuminated the passageway behind him for some distance and he could see the men stationed in their positions quickly regaining cover in the remaining darkness. It was going to get a whole lot brighter, Evans thought as he looked down at the flares. Lighting one, the magnesium ignited with white hot fury, forcing Evans to look away. The brilliant white light illuminated the narrow canyon until it almost seemed like daylight.

Forcing himself to face forward, away from the hot glare of the flare, Evans began waving the flare above his head, leaving a rainbow trail through the indigo of night. The vehicles in front of him showed no signs of slowing down and Evans looked up at where Snake was positioned. To his annoyance, Evans couldn't see him. Then again, that was Snake Plissken's talent, the ability to go unnoticed.

Dust and grains of dirt were flying in the air now, as the increased velocity of the vehicles created small tornadoes under their wheels. Evans felt the sting of hard pebbles against his skin and kept himself from leaping to safety. He kept one hand on the side arm tucked neatly in the belt of his jeans while waving the flare still.

Hundred meters and closing...

Soon it was fifty and showed no signs of stopping. Did they even see him? Evans hoped so, because he would hate to open fire to get their attention. In the darkness, he could see the others in the canyon floor with him become nervous. God, he hoped they kept their heads, it was too soon for them to give the game away.

Fifty meters and closing..

Evans heard sudden squeals, disc pads lock into place, screeching against protesting wheels. More dirt and grit was kicked up into the air as the velocity of the convoy began to slow down. The gun fire ceased just as abruptly and Evans released a sigh of relief knowing that his beacon had reached someone at last.

It took a few seconds for someone to emerge from the cabin of the first truck. It was an old Mack truck looking as if it had driven up from another century and in truth probably was. It's once red paint was pitted and riddled with bullet holes and the fine mustard coloured dust that covered most of the local terrain. The man who emerged from the cabin was bloody and clearly distressed. In the distance, they could hear the Zoners closing in on them and there wasn't much time to act.

"Please.." The desperation showed in his wide blue eyes. "We need help. Is this Sanctuary?"

He was clearly hit. Evans could see blood oozing from a shoulder wound and knew the man needed medical attention quickly. In fact, Evans wouldn't be wrong in venturing a guess that there were many of these escapees would need such help. Taylor's worst case scenario had been realised.

"This is Sanctuary," Evans said quickly, walking towards him. "We don't have much time. It sounds like you've got company coming. Get back into your truck and keep going down this ravine." Evans looked towards a darkened corner and shouted. "Esteban! Get out here!"

Esteban hurried out from where he was hiding. A small Latino, whose normal vocation in Sanctuary was as a fisherman, emerged with his Uzi in hand and reached Evans seconds later.

"Esteban, go with them. Show these people where the medics are."

"Sure Tristan." Esteban nodded and turned to the man who looked decidedly happier now that he knew help was coming.

The two men ran back to the truck and Evans stepped aside as the sounds of the running engine fired with increased power as they started to roll forward. The entire exchange had taken only a few minutes but it was enough to allow the Zoners to catch up with the convoy. By the time the Mack had driven past him, leading the other refugee trucks to safety, the Zoner vehicles were barely a hundred meters away and closing. Even though they were no longer firing, Evans knew nothing was for certain.

"Plissken." Evans spoke into the walkie talkie once the refugee trucks were well away. He had dropped the flare on the ground now, seeing no reason to bring any more attention to himself than necessary, besides he had a feeling the Zoners knew he was already here. "Plissken can you read me."

"I hear you." Came Snake's glacial voice through the receiver.

"They're making final approach." Evans replied, trying not to sound apprehensive, even though he was a little scared. "Any last minute instructions?" He asked hopefully, may be the great war hero would tell him to get his butt out of there instead of sitting here like a freshly painted

target.

"Not really. Just don't get your ass shot off."

Evans glared upwards, hoping Plissken could see his expression. "I'll try not to."

"Don't worry," Snake said after a moment. "Querto's got you covered."

Somehow that didn't instil a great deal of confidence in him, but it was better than nothing, Evans supposed. The headlights fell on him at that moment and Evans squinted slightly, even though the illumination from the flares had neutralised most of its sharp brilliance. This time he did pull out his sidearm as he tucked away the walkie talkie.

The vehicle was a 1967 Rambler Rebel. Its light azure paint work had been replaced with a garish red which seemed to have been painted on with a brush and not a good job at that. It came to a stop a few meters away from Evans, its windows and windscreens were tinted black so it was hard to see inside. Behind it, other similar vehicles came to a stop. They were a collection of all terrain vehicles or normal cars adapted to travel the rocky ground. Evans saw convertibles, jeeps and range rovers, all modified to be extremely serviceable in all terrain's as well as painted into strong dark colours which looked sinister. It was part of the image, Evans guessed.

Evans had never seen her before, but when Miranda stepped out of the vehicle, he knew instantly who she was. Over the years since Sanctuary had come into contact with the Zone, the stories of this woman's savagery almost rivalled that of her master and lover, the Englishman. She was not clad in leather as she was infamous for, instead on this night, she wore thick furs and designer clothes no doubt lifted from some abandoned store. She looked like a character from a James Bond novel of old.

"This is Sanctuary territory." Evans replied as soon as she was in ear shot. "You are trespassing."

She paused a few feet from him, her eyes running up the length and breadth of him as a cat does before tearing the canary apart with sharpened claws. Looking at her sent a shudder of ice down Evan's spine. She was almost glacial in her demeanour. She'd even make Plissken nervous, Evans thought.

"We are in pursuit of our citizens." She said simply, obviously unaccustomed to giving explanations for any thing.

"Not on Sanctuary territory." Evans reaffirmed. "Unless you want to be responsible for violating the treaty."

"I would think that in the interests of peaceful cooperation, you'd be willing to assist us." Miranda replied, her dark eyes staring through him as he was made of glass.

"We have our own laws in Sanctuary," Evans said slowly, ready to run if things became dangerous. "Just as you do in the Zone. Our laws demand that we give Sanctuary to whomever asks for it. Your citizens have asked for it. Once that was done, the decision was out of our hands."

Her expression hardened. "We are not leaving here without them. Either you give them to us, or we will take them by force. I don't think you are ready to fight another war in any case."

"Maybe no." He retorted. "But we're more than ready to handle any aggressive action you make."

"We'll see." She said coolly before pulling out her gun and promptly shooting him in the chest.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I

Snake saw Evans go down with one shot to the chest just before everything went to hell.

Pandemonium broke out before the man had even hit the ground. Firing exploded, shattering the razor edge tension of the situation. A hail of bullets tore forward, giving Miranda scant time to get out of the way. The Englishman's mistress barely missed being torn apart as she ran for cover behind the Rambler. Meanwhile, Snake saw the pool of blood forming around Evans as the man struggled to get out of the line of fire. At the moment, people were so involved shooting at each other that it had occurred to no one that Evans was still alive.

Snake had no illusions just how badly the former cop was hit. The men positioned in the canyon earlier were doing most of the firing, catching the Zoners in a bout of fierce fire. As of yet, the snipers had yet to reveal themselves, because Snake had ordered everyone to hold their fire when he had seen Evans shot. Snake cursed softly, angry that he had allowed Evans to make himself a target. He had honestly believed that Miranda wouldn't be foolish enough to make a try for the former cop in such a blatant fashion. Snake Plissken would not be underestimating that bitch ever again. Even if it meant killing her himself.

The situation below was rapidly deteriorating in a disorganised free for all and Snake didn't like that at all.

Already, Miranda had organised the Zoners to create a blockade with their vehicles, allowing no one to get behind them. At this point, she was unaware at the possibility of snipers, assuming that Evans must have only brought out a small force to do no more than offer her a show of strength. She probably assumed the Sanctuary group weren't smart enough to take such measures. For now, that was an advantage he did not want to relinquish.

What they needed was a plan.

Even though they already had one before the fire fight broke out, a quick revision was in order so that they could get Evans out alive. At the moment, no one was too concerned about Evans and Snake could see the man struggling to move despite the commotion around him. Despite himself, Snake couldn't stomach the idea of leaving Evans there, especially when Kate was over the ridge with a whole mess of doctors who could save him before it was too late. For an instant, Snake wondered what the hell was happening to his self important attitude. Why did he give a damn about these people? He couldn't answer that, nor did he have too much time to ponder the question.

He thought quickly, taking a few minutes to look over the situation to access the best course of action. The boys below were holding their own pretty well. However, Evans didn't have much time. Having taken a chest wound only recently himself, Snake knew just how critical the man's condition really was. After what happened to Taylor, he was suddenly unwilling to let the Englishman win by allowing Evans to die as well.

"Querto." Snake spoke into the walkie talkie. "Come in."

"What's the op man?" Querto's voice responded immediately. When the man wasn't half drunk or stoned out of his mind, Querto was alright and trust worthy enough to as he was told without asking too many questions. Snake had found Querto to be pretty reliable actually. Much to Querto's own surprise.

"I'm going after Evans." Snake replied before he could change his mind and come to his senses. "When you see me down there, cover me. Make sure nobody fires until then."

"No prob man." Querto answered. "Better make it soon, those guys down there will be needing the help soon."

Snake couldn't disagree with that. However, at the moment it was a stalemate, with one group neither side having the advantage. "Don't worry, they'll get theirs." He mumbled under his breath. After he had taken care of Evans, Snake intended to give Miranda some payback. Running over the plateau for a short distance, Snake climbed onto his bike and slammed his foot on the kick starter before the engine roared to life under him. Fortunately, the sound of gunfire drowned out of the revving of bike as it sped off into the night.

"Kate!" Snake barked into the walkie talkie, adjusting the device to her frequency with one hand, driving with the other. He was greeted by static at first, as the wind rushed past him.

"Snake?" Her voice was taut, indicating her impatience at being contacted. "What is it? I'm pretty busy down here."

"Evans is hit." Snake retorted ignoring her annoyance. "Get someone to meet at the entrance to the canyon with a jeep, we're going to have bring him to you."

There was a slight pause as Snake waited for her to answer. She was thinking and that made Snake Plissken for some reason. "Okay, I'll meet you there."

"Wait a minute," Snake retorted, "that's not necessary. There's a lot of firing going on out there. Its dangerous." Why the hell did she have to make this so fucking complicated?

"We don't have time to argue. I'll meet you there." Kate answered before the line went dead, obviously not hearing a single word he had said.

Snake glared at the walkie talkie for a brief second, shaking his head in frustration. All the women in the world and the one he finally got attached to, was the one that seemed bent on giving him as much trouble as possible. However, even as he though that, Snake found himself admiring her dedication. In the short time since she'd been in his life, Snake had come to know enough about Kate to realise that there was nothing she took more seriously then her Hippocratic oath.

Shit.

Women, can't live with them, can't kill them.

********

On approach to the mouth of the canyon, Snake could see the silhouette of the jeep parked against the side of the road. The sound of gun fire echoed loudly through the passage way carved between the rocks. In the darkness between, the explosion of guns and bullets looked like fireflies in the distance. It was almost perversely beautiful the things that could take on an aura of beauty even in the night, especially from a far.

She was waiting impatiently for him. He could tell that much when he pulled his cycle to a halt. At the moment, she was checking the contents of her medical bag. He hoped she didn't intend to do any field surgery. His plan had been merely to get Evans out of the firing range to the mobile medical set up, where Kate could tend to his wounds in safety. There was a gun tucked in her jeans.

"Can you handle that?" He inquired glancing at the weapon.

"Not really," she looked at him uncomfortably. "They just insist I carry one. I can shoot the thing but I've never actually shot anyone, thank god."

Typical, Snake thought. "Just don't shoot your ass off." He retorted.

Kate gave him a look. "Although I wouldn't mind starting with you."

"We'll play hard later, baby." He said with a faint smile and Kate groaned.

"How will we get to him?" She asked instead.

"Let me worry about that." Snake instructed climbing off the bike and sitting next to her. "You just do the driving."

Kate threw him a dirty glance and started the jeep suddenly, sending him flying back into the seat as the vehicle moved forward. It would take a few minutes to reach the fighting and he could see the tension in her face. Fighting in any shape or form really disturbed her. Judging from the traces of blood splattered over her clothing, Snake gathered, she had been hard at work with the people who had escaped.

"How bad is he?" She asked.

"He took one to the chest. Almost dead centre." Snake replied. "He's alive but barely."

"Damn." She whispered softly. The concern in her eyes was more than just professional, Snake noticed. However it was not hard to understand why this was. Tristan Evans had been one of the men Kate had saved in the founding days of Sanctuary. It was Evans who became the force representing law and order to many. Without him, Sanctuary might have never been. He was one of Kate's oldest friends.

They reached the fighting quickly enough. From where Snake was, he could see Sanctuary citizens firing at the Zoners who were returning fire with as much savagery. There were casualties on both sides, the dead strewn the ground like fresh uncovered graves, their blood spilling on the uneven surface. Snake emerged from the jeep first, gesturing Kate to follow him as they skimmed the walls of the cliff to reach the others.

Snake had both guns drawn, making sure he shielded her from the bullets flying through the air. Although Kate seemed smart enough to take care of herself. Snake noted in passing interest, that she carried a gun in one hand while her medical bag rested in the other. There was fear in her eyes, but she held it firm, trying not to let it get the better of her. Snake wished she was anywhere but here. This was no place for a class act like Kate Ellison. Shaking the disruptive thoughts out of his head, he remembered that it was time to spring their little surprise on the Zoners.

Washington was the first person he sighted.

Duke was in the middle of reloading his weapon. He could see others scattered around the place, some still firing at the enemy, some like Washington, reloading their guns. There were so many spent cartridges on the ground it disappeared into the sand and blended into the landscape. It was almost obscene how well it fitted there.

"Querto." Snake spoke into the walkie talkie once more. "Querto, are you listening?"

"Gotcha Snake," Querto's thick accent replied. "We're primed man."

"Good," he answered, walking towards the front of the fighting. "Keep listening."

Snake strode alongside Duke. The huge black man looked up at him, beads of perspiration running down his ebony skin even though it was cold outside. It wasn't temperature that was spooking Duke, Snake guessed accurately. Kate's attention was focused on Evans who had crawled to a dark corner. She could tell because of the trail of blood following the wounded man. She sucked in her breath at the sight of it, because that red trail was thick and viscous, telling her just how much blood had drained from Evans' body.

"Jesus Christ!" Duke exclaimed upon seeing Snake's appearance. "Where the fuck have you guys been? We're running out of ammo here!"

"Calm down Duke." Kate snapped before the man had a chance to say anything further. "Tristan is still alive out there! Snake came to get me."

At that, Duke seemed to quietened down at her intervention and at the memory of Evans lying out there on the ground, bleeding his life away while they were engaged in their contained war.

"What are you going to do?" Duke looked at Snake.

"I'm going to go get him." Snake remarked walking past the man towards the thick of the gun fire. Pausing a moment, he looked at Kate. "You stay here."

Beyond the nub of rock where Duke had hidden was a sheer wall, smooth for most part, except in places where the others had taken cover. Snake looked up, he could see the dark silhouettes of Querto and the other snipers on the top waiting for his word. Snake pulled out his gun, took a deep breath and waited. There was no pause in the gun fire, if anything, it was more frantic

than ever.

"Compadre." Snake said into the walkie talkie. "Kick ass."

The sniper fire rained down on the Zoners as soon as the words escaped his lips. Suddenly, the roar of gunfire loud before, in an instant became deafening. Snake scurried forward as the Zoners disoriented by the new direction of attack, tried to regain their bearings. He ran forward quickly, keeping his head down as he passed the others and emerged at the fore front of the fighting. He could see Miranda shouting orders at the remaining Zoners, who were totally unprepared for the new threat. As of yet, no one had noticed him making his way towards Evans.

It was easy enough to find Evans. There was clear trail of blood where the man had dragged himself across the ground away from further any danger. Snake moved cautiously, knowing just how vulnerable he was out here in the open, with the headlights trained on him like road kill waiting to happen. At the moment, he was unnoticed, but their shock wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later they would turn their attention back to the front.

He found Evans a few minutes later, broken and bleeding. Hiding in the darkness like a wounded animal, terrified of the hunter. Snake helped him up, seeing blood gush out of damaged arteries as Evans became upright.

"About time." Evans managed to croak. "I thought you said you'd cover me."

"I did." Snake answered, hooking his arm under Evans' and pulling him to his feet. The man groaned in pain as he was lifted upwards. His legs uncoiled like a snake, falling heavily against the ground as Snake got a better grip of him. Evans was almost a dead weight and Snake suddenly had a new appreciation of his own rescue at Taylor's hands. He looked in the direction of the Zoners, still unbalanced by the sniper fire. However, despite the surprise, they were quickly recovering. He had to move fast.

"Work with me." Snake told Evans, even though the man was in no condition to do very much. Snake could feel the blood running down the leather of his coat in thick rivulets. Drops of it followed them as they moved across the terrain, amidst the bullets and shouting. He could see Duke staring at him, too afraid to do much in the instance he alerted the Zoners to Snake's stealthy return. Snake couldn't see Kate and let out a small sigh of relief, knowing for once, she had done as she was told.

There was a god after all.

"Almost there." Snake answered as they moved across the rock. It took almost all his strength to carry Evans forward. The man was bigger than he was and age had given him the extra weight, but Snake shut himself from all the trivialities of the situation and concentrated on getting him to safety. He hadn't continued more than a few feet when a bullet whizzed past him. Snake whirled around, knowing instantly that bullet was no stray fire. Someone was shooting at him.

The Kid smirked at him as he took aim again.

Snake vaguely remembered some snot nosed kid in the car with him and Miranda that day in the Zone. He remembered that he didn't like the little shit very much. Not that it would matter very much, because it looked like the kid was going to kill him where he stood. Shit. Is anyone ever going to get any payback. Snake decided to go out fighting and went for his gun.

He never had the chance to shoot.

The bullet that slammed in the Kid's forehead effectively blew the back of his head out. Brain matter and blood exploded in a spray of red and pulp. The look of surprise on his forehead followed his ultimate collapse against the hood of the car he was hiding behind. An expanding pool of crimson formed on the dark blue surface of the vehicle.

The shot had come from behind him. Snake turned around and saw Duke standing in the shadows. Kate was next to him now and she shouted at him. "Come on Snake, move it!"

Snake shook his head once again.

Once again he thought:

Women, can't live with them, can't kill them.

II

Snake watched Kate drive into the darkness with Evans once he and Duke had placed the man there. The fighting had not abated one bit even though the snipers had given them a decided advantage. Still, Snake didn't want Miranda and her group to get too comfortable with their positions, neither did he want them to hold out indefinitely. Duke and the others were looking to him to break the deadlock, now that Evans was out of commission. It didn't escape him that people were radioing him for instructions neither was the fact that Duke seemed to let him take the lead.

With great reluctance, Snake began to see what Kate was talking about when she declared they needed him this morning. So much had happened since this morning. Sooner or later, Snake would have to deal with this.

"They're going to hole up." Snake said to Duke.

"Looks that way." Duke replied. "They have gotta be running out of ammo soon." The man looked at the direction of the fighting, unable to hide the revulsion at the dead bodies lying in the dirt from both sides. "We soon will be."

Snake got the impression that he was expected to do something. "Assholes like this carry a lot of heat on them." He explained. "Each man would have as much ammo as they can carry on themselves. We're going to have to break their line of defence."

"How?" Duke asked sceptically.

Snake turned to the fighting for a moment, contemplating his action in a long pause of reflection. One of the things that ran through his mind was why he was bothering to risk his neck for these people at all. Snake Plissken was no fucking Samaritan! Since when did he put his neck on the line for anyone but himself? The more Snake tried to debate the situation, the more confusing it got. Still, he had to know whether he had lost his edge and a part of him wanted to make that bitch Miranda and that fuck the Englishman pay for what they had done to him. He had killed for less before.

Snake looked at Duke. "I need a car."

********

This was going down bad.

Miranda thought this fleetingly as the windscreen shattered near her. Glass shards rained all over the dash, spilling out on to the hood of the car and along the sides. She shielded her eyes as she cringed deeper into the seats of the car. Next to her, Jimenez was lying limp in the seat, an expanding stain on the carpet from where his blood had dribbled in thick, viscous drops after a sniper's bullet had blown his face apart. She didn't like Jimenez, didn't give a shit that he was dead or alive, but the fact that he had been killed by these Sanctuary fuckers had really pissed her off. The Zone was her people and the Sanctuaries as she called them, had to pay for hurting her people. They had to pay hard. Looking through the frosted glass of the window, she stuck her arm through and fired at the snipers on the top of the ridge. She couldn't see anyone in particular but aimed at the direction of the fire that had killed Jimenez.

She let out a few rounds and then looked at the others with her. Miranda saw a few bodies out on the ground, some were people she worked with closely, others were thugs she didn't give a damn about. Just some of the fodder that was meant to die during this job. She and the boss had planned it well but she hadn't believed the Sanctuaries would be this organised. They never were before. Previously their attacks had been rough, almost crude. That Ellison bitch was a doctor, she knew nothing about fighting. They had expected resistance, but not on this scale. Not with snipers positioned in perfect ambush country. Her underestimation of the Sanctuaries was going to cost them dearly.

Snake Plissken.

The thought came out of her mind before any logic could lead her to it. That sonafobitch Plissken had done this. He'd organised them. Their information about Plissken's activities in Sanctuary didn't cover that. If she got out of this alive, there was going to be hell to pay, especially from the fuck who gave them their intelligence. Plissken was a hard man to beat in any case, Miranda decided. Miranda was well aware of the man's reputation before the Pulse. If Snake Plissken had a personal stake in Sanctuary, then the boss was going to have to reconsider their strategy.

It had been simple before his intervention because that Ellison bitch was just a doctor, she knew nothing about being hungry, knew nothing about climbing into the dirt to fight. However, Miranda had to give her credit for giving Plissken a reason to throw his lot in with the Sanctuaries. She never figured Kate Ellison for someone who would have fucked Snake Plissken for what she wanted. It galled Miranda to no end how furious the Englishman was when he heard that piece of news. What was it about that bitch? It seemed as if she was on everyone's wish list.

Suddenly the firing stopped.

Miranda snapped to attention, wondering what happened. She peered out of the window and saw everything was still. Her confusion was mirrored in her companions who were starting to emerge from their hiding places. Were the Sanctuaries going to try and talk? Somehow Miranda was doubtful. She opened the door to the car and crept out. There was no noise, no gunfire, no sounds of any kind of life. The magnesium flares had died out long ago, so the only illumination in the canyon came from their headlights, most of which had started to dim because of near dead batteries.

"What's going on?" She heard someone asked.

"Stay where you are!" She cried out. Miranda looked up at the ridges of the canyons. There was no movement there either. Something was wrong. She didn't like this.

For about ten minutes, they stood there. Not knowing whether to leave or not. Could they have just left? The Sanctuaries had what they wanted, the escapees had made it through. Perhaps they decided an extended fire fight wasn't worth it. All these possible scenarios ran through her head but she couldn't force herself to believe it. As the minutes rolled by, the others became more nervous. Miranda could see Crazy Jake starting to become more agitated and she realised that all of them were getting that way.

A sound broke the silence. No, not broke, more like whispered into it. The sound of cracking gravel could be heard in the distance and Miranda looked around, trying to decide where it was coming from. With the diminished illumination, it was hard to see very far into the night. It was a familiar sound but Miranda couldn't quite place it. She was starting to get rattled and it annoyed her. Once again she thought to herself;

This operation was going bad.

The Camero rolled forward into the sphere of the headlights. Miranda saw the barest hint of someone standing in the tray before the snipers above opened fire again. Most of her men had little time to get under cover before they were cut down where they stood. Miranda dove for cover through the open door of the car nearest to her. She put her head down as the windscreen shattered above her head, raining glass over her.

Almost as suddenly as the firing had begun, it felt silent again. Except this time the silence was laced in the sounds of her men, dying outside the car. Miranda swore in anger, furious at the trap she had allowed herself to fall into. She heard the sounds of running feet, many of them, coming towards hers and the other cars. They were coming! Miranda scrambled to her feet to get out when suddenly, she heard the cocking of a high calibre weapon in front of her beyond the door. Miranda looked up.

"Its been a long time baby." Snake Plissken said to her.

Miranda glanced around long enough to see the Sanctuaries descending on her wounded men like a pack of hungry wolves, knowing with rage that the operation was over and she was a prisoner. "Nice job Snake." She replied, trying to maintain her cool. "Your plan?"

"You catch on quick." Snake retorted. "Now get out of the car baby."

"So you can shoot me?" Miranda glared at him defiantly.

"If I was going to kill you, we wouldn't be talking."

Staring into the glacial expression on his face told Miranda he wasn't lying. Trying to maintain some dignity, she climbed out of the truck and stood upright in front of him. "Are you going to kill us?" Miranda demanded.

"I'd like nothing better than killing you baby," Snake looked at her hard. "You've hurt some friends of mine, but it ain't up to me. You're going back to the Zone."

Snake saw the flicker of hope in her eyes, once the realisation she was going to live became more real to her. It disappeared quickly to be replaced by triumph and her smirk angered him to no end, but he restrained his anger and decided to take a little latitude for himself. "Strip." He said casually.

Miranda's eyes flew open. "You're joking."

"You heard me, strip." Snake repeated himself, trying not to enjoy her reaction too much. "Take it all off." He let his eyes run up the length of her with a hint of suggestion.

"No." She replied defiantly.

Snake cocked the gun in her face, unwavering and with enough expression in his eyes to show her that he was barely controlling his rage. It was more than a warning that she shouldn't push her luck. He was just waiting for an excuse to shoot her. With her lips quivering, she began to undo the first button on her jacket.

"When you see your boss," Snake remarked, taking a step towards her and flicking a strand of dark hair from her face. "Tell him that I'm not finished with him yet."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I

Kate watched the water slapping against her skin as she washed her hands. The blood came off easily, she wished it was so mentally as well. By now, the fresh clean water had turned an unhealthy red in the steel wash basin. She couldn't remember how long she had been standing up but she knew it was most of the night. In the same tent, there were other doctors and nurses around her who was just as exhausted as she was. After tonight, she looked forward to a good nights sleep. She had seen far too much blood for one day.

Taylor had been right. It had been a running gun fight for the escapees from the Zone to their journey to Sanctuary. There were no deaths thankfully, but the injuries were severe. At least half the people who emerged from the convoy had sustained gun shot wounds and most of these were women and children. The sounds of their moans and cries left a vivid impression of pain in her memory that was hard to shake. It had taken a strong stomach for all the Sanctuary doctors to treat these poor unfortunates.

Kate had spent at least two hours on the table with Tristan alone. In the end, she had managed to save his life. There was a while on the operating table when she wasn't so sure she would but Kate refused to give up on Tristan because he was fighting just as hard as she was to keep him alive. It was fortunate that she had a chance to wet her feet with her surgical skills after operating on Snake because it prepared her for Evans. His chest had been a mangled mess of flesh where bullets had torn through. It had taken a long time to weave through the tangled pulp of blood, bone and organs to remove the bullets and set things right. She knew she should not have spent so much time on one patient, but Tristan Evans was more than just another patient.

He was her friend.

"Some night." Judy said approaching her holding two cups of steaming coffee.

"I'm glad its over," she sighed wearily as she wiped her hands on a towel. Around her, the last of the patients were being loaded into the jeeps and vans. Orderlies were starting to load the equipment for return to the hospitals and the tents were starting to come down. Soon this place would be a deserted patch of earth in the middle of nowhere again. With no remnants of the work conducted here tonight.

"Yeah." Judy sighed, handing her a cup for which Kate was eternally grateful. "I'm glad Tristan made it." The nurse remarked. "You did some excellent work doctor."

Kate smiled despite herself and her weariness. "I did, didn't I." She was proud of the fact that Evans still lived. "I didn't think I could save him, but I had some good help and it was a group effort." She replied giving Judy a slight squeeze on her shoulder.

"Are all the patients loaded up?" Kate inquired after taking a sip of the coffee. It tasted wonderful but it did little to perk up her sprits.

"Yes." Judy nodded. "The doctors are starting to leave. You should go home too Kate, you look exhausted."

She felt it. "I've felt better."

"Can I give you a ride?" Snake asked coming up from behind without her noticing him. Judy let out a knowing smile as Snake joined them. He looked just as tired but was doing a better job than she was of hiding it. Judy's expression filled her with mild annoyance, Kate wondered momentarily if the entire town had some idea about the nature of their relationship. Despite her acceptance of her feelings towards Snake Plissken, she was still uncomfortable about so many being privy to her personal life.

"Is it all wrapped up out there Snake?" Judy inquired.

"Pretty much." Snake answered standing alongside Kate. "Duke and Querto just sent Miranda and the Zoners back home with a warning about violating treaties." At that Snake allowed himself and uncharacteristic smile as he lit himself a cigarette. Like Kate needed coffee, he needed that satisfying drag.

"You're looking pretty pleased with yourself." Kate noticed knowing there was more to that faint smile than he let on..

"Its nothing." Snake replied, besides she would hear about it soon enough any way. Still the look on Miranda's face when she climbed into the truck buck naked was enough to bring a smile to his jaded features. It was not much of a revenge, but it would do until Snake could arrange something a little more permanent.

"Well," Judy sighed trying to stifle a yawn. "Doctor Vihn has offered me a ride home with him, so I'll see you tomorrow Kate. Bye Snake." With that, she walked out of the emptying tent.

Kate watched her go and waited until she was out of earshot before turning to Snake. "Judy and Vihn have been together for about six months now and they still think its a big secret." She giggled slightly.

"Come on," Snake said gesturing towards the door. "I'll give you a ride home."

Kate linked her arm around his and rested her head against his shoulder, suddenly needing his warmth after the day they had had. It was felt good to have his strength to lean on and Kate was becoming accustomed to the way she felt about him. Snake did not seem to mind having someone care for him either, even though it seemed he would rather have root canal surgery admit it.

Snake had driven his cycle to the site after the last of the clean up had been completed. Most of the night, he had been giving orders to Duke and Querto because he seemed to be the only one that could now that Evans was out of the picture. He started wondering if this is how it had begun for Kate in the beginning. Was it simply the matter of giving directions because no one had any answers of their own?

Once again, he was faced with questions about what he was going to do. Yeah he wanted to stay here, it was quiet, no asshole was shooting at him and then there was Kate. She was impossible to walk away from and she loved him. He always wanted a woman to feel that way about him and every time he walked into the room, he could see the strength of that feeling in her eyes. Another part of him wanted to protect her, to keep her safe from all those who would harm her and that was the part that made him nervous.

Shit, she was going to get him killed.

II

Hours later, Kate found herself staring at Snake Plissken. Her emerald eyes, round and full basked in the sight of him. They had driven back to her place, where they had shared a quiet dinner and talked into the night. Although they did not touch on the subject of their relationship, Kate found that he had an informed view of most things. It surprised her because he gave people the impression that not much mattered to him. Kate also noticed that he did not try to make any cheap moves to get her into bed even though she would have welcome such advances. It was impossible to not want him but Kate liked to take things slow. Her initial reservations about him had faded away and she was no longer as frightened about the legend and more interested in the man. Nevertheless, she had left him to sleep on her sofa because he was as tired as she was.

She had showered, slept awhile but could not remain asleep for too long knowing he was just outside her bedroom door and with so many things left unsaid. Kate stood by the doorway watching him sleep. He who was Snake Plissken. Adventurer, criminal, considered saviour of the world by some, destroyer by others. Whomever he was or was thought to be, when she looked at him now, he seemed nothing more than a man and it was the man she loved.

She had never felt this way about anyone. Kate could be glacial when she wanted to be but when it came to Plissken, she felt only tenderness and concern about his intense loneliness. In some ways, he was kindred spirit. Trapped by the isolation of circumstances. When it came to relationships, Kate always relished being in control. Things were no different now. However, there was something to be said about meeting an equal who could match her wit for wit and be the strong one for a change. Unlike the other night, she felt none of the reservation when she pulled away from Snake. Kate knew most of it was motivated by panic. She was frightened by the intensity of her feelings. Now that she was more accustomed to it, it was not the terrible monster she had imagined it to be.

She wore sapphire lace, a relic from days gone by under her white shirt. When women were meant to be feminine, delicate things, not the hardy stuff of these troubled times. Yet she still tried to be that delicate woman, knowing part of the reason for his own feelings was the image of her he held in his mind. She wanted to be that image for him, the kind of woman who would love him unconditionally for what he was, not the stuff of legend he was meant to be.

"You're going to just stand there?" A voice suddenly spoke, almost a whisper but nonetheless riveting.

He was awake.

Kate smiled faintly at his question. "What do you want me to do?"

Snake gaze moved over her body slowly, with predatory deliberation. "Come here."

Kate walked towards him, carried by a wave of desire that swept away her reservations and inhibitions. She was unafraid because this was more than just some heated coupling between two people to be forgotten the next day. When she gave herself to him, it would be a complete offering. She loved him and that was all that mattered. Snake sat up and Kate saw that he slept naked. A stray thought almost made her smile, but she suppressed it. A thought about how all that separated them was one, thin cotton sheet.

Snake said nothing as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. Just the touch of him, warmed her. Snake sat up straight so he could look into her face and meet her eyes. It surprised her, the sensitivity she saw in his face. In that second, she saw the depth of his feeling for her. Snake saw the future in her green eyes and for the first time, it did not frighten him either. "You are beautiful," he said softly and knew that he meant it. His hands slid up her smooth back.

Kate basked at his touch. For a few moments, Snake's hands glided over her body, feeling if she was really here or some dream he was having. Kate allowed her own hands to explore him, sometimes trembling at the touch of the scars on his skin, of the pain inflicted during that other life.

When it began, it began savagely. For weeks now, they had been holding back for all kinds of stupid reasons. Fear, insecurity and a thousand different things that in the here and now, seemed so unimportant. This was their moment and it defined tomorrow and every day that would come after this night. The spoken words that meant he would belong to someone frightened Snake Plissken to no end and that ate away at him. She knew that he was determined to prove that he was worth loving and she worth staying for even if he could not say it.

His hand on her hair, Snake forced her mouth on his and kissed her with jarring intensity. No sooner than she had time to breathe, she felt his tongue slid past her teeth, searching for hers. Her shirt was soon discarded and she felt his hands pulled at her bra, unhooking the clasp with surprising deftness. In the back of her mind, she wondered where he had learn to do that so fast.

Once the claps were undone, he flung it aside, oblivious to where it went. Her breasts now freed, stood before him bare and magnificent. Her nipples stood hard and erect, her arousal obvious. His hands found them quickly enough and he massaged them hard, using all fingers as he kneaded into soft flesh. He never felt more satisfied over being able to touch her finally and Snake relished the moment.

Kate raised her neck, allowing his mouth to move down her neck. He tasted the flesh that hungrily, she could almost feel teeth. The pain heightened her awareness and made her gasp, forcing her nails into his back. She a surge of desire within her when she felt the taut, hard muscles under her palms.

He moved her around so that he was be on top of her when they fell on the sofa. She took his full weight without any complaint, still dizzy from the feel of his mouth and his wonderful hands. Suddenly, she felt hip lips disappear and from the pit of her stomach felt and emptiness that was desperate for more. Kate looked into his face and saw the animal hunger in his eyes. Like a demon unleashed. For a moment, there was almost a smile on his lips but then he fell down hungrily on her breasts and all other thoughts were pushed from her mind.

He nursed on her like a child full of need, sucking her nipples past his teeth and swirling his tongue around her erect flesh. She had begun groaning and her thighs slipped past his waists to encircled him with their warmth. Suddenly one hand left her breast, sliding past her stomach to the lace of her briefs. Snake's fingers glided over her hair, poised and ready to touch her swelling, erect centre. She arched her back languidly as she felt fingers spreading open her folds and massaging the tender flesh with expert control.

He looked at her for an instance as she moaned softly. A smile lit his face and barely hid the mischief she saw there. With one quick movement, her briefs were off and his hands lay on either side of her thighs. Moving downwards, he pushed them open. Kate stared at the ceiling, knowing with certainty what he intended. She closed her eyes, wondering if she could bear it.

When his mouth lowered, she let out a gasp of pure pleasure. His tongue teased her with gentle licks. The stubble on his chin caressed her outer folds, causing her to groan louder and with more abandon. She felt his tongue probing her slowly, pushing its way up her into the deepest crevices of her sex. Her legs wrapped themselves around his back now, even though she was completely unaware of it.

His hands were holding her hips, forcing her to stay still even though she was writhing in pure ecstasy. He started sucking on her, pulling the tiny node of flesh into his mouth with hard suction. Her soft, wild moans were telling him that she was enjoying this too much to bear him stopping. In his mind, it was just the way he liked it. Snake had wanted to do this to her for so long now that he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

He darted his tongue out and found her inner passage, with fast, long strokes and then slowly until she was crying out incoherent. He relished the sounds of her moaning and incoherent pleas not to stop. He could feel the tension in her body and taste helpless restraint in the salt of her flesh. Suddenly, Kate jerked hard, her body arched in taut pleasure as she uttered a loud cry of ecstasy as she overflowed on the wave of her orgasm.

Just the taste of her hardened Snake where he was. He could feel the tightening of his loins and realised how much he needed her.

When she had recovered enough, Kate made Snake sit up. Her expression revealed the afterglow of her shattering orgasm. He wondered what she intended and was content to let her take control for while. "Your turn." She looked at him with smile Kate wanted to pleasure him as wonderfully as he had pleasured her.

Without a further word, she lifted the shaft of his erect cock, so his head was almost touching her lips. She breathed gently against it first, watching his eye cloud over with the first sensations. Then she ran her tongue over him, allowing her warmth breath to caress him. His thigh muscles jerked slightly, inciting her to continue further. When the wet heat of enclosed him, he almost thought that he had died and gone to heaven. Kate glanced upwards and saw the restraint in his face but his eyes showed different. He was aroused beyond reason.

Eventually she had all of him in her mouth, sucking had and kneading at the same time. He stood up, with a jerk, holding her hair tighter now as his hips began thrusting forward. He was a big man and she felt him reaching down her throat as he started thrusting forward with mounting urgency. Strangely enough, she could take all of him and that contributed to his excitement. It pleased her that she could surprise him. She closed her eyes, not wanting to think of anything but his pleasure.

After a few minutes, she felt him explode. His warmth shooting down her throat, coinciding with a sudden but satiated groan.

God, it had been a long time. It had been too long since he had felt this kind of release. He was astonished by how hard she had made him orgasm. He stood there, trembling and weakened as she cleaned him off. He felt the delightful sensations as he did this and felt himself started to harden again. It had been a long time he had made love to a woman with such passion and his energy was a fountain far from empty.

This time Snake withdrew from her mouth and pulled her to feet him. He stared into her face and saw the smile on her lips. Kate thought of what making love to him was going to be like. How she craved a man to take control of her body like this without thought or reservation except to the pleasure to be had.

He kissed her mouth, making her ease back onto the carpeted floor as his tongue slid down her throat. Kate's hands ran over his back and through his hair, her body feeling wonderful under him. Snake watched her hair splay out and the anticipation in her eyes. With confidence, Snake knew if he chose to make love to her all night, she would gratefully let him. He knew of men who dreamed of subduing such a woman and counted himself lucky that she had allowed him not only her body but her heart.

He slid in between her legs, relishing the warm of her white thighs around his waist. Kate looked at him, her eyes burning and at that moment he knew just how much she loved him. He knew she wanted to say it as much as he wanted to hear it.

"Do you love me?" He whispered in her ear.

She met his gaze and returned a beatific smile at him. "I love you."

Snake smiled, a trophy on his lips as he pulled her against him hard, impaling her with the full length of his hardness. Kate cried out softly when he penetrated her. Yet it was not pain she cried out for. He rammed into her with all the force it could muster, until his full length was buried inside her throbbing folds and he could enter no more. He ground his teeth from crying out himself, from becoming overwhelmed by her inner folds, grabbing and teasing him as he started to thrust into her.

Snake did not think making love to her could get any better than it already had. Sliding into her was the most incredible sensation he had ever felt and Snake looked into her face and saw the same emotions. He treated her as he had never done for any woman. Each stroke into her was pure pleasure. Snake became so hard that he was almost sorry for the muscles inside her and what they were enduring. He rammed harder, feeling her thighs tighten around his waist. She was so tight, he could barely breathe and yet, he pounded her harder. Until she was biting down on a knuckle for the force of him. He started to grunt softly, but as the constant rhythm of his cock tore through her wet, oh so wet folds, he started gasping himself or else he would have exploded.

Her resolve disappeared hearing his gasp. Her moans and incoherent pleas began to come forward unabated and uncaring of anything except for the man that was giving her the sex of her life. "Snake! Oh god Snake!!" She groaned loudly.

Hearing her voice in his ears brought Snake Plissken over the edge. With an exhausted, almost guttural groan of pleasure, he let himself go. "Oh fuck! Oh baby, fuck!" Hot fluid shot into the deepest folds of her. Snake felt his entire life and soul escape as he released himself after long last. Her body under him tensed and then shuddered, nails sank deeper into his back and he felt warmth that was more than just him squeezing out the last of drop of his seed into her. The bones in his body disappeared and he lay against her breasts, their bodies glistening despite the cool of the night.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. Time seemed to have frozen. Yet the smell of their sex was heavy in the air.

"I love you Snake," she whispered softly and then added. "I'll love you always, even if you go.”

He did not look at her. "I know." He answered, holding her in his arms as his hand stroked her hair.

Despite everything that happened tonight, even after he had made love to her like he'd never done to any woman, even though she seemed physically made for him, Snake could not bring himself to say the only thing she wanted to hear him say. Something inside him just could not say it.

Something inside Snake Plissken could not even admit it.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I

Kate woke up the next morning, feeling strangely invigorated.

She found it initially disorientating to find another human being sharing her bed but the moment faded when the memory of the previous night returned to her. She almost wondered if it was a dream, that this wonderful feeling of contentment was nothing but a product of an overactive imagination. For the first time in too long, things were no longer as murky as they had been before. After last night, Kate was no longer confused about anything.

Not when she remembered that Snake Plissken was still here, that last night they had shared something that was too intimate to describe. They had spent half the night making love, enjoying each other after all their inhibitions and reservations were finally brushed aside. She had looked into his eyes and saw the depth of feeling there and even if she didn't hear Snake say it, she knew how much he cared. It was more than Kate had ever expected of him. After they were spent and sated, he simply held her in his arms, allowing her to drift away in contentment, on the gossamer wings of slumber.

Kate rolled onto her back, feeling Snake's arms still draped over her waist. They had spent the rest of the night in this way and Kate never felt more in love with him, when she remembered that. He was still asleep and she saw no reason to wake him. Removing his arm gently, Kate slipped out of her bed and padded over to the shower. Inside the tile cubicle, the warm water on her skin washed away the residue of their lovemaking. She noted the pinkish discolouration of finger and bite marks on parts of her body. A part of her was less than surprised at this. They had been more than vigorous about their sex.

She stepped out of the shower and noted through the window, that it was a warm day outside. After the last night's icy temperature, that surprised her somewhat. However, that was the way it was this far north, especially now that it was edging towards spring. The wall clock indicated the time to be somewhere after eleven and with annoyance she realised that she was late for her scheduled rounds. However, truth be known, after last nights dealings with the Zoners, no one would fault her for some tardiness.

Kate got dressed quietly, slipping on a pair of jeans and loose white shirt which was her normal attire when she did hospital rounds. There would be full ward today with the Zone escapees taking up most of the beds. Vinh would probably organised a duty roster with the doctors who hadn't accompanied the medical unit last night, but she felt she ought to at least make an appearance and she wanted to see how Evans was doing. She remained secure with the knowledge that if there was anything wrong, Vinh would have contacted her by now. Even if telephones were no longer in use, the short wave radios had replaced them would have been more than adequate for the task. That still meant Kate wanted to check on Tristan's progress by seeing him for herself.

When she was ready to leave, she walked quietly to the bed and saw Snake was still asleep. After last night, she didn't blame him for being so worn out. She was aware that he had taken charge of the operation after Tristan had been hit. Duke had told her that Snake had directed most of their strategy against the Zoners and thanks to him, their casualties were kept to a minimum. In truth, Snake had been every thing she knew he could be here and it felt good that he had proved her right.

After all that, the man deserved his sleep.

Sitting next to him on the bed, Kate planted a long, lingering kiss on his lips. Snake stirred a moment and then looked her in the eye with rapid alertness. It impressed her how quickly he regained his faculties, even out of sleep. Then again, he was used to living on the edge and expecting trouble at a moment's notice.

"Good morning." She smiled.

Snake yawned and started to move. Kate gestured at him to remain still. "You stay in bed, I've got to make my rounds at the hospital, but I shouldn't be too long."

Snake coiled an arm around her and pulled her to him. Their mouths met in a series of warm, passionate kisses. After a moment, Kate pulled away and Snake sighed in mild disappointment.

"I had to find me a working woman." He remarked, lying back on the bed.

"You're just lucky I guess." Kate retorted, with a slight chuckle. "Keep the spot warm for me." She glanced at the rumpled space next to him on the bed. "I'll be back soon."

"Whatever you say baby." He smiled faintly.

Kate laughed and hurried out of the room. After a moment, Snake heard the door slam close and her footsteps moving further away from the porch. Snake eased back into the bed, still feeling slightly exhausted after last night's activities. He could still smell her perfume on the sheets and Snake couldn't help but miss her absence, even if it was for a little while. He looked around her bedroom and saw little bits of memorabilia from her past. Stuffed animals, pictures and trinkets which he noted with bemusement.

God, he felt good though.

He thought about their love making hours before. She had been an exciting lover who was unafraid to give herself to him completely and yet defiant enough to add more than a spark to their pleasure. Snake couldn't believe how incredible her body had been and how perfectly moulded it was to suit his. Their physical pleasure had almost transcended into a spiritual bond that even now he felt. Snake buried his face into the pillow where she had slept and he could smell her in the crisp linen sheets.

Talk about satisfaction.

He closed his eyes and thought about her, allowing the images to swirl around him as he felt the drowsiness creep back into his eyelids. He was tired after everything that had happened in the last 24 hours, but it was a weariness that he was pleased to have. Snake hadn't felt more alive in years and he allowed himself to drift into the sleep of the truly contented.

Besides, Snake thought in one final moment of clarity before the sleep overcame him.

He had to rest up before she got back.

**********

It was a beautiful day outside.

Or at least it seemed that way to Kate anyway. Instead of taking Snake's motorcycle, which she could never drive anyway, she chose to make the trip to the hospital on her ten speed mountain bike. As the wind blew at her skin and the sun shone brightly over her head, she felt exhilarated and high on how great she felt. A part of her wondered if it was just the sex but Kate knew better, she was in love and it was a giddy feeling which left little room for self recrimination or reproach.

For the first time since Snake's arrival, things were so clear. Whatever would happen tomorrow, would happen. Since she started looking at the here and now, her life had become less complicated. Tomorrow would take care of itself, she decided. She waved past the Chief as she turned around the bend which would take her to the main road into town. The big man returned the gesture by waving back at her before he took one of his short cuts off the main road, into the woods.

It was a good day for a bicycle ride and Kate's route was scenic to say the least. Not many of Sanctuary's residents chose to live out here because it was some distance from town. Most of the area was underdeveloped, with tall conifer trees flanking the road. Occasionally there would be a house and one could almost hear the rushing of Della Falls in the far distance. Since the reduction of cars and other urban noises, it was easier to hear the cascade.

Kate had left the Chief almost a mile behind her when she heard the sounds of engines behind her on the road. Glancing at the mirror, she saw the reflection of a dark coloured van which she didn't recognise. The windows had caught the glare of the sun, so she was unable to see who the driver was. Having lived in this area for some time, she thought she knew most of the people living here. The van belonged to someone she did not recognise.

Probably someone new, Kate decided and kept peddling.

It didn't take very long for the vehicle to catch up with her and Kate moved over to the side of the road, to allow it enough room to move past. They had reached a long stretch of road, leaving the last house for some miles behind her. Once again, she glanced into her mirror to catch a glimpse of the driver but the sun's reflection kept his or her identity concealed.

Suddenly without warning, the vehicle sped up considerably. Kate could tell the sudden leap of speed at the intensity of the revving engines. In the mirror, she saw the van raced up to her and Kate began peddling towards the grass, deciding to give this person a wide berth as they drove past. However as she tried to move off the road, the vehicle's engines roared louder and streaked towards her.

By now, Kate was starting to feel some measure of alarm. There was no way she could outrun the van on her power of her own legs. It started to occur to her that this person might actually be trying to harm her in some way, but that thought was obscured by remnants of reason. She had little time to debate this as the van moved quickly to her back wheel. Kate was peddling for dear life now, knowing that she was running out of breath and all it would take to push her to her limit was another push of the van's accelerator.

That happened less than a second after the thought had appeared in her mind.

The initial jolt almost sent her off the road and it was by sheer luck that she didn't lose control completely. The cycle weaved dangerously across the road as Kate struggled to maintain control. Dirt and dust blew at her from under the van's wheels. Tiny grains entered her mouth and eyes, making it hard to see.

"What the hell are you doing!" She shouted angrily, still reasoning that this was someone's idea of a joke. The load roar of the van's engines was the only response.

The van was barely inches away from her back wheel when it advanced forward again. This time there was no gentle nudge against the rubber, instead it was a sharp thrust forward. There was no way she could recover after a push from a vehicle possessing a 150 horse power engine. The cycle almost flew forward and Kate careened off the road, barely able to remain upright as the cycle skidded when it crossed over the bitumen to the grass.

She knew she was falling, felt herself in the air, catching her knee on the handle bars and remembering vaguely the position to assume to avoid breaking her neck on impact. It was too long since she remembered how to do that and when she hit the ground, she had saved her neck but her back ached when her head smacked the grass hard.

After that only a few things remained clear. One was the sight of her bicycle on the grass, its front wheel spinning while the back seemed out of shape. Her eyes followed the spokes as they moved around, a reflection of her own dizziness. Kate lay on her stomach, aches and pains stabbing at her from so many different places. In the distance she thought she heard a car door slam. A few seconds had past by, the spinning didn't stop but the sounds of footsteps against the grass became the point of focus instead. They got closer very quickly and she made a vague attempt to try and turn around, to see who it was.

Suddenly, she felt a hand grab her hair, yanking her neck up fiercely. The pressure against her head made her cry out and the pain returned some measure of clarity to her. Kate tried to struggle as she felt a knee slam into her back, forcing her body down while her neck strained to avoid serious injury as her attacker held onto her hair tight.

"We're going for a little ride, bitch." A voice spoke and it was a familiar.

She opened her mouth to speak when a piece of rag was thrust under her nose roughly. The smell hit her sharply, causing Kate to turn her head instinctively. She recognised the acrid smell as the gloved hand brought the rag up against her face, pressing hard against her mouth and nostrils, so that Kate had little choice but to breathe it in. She struggled hard for a moment, trying to scream but rendered mute by the rag against her lips. Her eyes tried to catch out her assailant but that to was impossible. He had her and he wasn't about to let her go. Finally she was forced to gasp for air, despite her attempts not to and the moment it entered her lungs, Kate knew what it was.

Ether.

II

The first thing that entered his mind when he woke up, was the time.

What time was it?

He remembered drifting off to sleep again after Kate had left him. He vaguely recalled glancing at the wall clock and noting that it was sometime after eight thirty. Now as he looked at it again, he was surprised to see that it was almost two thirty. Kate had mentioned going to the hospital to check on her patients before coming home. It made him wondered if checking up on them actually took seven hours. At moments like these, he wished telephones still worked because he could then call her at the hospital and find out what was keeping her.

Snake Plissken wondered if he was being a touch too possessive. The lady did after all, have a life of her own before he showed up and if anything she was devoted. Still, she was annoyingly precise about something's, even if she was female. He lay there on the sheets, wondering if there was a need for concern and found that the only way to satisfy his curiosity was to find out for himself. If she was still at the hospital then Snake guessed he knew her well enough to know, she'd appreciate the ride home. He hadn't even begun to entertain the notion of what would happen if she wasn't there.

He walked outside after getting dressed and made his way to her study, where she kept the old short wave radio. In Sanctuary, that was the only way to communicate since the demise of any kind of telephone system after the Pulse. The device in question was immaculately kept, taking a place of honour on a fine oak desk. Women, he mused. Couldn't keep the dust buster away from anything. The frequencies were listed neatly on paper next to the radio, like emergency numbers that used to be kept near telephones. The parallels were amusing.

It took him a few minutes to get in touch with the hospital. It had been years since he had even seen something remotely like this. In the last five years, old technology had been the only thing that kept the human race from completely slipping into a new dark age. There were people about who knew how to make new circuit boards and the like, but building something like an integrated circuit was another thing entirely. A smart engineer could probably build one without the fancy machines of the late 20th and 21st century. However, it would require remembering etching techniques that were born out of the 1950's and there were very few engineers who retained that kind of knowledge.

When a voice finally came through the speaker, Snake recognised it as Judy's. He let out a sigh of relief, because at least she was someone he knew and wouldn't give him any crap for asking after Kate.

"Judy, is the Doc there?" He inquired.

Judy recognised his voice. "Hello Snake." She answered without a trace of apprehension or alarm in her voice. Snake's suspicions abated slightly at her breezy manner. "Is Kate coming in?" She asked.

Snake looked up.

That nagging feeling gnawing at the back of his mind was starting to wear groves in his head. She never showed up. Someone how Snake found that impossible. He may not have known Kate for a very long time but he was confident in at least a few things about her. She was a great doctor, one whose dedication to her patients was rare. She would not have simply forgotten to show up. Even so, where had she gone? Snake glanced out the window. It was

starting to touch the late afternoon and he now wished he hadn't slept so much. "She isn't there?"

"No." Judy replied quizzically. "Was she meant to come in?"

Snake felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach that had gone away. He saw her almost seven hours ago. Seven hours was a long time. Too long for her to simply disappear without telling anyone, least of all him. Seven hours head start, Snake kept thinking. "I'll talk to you later." He said abruptly and allowed the transmission to end.

Was he over reacting? For all he knew, she could walk through the door with a perfectly rational explanation for where she had been. Snake gave himself the benefit of realising that he was probably overreacting and the thought that he might have, galled him to no end. He never over reacted about anything, usually and now look at him.

Worrying about a woman like a lovesick teenager.

Why should she tell him her whereabouts from moment to moment? Snake had no claim on her even if they shared the last night together. With a twinge of guilt, Snake remembered that he couldn't even tell her how he felt, even though she needed d to hear it. After that, Snake shouldn't expect anything from her. Maybe she just went away to think. Maybe it was just that simple.

Except instinct told him, she would have said something.

He relied on his instincts more than any other sense. Snake's instincts had kept him alive through a lot of tough times and even more years. Every fibre of his being told him something was wrong. When he put aside all the crap running through his head, like the implications of their new relationship or the weakness he thought he was displaying because of it, Snake was

still left with his instincts. Inside the crucible of his mind, he had burnt away the irrelevancies and was left with a pure truth.

His instincts told Snake Plissken to get off his ass and go find Kate Ellison before it was too late.

****************

Snake drove into town first.

He took the cycle straight towards the Slice, hoping perhaps she got held up by an unexpected meeting Inner Circle meeting. This was not an obscure possibility, because the Circle met on almost a daily basis even if the attendance of its members were few in number. Snake pulled the bike into the Slice's parking lot and his eyes scanned the area for a glimpse of Kate's mountain bike. He noticed that was missing when he left her house and he knew she wouldn't have been able to get into town any other way.

Walking into the diner, he saw the lunch time crowd starting to dissipate. The waitresses were clearing the tables and Sherrie came to greet him as he made his way to the Circle's table.

"Hey Sugar." She smiled. "You're a big hero today." She declared.

Snake looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Well Duke Washington told us all about it." Sherrie gushed. "How you saved Tristan Evans and then showed everyone what to do to fight the Zoners off."

Great, Snake groaned inwardly, he didn't need to be called a hero again. Nothing good ever came out of such a title. "Nice." Snake frowned. "Have you seen Kate at all today?" He chose to ask her instead. Sherrie worked the morning shift, so if Kate had come into the Slice, she would have known about it. Besides, Sherrie was the eyes and ears of the Slice. There wasn't much that happened in this diner that slipped her notice.

"No." Sherrie shook her head. "We thought she'd be with you. Since you two are a thing now."

"A thing?" Snake asked. Did everyone in this town know that he and Kate had spent the night together? Secrets must be the most valuable commodity in Sanctuary, Snake thought with irritation.

"Everybody knows about you and Kate Snake." Sherrie continued, adding to his ire. "Sanctuary is a small place. Not much happens around here without everyone knowing."

Snake wasn't in the mood for this. "So you haven't seen her?" He decided to get back to the point.

"No." Sherrie said bewildered by the obvious hostility in his voice. "What's wrong?"

Other than this bad feeling that something had happened to Kate and by the fact that no one has seen her in the past seven hours, nothing was wrong, Snake wanted to say. "She's missing." He said resuming his journey to the Inner Circle's table.

"She hasn't been here all day." Sherrie remarked matching his strides.

Snake arrived at the table to see Duke and Ben Erikson at the table.

"Hi Snake." Duke grinned. "Sit down, grab a cup of coffee with us." Obviously, surviving last night's skirmish with the Zoners had left the man in a good mood.

"Have either of you seen the Doc today?" Snake asked instead, his alarm rising with each person he met who didn't see Kate today. Suspicions were starting to form in Snake's mind. Ugly little notions that seeded themselves in the back of his mind were taking on a life of its own.

"Not me." Ben replied first. "I thought she would be at the hospital, seeing after Tristan."

"She left this morning to go there," Snake retorted, "but Judy told me she never arrived."

"Are you saying no one's seen Kate since this morning?" Sherrie exclaimed in shock. "How is that possible?"

The fear dawning in all their eyes was nothing new to Snake. He had been thinking it ever since he had spoken to Judy less than an hour ago. Snake turned away from them. His gaze passing the residual diners in the Slice and even beyond the serene calmness of Sanctuary City outside the glass doors and windows. There was no peace for him, not now. Not after he had realised the truth.

Kate had never made it into town.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I

Snake Plissken had a hunch.

He left the Slice absolutely certain that Kate had never reached town limits. Climbing on his motorcycle, he headed for home, leaving the Inner Circle to their debates on what should be done. Most of them were still in denial, believing Kate would turn up and make them look foolish for being so concerned. Snake was not that optimistic, remaining long enough to realise that they would be no help to him or Kate. When he had finally walked away, the Inner Circle seemed to be quickly descending into disarray. Without either Kate or Evans telling them what to do, they were like lost children with no direction. He supposed he could have used given them some leadership but at the moment, Snake was in no mood for that. There was also this terrible premonition that told Snake Plissken that this time the ball was firmly in his court.

At least he didn't have to dribble for points in ten seconds or be shot.

By the time Duke Washington had finally begun to understand that Kate's disappearance was genuine and began discussing the idea of sending out search parties, Snake's patience had finally reached his limits. At that moment, he chose to make a quick exit before he spoke his mind and called them all a bunch of fucking morons. Christ, however did they manage without Evans and Kate?

At first, when he walked out of the diner, Snake was at a loss over what to do. Snake had a rough idea where she might be taken to and he hoped it hadn't come to that already. Because of the time frame, it troubled him a great deal that she had been missing since eight thirty this morning. By now, she could be well and truly beyond Sanctuary's reach or worse yet, she could be nowhere at all. Instinct told Snake that she was still alive and he forced himself to keep any other possibilities out of his mind as he spent a few minutes on the cycle, trying to think of a definitive course of action.

Finally he came to a decision.

Even though it was a cold trail, it was the only one he had. He had to trace back her journey by the route Kate had taken when she had left the house this morning. If she was still in Sanctuary, he had a chance of getting to her while she still lived. If not, then Snake knew he'd find her dead body in the Zone.

Once that decision was made, Snake's progress was rapid. Coming up with a plan had given him some purpose and Snake took full advantage of that. Driving up the road which took him back the way he had come to town, Snake tried to think of what route Kate would have taken to get to work this morning. He didn't think it would be any different from the one he was traversing now. Her being on a bicycle had given him something to work with. He knew she would have stayed on the roads instead of taking short cuts. Bicycle wheels would have found grass and ditches to untenable thus, she would have avoided hilly or uneven terrain by taking the easiest possible.

Within minutes, Snake was on the deserted stretch of road which led from her place to town. If Kate had been kidnapped or ambushed before she had reached town, then this would have been the place where it would have happened. It was still less than twenty minutes away from Sanctuary city and once one crossed over the large hill that housed the settlement, they would have been fully visible to the homes on the outskirts as they came down the steep incline. Prior to that, the road before that hill was protected by tall conifers and kept secluded by the lack of houses. It stood as the halfway point between the city outskirts and the small neighbourhood that sat on the cliffs of Della Falls.

Snake slowed the motorcycle to a crawl as he travelled down tarred roadway, his eyes scanning past the bitumen and at the terrain carefully. He knew what he was looking for, could almost predict its presence with utter certainty, it was just a matter of finding the spot. As he looked around the place, he knew inwardly, this was where it had happened. A gut instinct told Snake to ignore the serene beauty of the place and not to be misled by its deceiving calm. This was where she had been taken. Snake could feel the saturation of violence in the air while whispers of terrible omens were spoken in the rustle of wind through the tall, striking trees.

God, he hoped she was still alive.

Despite everything, Snake knew he had to entertain that possibility at some point. While logic and reason told him to believe she was still alive, Snake knew life was seldom that simple. At the moment, all Snake had to cling to was the memory of the Englishman's anger. The bastard wanted to gloat and he wanted to make Kate suffer for the humiliation she had caused him. The man wanted her alive long enough to see Sanctuary under his control. This did not mean however that one trigger happy asshole wouldn't be able to kill her on route to the Zone. While he could not say he knew Kate like he knew himself, Snake knew she was capable of taking care of herself to a point. Yet, what would she do if someone intended her harm, did Kate know how to protect herself? He remembered her saying once she had never harmed another human being in her life, was that because she didn't know how?

Shit, why did she have to be a doctor?

He had not driven very far when he saw the skid marks on the bitumen. Black, crusted stains of oil and rubber were hardening in the sun's heat. Immediately, he pulled the Chopper to the side of the road and dismounted. Around him, the silence after the drone of his engines had died was overpowering. The atmosphere had become decidedly unsettling and Snake knew it had more to do with his mood more than anything else. In the distance, he could hear birds chirping and he imagined their songs were screams of desperation to tell what they had seen.

Snake crossed the tar, pausing in the middle of the road long enough to examine the skid marks on the bitumen. The softness of the rubber and grease told him the tracks were fresh, made in the last day or so. However, it was a warm day and the heat of the bitumen could have easily melted and residual remains from days before. Still, it was something. Snake noticed that the marks curved towards the left of the road and he followed the trail, reaching the other side.

Once he crossed over, there was no more doubt in his mind regarding Kate's fate.

The mountain bike which he had come to know as hers lay in an untidy heap, the sun still glistening off its chrome finish where it had come to rest after it had been forced off the road. He saw the abrupt end of the rubber remains and knew that the bike had come to an abrupt stop, its brakes locking so hard that the cycle had flipped over. Snake forced himself forward, keeping all thoughts of fear or despair out of his mind. Concentrate Plissken, Snake told himself.

The back wheel of the bike was misshapen as if something very large had struck it fast, confirming Snake's partial hypothesis. He could imagine the events as they transpired this morning. After she had left him, Kate had been cycling up this road, unaware of anything amiss. They probably waited all night for her, he guessed and decided to take her after she left the house. It wasn't difficult to follow her at a safe distance if they knew her habits. Once she had come down this road, there was nothing holding them back. Someone had come up behind her and hit her once or maybe twice and forced her off the road. She had been thrown of the bike when it braked suddenly, and she crashed onto the grass.

Snake could see broken blades of grass, some crushed while others were clearly results of indentation left by footprints. It disturbed Snake that he could only see the footprints of one person, but then he was no expert. At least there was no blood. This however meant nothing but Snake took his breaks where he could and allowed himself some cause for hope. They may have taken her, but the certainly didn't draw any blood.

What he did notice however, was a piece of rag lying close by. It certainly didn't look like anything she was wearing and he'd never seen it on the bike. Snake reached for it and immediately smelled the acrid residue remaining. Turning his head away sharply, Snake had to blink a moment to shake off the effects of it. The rag was almost saturated with the stuff and while its alcohol base had evaporated, he could feel its coolness against his skin. He felt a few seconds of wooziness where his stomach leapt out of his throat before he got a handle on it. Once he had composed himself, Snake threw the rag away, realising that he didn't need to examine any further.

Snake knew ether when he smelled it.

So, whomever had taken Kate wanted her alive. They had ran her off the road here, which would have no doubt disorientated her or at least knock the wind out of her long enough for them to use the ether. Knowing Kate, she would have fought hard and they needed her docile.

Needed her docile and quiet for awhile. It came to him in a flash of insight.

She was not in Sanctuary any more.

They wanted her sedated so that she would be a trouble free passenger when they took her to the Zone. With clarity, Snake now knew everything. Even the who.

Jack Travis.

*************

Strange things were happening at the hospital today.

Julius Vinh had been a Sanctuary doctor for almost a year now. He'd seen numerous refugees come in and out the hospital and to a certain extent, he could admit to having some feel for the type of people they were. Most were frightened families, cowering and subdued, grateful to be alive in a saner place. They all bore that humbled look and while it was disconcerting for him to see when he knew that humbled look so well himself. He remembered how it was when he was a child and he had come here from Vietnam, seeing that desolation of his parents face, knowing that they had left everything they knew for a better place, yet still frightened of the new frontier.

The refugees that came from the Zone had always been like that. The new group that arrived the night before were no different. The women wore faces of unease, their senses still unaccustomed to their new circumstances and wary of everyone. The children were less restrained although there were always a few who wore looks of such age that it sadden Vinh to think what could have driven their childhood away so utterly.

Yet something about them didn't feel right.

Vinh couldn't put his finger on what that it was that felt out of place. There was no doubt that they weren't honest about their intentions to come here, not judging by the level of wounds received by some. However, Vinh sensed the mood was different, a line of tension that ran thick through the group that seemed concurrent with something happening now, not just residual effects of their dramatic escape from the Zone.

He walked up and down the ward all morning, trying to work out what was different. They remained in their beds some of them, vaguely distant and giving him all the correct answers to his question, but none of them could dispel this feeling of uneasiness. Neither did it help that Kate was now known to be missing. It disturbed a lot of people in Sanctuary that not only was Kate gone, but Tristan Evans was still in critical condition only a few doors down.

He entered C Ward again, to check on the least critical patients. Most of the refugees in this ward required nothing more than observation for the night. They were made up of mainly women and children, all in sore need of sustenance and a good night's sleep without the fear of someone sneaking up on them in the darkness. He glanced at one child in particular, who sat on a chair next to his mother's bed, staring emptily into the window at the sunlight outside. The boy's mother was a sleep and Vinh wondered if the father had made it to Sanctuary too.

No sooner than he had thought about that question, a tall, burly looking man entered through the door. Like most of the refugees, he seemed as bedraggled as the rest, although Vinh knew looks were deceiving. A lot of the men who had arrived last night, though worn and weary after their journey were in good health. No marked diseases or debilitating injuries. However, this was not that unusual. Many male refugees were forced to work in labour camps, while women and children hid underground most of the time.

The man stared at him as Vinh walked past, his hostility apparent. Once again, the doctor felt that strange uneasiness and wished there was someone around who could tell him that his fears were unfounded, but unfortunately there was not. Most of the staff could see little past the injuries and the circumstances of these unfortunates.

Vinh kept walking trying not to pay any attention to the man and his family as he walked past, although he still spied at them from the corner of his eye. The man, satisfied that Vinh was no longer watching, moved the boy out of his chair gruffly and there was an instance when father and son exchange glances. It was a look laced in neither family affection or even like. The boy hurried out of his father's view, hurrying out of the ward as the man took his place next to the woman in the bed. She turned away at her husband's arrival.

Obviously not all escaping families were happy ones.

The boy streaked past him, running into the corridor as far away from his father as he could get. Vinh emerged in the corridor and saw the boy had disappeared.

II

Snake entered Taylor's room an hour shortly after he left the site where he found Kate's broken bicycle. He had slipped into the hospital largely unnoticed because it was still quite chaotic due to the sudden arrival of the refugees from last night's skirmish. While not all of them had sustained injuries, due to the appalling conditions in the Zone, Sanctuary doctors wanted them examined nonetheless.

Snake hadn't been into see Tristan Evans yet, although there was little point in doing so because Evans was more than likely still under. One didn't recover from those kinds of injuries overnight. If he made it through the week, Snake would be pleasantly surprised. As he thought about it, he wondered if Taylor was in any better shape.

That question was answered quickly enough when he walked into Taylor's room. Taylor sat up

in his bed when Snake entered, , his movements laced with care. No wonder, Snake decided. No one could have recovered from the beating Taylor endured in twenty four hours. Even now, his youthful face was marked from the Zoner's fist, with ugly, pulpish bruises scattered over his skin.

"Have you found her?" Taylor asked immediately. News travelled fast through Sanctuary and he had heard about Kate's disappearance from one of the nurses. Most people were fearing the worst and Taylor was no different to any of them, in this situation.

"No." Snake said simply, pulling up a chair and sitting down heavily.

"I heard they were talking about search parties." Taylor replied, leaning into his pillow with a heavy sigh, disappointed at the lack of good news.

The loss on his face was a growing epidemic that Snake was seeing everywhere. Even though the Sanctuaries were trying to keep a stiff upper lip, the loss of Kate and Tristan balancing on the brink of death had shaken them considerably. He kept the news of his discovery to himself, knowing that it would probably make things worse.

"Its too late." Snake remarked.

Taylor's eyes widened and Snake's response made him sit up immediately. "What do you mean?"

"She's not here any more." Snake reached into his back pocket for a cigarette and found it annoying for a moment when he hesitated, hearing Kate's voice in his head about smoking in her hospital.

Taylor said nothing for a few seconds, taking in what Snake had said. "She's in the Zone isn't she?"

Snake Plissken nodded slowly. Somehow another person realising it, made the nightmare of it more tangible and real. When he was on the highway, it was all supposition and theory but now, there was none of that. Snake felt something deep inside of him that wanted to scream and kick and slip into a murderous frenzy because of this. The saner part of him was shocked, reminding the rest of Snake Plissken that she was just another woman, no different than any that had breezed into his life over the years. Why was he so concerned? Wasn't the most important thing to Snake Plissken, Snake Plissken? What did it matter if she died, he had gotten laid. Beyond that, he shouldn't give a fuck about anything else.

Yeah, he shouldn't have but he did.

"Is she dead?" Taylor's voice cut through this conflicting emotions.

"No." Snake answered honestly, remembering what the Englishman had said to him about what he would do once he had Kate Ellison in his hands. Still, there was worse things than her just being dead and his stomach hollowed just thinking about the possibilities. "He wants her alive."

Snake's stared at Taylor's eyes until the light of comprehension filled the young man's face. "Aw Jesus..." Taylor closed his eyes and turned away to hide his disgust. "You don't think.."

Snake's stony expression was answer enough.

"We've got to get her back." Taylor retorted. "We've got to do something!" Taylor proceeded to get out of bed.

"You're in not shape to do anything." Snake said firmly. "I'll do it."

Taylor was visibly shocked by Snake's response and quickly responded. "You can't do this alone. They'll be expecting someone to go after her. Its crazy!" Yet as Taylor looked into Snake's darkened eyes, cold and unrevealing, it occurred to him with sudden clarity that Snake meant it. As much as Taylor admired Snake, he had no illusions as to the man's reputation. He did believe that Snake cared for his dead brother, but beyond that it was obvious Snake had little value for human life. That he could place his own life in so much danger for Kate was surprising. "Snake, you don't have to do this."

"Like hell I do," Snake retorted standing up slowly. "Like I didn't have stay here, like I didn't have show you guys how to help those people last night, since I've gotten here, looks like I've doing stuff I just didn't have to do. Who are we kidding? I didn't have to get fucking involved in anything but it looks like I am."

Snake walked to the window and stared outside, at the sun that was starting to disappear behind the hills. He supposed he knew it would come down to this eventually, that in the end he would have to make a choice for something. To stand by and let her die, to get on his bike and roll out of here without a care in the world, except his own skin. Or he could go after her, he could admit just how much she meant to him, put his life on the line for her and take a gamble with the chance of a future with Kate. It was almost inevitable that it was going to go down this way.

Taylor nodded slowly. "What I've been hearing about you and Kate, is it true?"

Snake glanced over his shoulder at Taylor, no longer having the energy to deny anything to anyone. It seems like the entire town knew he was doing Kate Ellison before he did. "True enough." Damn, Snake thought, hospital or not, he needed a cigarette and proceeded to light one before he could continue on. "That's why I've got to be the one to go into the Zone."

"She's still alive Snake." Taylor said trying to be of comfort, now that he knew Snake's feelings on the matter. To himself and Sanctuary, it was their leader they had lost. How sobering it was for them to remember that their leader was also a human being. Who would have thought, Taylor mused to himself, Kate Ellison and Snake Plissken. Then again, both of them seemed like a force of nature unto themselves, each reacting to one another like a catalyst. Even he could see how right they were for each other.

"I know she's alive." Snake turned on him. "Seeing her alive is how I'm going to get her out. If I see her as anything else, then I'm no good to her." It was the first trace of emotion Snake allowed himself to feel. It was like spark that fuelled him on for the night ahead.

"When are you going?"

"When I'm ready." He answered looking away again. "I know how I to get in quiet."

Suddenly, the quiet was broken by a running child across the door way. The boy moved past only a moment, but Snake caught enough of a glimpse to recognise him. He walked past Taylor's bed and went through the doorway, staring after the child as he disappeared up the corridor.

"What is it Snake?" Taylor inquired, curious by Snake's reaction.

Snake stared at the corridor for a moment, even though the boy was long gone, before he turned back to Taylor. "I know that kid." He replied taking a deep breath of his cigarette and blowing smoke into the corridor.

"Looks like one the people that came through from the Zone last night." Taylor offered. "Are you sure you know him?"

"Yeah," Snake nodded, knowing that he didn't make a mistake. "His name is Aaron I think." Snake replied, recalling the incident clearly even if the names were fuzzy. "I saw his father take one in the head when they were trying to get out. Glad he made it anyway." Snake paused remembering what lay ahead and returning to the frame of mind he had been in prior to the interruption.

"I got to go." He said turning back to Taylor. "See you around kid."

It was that simple for him, Taylor thought to himself. A simple obligatory goodbye even though he was going off to fight a one man war on his own. Christ, he was an arrogant bastard. "Stay alive Snake," Taylor replied finally. "Stay alive."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I

Jesus, her head hurt.

Her mouth tasted like cotton and her throat felt dry. She tried to rub her forehead and discovered with sudden alarm that she couldn't. Kate Ellison was aware of voices, of muffled sounds in the distance but she had yet to open her eyes and see where she was. Her memories chose to return at that point, the cauldron of swirling images sharpening to her last clear memory and the acrid smell that clung heavily to her skin.

Ether.

In the back recesses of her mind, she remembered her last conscious thought had been of that particularly substance, just before someone drugged her with it. Kate tried to speak, but the words came out of her throat as a muffled groan. For some reason she had difficulty focusing her thoughts and everything seemed sluggish and far away. The physician in her knew the cause of course, she was still under the influence of the drug and its eventual deterioration from her system was still some time away.

Even though she knew what had happened to her, knew why her mind was a rapidly sharpening and blurring shadows, Kate was aware that she was helpless at this moment. Her body would not cooperate with her mind in this state and coupled with her rising fear and anxiety, pushed her deeper into near uselessness.

"I think she's awake." One voice seemed to boom over the others.

A moment passed and Kate felt arms dragging her up to an upright position. Even though her head was swimming, she was able to discern that she was in an unfamiliar place and the voices around her were that of strangers. At this point, she became aware that her legs were bound too and in a daze, she wondered when that had happened.

A hand grabbed her face under her chin roughly and the unpleasantness of the action allowed her to look her captor in the face. Kate's eyes widened at the sight of him and even though she was half drugged with the effects of ether, her mind snapped to attention enough to realise how much trouble she was in.

Christ, she thought, I'm in the Zone.

"Welcome to the Zone." The Englishman's voice ripped through the air like the crack of a whip.

Kate looked up, trying hard to focus and mildly grateful that the drugs had made her somewhat numb to her situation, even though she retained enough sense to know the predicament before her. The Englishman was leaning down in front of her, making certain that she knew who he was and how much power he had over her now.

"She seems a little out of sorts doesn't she?" He laughed, looking over his shoulder. There was a chorus of laughter that followed that remark which enabled her to focus on them instead. Kate blinked hard and saw herself in a large room that looked a lot like the inside of a library or some important looking building. She saw numerous faces, most she did not know except one in particular. It was the only face that wasn't laughing.

Jack Travis sat there in the corner, next to a window glaring at her. Her heart sank seeing him there, knowing now how she had come to be here and who had brought her here against her will.

Jack, Jack, at the very least, we were still friends. How could you do this?

The Englishman dug his fingers deeper into his skin so that she would look into his face again. "I've waited a long time for this Kate," he smiled, his mouth showing perfect teeth that looked mostly predatory.

Kate said nothing, partially numbed by the residual effects of the ether and also because she knew that it was probably best if she did not speak at this time. In his eyes, she saw the murderous rage and the hatred that burned deeply for her. With sudden clarity of mind, Kate knew at that moment, she would be lucky if she was granted a quick death at the hands of this animal.

"Nothing to say? He laughed, standing up and dragging her face with him so she had no choice but to follow.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Jack flinch at the action. He seemed to have trouble dealing with the Englishman’s treatment of her. While the others seemed genuinely amused and gloated derisive remarks and calls at her, Jack seemed removed from their company. This hardly surprised Kate. No doubt the fool had no idea what it would be like when he chose to switch sides or what he would be losing in turn for his vengeance.

"I'm surprised at your silence," the Englishman continued, enjoying the position of power he now had. "The last time you were in my company, you weren't so shy."

Kate glared at him instead of saying what she wanted to in retaliation. He was going to harm her, of that she had no doubt and to the fact that she would be unable to do nothing to stop him terrified her even further, however, she wasn't going to goad him into it.

"Never mind," he said moving closer to her ear. "Soon you'll scream, but first I have something to take care of first."

At that he let go of her and in her condition, Kate fell straight unto the floor with a heavy thud. Fortunately, she fell on a sitting position and took a few moments to recover amidst the laughing of the Englishman's entourage. After a moment, she looked up again, sufficiently focused on the changing events before her. The Englishman walked away from her, towards the centre of the room, almost like a maestro about to begin a performance.

"Jack.". The Englishman said to the once Sanctuary engineer. "Come forward."

Jack glanced at the others around him and found all their eyes on him, their laughing coming to a sudden stop. The silence unnerved him. The man leapt off the ledge he was sitting on and took a few tentative steps forward. Even though he tried to look ahead, he did steal a glance at Kate as he walked past, although he couldn't meet her eyes.

The sequence of events moving past Kate lead her to have a clear understanding of what was going to happen.

Jack, you poor stupid bastard.

"You've been a great help to us Jack," the lord of the Zone declared, staring at Jack hard.

Jack flinched uncomfortably under the man's scrutiny, but found his voice enough to speak. "It has been beneficial for both parties."

"Yes," the Englishman remarked thoughtfully. "It has been. You're quite an exceptional specimen Jack Travis. The ability to shed your loyalty for Sanctuary at a moment's notice and deliver into my hands not only their leader, but very shortly Sanctuary itself. I admire your wonderful sense of duplicity."

"I did it for the deal we made." Jack retorted, deciding that this was the time to remind the Englishman of this fact. "When you're finished with her, she belongs to me." He gestured at Kate.

The Englishman glanced over his shoulder at Kate with a sinister gleam in his eyes and then switched back to Jack. "I haven't forgotten that Jack." He smiled. "However, it is fair to let you know that I have altered our agreement." He walked towards Kate and kneeled over her. Kate forced herself not to look at him, concentrating on the steady stream of emotions running across Jack Travis' face. Only now, he was beginning to suspect what she already knew.

He ran her fingers through her dark hair and held it to his face. Taking a deep breath of the scent, he looked up at Jack. "I'm afraid I've grown too attached to her Jack. I intend to keep her for my own." Then he turned to her and looked at Kate with an intention that sent a sliver of terror through her when she realised its meaning. "We're going to get to know each other very well."

Her horror was similarly shared by Jack. "We had a deal! She was mine!" He started to come towards Kate and the Englishman. The Englishman rose quickly to his feet, unperturbed by Jack's outburst and nodded at Miranda who had been slowly making her way behind Jack. Jack hadn't taken more than a few steps when he uttered a single, short scream. His body tightened in a spasm of pain as Miranda stepped back, the gleaming blade in her hand dripping with Jack Travis' blood.

The physician in Kate forced her to move, but she got no more than standing up clumsily when she saw Jack collapse, the knife would oozing blood as he fell flat on his face. Kate had no doubt from the entry point of Miranda's blade that he was dead. She closed her eyes to absorb the pain, to force the terrible emotions of dismay in seeing him die. Oh, she knew he was a fool who had betrayed her and doomed not only himself, but her as well but Kate felt similarly to blame, seeing him dead now.

I should have thought more for you Jack. I'm sorry, I didn't.

"Nicely done my dear." The Englishman said moving behind Kate once again. "Remove this fucker from my sight." He then glanced at Kate with a faint smile. His hand slid around her waist and his touch made her move away instinctively. "I have other things to attend to."

Miranda paused a moment. A flicker of emotion ran across her face and Kate was unable to miss the look of pure hatred that was directed at her from Miranda. However, that moment allowed Miranda no more than a moment before she and the other hugs resumed the task of removing Jack's corpse out of the room.

At this, the Englishman nodded at the others and they too filed out of the room, leaving him and Kate alone. She took a deep breath, steeled herself for what would be and kept repeating to herself that survival should be all that mattered. As she watched him swagger forward, his eyes full of burning hatred, hip lips wet with the insatiable desire for revenge, she kept repeating those words to herself with almost fanatical obsession.

Kate was still saying that when he started tearing into her body.

II

Once he arrived at the decision that he was going after Kate, Snake Plissken knew exactly what he had to do to begin. There was little time to waste and upon leaving the hospital, he drove directly to Querto's impound lot which also housed Sanctuary's armoury. He had no definitive plan in his mind as of yet, except for the fact that it would take a few hours to get to Sanctuary and Snake wanted to be there by the time the sun went down.

Despite the dangers lurking in the darkness of the Zone, Snake was more than familiar with moving around the dismal urban centre after two past experiences in similar situations. Someone had once said he knew how to get in quiet. Snake had to reluctantly admit that was true. However this time it was going to be different. This time the choice to go in was entirely his and it had little to do with a time bomb ticking away inside of him, threatening to end his life at a moments notice.

This time is was much worse.

Querto and his men were well into their afternoon binge when Snake arrived. He could smell the noxious fumes of Querto's home brew heavy in the air as he walked into the mans apartment above the garages. There were various assortments of female clothing scattered about the room and it appeared to Snake, that he wasn't the only one who didn't sleep alone last night. Querto had probably no idea of what had happened today.

Snake walked over an unconscious Red, trying to miss stepping on the beer bottles and the plates of half eaten food that had been there since Christ knows when. Somewhere amongst the litter, Snake caught a glimpse of Crow who was asleep on the floor just as intoxicated. He spied a half naked blond, lying next to him After the raid last night, these boys had certainly gotten toasted, Snake decided. He chose not to rouse them because he needed little from them. It was Querto that Snake had come to see.

The man himself was also half asleep and looked no where near waking up. Snake didn't have time to cajole him out of his slumber and reached promptly for a half filled bottle of beer next to the mans bed. Querto lay there snoring, with a Latin beauty Snake knew around town as Esmerelda in his arms. It was all very precious until Snake proceeded to empty the bottles contents into Querto's face.

Querto's reaction took a few seconds to emerge. When it did, the man begun sputtering and shaking his head in defiance of the liquid dribbling down his face and into his nose. He swore in an incomprehensible string of Mexicali profanities before sitting up abruptly and staring at Snake in shock and rising anger.

"What the fuck you doing man?" He nearly shouted, forgetting all his inhibitions about the Snake Plissken legend.

"Kate's gone." Snake said simply, knowing that would be enough to dispel any unnecessary posturing.

It took a moment for it to register in Querto's mind, through the haze of alcohol and whatever else the man had imbibed the night before. "Gone?"

"She's in the Zone." Snake said before adding. "Travis." There was little need to explain further.

Querto wiped the beer from his face and stood shakily from his feet. "That bastard."

"Yeah," Snake retorted softly. "I need a few things and I don't have a lot of time."

Querto stared back at Snake realising in a flash of insight, what the man had intended. "You're going in? Alone?" He declared incredulously, any remnants of his previous drunken state completely driven away now.

"I've done it before."

Querto couldn't argue with him there. "Me and the guys will come with you."

"No." Snake shook his head. "I work alone and they'll be expecting a rescue attempt any way."

However, Querto was not so easily convinced. "One man or a dozen ain't gonna make that much difference."

"It will to me." Snake retorted with enough of an edge in his voice to prove that he was done arguing on this particular subject. "Besides," Snake added a moment later, knowing that his determination to go alone had offended Querto a bit, even though the Mexican would never admit it out loud. "You and the guys should stay here and keep an eye out. I got a bad feeling something's happening in this town."

"Like what?" Querto inquired, not quite believing him.

"Something." Snake mused, thinking about the events that had taken place in the last twenty four hours. "Too much is happening, too quickly."

After a moment, Querto began to see it too. Snake was right. Since Taylor made his dramatic return to town, they'd learnt of a traitor which coincided very conveniently with the disappearance of Jack Travis and now the kidnapping of Kate Ellison. Suddenly it seemed things were on the move. Snake had spoken about the Englishman's attempt to take Sanctuary City and the sudden momentum of events could not be a coincidence. This was the beginning of a larger plan.

Querto let out a deep breath. "Okay Snake, what do you need from me?"

***************

Miranda lit a cigarette, trying to keep her mind on the work she was required to do. Tomorrow was an important day, one that everyone in the Zone had been working towards for so long. It was too important for her to screw it up with her misguided and passionate feelings for her boss. Tomorrow, they would finally show the Sanctuaries who ran island and she would be at her masters side revelling in their destruction with total relish.

All it took was one stupid asshole to make the whole thing work.

Jack Travis had come to them out of nowhere, declaring that he was ready to make a deal with the Englishman in exchange for Kate Ellison. The plans were already on the way for the taking of Sanctuary, but Jacks cooperation was fortuitous. The intelligence he provided them with was invaluable, even to his betrayal of Taylor, one of Sanctuary's own intelligence operative in the Zone. All of it served to cement the plan that had been thought out months ahead.

However, right now all that was the furthest thing from Miranda's mind. She had set Emilio and Carson to get their people ready to move up even though she should have done it herself. As reliable as those two men were, they were unfortunately stupid and couldn't be expected to handle anything out of the ordinary. Yet, Miranda found herself here anyway, standing outside the Sanctum like a jealous school girl while the Englishman gave the full treatment to Kate Ellison.

Not that Ellison was up to enjoying it anyway. At least that was what the cries Miranda was hearing, led her to believe.

There were other people in the hallway, listening to the sounds emanating from the room. Miranda looked up showing a dispassionate mask that allowed nothing to permeate through it. Despite her dislike for Ellison and the Sanctuaries, there was something deep inside of her that blanched at the sound of the woman screaming in agony as the Englishman did his worst. Miranda didn't need to see inside the room to know what was going on. The screams and the sounds of fists slapping hard against skin was more graphic than any picture Miranda could have witnessed herself.

Miranda glanced at the others. The women looked vacant and defeated, no trace of anything left that could be called esteem in their eyes. Ellison would look like that soon. The men that owned them wore sneering expressions, some were cheering their master on as he defiled the leader of the Sanctuaries. Miranda's concern over the Englishman's behaviour was over two things. Ellison was not a killer, she was a doctor. Someone who had never been pushed very far and this was certainly pushing. She certainly had the ability to fight back. No one who could unite a snivelling bunch of whiners to fight the Zone would take this kind of humiliation well. Miranda feared what would happen if the doctor was forced to cross that line. Kate Ellison was not a killer, not yet anyway, but that could change. Some thing else bothered Miranda and this was the concern that occupied her the most.

Plissken would be coming.

This had not occurred to the Englishman yet. In fact, she doubted if anyone even thought about the possibility. Men around here believed women were commodities. Miranda understood that and she had learnt to live with it. She had become the Englishman's woman by playing it smart, by being all that he wanted her to be. In exchange for her obedience, she gained some measure of independence.

Women like Ellison didn't tolerate submission under any circumstances and if Travis was right, if Ellison and Plissken were lovers, that changed things considerably. Miranda knew women like Ellison, they didn't believe in just hopping in the sack with the first man that treated them nice. Plissken's relationship with Ellison was more than sexual and if there was some depth of emotion between them, then it was almost a certainty that he would be coming for her.

And when he found what the Englishman had done, Miranda hoped that all the guns in the Zone was going to be able to keep Plissken from tearing out the Englishman's heart.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I

The sun was starting to set in the distance by the time Snake Plissken made the final preparations for his journey into the Zone. It had taken much more time than he had anticipated to do what he had to this, even with Querto's assistance. Still despite the lateness of the evening, things were still moving according to his schedule. In the past few hours, Snake had developed a certain admiration for the Mexican as they worked together throughout most of the day on Snake's mode of transport into the Zone.

He had needed an advantage.

It was almost a foregone conclusion that the Englishman would know he was coming, especially if his intelligence came from that son of a bitch, Travis. During the months he had been driving through Sanctuary territory, Snake had remembered seeing an old airstrip one afternoon. As there had been no international airport in Vancouver Island, the bulk of air travel from the mainland had been conducted by small twin engine planes. The planes Snake saw abandoned on the tarmac were of this type. The airport itself, like everything else in he place had long since been deserted. After the pulse, most of these planes, though intact and largely in good condition, were incapable of flying, because of their destroyed electric's.

When he had been exploring the place, it was almost by pure chance that Snake Plissken had happened across a forgotten hangar on the far side of the runway. Mainly out of curiosity, Snake had chose to look inside and find himself a genuine museum piece. Inside the dilapidated hangar, under a canvas sheet covered in decades of dust, Snake found himself a tarnished, corroded World War 2 bomber. A Mosquito, if Snake's flight training served him correct. Technically, it was still intact, left in the hangar and completely forgotten. Following that day, Snake had spent several afternoons working on it, mending the mix of stainless steel and plywood wings. To him, it was like fixing up a vintage automobile. While he had never entertained any real intention of taking the Mosquito up, what started out as leisurely tinkering had soon become a labour of love.

"That's it man." Querto remarked, sliding the panel back that hid the Rolls Royce engine on the left wing. "We've done all we can. If she don't fly now, she ain't never going to."

Snake had to agree with that, although he wasn't about to say so. "It'll be alright." Snake said instead, loading the last of his gear into the passenger seat of the Mosquito's cockpit. At the moment, he didn't want to think of all the things that could go wrong because he was driven with fierce determination to get to the Zone one way or another. Had he driven, he would have to enter the Zone using conventional routes which he didn't doubt were heavily guarded by the Englishman's people. He needed an element of surprise if he was going to reach Kate. This Mosquito. outdated as it was, moved fast and could glide when it was required would give him a very large advantage.

Querto looked at Snake, now that all the repairs and modifications were done and there was nothing to keep the man from remaining here. "I still think you shouldn't go alone." Querto remarked, making a last ditch effort to convince the man to accept his help. The Mexican was clearly uncomfortable at letting a friend embark on such a hazardous mission alone. His genuine concern impressed Snake. Also, strangely enough, Snake noticed Querto's thick Mexican accent completely disappeared.

"This isn't up for discussion." Snake retorted climbing up the ladder of the craft. He didn't have time to deal with this again, despite the fact that Querto's concern was for his well being. "Something is happening in this place." He stared Querto hard for a moment so he wouldn't be misunderstood. "I don't know what it is yet, but its coming and with Evans down, the Circle wouldn't know shit from shovel. They'll be so busy carrying out a motion for an action to fucking move to react, that by the time they move their asses, everyone will be dead. Sorry, compadre, but it looks like you're it."

Querto frowned unhappily, switching to his dumb Latino act again. "I don't like no responsibility man." He retorted. "I follow orders I don't know how to give them."

"You'll learn fast." Snake said continuing into the cockpit. "Now shut up and help me take off."

Querto stepped backward, knowing by his tone that this was all the discussion Snake Plissken was going to tolerate on this issue. Snake pulled the canopy over him and snapped it shut. The Mosquito was fully fuelled, carrying enough fuel for a trip to the Zone and back again to Sanctuary. The controls were antique but Snake was an experienced pilot, even though he hadn't logged any flight time for almost two years. Still, he knew enough to take the Mosquito off the ground. Flicking switches and everything necessary for the take off procedure, he made sure Querto was a safe distance before he revved the engines.

The twin engines reacted with an uncertain spurt of power. Snake expected this of course. The Mosquito should have been left in that old hangar collecting dust. Restoring physically was one thing, but making it capable of flying was another matter entirely. Despite his need to get to the Zone fast, Snake's reservations about the capability of the Mosquito still remained at the back of his mind, like a pregnant drop of water ready to fall. However, these were desperate times and he couldn't let that worry him now. As long as it could reach the sky, Snake was confident at handling whatever happened after. Snake tried the starter again and this time was rewarded with a healthier roar from the engines. The blades of the propeller began spinning so fast that they soon became impossible to distinguish.

He looked through the cockpit window to see Querto giving him a thumbs up, indicating nothing was smoking or burning yet. Snake nodded at him and the Mexican hurried under the plane for a few seconds before emerging again, having removed the chocks from the wheels. The Mosquito lurched forward uncomfortably as Snake directed it off the tarmac towards the runaway. It rumbled across the asphalt like a child taking its first, tentative steps. However, as it progressed, Snake noticed it accelerating gradually. Once it reached the runway, the plane picked up speed considerably. It moved along the darkening runway, like an eaglet finding its wing, surrounded by night as electricity was too precious to waste on something as obscure as runaway lights. Not that it mattered, there was still light out despite the rapidly setting sun in the distance.

Within a matter of a few minutes, the plane had reached enough speed that it lifted clumsily off the runway. Snake added more thrust and gave the Mosquito enough power to soar into the clouds. The plan shuddered as it ascended into the sky and Snake had a moment of doubt when he wondered if this was such a good idea after all. However, as the plane began to level off, it steadied considerably and allayed Snake's misgivings.

As Snake Plissken directed the Mosquito towards the mountains, he kept focussed on one thought.

Stay alive for me baby, stay alive.

***********

I'm alive.

She kept saying that to herself while she was lying in a pool of her own blood and vomit. She was fully recovered from the effects of the ether now, so Kate was spared nothing. She felt the pain where he had hit her repeatedly, the agony as he penetrated her body and defiled it with his stink. Each time Kate thought of his leering face over hers as he began pounding into her, each stroke filled with hatred and vengeance, it made her retch all over again.

Of course he raped her.

What else could he do to her that would redeem his injured pride to his men? Kill her? No, that was to easy, Kate thought as she felt more blood in her mouth. She could sense a split lip even though she feared looking at her reflection in the mirror. The Englishman had wanted to show them all that she was nothing but a woman, to be used at his leisure and discarded as any other thing he commanded . Kate had curled up in a ball after he had finally finished with her, swaggering in triumph and gloating in satisfaction. He had left her there, seemingly broken and reeking of semen and urine. She tried to control her desire to throw up but knew it was a futile gesture. She could feel the bile rising up in her throat.

Rolling onto her stomach to vomit, she coughed up more blood from her broken mouth and lips. Finally, Kate looked, opening one blood swelled eyes to see if she were truly alone. She was. There was no one else in the room because the Englishman didn't think she was capable of anything after what he had done to her. He was , suitably convinced that she was beaten into submission with little or no fight left. She spotted her jeans in the corner where he had flung it. Kate took a deep breath, steadying herself for she had to do next. She had to forget what he had done to her, had to put in the back of her mind.

Stopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopit!

She forced her eyes shut and willed the images of him away. She had to live, she had to survive! In his gloating lust, the Englishman had told her what he had planned for Sanctuary and that alone forced her to move from her rooted spot. The danger to their lives intensified her will to get on her feet. She had to warn them! Standing up slowly, her body ached as she started to rise. The sharp throbbing in her abdomen had abated no less and she knew there was probably some tearing. She tried to think of her injuries as clinical as possibility, detaching it from the rape itself. While she knew she needed treatment, she was also aware that she was not critically injured.

Slowly, she found the rest of her clothes, scattered around the floor near her. Her white shirt was blood soaked, but she couldn't help that. Slipping on her jeans proved more difficult. Her pelvis ached terribly and she wished more than anything that she could have a bath so she could get his smell off her skin or a sedative so she wouldn't have to smell it. Unfortunately, neither were readily available right now, so she would have to bear it.

Once dressed, Kate took tentative steps forward. The first step was agonising. Kate had to pause and let herself become used to the pain. Beads of sweat ran down her forehead even though the room was cold. The second step was easier, but not by much. Kate knew her survival depended on her getting out of the building as soon as possible. While she hadn't even thought about the specifics of her escape, she knew that it had to be now or never.

Kate walked across the floor of the Englishman's chambers and noticed the sentries were gone. They must be his personal bodyguard, she decided. The steps from the floor of the chamber to the main entrance was arduous but eventually she made it. Despite her injuries, Kate was starting to become accustomed to the pain and was now capable of overcoming it. Making her way to the large oak door, she noticed that the door swung into the room.

Good, she thought. It gave her some kind of a plan.

It was a gamble she knew, but at the moment, Kate had little choice. Snake Plissken had once told her that the simplest escapes were often the least complicated. See an opening and go for it. Thinking of him gave her some strength. Thank Christ he would be in Sanctuary when the Englishman made his advance towards Sanctuary. With Tristan in the hospital, Snake would have been the only one would be able to cope with trouble when the Englishman's plan came into being. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her ears against the door and listened closely.

There wasn't that much noise actually. In fact, it sounded that there weren't many people outside at all. Kate wondered about this. Suddenly, she heard the loud booming voice of the Englishman. For a moment, cold terror struck her heart and she froze where she was. Quickly, logic set in and she calmed down enough to analyse the situation. Looking at the chamber again, she realised his voice was all around. It permeated throughout the chamber. It took her a further few more seconds to understand that his voice was emanating from beyond the large open windows of the chamber. Kate hurried towards it, finding her adrenalin was pushing her body to cooperate with her wishes.

Reaching the window a few seconds later, she peered out being careful not to be seen by anyone outside. It was already nightfall. Time didn't deceive her then, she thought fleetingly. He did work on her for several hours. Kate shook her had, telling herself she didn't want to think about that and concentrated on what was happening outside. If it was night then she didn't have much time, a matter of hours actually.

Even though it was dark outside, the square in front of the building was brightly lit with lanterns and torches being carried by the Englishman's thugs The crowded courtyard, bright lights and the pedestal like stance of the Englishman added a twisted carnival feel to the atmosphere. At the top of the steps leading to the entrance of the building, stood the Englishman, addressing the hundreds assembled like a general commanding his troops.

His troops were mostly thugs, killers and the scum that always made up the worst of the human race. These were the kinds of people who were nothing before the Pulse and only found respect when led by someone like the Englishman. Almost all of them were armed to the teeth with high powered machine guns and artillery.

It looked like almost all the Zoners were assembled in the courtyard. Every square inch of space was occupied by a body. The sheer number of them was enough to frighten Kate to no end. In the past, Sanctuary had defended itself from the Zone because they defended the Zone's incursions into their territory by skirmish runs. However, seeing the number of Zoners now, Kate realised Sanctuary could never survive a full frontal assault by the Zone. The Englishman was speaking through an old valve megaphone, using batteries, to the crowds. This accounted for why there were so few people in the building.

"....will have victory!" The Englishman continued in his speech. "No more can the wicked at Sanctuary deny us food, electricity and medicines! We will take back all they have stolen! For so long have they persecuted us for our way of life, starving us and pouring aggression upon aggression upon us who have always been hunted. Before the Pulse and after!"

Kate couldn't believe the unbelievable garbage the man was spouting out and she was even more astonished by the gullibility of the crowds that believed him. Propaganda, Kate realised, was how the Englishman kept his people loyal, exploiting their age old belief that they were the oppressed minority. What a joke, she thought to herself. Finally, Kate decided she had heard enough, knowing exactly what her nemesis was doing outside. The Englishman was rallying his people, making them fervent with murderous rage so that they could go out and slaughter her friends for some imagined insult.

Not if I have anything to do with it.

Listening to the Englishman's tirade had rekindled Kate's fire. It made her furious that this son of a bitch could concoct such garbage against innocent people who never meant him any harm until provoked. Her steps quickly became strides as she hurried up the door. She had to know if anyone was outside guarding this room. Kate hoped that there was just one. sentry She might be able to deal with one person but any more was a gamble. Looking around, she saw a marble bust of some forgotten dignitary. Picking it up, Kate guessed the weight to be adequate for what she intended. It had been sitting on a similar marble pedestal with Corinthian design. With one swift kick, she topped the marble column over, allowing it to smash the floor with a shattering sound. At that, she took cover at the side of the doorway, pressing her ears closely to the wall to hear the eminent footsteps.

These came barely a second later. The door swung open and Kate steadied herself as a body moved through the opening. Without giving her time to think better of it, Kate brought the marble bust down on the man's head. He had barely time to utter a cry as marble impacted on his skull with a sickening crunch. She had hit him on the back of the head for maximum effect and as he crumpled to the floor and she dropped the bust, covered in hair and blood, Kate knew he was no longer a threat.

Despite herself, after putting down the bust, Kate felt for a pulse. He was out cold but still alive. Stop wasting time! Kate thought, scolding herself for her misguided sympathy before liberated the man's automatic rifle from around his shoulders. A small pool of blood had begun to ooze out of his wound, a darkened patch of pulpish matter where she had struck him. Kate told herself not to care. This oriental man in his army fatigues and his tattoos would do no such thing for her.

Kate peered outside the hallway and saw no one was around. The carpeted corridor was devoid of life and the candles that lit the place revealed unmoving shadows. Slinging the gun strap around her shoulders, she emerged into the dimly lit hall way. Outside, she could still here the Englishman's speech and knew this was the best time to move, while everyone's attention was focussed on the debacle outside. She ran her fingers through her hair, as if it would give her some strength to do what it took to stay alive.

Got to stop thinking like a doctor girl, Kate whispered to herself as she moved up the corridor. Was this why Snake is the way he is?

Thinking about Snake made her feel a little better. It also reminded her why she had to live. Kate wanted to feel Snake's touch again, she wanted him to touch and make her forget the obscenity she had gone through today.

Pleasedon'thurtmenotthatwayhowcouldyouwhywhwyhwywhwy!

The images were too strong sometimes, they came into her mind, cutting through her resolve like a knife. The power of it was still too raw and fresh in her mind to completely push them aside. Kate paused, leaning against the nearby wall to compose herself as the disgust subsided from her stomach and the bile slithered down her throat again. She wanted to cry but knew she couldn't.

Please don't come apart doc, Kate whispered to herself as tear came down her face, please hold together so we can get out of here alive before he does it to me again.

II

Less than two hours later, Snake saw the lights of Victoria City below him.

The Zone was a patchwork of myriad lights that lit up the ground. Unfortunately, since Snake could not afford to be seen by the inhabitants of the Zone just yet, he had to shut the engines of the Mosquito off and let it come in for a silent landing. He knew roughly where he could land. He remembered the deserted stretch of road on the outskirts of the Zone near the jetty where he had first touched the shores of Vancouver Island. It was with a hint of irony that Snake thought how much had changed since then. How simple things had been prior to that arrival. He had come to Vancouver Island to escape the violence of his life, to rest and retire.

Except things never quite worked out that way.

Perhaps it was necessary for him to fight to gain his peace. Maybe it wasn't a simple matter of deciding that he was going to retire after the life he had led. There was a lot of blood on his hands. Some were warranted but some were not. Over the years, Snake Plissken had lived a questionable life which he wasn't ashamed off but maybe to get the good life, one had to earn it.

Like he was doing now. As he directed the plane towards that deserted road, Snake realised that this was the first time he had done anything for himself. In the past, everyone had pulled his strings, made him a pawn in the chess game of their causes, had he ever really put his life on the line for something he truly believed in? In a cause that was solely for himself and no other reason?

No, Snake Plissken had never done that.

So he was going to make one more escape, kill one more would be dictator and save the world and everything else that went with it, not because someone had planted a capsule in his neck or because a twenty four hour virus was going to kill him. He was going to do it because the only woman he ever cared about was in trouble and as corny as it sounded, Snake Plissken couldn't imagine life without her.

The Mosquito glided neatly into position as Snake brought the plane towards the road for landing. There no lights below him but thanks to the illumination of the full moon above, Snake could just make out the white lines separating the lanes on the deserted road. The Mosquito had performed well, giving Snake little trouble throughout the hour and a half long journey. Hopefully, it would do just as well when they finally left the Zone.

The plane shuddered a bit as it touched the ground, jolting Snake slightly in his seat in the cockpit. He swore lightly under his breath and held the nose firm, pulling back the throttle as it began to decease its velocity on the ground. It travelled some distance on the road before its deceleration finally reached its apex and the Mosquito came to a halt.

Outside the cockpit, all was quiet. There were no settlements this far out of the Victoria city, Snake remembered. Hopefully that meant he would be assured of his secret arrival for a while at least. There were no houses except for that lonely road and the wooden pier in the distance where to his surprise, his boat still remained. He could see the silhouette of the Sea Witch in the darkness, still waiting for him to return.

It was good to know that if the Mosquito couldn't perform that he had an alternate way of getting out of the Zone.

Snake pulled the cockpit open and reached to the back passenger seat where he had dumped his equipment prior to the flight. He felt exposed unarmed and Snake wanted to rectify that as soon as possible. He reached into the duffle bag and found the dual set of chrome plated 45' calibre automatic hand guns he had sighted in Sanctuary's armoury. Snake had always had a soft spot for carrying hand guns in his holster and time had done little to change him. Making sure that the pistols were loaded, he tucked them snugly into the holsters on each flank.

There were other things too, he loved gadgets. It was one of the positive results that came out of the New York escape. Snake had learnt that as excessive as they could some times be, it was the little accessories that had saved his life. There hadn't been many such things available at Sanctuary, but enough for Snake's use. He found a decent sized Bowie with its sheath which he slipped into his boot, a few propellant steel spears that ejected from a wristband he was now wearing on his left hand and a few gas pellets that fitted comfortably into his pocket. Finally, he helped picked up the high powered automatic rifle and all the extra ammunition he needed contained on the utility belt which he slipped around his waist.

Snake climbed out of the cockpit and step onto the bitumen paved road. Up ahead he could see the lights of the city and started towards it.

He had to hurry, he had a feeling he didn't have much time.

**********

That she had made it all the way down the stairs and to the back exit was more luck than she had believed possible. Kate had crept through the place, hiding in the shadows each time she heard the barest hint of a sound . The Englishman's voice boomed through the building as his tirade became more fevered. Kate had started to ignore most of what he was saying since the bulk of it was propaganda garbage anyway. It made her sick thinking about how much deception went into his supposed rule of the Zone.

Reaching the exit, she saw fires lit at the back in small bonfires with a few stray people who hadn't gone to the Englishman's little pep rally sitting around them. These however, did not look like the Englishman's thugs. They huddled together like frightened rabbits, some were children and women. Their eyes haunted Kate for some reason as they stared into the fire mesmerised by something, yet remaining vacant and empty.

Not all the people in the Zone are like the Englishman and Miranda, Doc.

Kate stepped out knowing she took a risk at being seen, but instinct told her that these people held loyalties to no one save themselves. Looking around, she saw someone's old navy blue service jacket on the floor. It had patches and tears which explained why it was discarded. Kate slipped it on, wrinkling her nose at the musty smell but deciding she had no choice to be picky. It fitted her well, with enough length in the collar to partially hide her face. Kate took a deep breath and stepped out boldly, with the gun in front of her.

There was only one section of unbroken fence line which emptied into the back lands of a series of derelict buildings which would do well for cover once she left here. However Kate would have to walk to it unnoticed to reach its moderate safety. She emerged into the night air, engendering little interest from the people around the bonfires. Kate could still here the Englishman behind her, although his voice was becoming distant, the faster she walked away from the building. There were other people in the distance, but most of their attention was placed elsewhere and it was dark at this end of the building. Besides, they could only see a dark figure walking across the grass with a gun. Around here, that couldn't be anything out of the ordinary.

She had to walk past one of the bonfires, it couldn't be helped. Kate strode forward boldly, keeping her eyes forward like she was just another one of the Englishman's goons, ensuring there was enough swagger in her walk to convince anyone of it. A woman glanced at her as she passed. Kate noticed that she pulled her young daughter against her protectively as Kate passed. The child had a severe case of malnutrition and Kate had to fight to hide her disgust and her physicians instincts.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" She barked.

The woman averted her eyes quickly, staring back at the flames. Her husband spoke quickly, trying to diffuse the situation. "I'm sorry, she didn't mean anything. "

Kate didn't say anything, grunting an obscenity as it was probably expected and then kept on walking towards the buildings.

No questions followed.

She was safe, for now.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I

Things happened at night.

Things were happening tonight in Sanctuary.

Querto was stone cold sober. After Snake had left for the Zone, the Mexican found he had little taste for beer or anything else. He sent Esmerelda home and dumped a bucket on Red and Crow who were not too happy at being roused to abruptly from the arms of their women. He wanted them completely sober for the rest of the night. Snake Plissken had left Sanctuary believing some unforseen threat was looming over them and Querto trusted Snake's instinct more than he trusted anything else in life.

This was natural of course.

During the war, Snake Plissken's reputation as a military man was impeccable. He was the head of one of the best crack teams in the European theatre of the war. Before the medal that changed Snake Plissken's life forever, the Lieutenant was one of the most respected officers in the core. Even the general infantry spoke of him in hushed tones. Later on, as new travelled down the military grapevine, Querto learnt about the catastrophe that destroyed Snake's team and left the man without the use of an eye. While he could not recount the specifics of the mission, he was aware that it was due to bad intelligence from the spooks. The loss of so many good men would have been a difficult thing to bear. Most would have gone insane with rage but Snake was different. He used his rage to become a legend.

Thus for Querto, if Snake Plissken said something was wrong, then something was wrong.

As the men sobered up around him and poured more coffee down their throats then was entirely decent, Querto tried to think of from where the trouble might arise. It hurt his head thinking about such things so deeply. Life was a lot less complicated before he met Snake. That son of a bitch had away of ordering him about that made Querto feel he was back in the service. To his utter disgust, Querto also realised that his conditioning to obey an officer was far too strong to ignore the man. So now, he paced the floor of his house like a caged animal trying to find a way out of a trap. What would Snake do in his place? Snake had a way of cutting to the heart of a problem by seeing the whole picture. Trouble was, where did this picture begin? Suddenly it hit Querto.

Taylor!

Taylor's name appeared inside Querto's head like a flash of insight. It was the first truly logical deduction he had made all day. Perhaps if he spoke to Taylor, he would have some idea of what was coming. After all, this had all began when Taylor returned to Sanctuary. Taylor had the most contact with the Zoners since he had warned Sanctuary about the convoy. Taylor must have had some inside information that might be unimportant in the scheme of things but vital if one looked at it a different way. Querto knew he was grasping at straws but it was the first solid idea he had come up with all day. He stood up deciding that he was going to the hospital to talk to Taylor. Not only was it a place to start but it would give him something to do instead of driving himself crazy waiting for the unknown to happen.

"I'm going to the hospital." He announced purposefully with more confidence than he had felt in months as he walked towards the door.

"What's at the hospital?" Crow asked. He looked surprisingly normal when he was not half stoned or drunk. The man had showered for the first time in god knows how long so his customary vapid pallor had taken on a decidedly healthier shade. Querto wondered if this was a good thing or not.

"Taylor," Querto grunted. "I wanna talk to him."

"You think he knows something?" He inquired, running a hand through his unruly blond hair.

"I don't know." The Mexican answered honestly. "Gotta do something man. Time's short."

"Yeah I know." Crow mumbled before looking up at Querto again. "I'll come with you."

"Okay." Querto replied, mildly surprised at how different Crow looked when he was back in the land of living. They had been friends for a long time and Querto had never seen this kind of resolve or clarity in him since the days when they were soldiers fighting the good fight in the last war.

Whether or not Crow noticed Querto's musings, he certainly did not show it as he looked around the dishevelled room trying to remember where he had left the guns they had used during the skirmish the night before. He spied them on the other side of the room where he and the others had discarded their weapons prior to their late night orgy with Esmerelda and the girls.

Crow strode over to the two automatics and picked them up before returning to Querto. Taking the rifle from Crow, Querto quickly checked to see how much ammunition was left in the camber and was pleased to see Crow pocketing a few spare cartridges. "Just to be safe." Crow declared even though they knew it was for more than just that.

They drove to the hospital in Querto's truck with neither man speaking much. Both were preoccupied by the same terrible feeling of dread that promised all kinds of danger in the night. Even though none voiced their hidden thoughts, the texture of it was essentially the same. Querto and Crow had become accustomed to their lives in Sanctuary. Sure on occasion it was dead boring and although people like Snake Plissken brought some added spice to the mix, in essence they liked the peace and quiet. In the past, theirs were lives led on lonely open roads and sometimes on the battlefields of war on foreign soil. This was the first place that either had felt truly at home and would mourn if it was lost.

The streets of Sanctuary was quite at this time of night, with a few lights scattered across the main street. There were people out tonight but not many. A few here and there, leaving the Slice or simply taking an evening stroll throughout the town. The teenagers hung around the pavement on the main street, smoking cigarettes and staying out later because they could. Generally, it was just another night in Sanctuary, no different from any before today and definitely normal.

It did not take long for them to reach the hospital. There were not many cars in the hospital car park that was also nothing unusual. It was after all, close to ten o'clock in the evening and other than the evening shift there was not many hospital staff still remaining. Querto did not think Taylor would mind them dropping in despite the hour, considering the nature of the visit. Besides, Querto knew Taylor personally and the kid was okay. Any way, most people were unaware of the mood shared by himself and his men and Snake had told Querto that he did speak to Taylor of his fears especially with the defection of Jack Travis.

Querto had never been to the hospital before even though he knew where it was. There had never really been any real reason for him to come here. As he emerged from the truck with Crow, he shuddered at the permeating silence of place. Part of the reason, he stayed away from it was because as a rule, he generally disliked hospital. Even thought it was a place of healing, Querto never could feel comfortable in one. Hospitals conjured up images of amputations, scalpels and blood of which Querto had been seen too much of in the last war. Even now, the smell of antiseptic and disinfectant was too sterile for him. White walls and tiles coupled with the clinical atmosphere made him tense. Querto did not like being tense.

The two men walked through the main doors of the building and noticed that the white corridor leading to the reception area and beyond were empty. In fact, everything was as it should have been except there weren't any people around, neither staff nor patients. Querto expected to see sick people hobbling around the halls as there should be in any hospital. He exchanged glances with Crow who was also growing uncomfortable at the absence of life.

"Where is everyone?"

"I don't know." Querto replied shaking his head before motioning the man to keep his voice down.

Both of them instinctively slowed their pace towards the reception desk, approaching it with caution as they came to the intersection of corridors. As far as their eyes could see down the white walled passage way, there was that same disturbing emptiness but only this time, there were definite signs of violence. In several areas of the walls leading to the southern wing lift, there holes in the brick from what Querto was certain was shotgun fire. Tiny pellets had torn through the concrete and dented the smooth walls of the lifts. He exchanged a knowing glance with Crow whose hand had reached for the rifle slung around his shoulders. He was glad he had resisted the notion to leave it in Querto's truck when they had first arrived.

Querto walked towards the reception desk while Crow stood behind him, giving him cover in case anything unexpected turned up. Querto, like Crow was a pessimist. He always expected the worse. In the past, that kind of thinking had saved their lives more than once. Crow was not about to question it now. Like Querto, he assumed a nurse should have been on duty at reception but no such person was in sight. As he moved around the desk, he felt the soft, slick slap of his boots against a wet floor. Except the liquid did not have the texture of water...

Querto looked down and saw that he was standing in a puddle of blood.

"Jesus." He exclaimed going for his gun.

"What?" Crow shouted. He was already tense but was now fully alert as he raised his gun in reaction to Querto's sudden movement.

Querto did not answer as Crow started towards him. However, it did not take him long to see the puddle of drying, viscous blood on the white tiled floor. He continued around the desk, trying to find the source of the grisly fluid and in doing so, found the young woman.

Querto had seen her around town once or twice but never knew her name. She lay on the floor, eyes staring into the ceiling she could no longer see with her throat open to the world.

II

Two hours before, Nurse Carolyn Keene had been sitting at the reception desk completely unaware that by the end of the night, she would be dead. Certainly there was nothing out of the ordinary to indicate that she was destined to be the victim of any impending violence. Sure, there were more patients than normal but Doctor Vinh had mentioned in passing that most of these people were here for observation. There were a few critical cases, Tristan Evans being the one that came to mind and a number of gunshot wounds victims following the skirmish from the night before.

Elsewhere Timothy Taylor had ventured out of his hospital room for the first time since his admission the day before. Even though he was still rather fragile, Taylor had taken the trip in a wheelchair with Doctor Vinh to accompany him to ensure that he did not over exert himself. Taylor had wanted to see how Evans was faring and Vinh did not have the heart to say no to that request. In Sanctuary, people created deep bonds of friendship. Tristan Evans had been a fried to Taylor when the boy first arrived in Sanctuary after the death of his parents on the mainland.

The new refugees from the Zone were given free run of the hospital, Taylor noticed as Vinh wheeled him towards the ICU ward where Tristan was currently residing. He remembered what Snake had said prior to his departure and thanks to the grapevine, Taylor was certain that everyone knew that Snake Plissken was on his way to the Zone. While the reports declared that most of the Inner Circle was angry that Snake would make such a rescue attempt alone, Taylor got the impression that they were also relieved. Not one of them would have any idea on how to go about setting up a rescue plan without Tristan Evans or Kate Ellison for that matter.

"Do you think he will get her back?" Vinh asked as they headed towards the nearest lift.

"If anyone can, it will be Snake." Taylor retorted. "He's an old hand at this kind of operation."

"He should have had help." Vinh pointed out.

Taylor could not agree. "I know," he remarked looking over his shoulder so he could meet Vinh's eyes. "You gotta understand Plissken though, he has to be the most arrogant, swaggering son of a bitch to ever walk the planet but he's earned the right to be that way with his successes."

Vinh could understand. A lifetime ago, his native country had done the same thing to him. His parents had fled with their lives because of oppressors who had title to go with their guns. The bullies never changed, only the circumstances. Suddenly, he looked at the little boy he had seen earlier, wandering around the halls, still wearing that empty look in his eyes. He stared at Vinh and Taylor for a moment, almost as if he had something to say and then thought better of it.

"Hi." Taylor smiled at him reassuringly. "Aaron, isn't it?"

The boy nodded slowly.

"How are you doing Aaron." Taylor extended a hand forward. "My name is Timothy."

Aaron was about to speak when suddenly a loud voice broke through the calm of the moment and took the opportunity away.

"Hey!"

Both Vinh and Taylor looked up at the same time to see the same burly man that Vinh had seen earlier that day. Aaron seemed to freeze in his tracks. "I told you to stop wandering around the place." The man strode up to him and grabbed the boy roughly by the shoulders with one hand while the other moved to strike him with a mean backhand.

"Its all right!" Taylor exclaimed, stopping him before it got any further than just a move. "He wasn't bothering us."

The man scowled at Taylor for a moment and then calmed down considerably. "Boy's got to learn discipline," he barked before turning to Aaron again. "Come on. Your momma's looking for you." At that, he hauled Aaron away from the two men with more strength than was necessary. Taylor was tempted to interceded but knew he was in little condition to do anything against that bastard.

"Women sure do make some lousy choices." He muttered unhappily as he watched them disappear down the corridor.

Vinh looked down at him. "Why do you say that?"

"Well," Taylor shrugged. "You would think that after the kid watched his father get blown away in front of him that his mother would had a little more sense than to take up with that asshole."

"You must be mistaken." Vinh remarked. "That is the boy's father."

Taylor looked at him sharply. "Snake told me that he met the boy in the Zone and that he saw his father get killed before they were all captured by the Englishman."

By now Vinh was clearly troubled. "No that's not possible." The doctor replied shaking his head. He remembered the night before when they had taken tally of the names and number of people who had come off the convoy. That brute had clearly indicated that Aaron was his son and that Aaron's mother was his wife. However, as Vinh began to think about it further, he had to admit that there was something oddly detached about the boy's attitude towards his 'father'.

Taylor was staring at him hard. "Doc, you gotta to be sure about this."

But Vinh was not sure, not now. Even as Taylor was speaking, cogs were starting to spin inside his mind. "I am sure about it." He said after a moment and looked up at Taylor. "I know I am."

Taylor let out a deep breath. "How many families?"

"At least thirty to forty." Vinh answered automatically. "Some were just stragglers who latched on to the main group. They're mostly men. "By now, both men were almost certainly coming to the same conclusion with their suspicions. "And they weren't search." Vinh spoke, anticipating Taylor's next question.

"We could be wrong." The young man spoke after a moment.

"We're not." Vinh answered.

"We need to tell the Circle." Taylor replied. "Where do we keep the radio here?"

However, Vinh was already ahead of him, pushing his wheel chair hard against the lift. Taylor started thinking as they made their way to the ground floor of the hospital. If the Englishman wanted to take Sanctuary, wouldn't it be wiser to send an advance party ahead to disrupt and neutralise the enemy first?

With a stab of clarity, Taylor realised how intricate the Englishman had been in his planning. They had used him! That's why they had made a half assed attempt at interrogation that was more for his benefit than theirs. They knew about the network and had set their trap for Sanctuary. It was nothing more than good luck that saw Jack Travis defecting to the Zone and using Taylor to make the convoy's acceptance into Sanctuary more credible.

The lift doors opened just as a high pitched scream echoed throughout the ground floor of the hospital. Taylor stood up from the wheel chair. He was not that injured that he could not stand on his own two feet or make a good run if the adrenalin was pumping. He and Vinh hurried forward, noticing that the corridor was strangely empty. As they hurried up the tiled passage way, they heard the sounds of smashing glass.

It was Vinh who saw Carolyn first.

She was on her knees behind the counter, not quite dead yet but not far off. She was starting to lose consciousness as her precious blood spurted from the severed arteries of her throats. The blood had almost soaked her white uniform as she crawled forward in a desperate attempt to find help. The man who did this to her were in the room behind the counter.

"Carolyn!" Vinh cried out as she looked at him with glazed eyes rapidly losing her battle for life. Her blood was a pool under her body.

"Doc!" Taylor hissed, seeing the scene but more concerned with the men who were at this time smashing to pieces the radio in the small room behind the reception desk.

However, it was too late. They emerged from the room and instance later, carrying guns that they had likely smuggled in among their belongs. They should have been searched, Taylor thought fleetingly. The first man was Aaron's father, who more than likely realised that it was time bring forward their plans after his altercation with them.

"Doc! Get down!" Taylor shouted as the man raised his gun to fire.

Vinh barely had time to move before the gun went off, hitting the floor hard as he leapt out of the line of fire, with more agility usually credited to a man of his vintage. He landed on the floor near Taylor and scrambled to his feet just as the assailant took another shot. This time, the blast impacted on a nearby wall and both Taylor and Vinh were making rapid strides towards the lift again. Taylor ducked as another shot went off, the pellets leaving their mark on the steel wall of the lift doors. Vinh reached the button first, slamming his palm against it to make the door slid open. Both men dived inside and Taylor pressed the button to shut the doors again, even as he heard the familiar click of a shotgun being primed.

"Close it! Close it!" Vinh shouted and Taylor slammed his fist hard against the clear plastic button. The door moved forward as they heard the blast of another shot followed by footsteps rapidly making their way towards them. The doors came to a close just as the man and his companion paused outside to fire their weapons again.

The lift lurched up and Taylor let out a sigh of relief at their narrow escape.

"I think we are in a lot of trouble." He looked at Vinh stating the obvious.

Vinh straightened the glasses on his nose. "Question is, what are we going to do about it?"

Neither of them knew.

PART THREE