The look on Guzman's face was at first stunned, then placid acceptance. "Oh, my dear. I shall not give you a reason, for you will die before that happens. You see, I have already triggered the silent alarm on my station, and an army of a hundred men are on their way here right now. You and your team will be dead soon enough."

Anger pulsed through Camille's veins, and she hauled off and smacked Guzman across the face with the butt of her gun. "Try again, asshole. Call off your rabid dogs and I might let you live."

Guzman soothed the side of his face at the point of impact. He looked up into Camille's burning eyes and laughed out loud. "I know why you're here; Brutus already told me. You came here to put a stop to my operation and to take my life. You're here to complete the mission that Jaxon Rasner failed to do twenty years ago."

"But I didn't fail," Jaxon said, stepping into the room. "You were never part of my mission. It was all about your father and you know that."

"Won't you just die?" Guzman asked, staring incredulously at Jaxon. "It has taken me years to find my father's killer, and you continue to rob me of my revenge."

"Heh, I aim to please," Jaxon said with a smirk.

"It doesn't matter. As I just told your FiFi, I've already activated the silent defense alert for the station and your time is now limited. Mark my words, you will all be dead real soon."

Jaxon looked at each of the team members in the room. "We still have a job to do," Jaxon said, "and less time to do it. Miles, why don't you go see what you can do about stopping our hosts from ending the party too soon? Clay, why don't you and Camille go get the research that you need and then find us a ride off this station?"

"What about you?" Camille asked.

Jaxon stepped up to Guzman and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Me? Oh, I'm going to get a little more acquainted with our new friend here."

Jaxon dragged Guzman from the chair and threw him out into the corridor. He continued driving him toward the airlock he'd just left.

57.

Blood caked the side of Guzman's face where Camille had struck him, yet he didn't make an effort to wipe it away. "You know, Senor, there is nothing to be gained from doing this," Guzman said as Jaxon fastened the restraints at Guzman's wrists.

Jaxon only smiled as he kneeled down and tied his legs to the same posts where his had been a short time ago. "You're probably right, but experience dictates that I have to at least make an effort."

With Guzman tied in place, Jaxon returned to the doorway leading to the rest of the space station. He keyed the door open and slid a supply crate into the door's path, forcing it to remain open. Next, he stood at the control panel and began deactivating the safety settings.

"What exactly is your plan, Senor? I assure you that no matter the torture, I will not divulge anything that you're after. Besides, my security will be here in-"

Jaxon ignored Guzman's attempts to dissuade him from proceeding. After he'd completed the reprogramming of the exterior airlock, he turned to Guzman and smiled.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Pablo. I've only been with my team for a short period and let me tell you, they are far more resourceful than you could imagine. I'd wager that Miles is preoccupying your crack security team as we speak."

"Oh, I think it's you who's mistaken, Senor. You underestimate my control on this station. It's quite impenetrable, and that's only due to the dedication and resolve of every man on board. They are my family. They will not relent until I am safe."

Jaxon shrugged and threw his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender. "Okay then. You have me. Should I just stand here and wait for them to handcuff me again?" Jaxon asked sarcastically.

Guzman scowled. "You jest, but just wait."

"Well, while we wait, there's no harm in you giving me a little information. Seeing as you're going to capture me again and kill me and all that, what do you have to lose?" Jaxon asked.

"Let me guess. You want to know who Brutus is?" Guzman asked.

"That would be a start. It seems like whoever it is, he's been in your back pocket for quite a while. I have my own guesses, but I would like to know for certain, so I know who's going to die next."

"Ha, you amuse me, Mr. Rasner-"

"Please, Pablo," Jaxon interrupted. "I feel we've known each other long enough; I think you can use my first name."

"You amuse me, Jaxon." Guzman said his name with Spanish flair. "You still think you're going to get out of this alive, and I think we both know that can never happen. Not since you've seen my secret lair."

"Brutus. Who is he?" Jaxon asked, tiring of the mindless chatter with Guzman's overinflated ego.

"Let's just say that he's a powerful man and he would not be very happy if I divulged his identity. You might say he's quite untouchable. He's in an absolutely sensational position, really."

Jaxon smiled. He knew Guzman would never reveal Brutus' true identity. Besides, he already had enough information to track down his hunches.

"Fair enough," Jaxon said, moving back to the control panel. He pivoted the display away from the wall so that he could see Guzman's face as he activated the exterior airlock. With just a few quick motions on the touch screen, the door to outer space began to inch open.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Guzman asked, his confidence vanishing.

"I just thought I'd open a window to get some fresh air in here. Isn't it a little stuffy in here?"

Guzman craned his neck around and saw the crate keeping the door open. "You're crazy! If you open the door, you will kill us all. If you haven't noticed, we removed your environmental suit when we brought you on board."

Jaxon shrugged. "No matter," he said as he paused the opening of the door. He adjusted the setting on the panel until the door reclosed, quieting the hideous whistling sound of the air rushing out into space.

"If you're trying to scare me into giving you the information, you might as well give up now. I'm not going to betray Brutus."

"Oh, but you have already. I know exactly what I need, and now for the next question. Your answer will be the key to your survival," Jaxon said, hovering his hand over the control panel.

"I don't know what else you want from me," Guzman said, watching Jaxon intently.

"You said earlier that it was your team that was sent to take my life. You also said that Lily's death was by your command."

As Jaxon built up his question, Guzman appeared to know the direction of the interrogation and began to nod his head.

"So you know what I'm looking for? You're a smart man, Pablo. Why don't you just tell me?"

Guzman smiled broadly. "That's what you've always wanted to know. From the very beginning. Since the moment you stepped on this station, isn't it? You want to know about your daughter. Isn't that right, Senor?"

"See? I knew you had intelligence. Tell me where she is and I will not open the door."

"Before I tell you, Senor, you need to untie me first. You killed my father and maimed me at the same time. How can I trust that you won't still kill me?"

Jaxon triggered the airlock again, the hiss returning as air began to escape. Once the door was just a few centimeters open, he halted its movement.

"Listen, Guzman," Jaxon said, getting in the face of his hostage. "Tell me where she is right now or I will simply walk away, leaving you here to die."

Jaxon stared into Guzman's fear-riddled face. Sweat began to bead up on his face, glistening on his hideous scars.

"How do I know you won't just leave me anyway?" Guzman asked, his eyes once again darting to the blocked open door.

"You have to trust me, Pablo. Tell me what I want to know and I will let you live. If you fuck with me, I will kill you. Just like I did your father." Jaxon stared intently at Guzman, assuring him that he was done messing around.

"B-B-Brutus. It's Brutus. He was supposed to kill her and your girlfriend, but he kept her for himself," Guzman pleaded.

"Looks like we're back to square one. Who is Brutus?"

Guzman sighed heavily and averted Jaxon's stare. He dropped his head and looked at the floor. "Brutus is-"

Suddenly, warning sirens blared throughout the space station, followed by an automated voice.

"Warning: Hull breach detected: level six. Hull breach detected: level seven. Hull breach detected: level eight."

"Well, I guess that's my cue," Jaxon said, standing upright and striding toward the blocked open door.

"But, Senor!" Guzman screamed. "You said you wouldn't kill me."

Jaxon paused at the door and contemplated Guzman's words. He turned toward the drug lord and smiled. "But I haven't killed you. You've killed yourself."

Jaxon pressed his shoulder on the edge of the door, releasing the pressure on the crate. In one swift motion, he kicked the crate to the side and stepped through the closing door. As soon as the airlock sealed, the howling whistle ceased. Unfortunately, the warning sirens continued to blare.

58.

As Jaxon walked away from the airlock, he could hear Guzman's faint screams for several meters. Jaxon forced the pleas out of his mind and rushed forward, beginning to retrace his steps through the facility. He thought that he could recall each of the turns they made when entering the labyrinth of corridors, but he wasn't completely sure he didn't get turned around somewhere between the holding cell and the airlock. Only time would tell, and he could only hope that his path to the docking bay wasn't somehow blocked off.

Passing by the airlock control room, he continued forward with his weapon at the ready. At the end of the corridor, he came to a T where he had to make his first decision: go left or go right. The incessant blaring of the alarm clouded his senses, he couldn't use sound as an indicator of direction. Only pausing for just a moment, Jaxon chose the path to the right and didn't look back.

Suddenly, the corridor began to turn to the right, almost certainly following the path of the exterior wall of the station. He tried to remember if they'd gone down a corridor like that earlier, but he was confused. Had he? Or was it from Delta Station? Everything kind of blurred together.

Regardless, he stayed on the path and increased his pace incrementally. As he reached the end of the corridor, he found a solitary door that did not look even remotely familiar. He briefly contemplated turning around and heading in the other direction, but decided it was too late for that and proceeded forward. He opened the door and barged in, hoping to catch the occupants in the room off guard.

The room was brightly lit but vacant; it was apparent that whoever occupied the space had heeded the warnings and was already looking for a way off the space station. As he was about to turn and head back out into the corridor, he noticed a door on the far side of the room. Next to the door was a large plate glass window overlooking an enormous multilevel chamber.

"A lab," he muttered. He faintly recalled passing by such a facility on his initial arrival. He rushed to the window and peered out. The window overlooked a two-story laboratory that was also vacant. The door accessed a balcony, but the railing blocked most of his view from inside the room.

Wasting no time, Jaxon opened the door and stepped out, his pistol leading the way. Once at the edge of the rail, he looked straight down and saw a lone security guard with his plasma rifle pointed to the opposite side of the lab. Jaxon followed his sight and saw the top of a person's head ducking behind a laboratory table. At that moment, Jaxon realized it was one of his own. It had to be either Francisco or Oliver. Otherwise, why would the security guard be pinning down one of the other space station inhabitants?

Before Jaxon could act, the guard fired several plasma bursts in the direction of the hiding man, trying to drive him out into the open. With each blast, he could see the man inch closer and closer to the edge, and worse, into full visibility. Jaxon prayed that he wouldn't move any further. Unfortunately, Francisco reacted just as the security guard had hoped. He leapt from behind the laboratory table toward the exit door.

"Watch out, Clay!" Jaxon yelled from above.

It was too late. The guard had already squeezed the trigger, launching bursts of plasma right at Francisco. The first two blasts shot wide, but the third impaled Francisco at center mass. Francisco's body jerked back from the blast, sprawling across the floor. He didn't move.

Jaxon screamed. "No!"

Startled by Jaxon's voice, the guard raised his rifle up and was about to fire. Jaxon, however, was prepared for the assault. He squeezed his own trigger, firing directly into the top of the guard's head. He dropped to the ground in a bloody mess.

Jaxon holstered his pistol and climbed over the rail and dropped himself to the ground below. First, he toed the guard, ensuring his lifeless state. Satisfied, he ran to Francisco's body, sliding down to where he lay.

"Clay!" Jaxon said, jostling his arm and shoulder, being mindful of his ghastly chest wound.

After a moment of shaking, Francisco blinked his eyes open halfway. Gurgling rose from deep in his chest. "J-Jaxon," he said, fighting to speak.

"Dammit, Clay! You should have stayed put."

"W-was s-sscared," Francisco said before a bout of coughing overcame him.

Jaxon looked over Francisco's body, realizing that the blast no doubt broke the majority of his ribs and possibly lacerated his lungs. It was only a matter of time before he bled out.

"It's okay now. I took care of the guard," Jaxon said. "What do you say we get out of here?"

"G-Guzman ... gone?" Francisco asked, fighting for breath for each word.

"No, he's just ... taking a siesta. I left him breathless," Jaxon said, an attempt to make a joke to cheer Francisco up in his final moments.

Francisco's eyes drifted shut as he smiled and forced a guttural laugh. "Y-you do have a way with w-words," he said.

"Did you find what you were looking for, Clay?"

Francisco lay motionless for several seconds before lifting his left hand, which clutched a flash drive on a lanyard and several baggies of opalescent pills. Francisco smiled widely.

"Good job, champ. I'm sure the director will be pleased."

Francisco dropped his hand to the ground, releasing his grip at the same time. He rolled his head toward Jaxon then forced his eyes open. "D-did I do good, b-boss?" he asked, borrowing Oliver's moniker for Jaxon.

"You did great, Clay. I'm honored to have you on my team. What do you say we get out of here now?" Jaxon asked again. "Hopefully, Camille found us a ship to get us out of this hell hole."

Francisco's eyes drifted closed again, but he remained facing Jaxon. "N-no, just leave me. We both know ... it's too late and ... I'll just slow you d-down," Francisco said as blood began to seep from the corners of his mouth.

"Listen, buddy. You know I can't do that. You're going, and we're leaving right now," Jaxon said as he began to gather Francisco and his scavenged belongings.

"Wait," Francisco pleaded. "Y-you have to prom ... promise me something."

"Anything, Clay," Jaxon said, lowering him back to the ground.

"S-save the girls," Francisco said. "Save them for me." Francisco coughed, bringing a mouthful of blood up from his lungs.