"I was hoping that I could start fresh here on the moon, but from what I just saw in the city, I think I need to get away from everything, at least for the time being."

"Well, I wish you the best, but I don't think I can help. You're more than welcome to crash here for the night, but I think it best that you move along first thing tomorrow."

Jaxon felt fainthearted as his old friend declined to help. He really couldn't blame him for the reluctance, but it still weakened him.

"Thanks, Gillette. I'll be out of your hair before the earth rises."

Gillette finished off his beer and pulled two more from the dispenser, handing one to Jaxon. "Listen, I was just about to cook up some grub. Are you hungry?"

Jaxon chuckled. "I did just have some fake fish in the city, but I could always eat something ... real."

Over the next hour, Gillette and Jaxon reminisced about their time at the GSA. They laughed when remembering the good times, and were sorrowful for the bad. At the end of the evening, Gillette produced a fold-up cot from the storage closet and tossed Jaxon a blanket.

"Hey, man, no hard feelings, right?" Gillette asked. "I'd love to help you out, but I just-"

"Don't give it a second thought, Gillette. I knew it was a long shot even coming here. I just appreciate your ear for the night and the warm meal. I'll figure something out tomorrow, I'm certain. Right now, I'm fighting to keep my eyes open."

"I can imagine. Well, sleep tight, buddy. I'll have a good breakfast for you tomorrow before you take off."

Gillette walked out of the guest room and closed the door. Jaxon collapsed onto the cot and was out in minutes.

17.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and cooked bacon wafted through the morning air, stirring Jaxon from his fitful sleep. Slowly, his eyes flickered to life, and he rolled onto his back. He stretched his sore muscles, feeling-more than hearing-his joints creak in protest. He swung his feet to the floor as he sat up.

Standing upright, he stretched again and inhaled deeply. The sublime aromas were still present, satisfying Jaxon's fear that they weren't just part of a dream. It had been so long since he'd actually had pork bellies that it nearly made him salivate just thinking about it.

Having slept in his clothes, Jaxon wasted no time stepping out into Gillette's apartment. The vid screen displayed a scenic view from earth: the sun rising above a grassy horizon.

"Oh, wow. I'd say that it looks like you got a good night's rest, but to tell the truth, you look worse now than you did last night," Gillette said as he poured Jaxon a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, thanks for that. As you can imagine, I tossed and turned all night, reliving the events from yesterday." Jaxon sat at the island, practically worshiping the steaming cup of coffee.

"Hopefully, this will perk you up. Plus, I got bacon!"

"Real bacon? How'd you get that up here?" Jaxon asked as he drooled over the plate of crispy strips of heaven.

"It's the real thing. I'm able to get a pound every now and then from a connection I have in the city. This one's been sitting in my freezer for the last two months, so I figured it'd be a great way to kick off the day."

Jaxon didn't hesitate stuffing a piece into his mouth. The salty goodness that can only come from the flavor of bacon melted on his tongue. He closed his eyes as he chewed, savoring every morsel.

"Jesus, Jaxon. Do you two need to get a room?" Gillette asked as he slid a plate of toast across the island.

"My God. That bite was almost pure nirvana," Jaxon said as he slid two more pieces onto his plate before grabbing a slice of toast.

"Well, you better eat well. We're going to get you up to the outer ring today, and I think you're gonna need all the nourishment you can get," Gillette said.

"What's that? I thought you were on the cautionary side of my predicament," Jaxon said. He stopped eating, pushing his ravenous appetite to the side for a moment.

"Yeah, well, that was last night. Went to bed thinking how much of an ass I sounded like, not willing to help a buddy out. I'm sure if the tables were turned, you'd be the first one to help me-if I was in your position. So, I was up early and reached out to some friends. Looks like you're in luck today."

Jaxon's eyes widened in surprise, dumbfounded by his buddy's change of heart. "I ... I'm speechless. I don't know what to say. I, I owe you, buddy."

"Don't thank me quite yet, Jaxon. First off, it's going to cost you. Three hundred credits, all in advance."

"Done. I still have my rainy day stash-I've barely even touched it."

"Then, there's the shuttle. It leaves at 10 AM, and it's ten minutes after nine right now."

Jaxon looked at the digital clock on the wall: It read 9:11 AM. "And you don't think you could've led off with that as opposed to wasting time with eating breakfast? Shouldn't we be getting there and-"

"Relax, Jaxon. We're good. I trust this guy as much as you trust me. Finish your breakfast and we'll be on our way."

"But isn't the city a good forty minutes away at this time of day?" Jaxon asked "Don't fret, my man. Because this isn't a publicly authorized departure, you will not be leaving from Luna City station. There's an old surface access just on the far side of Sector 45. Once you get to the surface, there will be a ship waiting."

Jaxon relaxed and picked up another piece of bacon. "All right. No use letting this fine swine meal go to waste, then."

18.

Twenty minutes later, they walked out of the apartment. As Gillette spent several minutes securing the myriad of locks on his apartment door, Jaxon scanned the immediate vicinity, looking for any sign of the assailants.

"All locked up," Gillette said. "Are we clear?" He and Gillette had complemented each other so well for so many years, and he felt a resurgence of strength with his old partner. Just like old times, Jaxon mused.

"Nobody in sight," Jaxon said, nodding his head over his shoulder. "Not sure what we'll encounter on the tube, though."

"We're not taking the tube. At least not on the way there. Once you're off, I'm almost certain things will cool off for the rest of us innocent inhabitants of the moon," Gillette said, his comments full of mockery.

"Oh, nice. Way to make a hunted assassin feel good about himself," Jaxon scoffed. "If we're not taking the tube, how are we going to pass through six sectors and not be late?"

"Long before the subway tubes were built, access to all sectors was by underground thoroughfares. Even though everything is already sub-terrestrial, the depressed, or lowered platforms, stretched from sector to sector. They were large enough to handle full-sized vehicles and were actually used for the initial build-out as each new sector came online."

"And you think using an enclosed pedestrian tunnel is better than taking the speed of the train?" Jaxon asked, confused by his friend's logic.

"For starters, they're not as confined as you might think. I use them almost exclusively when I'm heading out to 45. It's actually much faster than taking the train. Especially at this hour. We're at the end of rush hour, and taking the tube just six short stops could take more than an hour. Besides, I want to arrive at the town center on our terms, and not be thrust right into the middle of an unknown situation, unprepared."

"You're the boss," Jaxon said, standing to the side. "Lead the way."

Gillette did so, leading Jaxon through the maze of residential corridors until they came to a wide open stairway. A little puzzled, Jaxon wasn't sure how he'd missed it when he first arrived in Sector 39 the day before. He'd circled around most of the sector before arriving at Gillette's doorstep.

"What do you know about Sector 45?" Gillette asked, descending several flights of stairs.

"Not much more than what you've already told me. The last time I was in Luna City was with you, and we never made it out past Sector 11, if I recall."

"Not only is the surface access there, Sector 45 is really just a smaller-scaled city center. It was established so that those living in these distant sectors didn't have to travel into Luna City for everyday living essentials."

Jaxon followed Gillette into the surprisingly well-lit underpass. The ceiling was nearly four meters high, and the channel was almost twice as wide. Despite the welcoming conditions, the thoroughfare was practically deserted.

The journey through the underworld passed in relative silence. Gillette led the way and kept an earnest pace, while Jaxon continued to dwell on what, or who, they might encounter in the end. Visions of Taloo Station continued to dominate his mind.

As they approached Sector 45, their pace slowed. "For the most part, Sector 45 has only ever been partially occupied. Its remote location makes it far less desirable for those that work in the city. By tube, it's more than a ninety-minute ride, taking all the stops along the way into consideration," Gillette explained.

"Sounds like a great location for someone to lay low," Jaxon said, contemplating his decision to get to the outer ring.

"You'd think, but those that do live out here are usually government officials and security personnel. Most of them use the surface access and then fly in short-range air shuttles to get to the city center in a fraction of the time."

"What prevents civilians from doing the same?" Jaxon asked.

"Cost, mostly. The short-range flyers are typically priced out of the normal person's budget. Plus, there's the cost of dock space, both here as well as in Luna City. It really is just for the elite, who can afford it, or the city workers, who get it for free," Gillette said.

"Then I hope this is a brief visit to Sector 45," Jaxon said, fighting back his uneasiness over the situation.

"I think we'll be fine. It's after the morning rush hour now, and Diego has a reputation for being thorough," Gillette said.

"For being a character conducting illicit behaviors," Jaxon added, smiling to Gillette.

Gillette winked as he led Jaxon out of the underpass and up the stairs.

As they reached the landing, Jaxon gauged that they were on the edge of the commercial district by the bleak surroundings. Gillette continued to lead them toward the town center. It was just as Gillette had described: a miniature version of Luna City. There were bars and restaurants, intermixed with several boutique shops. As it was still relatively early, there were very few people milling about the town.

As they continued their trek, Jaxon spotted two men that seemed out of place. They stood at an intersection at the edge of the city square and happened to be wearing gear that was strikingly similar to those back on Taloo.

"Gillette," Jaxon said, nudging him with his elbow.

"Yeah, I see them. Let's get off Main Street. We can get to where we're going another way," Gillette said before crossing the street and heading away from the potential foes.

Jaxon followed, diligently evaluating the populous. Besides the two back in the square, he was feeling more comfortable the further they walked. Regardless, Jaxon continued his heightened awareness.

When they neared the next intersection, Gillette stood next to the side wall and peered around the corner. The side street was empty and gave direct access to the surface stairway.

"Okay, it's just a few blocks up on the left. I think if we cross here and work our way up, we'll be just about home free."

Jaxon nodded silently, wishing that he had his MP-96 that he'd left on the Bradbury.

Gillette crossed the street and continued down the block. About halfway down, Jaxon spotted one of the space ninjas a few blocks ahead. Gillette was too far ahead of him to point the man out, and he didn't want to call out to him because it would probably alert the assassin at the same time. He had no choice but to continue following along with Gillette's rapid pace.

As they reached the end of the first block, Gillette finally slowed, and by the time Jaxon caught up, it was too late. The assassin caught sight of them and whispered something into his sleeve, almost certainly calling for backup.

Without hesitation, Gillette turned down the crossing street, veering away from their destination that was now just in sight.

Jaxon hoped Gillette knew a different path but was relieved that they were out of the assassin's sight for the time being.

As they neared the end of the next block, Jaxon assumed that it would lead to yet another cross street, but it didn't. It dead ended at a rock wall, course drill markings on its surface, indicating the extent of the coring rig used to dig out the city streets.

"Wrong turn, buddy," Jaxon said as he crouched near a side wall.

"Yeah, I see that. I thought this would double back toward the surface stairway. We've got to go back and then up the next street," Gillette said as he slid along the side wall.

Jaxon cursed under his breath at the clear misjudgment on Gillette's part. If he'd thought any less of Gillette, he might have considered that his buddy led him right into a trap. In the end, he heeded that Gillette's furtive abilities were just out of shape, and it was an honest mistake.

He fell into stride behind Gillette, and as they reached the edge of the street again, their perilous situation became clear. There were now two assassins on each of the three intersecting streets, and they were all heading in their direction.

"Shit, man. What did you get us into?" Jaxon asked.

"You don't think I did this on purpose?" Gillette demanded.

"I don't know, did you? Your sudden change of heart to help me out should've been my first clue," Jaxon snapped. He stepped around Gillette, trying to get a better handle on their situation. He needed a way out.

"Listen up, Jaxon. Think what you want, but I'm right in the middle of this with you. This is just an unfortunate circumstance that we need to get through. Are you with me?"

Jaxon didn't have any other options. He was unarmed in an unknown environment. "What do you have in mind?"

Well, it's you that they're after, so I'm going to try to get past them and cause some kind of diversion. You just need to hang low until you see the sign."

"That's your plan? Save your ass while you leave me here, cornered?"

"If you have anything better, I'm all ears," Gillette said, holding steady.

Jaxon thought through their situation. Neither of them had a weapon, and they were cornered in the alley. There was no other option. "Okay. Go on, then. What's the sign going to be?"

Gillette smiled. "You'll know it when you see it." He stood up and walked out into the intersection. Confidently, he glanced up and down the adjacent street then nodded his head. As he nearly reached the other side of the street, shots were fired from an unknown direction. The first shot went wide, glancing off of the metal ducting at the side. The second shot hit Gillette, dropping him to the ground.

"Gillette!" Jaxon called out.

Gillette rolled along the ground until he was behind a stack of shipping crates. He leaned up against the wall and motioned for Jaxon to get down.

Jaxon was thankful to see that Gillette's injuries weren't life-threatening. He did as instructed, lowering himself as close to the ground as possible. Then, Gillette reached into his daypack pulled out a cylindrical device that Jaxon recognized instantly. It was a concussion grenade, and he wondered why Gillette didn't tell him about having weapons earlier.

Wasting no time, Gillette removed the cap from the grenade and pressed the trigger button. He held it for several seconds before launching it into the air, toward the approaching assassins.

The grenade dropped to the ground and detonated, easily deafening anyone in its vicinity. Jaxon was prepared and had tucked his head between his biceps. As the reverberations subsided, Jaxon peered through the drifting smoke toward Gillette. Once the vapor began to clear, Gillette peered back, having just uncovered himself from debris.

"Run! Run, now," Gillette yelled as he crawled along the building's edge.