Victor Seven looked out.  "No one's moving," he whispered to the other Victor.  He stepped out cautiously back into the light.  The third Loubar had been shot.  Victor Seven felt for a pulse.  He was dead.
    He swore softly.  He looked up, and motioned for the other Victor to come outside.  "Time to make them pay," said Victor Seven, raising his gun.
    "Put it down," came a voice from his left.
    Victor Seven turned.  A police officer was standing there.
    "Put it down," repeated the officer.
    "Yeah, right," said Victor Seven.  He fired his gun at the officer ...
    ... and was hit in the chest by gunfire from his right.  There was a second shot as the Victor behind him fired, then a third, as the Victor went down.
   There are more officers! realized Victor Seven, too late.
    He collapsed to the ground.

    Jack opened his eyes, and groaned.  "Jesus Christ," he grumbled.
    "Jack?" said a voice.
    Jack squinted.  His vision was blurry.  He saw a man in a dark blue shirt standing over him.  He grinned.  "Did we get them?" he said.
    "Yeah, we got them," said the man.  He reached down, and helped Jack up.  As Jack's vision cleared, he realized who the man was.  It was the leader of Team B.
    "Thanks," said Jack.
    "Yeah, well," said the officer, who smiled.  "But something really screwed up is going on here.  These guys look like triplets or something."
    Jack rubbed his forehead.  His head felt like it was exploding.  "I know," he said.  "Is everyone okay?"
    "Ed's down," said the officer, quietly.  "But everyone else is present and accounted for.  The rest of your team is recovering."
    Jack swallowed.  "All right," he said.  "We'll leave two people here. Their job will be to take Ed's body back to the precinct, and get more backup, if they can.  Now the door's open, I want your team and the other team inside.  My team will stay outside.  If the rest of my officers feel as crappy as me, they're not going to want to go in."
    "So you'll stay outside?"
    Jack shook his head.  "I'm coming in."
    "But -- "
    "I'm fine," said Jack, forcibly.
    "Jack, I really don't think -- "
   "Dammit, I'm going in!" said Jack.  "That's my order!"
    The officer sighed.  "All right.  If you're up to it."
   "I am.  Let's go."

    "Jesus!"
    Victor Ten turned.  "What is it?"
    Victor Three stared at the computer screen.  "They just got shot!"
   "What?"  Victor Ten ran over.  He saw the three bodies laying on the ground, and the police officers at the left hand corner of the screen.  He swore, and swore again.  "All right," he said, trying to compose himself again.  He took a breath, then exhaled loudly.  "They still can't get down here.  We're safe for now."
    "But now they know we're in here!" exclaimed Victor Three.
    Victor Ten nodded.  "We're going to have to evacuate ... desert this place.  We have to tell McCoy ... speaking of him, where the hell is he?  We sent the guards ... aw, damn!  Get someone down there now and find out what's going on -- !"
    "It's fine."  Victors Ten and Three turned at the sound of another voice.  It was Victor Two.  "I answered the call.  Tyler and Ramirez are dead."

    Angie Ramirez quietly tiptoed down the hallway.  Rollie was behind her, holding a gun to "McCoy's" unconscious head.  They would use McCoy as a hostage, if necessary.
    She reached the end of the hallway, that opened up into the main room.  She could see Victor Two talking to someone ... it looked like Victor Ten.
    "They'll probably evacuate," Victor Two had said to them.  "If you and Rollie can make it to the elevator, you can get the police.  The evacuation tunnels make it to the surface at a sewer junction just north of here, at the corner of East and Reynolds.  The police could ambush them there."
    "What about you?" said Angie.  "You have to come with us."
    "I have to keep them distracted, or else they'll notice you," said Victor Two.  "Don't worry about me.  Save your asses."

    Victor Ten leaned his head back, and sighed.  "You had no choice?"
    "They would have killed McCoy.  We had to shoot them."
    "Damn.  We could have used her more.  I guess we'll have to make do with what we have."  Victor Ten turned to Victor Three, who sat at the computer.  "Send the remote access codes to the backup base.  Start the evacuation procedure."
    "Yes sir," acknowledged Victor Three.  He hit a few keys, and a siren began whooping.
    Victor Two jumped in.  "Sir, I'd like to volunteer to be in charge of the evacuation."
    Victor Ten glanced at him.  "All right," he said, finally.
    Victor Two let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

    Angie tried to judge the distance between the end of the hallway and the elevator door.  There was about eight feet where, if someone was to be looking, she and Rollie would be seen.  She glanced around the corner.  Everyone seemed occupied with the evacuation procedure.  And the sounds of the elevator would be hidden by the siren.
    Quickly, she ran out and hit the call button for the elevator, then ran back into the shelter of the doorway.  She'd hoped the elevator had been on the lower level, but it wasn't.  They'd have to wait for it to come down.
    Her heart pounded.  She was afraid someone may notice the elevator button had been pressed, or notice her and Rollie hiding in the hallway.  She glanced back at Rollie.  His face looked grim.  She glanced at McCoy.  He was still unconscious, slumped in Rollie's arms like a rag doll.  His head wound was bleeding badly.  If he had been anyone else, Angie would have felt something for him.
    Dammit, he deserves it, she thought.
    She glanced back up at the elevator ...

    Victor Two glanced at the elevator at the same moment.  He'd seen Angie press the button.  The elevator would be there any second.  He had to provide a distraction.
    He stepped back so he was directly in front of the group, most of whom had already begun preparations for evacuation.  "Listen up!" he called, trying to keep his voice heard over the loud siren.
    A few heads glanced at him.  "Can I have your attention, please!"
   Now everyone looked up at him.  Good, thought he thought. As long as they focus on me, they won't turn around and see Angie and Rollie.
  Now he just had to figure out how to keep their attention for long enough.
  He opened his mouth, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.  "I'm sure everyone's familiar with the procedures," he shouted, finally.  "We will follow normal evac and scatter procedures and meet at second base in three hours.  Agreed?"
   Angie jumped as the elevator ding-ed softly.  It could barely be heard over the whoop of the siren.  She peeked out around the corner.  No one seemed to have noticed the noise.
    Victor Two glanced up to see the doors opening.  Just keep their attention for a few more seconds, he thought.  He saw Angie moving toward the elevator.  "All right, you should have your assignments.  We have already lost too many of our men to these bastards."  He did his best to sound as mean as possible.  But he knew he was stretching it.  He could feel it.  If only Angie and Rollie would get going and hurry up!   "Proceed with caution, use violence only when necessary.  Understood?" he barked, finally.
    The fifteen or so heads nodded in imperfect unison.  Then, as they turned back to their work, Victor Two glanced up at the elevator.
    He felt a rush of relief.
    Angie and Rollie had made it.
    And no one had noticed.
 

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