Eve open her eyes wide and shouted. 3TC's action had been lightning fast and JS had been forced to act quick as a flash. He leapt over the bridge railing, following Eve into the void. To rely on his own greater weight and thrust, grab her and grasp the cable dangling from the crane arm was the only option left. With her hands shackled behind her back, Eve stared at the cable passing near her too quickly, so close and so unreachable ... Helpless she closed her eyes and mind so Jay didn't suffer. Suddenly a strong arm grabbed her by the waist holding her. A tug and the flight stopped. Eve opened her eyes and mind and saw JS staring at her. "Jay! How ...?" "Grabbing you? Habit. Getting Riki eggs makes you very, very quick!" JS smiled. It was a strikingly nice lopsided smile, starting slowly and spreading across his face until it lit up his eyes as he grew aware of her safe in his arms again. Eve run her eyes across his beloved face. Her desire to stroke it was too strong and she tried to break the chains again. "Careful," he whispered tightening his grip then kissed her gently on the lips. Hungry of his love Eve tried to deepen the kiss. "Oh, damn! These chains! Your hair, you cut it. I wanted so much to run my fingers through your hair while I kissed you senseless." she said. "My hair, gosh, I was hoping you wanted to run your fingers through something else." he grinned. Eve's eyes sparkled with love at his words, even if wounded and battered JS was always his old self. Her loving gaze locked with his and everything else disappeared. They hung for a second or a century, but the cable swung violently urging them to reality. With a quick glance JS saw the trolley was giving way and 3TC's grinning shit-ass face. "There. Help me, rock with my rhythm, Eve!" JS thought seeing a maintenance door that jutted above a giant fan. Overcoming the pain of his wounds JS managed to direct the swing in the desired direction then let go of the cable. The tug was the last straw: the trolley collapsed crushing G-0's skull. The landing wasn't soft. His injured leg gave way and JS and Eve fell badly on the rotor. Eve felt a sharp pain and heard JS's muffed curses. Drops of sweat beaded his forehead. "Jay, do you broke an arm?" "No, just dislocated." JS kissed her on the forehead. "Turn around, I'll take off your shackles." He picked the lock. "We must fix your shoulder, Jay." JS nodded. With his battered shoulder he wouldn't be able to climb up to the door. "Your foot here, take my hand, pull now, Eve! Ouch!" JS heaved a groan. "That way." leaning heavily on her, JS headed for the maintenance door. "Fuck! You're a fucking pain in the arse, Sea!" 3TC shouted firing a shot toward them. Bang! Zing! Ping! The bullet hit one of the rotor blades. JS flipped him the bird yelling: "Not too bad since you couldn't hit a bull in the ass with a bass fiddle!" 3TC responded by shooting some rounds. "The door, Eve!" "It's locked! Shoot at the panel!" Eve cried. "Sorry, no gun." JS replied. "There was no time to put it back in its holster and grab you and the cable. OK, let's try the hard way." JS smashed the panel with the pommel of his sword; he connected some wires and the door opened. "Damn, there's another one!" Eve cursed. JS tried to force the inner door, but it did not yield. "Come into the doorway, Eve, but at least we'll be out of range." Recovered several mags 3TC squeezed off a burst at the open door. The bullets whistled bouncing off the walls and the floor. "3TC can't aim, but he isn't stupid: in one way or another he'll hit us. Vickie where's the cavalry?" "We are fighting our way in, Jay. We'll be there in minutes." "In war, one minute is an eternity. Flatten against the wall, Eve, I'll shield you." "No! I can't let you do that!" JS whispered wrapping himself around Eve’s body: "Ush, this Wabi armor can stand a few more shots."