Renee was an attractive woman, he had to admit. But something about her gave him faint warning signs. Where did she come from? Who was she underneath that very smooth DI exterior? He had never seen her before and yet here she was saving the day. Was this Doors� was of letting him know that he wanted the leadership of the Resistance back, now that his run for presidency was over? Not that there was enough of the Resistance left to be leader off. Well, he wouldn�t get it, Liam decided there and then. Saving what was left was his responsibility, just as Julia had been his responsibility. He had made the mistake of trusting her and he had to correct it.

Glancing back at Renee he smiled grimly. Every word he said in her presence would be reported right back to Doors, he knew. Renee was a spy. He wasn�t sure if he would ever truly trust her. The feeling probably ran both ways. Great, another addition to his already weird life. Just what he needed right now.

The sudden beeping of her global shook them both. Taking the device out of the pocket of her coat Renee tossed it to Liam. Augur grinned at him from the screen.

�Just wanted to let you know that Melissa made it safely back to the hospital,� he said.

�Thanks.�

�And to give you a warning. Sandoval is there and he has a troop of Volunteers with him. They�re waiting for you.�

�Damn it!� cursed Liam, �Thanks for letting us know.�

�You�re welcome. Be careful, Liam.� Augur closed the connection and Liam turned his head to look at his blond companion. He had been expecting some Volunteer activity at the hospital, but not that Sandoval would be there. And where Sandoval was so were his elite. These guys would not make any mistakes.

�Did you hear that, Renee?�

�Yes, I did. We�ll have to be extra careful now.�

*****

He did not realize he had dozed off until Renee shook his right arm.

�We�re here. I�m going to take a look around. I�ll be right back,� she said and Liam nodded.

�Be careful.�

As she opened the door a cold wind entered the car and Liam clutched the blanket tighter around his shoulders. Shivers ran down his spine and he knew the wind was not the only cause. He was still running a fever, though not as bad as before. Melissa had not wanted to tell him how bad it had been, but he knew all the same. He could see it in the lines of exhaustion on the faces of Melissa, Augur and Julienne. His bruised and stiff body told him the rest.

Renee took a long time in returning and Liam began to worry that maybe she had been captured. If that was the case he might just as well give himself up, he knew. In his present state fighting or even fleeing was out of the question. He would never make it down the alley Renee had parked the van. Maybe he should have told Renee to tie him up, before she left. That would have looked a lot better. After all he was supposed to be a prisoner, right? Sandoval�s Volunteers would never let him get away with him not fleeing now that his captors had left him unbound in an unlocked van. Not even in his present weakened state.

The door opening suddenly snapped him out of his dark thoughts and the motion made him bite back a moan as pain once more flared in his shoulder. Renee smiled an apology.

�Sorry to spook you.�

�That�s okay. What�s it like out there?�

�Not good. Augur was right. The hospital grounds are teeming with Volunteers.�

�Damn!� cursed Liam.

�You could say that again,� nodded Renee, �It makes dropping you off right now too big a risk. We�ll wait a couple of hours. Maybe they�ll lose heart and go home�

*****

The hours passed very slowly. Liam spend most of that time sleeping in the back of the van. His body needed the rest badly. His sleep was fitful though as the painkiller Melissa had given him started to wear off and his shoulder began to hurt again. His fever was slowly getting worse again.

Renee left him a couple of times to check up on things at the hospital, but every time she came back she had the same news. Both Sandoval and his squad of Volunteers were still there and the waiting went on.

Liam woke from a shallow slumber to find dusk setting in outside and he pushed himself into a sitting position to look at Renee.

�We can�t wait much longer, Renee,� he said and she started. She had been dozing herself and she cursed herself for not paying more attention to staying alert.

�I know. Do you want to go back to the hideout?�

�No. We have to show the world that the Resistance keeps its promises. I want the drop-off to proceed.�

�How? The minute we stop we�ll be surrounded by Volunteers. End of the Resistance permanently.�

�We�ll just have to come up with a way, now won�t we?�

�Okay, how about this? I leave you here with the van and I send Sandoval an anonymous message where to find you. Nobody gets hurt and the Resistance keeps it promise.�

�What about you?� Liam asked.

�I�ll make it back home somehow.�

�Not dressed like this, you won�t. You�re dressed for action, not for taking a quiet nighttime stroll through DC. You�d stand out like a house on fire.� Liam looked pensive, �Besides, you�ve probably left a DNA trail a mile wide in this van. The Volunteers will take this van apart looking for evidence. They find your DNA, match it against the National DNA Database and find you. End of Doors International. End of the Resistance.�

�You got any better ideas!?�

�How about a drive by? You keep driving and I jump.�

�Are you kidding? That could kill you.�

�That�s my risk to take,� he told her tersely. For a long, tense moment they looked at each other and in the end Renee nodded curtly before bringing the engine of the van back to life.

�Fine. It�s your funeral!� She said as the van pulled out of the alley.