Fire Drill!

Sherry couldn't understand why the blasted ringing in her head wouldn't stop. She picked up the phone, she hit the alarm clock, she'd even checked the door to see if anyone was laying on the doorbell. So why wouldn't the noise stop? Was it another test? Was Madeline trying to drive her insane?

Finally, consciousness began to make its way into Sherry's brain and she realized she had been dreaming. However, the noise was real. What was it? All of a sudden the door to her room flew open and Michael came flying through the doorway.

"What are you doing still in bed? Don't you hear the fire alarm?"

Sherry was shaking her head to try and get awake when she realized Michael was right. "Oh no. CLHQ is on fire? We gotta get everybody out."

Michael nodded. "I'm heading out now. Get dressed and start down on the next floor. I'll meet you outside by the gazebo."

Sherry nodded. She had jumped out of bed and was throwing clothes on as Michael talked. "Be careful, Michael."

Michael nodded and replied, "You too."

Sherry ran down the stairs to the next floor. She couldn't believe what she was seeing when she got there.

************

Sly jumped straight out of bed at the sound of the fire alarm. She had her feet on the floor before she was even awake. She grabbed her clothes and ran out into the hall where the girls were coming out of their rooms.

"What the heck is going on?" she asked Sherry as she was running up and down the hall trying to get everybody out.

"CLHQ is on fire." Sherry yelled back over her shoulder. "Help me see that no one else is still in here."

"Right, okay."

They ran up and down the halls and the stairs to each of the rooms to make sure no one was still sleeping. They both knew that some of the girls used ear plugs to block out any noise.

After knocking loudly on Trace's door with no response, Sly went in and there was Trace fast asleep with her ear plugs in. Sly went over to Trace and started to shake her awake.

"What the heck..." Trace mumbled...

"Get up, c'mon CLHQ is on fire. Get up now, get outta here."

"But what about...?"

"No time for talk, out!!"

Trace went then with Sly to see if there were any others still sleeping. Not finding anybody else they joined the others outside. It was cold, tho it is March, it sure wasn't really spring yet. They were all out there huddled together trying to stay warm and then they saw North coming down the steps with an armload of files.

"What are you doing? Why did you go in for the files? There was no time to worry about that stuff, you could have been badly burned or killed." Sly yelled from worry.

"I am a trained OP, I can take care of myself, calm down I'm fine." North said a little miffed.

"I'm sorry North, it's just that I thought everyone was out of there. And then to see you coming out scared me. I wonder if anybody else is still in there?" Sly said looking worried again.

************

MG swung out of her tree house and peeked out to find herself coughing in a cloud of smoke. "Cough... gag.. Cack!!" Swooshing the smoke from her face with a flip of her hand, she hit the floor and began to creep her way to the stairs.

No sooner had she reached the top stair than she heard a commotion below...

"Get your hands off-a me Spyboy! I can manage QUITE well on my own thank you very much!" Trace fumed at Michael.

Michael, never one to be put off by Trace's outbursts, gave her a gentle nudge towards the door and went back up the stairs to search for the remaining CL Operatives. Taking the stairs two at a time, he was soon at the top and stepped right on...

"Owwww!!!" MG stood up and shook out her crunched fingers. "Way to go Mike. That felt really great."

"Sorry. I certainly didn't expect your fingers to be on the floor you know. Get down stairs and outside before this gets any worse!"

Placing his hand to the small of her back, Michael propelled MG down the stairs and outside where the CLHQers were slowly gathering.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream and an even louder crash within the house. Michael darted back inside just as....

************

.. Nabiki ran out of the CLHQ's coughing with her lungs full of smoke. Sly and Aly were at her side cause she was one of the latest coming out. Michael was back inside and Sherry was worried sick, running from one side to the other.

"Nabiki, are you all right?" asked Sly

"Just a little out of breath, Sly, but what happened?" Nabiki asked as she felt someone hugging her. It was Roy, who had heard what had happened and came as fast as he could.

"Sweet Nabiki, are you all right? Where's Dragonlady?", worried cause he wasn't sure were his sister was.

"I'm OK, Roy, thank you and Dragon is in a mission and hasn't come back. Is everyone safe? I haven't seen Curlly or Avillion. Please, check and see if you can find them?", Nabiki pleaded him as Roy kissed her , thinking that he had almost lost her. He wanted to stay with her, but knew she wouldn't be fine until he did something to find the others.

************

Dragonlady ran frantically about her room. The ringing of the Fire alarm had awoken her from a much-deserved sleep! "I swear if this is a fake, someone will pay, someone will become my next test subject for my new torture serum!!!!"

Frantically trying to dress and capture two very upset cats, Dragonlady raced into the hallway and to the gathering crowd outside.

Searching the crowd, finding the face she was looking for, she made a beeline for North.

"NORTH!!!! What the blazes.....!!!" North quickly silenced the irate operative, dropping her files to wrap her own coat around DragonLady.

"What???" Dragonlady exclaimed

North tightened the coat around confused gal's shoulder, attempting to hide the laughter ready to escape her lips.

"Uh, Dragon? Next time there is an emergency during the night, perhaps, BEFORE leaving your quarters, you should do a check!?"

"What the Hell are you talking about, I got my cats, what else should I have taken?"

North straightened, looking Dragon in the eye, and in her best authoritative voice she explained....

"Next time remember your pants.".......

************

Suddenly North looked around. Then she realized that perhaps Dragonlady was not the only one to have left in a wee bit of a hurry. Over by themselves she saw two figures wrapped in blankets. One was holding up a blanket as a makeshift shelter while the other was trying to put on some clothes. Thinking perhaps she could be of help, North approached the pair, only to have the shock of her life as she realized exactly who was holding the blanket for Kathy as she tried to dress as quickly as possible.

"Is everyone accounted for, North? I'll help search as soon as I get my pants on." the taller of the two stated. "UH, thanks, Davenport, just get dressed." North replied, not really wanting to know why neither of the two was wearing much more than a smile.

************

"What?!!!!" were the words that came out of North's mouth in total disbelief...

...As she heard what was definitely distant gunfire. Her mind was whirling--there was no reason for the CLHQ ops to fire on one another, and if this were an ambush there would be more shooters. Maybe Section? Or Oversight? But no, Operations would never allow that to happen, at least without warning her...what then?

As North was trying to make sense of the cacophony around her Avillion was wondering what exactly she had done in a past life to bring the wrath of the gods on her like this. She had sitting at her computer analyzing recent missions--there wasn't much else to do at that hour without disturbing anyone--when she heard someone out in the hall. She hadn't been around CLHQ for long, but she had gotten a feel for her colleagues' sleeping habits and knew that they weren't generally awake at this time, and besides, something just felt wrong.

She pulled her spare gun out from under her computer desk and padded silently into the hall. After glancing up and down and seeing no one she started to think that maybe, just maybe, she was becoming a wee bit paranoid and started back to her room. Suddenly she heard a noise from down the hall and ran silently toward it, her blonde hair and black bathrobe flying behind her.

As she rounded the corner she noticed an unfamiliar figure skulking towards the exit. He--or she, the figure was quite androgynous from her vantage point--was dressed all in black, but that described the vast majority of operatives. They seemed to have a rather large package, but Avillion couldn't determine what was in it. She aimed her gun and shouted out "Stop! Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The Unknown turned around slowly, keeping his head down and hands around the package, until he suddenly darted out and pulled the fire alarm. At the quick movement Avillion fired her gun, hitting the assailant squarely in the arm, effectively disabling him...or so she thought.

Before she had a chance to register anything the Unknown fired from behind the package, catching Avillion in her right arm and leg, rendering her effectively helpless without the use of her gun hand or her leg. The Unknown stared at her for a long time, as if trying to determine whether or not she would survive, but finally turned and ran, carrying the package with him.

"This is just beautiful!" she thought to herself. "I'm gonna be stuck here for hours, nobody's going to pass this way on their way out, and there is NO chance that they would be able to hear me over the din. I'm gonna frickin' bleed to death 2 minutes away from medlab!" Although the situation was not without irony, Avillion was having problems appreciating it as she contemplated her life. She suddenly remembered that she still had her gun, and although screaming would never be heard, gunfire might. She picked it up with her left hand and fired down the hall a few times, thankful that she hadn't put the silencer on.

When several minutes passed and no one came she resigned herself to her

fate. Suddenly she noticed a dark figure moving towards her. Understanding her vulnerable position, she did her best not to be noticed until she could recognize the shadow, but realized her attempts were in vain as she looked up and saw...

************

North was running back and forth trying to make sure all her charges were out of the building and accounted for - and dressed for that matter. She was sure most everyone was there ... but there were a few she hadn't located yet. Avillion was nowhere to be seen and she hadn't located Grace and Kit yet either.

Curlly, Aly, Sly and Rita gathered around North. "So North," Rita started, "Is everybody out?"

North shook her head. "I haven't located Avillion, Kit or Grace yet. And I haven't seen Jurgen either. Have you seen any of them?"

The girls all shook their heads. Sly then asked "Has anyone seen Sherry lately? She was pacing back and forth like a caged animal. I got busy helping someone for a few minutes and when I went to go talk to Sherry and calm her down, I couldn't find her."

North groaned. "Please don't say that. I don't need any more missing people. Have any of the rest of you seen her?"

The girls looked around the milling operatives to try and spot her. Just then Aly spotted her. "She's over there ... she's going back into the building!" North groaned and shoved her clipboard at Rita. "Rita, take over for me for a few minutes."

North and Curlly ran after her. She was almost into the building when North yelled out to her. "Sherry ... wait!"

Sherry paused and turned around. "What is it, North?"

"You can't go back in there. I can't allow it. We are already missing Avillion, Kit and Grace. I'm not gonna lose somebody else too."

Sherry sighed. "North, save your breath. Michael is in there and I'm going in to find him. And you just said Kit, Grace and Avillion are missing too. I'm going in and you can't stop me."

Sherry turned around and marched right into the building. Curlly turned to North. "Should I go in after her?"

North shook her head. "No. I'm not letting anyone else into that building." North went and found Davenport and Mentz. "I want you two to guard this door. Don't let anyone else in. Do you understand?"

They nodded and took up their post by the door.

Once inside, Sherry didn't have a clue where to start looking. And the constant blaring of the alarm wasn't helping at all. She headed down the first hallway and didn't see anyone, but the place was definitely filling with smoke.

Knowing she should have been smart enough to grab a mask before reentering the building, she hurried as quickly as she could through the smoke-filled building. She headed up the stairs and thought she heard voices. She opened the door and was pretty sure she saw someone laying on the floor halfway down the hall. She started down the hallway toward the figure. The smoke was becoming thicker and her lungs were burning. Dropping to the floor, Sherry crawled toward the figure as quickly as she could. She had just about reached the prone figure when she spotted another person approaching from the opposite direction.

Sherry opened her mouth to call out, but the smoke had become too much. Just as Sherry reached Avillion's side, she collapsed.

In another part of the building, Jurgen had run into Michael. "Michael, we've got to get out of here soon. Is everybody out?"

Michael shook his head. "I'm not sure. I've sent everyone I've seen out, but I have a feeling there is still somebody in here."

Just then Kit and Grace came stumbling down the hall toward them. "Michael! Jurgen!," Kit called. "Are we ever glad to see you two." Then she started coughing and couldn't continue.

Jurgen nodded toward Michael. Michael picked up Kit and Jurgen picked up Grace and took them outside. Once they were outside they sat the two women down and made sure that Medical checked them out. North came rushing up to them.

"Thank heavens. I was really getting worried. Are you two okay?"

Jurgen reported that they should be fine in a few hours ... they'd probably have a sore throat for a while, but they would recover quickly. Michael then turned to North. "Is everyone out?"

North hesitated and looked away towards the rest of the group.

Michael grabbed her arm. "Who is missing?"

North sighed. "I haven't been able to locate Avillion yet."

Michael started to turn back to the building but North stopped him.

"Michael ... Sherry went back in too."

Michael nodded and turned to go back into the building, but Jurgen grabbed him. Michael jerked his arm away and was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get back into the building.

Jurgen knew he couldn't stop Michael, he wasn't trying to. "Michael, you need to put a mask on. If you pass out from smoke you won't be able to help them either. And I'm going with you." Michael nodded and they each grabbed a mask and headed back into the building.

************

North was frantic with worry. She trusted Michael and Jurgen but that didn't mean she couldn't worry about them. She watched as the two of them disappeared from sight as they once again went into CLHQ. Knowing that there was nothing else she could do she walked back to Rita. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Rita sighed, "I know but I just wish that Sherry hadn't gone back inside. We may have our rivalry over Michael but I don't want to see her hurt or Michael because of her."

North could understand completely, she had had that same rivalry when Shadoe was still at CLHQ over Petrosian. With a shock, North looked around not having remembered seeing him in the throng that was gathered outside...

**

Avillion gave a huge sigh of relief when her head had cleared enough to see who it was that was standing over her. "You scared me Egran. Someone just left here with something and in my attempt to stop him or her, they shot me in the arm and my leg."

Egran bent down and lifted Avillion into his arms and keeping as low as he could made his way to the stairs. He was almost to the bottom when he bumped into something or someone and they all tumbled the final few steps down.

Michael glanced up from his prone position, "Petrosian, Avillion. Thank goodness. North has been beside herself with worry. She hasn't got you marked off her list Avillion."

Petrosian looked a bit put out. "And me?"

Michael just shrugged. "Let's get you out of here and out in the fresh air." He stood up and led the way through the smoke."

**********

Once he was sure that Petrosian and Avillion were safely to the exit and had been noticed by the operatives standing guard at the door, Michael headed back to the interior of the building. Sherry was still in there somewhere. He spied Jurgen coming out of the living room and motioned to him that they stay together. The last thing he wanted was one of them finding Sherry and the other to be still wandering around searching.

They quickly raced through the remaining first floor rooms but saw no one. Michael started heading back up the stairs with Jurgen just a step behind when Michael stopped suddenly obviously listening for something. Jurgen mimicked Michael's movements and cocked his head to the right as well. Then he heard it too. There was someone pounding on a wall. It sounded like it was coming from the second floor.

Before Jurgen could acknowledge the sound Michael had already bounded up the stairs and Jurgen raced after him. The sound had stopped by the time they reached the second floor but Michael, desperate to locate whoever had been pounding, was opening doors, bashing through them if necessary, as quickly as he could reach them. Jurgen worked his way down the other side of the hall in a similar fashion.

Seconds later Michael's cry alerted Jurgen to the fact that he had found someone. Jurgen quickly moved to Michael's side to see him pick up Sherry who seemed to be passed out. Michael took off his own mask and put it on her. Jurgen glanced around quickly assessing the situation. He cursed himself for not thinking to bring a third mask but was grateful that so many of the girls slept with their windows open even in this cold weather. The combination of the open windows and doors was helping to dissipate some of the smoke.

Jurgen quickly ushered Michael to the staircase. He was fighting the need to allow Michael to be careful of Sherry's inert form lying in his arms versus the need to get Michael out of the building before he too passed out. They managed to make it safely back to the outside door Davenport and Mentz were guarding.

Davenport tried to help Michael with Sherry asking, "What happened?"

Jurgen took off his mask and turned to Mentz asking, "It that everyone?"

************