Jack rushed out of the security center, running down the corridor in search of Ellen's trail. Nothing. He hurried in a different direction, and there ahead he saw something shiny on the floor.

When he got closer, he saw it wasn't a pin. It was Ellen's python bracelet. He picked it up, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He placed his hand on the door. This was the last one. If he"d effectively disabled the security, he wouldn't need to enter the code. Cautiously he pulled on the door to test it. A sigh of relief escaped his lungs when the door opened without resistance or the sound of alarms.

He passed through the entrance to the TR Center and was assaulted by the sound of terrible sobbing He raced toward its source, trying to ignore the visions of the macabre laboratory surrounding him. What he saw gave him chills.

As he neared the crying sound, he detected voices woven between the sobs, realizing they belonged to Dr. Maxwell and Ellen. Jack bolted toward them, staggering into the scene then stopped short.

The image hovered in space, as if they were all in stasis together and unaffected by the passage of time. Ellen looked magnificent and beautiful. Her hair streamed riotously around her. Rivulets of diluted black stained her face. Although tears spilled recklessly from some source deep within her, she looked powerful.

Jack shifted his focus to Maxwell. The present seemed to jerk violently and unfreeze. The singular sound of a bullet escaping from a barrel rang brutally into the air simultaneously with Ellen's terrified scream. Her body thudded to the floor.

Jack leaped at Maxwell. "You animal!" he spat. No words could describe Maxwell's evil. Jack ripped the gun from his grasp, aiming it at Scott's head. "I should kill you right here."

Maxwell sniveled incoherently, white with terror. If it were possible, Jack might have thought he regretted shooting Ellen. Jack peered into his disgusting, perverted little face. "I'll deal with you later," slamming the gun into the side of Maxwell's head, creating a nasty gash. The blow knocked him out instantly.

Jack turned to Ellen. He fought to remain calm as he noticed how still she was. Willing himself to focus, he confirmed his fear. Ellen had been shot in the head. This was no accident. Maxwell had been going for the kill. As Jack stared in shock at Ellen's unresponsive features, he knew the doctor had been successful. A pool of blood spread around Ellen's head. Jack didn't want to see any more. He averted his gaze and checked her pulse to confirm what was already obvious. Ellen was dead.

His anger seethed, calm and potent. He looked back over at Maxwell's inert but living body. It was unfair that this monster was the one still alive. Jack contemplated his options. Killing him wouldn't be the best way to avenge Ellen's death, although Jack was strongly tempted to do just that. He thought hard, setting aside his emotions.

Maxwell had used the birthday of CIRAS for all his security codes, despite the fact that it was an easy one to crack. Jack knew what to do next. The one thing that would be better than murdering Maxwell would be to kill the only thing he cared about—CIRAS. And that was exactly what Ellen would have wanted him to do. It was what they had planned on doing together. Jack fought back a sob.

Setting aside his anger and sadness, he saw that one of the nearby cells was empty, the door slightly ajar. A fitting prison for Maxwell. He picked up the gun, shoving it into his waistband, disgusted that it was the one that had killed Ellen. But he had to be practical. He might need it later. 

Jack dragged Maxwell by his ankles into the peculiar cell. He didn't want to acknowledge that the members of the TR group working on his project were kept in a depressing place just like this one. They were probably as deformed and distressingly pale as the younger ones here. There was no reason to believe they had turned out differently.

He dropped Maxwell's feet in disgust, stepping out of the chamber, and banging the door shut. As he returned to Ellen, his emotions were a twisted ball of lead that sank deeper into his chest with every breath. He needed to get her out of this awful place.

He lifted her body up and over his shoulder. The thing he had known most intimately about Ellen was her body. Now, instead of colliding with his in lust and desperation, her cold form pressed against him. The incongruity of it numbed him. He felt guilty that he was thankful for his lack of sensation.

Her body became colder and more rigid as he made his way back to his apartment, her weight seeming to increase the longer he carried her. As her body hung heavier on him, so did the reality of her death.

Jack entered the large room and carefully laid her body on the bed. He gently arranged her hair and clothing, dampened a towel with warm water, and washed her face of the blood and streaked makeup as best he could. He avoided looking at the large wound on the side of her head.

He was aware these were meaningless gestures, knowing he did them for himself and not for her. There was nothing he could do for her anymore. All that remained was what he should have done. He walked away from her body, recognizing with surrendering calm that he would never be able to walk away from his guilt.

There was no time to mourn her. He'd have to go back down to the basement and take photographs. Then he had to concentrate on getting them to the right person. After that, the process of shutting down CIRAS could begin.

But first, he needed to help Elvis evacuate the other residents.

~~~

Jack pounded his fist against Elvis's door. It opened, and Jack's hand hung in space. He unclenched his fist and let it swing to his side.

"Jack?" Elvis greeted him. "What the . . ." He moved out of the way, and Jack surged into the room. "There's blood all over your shirt! Are you hurt?"

"The blood isn't mine."

"Whose . . . ?"

Jack closed his eyes and swallowed. "Ellen's. Maxwell killed her."

"Oh my God." Elvis's gaze lifted off Jack and zoomed around the apartment. "Where is he now?"

"He's unconscious. I knocked him out and put him in one of the TR cells." Jack pulled his hand through his hair. "I don't know if it's safe for us to stay at CIRAS. The cameras are down, but somebody will get suspicious and will come here to check it out. And whoever they are, they probably won't see things from our point of view. Come with me and help me get the other residents out of here. You should take them to the Metro station and get as far away as you can."

"Okay." He stared at the stains on Jack's shirt. "Want a shirt?"

Jack glanced down at his blood-soaked Oxford. "Yeah, thanks." He started to unbutton it. "Can I use your bathroom for a minute?"

"Of course. It's in the same place as in your apartment. I'll get you a shirt."

Jack turned on the water and let it run until it was hot and steaming. Closing his eyes, he thought of Ellen. She hadn't even had a chance. He pumped the soap into his palm and lathered his hands, arms, and chest. There was blood on his chin and neck, too, so he scrubbed those. Pink water swirled down into the drain as he rinsed off.

When he emerged from the bathroom, Elvis handed him a T-shirt. "It's probably too small for you, but . . ."

Jack didn't let him finish. "Thanks." He reached for the shirt and pulled it over his head. Somehow it felt wrong to be washed and clean. The blood was gone, but it didn't change the fact that Ellen was dead.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Do you know where the other apartments are?"

"Yeah."

"Take me there. They don't deserve my help when they wouldn't give me theirs. But I don't need them on my conscience, too."

"Let's go." Elvis stuck his hands in his pockets and walked out the door as Jack followed behind.

The other apartments weren't far. Elvis headed to Rachel Woo's first. She opened the door and gawked at them.

Jack asked, "Can we come in?"

"Why?" 

Jack stepped into the room. "You need to leave CIRAS," he told her, not wanting to explain it all.

Woo laughed. "Leave CIRAS? I don't think so." She looked at him like she thought he was insane. "Sorry, but I can't remember your name," she added with a bite in her voice and pushed the door to close it.

Jack's reflexes were quick. He shot out his hand to stop the door from smashing into him. "You might be in danger." 

She rolled her eyes.

Elvis said, "Look, he's right. Scott Maxwell killed Ellen Standis."

"I don't see how that proves I'm in danger."

Jack threw his hands up. "Then you're insane, and I shouldn't bother helping you. But you should know I'm getting this cursed center shut down, so you won't be able to stay here for long."

"You can't. Not yet. I'm so close."

Jack spat his next words. "You're close? You're close? A woman has been killed tonight. Do you get that, Dr. Woo?"

Jack could tell by her confused expression that she didn't get it. She just wanted to go on with her research until the world fell down around her. He felt ready to explode.

He tried to explain it to her again. "A woman has been murdered. A woman who worked here, just like you. The man who runs this hellhole shot her! You know him—Scott Maxwell. He sent you your invitation to come here. You remember, don't you?" He used his stare like a javelin, trying to force the truth into her. Woo remained cold and unresponsive, unleashing his temper. "You know what? Stay here. Be my guest. I hope your research works out for you, you cold, heartless bitch!"

Jack spun around, catching Elvis's attention. "Come on." 

Woo stared blankly ahead, then looked up at them as if she had just noticed they were there. "No, wait. I'll come with you."

"Fine, come on, then," Jack said and stalked down the hall to the apartment of Dr. Chaudri while the other two followed behind.

Chaudri was not as immovable as Rachel Woo. Once he found out Ellen had been murdered, he was more than willing to leave. For that, Jack was grateful. He gave them directions to the Metro station and sent them off with Elvis.