I guess the appearance of guilt doesn't equal culpability.

Ryan took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts from his mind. Time enough for that after Nadja was safe. He keyed in Jane's number, and her familiar icon faded onto the small screen.

"Ryan, about fragging time."

Ryan kept his voice quiet. "Give me the situation report, and this better be good."

The blonde caricature shrugged. "He's got her in the arboretum. She's tied up in the southeast corner, under the last plant table. Almost like he was trying to keep her clear of the action."

Ryan nodded. "What about Dhin and Grind?"

"With the exception of Nadja showing up, everything went just like you thought it would. Dhin is in the Secret Service van, rigging surveillance and assault drones. Grind is high up in the branches of one of the huge redwoods adjacent to the property. He hasn't had a clear shot yet."

Ryan took a deep breath. He thought about the way Nadja had looked during her call, about the hidden fear he'd seen there. He would save her, there was no other choice, but under that realization came another. He would get the Dragon Heart today or he would die trying. For the first time since losing the Heart to Burnout, Ryan had no doubts about his mission.

His indecision was gone, his uncertainty vanished.

There would be no strategic retreat this time, no fighting to a draw. He finally knew where to strike, and he was willing to sacrifice himself if necessary.

"Ryan, your gear is stored just in front of the main entrance. Get going, and we'll switch over to the Phillips tacticom on your signal."

Ryan nodded and cut the connection. He crossed the street, his every nerve on fire, his hyperaware senses going into maximum alert. He found the gear pack just to the side of the front staircase, under a rose bush.

Quickly, and with a minimum of excess movement, he laid out the gear. It consisted of light body armor, a small tacticom unit, a Vindicator minigun, and a shoulder holster with a Colt Manhunter.

Ryan suited up quickly and checked the load in his weapons. Ready and willing. He pulled the Vindicator's strap over his head, slung the ammo belt, and switched off its safety.

Then he inserted the light earpiece into his left ear and used the mimetic tape to fasten the tiny mic to his throat. "System up," he subvocalized.

"Check," said Jane in Ryan's ear.

"Check," came Grind's voice.

"Check," said Dhin, and there was an edge of humor in the big ork's voice. "Bossman, thought we'd lost you."

"Not quite. What's your position?"

"You drove past me on the way in. I'm in the black stepvan. Got a Condor II in the air to keep track of our chummer if he happens to come out, plus a Rotodrone with heavy armament package ready to rock and roll on your mark."

"Good. Grind?"

"I'm playing birdy in this fragging tree. Me and my Barret one-two-one. Can't tag him unless you move him into the middle of the room."

Ryan paused, mentally arranging his chess pieces.

"Jane?"

"Copy."

"You got control of the house systems?"

"Stupid question, Ryan, but I guess you had to ask."

"Lay it out for me."

"Quicksilver, he's smart. He's keeping to cover under the third stone tree from the rear exit. That way, he has Daviar between him and that exit, and can cover the other two at his leisure."

Grind came on. "I almost got him when he dumped Daviar under the table, but even with this high-powered scope, the infrastructure of the building is playing havoc with me. I can't get a clear shot at him as long as all those stone branches are in the way."

Ryan nodded again. The arboretum was a huge structure with two gigantic sheets of macroglass for a roof to allow the sunlight in. In the name of artistic decor, the macroglass was supported by ornately carved marble trees. Eight of them, complete with stone roots and intertwining branches, stretched upward to create a canopy.

"Jane, talk to me about the arboretum. It's got auto sprinklers in case of fire, right?"

"Affirmative."

Ryan thought about it, and suddenly everything came into focus.

"Jane, what's the oxygen content in there?"

There was a pause, and Ryan could tell the question had taken her by surprise.

"Dunkelzahn converted the arboretum into a greenhouse of sorts, said he wanted to raise orchids, so the oxygen content is higher than normal. Why?"

"You control that as well?"

"Affirmative."

Ryan grinned. "I want you to slowly increase the oxygen content."

"How high?"

"Just keep it going, but try and make it subtle."

Dhin's voice sounded concerned. "Bossman, you mind filling us in on what you've got planned?"

Ryan forced his voice to remain calm. "Grind can't get a clear shot with that roof over our boy, so I'm going to blow these stone trees sky high."

"Ryan," said Jane, "I've never asked this before, and I hope I won't ever ask it again, but do you know what the frag you're doing?"

A picture of Nadja's face filled his mind. "I've never been so sure. I'll give you the signal. Just before I blow the place, I want you to selectively activate the sprinkler systems over Nadja and myself. Turn them on full blast."

Jane chuckled. "I think I'm getting the picture. What about the Heart?"

"I'm going to take it from him before the place blows."

"I'll track it and make sure the sprinklers protect as much as possible."

Ryan nodded. "All right, people, this is one for the record books. Let's keep it clean. Grind, you know what to do."

"Check."

"If things get ugly in there, I want Nadja out. She's first priority. After that comes the Dragon Heart, then me. That clear?"

There was no answer needed, and none came. Each member of the team knew just what was at stake.

"Jane, if things don't go as planned, there are coded instructions in my safe at Assets. Follow them to the letter."

Silence.

He stood and walked quickly up the steps to the front door. There was no need for stealth. Burnout knew he was coming and had the entrances covered. There was no chance for surprise.

"Now, Jane," he said.

"Increasing oxygen content. It should reach a flammable level in just under five minutes."

With that he entered the house.

Ryan walked through the quiet darkness, and even though he knew that he was never more than fifty meters from another member of his team, he felt utterly alone. As he stepped past priceless art, he found himself growing nervous. Roxborough's self-doubt creeping in.

Ryan took several deep and cleansing breaths, trying to bring calm. But by the time he reached the sealed double glass doors of the arboretum, an edge of agitation had gripped him again. And it refused to let go.

Taking a slow breath, he keyed the palmlock, and the doors slid backward.

Humid heat smothered him, and he immediately began to sweat. The rich smell of fertile soil and blooming plant life hit him, and for just a second, he was sad that Burnout had chosen this spot. In just a few minutes, nothing would be left of the beauty around him.

It had been a while since Ryan had come to the arboretum, and for just a second, he stopped and looked around, as if he were seeing it for the last time.

Sculpted marble trees strained for the ceiling, their intertwined branches making up the supports for the twin sheets of macroglass that made up the roof. Each of the stone trees were completely wreathed in ivy, giving the impression that they were alive.

"So, we're finally alone together." The chilly voice dropped out of the air, echoing in the damp stillness.

Ryan immediately put his back to the wall, pulling the Vindicator up to ready position. Something was wrong, something in the back of his mind told him he wasn't going about this in the right way.