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Katherine watched the explosion from a block away and smiled. It was finally coming together. This time Tristan wouldn't get away.

Knowing where he was coming had given her the advantage, the main problem had been setting up a surveillance grid around the drug dealer's base that he wouldn't be able to detect. She couldn't rely on electronic surveillance, not with Alex working for him. He'd notice any information stream on the net, corrupt it and trace it back to her.

She had to do this in the oldest way known. She'd set up people at strategic points in a twenty block circle around the building. It wouldn't have been possible by herself, with only her team, but with Liz and Flint's people she'd been able to cover everything.

She's still put her people along what Armiln told her was the most likely paths Tristan would take. She'd been worried Liz and Flint wouldn't be able to control their people if they saw them first.

Armiln had read the Samalian's entire file, and while there wasn't enough about how he thought in there to allow him to predict what planet he'd go to next, he was confident he knew how he'd approach a target.

He'd been wrong, it was one of Liz's people who had seen him first, and when the news came she was afraid all her planning would be for nothing. She'd made it clear to the leaders the only way they were all getting what they wanted was with a coordinated attack within the confines of the building. Fortunately Tristan had been alone, and the two had no interest in him. Their people might want him for the pain he inflicted, but they obeyed their leaders' orders.

The Samalian had spent most of the afternoon staking-out the building. They hadn't been able to get close to him, but her sniper, Vernon, had caught sight of him from his perch and reported what he could. Tristan was here gaging how to best get in.

When he'd left, she had him followed. If she could work out where he was holed up, she could devise a backup plan, in case he escaped, but he'd given her people the slip inside a transit tunnel crowded with pedestrians. For a furry alien taller than most human, he had a knack for blending in.

It hadn't mattered. She'd known it was only a question of time before he'd come back, and when he had, Alex had been with him. Again, she was impressed with the crime bosses' control. They were eager to get him, Flint shook with anticipation, but they stayed at her side as they slowly moved forward, three blocks behind their target. Any time one of their people called to eagerly say they could get the drop on Alex, they were ordered not to.

She didn't bring everyone in. All her people, certainly, except for Vernon, but she made sure some of Liz's people were out there in a loose grid, just in case Tristan ran.

And now they were just out of reach of the explosion that made the opening in the building. It was echoed by two other on the other sides. Those weren't the breach explosive that had destroyed her face, she hadn't wanted to bring the building down, just cause openings large enough for their people to storm the place.

She gave the signal, and Liz followed suit.

People ran in, her well armored, well-armed people peppered among the more casually dressed ones. Liz had wanted to armor everyone, but had quickly realized the price was prohibitive. They'd tried to convince Katherine to shell out the money, and she'd given them the respect they were due by not outright laughing in their face. She didn't work for them, they'd have to handle this little problem on their own.

They'd decided weapons were more important than armor. Good for them, they had the volume of people, they could afford to lose some.

Weapons ready they entered the large room now lit only by the sun streaming through the three openings and the flash of energy bolts. She couldn't make out anyone in the dimness, so she sent a quick message. The lights came on, brighter than she'd expected, and it caused a lull in the fighting as everyone was taken off guard.

Almost everyone.

Tristan and Alex used the pause to stand and fire their way out of the overturned table that had been their flimsy cover to hide behind a large industrial fabricator. Just as they vanished behind it Alex looked at her and his eyes grew momentarily wider.