Diego's heart was pounding and his legs felt weak.  He wasn't entirely sure how he was still running, sheer adrenline must be pushing him forward.  The horror of the past twenty minutes (could it have really been such a short amount of time?) was threatening to overwhelm him.  It didn't help that he knew in the pit of his stomach that he wasn't going to make it.  Kale had said that the Reavers were shooting down any ship that managed to pull away from the station.  The fool was going to risk everything to get away just to be blown up a few seconds later ... Diego wasn't going to let that happen.

"To the right!  Go to the right!  There's a weapons locker." he shouted to the others.  The Reavers were fast on their trail.  They weren't going to be able to outrun them.  If they could make it to the weapons locker though that door should hold til they could get some heavier ammunition.

Geoff's leg screamed in pain with each step he took, knowing that his leg was only propelling him forward due to adrenaline. Later he'd be in agony and he knew it, but that didn't matter. A bit of agony was better than what the Reavers would to him and the kid he carried if they were caught. So the blood that seeped down his pain wracked leg would have to be ignored for now. He would have to shut it out like he shut out so many other moments of pain in his life. Shut out pain to live later. That's all that mattered.

He heard Diego's cry and turned in the direction he indicated, his leg screaming in protest and Geoff gritting his teeth to keep the cry from coming from his throat as well. He couldn't respond between his gritted teeth so he merely let his actions speak for him as he headed in the direction of the weapons locker, hoping to every god in the 'verse that Diego either had one hell of a plan or a bunch of the biggest guns that one could ever find.

Radio: "Geoff, ya read me?  How soon can you get back - we need ta make our move soon."

Geoff could barely hear the captain's voice over the radio, but he couldn't have answered even if he had tried. His leg was screaming, his hands were full with the boy in his arms and he was out of breath from a combination of the running and the pain. So he couldn't answer the captain's call. But he knew he had to or else they would assume the worst.

So, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get the radio himself, he pushed himself to run that much harder and faster despite the agony of his leg so he could move beside Wei-Li. He looked to her, but couldn't bring himself to catch the breath to call to her so he simply gestured to the radio at his belt with his head and hoped she understood.

Radio: "Geoff do you read me?  Are you guys alright?"

The loud sound of the Reavers heavy footfalls resounded through the hallway filling everyone with a sense of foreboding - then, if anyone had cared to glance back, the first Reaver came into sight.  They were gaining on the group and fast.  There was the sound of a feral growl and even without looking they knew that they were fast on their trail.  The boy that Geoff was holding screamed, from his vantage point he could see the Reavers closing in on them.  He began to flail in terror, the motion making it even harder for Geoff to keep a hold of him.  But he wasn't thinking clearly, he was just taken over by sheer fear.  His foot caught the radio and sent it flying to the ground - there was no time to picked it back up.  The Reavers growled again and then the sound of the radio being crushed beneath one of their boots met the groups ears.

Wei-Li's hope quickly turned to fear as the Reaver's continued to close in.  She swore to herself as she ran.  Geoff was the fighter, Geoff was the one who could defend him and circumstances had placed him in the rear with the little boy and the reavers closing in.

She used this to urge herself on.  With him in the rear, it was up to her to try and get to the weapons... to take on his job.

She looked where Diego pointed and nodded, pouring on as much speed as she could.  She had to get the door open, to get inside... to get to a weapon she could use.

Her footsteps became a prayer, to keep moving, to keep living to keep Geoff safe and with her.

Diego is running hard alongside Wei-Li when he notices the boy giving Geoff quite a bit of trouble, he slows his pace slightly to try and help Geoff manage the kid.  He didn't even notice as the radio flew from the other mans grasp and spun onto the floor to be crushed seconds later.  It didn't matter.  What was important was reaching that weapons locker and continuing with his plan.  He reached the door at a run just behind Wei-Li and urged her inside.  He held the door open just long enough for Geoff to slip in as well.

They were now in a small, narrow room.  To their right and left were shelves full of weaponry.  Heavy ammunition - just the kind of thing that might give them a fighting chance against the Reavers.  At the far end of the room was another door.  "It leads back into the hallway around the corner." Diego explained in a breathless voice.  There was a loud bang on the door they came in as the Reavers reached it, "We'll go out that way." he started loading himself up.  There were quite a few shotguns, Sonic Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Assault Rifles, a grenade launcher and a few boxes of different types of grenades (flashbangs, smoke, gas ...)  Diego equipped himself in silence.

Geoff had cursed silently at the loss of the radio, unable to bring breath to his lungs to curse outloud. He didn't even want to think what the captain would think when he didn't answer and, worse yet, if the last things he heard were the Reavers running after them. But, at the moment, he couldn't worry about that. He had to run now and worry about everything else later. He looked to Diego as he came back to help him with the boy, managing a slight nod in thanks and nothing else as he moved as fast as he could force himself to.

He was thankful as he saw that they reached the heavy metal door of the weapons locker that had been mentioned and he dashed inside through the door as Diego pulled it open behind him. He came to a stop inside the room and put the boy down as he then allowed himself to fall to a knee and catch his breath in loud pained gasps, his hands moving to grasp at the newly bleeding wound at his leg as he closed his eyes and grit his teeth against the pain that threatened to overwhelm for a moment.

He stayed like that for a moment, listening to Diego's words only through the haze of pain, but understanding what he said. It was a few short moments later, more moments than Geoff should've allowed himself if he was honest, that he opened his eyes and took stock of what was around him. He looked weapons over and nodded as he brought himself to a shaky stand, his leg burning with pain as he hobbled over to the shelves of weapons to begin to load himself up, leaning heavily against the wall as he picked through assault rifles and shotguns to try and make himself ready for what was to come.

Once Diego had what he needed he looked to the others - were they a ragtag bunch or what?  The boy had just collapsed into a ball on the floor, he wasn't even crying anymore, just sitting there in silence, his eyes glued to the door that kept lurching with the force of the Reavers trying to break it down.  He could tell that Geoff was in no small amount of pain ... but there was nothing he could do about that.  Wei-Li was alright though and obviously quickly regaining her breath.  Diego swallowed hard as he got ready to tell the others what he needed them to do - knowing there would probably be protests.  These were good people, but Diego knew what had to be done.

"We go through the back door.  The Reavers aren't stupid, they're going to see us going out that way and come around the corner." he looked seriously at Geoff, "I need you to lay me cover fire - there's another service hall door just down the hall.  I need to get in there.  Once I'm through you run straight down the hall, the docks are at the end of it, I trust you will find your Destiny there.  Don't wait for me ... I'm not coming." he took a whole box of the grenades, "I'm going to blow the station.  You heard Kale, the Reavers are boarding all the ships that make it out, this is the only way to take them all down - and to put those remaining out of their misery ... you must go quickly.  I will wait ten minutes," he set the clock around his wrist for that amount of time and handed it to Wei-Li, "When that goes off I'm blowing the station ... I wish you all the best of luck.  And tell Kale ... tell him he was right." Diego grinned slightly, "And that I owe him a thousand credits in the next life - he'll know what I mean." with that he moved to the door and waited for the others to be ready.  This was it.

Wei-Li gathered up a collection of weapons she could use then paused to inspect the door they'd entered: the door where the reavers were trying to get in.

She paused long enough to try and think of a way to booby trap the door, but there was no way that wouldn't involve one of them getting hurt or worse.

Then she wheeled around when she heard Diego's plan.  Her jaw dropped as she stood there trying to deny what he'd said.  The only problem was, she couldn't find a decen argument against what he'd proposed.

"..."  She shook her head, a bitter expression on her face as she swallowed hard and grabbed a few more weapons.

Then she knelt down so she was standing eye to eye with the boy.  "I'm sorry for everything that's happened here," she said softly.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued.

"But we gotta hold ourselves together for just a little while longer if we're going to get out of this alive..'kay?"

The boy simply shivered and shook his head.  He'd seen too much to think they were going to make it out.  They were going to all end up like his momma.

Wei-Li's shoulders sagged slighty and she simply pulled the boy close and held him.

After a few moments she looked up and Geoff and nodded.  If they were going to do this, they were going to need to do it soon.  She stood still holding the boy in her arms.

Geoff felt the weight of the weaponry he'd just acquired weighing down on him, putting more strain on his leg and causing pains to shoot up and down his body.  But this was the way it had to be and truth be told he felt a hell of a lot better fully armed - even if it was adding more weight then he knew he should be carrying.  More weapons meant a better chance of getting back to Destiny, and that was the only thing that mattered now.  To get him and Wei back to the ship.

He looked up then when Diego spoke, breaking into his train of thought.  He started nodding his head as Diego told him to lay cover fire.  He wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to run to another service hall but covering his back - Geoff could do that.  His nods of agreeance however peetered off as Diego finished what he was saying.  He wasn't comin'?  What?

"Diego -" he started but the man just kept right on talking.  Talking 'bout how he had to blow the station up - the ruttin' fool was going to go blow himself up.  Geoff nodded grimly - the man was doing what had to be done.  And Geoff wasn't going to argue that.  Now he didn't know what the man was talking about when he said to tell Kale he was right, but Geoff sure as hell intended on delivering that message.

He looked at the man for a moment, feeling as though he was supposed to say something now.  Some well wishes or somethin' - but nothing was coming to mind.    He wasn't really good at this sort of thing, saying goodbyes and all that, probably because he'd never really had no one in his life to say good bye to.  Diego just nodded back at him though, there was no need for words - they both understood.

Geoff looked back at Wei-Li now and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Come on, we're goin' back to Destiny." he said and stood, ready to make their last stand.

When Geoff rested his hand on Wei-Li's shoulder she turned.  She gave him a weak smile, then leaned towards him to give him a kiss.  With the boy in her arms, the movement was awkward, but she had to find a way to tell him how she felt.

She corrected her course, her lips meeting his.  For a breif moment she felt warm and protected and that was all that mattered.

"Lets go home."

Geoff offered Wei-Li a weak smile in return ... and then she was leaning forward.  Her blue eyes closed, her lips connected with his.  Their warmth took him off-guard, he found himself just sitting there stupidly for a moment.  Just a fraction of a second before he lifted his large calloused hand to gently hold the back of her head.  His fingers intertwining lightly in her hair as he pulled her towards him.  Returning her kiss - their lips promising the beginning of something ... if only they could live through this.  Geoff had kissed many woman in his day.  Dozens - more then dozens, but he had never felt like this before while doing it.  As though he knew he was going to be happy for a long time.

The kiss only lasted a moment but it felt an eternity.  When Wei-Li pulled away Geoff grinned at her, "Well now if that ain't somethin' worth fightin' fer then I don't know what is." he said, and then stood at the door, ready to make their escape.

Wei-Li let out a breathy sigh when the kiss finished and nodded.  Then she turned to the boy in her arms.

"no matter what happens, hold on tight.  Okay?" She asked him in a determined tone.  They were getting out of this and she and Geoff were going to have to talk about a few things, but as he said-- it was something to look forward to, something to fight for.

Diego looked back at Geoff and Wei-Li as they kissed and then looked away, a small smile on his face.  He was doing the right thing - getting those kids out of this, they had something to live for and Diego.  Well this station, the people here, they had been his entire life.  It was fitting that he would go down with them now.  With one last grim look at the others he placed his hand on the door.  In his mind he was already mentally seeing the hall outside, the ten steps or so that he had to get across to make it to the service door.

"Three, two -" he held up a finger for one and pushed the door open.  He didn't even wait to see what was outside.  He just took off, running as hard as he could towards the door at the end of the hall.

There was a moment that the banging on the other door persisted - and then the Reavers caught sight of Diego taking off down the hall and abandoned their task of trying to break in to go and chase him down.

There were so many things Wei-li wished she could change, but any doubts she had fled as soon as the Reavers gave chase.  She prayed that Diego would be all right, but she knew what he planned and she knew there was no walking away from it.

She held the boy a little tighter as she crossed her arms in front of her, guns in hand.  The only thing she could do for now was run... and pray.

Geoff was surprised at how quickly the man sprinted from the door - although he didn't know why, made perfect sense really, adrenline and true terror snippin' at your heels let you do all sorts things you wouldn't normally be able to do.  Geoff didn't waste a second raising his rifle and firing off round after round into the Reavers chasing Diego down.  He glanced over his shoulder, "Go." he said to Wei-Li, "I'll catch up." he said, hoping that that was the truth.  Hoping that his injured leg would let him run just a little more.

Wei-Li's expression fell for a moment when Geoff told her to go, and then it hardened.

"You better," she swore then started running.  She followed the directions Diego had given them, praying Geoff would catch up.  She held the boy tight as she ran, but she kept moving, watching out for signs of Reavers.

Diego ran.  That was the only thing going through his mind.  Just keep running, just keep running. He could hear the sound of the Reavers close at his heels and then Geoff's gunfire.  He prayed that it would be enough.  The door was ten feet away, 5 feet away, 3 feet away - Almost there! His hand found the control panel and he hit the button, the doors hissed open and Diego barreled inside, closing the door behind him.  He had one last glimpse into the gore strewn hall.  One last look into the face of madness as the Reaver tried to make it inside.  And then nothing but dim lights.  This was it.  This was the end.

Geoff didn't stick around.  The second Diego was through that door he took off.  Not giving the Reavers any chance to turn around and catch up with him.  He could see Wei-Li up ahead with the boy.  She was still alright and that filled Geoff with a sense of relief.  Ten minutes Diego had said.  They had ten minutes now to get the hell off this station before it was blown to smithereens.

Geoff groaned as he ran, the pain in his leg was unbearable and yet he continued to bear it.  Up ahead he could see the hallway opening up into the large commerce sector.  Almost there. he thought, Almost home.

[To Torrance Station: Commerce Sector]

Wei-Li poured on the speed as she heard Geoff Catching up with her.  She could sense the unsteadiness in his gate.  She knew what his let wound was doing to him but she also knew he had to keep moving.

Stopping meant death.

--->To Torrance Station: Commerce Sector