<strong>Not</strong>-Tim grabbed hold of h<strong>is</strong> shoulders and shook him. "Calm down, Jack," he said. "Look at me. Lookat me. Calm down. It's okay. Just brea<strong>the</strong>. Brea<strong>the</strong>, Jack. I'll take over from here, okay? Just sitdown for a while, take things easy, and let go of my arm-"Jack wouldn't let go of h<strong>is</strong> arm.<strong>Not</strong>-Tim sighed. He patted Officer Traven on <strong>the</strong> back to calm him down.Th<strong>is</strong> was <strong>the</strong> strangest week of h<strong>is</strong> life.The speakers suddenly came on again, and ano<strong>the</strong>r voice boomed through <strong>the</strong> hotel and caused <strong>the</strong>mob to temporarily stop in <strong>the</strong>ir attempts to break down <strong>the</strong> doors."We have an important announcement to make. Please l<strong>is</strong>ten carefully."They l<strong>is</strong>tened carefully.Rick Astley music blared through <strong>the</strong> speakers."YOU ALL JUST GOT RICK ROLL'D!" yelled <strong>the</strong> announcer in unrestrained glee."HAHAHAHAHAHA..."From <strong>the</strong> background came ano<strong>the</strong>r voice: "Jerry, please turn that off, step away from <strong>the</strong> microphone,and get back to sweeping <strong>the</strong> floor.""How's it going?"**Neo jumped at <strong>the</strong> sudden voice, and did not calm down much when he saw that it belonged to not-Tim."I, uh, posted <strong>the</strong> message," he said anyway. "On all <strong>the</strong> major news sites that I could get into.""That was fast," not-Tim said, looking impressed."Thanks." Neo wondered just how much of h<strong>is</strong> computer mad skillz Keanu was responsible for."I don't own a computer," not-Tim said, and Neo involuntarily jerked in h<strong>is</strong> chair, partly from <strong>the</strong> suddenparanoid thought that perhaps it might be a good idea to wear a tinfoil hat after all, and partly from <strong>the</strong>content of <strong>the</strong> statement itself.He looked at not-Tim in d<strong>is</strong>belief. "What?" he choked out."Relax, Neo. You're always so tense. I can't do anything to you; you beat me, remember?"Neo wasn't going to let him change <strong>the</strong> subject so easily. "How can you not own a computer," he said,trying to restrain himself from yelling."Well, <strong>the</strong>y aren't exactly essential for survival."Neo could not believe <strong>the</strong> blasphemies he was hearing. He turned pale and put a hand on <strong>the</strong> computermouse for comfort.The speakers came on again. "Well, that's really noble of you," <strong>the</strong> voice said. "But we're afraid that,no, we're not going to tell <strong>the</strong>m to leave you alone. Cheers."The speakers went off.From behind <strong>the</strong> rear stairwell door, <strong>the</strong> sounds of screams and strange buzzing no<strong>is</strong>es suddenly filled<strong>the</strong> air. The pushing suddenly stopped.There was a knock.Conor and Jjaks looked at each o<strong>the</strong>r in bewilderment.The voice that came through <strong>the</strong> door sounded highly p<strong>is</strong>sed off, but was still sufficiently recogn<strong>is</strong>able asbelonging to one of <strong>the</strong>m.
"It's John, assholes."John Constantine gave <strong>the</strong> barest of glances to <strong>the</strong> ones who opened <strong>the</strong> door to let him in. Beyondhim <strong>the</strong>y temporarily saw <strong>the</strong> gruesome remains of those who had not got out of John's way whenpolitely requested to do so.John put <strong>the</strong> deactivated lightsaber back into h<strong>is</strong> pocket. "Where <strong>is</strong> he.""Who?""Reeves."Scott pointed. "He went into that room."John stalked off towards it."Don't kill him!" Conor shouted, just in case John did not quite know how hostage situations worked."Shit," thought not-Tim as he saw John come in, but all John did was toss a communicator onto <strong>the</strong>computer desk."Talk to <strong>the</strong>m," he said. "I got that off a guard."Then he turned and walked back out <strong>the</strong> door, digging in h<strong>is</strong> pocket for a cigarette as he spotted a nicesmoking spot near Dr. Julian Mercer.Somewhere in <strong>the</strong> Kenselton Hotel, an interdimensional walkie talkie crackled to life."Hello?"A bored looking temp staff unhappily closed a game of Minesweeper and picked up <strong>the</strong> walkie talkie."Yeah.""Uh... who's that?""What?""Is that, uh, Kenselton Facility?""Yeah duh."The sound of a brief struggle and "give me that", and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> same voice, but different: "Okay. I don'tcare WHO you are. Just get whoever's in charge and let us talk to <strong>the</strong>m right now, or those guys willpull <strong>the</strong> trigger and you'll never see Mr. Reeves again."A pause.In Kenselton Hotel, Neo looked at not-Tim. "...Did you just talk about yourself in <strong>the</strong> fourth person?"<strong>Not</strong>-Tim grimaced. Th<strong>is</strong> place confused him. "I don't know."**Meanwhile, <strong>the</strong> temp staff wondered if <strong>the</strong> threatened lack of sight of Reeves was supposed to be a badthing, because it was a lame geek f<strong>is</strong>h in its spare timeThe speakers came on."All right, what <strong>is</strong> it now?"The voice was different from that which had made <strong>the</strong> previous announcements. The f<strong>is</strong>h had indeedgot hold of <strong>the</strong> authorities.**
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"Your behaviour these past few mont
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Neo sank down on the sofa.He looked
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"By a friend of one of the others w
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Next morning62nd Floor. Arrival Lob
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It is in fact at the cafeteria that
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'There is no exit here', read the h
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Back from his breakfast, Griffin sa
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Griffin glanced back at the three p
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Alex got slowly to his feet. He dim
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The face that looked up at him held
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First Combined MeetingThomas Ludlow
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- Reeves clears throat.- Utah shuts
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Griffin isn't the only one in the r
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He realised that he was not standin
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Ludlow smirked. "Thank you. Now I k
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Seventeen suspicious-looking, mostl
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Scott emerged from the alley he had
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Julian finished the stitches, close
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Stuck in House: Chris Townsend, Mat
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Loose in Kenselton Holding Facility
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Paul and the kids stared back at hi
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"Arctor, Robert," Dem said. "Get on
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With measured reluctance he tries t
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0704270/006/GRA"There are two kinds