IAN

I watched as she turned around stiffly, her red face matching her hair. It's probably due to anger. Who wouldn't be angry at an intruder? Nonetheless, it didn't suit her. It was – how do I say this? – unbecoming.

"What," she gasped out, "are you doing here?"

I laughed silently at her expression. Her naturally meek face was mixed with fury, making it similar to a tomato. It didn't match her quiet disposition. Quite funny, really. "Is that how you treat boys, Amy? No wonder you have no boyfriend."

Amy's face turned even redder – if possible – making her expression all the more comical. "What makes you say I have no boyfriend?"

"Are you saying you do? Who is he, then?"

She looked away, most likely embarrassed. "I asked why you're here, you know. You could at least answer before you insult me."

"I'm here to play games with your brother, and my sister's here to play dress-up with you." I replied in a chipper voice. Then, going back to my normal tone, "What do you think?"

"Really, Amy," added Natalie, "I doubt all poor people are this dumb. You're a disgrace to the Cahills and, apparently, poor people too."

Amy's eyes narrowed. "At least I don't pretend to be perfect."

"Only because you know you'd never be." I cut in before Amy could reply.

"Shut up, Natalie. Amy, please cooperate" – she shot me an incredulous look – "or we'll be forced to hurt Daniel." She looked away defiantly. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the look on her face made me want to burst out laughing.

"Oh, just do it, Amy. We'll get what we want in the end; you'd just be making it easier for us. Spare yourself the pain and all." Natalie's voice was laced with a faux sweet, innocent tone.

"What do you need me for? Or Dan, for that matter? Can't you just leave us alone? You keep saying it yourself – we're the underdogs, so what do you need from us?"

"Believe me, we would," my sister replied. "I'd rather not go looking for orphans in cement huts they call a hotel, but–" she paused here, looking around the room distastefully "–even though we have better things to do, mother told us to take you back to base. She wants to~"

"Lemme guess," a voice said behind us. "Kill us? Torture us? Or ask for our clues?"

I spun around and faced the brother, Daniel. Or Dan, as he liked to be called. The nose-ringed nanny was no where to be found. I was surprised – I thought it to be impossible for the energetic child to be stealthy – or quiet, for that matter.

"Hello? I asked you a question, Cobra!"

I winced. "Please refrain from using that nickname. Jokes aren't as funny the second time, and this was never a humorous matter to begin with." Daniel kept silent, still waiting for my reply to his previous question. "She'd probably do all of that, except you got the order wrong. Torture, get the clues, and then kill you." Natalie didn't bother trying to stifle her chuckle.

"And you're laughing about it? How sick are you?" Amy's voice was incredulous.

"I know I'm sick of you," muttered Natalie, loud enough for all four of us in the room to hear.

"Oh, how mature, Cobra," Dan shot back in his sister's defense.

Natalie had no reply to that.

"Oh, shut up, both of you," I snapped. "In all honesty, you act like a married couple. I expected this from Dan, but not from you, Natalie."

"Yes, mum," Natalie said meekly, yet smirking. "Come along now, children. We have to get you back to base. Mum – Isabel, I mean, not Ian – would probably be furious by now." Amy and Dan looked at her as though she's grown a second head.

"You honestly expect us to come along with you willingly?" Amy said. She stared at us, as if she were waiting for us to deny it. "Oh, my dear, fu~"

"Now, Amy," I admonished. "No need to foul the room with your crude language."

"No need to foul the room with your crude language," imitated Dan. "Seriously, though, you guys are crazy. Almost as bad as Momma Cobra. Nellie went to call security as soon as we heard you talking. They'll be here any minute now."

Natalie and I exchanged a look and laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing," I said, while wiping fake tears out of my eyes. "It's just – you really expect this run-down, cheapskate hotel to have security? And you call us crazy."

"Ian, dearest," Natalie stopped laughing rather abruptly and pointed her dart gun at the orphans again. "We should get going. Security or not, there are people here who would like to go home and take a shower. I am one of them."

"I agree, sister."

With a large, taunting grin, Natalie shot both of them with her gun. There was no noise, no bang, nothing whatsoever to warn them of the incoming projectiles. One dart buried itself in Dan's arm, the other in Amy's shoulder. Both Cahills stumbled around like drunkards before collapsing on the floor.

I went over to Amy's body and said, "Don't worry, love. The darts are harmless, save for the sleeping drug. When you wake up, you won't feel a thing."

"Unfortunately," added my sister.

We half-dragged, half-carried both siblings towards the window. I sent a message to the driver via communicator that we were done. Soon, we could hear the tires of our limousine on the road below.

Using the portable cable harness I bring everywhere, we tied the Cahills up and waited for the driver to come and collect. He climbed through the window and lowered both their bodies down towards the car. That was one of the good things about Lucians, we could make sure to provide a distraction so no busybody would be looking through the window for the next few minutes.

Once we were sure the Cahill siblings were secured, we went down again to the Lobby's main exit. The bellboy smiled at us and said, "Thank you, Mr. and Ms. Smith."

We went inside the limo where both of them were waiting, still asleep.

"Ian," Natalie said when we were a good three miles away from the hotel, "why do you insist of calling Amy 'love'? It's inappropriate behavior for a captor to be flirting with their victim."

"Oh," I said sarcastically, "there's an etiquette book for captors and their victims now? Seriously, Natalie, what's so wrong about trying to get under Amy's skin?"

"It doesn't look like you're trying to get under Amy's skin," said Natalie, frowning.

"Then what does it look like then?" I asked.

"It looks to me as though you like Amy," said Natalie.

"No, I don't," I protested. "Amy is the enemy."

"And isn't it in all the books the bad guy falls in love with the good guy?" she retorted.

"Books are wrong," I said. "Most of the time, the author bases the protagonist on himself and writes down events that they want to happen to them."

"But still – isn't there a saying 'opposites attract'?"

I snorted. "That's only true for magnets, and I'm not a magnet, now am I?"

"Alright," said Natalie, resigned to the fact that her brother wasn't in love with Amy Cahill. "Just be careful."

"For what?"

Natalie frowned, unused to showing the caring side of her. "I don't really have any idea. I just have a feeling that something big is going to happen. With – with you and Amy."

"Trust me, Natalie," I said, trying to ease her worries. "Nothing is going to happen. If it makes you feel better, I'll even stay away from her."

"Okay," she said unsurely. Then she caught herself, straightening up and smoothing her face in to an impassive expression. "It's not like I care or anything, it's just that~"

I laughed. "Don't worry; your secret is safe with me."

"It better be."

...ooo000O000ooo…

I woke up the next day to the sound of Natalie banging on my door.

"Ian," she screamed, "open up!"

I got up lazily and walked slowly to the door, just to irk her. I smirked when I remember that I did the same thing yesterday.

"What?" I demanded upon opening the door.

"It's the Cahill brats."

"What about them?" I asked, yawning.

"Mother made it sound as though they were our guests, can you believe it? And now, like proper hosts, we have to spend the day with them! Well, you have to spend the whole day with Amelia and I have to spend the day with Daniel."

This woke me up. "She did what?"

"Don't make me repeat myself. Now I have to cancel my shopping trip~" I blocked her out as she continued whining.

The whole day with that girl? What was mother thinking? They know they're our captives; she didn't have to tell them otherwise.

"Natalie," I said, cutting her short from her rant. "Where are they?"

She wrinkled her nose. "They're in the suite in the floor below ours, having breakfast. We're to join them immediately."

I sighed, accepting the fact that, as of today, the Cahills were out 'guests'. Mother better have a good reason for doing this. "I guess I should go and get changed."

Natalie looked at my attire, which consisted of only my boxers and a fitted shirt. "Yes," she agreed, "You should."

"Tell Mother that I'll be down in a minute." I said, shutting the door.

I changed into a casual attire – pants, polo shirt, and Oxford shoes. I sighed again, and then headed upstairs to eat breakfast with the Cahills.

I paused before entering the door. Laughter could be heard from the outside. I wondered briefly what they found so amusing before opening the door.

Inside was a suite like mine, only a bit smaller. The siblings were seated on the mahogany dining table in the middle of the dining room. The laughter stopped quickly as they caught sight of me.

"Hello," I greeted, taking the seat across Amy. Natalie still had yet to come. "Please, don't let me interrupt you. Continue."

Amy and Daniel shared a look. Whenever they do that, I get the feeling that they're having a private conversation with their minds alone.

"H-hello, Ian," Amy finally said, hesitantly. Daniel snorted. Makes sense; I did kidnap them, after all.

"So, how was your night? I trust you found it pleasant?"

"Yeah, aside from the fact that we didn't really ask to sleep." Daniel muttered, but I still heard him.

"I apologize," Natalie said as she entered the room. "It was necessary."

"Necessary, my butt."

"Really, Daniel, do you have to be so vulgar?" said Natalie.

"Does it annoy you?"

"Yes."

"Then, yes, I have to be vulgar."

"Dan," chided Amy. "Don't."

"Amy, you may have accepted the fact that we're stuck here for the rest of our lives, but I haven't. So don't don't tell me that you want me to obey their every order." Amy remained silent, turning red and looking down.

"And this is how you treat your own sister?" I asked, feigning curiosity. "I thought that since she's all you have left, you would treat her better."

He scowled at me. "Don't you start on me, too, Cobra." He got up and left the table.

"I should follow him," announced Natalie. "He is my responsibility for the day."

"You go ahead," I replied. "I'll wait for Amy." Natalie left in Dan's direction.

"You don't have to," mumbled Amy.

"Beg pardon?"

"You don't have to wait for me," she said, still softly. "I'm perfectly capable of eating alone."

"I don't really have a choice," I admitted. "Just like Dan is Natalie's responsibility, you're my responsibility. I have to make sure you're treated like a proper guest."

"Why?" she asked, curiosity burning in her voice.

I laughed. "Why? Because Mother said so."

"And you always obey Isabel?" she said, frowning.

"Amy, she tried to drown you. She won't hesitate to do that to me."

"But you're her son," she protested.

"It doesn't matter to her."

"Why not?"

That put me of guard. I've always wondered that same question. "I wouldn't matter because to her, I'm just the heir to the Lucian throne."

"That's horrible."

"No, it's not," I said. "I completely agree with her."

"Why?"

I pondered that for a moment. "Because," I finally said, "Lucians – and Januses, Ekatrinas, and Tomases – have spent the past five hundred years looking for these clues. And now, the hunt finally going to end. We're so close to finally winning and don't want to let any thing stand in our way."

"So that's why I'm here."

"Yes."

There was no noise while Amy and I finished eating. I could tell that she was thinking about what I said, and, honestly, I was too.