Arthur wasn't sure how to feel after Cobb had revealed all the secrets that Arthur was so desperately trying to hide from himself. Though the one thing that kept popping up in his mind was:"free".

Arthur tried so hard to remember that drunken night but only bits and pieces came back to him. He definitely did not remember having any kind of conversation about Eames with Cobb but he believed him. Everything he said Arthur found to be true anyway. He did feel like he fucked up, failed him in some way, was afraid he hated him after their last exchange when he didn't wait for him and wanted a second chance. Eames had waited long enough and it was his turn to act.

He had pushed him away and lashed out only because he was unsure of what exactly he wanted this whole time. Hell, he was still trying to figure him, Arthur Marek, out. He instantly liked and hated Eames because he made him question himself and his identity but again this intrigued him as well. And it was true-he had never met anyone that made him feel that way.

Arthur felt he wore some many masks, wore so many hats, trying to be so many things that he lost himself somewhere along the road. He felt like a forger himself. Maybe it was from spending so much time in the dreams. He knew deep down he was addicted to the job and the dreams. Reality wasn't enough maybe and even his totem couldn't ground him completely. Eames made him feel he was very much in reality and made it more interesting but it was scary at the same time. How do you take someone's hand and let them lead you into the unknown when you were so lost and were ok with being lost for so long?

He needed to get him back to figure it out. The rest could wait.

Cobb's convictions that him and Eames should "be together when they get him back" was supposed to be a sarcastic joke about them annoying him Arthur knew but he didn't laugh. A relationship with Eames would be impossible but at the same time he couldn't help but wonder.

Once Cobb and him cleared the air and all personal issues were aside Cobb gave him phone numbers and emails of people to contact. Arthur was grateful for the distraction. Cobb and Arthur worked feverishly and silently only speaking or breaking away from what they were working on to ask the other a question or to relay important information.

Despite Arthur's pessimistic attitude they were able to scrounge up a pretty good chunk of the hostage money including what they both could contribute. Arthur still wanted to extract or steal the rest of the money but Cobb's words about Eames clouding his judgment came back to him and he stayed close mouthed about it. He was a conflict of interest and was clouding his judgment. Sniper rifles? Really? What was he thinking? Cobb would do the same thing though if Mal was taken hostage Arthur decided. You would do insane, crazy things to get that person back.

Other ideas came to him in his delirious state-it was well into the night now and neither of them had said anything about stopping or getting some sleep. Arthur knew he wouldn't get any anyway. So he sat at his makeshift desk, feet propped up on top of it, chewing on a pencil, leaning back in his uncomfortable chair and conjured up some thoughts-crazy ideas invading his brain. His thoughts took him back to the French accented, male voice that had made the demands. He thought about the kidnappers themselves and realized that maybe they were going about this wrong way from the start. They were so focused on the urgency to escape the warehouse and get the money that they never thought to research these kidnappers, these other extractors themselves. What if they could find out who they were and where they had Eames currently? Arthur did love a good shoot 'em up and the thought of holding his assault rifle, his real one made him grin. He always did love holding a gun in dreams or otherwise.

Arthur relayed his half crazy thoughts to Cobb who surprisingly did not dismiss it right off the bat, argue or point out the loop holes.

"You maybe on to something."

Arthur was stunned.

"I have an idea." Arthur loved when Cobb said this because they were always effing brilliant. No more talks of money, hacking into banks and risk getting arrested, no, they were men of action-getting down and dirty, balls to the wall, getting it done.

For once they both could agree on the plan of action, both suppressing grins. They really were just a couple of sick fucks who loved their violence.

They drove stealthily, parking a few blocks away and snuck back to the perimeter of their warehouse. They climbed to the roof of a building that was nearby their warehouse-their night vision goggles giving them a clear view of everything below. It didn't take them long to see it. Their suspicions about their warehouse being watched were correct. A white, worker's van was parked around the corner of their warehouse most likely listening in to the bugs they had planted in the warehouse earlier, waiting for them to come back.

Arthur would run interference, distracting the people in the van. While they were distracted Cobb would sneak up behind the van, break a window, toss in some gas and use his tranquil darts on anyone that came out.

The plan was to keep them alive and get them to spill where the place they were holding Eames was.

Cobb and Arthur had done dozens of these kinds of thing before in dreams. They both felt pretty confident that they could recreate it in reality, both knowing the risks. If they die in reality it wasn't like in the dreams where they would wake up. Arthur began questioning Cobb's seriousness. Maybe he was just over tired or delirious? Did he really want to risk everything especially with having a wife and two small children at home? Cobb waived off Arthur's concern saying that he: "Had to do it, he owed it to Eames" but after this job he would relocate his family back to their house in the States, wanting to take some time off for a couple months. Arthur didn't blame him and agreed on relocating and time off. Paris wouldn't be safe for a while. He thought of Eames again and where he would go if they went back to the States but quickly pushed it out of his mind.

They quickly and silently left the rooftop and set to work. Arthur started a small fire in a metal trash can, adding gasoline he siphoned from a car he found in an alley. He snuck around corners and back alleys and positioned himself so he was kitty corner from the van, out of sight. Both men had walkies that they thought to bring from the warehouse. Arthur alerted Cobb that he would be starting. Arthur quickly rolled the flaming trash can towards the van but not directly into it and carefully shot the barrel making a pretty decent size explosion right in front of the van, blocking them from driving off right away.

Cobb acted quickly while the people in the van were caught off guard. He swooped in from the opposite direction-smashing the passenger window of the van, throwing in gas, running around to the back to position himself. Arthur ran quickly to meet him and back up his friend.

Arthur heard shots fired and quickened his pace.

Cobb had taken cover behind a couple newspaper machines and was taking shots at the people inside who didn't get the gas right away with his dart gun, switching to his Glock when he ran out. Arthur came from the opposite direction diving behind lamp posts and other things, taking cover and backed up Cobb as best he could which was difficult from his angle. The gas or darts finally kicked in and the shooting abruptly stopped. Cobb came up from his crouched position, motioning to Arthur. They approached the van and tactically searched it; Arthur removed the man in the driver's seat. Cobb stepped into the back and started securing the people with rope who were slumped over unconscious. There were four people total in the van Arthur counted.

They waited an hour for the gas and darts to wear off. Arthur had driven the van to an abandoned car lot. Now they both waited, playing with the guns in their hands impatiently waiting for one of them to wake.

Cobb was more skilled in interrogation and Arthur let him take the lead. The first two men didn't talk but the third, well Cobb knew how to press all the right buttons. Arthur had procured a rusty, old car jack from the car lot and Cobb threatened to break all the man's fingers with it if he didn't give them the information. When again he didn't budge Arthur held down the man's bound hand and Cobb smashed the rusty car jack down onto his finger until it broke just to show him just how serious he was.

He was singing like a canary after that spilling to Cobb and Arthur who their boss was and where the hideout was. Under normal circumstances they would have enough time to figure out if the man was bluffing, casing the place that he described and wait but they had less than twelve hours now to get to the kidnappers hideout and take them all out, freeing Eames. They still had to figure out part two of the plan. Arthur's mind was buzzing incessantly trying to think of something as he put the gag back in the whimpering man's mouth and stepped outside the van to talk to Cobb in private. The orange blazing sun was rising, glinting off the many car's hoods. The morning air was still and a little chilly. Both men wrapped their coats around them tighter, rubbed and blew into their hands.

"We need ten more men for a job like this," Cobb was trying to hide the eagerness in his voice Arthur knew. Both men loved the thrill and the adrenaline rush and were practically giddy as school boys. This was definitely a nice change of pace from extracting information from dreams. This time the violence and chaos were very real.

"Sniper rifle?" Arthur was smirking.

"Oh yeah," Cobb was practically laughing, watching the sun come up.

"We'll need more gas too. Vests, heftier weapons, everything."

"I know a guy," it was actually one of Eames' contacts but Arthur didn't think that he would care given the circumstances.

After the plan was hashed out Arthur and Cobb injected the men in the van with a compound- a mixture of the sedative they used in the PASIV mixed with something stronger that a former chemist had made them. They would be asleep for at least 8 or 9 hours, not waking from even a slap to the face. While Cobb locked the van with chains and a padlock Arthur hotwired an old car in the lot for them to take.

"I really don't think we've broken enough laws today, really," Cobb was leaning up against the car as Arthur cut and stripped the wires underneath the steering column, winding them together.

Arthur turned to his partner in crime. "I can think of a few others," they shared a wide grin. They both loved this immensely despite the unspoken dangers.

It was a long drive to the underground military surplus store. After they left the car they had to travel under the Paris Métro, through what used to be an old rail worker's break room, and down more flights of ancient stairs through the labyrinth structure. Both men were frisked and questioned by a huge behemoth of a bald man acting as security before entering the small, dingy shop. Eames' friend and contact Mac was there and once they dropped his name and Cobb introduced himself he was all smiles, Mac eager to help get Eames out of a jam, anything to oblige the great Dom Cobb and his posse.

They loaded up on everything-lots of heavy artillery, gas, riot gear uniforms complete with helmets with shield guards, batons, practically full body shields, and bullet proof vests. Arthur wanted to procure a new, shinier model Assault rifle-a frivolous purchase but Cobb shot him a look, a: "Business before pleasure" kind of look.

If they all survived this then Arthur would definitely come back here with Eames and purchase it himself, hell he would make Eames buy it for him as payback for saving his ass, he grinned at the prospect.

The plan was simple yet complicated at the same time.

For the nine or so hours they had left before the meeting was supposed to happen they would case the area around the kidnapper's hideout.

It was in a seedy downtown area surrounded by brothels and was known for the drug cartels to have made business transactions. The building they were keeping Eames was inconspicuous enough-a small, white crumbling building that used to be a bar but now served as an "office".

Cobb and Arthur took different positions on either side of the building and staked out out of sight, watching who entered and left the building, where their cars were, etc.

Cobb radioed to Arthur that one man left with his car and he would move into position to the parking lot in the back and would wait to see if he returned. If he did that was the opening they needed. Cobb would take the man by gun point making him take him into the building and threaten to kill him if they didn't release Eames. Arthur was watching the front door and would try to intercept anyone coming into the building.

It was a long, tedious process. Hours passed of watching nothing in particular, with little to no activity. Arthur cursed Eames under his breath telling him that he better not be dead all ready- all their hard work and efforts for nothing.

Just then, as Arthur was momentarily distracted, caught in a daydream he saw a car approach slowly and park along outside of the hideout, someone climbing out and approaching the building. The man oozed power, confidence and class-this wasn't a lowly peon-he was most likely working with the sabotaging extraction team.

"Shit," Arthur said under his breath as he picked up his huge duffel bag, radioing to Cobb. "Someone's going in the front. I'm moving in."

Cobb protested but Arthur ignored it. He had his gun out and ready. He stealthily came up behind the man as he was rounding the corner approaching the building, hitting him over the head with the butt of his gun with all his strength. The man was stunned and stumbled to the ground. Arthur threw down the duffel bag and searched the man quickly, removing his guns, tying his hands behind his back, securing a gag around his mouth, dragging him around the side of the building and radioing Cobb to come help him. Arthur brought the man up to his feet once he noticed he was conscience digging the barrel of his gun in his skull instructing him not to move or cry out.

When Cobb arrived they took turns suiting and gearing up, one of them keeping a gun trained on their hostage.

It was go time.

They used their riot gear batting ram to rip open the door and shouted:"We have one of your men! Do not fire or move or he will be killed!"

Arthur yelled roughly the same thing in French afterwards, Cobb nodding to him. The place was relatively small-the area that was used as a bar originally was converted into an office of sorts with desks, wipe boards, computers, filing cabinets, and the whole she-bang. Arthur spied a couple twin beds pushed up against a wall-most likely used for the PASIV and dream sharing. Arthur counted six men total-they were up and pointing guns at Arthur and Cobb but Cobb kept his gun trained on the man's scalp.

"We want your prisoner, the British man! Release him and your man goes free!"

Some of the men tried to move closer to the two extractors dressed head to toe in riot gear but Arthur shouted at them in French to stop moving. Cobb maneuvered himself and their bound hostage farther into the room, Arthur close behind, slowly scuffling through the office area. "We want your British prisoner! Release him and your man goes free." Arthur struggled with translating it roughly into French saying something like: "Release the British man. Your man will be safe."

When no one approached them or said anything directly to them Arthur motioned to one man with his gun, demanding him in French to take them to the British man, the man saying he would take them to him. Arthur kept his gun trained on him as they maneuvered through the small room. They came to another door; the Frenchman opened it with a key and led them to a small corridor.

That's when hell broke loose. The man leading them was apparently trying to ambush them and he drew his gun but not before he could fire it. Arthur shot him in the chest making him fall back. Arthur rushed the door, that led back to the main office area in an attempt to close it but not before he was heavily shot at. Thank God for the bullet proof vest and shield. A couple shots missed but one connected to his chest while he was struggling to secure the door, his body shield momentarily down, making him fall backwards, the wind almost knocked out of him. Arthur knew he would have a huge bruise later. Better than being dead.

He remembered the key and searched the dead man for it and managed to lock and baricade the door with Cobb's help. They were rushed by other men in the corridor but the partners dispensed of them quickly. Now they faced the problem of which room held their colleague. Cobb demanded their hostage tell them and removed his gag. The Frenchmen spit in Cobb's face and Arthur picked up on some swear words and racial outbursts-no actual information. They gagged him once again, Cobb ramming the butt of his battalion hard in his abdomen for payback and to shut him up which it successfully did.

"Eames?" Arthur cried out.

They were greeted with no response.

"Eames, call out where you are its Dom and Arthur!"

They had zero time left, Arthur reminding them as such. The makeshift barricade wouldn't hold the men in the office for too much longer and there was the back entrance which they hadn't got to yet.

They were sitting ducks. Arthur and Cobb had broken into all the rooms that they could find, searching and not finding Eames. Just as they were about to enter the last door at the end of the corridor it flew open.

"You fucking fools! Release my man!" It was the same accented voice that phoned them.

He stepped around a corner holding a gun to Eames' head.

"Drop your guns."

A/N-Sorry for the long chapter, wasn't sure how to break it up without losing the pace/suspense/buildup. Hope you're enjoying it! Many more twists and turns are on their way for our three friends! Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thanks :)