"Hey mister? Mister!"

It took Noah a while to realise that the cab had stopped and that the driver was talking to him. His ears were ringing and he felt like throwing up.

"Are you sure this is where you want me to drop you?" The driver asked incredulously, peering out the windscreen at the dark and derelict building ahead of them. From what could be seen via the pool of light from the car's headlamps, most if not all of the windows in the old apartment block were broken and weeds grew high around the perimeter of the property. The place had definitely seen better days.

Noah didn't respond. He couldn't. He was literally keeping himself together by a piece of cotton. Instead he paid the driver and climbed out of the car, holding the roof briefly to find his footing on rubber legs.

"Do you want me to wait?" The driver asked concerned.

Noah shook his head, his gaze never leaving the sinister looking building. He removed his hand so that the cab could drive off, before following his father's instructions and heading around to the back of the property.

Rubbish, glass and debris lay scattered everywhere causing Noah to trip up once or twice. But then he wasn't really watching his footing, his eyes searched for one thing, for one person only… Luke!

Just then his phone rang; piercing the quiet and making him jump. He checked the display and saw that it was Lilly. She had been calling every ten minutes since he'd left the apartment, but he couldn't risk talking to her. His father's instructions had been clear. Besides, he knew what she would say. Luke wasn't at Grimaldi Shipping headquarters because he was right here. He was here, somewhere in this building, and so was his father.

With trepidation he turned the phoned to mute.

It didn't take him long to find the basement door, since it was the only part of the building emitting a soft glow. Ignoring the "CONDEMNED DO NOT ENTER" sign he pushed open the door and it squeaked loudly making him cringe. Not that he had the element of surprise anyway… his father knew he was coming.

Steep steps led from the heavy iron door down under the building and the light grew brighter the further he descended. Finally the last step opened out into a large basement space filled with old discarded furniture and boxes. The place had a musty smell and he was sure he caught the aroma of something long dead, most likely a rat. Parts of the old ceiling tiles were peeling off where water had leaked through over the years and the sounds of dripping echoed throughout. Pipes and wires crisscrossed the walls and, at the end of the room he spotted a hefty wire meshed box, the kind put in place to prevent unqualified persons from reaching the main electricity supplies. Noah wondered briefly how his father had managed to get the lights working.

It was only as he moved cautiously closer that he saw him, secured within the wire caging and lying front down on a dirty camp bed, one arm and one leg dangling inertly off the side, his head turned in Noah's direction. His eyes closed.

"Luke!" he yelled as he ran up to the caging. "Luke, oh my god! Luke, can you hear me?"

His fingers hooked into the wire meshing of the cage gate and he noticed that it was securely fastened with a giant padlock. He shook at it, praying for a weak spot and then, realising there wasn't one, flew at the cage in a wild panic and rage. Loud grunts and moans of frustration and fear escaped his lips as he pushed and pulled on the entrance, willing it to open, "Please!" he screamed over and over, "Please, please, please!"

It wouldn't budge.

Eventually he stood back, wide eyes scanning the wire wall in front of him, staring at this conundrum. He was completely out of breath and the worry he felt at Luke's apparently lifeless body was consuming him. He knelt down on the floor as close to Luke's head as he could get. He watched him intently, desperate for any movement, a twitch or a sign of breath.

"Luke? Please move baby…. If you can hear me please… move just a bit." But there was nothing and the tears falling down his face were blurring his vision. He felt completely exhausted, lost and helpless, his right hand holding onto the wire meshing, desperate to touch him.

"Please be okay…"

...

Lilly was bordering on hysterical now. Just as she'd hung up the phone again, Holden burst through the front door, a look of horror on his face, "Lilly!"

"Holden! Oh Holden, thank god you're home! Luke's missing!"

A frown crossed Holden's brow, "Since when?"

"We're not sure, I just checked with GS and he didn't show up for work today. Noah told me he left for his flight this morning as planned, but he hasn't heard from Luke since then. And now I can't reach Noah either!"

The look on Holden's face caused her to pause, "What is it?"

He glanced up at her with terrified eyes, "I had a call a few minutes ago. It was the FBI. They wanted Noah's new phone number…"

"Noah? Why?"

"They wanted to warn him… Winston Mayer escaped last night. He's on the run."

Both of Lilly's hands went up to her face and instantly she knew, without a shadow of doubt, where the Colonel had headed the first chance he got… to Noah and subsequently to Luke. Quickly she dialled Noah's phone again, but she already knew that there would be no answer.

...

Noah was standing, his back to Luke, subconsciously shielding him. He was staring across the basement, his blue eyes locked with those of his father. Someone he had hoped never to see again. Standing next to him in a smart black suit, was a large burly looking man with a black eye.

"One of his henchmen." Noah thought in disgust. The African American approached him and promptly patted him down, removing the contents of his pockets, including his phone. He looked familiar but Noah wasn't sure from where.

After a few minutes his father crossed the space between them and to Noah's shock threw his arms around him in a tight hug. He flinched and his hands hung as his side. He didn't move. Finally his father pulled back and put a hand on each of Noah's shoulders, studying him before saying, "I've missed you, son. You look good!"

"Dad…"

"I've waited a long time for this Noah." His father quickly interrupted and started pacing around in small circles as he spoke, "I had to bring up the date a little, when I heard that this worm had squirmed his way back into your life."

He motioned with his head in Luke's general direction and Noah could feel anger boiling up deep inside him.

"You were doing so well my son! You KNOW I never really approved of this career choice of yours, but you seem to be good at it and you seem to have taken it seriously. I was proud to hear about that!" He stopped pacing suddenly and stared straight at Noah, his grey eyes searing into him, "So why? You finally got yourself out from under this one's spell and then you fall right back into it again! Why?"

Noah was stunned! He had no idea what to do…. How was this possible? How could his father actually be standing in front of him? This was a nightmare! It just HAD to be!

"But, no matter, we won't let it come between us again, will we?" The Colonel's mood changed from anger to contentment so quickly it made Noah feel disorientated and put him even more on edge. Winston patted Noah's shoulder. "The arrangements were already made, so I thought it really didn't matter if we were a little earlier then originally planned."

"Early for what?" Noah had to maintain his calm. He knew how unstable his father could be. He had personal experience of it! And from what he could tell, his father seemed to have fallen even deeper into his own world of dellusionment. Noah knew that any wrong move on his part could mean death for Luke.

"If he's not already dead." A pitiless voice said somewhere deep inside him. No, no! He wouldn't go there! Luke was fine. He HAD to be!

"You and me, Noah!" his father replied as though it was obvious. "It's time for us to end this feud…. We are going to leave this place my son. We are going to go far away, where we can be together, forever…"

Noah's heart dropped to his shoes as he tried to keep his voice level, "Okay. Okay Dad. Anything you want. I'll go with you but… but please… just please let Luke go."

His father snorted with disdain, "This waste of space will survive Noah… as long as you come with me quietly."

Every bad word about Luke that streamed from his father's mouth was like a punch in Noah's gut. But he couldn't rise to it. He couldn't do anything to anger the Colonel. There was no telling what the man would do but Noah couldn't just stand there! He had to at least try to help Luke. "I'll come with you Dad, but on one condition…"

"You are in no position to be handing me conditions!"

Again the sudden switch to rage. Noah was nervous at this but he persevered, taking the chance. "I want you to let me in there to check on Luke first. Otherwise I'm not going."

The Colonel looked as though he was going to refuse but then seemed to change his mind, "Unlock it Joshua…"

As soon as the lock was removed Noah bolted through the gate, flinging it hard so that it bounced back with a loud bang playing on his already frazzled nerves. He knelt down next the cot and pushed the blonde hair back from Luke's face. He felt warm and Noah sighed with relief, "Thank god", until he noticed that Luke was more than warm, he was boiling and sticky with sweat.

"Luke?" Nothing, no response.

"What's wrong with him?" Noah asked, turning to his father while still holding his hand on Luke's forehead, "He's burning up! What have you done?"

He could no longer keep the anger out of his voice.

"It's his fault!" was the response. "He attacked me! I really didn't have any choice. Lucky for him it's just a flesh wound. I'm trained to miss the vital organs… if required."

At that Noah felt his entire being start to shake and, filled with dread, he gently pushed Luke over, onto his back. He gasped loudly in horror at the blood soaked sheets Luke's body had been hiding from sight, "No!" he cried in anguish, placing his hands and face on Luke's cheeks, "No! Please! Luke? Luke!"
He pulled Luke's shirt up and exposed the large gash in his side where the knife had pierced him. "Oh no! S**t! S**t! No!"

Tears streamed down his face and his hands felt like butter but by some grace his military upbringing clicked in and, shuddering, he tore a long strip from the bed sheet and wrapped it tightly around Luke's torso as best he could, praying it would be enough to stem the bleeding.

"It's okay, you're going to be okay!" he whispered in Luke's ear as he tied the sheets together, hoping that Luke could at least hear him. "I'm here! I'm going to take care of you…"

Suddenly he felt two huge hands grip him from behind as Joshua pulled him back and away from Luke, "No, no! Let go of me!" and he tried to cling to the cage entrance, "Luke! Luke!"

...

Once Joshua had secured him, kicking and screaming, into the front seat of the car, Noah watched in dismay as they carried Luke out together and threw him heavily into the trunk. Noah jumped with fright as he heard Luke's body thump in the back. He turned quickly to his father as he climbed into the driver's seat, while Joshua got in the rear, "Why are you taking Luke?"

"Insurance." He replied coldly.

"I'm coming with you aren't I? You don't need him!"

"Once we are out of the city we'll drop him off."

Noah studied him, trying to gauge him.

"Okay." Noah reasoned eventually, "Okay…" It was difficult to think, "If you have to bring him... could you… could you at least put him in the back seat? Please Dad?"

"That maggot is not riding up front with me! I'm getting tired of you Noah! You are to obey my orders and shut up right now, or I'll end him! You hear?"

Noah fought back the tears and replied. "Yes sir."

...

They drove for more than an hour through the busy lamp lit streets of LA and all Noah could think about was Luke suffering in the trunk of the car. He looked down and noticed that his hands were stained with Luke's blood. Luke's blood! His brain still didn't want to comprehend the reality of their situation. He threw his head back and sent silent messages of courage to him, hoping he would receive them.

Periodically, when he could no longer ignore the absolute terror he felt for Luke, he would try again to convince his father to drop him off somewhere. Noah desperately wanted to check on him. But each time he asked it seemed to anger the Colonel more and more, and Noah didn't know how hard he could push.

...

Luke could hear a sweet voice like a lullaby somewhere in the distance. He wanted to be near that voice, knowing it could help him feel better, so he fought his way through the darkness, following the melodic sound.

...

Occasionally Noah would look back and he would catch the dark eyes of the silent man in the back seat. Eventually something clicked into place and he said, "I've seen you before..."

The man said nothing.

"A few times at Cafe Latte across the street… and that was you at the pier yesterday… wasn't it? You've been following me…"

Still nothing.

"That's your job? To follow me around?"

The large man shrugged slightly and Noah's father said, "Joshua has been following you for quite sometime now."

Noah turned to him, streams of cold running through his blood, "How long?"

"I've had somebody follow you since I heard you lost your sight. I wanted to check on you." He looked over and smiled at him in a loving way that made those same streams turn to ice. "Joshua has been looking over you since you arrived in Los Angeles."

Noah said nothing, just shook his head. Two years! His father had had him followed for two whole years!

...

Eventually luke was at last able to open his heavy eyelids. He suffered a minor freak out when all he saw was more darkness, but then he remembered. He felt the motion, and he realised he must be back in the trunk of the silver BMW. He felt like he was on fire and the calming voice he had heard seemed to have stopped. His heart cried out in pain at the loss of it.

A piercing throb ran down the side of his body and he tentatively felt the makeshift bandage around his waist, wincing as his fingers found the wound. Well… at least it seemed the Colonel wanted him alive… for now.

He suddenly recalled that his attempt to neutralize the Colonel had gone horribly wrong. The instant he realised Colonel Mayer was behind the abduction he knew he was going to be used to bait Noah. He couldn't let that happen. He knew the Colonel was far more equipped for a fight than he, but at that moment all that had mattered was keeping Noah safe. He hadn't even seen the knife.

He was just wondering how long he'd been out for when he heard the beautiful voice again, only this time, instead of the peace it had brought him before, all he felt was dread and his conscious mind now recognised the suppressed alarm in the tone.

"Dad?" The voice was cautious, fearful. "Where are we going?"

"Noah!" he tried to call out but his throat was so dry that nothing happened. He could feel panic quickly building. Noah was in the car! His Noah! Noah was in the car with his psycho father!

"We're going to a better place son."

"What does that mean Dad?"

"Do you remember when you were nine we went fishing at that cabin up at Big Bear Lake? We had a really good time. Do you remember?"

"Yes. Is that where we're going? The cabin?"

"Yes Noah. That's where we end things. That's where we'll finally be together."

Luke felt his heart freeze. It had suddenly become difficult to breathe.

"Okay but Dad? We're almost out of LA now so… do you think we could just drop Luke off? Please Dad. You don't need him." And then quickly, trying to placate him, "WE don't need him."

The Colonel must have believed or have wanted to believe Noah because after a few minutes he said, "There's a roadside motel coming up in about ten minutes. We'll leave him there."

Luke's last thoughts before weakness and alarm claimed him again were, "Hell No! No freaking way! Not while he still had breath in his body!"