Thanks so much for all the reviews - they mean a lot and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Not so stressed this week - can't promise any let up for the boys just yet, though!

Chapter Nine

Back at Charlie's, Jeff was still trying to come to terms with all that had happened. He couldn't stop thinking about Scott, John and Virgil, wondering just what they were going through and imagining all sorts of horrors. He took comfort in the knowledge that at least two of his boys were safe, gazing down fondly upon a sleepy Alan who had now snuggled up against his father, his bear held tightly in his arms. Jeff put an arm around each of his boys, pulling them close for comfort – his and theirs. They could be all he had left now. Keeping an anxious watch on the two policemen who stood in conference a short distance away, he wondered what was going on. The police had told him that the first of the squad cars had reached the stadium but had seen nothing suspicious so far. They would just have to wait for the area to be searched, which couldn't happen until they could gain access. More cars were on the way and when the stadium was surrounded, then the police could make their move. There were too many entrances and the building was simply too big for a few officers to deal with. It would have to be a carefully planned move inside.

The logic of the argument didn't make Jeff feel any easier about the time it was taking to get news of his boys. This feeling of helplessness was absolute torture. The waiting was the worst part, he thought, as his mind slipped back to the traumatic time when Virgil had been kidnapped. The horribly familiar feelings of loss and desperation were beginning to overwhelm him once more. He tried to hold onto the knowledge that Virgil had come back safe – if not sound – but he doubted he'd be so lucky a second time. Surely this last year with Virgil hadn't just been borrowed time? And even if Virgil made it out, what would his emotional state be, enduring something like this for a second time? Then there were his other boys to worry about too. It was all just too much.

He wished he could have another drink – in fact, he would have liked the whole bottle - anything to take away the fear and stress. Instead, he forced himself to keep talking, trying to convince Gordon that everything was going to be alright, all the time aware that he didn't really believe it himself. Alan was asleep and he was relieved that at least someone was being spared the worry. Checking his watch again, he wondered how much longer he'd have to wait before his mother arrived to take care of Gordon and Alan so that he could get himself over to the stadium. He needed to be near his other boys, to know exactly what was going on.


Virgil shuffled miserably down the corridor towards the open window. His heart told him to get back downstairs and help his brothers; his head told him that that was madness. He forced himself to think rationally and knew that he had no way of helping them now. There was nothing he could do. More than that, he felt uneasy about what he'd already done. Should he have even bothered to try to help Scott? If he'd left him alone he might still be safe in the lobby, ignored by his captors. Had he just made things worse?

He gazed hopelessly out of the window. He'd expected that the police would have arrived by now but there was no sign of them. Where was the help he was so desperate for? Had something happened to his younger brothers to stop them from getting to a phone? Had they been caught again? He felt suddenly sick, wondering if he'd put Gordon and Alan in more danger by sending them off alone. His thoughts drifted back to Scott and John. There was no question as to their fate – they were going to get taken away as hostages, maybe even killed, and he was just going to have to let it happen. It was all his fault. He choked back a sob as he picked up the cables and began to feed them through the window, preparing to get himself out and be safely reunited with his father. He'd have to live with the guilt, of course, knowing that he'd abandoned two, if not four of his brothers, and he knew that no amount of counselling would make things better if anything happened to them. His father would surely never forgive him - and he'd never forgive himself. Unconsciously twisting and untwisting the cables, he knew he should start to climb out. But he stayed where he was, just staring wretchedly out into the night.

Virgil was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the door at the end of the corridor click open. He was totally oblivious to the shaft of light which lit up the corridor as the door opened and a figure came through, only to come to an abrupt halt at the sight of one of his captives free and about to escape.

Ryan froze as he took in the sight of Virgil standing at the window, about to make his escape. He was about to shout to him to stay put, then realised that the boy was just staring into space, apparently unaware of his presence. Taking his chance, he began to creep towards him, ready to grab him and drag him back to the delivery bay. He didn't know where the other two were – he assumed that they were already out of the building and had raised the alarm, which would explain the presence of the police – but at least he would have one more captive to bargain with.

Virgil still hadn't moved, the same miserable thoughts going round and round in his head. He felt so alone and helpless. The last time he'd felt like this was when he'd been held captive by the Redmans. But at least then he'd had the hope of eventually being reunited with his family. What did he have to look forward to now? He couldn't imagine life without Scott and the others. He remembered Scott telling him of the family's reaction to his kidnapping and the fear of never seeing him again.

"The house was too quiet," Scott had said. "Even before you were taken, when you were just away doing your art thing, it wasn't right. It wasn't the same when there were only four of us there. I couldn't have coped with that forever, Virg."

Virgil knew what he meant now – the prospect of a life with only two brothers for company – or, far, far worse, being left alone – was unbearable. He couldn't face that. The cables fell from his hand as he came to his decision. There would be no running away. Whatever the cost, he had to try to help his brothers. Scott would be angry that he'd given up the chance to escape, but then he knew Scott would have done exactly the same thing. He was terrified – but what else could he do? With a final wistful look out of the window, he turned back towards the door. It was only then that he became aware that he was not alone. Ryan was just a few feet away.

For a moment their eyes locked. Then a look of anger flashed across the older man's face and Virgil, already shaken by Ryan's sudden appearance, was suddenly transported back to the moment when Luke Redman had caught him trying to escape. He panicked. For a moment he considered throwing himself through the window, hoping that he could grab hold of the cables before he tumbled towards the ground. Then he realised that there was no time. Ryan would be able to grab him before he could get away. Backing away as Ryan launched himself at him, he stumbled backwards over something. Crushing the box which the younger boys had stood on in order to reach the window, he crashed to the floor with Ryan on top of him.

Ryan had the advantage of height and weight and Virgil could do nothing to fight him. For a moment he was too terrified to do anything. It looked as though history was going to repeat itself and he'd be a hostage once again. If only he hadn't wasted so much time feeling sorry for himself - he felt as much of a failure for allowing Ryan to capture him as he'd felt when he'd decided to make his escape. So much for helping his brothers, he thought, but at least they'd all be together now. Not wanting to think about what might happen to him, Virgil tried to think about something – anything - else. He realised he was pretty uncomfortable with Ryan still keeping him pinned down, and he knew he was going to have more bruises to add to the collection he'd received courtesy of Scott. He wasn't sure what he was lying on – whatever had been in the box, he supposed, but he was painfully aware of something digging into his back.

"Stay where you are," Ryan ordered as he stood up and drew his gun.

When he finally told Virgil to get up, the boy gratefully rolled over and started to get onto his hands and knees, relieved to no longer have whatever it was he'd been lying on – a can of polish, apparently – digging into his back.

"I suppose you got Scott free," Ryan said. "I'm surprised he could even walk - guess Mitch didn't hit him hard enough."

A flash of fury shot through Virgil at the memory of Scott, so weak and helpless. Not caring about the consequences, he reached for the canister which lay in front of him, twisting round and aiming it at Ryan.

Ryan let the gun drop to the floor and fell backwards with a scream of agony. Virgil was almost as surprised as the other man and he looked at Ryan in dismay as he clawed at his face, gasping for breath. He guessed that the polish he'd sprayed into Ryan's face had done some serious damage, but he couldn't help that. He hadn't had time to think about it - and even if he had done, he didn't think he would have done anything different. He decided that he'd better take the opportunity whilst he could. As Ryan rolled on the floor, his captive forgotten, Virgil made a grab for the keys which hung from his belt. Ryan didn't even notice, just continuing to whimper in pain.

"There's a basin in the room you put us in. You can wash your eyes out in there," Virgil said, wondering why he even cared.

Ryan managed to get himself onto his hands and knees but obviously had no idea of which direction to go. His face was red and his swollen eyes streamed and he was obviously focused on nothing more than relieving the agony he felt. Virgil pushed him in the direction of the store room, watched him crawl in and then slammed the door shut, quickly locking it. Then he sat with his back to the door, trying to get his heart rate and breathing under control. He was shaking, whether with shock or with triumph he wasn't sure. He'd done it – Ryan was out of the picture and he had the keys to the doors. It was another chance to get himself out – and let the police in when they arrived - but where would that leave his brothers? At least now there were only two men holding them captive – their chances had to be better. Could he really do anything to help them? He knew that overpowering Ryan had been a chance in a million, he couldn't be so lucky again. What was he going to do? They were armed and they had nothing to lose. Then he caught his breath at the sight of something lying on the ground and he stared at it for a long time, conflicting thoughts rushing through his head – it was Ryan's gun.

Twice he reached out for the gun before snatching his hand back as if he'd been burned. He didn't want to touch it – he knew just what it could do, he'd had nightmares about it for months. But it was the one thing which would help him save his brothers...

Finally he got a finger to it, a shiver running through him at the coldness of the metal. His hand closed around the barrel and he lifted it, holding it at arm's length, just staring at it. He pictured himself marching down to the delivery bay, buoyed with the confidence the weapon would give him, taking out Mitch and Carl with a couple of well-aimed shots, watching coldly as they crashed to the floor and the blood began to slowly pool around them.

Then the flashback hit him and all thoughts of shooting Carl and Mitch were lost – suddenly he was right back at the scene of his kidnapping, reliving the last moments of Mike Donovan's life. He could hear the sound the bullet had made as it tore through Mike's flesh... feel the warm spatter of blood which had hit his arm... hear the thud of Mike's body hitting the ground... see him shuddering violently for a moment then falling still... Virgil could feel the panic and shock start to take over again.

With a cry he dragged himself back to a reality which was no less terrifying. Then he hurled the gun away with all the strength he could find. It clattered to the ground and skidded away. Virgil sat there for a few minutes, shivering violently, wondering if he'd done the right thing. But it was the only thing as far as he was concerned. It was no good - he just couldn't bring himself to carry the gun. He couldn't leave either. He came to his decision – even if it meant facing two armed men, he was going to try to help his brothers. Despite the feeling that he was probably crazy, the decision brought a comforting measure of relief.

Slowly he got to his feet, forcing himself to head towards the door. If he'd looked out of the window he'd have seen a police car pull up and a couple of officers emerge, but he didn't think to check. All he could think of was that his brothers needed him and he wasn't going to abandon them. No one else in his family was going to go through what he'd been through if there was even the slightest chance he could prevent it. He had to keep going. Even if he had to face the same long nightmare of recovery again, he knew he had no choice. He couldn't face life without his brothers.


Scott and John - both now bound hand and foot – sat uneasily at the back of the loading bay. John twisted and squirmed, trying to relieve his aching muscles. With his hands bound he hadn't been able to offer much help to Scott beyond allowing him to lean on him all the way back to the delivery bay. Between that and all the fetching and carrying he'd done for Carl and his friends, he was exhausted. He jumped as someone outside banged on the shutter door and rattled the lock, then looked up to see an agitated Mitch pointing the gun at the two of them.

"Keep quiet!" Mitch hissed.

"You won't get away," John pointed out calmly. "Why don't you just give yourselves up?"

"Shut up!" Mitch yelled, earning a swipe across the ear from Carl.

"Keep it down – do you want them to hear us?"

Mitch turned on Carl.

"They'll have the place surrounded by now. I told you – we have to let them know we've got hostages."

"Talking of hostages – Ryan's taking his time," Carl commented, glancing at his watch. "When he's here we'll decide what to do."

John and Scott exchanged concerned glances. Scott had managed a whispered account of Virgil's actions and both boys were worried about their younger brother. If he'd run into Ryan he'd be in real trouble. But if Ryan had caught him – or simply discovered that the three youngest boys had escaped, surely he'd have returned by now. What was going on?


As Virgil slowly crept along the corridor he was unaware of the patrol units which gradually began to surround the stadium. He vaguely registered the distant sound of a helicopter, but it didn't occur to him that it might be a sign that help was on its way. All he could think about was finding his brothers. The universe had narrowed to just this one corridor and who knew what he'd find at the end? He just wanted to get it over with and he picked up speed, heading quietly towards the delivery bay.


Jeff had spent only the briefest of moments with his mother before hastening off to the stadium to see for himself the efforts which were being made to help his other sons. He'd been directed to the delivery bay entrance and as he stepped out of his car he took in the picture in front of him. He'd expected frantic activity and the relative quiet of the scene infuriated him. The only activity seemed to be coming from a helicopter hovering overhead. Ignoring the guiding hand of the policeman who was now trying to move him towards a police van, he spotted the familiar figure of the Chief of Police and he headed towards him, intent on finding out just what was being done to save his boys.

"Frank?" he called as he approached. The man didn't respond, being more concerned with the conversation he was having over his radio, so Jeff strode more quickly towards him, ignoring the pleas of the policeman to leave the Chief to do his job.

Tapping Frank Linley on the shoulder, he was finally rewarded with the man's attention. Two big wheels in a relatively small city, civic functions had been their only meeting grounds until Virgil's kidnapping, when the Chief had provided officers to protect the rest of the family from the hordes of journalists who had besieged their house. He'd continued his support following Virgil's return home and over the subsequent months the two men had become friends.

"Just give me a minute, Jeff," Linley said, turning back to his conversation before grabbing a pen and pad and making frantic notes. Desperately trying to contain himself, Jeff forced himself to be patient, reminding himself that the man was doing a job, albeit a lot more slowly than he'd have liked. Finally, Linley ended his call, then called to the officers closest to him to gather round.

"Okay, the guys in the helicopter have scanned the building. There are seven people in there. Four are in the delivery bay behind us. Probably our guys and a hostage – anyone else would have had that door open by now and be out here with us. They don't seem to want to make a move, probably keeping an eye on us. I'm going to try to negotiate with them in a minute."

Jeff wanted to say something but forced himself to hold his tongue as he caught Linley's eye.

The Chief continued,

"One is in the lobby. We know from Gordon Tracy's statement that the security guard and Scott Tracy were there. Presumably it's one of them. Where the other one has gone is anyone's guess, but we know Virgil Tracy is free to move around in there and he could well have got his brother free. There's another one apparently upstairs and one more on the move heading towards the delivery bay. There's no way of knowing who's who. The manager's on her way and we'll have the doors open soon. Then we'll go after the two who are on their own. The others can be pinned down in the delivery bay. For now, everyone just stay alert."

He turned to Jeff and beckoned him a little way away from the others.

"How are you, Jeff?"

"I'm fine," Jeff said dismissively - as if he'd ever admit to the feelings of terror which possessed him as he heard his sons' situation outlined so clinically. "What's going on?"

"You heard – you know as much as I do. I would guess that our guys have got their hostages in the delivery bay, but I won't go charging in without knowing a bit more about what's going on. Your boys are the priority. I want them out safely."

Jeff felt relieved. The hatred he felt for his sons' captors was overwhelming, but he'd rather see them go free than risk any of his boys.

"You're going to talk to them?"

"Yes, just as soon as I know who we've got in there. I've got someone on the way with the keys to the main doors – one of the managers is coming in to give us some help with the layout and advise us on the best entry points. The trouble is that this is such a huge building. There are so many doors that it's going to be impossible to cover them all if they split up. I want these men cornered."

He looked at the billionaire with sympathy. "How do you think your boys will be holding up?"

Jeff sighed. "Scott's hurt. Gordon said he was knocked out. If he's awake he'll be more worried about his brothers than himself. John can probably handle this okay. He'll be psychoanalysing his captors. I just hope he doesn't try to be too clever and antagonise them. Virgil..."

Jeff didn't know what to say about Virgil's likely state of mind.

"He's a brave kid, Jeff. To stay in there after everything that happened to him last summer... Do you think he can handle it?"

"I don't know." The anguish in Jeff's voice was evident as his feelings came pouring out. "It took him so long to get over what happened to him. It was his last counselling session tonight. We were going to celebrate at the game. I don't know what this is going to do to him. I'm proud of him for staying there... but I'm terrified that he'll break down. I can't even imagine what he thought he was going to do. Will he put himself in danger to save his brothers? I don't know. I don't even know if I want him to. I just want them all out of there."

Frank was silent for a moment. "We've got paramedics standing by for Scott and Jim Hanson. We're not going to rush into anything that's likely to hurt your other boys." He watched as another car arrived and a woman got out and was pointed in his direction. "Looks like that's the manager. Now we can get moving. Come on, stick with me. And Jeff?"

"What?"

"Don't do anything to interfere. I know those are your boys in there, but I know what I'm doing, okay?"

"Okay," Jeff said reluctantly. He knew he was going to find it next to impossible to let someone else bargain for his sons' lives. He couldn't promise to stay quiet if there was any way he could influence events. And he had one bargaining chip which Frank didn't – money. He was quite prepared to pay these men whatever they wanted if it meant saving his sons.

Several cars took groups of officers back around to the lobby and Jeff accepted the offer of a place in Frank's car, agreeing to stay there once things got moving. He watched tensely from his seat as the police prepared to enter the building. Once outside the main entrance it took only seconds for them to unlock the huge glass doors and enter the dark, seemingly deserted lobby. It was only a few moments more before the lights came on and a policewoman came to the door, yelling for the paramedics. Another officer came running over to Frank with the news that they'd found Jim. Jeff sat back in his seat and waited impatiently as word came that the officers were heading upstairs to find out who else had been left alone.


Ryan had finally soothed his burning eyes enough to consider opening them. He gazed around blurrily, thinking that if the boys had found a way out then perhaps he could too. When he saw the hole where the vent had been he knew it was far too small to allow him to get out, but he climbed up and stuck his head out anyway. When the door at the end of the corridor opened and the first policeman came through he knew it was all over. Dropping to the floor he waited wearily for his arrest, wondering how he could bring himself to admit that he'd been overpowered by a twelve year old boy.


Word came over Frank's radio that they'd got one of the men. He'd been locked in a store room, though he wasn't saying much about how he'd got there. Frank looked at Jeff with a smile.

"Well, it looks like one of your boys has been busy."

Jeff couldn't return the smile. There were still two men left and three of his boys missing.

"Okay," Frank said, taking up his radio. "We're moving in." He directed a group of officers towards the delivery bay to cut off escape that way. Then he took Jeff back to the delivery bay entrance where more officers were waiting.

"As soon as my men are in position I'm going to start negotiating with them," he said. "If it is one of your boys heading back there, hopefully my men can pick him up and get him out before he gets too close to the others."


Virgil had nearly reached the delivery bay. He no longer felt fear, just a sense of calm as he approached his destination. He still didn't know what he was going to do when he got there – all he was focused on was putting one foot in front of the other and getting to his brothers. Everything else had been blanked out. He came to a sharp turn in the corridor and paused. To his left was an office door, the glass window allowing a shaft of light to illuminate the corridor. Glancing through the window he saw that one side of the room was made up of windows looking into the delivery bay. There were lights on in the bay and he guessed he'd found his brothers. Pausing for a moment he decided that the office just might offer more of a way forward than the bay itself - maybe he could get a good look at what was going on inside. Pushing the door, he found it locked, and he began to sort through Ryan's keys to find one which fitted.

The police were making their way towards the delivery bay. They were moving quietly though, and Virgil didn't hear them – he was in his own world anyway and probably wouldn't have registered them even if they'd come charging along at top speed. Finally finding the right key, he quickly and quietly slipped into the office, pulling the door closed behind him.

Creeping towards the window which looked into the bay, Virgil quickly poked his head up just enough to get a quick glance in before ducking back down again. It had been enough. He'd seen John and Scott tied up at the back of the bay and Mitch and Carl standing at the door, apparently listening intently to something outside. No Gordon and Alan though, and his heart soared at this – they'd made it out. In fact, it looked as though the police were outside. He could let them take over. He debated whether to abandon his rescue attempt and just get himself out, but then decided he'd rather wait to see his brothers safely released. After all, there was no guarantee that Carl and Mitch were going to give themselves up. Virgil knew from his own experiences that men at risk of capture were at their most dangerous.

Looking around the office he wondered if there was anything which might be useful to him. A shelving unit held a number of tools and he pounced jubilantly on a box cutter, hoping he might be able to free his brothers. He risked looking out of the window again. Nothing had changed. Thinking for a moment, he decided it was worth a shot. Mitch and Carl still had their backs to his brothers and there was quite a distance between them. Quickly and quietly he crept back through the door.

Reaching the large double doors to the delivery bay he had a moment's doubt. Would the two men really be so distracted by whatever was going on outside that he'd be able to get in without being noticed? He decided he had no choice but to try. Slowly pushing the door handle, he held his breath and the lock clicked open. There was no response from inside. Pushing open the door a fraction he looked through to see Mitch and Carl with their backs to him, still standing across the bay beside the outer doors. Quickly pushing the door open just enough to get himself through, he slipped into the delivery bay, letting the door shut behind him. Out in the corridor, the first of the policemen rounded the corner and came to a halt, reporting back to Frank Linley that they were in position. Now all they could do was wait.


"My men are in place," Linley told Jeff. "They haven't found whoever was heading to the delivery bay. But if they're all in there at least they're cornered. We can start negotiating."

Jeff said nothing, just staring at the shutter doors. Just an inch of metal separated him from his sons, but it might as well have been miles. He tried to remember some of the coping techniques Virgil had told him about but the only one he could remember was to hum a tune and he'd never been musical. Instead he resorted to his preferred techniques – pacing and frowning.


John was the first to spot Virgil and he stared at his brother in utter disbelief, silently mouthing at him to get himself out of there. It didn't work, though and Virgil, with frequent nervy glances at Carl and Mitch, quickly made his way towards his brothers. Scott finally realised what was going on and cast him a furious - if slightly unfocused - glare which made Virgil flinch. He decided to free John first, reasoning that Scott was going to need both of them to help him get away safely. If they could get out of the bay and make a run for it then he could unlock a door and get them out. Then the police could move in and it would all be over. A voice told him that it couldn't possibly be that easy but he refused to listen.

Sliding behind John he quickly cut his bonds. John rounded angrily on his brother, but, mindful of his captors who thankfully were still engrossed with listening to whatever was going on outside, said nothing. His expressions and gestures made his feelings perfectly clear, though and Virgil was glad to turn his attention to Scott. He was working on the ropes which held his feet, reasoning that at least that way Scott would be able to make a run for it, when there was a sudden, loud banging at the door.

"This is the police," came the muffled voice of Frank Linley from outside. "Give yourselves up, we have you surrounded."

All three boys jumped and the knife slipped in Virgil's hand, almost slicing into Scott's ankle. But he kept going, even though he knew there was little time left. John was on his feet by now, flexing his arms and legs to get the circulation going again and he watched in horror as Mitch and Carl turned back to their captives. Although Virgil hadn't stopped working on the ropes, John realised that there was no time left to free Scott. He looked at his older brother, knowing immediately what Scott wanted him to do even before Scott uttered the words.

"Leave me! Get Virgil out of here!"

With no time for anything more than a nod of understanding, John grabbed a protesting Virgil and dragged him back towards the door as the two men started running towards them.

Mitch drew his gun, only to have it pushed down again by Carl.

"Are you crazy? You start shooting and they'll storm the place. We'll have no chance."

"John, what are you doing?" Virgil gasped, trying to twist out of John's grasp.

"No time." John had nearly got his brother to the door. "Come on."

"No! I'm not leaving him! Not again!" Virgil struggled to get back to Scott, trying to disengage John's hands from his arm, but the older boy kept hold, pulling him away. As he got the door open Virgil twisted round again, nearly causing John to fall.

"Come on!" John urged, hearing the footsteps of his captors echoing close behind. As he got the door open he saw the police waiting outside and felt a tremendous sense of relief. He stepped through the door, managing to get a couple of paces outside before he was pulled back sharply. Stumbling backwards and crashing to the ground, he lost his hold on Virgil, looking up to see that Mitch had got hold of his younger brother and was waving his gun in the direction of the police.

"Get away!" he yelled. "I'll shoot him!"

John had fallen on the corridor side of the door whilst Mitch was still inside the bay. He edged towards the police, one of whom was holding out a hand to him. Another held his gun sideways in a gesture of appeasement.

"Okay, we want the boys back safe. You just calm down, okay?"

Although Mitch was in plain sight there was no way to get a shot at him without risking hitting Virgil and the police backed away, shielding John just in case Mitch decided he wanted him back. But Mitch had enough to deal with as Virgil squirmed and kicked out at him. He dragged Virgil back, kicking the door closed behind him. It slammed shut, leaving John safely in the hands of the police, full of horror at the realisation that things had just got a lot more serious for Scott and Virgil. He ignored the policeman who was frantically asking him if he was okay and barely registered the woman who was reporting his escape via her radio. Relieved as he was to be safe, he realised that he'd rather be back inside helping his brothers. He understood Virgil's actions better now. As a policeman guided him back along the corridor, all the while questioning him about his experience, he began to imagine all the terrible things which might be happening back in the bay.