As always, a huge thank you to everyone who's reviewed or put this story on alert.
Chapter Ten
Scott had watched John and Virgil's escape attempt with an increasing feeling of desperation, cursing himself for not being able to help. He knew that if he hadn't been so weak Virgil would have freed him first and he thought he would probably have been able to get his brothers out of there. Even if he hadn't escaped himself he could have coped with being the only one left as long as he'd known his brothers were safe. Now, seeing Virgil being dragged violently backwards by Mitch, his hands clawing uselessly at the arm which gripped his throat so tightly, he was filled with panic, knowing that Mitch was likely to vent his fury on his brother.
As Mitch flung Virgil to the floor, aiming a kick at him for good measure, Scott tried to roll himself in front of his brother, almost tripping Mitch who kicked out at him this time. It was Carl who prevented things from getting out of hand, pulling Mitch back and yelling at him to pull himself together – they were going to need to stay calm if they were to get themselves out of there. They're not the only ones, thought Scott, staring anxiously at Virgil who was still huddled on the ground, trying to get his breath back. Scott couldn't see his face and he prayed his brother could keep hold of the strength which had brought him this far. He'd been surprised and impressed - not to mention infuriated - by Virgil's actions that night, but he knew that his brother could only take so much.
Carl was back at the exit, yelling something about hostages, but Scott wasn't interested in the negotiations at that moment.
"Virgil?" he called, not caring if the men heard him, deciding that they had more pressing concerns now than stopping the brothers from talking. "Virg? Are you okay?"
Finally Virgil turned to face him. Scott was relieved to see that although his brother was obviously terrified, he was managing to stay in control.
"I'm okay," Virgil whispered. He sat up slowly and shuffled closer to his brother, relieved that Scott seemed more like his usual self. "How about you?"
"Never mind me. I thought you were going to get yourself out of here."
"Couldn't leave you."
Scott sighed, "You should have. You should have left me the first time. Still, at least Johnny's safe now."
Virgil looked over to where Carl and Mitch were deep in discussion.
"Do you think they'll take us away with them?" he asked fearfully and Scott could only guess at the memories and emotions his brother was reliving. Ignoring his own concerns, he focused on reassuring his brother.
"I hope not. But even if they do we'll be okay. You know that, don't you? They won't hurt us."
Scott could see that Virgil didn't believe him.
"It's not like last time, Virg. No one knew where you were. We didn't even know what had happened to you until Dad got the ransom demand. This is completely different. You're not alone now – I'm here with you. And we're not going anywhere. The police are outside. Dad's probably there as well giving everyone orders. They'll get us out of here."
"That's what I was trying to do," Virgil pointed out quietly. "It didn't go so well."
"Virg, you did great!" As frustrated as he was at Virgil's failure to do as he had been told and get himself to safety, it really wasn't the right time to yell at his brother. "You got Gordon and Alan out and you got John untied so he could get away. You got me free too in the lobby, it was just bad luck that I got caught again." A thought struck him. "Hey, I didn't hurt you, did I? I think I pushed you down the stairs a bit harder than I meant to."
Virgil shook his head. He didn't see any point in telling Scott about the numerous bruises he'd picked up in his tumble down the stairs. Anyway, he could pretend they'd all come from the encounter with Ryan. As he quietly told his brother about Ryan he felt a surge of pride at Scott's admiring reaction. He didn't mention the gun though - he was trying not to think about it, wishing now that he'd brought it with him. The thought that his fear might have cost him the chance to get Scott out was almost more than he could bear.
"You sure you're okay?" Scott asked with some concern. He thought he'd cheered Virgil up a bit with his enthusiastic – and genuine – praise of his victory over Ryan, but he was worried by the haunted look in his brother's eyes. He'd hoped he'd never see that look again.
"Not too bad," Virgil told him, forcing a smile just to make Scott feel better.
Scott smiled back, trying to comfort his brother in turn. Both their smiles faded as Carl began shouting through the door and Mitch came over to them.
"Get up," he ordered Virgil.
Virgil shot a panicked look at Scott. He could cope – just – with what was happening as long as he was with his brother, but if they were separated... Scott saw the panic in his eyes and was pretty sure it was reflected in his own.
"Come on!" Mitch snapped, grabbing Virgil roughly and propelling him in the direction of the door. Carl stood by the door, ready to open it. He turned to look at Virgil who managed to meet his gaze though his expression was one of terror.
"Right, we need to show them what we're bargaining with. Keep quiet unless I tell you to speak. Got it?"
Virgil nodded dumbly. He doubted he'd be able to put a coherent sentence together anyway right now. Of course that thought triggered the memory of Luke and Dan forcing him to send a message to his father and he fought down yet another wave of panic. Sheer determination stopped him from breaking down. If his father was outside he needed to show him that he could be strong, that these men wouldn't break him as the Redmans had done. With a nervous glance back at Scott who smiled encouragingly, he turned back to the door which Carl had now opened just a fraction, ready to bargain for his freedom and the Tracy boys' lives.
Scott watched anxiously. He thought Carl seemed the more level-headed of his two captors, but he could tell he was getting desperate. He just hoped Mitch would stay calm. He knew he was dangerously hot-headed and he worried about his brother being held tightly by this man, whose hand shook as he pointed the gun at Virgil's head. He wished they'd taken him instead, but knew that the men would go for the smallest and presumably weakest of the two. He wondered what they'd think if they knew Virgil had managed to overpower Ryan.
Jeff and John's reunion had been brief but full of emotion. Neither of them was particularly demonstrative in normal circumstances, but these circumstances were as far from normal as you could get and it was a desperately relieved Jeff who started running towards his son the moment he saw him. A startled yet appreciative John accepted his father's tight embrace for a moment, before struggling free.
Frank Linley and a couple of officers had also come over and they allowed the pair a moment before moving in to hear John's story.
"Are you okay?" Jeff asked, ignoring the police and looking John up and down anxiously.
"I'm fine, Dad," he said and wondered why his voice was suddenly so shaky. "I'm sorry. I couldn't get Virgil out. I tried, but..."
It was unlike John to admit to any kind of weakness or failure and Jeff was touched by his son's uncertainty.
"It's okay, son," he said gently. "It's not your fault. It's those men who are to blame for all this, no one else."
"I know," John said, staring at the ground. "It's just that we were so close to getting out and then Mitch dragged him back. I couldn't hold on."
With admirable composure, John went on to tell them everything that had happened to him. Jeff was proud of his son, though he noted the slight waver in his voice when he spoke of Scott and Virgil and knew this was affecting him more than he was letting on. It was time to get him home, he decided, and his thoughts drifted back to his mother and two youngest sons who must be going out of their minds with worry.
John finished with his thoughts on his captors.
"I think they're just desperate to get away," he said. "But they're getting stressed. They've guessed Ryan's been caught and they know the police have them surrounded. The older one's not too bad, but Mitch Leonard is starting to lose it. He'll be the dangerous one."
Linley considered that piece of information.
"Okay, looks like it's time to get talking."
Whilst the police made plans, Jeff pressed John for more news of Scott and Virgil.
"Are you sure Scott's okay?" he asked. He felt so helpless.
"Well, he's making more sense now than he did when I first bumped into him. He's a bit shaky, but he'll be fine."
The fear eased just a little as Jeff considered that comment. Then he thought once more about his other son and the tension flared again.
"What about Virgil?"
"He seemed pretty calm when he tried to free us. Certainly better than I ever thought he'd be. And he seemed to be thinking pretty clearly. But now he's caught – I just don't know. He really panicked when they caught him the first time. I thought he'd gone back to how he was when he first came home. But he managed to pull himself together. I think having to look after Gordy and Allie kept him calm."
"And now he'll be looking after Scott," Jeff said. "And Scott will be looking after him." He looked at his son. "They'll be fine. This will all be over soon."
John nodded, but he couldn't meet his father's eyes. Both knew that this was a long way from over.
"What's happening now?" John asked.
"They're going to try to negotiate." Jeff looked over at Frank for a moment, desperate to know what he was planning, then turned his attention back to John. "I guess we'd better call Grandma. She must be going frantic waiting to hear what's going on. The boys will want to know you're safe, too."
Jeff handed John his phone so that he could call his grandmother, before reluctantly leaving him in the care of a police officer. As much as he wanted his son with him, he didn't want him going anywhere near his captors again. He walked back towards the delivery bay entrance where Linley was briefing his officers. He needed to speak to him, unhappy about putting his sons' safety in someone else's hands.
"Jeff," the Chief said, registering his grim expression and guessing exactly what he was thinking. "I know what I'm doing. Please, leave this to me."
Jeff looked at him. "Give them whatever they want. I'll cover the cost. I just want my boys back."
"I'll bear that in mind. But what we don't want is them getting out of here with a hostage. You can come with me in case there's a chance to talk to the boys. Just stay calm and stay quiet, okay?"
Jeff nodded in reluctant agreement. Then he tensed as a shout came from the officers nearest the bay doors and guns were drawn and held ready. The small side entrance was slowly opening.
Carl knew his chances of escape were slim. He also knew that Mitch wouldn't go down without a fight. He cursed his luck – this should have been so easy with Ryan on the inside to set everything up. He'd expected to be back at home by now, planning what to do with his share of the takings. Instead he was pinned down and in danger of having his head blown off or, at the very least, facing years in prison. As Mitch kept pointing out, they really had nothing to lose by trying to trade the boys for their freedom. They'd come too far to back out now. Carl wished they'd just given themselves up as soon as the police had arrived – he couldn't see any way out of this. But he had to try. If they could just get well away from the city they could lay low for a while and then start over somewhere a long way away.
He watched as Mitch positioned Virgil in front of him like a shield then pulled the door open. He tensed, half expecting the boy to be hit by a hail of bullets, but the police were evidently well-prepared and no one fired in panic. Moving to stand behind Mitch, he looked out at the scene in front of him. There were too many police cars to count, their flashing lights illuminating the night. Right in front of him stood the Chief of Police with a man he recognised as Jeff Tracy at his side.
Virgil was utterly terrified as the door swung open and he looked out on so many armed police. Then his heart leapt at the sight of his father. If he could have called out he would have, but Mitch had a tight hold around his neck again and it was all he could do to breathe.
Jeff wanted to run to Virgil and tear him from Mitch Leonard's grasp, but he steeled himself to stay quiet and let Linley do his job. Instead he met his son's eyes and smiled, hiding his true feelings, trying to convey the impression that everything was going to be alright. He must have been fairly convincing because the look of terror in Virgil's eyes slowly began to fade and he even managed a weak smile before a grimace of pain flashed over his face as Mitch's grip grew even tighter.
The sight of Virgil being treated so brutally nearly broke Jeff. He started forward and was restrained by the Chief.
"Stay where you are!" Linley whispered frantically, before taking a step forward himself, hands held up in a gesture of peace.
The men's demands for safe passage, an unmarked car and the release of Ryan didn't come as any surprise to Frank Linley. He made it clear that Ryan would not be released but promised to consider their remaining demands. In reality, though, he had no intention of allowing them to leave. He couldn't risk losing them and his experience told him that however much danger Scott and Virgil were in right now, this was nothing to what could happen once the men took them away. He took in the agitation of the younger man who didn't seem to realise how much he was hurting the young boy he held hostage. The other man seemed calmer, though there was a hard look in his eyes which suggested he'd decided he had nothing to lose.
Linley, Carl and Mitch continued to discuss Ryan. Virgil soon lost track of their arguments. He was terrified that Linley would tell his captors exactly what had happened to Ryan and he dreaded to think what Mitch's reaction would be. His head dropped and he stared miserably at the ground as the discussions went on and on.
Jeff hadn't taken his eyes off Virgil and he could see that he was worn out. Worried that this was going to be too much for him, he couldn't restrain himself any longer.
"Are you okay, Virgil?" he asked gently. "How's Scott?"
"Keep quiet!" Mitch hissed, but Carl quietly overruled him.
"Let him speak – we need to look reasonable, don't we?"
"Dad!" Virgil's voice was faint but steady. "I'm alright. Scott's okay too. You need to get him out of here, though."
"We're going to get both of you out," Jeff said, hoping his voice didn't betray his fears. Virgil's miserable expression didn't change though and he didn't meet his father's eyes as he nodded before Mitch tightened his grip around his throat once more.
"Alright," Linley said. "Here's the deal. Forget your friend. Think about yourselves. You release the boys, I give you a car and safe passage out of here."
"Yeah, and have us picked up two minutes later," Mitch laughed. "Not happening. We keep the kids until we're safely away."
"No." They continued to debate the issue until Carl moved to break the stalemate.
"One of them," he offered. "That's all I'm giving you."
Linley was about to reply when Jeff stepped forward, ignoring the Chief's exasperated curse. He'd listened to the negotiations and realised that there was no chance of getting both of his boys back. Logic told him that it would be the youngest who'd be taken and he couldn't let Virgil go through that again. The increasingly desperate look in his son's eyes as the arguments had dragged on told him that Virgil was slowly losing hope.
"How about you release both my boys and take me instead?"
Mitch and Carl exchanged surprised glances. Virgil snapped out of the daze he'd drifted into and stared at his father in shock. Had his father really just offered to take his place? A wave of immense relief and gratitude swept over him at the thought of freedom. It lasted all of a couple of seconds as he realised what it would mean if things went wrong and he looked over at his father and shook his head dumbly, trying to stop him from doing this, yet understanding completely why he wanted to. The risks were too great though – his father had three sons who were free and who needed him. What was the point of all five being free if they lost him for good? Losing his mother had been bad enough. He couldn't begin to imagine what life would be like if he lost his father, but the panic he felt just at the thought was bad enough. Looking around at the police who stood listening, guns held in readiness at their sides, he half wished they would start shooting – anything to put an end to this nightmare. He just wanted to be free and back with his family – all of them.
"Dad, no..."
"It's okay, Virgil. It'll be fine, you'll see."
"Jeff..." came the warning growl from behind. "Don't do this."
"Listen," Jeff said, putting his hands up and moving a step closer to the delivery bay door. "You set my boys free. I'll drive the car for you and we'll go anywhere you want. If you want a plane to take you somewhere, just say the word. I don't care about you; I just want my boys to be safe." Not true, of course, he wanted them captured, hurt, maybe even dead ... but he wasn't going to tell them that.
Carl looked at Mitch for a moment.
"Close the door," he said. "We need to talk."
Linley watched as Mitch dragged Virgil back inside and the door was slammed shut. Then he turned the force of his fury onto Jeff.
"What the hell was all that about? 'I'll give you a plane...' Are you mad?"
"They're my sons, it's my choice," Jeff snapped. "You're not going to let them go, are you? What's going to happen to Virgil and Scott if they decide to fight it out?"
"It won't come to that."
"Are you sure?" Jeff looked him squarely in the eye. "You saw Virgil - he's not going to be able to take much more of this. If they decide to take him away with them, I dread to think what it will do to him. And there was no sign of Scott. What if he's hurt more seriously than John and Virgil thought? We've wasted enough time. If I go with them then you can do what you like to catch them – don't worry about my safety. But I want my boys out of there now."
"And what do you think they'll do to you? You can't trust them, Jeff."
Jeff was about to reply when the door opened again.
"Mr Tracy!" It was Carl. "You're on. We'll take your car – I don't trust a police car. You've got two minutes to get it up here. As soon as you're here your sons can go free."
Jeff looked at Linley who shook his head in frustration. "It's your call, but don't say I didn't warn you."
"Okay," Jeff called. "I'm on my way." He turned and ran for his car.
Inside the delivery bay Scott stared across at Virgil. He hadn't heard everything, but he could tell from Virgil's shattered look that things hadn't gone well. Mitch had released his brother now and he rubbed his bruised throat reflexively. Scott wished once more that he was free and able to hurt these men as they'd hurt him and his brother – all his brothers. He had a terrible feeling that they were going to take Virgil away with them and he started to drag himself towards his brother, all the while wondering what on earth he could say to help him. Mitch and Carl started to retrieve bags from the van, discussing their next moves as they did so. They didn't object as Virgil made his way towards Scott.
Grateful for these few moments with his brother, Scott demanded to know exactly what was going on. Virgil told him everything, his fear for his father causing him to trip over his words. Scott's reaction was much the same as his brother's when he realised that although Virgil was going to be okay, his father would now be the one in danger. He looked at Virgil, still trying so hard to keep himself together, and hoped they'd be freed quickly so he could hug his brother and give him the comfort he so obviously needed. Though who would comfort him was anyone's guess. It had been a long time since Scott had been a little boy who needed his daddy, but at that moment, that was exactly what he was. Like Virgil, he couldn't begin to imagine a life without his father.
"It's okay," he whispered. "Dad's going to be fine." He just wished he believed it.
Virgil didn't reply. He was exhausted. He didn't know how much longer he could keep going. His ordeal was so close to being over, but if it meant losing his father... Nothing he had endured in his life would be as bad as that, not tonight's events, not even his kidnapping. He knew he'd never be able to cope.
Finally the two men were ready. Mitch took the bags over to the door whilst Carl came over to the boys.
"Come on," he said to Virgil, pulling him to his feet and shoving him towards the doors. With a last frantic backward glance at Scott, Virgil once again became a shield for his captors.
Carl opened the door a fraction then looked back at Mitch.
"Ready? He's here." Keeping Virgil between himself and the police, he pushed open the door, revealing Jeff standing there next to his car.
"Right," Carl yelled to the police. "Everyone move back. I want you all well away from here."
"Do it!" Jeff ordered, refusing to bow to Linley's final look of appeal.
The police began piling into their cars and pulling away. When the last of the cars had left and only Jeff was left, Carl stepped out to the car, pulling Virgil with him.
"Let him go," Jeff said.
"In a minute," Carl said. He called back to Mitch. "You got the bags?"
Mitch came out carrying two holdalls. "Right here."
They looked at Jeff's Porsche. It wasn't the biggest of cars – Jeff thought that he should have brought the family car, but then he'd never expected to be acting as chauffeur that night. As Mitch reached in to open the tiny trunk Virgil jerked violently away from Carl, the little colour left in his face suddenly draining away. Jeff saw his reaction and moved instinctively towards his son, managing only a couple of steps before he was waved back by Carl who tightened his hold on the shaking boy. Jeff knew Virgil was remembering how he'd been locked in the trunk of Lena Redman's car, fighting a losing battle against the stifling heat and lack of oxygen.
"It's alright – it's not for you," he said quickly. "Although I think those bags will be a tight fit."
Virgil looked at him, his eyes still full of fear. Then the logic of his father's words sank in and he drew in a deep breath.
"It's okay, son. It's nearly over," Jeff said gently. "You've done well, Virgil, I'm proud of you. You take care of Scott for me, okay? I'll see you soon."
"Dad..." The word came out as a sob and nearly broke Jeff's heart.
"Virgil, it's alright. I have to do this. You understand, don't you? When you went back for your brothers, it was just the same as this. This is my choice, okay? I just need to know you and Scott will be safe."
Virgil could only manage a nod, unable to put any of his feelings into words. Jeff wished he could do something more to comfort him in the little time they had left together.
"Right," Mitch said, having managed to stow one of the bags away but still clutching the other. "Let's get moving."
Jeff moved to the driver's side and hesitated, waiting for Carl to let go of Virgil. Instead, he pushed the startled boy towards the car.
"What's going on?" Jeff asked, suddenly full of alarm. "You said he'd be released."
"He will be," Carl said, helping Mitch push Virgil and the bag inside before moving over to frisk Jeff for weapons or wires. "Just as soon as we're safely out of the city. No offence, Mr Tracy, but I don't trust you. Whatever scheme you've cooked up with Chief Linley, it's not going to happen. We need to make sure you're really going to help us. Virgil's going to be our insurance. Now get moving."
Furious at the men's deception and knowing there was absolutely nothing he could do about it, Jeff slid into the driver's seat. Looking up into the mirror he caught Virgil's frozen, hopeless gaze and he cursed himself for his stupidity in not insisting the boys were released before the police left. Linley had been right – he shouldn't have trusted these men. Now both he and Virgil were in real trouble, and from the look of his middle son, he'd had just about as much as he could stand.
"I'm sorry, son," he whispered, as he started the engine.