Disclaimer : I do not own any of the characters mentioned herein. This is pure fiction, written for entertainment only.

I'm saddened to hear that Eddie Fatu, aka Umaga had passed on. He was just about to return to the WWE and would have been a Champion soon. He was very talented and had his biggest moments with some of the best in WWE, especially with Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental Title. The WWE Universe misses you, Umaga!

It's Christmas Eve here today. I wish one and all a very Merry Christmas! Just forget your diet for the day and eat to your hearts' content!

HO HO HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Chapter 10

Everything was set and all they had to do was to wait for Orton to call. Chris and Alvin had taken off after JR's call. They were heading to the airport to meet him and Hogan and promised to keep silent about their whereabouts. Chris said he would keep them informed of any further development and wished them luck on their mission.

As they had time to kill while waiting, Mark suggested visiting some special friends who were residing nearby. They had followed him on his bike for three quarters of an hour and ended up outside an orphanage, to their surprise. The children milling inside the gate squealed happily when they spotted Mark and his men. He grinned and led the way forward. He and his men each carried two boxes under their arms. They had made a brief stop at a store along the way. As they approached the gate, the children called out excitedly to them.

A middle-aged couple appeared and greeted them with broad smiles. "This is a pleasant surprise! We weren't expecting you!" the man said as he and the woman shook hands with them.

"We were in the vicinity and just dropped by for a visit," Mark said as the children stood waiting at the sidelines, their eyes glowing with excitement as they eyed the boxes with breathless anticipation. He chuckled at their looks and asked, "Hello children, have you been good?" and they let out a chorus of "Yes, Uncle Mark!" This was followed by titters and giggles.

"Good. You can see I've brought some visitors. Would you like to welcome them?" and the children chorused cheerfully, "Hello and welcome to our home!"

The agents, somewhat stunned, greeted them back. Meanwhile, Glenn, Hunter and Shawn set down their boxes at a long table and picked up several children in their arms. The children wrapped their little arms around their necks and kissed them on the cheek, earning big grins from them.

"Very good, you shall be rewarded for your good behavior. Now, form two rows and collect your presents. And don't forget, let the younger ones stand in front," Mark said as he stood with his hands on his hips and watched in amusement as the children scrambled to do his bidding. Within seconds, two neat rows were formed. Each child came up to collect a snack pack consisting of a lollipop, a bar of chocolate, chocolate wafer sticks and soft candy, as well as a coloring book with a box of crayons. As they collected their gifts, they thanked the giver before running off squealing to check out their gifts with their friends. The other agents gathered around to help give them out. They estimated that there were about thirty odd children at the place. Once all the children had been taken care of, the caretakers invited them into the house for some tea and biscuits.

As they made themselves comfortable, Mark made the introductions, "This is Alan Wyatt and his wife, Helen. They are the administrators and caretakers of this orphanage."

Further conversations revealed that the orphanage was funded by contributions from Mark, Glenn, Hunter and Shawn. They had bought the place which used to be a boarding house and converted it into an orphanage to house abandoned children and children who had lost their parents and had nowhere else to go. They had engaged the couple and three more helpers to run the place which was coming into its fourth year. The children were provided with food and shelter, clothes and an education. Everything was paid for by the four men who dropped by occasionally to lend a helping hand. They personally scrutinized all applications for adoptions and conducted thorough checks before meeting with the potential foster parents. They also made a point to visit those who had found homes to make sure that they were doing well and were happy. So far, the few children adopted had found good homes.

After some idle conversation, Mark said they had to get going, claiming they just dropped by for a short visit and also, to check on the food provisions and supplies. They were invited to stay for dinner but he explained they were in a hurry and promised to return for a longer visit. He led the way out and they exited at the back of the building, out to the grounds to a small building. Glenn unlocked the back gate and drove their vehicle parked outside the fence into the grounds. He offered to stand watch and to everyone's surprise, Morrison volunteered to stay and help him, muttering something about too many children for one man to handle. Glenn smirked, the children were not allowed into these parts for a reason but he didn't want to tell Morrison that. Crossing his arms across his chest, he leaned back against the vehicle and studied Morrison appreciatively.

Meanwhile, Mark led the men into the building. There were two huge ice boxes which were well stocked with frozen food on one side of the wall. Sacks of potatoes, onions, flour, rice, sugar and salt lined the other side on shelves which were also filled with canned foods, cooking oil, condiments and toiletries and such. They moved further to the back and Hunter helped Mark to shift some boxes to reveal a hidden door leading down to a cellar. The men followed Mark down and as the switch was flipped on, the sight that greeted them drew gasps from everyone.

Dave let out a low whistle as he examined the cache of weapons. "What the hell, Mark? Are you guys preparing to go to war or what?"

His query was greeted by chuckles and Mark said, "We like to be prepared. These little beauties get the job done!" he said as he hefted his favorite, an M4 carbine lovingly in his arms. The others were done gawking and were now eagerly examining and admiring the full array of weapons.

Kevin's eyes widened in surprise when he spotted several OICWs and asked, "How did you manage to get these? They are not easy to come by."

"We have our ways," was his response and Kevin couldn't help chuckling, "I'm glad we're on the same side!" drawing outbursts of laughter.

Matt glanced uneasily at the sophisticated weaponry and asked, "Are we going to use them? I don't want Jeff to get hurt in any crossfire."

Mark turned to him, "It all depends on whether we'll be forced to use them, but I believe in being prepared. Better safe than sorry, I always say. Don't forget who we're dealing with, the mob deal with arms as well. I don't want to be caught by surprise. Everyone, take your pick but make sure you return them when this is over. They're expensive to replace."

After they had made their selection and collected their ammo, Mark and Hunter picked up several more items and all moved back upstairs. Putting everything back in its original place, Mark locked up properly and with the weapons packed into holding cases, they carried them to the vehicle. Glenn and Morrison were engaged in deep conversation and they looked up in surprise.

"That was quick," Glenn said in a sheepish tone and Mark looked at him and then at Morrison. The sides of his mouth quirked in amusement and he said, "Let us put these away and we can check ourselves into a motel for the night. Might as well get some rest while waiting for Orton to call." As he was about to turn away, he paused before turning to Morrison, "Hey Morrison, why don't you ride with Glenn? He would appreciate the company as Hunter and Shawn are always caught up with each other to talk to him."

Shawn and Kennedy sniggered loudly as Morrison blushed. He hesitated but Glenn made up his mind for him, "Come on, help me with these and climb in."

Shawn moved quickly to assist Morrison and gave him a too innocent smile. Glenn noticed and sent him a warning glare, to which he turned a blind eye.

"You know, it's good to have someone else to talk to. Hunter and Glenn don't like to talk much. They keep complaining that I talk too much," Shawn said in a friendly tone. He leaned forward suddenly and whispered conspiratorially, "Do you have a boyfriend yet? Cos' both Glenn and Mark are still unattached. But if you're getting on with either of them, I have to warn you first, they're both grouchy ogres!" Morrison just gave him a stupefied look.

Before Shawn realized what happened, he was caught by the nape of his neck and trussed into the vehicle. Glenn hissed down at him, "Shut up before you ruin everything!"

Shawn folded his arms and leaned back, pouting petulantly, he was only trying to help. Hunter shook his head in resignation. His baby could never keep his nose out of other people's business. He climbed into the back to join Shawn, leaving the front passenger seat vacant for Morrison. Glenn thanked Mark inwardly as he climbed into the driver's seat. He eyed those long slim legs and imagined them wrapped around his waist. He licked his lips in excitement. The drive, at least, wouldn't be boring with Morrison beside him to titillate his imagination.

Just when they were about to move off, Mark's phone rang. It was JR. He informed that Orton had called and their message had been relayed to him. He had given Orton Mark's number and Orton said he would call with the details and venue for the exchange in a couple of days. JR further informed Mark that Hogan had threatened Chris and Alvin with dismissal if they didn't reveal their whereabouts. Both men insisted they got separated from the others while following Orton's trail and were unable to contact them. Hogan bought their story as they were also facing the same problem trying to reach them.

"He intends to stay in New Jersey for a couple of days to see if he can find any leads to Matt and your whereabouts. If you're still in New Jersey, pray you don't meet him or there'll be hell to pay!" JR cautioned Mark. "Call me if you need anything and if it isn't too much to ask, let me know the outcome. Good luck Mark and you boys stay safe!"

After he hung up, Mark relayed the information to everyone. After some discussion, they changed their mind and decided to drive to Charleston, West Virginia instead to await Orton's call. Staying in New Jersey with Hogan lurking around was just too close for comfort. Mark decided to leave his bike at the orphanage and join Kevin and Matt in their vehicle. It would be wiser to stay inconspicuous from now on.

~*~

Hogan rubbed his throbbing temple. He was facing two major crises.

Crisis No. 1 – Matt Hardy and the money have gone missing. Should he call Dusty and let him know?

Crisis No. 2 – How was he going to explain the sudden disappearance of ten FBI agents? Had they gone after Randy Orton on their own to try and rescue Jeff Hardy? And in his mind, that was highly probable, considering that Matt Hardy was with them.

'He must have persuaded them to go after them,' Hogan thought, 'These agents will do anything to help one another especially when it involves family.'

After mulling over the situation, he made up his mind to call Dusty. Matt Hardy had the books and he believed the money as well. Dusty was in a better position to get them back since he had Jeff Hardy in his hands.

But the one thing that troubled him most was the involvement of Mark and his men in the case. They had never failed an assignment and it appeared that Matt had won them over to his side. It really bothered him that they couldn't be reached. 'Damn JR for bringing them in! Just what are they up to now?' The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He finally decided, 'I'll just let Dusty know that Matt Hardy has a team of FBI agents working with him and they are hot on the trail of his men. I'll leave it to him to take it from there.'

~*~

Jeff was ecstatic! Randy told him that he had made contact with his brother through the FBI and they were going to set up the exchange very soon. He couldn't control his excitement and Randy had watched him with mixed feelings. He was sincere when he offered his help and he knew that he had only a few more days to spend with Jeff before he disappeared from his life forever. He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced a half-hearted grin on his face. He intended to make the remaining days memorable.

Wrapping his arms around Jeff, he bent to give him a lingering kiss. Jeff responded tentatively before submitting wholly to him. Finally, they broke off and gazed softly into each other's eyes. Randy caressed his cheek gently and whispered, "I'm going to miss you, Jeff."

Jeff leaned to rest against him and whispered tearfully, "I'll miss you too! Thank you for doing this. I'll never forget you and your men!" Even as he spoke, his mind was in turmoil. He didn't want to leave Randy but there was John waiting for him. What should he do?

Randy closed his eyes and breathed in deeply Jeff's scent, taking his fill. He wished he could just take Jeff with him and disappear. Forget about this life and build a new one with him. He had the means to do it but he couldn't leave his father and his men behind to face Dusty's wrath. He let out a sigh of resignation. There was no question what he should do. He must let Jeff go.

Someone knocked and a head popped in. It was Drew and Masters was right behind him.

"Can we come in?" Drew asked and Randy gestured for them to enter. They were constantly on the move, hoping to throw off any one following their trail. Presently, they were staying in a motel in Richmond, Virginia.

"Did you guys take care of the problem for me?" Randy asked as he pulled Jeff to sit with him on the couch, wrapping one arm protectively around his shoulders.

Grinning broadly, Masters said, "It's all taken care of. Right now, the brat is clubbing away with plenty of ladies in attendance. He wouldn't budge even if we were to try to force him to leave with us."

"Good. Give them something extra to keep him busy for the next few days until our plan goes through. Pay them in advance if you have to. I'm sure you know what to do," Randy said as he pulled Jeff in to cuddle with him.

"Don't worry. We will take care of everything. Huh, Randy, can we talk outside for a minute?" Masters asked awkwardly.

Randy gave Jeff a peck on his lips before getting up, "I won't be long," he promised and joined his men outside.

Drew and Masters exchanged uneasy looks before Masters asked, "When is the exchange going to take place, Randy?"

"A few more days," he replied. The anxious looks on their faces prompted him to ask, "Why, is something wrong?"

Both men fidgeted uncomfortably and Drew finally spoke up, "Can you make it sooner? I have this feeling that something bad is about to happen if we delay any longer."

Randy remained silent and Drew asked with deep insight, "You find it hard to let him go. Is that why you're postponing the exchange?"

Randy turned away to hide the emotions playing on his face. His men kept silent, they understood how he felt. Randy composed himself and turned back to them, "I'm sorry, guys. I'm just being selfish. I'll make contact for the exchange and brief you all this evening."

With a stoic face, he turned and left without another word. His men watched him leave. Drew finally let out a sigh and said in a subdued tone, "He's heartbroken."

Masters nodded, "If only circumstances were different, they would be perfect for each other."

As soon as Randy entered, Jeff got up to meet him. "Is there anything wrong, Randy?" he asked as he studied his downcast face with a worried frown.

Randy forced a smile on his face and said, "There's nothing wrong. I just need to finalize some details with my men. Come here, I need to talk to you."

He pulled Jeff to sit with him and explained how the transaction was going to take place. "Under no circumstances must you move away from us until the money is transferred into our account. I doubt your brother will have the books with him. They're his surety for his own safe passage. He'll propose to take us to the books but he will demand that we release you first. I'll agree to it but you must tell the agents with him that if they try any tricks, your brother will get hurt."

"Please, Randy, don't hurt my brother. He's all I have left!"

"It's not my intention to hurt him but you must understand that I've a job to do. I need to protect my men as well. I need the money and books back or Dusty won't let us off. I'm sorry to tell you this Jeff but if the FBI starts shooting, we will return fire."

"Please, let me talk to Matt. I'll explain to him and we can get this done without a hitch," Jeff pleaded with him.

Randy hesitated. It would help if Matt was co-operative but he just couldn't trust the agents with him. Jeff saw his hesitation and grasped both his hands in his and said, "You and your men are putting your lives on the line for me. I won't let anything happen to any of you! Please trust me. I'll convince Matt to surrender the books and money to you. No tricks. Just let me talk to him."

Randy reluctantly agreed and came to a sudden realization that he was not himself. With a pang, he realized he was getting soft. How could he lead if he let his heart rule over his head? He wanted to change his mind but the joy on Jeff's face stopped him. He couldn't bring himself to disappoint him and decided he would give in just this one time.

~*~

They were on their way to Charleston when Mark's phone rang. He stared at the unknown number before answering.

"Are you Mark Calaway of the FBI?"

"That's me. Who's this?"

"I have Jeff Hardy with me. He wishes to speak to his brother. Is he there?"

"Hold on while I'll get him," Mark said. He covered the mouthpiece and called out urgently to Kevin to pull over.

"It's Orton and he says Jeff wants to speak to you!" he told Matt as he handed his phone to him. "Put it on speaker so all of us can hear."

Behind them, their team slowed to a stop and waited for instructions.

"Jeff?" Matt asked in a whisper, almost afraid that it was a trick.

"Matty!" and Matt could hear Jeff sobbing over the line.

"Oh Jeff, are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Matt was trying hard not to breakdown in tears as well. His voice quavered and he fought to keep calm. It was not the time to get emotional. He had to lend strength to his baby brother who needed him to be strong for him. He waited for Jeff to calm down.

At the other end, Randy was holding Jeff and drying his tears. He smiled encouragingly at him to continue.

"I'm okay, Matty. I've made friends and they're trying to help me but the exchange must go smoothly. You must surrender the money and books to them and everything will be fine."

"Jeff, these friends of yours, who are they?"

Randy had told Jeff earlier not to reveal their identities if he was asked over the phone. If Dusty got a hold of the conversation, they were screwed!

"Please Matty, I can't tell you. You just have to trust me. They're just trying to help but you need to make sure that the money and the books are returned to them. They guarantee that we will walk away unharmed.

"Can I talk to your friends? I need to know how we're going to do this."

Randy took the phone from Jeff and both parties started to negotiate the terms of exchange. It was finally agreed that the money and Jeff would change hands on the spot but Matt would trade places with Jeff and take them to the books.

"Just tell me this, where are the books kept?" Randy asked.

Mark gestured to Matt not to reveal its location and Matt nodded before replying, "I'll only tell you after Jeff's release, not before."

Randy knew he couldn't get any information out of Matt and said, "We do the exchange tomorrow. Get yourself to Richmond, Virginia. I'll call you tomorrow at noon to tell you where to meet. And make the necessary arrangement for the transfer. If you do as told, I promise no harm will come to both of you. …… hold on, Jeff wants to speak to you." He was just about to terminate the connection when he saw Jeff looking pleadingly at him. He had relented and passed him the phone, sticking up two fingers, indicating he had two minutes to talk. Jeff smiled gratefully at him before turning his attention to Matt.

"Matty, are you still there?"

"I'm here Jeff. Just hang in there, everything is going to be alright," Matt reassured him.

"I miss you Matty," Jeff's voice trembled. "You didn't call for months and Daddy and I were worried sick about you." He swallowed hard, tears beginning to run down his cheeks as his emotions got the better of him. "They buried him next to Mom," he choked out, "I haven't been to visit his grave yet. When you come back, we will go and visit them together. Daddy would be happy to know that you've finally come home." He dashed his tears away and said, "Just remember to follow what Ran … they say and everything will be fine." He bit on his lip, he had almost revealed Randy's name.

"I love you Jeff. I can't tell you how sorry I am for putting you in this mess but I promise it'll be over soon." Silent tears coursed down Matt's face, he desperately wanted to hold and comfort his brother. "Did … did they hurt you in any way?" Fear gripped him as he waited for an answer. Dusty Rhodes was well known for his cruelty. He never let a slight go unpunished and Matt was afraid for his defenseless baby brother who was at their mercy.

Jeff smiled softly at Randy while telling Matt, "They didn't hurt me. They're not bad people, Matty. In fact, they're helping us …" Randy put a finger on his lip and shook his head and tapped his watch, telling him to end the call.

Jeff sighed while saying, "I have to go Matty. Please stick to the arrangement and don't do anything foolish. I love you." Randy took the phone from him and ended the call.

Matt wiped the tears with his sleeve before passing the phone back to Mark. Both men stayed silent, giving him time to compose himself. Matt finally asked, "Should we go with their plan?"

Mark looked contemplatively at him. "You know, I find it odd that they allowed Jeff to talk to you the second time round. From what we just heard, it appears that your brother likes them. He mentioned they weren't bad and that they were trying to help. I don't understand that last part, how are they helping?"

Matt pondered his musings and nodded, "I agree. Jeff wanted to tell me something but he got cut off. I'm sure the guy I spoke to was Randy Orton. Jeff almost mentioned his name but stopped himself and did you notice that he kept emphasizing that I must follow the plan?"

The three men sat thinking, considering the ramifications of not following the mob's plan. Mark's phone rang. It was Glenn. He asked why they were stopping and Mark told him quickly about the call. "We're heading to Richmond instead to await Orton's call. We'll discuss this when we get there. Lets move out now."

He ended the call and just as Kevin started the car, Mark told Matt, "I think you need to tell us where you have hidden the books. If we're going to get you out in one piece, we need to know where you'll be at."

Matt hesitated before saying, "I've hidden them in the woods near the cabin I'd been hiding out in Atlanta. Kevin can lead you there as the cabin belongs to his uncle. It is densely forested and is difficult to trek but I can lose them if I have to. It all depends on how many men they sent to guard me."

Mark smirked, "Don't worry. We've been in worse terrains than you can imagine. Once they're in the woods, we'll take them out one by one. You just focus on clearing out when we give you our signal."

Matt nodded, "But first thing first, we must get Jeff to safety."

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