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

Thank you all, for the reviews!

-ooo-

Chapter 13

"You are not going to get away with this!" Randy spat vehemently as he was furthered restrained by his captors; he was now bound to a chair.

His captor barked out a laugh and sneered. "That's what you think but you don't know me, I always get what I want!"

"My father will not co-operate with scumbags like you! You will not get your hands on Jeff!"

The man moved to stand before him, a smug look on his face. "Your father has been working for us for many years. He will do as we say. If not …" he reached forward to run his fingers lightly down Randy's cheek in a caress. Randy jerked his face away with disdain. The man looked amused as he continued, "If not, you, my pretty boy, will pay for his insolence and that would be a terrible shame." He ran his eyes critically down Randy's long frame. "Too bad you're too tall. We usually prefer our pets to be smaller and obedient, but …" he smirked, "we can always make an exception. I would enjoy the challenge of taming you myself."

The spit hit his face, taking him by surprise. Fury darkened the man's features as he grasped Randy's chin in a painful grip. "Don't test me!" he hissed. "I'll gouge out your eyes without a second thought! Do you hear me, boy?"

"Fuck off! You don't frighten me!" Randy refused to be intimidated.

His head snapped back with the force of the blow and he grimaced when the man yanked back on his hair.

"You're an insolent brat! I'd teach you a lesson now but I've more pressing things to do. I will deal with you once I'm done!" and he released him.

Randy bit down on his retort, deciding it was best not to try the man further. He had to find a way to escape and warn Jeff.

The man barked at his minions, "Watch him! If he gets away, you'll be swinging at the end of the rope!"He left shortly.

After checking his binds to make sure he was firmly secured, the two men settled down to wait for further instructions. One of them studied a Playboy magazine while the other looked disinterested. They were in a hangar. Randy caught a glimpse of a plane outside when the door opened to admit the leader earlier. The man they addressed as Mister Benuaji was well-dressed, slim and tall with an athletic built and good looking, but Randy sensed a cruel streak behind that attractive façade. He was taken aback when he heard him speak the first time. The man spoke English with an American accent. If not for his dark olive skin and exotic look, he could pass off as an American.

Randy struggled against the ropes but it was futile; he couldn't budge. As he tried to figure a way out of his predicament, his thoughts involuntarily went back to the man's words; he said his father worked for him. Anger and shame filled him. How could his father help these fiends? He heard every word of the conversation between the man and his father as the phone was turned on speaker mode. He heard his father's pleas on his behalf as well, but he forced that out of his head. He didn't want to think about it right now and brought his focus back to his current predicament. He had to escape, but he had to get the ropes off him first. He thought quickly and called out to the men.

"Hey! I need to use the bathroom!"

The man without the magazine shook his head. "No, you cannot go."

"Damn it! I really have to go! Do you want me to stink up the place? You won't enjoy cleaning me up!"

Both men conferred quietly before approaching him. One pointed his gun at him to keep him in check while the other untied him.

"You run, we shoot," he warned Randy, holding a gun at him after freeing him from the ropes. He urged him to move.

The man with the magazine chose to remain behind, having decided that his partner could handle their captive by himself. They went out the back door and Randy's heart sank when he saw the tall fences that cut off his escape from the woodsy surroundings. He won't make it over the fence without getting shot at first. He had to try and get out by the front.

"Hurry up!" the man pushed him along to the cubicle.

As he was being led back after relieving himself, Randy asked, "Where are we?"

The man didn't answer him but pushed him forward, "Move!" he ordered, gesturing with his gun.

Randy knew that was his last chance to get away. He had to do something before they got back into the building where the other man was waiting. He turned around to face his captor. "One more question, do you like me?" Smiling coyly, he took a step closer towards him. His instincts told him the man swung the other way. "You're very muscular."

He forced himself to lay his hand on the man's chest and caressed the skin through the shirt with his fingers. He was rewarded when the man gripped his wrist and moved his hand down southwards, a leer on his face. Randy gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep smiling. 'What the hell do I do now?'

'Get his gun, you idiot!' the voice in his head growled at him, snapping him into action. He dropped down to his knees slowly, hoping the man would drop his guard. It worked. In eager anticipation, the man lowered his gun to unzip his pants. Randy struck quickly. He delivered a hard blow between his legs and as the man doubled over in pain, he grabbed his gun and aimed it at him.

"Make one sound and I'll put a bullet in your head!" he hissed. "Now, turn around slowly."

The man decided it was too risky to call out. As he turned to obey, Randy delivered a hard blow to the side of his head with the barrel of the gun, catching him before he hit the floor. The man was out like a light. He lowered the man and listened attentively and breathed a sigh of relief when the other man inside remained oblivious of what just went down. Now, to get out! He crept around the building and was relieved to see the front gate left unguarded. They had been too presumptuous. Silently but quickly, he slipped through the gate and took off quickly. He had to warn the others before his father got his hands on Jeff!

-ooo—

After discussing it with the others, Matt decided to move his brother immediately. When he still hadn't heard from the kidnappers come morning, he realized it was just a ploy to get him away from his brother. They never intended to release the hostages and for all he knew, Glenn and the others could be dead already. He made up his mind to leave and was heading to the airport to catch the next flight to Florida after leaving instructions for Jeff to be taken to Paul's place immediately. He had already spoken to Paul earlier and even though it was his wedding day, Paul insisted he would arrange for them to be picked up at the airport and brought to his place. He was shocked that so much had happened since they went their separate ways forty-eight hours ago. Matt told him to keep his mind on the most important day of his life, promising they would talk once everyone was there.

Earlier on, he had told Chris about Bobby's offer to help bring the criminals to justice but Chris had his doubts. "Can we trust him? He has been involved with them right from the start. Those men now have his son in their hands and he is forced to collaborate with them. You do realize that we could be walking into a trap."

Matt, however, was convinced that Bobby was sincere. "I believe him, Chris. I don't think he's faking it. They no longer trust him and he believes they would not spare Randy even if he co-operates with them. Besides, you already ran a check on him and he's clean."

Chris decided to give Bobby the benefit of the doubt but he warned Matt to tread carefully. "So, what do you want us to do now?"

"Get Jeff to Florida immediately, Paul's expecting all of us. I'll meet you there as soon as I can."

"What about Bobby? What do we do about him?" John asked.

"Arrange to pick him up, he's coming with us."

Matt already made up his mind. Adam and Jay had strongly advised him against bringing Bobby along. They said it was too risky as he might give out their whereabouts. Matt, however, pointed out that if they were wrong about Bobby, they would be throwing him back to the sharks by leaving him behind to deal with the consequences. Besides, they needed to bring him along as he knew how to get in touch with the perpetrators.

"What about Randy? Are we going to leave him to his fate?" That was Drew. He feared to hear that Randy would be left behind.

"No, I would never let that happen but my priority is to get Jeff out safely first. We'll figure out a way to get Randy back once we regroup in Florida," Matt assured him.

"It might be too late then," Stephen frowned. "If they even suspect that Bobby betrayed them, they might just kill Randy in retaliation." Drew concurred with him.

"I have discussed this with Bobby already and he's certain they won't harm Randy until they hear from him. They have more to lose if they kill him, so I think Randy will be safe for the time being. Pick up Bobby but don't tell him where we're going as yet. I'll meet up with you guys in Florida."

After Matt rang off, John was sent to get Jeff ready.

"Jeff, wake up! We have to move out now!" John tried to rouse him. It was slightly after six in the morning.

"I want to sleep some more," Jeff whined as he covered his head with a pillow, but John pulled it away.

"We have to leave now! Your brother just called to tell us that you're in danger!" That woke Jeff up instantly. "Go clean up and get dressed, we're leaving now!" John coaxed him out of bed. Minutes later, they were on the road.

"Where are we going?" Jeff asked as he settled comfortably against John in the back of the van.

"We're going to pick up Bobby Orton. He's Randy's father and then, we're heading to Florida. You're going to have your wish fulfilled. We'll be staying with Paul for a while and your brother and the others are meeting us there as well," John informed him.

Jeff bounced in his seat with excitement. He assumed Matt already got Glenn and the others out and changed his mind about visiting Paul. Frowning suddenly, he asked, "Have you found Randy yet? Are we bringing his father to see him?"

"No, not yet, but we will get him back," Drew spoke quietly. He was seated behind with them, keeping his thoughts to himself. Stephen was seated in front and Chris was driving.

"We will find a way to get him back." John leaned forward to give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Drew looked surprised at the action, flushing lightly when John gave him a knowing smile. Drew's behavior confirmed what he had begun to suspect; the Scotsman had developed feelings for Randy.

"Where's Bobby at?" John directed his question at Chris.

Chris didn't respond. His eyes kept checking the rear view mirror. After a few seconds, "I think we're being tailed," he said tersely. "Blue sedan. There's light traffic. I see no reason for it to cruise at 60 mph. I'm speeding up. Let's see what it does."

To everyone's relief, the sedan didn't pick up speed as Chris put distance between them. They finally lost sight of it. "Guess I was wrong," Chris shrugged. He informed that Bobby would be waiting for them at the junction just outside the hotel he was staying. Half an hour later, they stopped at the pick-up point. "We're ten minutes early," Chris checked his watch. They had a description of Bobby but no one matching his description was standing near the junction. After ten minutes, he still didn't show.

"Call him," Chris handed his phone to Stephen. Stephen tried to reach him but he didn't pick up.

"I'll check at the desk, see if he has already booked out," Drew offered as he opened the door and climbed out.

"Go with him," Chris advised Stephen who nodded and got out to join Drew. Chris tried calling Bobby again, but still no response.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Chris said quietly as he started the van and cruised slowly behind Drew and Stephen, his eyes peeled for trouble. If there was any sign of trouble, he wanted to get them out quickly. John had already readied his gun, eyes surveying the streets at the back of the vehicle. They heard the sudden screeching of tires and a sedan turned sharply at the corner in front of them and headed straight towards them! Drew and Stephen shouted out a warning and fired warning shots but when the sedan didn't deviate from its path, they shot at it. It bought Chris some time. He reversed the vehicle quickly but they heard another set of screeching tires as the blue sedan that tailed them earlier turned the corner and came up from behind them!

"Shoot at the tires!" Drew yelled to Stephen when they realized the sedan had bullet proof windows. They hit the two tires closest to them, sending the sedan to a screeching stop. But, the doors flung open from the side furthest from them and two men jumped out and starting shooting at them. Drew and Stephen dived for cover behind a parked vehicle.

"Stay down!" John pushed Jeff to lie on the floor and flung open the back door. He started firing at the sedan behind them but couldn't hit it as it swerved to the extreme right to avoid his line of fire. Chris had already switched gears and was accelerating forward instead. The two men in front fired warning shots but Chris stayed on course. At the last few seconds, they jumped out of the path of the fast coming vehicle. Drew and Stephen used the distraction to jump out from their cover and ran after their van, while firing deterrent shots at their pursuers. The blue sedan stopped to pick up their men and Chris slowed down the vehicle and yelled, "Get them in right now!"

John shouted to his team, "Haul your ass!" Drew and Stephen jumped into the back and the van sped off even before the door was slammed shut. The blue sedan went after them in hot pursuit.

Chris was already on the phone, talking to police headquarters. He reported the incident and gave them a full description of the sedan and their location. Patrol cars were on their way. The sedan suddenly dropped behind and changed course, seemingly aware that the police had been informed.

The danger averted, John turned to check on Jeff and was immediately alarmed at his condition; he was hyperventilating and shaking very badly. John pulled him towards him. "Sshh… it's okay. Calm down and take in a deep breath, like this …. Now, let it out slowly … like this ..." John guided him to bring his breathing back to normal. After several minutes, John had him resting on the floor of the van, his head cushioned on his lap. Jeff still looked pale though.

"How is he?" Chris asked, throwing a worried glance at Jeff from the rearview mirror.

"He's better now. Poor kid is terrified of guns." John stroked the boy's hair lovingly.

Drew tended to Stephen who was bleeding on the right arm. He had been grazed by a bullet.

"Are you alright?" John enquired, noticing the blood for the first time.

Stephen nodded, "Nothing serious, just a scratch. I'll live."

Drew sat back with a sigh after cleaning up Stephen's wound. "I never knew I can run so fast." His remark brought chuckles from his teammates, lifting the somber mood.

Chris' phone rang and he answered. "Yes?" His face lit up. "Is he alright? … Keep him there, I'm on my way."

He hung up and informed them the good news. "Randy just walked into the police station five minutes ago." Everyone cheered. Jeff opened his eyes and managed a weak smile.

"He's not injured. Have to tell Matt what just happened."

As soon as Matt answered, Chris told him the good news first. "Randy escaped and he's waiting for us at the police station. We're on our way there to pick him up. The bad news is, Bobby set us up! I'm putting up a warrant of arrest for him" and he quickly relayed what happened. "I hope Randy can lead us back to the place they were holding him."

The phone was on speaker mode so everyone could hear the exchange. Matt, however, was still convinced that Bobby didn't betray them. "I know what it looks like but the fact is, Bobby has everything to lose if he goes back to work for them. Something went wrong. There could be a number of reasons to explain what happened; he could have been tailed or, worse, they caught up with him and forced him to talk. He might be in trouble."

"It's a possibility but we shouldn't take any chances. He isn't picking up his calls, but if he does contact you, don't let him into your plans," Chris cautioned him.

"I'll be careful. Once you're finished with the investigation up there, get everyone down to Florida. I won't rest easy until Jeff is beside me. How is he coping?" Matt sounded worried.

"He's pretty shaken up by the incident," John spoke up. Jeff hadn't uttered a word as yet.

"Let me talk to him," Matt requested.

The phone was handed over and John pressed it against Jeff's ear. "Matt wants to talk to you." Jeff gripped the phone for dear life.

"You're alright, buddy?" Matt heard him whimper. "It's okay. Everything is going to be alright," he spoke reassuringly. "You're safe now. Did the guns frighten you?"

Jeff nodded fervently. "Y..yes," he croaked.

"Don't be. We'll be seeing each other real soon. Be brave, okay?"

Jeff gulped and nodded. "I..I love y..you." His voice shook.

"I love you too. Can I talk to John?"

Jeff handed the phone back to John and crawled onto his lap, looking at him expectedly.

"Yes Matt?" John gave him a reassuring smile and pulled him to rest against him.

"He's terrified. He won't be able to sleep and he'll probably have nightmares. I want you to stay with him at all times, don't leave him alone," Matt instructed.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him," John assured him.

"Thank you. His phobia for guns runs deep."

"I know, he explained it to me."

"He did?" Matt sounded surprised. "He never talks about what happened to our father all these years. I think it's a good thing that he's opening up to you. I have to go now. The plane is taking off soon. Let me know how Randy's doing. I hope you two can sort out your differences."

"We will sort out everything, hopefully, sooner than later." He cast a look at Drew who avoided his eyes.

"Glad to hear that. Keep me posted. Wait …" they heard Jay and Adam's voices in the background. Matt chuckled, "Jay sends his regards." They heard Adam shouting in the background, "to the Scotsman!" The guys chuckled when Drew groaned and covered his face.

"Shut your pie hole, Addy! You guys take care of each other!" Jay's voice rang out. "We'll see you all in Florida!"

They found Randy dozing on a couch in the waiting area when they reached the police station. Detective Ken Anderson handed Randy's statement to Chris. "Walked several miles before managing to hitch a ride here. His kidnappers took his phone and wallet. Poor guy was hungry, tired and in a foul mood. A team is standing by to move in, you want to come along?"

"Let me talk to him first." Chris thanked Anderson before turning to Randy. He was telling his story to the others. Chris waited for him to finish before asking, "Do you know who they are?"

"They're not from around here. The head man, by the name of Mister Benuaji, speaks like an American. He has two aides with him." Randy looked shamefaced as he informed them, "My father is in cahoots with them. He was told to get Jeff and exchange him for me. I tried to get word to you after I escaped but your numbers are stored in my phone and they took it away from me. I managed to get a ride here finally. I thought the police would be able to contact you."

"You did the right thing," Chris assured him. He decided to delay telling Randy what his father did. "We need you to show us the place where you were held. Can you remember the location?"

"I was walking in the dark for several hours but I think I can find my way back. Before we head out, is it possible for me to grab a shower and a change of clothes first? I don't smell that good."

"We have your bag in the van. You can shower here. Drew, do you mind getting it?" Chris requested. Drew nodded and left.

Jeff stepped towards Randy. "I'm really sorry to get you involved. I'm just glad you're unharmed. We were so worried about you."

"You don't have to apologize. If it's anyone's fault, it's my father's!"

Just then, Drew walked up to hand him his bag. "Glad to have you back," he said. Randy smiled his thanks.

"We can talk later. Let's get you that shower you wanted" and Chris brought Randy to the back of the station.

The others sat down to wait. Jeff sat on John's lap and rested against him. Anderson, who had been watching them, decided to approach. He squatted down on his haunches and patting John's knee, asked with a grin, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

John made the introductions and Anderson shook hands with Drew and Stephen, but when it came to Jeff, he produced a grape sucker and gave it to him. Jeff accepted it with a shy grin.

"What about me, don't I get a sucker too?" John feigned annoyance.

"You want to suck my dick?" Anderson quipped as the others burst into laughter. Jeff flushed as giggles escaped him.

John attempted to kick Anderson who moved quickly out of the way. "I won't suck you even if you pay me to do it!" John retorted.

"Is this the way you conduct yourselves in public, Detectives?" Kurt Angle stood glaring at them, hands on his hips.

Anderson mumbled an excuse and quickly returned to his station. John set Jeff on the couch and got up to face Kurt with a sheepish grin, "I'm off duty, sir! Since when did you get posted here?" He shook hands with him warmly.

"Since this morning. I'm covering for Chris while he's away. Heard you took up a temporary job. Is this the kid you're protecting?" Kurt smiled at Jeff who returned the smile before popping the unwrapped sucker into his mouth. He sucked on it with relish.

"Yes." The affectionate look he threw at Jeff was not lost on Kurt.

Chris came back with Randy. "Thanks for agreeing to come over in spite of the short notice," he shook hands with Kurt.

"I'm glad to be of help. You better head out now. I heard over the news that a storm's heading this way," Kurt informed them.

The team decided to make haste. On the way there, Chris updated Randy on all that had happened since he was taken. Randy again apologized for what his father did. He was glad that nobody got hurt and asked if there was anything he could do to help.

"Just show us the way and we'll take it from there. You don't have to apologize as none of this is your fault. We're just glad you got out safely. I have put up a warrant of arrest for your father, but I want you to know that we reserve our judgment until we get a chance to talk to him, and I think you should likewise." If Bobby was innocent, Chris didn't want to aggravate the already bad relationship between father and son.

Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, the men and the plane were gone. Chris called in to check who owned the place and the information startled him.

"Who owns this place, Chris?" John and the others stood waiting for him.

Chris shook his head. "This is not good. It's leased to Emoco Corporation," he informed them.

"The corporation that controls almost two-thirds of the world's oil supplies?" John was stunned.

Chris nodded. They knew the Sheikhs had a hand in this but this was worse than they thought.

"Who are we dealing with exactly?" Drew asked.

"They are a conglomerate, consisting of Arabian tycoons who held diversified businesses all over the world; oil, hotels, racehorses, ship building, just to name a few."

"So, they're billionaires, doesn't mean they can get away with kidnapping and murder," Stephen said.

"You don't understand," Chris said. "These people enjoy immunity here in the States. Do you have any idea the kind of power they wield? They are much more powerful than the government in their own country. They dictate who stays in power because they have the means to do so. No one can touch them. Not forgetting that we get 80% of our oil from them, our government wouldn't want to damage the economic ties with them. You get the picture now?"

"So, what you're saying is that we can't take them in." Much to John's consternation, Chris nodded. "This is not right!" John was indignant.

"I know. I can bring it up to the higher-ups but they would probably turn the other cheek," Chris said.

"There must be something we can do," Randy protested. "Arrest them and I'll press charges against them! The court can't ignore my testimony."

"It won't even make it to court. They will find a way to bury it before that," Chris said with resignation.

"So, that's it? They walk away scot-free?" Randy was aghast when Chris nodded. "I don't believe this!" Randy stormed off. Drew went after him, he knew how he felt.

"You know what this means, right? We're at their mercy." John hugged Jeff protectively against him. He was just as upset as Randy. If these people took Jeff by force, they won't be able to get any assist from the local authorities. Coming back to the States wasn't such a good idea after all. He wondered about Matt's reaction when he found out.

Chris didn't want to speak out in Jeff's presence. The boy was frightened and vulnerable already. Whichever way he looked at it, things didn't bode well for Matt and Jeff to stay in the States now. However, there was a small chance they could still bring the people responsible to court. It was a long shot and involved taking risks. He would bring it up for discussion once they meet up with Matt and the others in Florida.

-ooo—

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