This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Ben was leaning against the glass in a way that allowed him to see both Tom and Alex. He had managed to convey through gestures that the boys were next to each other and as soon as they had realized that, they had pressed themselves to the wall between them. That's where they both were now, curled up and Ben hoped they were sleeping. They had been like that for what felt like several hours and neither had moved.

He knew Wolf was to the right of him. Alex had managed to convey this by pointing and pretending to howl. Or maybe he really had howled. It's not as if Ben could tell. Snake was the right of him. That just left the question of where Eagle was. Ben knew he was nearby, but he couldn't go to his youngest teammate and check on him. It made Ben itch and he resisted the urge to pace or hit something.

And if this was how Ben was feeling, he couldn't imagine what it was doing to Wolf. It was likely driving the shorter man up the wall and Ben remembered one time they'd been overseas and held in a hostage situation when they had dragged Snake out. Wolf had been a nightmare then and it wasn't an experience that Ben had any desire to repeat.

Ben glanced across the corridor and saw Tom watching him with sleep-filled eyes. Ben gave him a small smile which Tom returned tentatively before tucking his head back into his arm and settling once more. At least someone was having a somewhat peaceful experience. Ben looked over at Alex, who was also watching him. He looked a bit more alert and Ben knew Alex wouldn't be so reassured with just a smile. In fact, Ben was sure Tom wouldn't be so easily placated but then Ben hadn't known the boy and while he could read the kids like a book, he also hadn't seen them in all aspects of their lives.

Not for the first time in his life, Ben wished he knew sign language. It would make communicating so much easier. To his surprise Alex gave him a small smile and Ben remembered belatedly that while Alex had been in these situations, he'd been in them alone and he was a child. Alex was a child and now he wasn't in a situation alone. So Ben returned the smile and mouthed 'go to sleep.' He was only mildly surprised when Alex nodded and settled back down. For all that Alex liked to be independent, he also liked to having someone with him.

000

"We can't help you." Blunt felt no remorse for having used the stranger to get what he wanted. He had squashed any remorse for something like that long ago. After all, he didn't get to this position by being honest. The boy may have been clever, but he also hadn't gone up against a top government before. He hadn't gone up against the best intelligence branch and Blunt got to where he was by being the best. The best was not outsmarted by a boy.

"Sorry." Blunt hoped that his voice conveyed just enough contempt mixed with sympathy to warn him off, to tell him stop playing with fire. Blunt wouldn't pursue him, but only if he stopped. When he laughed, though, it was the sound of someone who was desperate, but who also knew something Blunt didn't. Blunt didn't like that.

"No, you're not, Mr. Blunt. Please don't insult my intelligence. But if you try to back out now, you will be."

"What do you mean?" There was a low chuckle and the best somehow found himself getting bested by a boy.

"How are the families of our dear abductees? I imagine they're doing well. Scorpia certainly hasn't managed to find them. I wonder how much it would take to change that. What would that do the children, Mr. Blunt? They're already desperate, but just think of what could be spilled when their loved ones are tort-"

"Enough." The children didn't know enough to be dangerous, but the soldiers…the soldiers did. The soldiers were already in a precarious enough situation as it was. "What do you have?" That was the only thing that could allow the boy to speak with such confidence in his voice, that he wasn't just taking a shot in the dark and guessing that the families were in protective custody, that they were children to begin with.

"A disk, Mr. Blunt. With the names and locations of all active agents. Would be most unfortunate if it were to fall into the wrong hands, but I know a number of people who pay large sums of money for this."

Bested, indeed. Blunt scowled.

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So, I realize this is really short, but I was getting really lazy and I really wanted to post the next chapter for this. Also, I realized if I stopped freaking out about chapter lengths, you guys would get updates more quickly and I could work more on advancing the plot and writing some other things that need to be written.

So! The chapters will more than likely be shorter, but I hope this will help me update more quickly.

Also, the italics indicate speaking in a foreign language, unless it's obvious that they're being used to emphasize something.

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