A/N: Hi! It's the final count down. Two chapters left after this. I have decided that there will be a sequel to this. I'm so excited and nervous. We are heading into a landing of my first fanfic I ever wrote. Thank you to all who have been with me through this story. Thank you to all the reviewers and readers. Please read, review, don't flame, and enjoy.

Amy POV

Thalia guided me several streets over from the Piazza dei Cinque Fratelli, creating distance between us and the circus. We sat down on a bench in silence, neither knowing how to start. Questions ran through my head. How did you find me? Why are you following me? What are you doing here? Who are you people?

The Vesper phone chimed, immediately erasing all other thoughts from my head. Forgetting my company, I pulled out the phone and examined the screen.

Package received. You are too kind.

"That's it?" I snapped at the screen. No, I didn't go through all of this for two sentences. "What about my family, you murdering psycho? What about my baby brother?"

As if in answer a second message came in. It was a photograph of the hostages in the Vesper holding cell. I counted. Seven hostages. All seven present and accounted for.

Dan was propped up on the floor, a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his wounded shoulder. He looked pale and weak, his blonde hair long and unkempt. He leaned heavily against Nellie, brown was now clearly visible at the roots of her dyed black-and-orange hair. But he's alive...

I set aside my relief and read on:

Perhaps you notice that your loved ones continue to accept our hospitality. This is due to your previous treachery. They will remain our guests until you complete a few more tasks. The first of these will be in Lucerne, Switzerland. Get there immediately, lest the number of our little party dwindles.

It is a pleasure to continue to work with such a talented young girl. Although, Amy, I much prefer you as a brunette.

Vesper One

"We had a deal!" I cried out to the phone, as if my pleading could alter anything. If only I could respond to Vesper One. Text him back my protests. Like most of my hope, however, the screen gave a final flicker and went dark. The Vesper phone was dead. I tried to think encouragingly, anything to keep even a shred of hope alive. I'll have the new charger soon. Jonah promised me he was sending it. Dan's still alive—injured, but alive.

In truth, I wanted to go marching down the streets, rampaging through Italy until I found Vesper One. He saw me; maybe he was still watching me. He has a burn on his arm and he's carrying the "Medusa" in a garbage bag. How hard could he be to find on these streets? I knew better, though. Rash action would never succeed against a cold, calculating adversary like Vesper One. I had to think if I ever want to get Dan and the others back alive. The only Cahill I could think of who had ever come close to understanding the Vespers had been Grace.

Fine, I decided. I have to think like Grace.

What would Grace do now?

Thalia laid a hand on my shoulder, alerting me to her presence. I cursed inwardly. I needed to pay better attention to my surroundings or I may never find Vesper One, though he always appears to be able to see me. Not paying enough attention was how all the hostages got kidnapped. Not paying attention was how I so stupidly lost Dan to the Vesper's clutches.

"Amy," her voice was softer and more sympathetic than I ever expected it could be. Her rough and tumble, strong, talk-to-me-and-I'll-bite appearance seemed to melt away in front of my eyes as she spoke. "What's going on?" Her eyes were mirror replicas of Jason's, searching my own for answers. "Tell me. Let us help."

So I did. Something had broken inside me. Maybe it was still failing to get the hostages back home alive and safe or the dead, innocent trapeze artist. Maybe it was the weight of having to lead the family and hold this responsibility without anyone, even my baby brother, to stand by me or Dan—propped up on the floor with a bullet hole in his shoulder. I told her everything about this whole hostage crisis. The kidnappings, the phone, the search, Dan getting shot, the various criminal activities I committed, my fears and worries—nothing escaped my tale, except the Cahill family secrets. All I said about that was the old family feud that the Cahill and Vesper families had. It felt so good to finally get at least some of these family's secrets off my shoulders.

Thalia listened, patient and still.

"Vesper One had this whole thing planned," I concluded, "from the kidnappings to the tiniest detail of tonight. There's no way that he would leave himself open to being attacked in the street. And even if I could find him and reach him, he's still has the hostages."

"Because he cheated you!" Thalia replied, obviously upset by what I'd told her. "You shouldn't keep doing his bidding; he'll just keep cheating you."

"I should have seen that coming," I agreed, "but he won't release the hostages until I've got something he needs in return. I've got the resources of the whole Cahill family researching the Vespers twenty-four-seven. When we understand what they're really up to, then we'll know what we can trade. And until that happens, I need to keep my family alive. I can't-" My voice caught. "I can't let my little brother get hurt again." Not because of me. Not because I messed up again.

Thalia turned me so I was facing her, locking our eyes. "This isn't your fault. Sometimes we can't-" Her voice caught as she looked at something to my right. Jason and Percy were heading towards us, deep in conversation with each other. It suddenly occurred to me that Thalia was an older sister too. She knew. She understood. "Sometimes we can't protect our family as much we think we should be able to. We can't protect them from everything." Her eyes hardened, strength simmering just beneath the surface like she had been there, done this before. "But we can do everything we possibly can to protect them."

With a final squeeze to my shoulder, Thalia asked me to stay put before turning to meet the two guys heading towards us. Let them help me? Help my family? I suppose it couldn't hurt.

And, if it came down to it, I still had one last resort. If I couldn't save my brother this way, then I'd just have to use the weapon I had promised myself I would never touch.

Gideon Cahill's serum.