Whether it was through his desperate attempts to pretend he was still out for the count, the residual effects of the chloroform or simply through exhaustion, Tony had drifted off to sleep laid flat on his back on the mattress with the cold steel of the gun digging uncomfortably into the small of his back.

No one had tried to move him or Joanne. They had simply dragged the mattress bearing them both into the corner of the barn and left them there, Jules simply watching them from an old broken chair about five meters back, whittling away a stick and randomly spitting on the floor as if his mouth was producing too much saliva for one guy to deal with normally.

The rest had gone to pick up their employer and fill him in on the slight change to the plan. He was not happy.

"You shot a cop you idiot," he screamed, "they are going to have every cop, marine, soldier, sailor and air force man in the neighbourhood looking for you."

"Sorry Sir," said Sean, "but he was aiming at us, we needed to get the woman and us out of there."

"So where did grabbing the kid come into the plan?" he yelled.

"He had seen us both, could ID us," answered Pete, and then getting a glare that would have killed most people he added, "Sean told me to do it."

Taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down their employer stated in hushed tones, "the woman was some kind of con artist, signed herself off as Cecilia, she could have been after the kid herself, we needed her away from the family, we needed her away from the kid and you idiots have now got them at the same location."

"Boss we can get rid of the kid," said Sean desperately.

"The kid needs to be alive and able to access the trust funds, he is the leverage, he is how we get the money into the country you imbecile," came the reply. "Get out of here before I decide to get rid of the pair of you."

"What about what you owe us for the job?" asked Pete clearly not getting the cold and threatening nature of the order.

"Uh, its ok Sir I'm sure we can manage without it," stuttered Sean, pulling Pete back with him towards the door. With that the two were gone.

The Employer climbed into the back of his limo.

"Get me to the lock up Jo," he commanded. "I'm going to have to sort this problem out myself."

Placing a small black leather case on the seat at the side of him he rested his head back, closed his eyes and nursed the burgeoning migraine he could feel forming at the back of his neck and ramming through his head like a metal rod piercing his skull at the other side between his eyes. He had to think about the cool $10 million this venture was worth and the future potential to launder other illicit funds, that would make him feel better.

Back at the safe house Gibbs and Shannon were beside themselves.

"How did this happen?" shouted Gibbs, "you told us he would be safe, you promised us his father wouldn't be able to get anywhere near him."

"I'm sorry Gibbs," said Morrow, "I don't have answers for you yet but I will have man out there looking for them both, I intend to find them."

"Where are you looking, hey?" questioned Gibbs, pacing frantically back and forth struggling to hold on to the last vestiges of his temper knowing that losing it was not going to help matters, "we don't even have a start point."

"We have road blocks out around the area, they can't have gone more than 30 miles in any direction, we are sweeping the area but it will take some time, we have BOLOs out with all of the local LEO's and agencies, we're pulling extra staff in from out of area and the Colonel is letting us use all of the marines for the search," explained Tom, "we will find them."

"Its not enough," yelled Gibbs, "he could be out there doing god knows what to Tony and Joanne and we are all just sat here on our asses."

"Calm down Leroy," ordered his father, "its not helping you arguing and making impossible demands, just because you want them found in the next five minutes doesn't mean its going to happen in that amount of time, but the more you keep Tom here arguing the less time he has to organize this search."

Gibbs didn't respond, instead heading out of the door in the small rear yard and slamming the door behind him.

….

As the Limo pulled into the barn, the driver indicated to Jules to give their employer some privacy and the two went outside to discuss other matters.

The man walked over to the broken seat just vacated by Jules. Taking out a silk handkerchief from the breast pocket of his designer Italian suit he wiped the back of the chair and then laid it onto the seat before sitting down on it. He crossed his legs, took out his hip flask and swigged down a mouthful of expensive single malt whisky. Then clipping the end of a Cuban cigar and lighting it he waited, watching the two prone figures before him.

The rich smell of the smoke affected the prone figures on the mattress. Joanne was the first to stir, but her head felt like a 100 pound hammer had been let loose in there. Nausea coursed through her body and she woke up, bolted into a sitting position and began to wretch.

The male watched her as she took in her surroundings albeit they were still swimming back and forth before her eyes and focusing on anything was proving problematic. Panic took over as she realized that her right ankle was chained to the wall of the bar in an iron anklet akin to something out of a medieval dungeon. As her hands felt around her new prison they came to rest on the sleeping figure of the small boy.

"Tony," she shook him, "Tony sweetie I need you to wake up, I need to know you are ok."

"Oh he'll be fine," came the chillingly deep voice of the man, "It's you we really need to worry about Joanne or should I call you Cecilia?"

Realizing for the first time that she and Tony were not alone, she pulled the sleeping body of the little boy closer to her as much as a comfort to her as to protect the kid. The shifting of his position pushed the cold steel of the gun at his back a little deeper into his body and woke him from the deep sleep.

"Joanne," he cried out as he woke, "are we still alive?"

Joanne simply nodded, her eyes focusing in on the man sat before them.

"Master Anthony, ah I see you have decided to join us," snarled the man.

Tony shocked looked up to take in the face before him, his mind clear now of the effects of the gas.

"You know how we punish small children, don't you?" the man continued.

Tony gulped and tried to move backwards on the mattress his hand falling through a hole within it.

"Come now Master Anthony, you know it will be far easier on you if you face this like a little gentleman," said the man opening the small leather case he had placed at the side of the chair and taking a thick leather belt from within.

Tony gulped, he knew he couldn't get away, he knew it was worse if he ran, he'd been there before; not that he was in a position to run. His mind went to the gun at his back, but then he saw two other men enter the barn. He had to be brave, he had to accept whatever punishment was coming, if he was being punished then perhaps Joanne would be left alone. He secreted the weapon into the mattress and slowly stood to his feet, his legs trembling beneath him and rattling the chain around his ankle.

"Over here now boy," ordered the man, "the chain will reach and you know the position."

Tony nodded and took a small step forward, "please Sir don't hit me," he begged, "I'll be good Sir I promise, please Mr Percy don't hit me."