Warning: Rated T for strong language and some violence.

A/N: This chapter will be split in between both points of view. You will know when it changes. :)

Chapter 23

Lexie

The room they were holding her in opened, and in walked three familiar faces. Dimitri, Egor, and the final person made her eyes narrow and curse inwardly.

Addison Montgomery.

"Hello pet," she cooed. "Pity you did not heed my warning."

Lexie couldn't help it. She thrashed against her binds, forcing back the pain to her raw wrists. She wasn't normally a violent person, but she wanted to kill her in that moment.

"You traitorous bitch," Lexie spat.

Addison scoffed. "Me a traitor? That's rich coming from the likes of your precious boyfriend."

She knew.

Lexie looked to all three faces. All three of them knew that Mark was a cop. Their faces ranged from betrayal to rage, to the want of revenge. The revenge to be taken out on her.

How did they find out?

Egor turned his beady lusty eyes to her. "Sloan doesn't command the loyalty he thinks he has." he divulged.

It didn't make any sense. Derek was his best friend and also a cop. He wouldn't have betrayed him. None of the other crime lords knew about him being a cop, which meant…there was a mole within the agency. Someone had betrayed Mark.

But why?

"How much longer until he arrives?" Addison asked Dimitri.

"He will be here soon," Dimitri replied.

Lexie couldn't stop herself from asking, "Who?"

Addison smirked. "You will see soon enough, pet." She turned to the two men. "I would like a few minutes alone with her."

"Very well," said Dimitri, beckoning Egor with the tilt of his head to give them privacy.

"I have nothing to say to you," Lexie said, once the door shut behind her.

"I have plenty to say to you." She leaned forward until she was close to her face. Addison's eyes held her gaze. "I told you to walk away. That this world was dangerous. You don't belong here."

"Neither does Mark. He isn't a part of your world. You just said it yourself that he betrayed you all," she snapped.

"I don't give a damn about any of the other crime lords. I never have," she hissed quietly.

Lexie expression turned to confusion. "Then why…" Her words trailed off when it all clicked into place. She saw everything there in her expression without needing to say the words out loud. Her eyes did all the talking for her. "You love him," Lexie observed.

Addison pursed her lips some of her control slipping. "Love is for the weak."

Addison tried to deny it, but Lexie could see it in her face and her eyes. She was in love with Mark Sloan even if he was the enemy.

"And that's what has you so angry. It's that knowing who he is and what he really does for a living still isn't enough to make you not want to love him." Lexie guessed.

Addison's cold exterior slipped back into place. "I could never love a traitor. He will pay for his actions." she smirked. "After I have my fun with him."

Her heart was pounding. "No…"

"Oh, yes, pet. It's a pity you won't be around," she cooed.

Lexie's eyes narrowed even further, as she again pulled at the binds at her wrists. "I swear to you…if you even touch—"

Addison's laugh echoed in the room. "You'll what?" She looked around the room her grin spreading wider. "It doesn't appear to me that you will be getting out of here anytime soon." She turned away from her towards the door and knocked. "Oh. Enjoy the Russian's. I hear they really like it rough." She shot her a bemused expression.

The door opened, Addison leaving her alone with only Egor.

She gulped.

Mark

Mark was growing more and more frustrated as the hours ticked by that nothing was being done. He was getting more and more frustrated that he couldn't figure out the clues himself.

He tried not to let the past haunt him. The last time he felt this helpless was watching his mother die right before his very eyes. All of the minutes, hours, days, months he spent trying to solve her case and coming up empty handed almost drove him to madness. It was only a few hours, and without any other clues to where Dimitri could have taken her…was making him crazy.

What was worse, was that he felt that command wasn't doing much to really try and locate Lexie's whereabouts. He had a pit in the bottom of his stomach that if it came down to the secrecy of the operation or Lexie being a casualty, he knew which would be the more likely outcome.

Once they had collected everything from Seattle Grace and ensured that everyone was safe, Derek and him drove back to command. He wanted to be there to oversee it himself that they were doing everything they could. Otherwise, he would take matters into his own hands. He would take every resource possible to hit up every Russian business, compound, home until he found his Lexie.

Tom looked just as equally defeated and annoyed as the look on his own face seeing him and Derek approaching. Mark couldn't keep the scowl off his face.

"Tell me we have something," said Mark.

Tom gave him a long look, let out an exasperated sigh, and then shook his head. "We've got units checking out almost every known address we have, but we still don't have any evidence that she is being held there."

"Is it possible she's being held at a place that we aren't aware about?" Derek asked.

They all knew it was possible. They all knew it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Mark was sure they would find that needle, it was just if they would be able to find it within time before any harm could come to Lexie.

Mark started pacing again. "There's something we are missing here. The Russian's weren't that connected. There's no way they would have all the resources to pull this off. Not after what we took away after my assignation attempt."

Derek said out loud exactly what he was thinking. "You think they had help?"

Mark nodded. "I do."

Tom turned to them equally concerned now. "If that is true, she could be anywhere. We don't have that kind of resources to start checking every property of every one of your crime lords."

Mark rubbed at his forehead. "Then we need to start reviewing the ones that have the most to gain."

"Like Addison," interjected Derek.

Tom groaned. "Listen, I can tell you right now that command is not going to go for this. You're talking about additional warrants and risk to this operation. If we push too hard and play our hand and we are wrong it could jeopardize everything."

"You think I give a shit about this operation?" snapped Mark.

"You should," rebutted Tom. "Your job is on the line here."

"I don't give a flying fuck about my job, Summers." He reached down to his belt and pulled his badge and tossed it on the table next to them. "Here, I know you have wanted it for a long time. You got it. You can have the operation. You can have my badge. I don't want it anymore. I just want her."

Tom's stunned look went to Derek who didn't seem at all surprised, before he turned back to him. "Keep it," he resigned. "You want to resign…do it after we bring the civilian back safely."

Mark's curt nod was about as agreeable it was going to get between the two of them. Tom left them shortly after agreeing to take it back to the Directors and see what he could do about expanding their search.

It was him and Derek left in the conference room, his anger, fear, and feeling helpless sticking with him while they awaited their next move. The shrill sound of his phone ringing pulled him from his worries.

"Sloan."

Mark reached out to Derek, grabbing hold of him…the look on his face saying it all.

"You've got my attention," said Mark. "Where?"

Lexie

Egor kicked the door behind him with his foot. That wicked gleam was back in his eyes, as his eyes looked her up and down.

Don't show fear. Don't show fear.

She inadvertently pulled at her binds again as Egor took a step closer to her and then another step closer to her. This time it felt different from the last. He wasn't just trying to intimidate her. He looked as if he was going to take considerable amount of pleasure.

"Now, you aren't going to give me anymore trouble, are you?" he asked.

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't answer to you."

She felt the slap across the cheek before she even had time register that he was going to slap her. Even with her weight in the chair, the force of the slap had the chair tipping sideways before it settled back down on all fours.

Her cheek burned with pain. She bit back a sob as she slowly opened her eyes to look back up at him with confusion. She thought she could read the considerable amount of lust in his eyes…and then it hit her. He did have lust in his eyes and something more. The bastard got off on being something short of a sadist.

"Oh, but you do. Contrary to what you think, you now belong to me," Egor said. "So, here is what is going to happen. You're going to sit here and keep quiet and if you even attempt to try and run away again, I will do far worse to you."

Her eyes started to brim at the back with water, the sting from his slap still causing her entire left cheek to throb. If he thought she was going to just sit here and let him think she was going to take it…or worse let him think she would go with him willingly, he was severely wrong.

The look on his face told her that he knew exactly what she was thinking. "It appears you have a hard time listening exactly to what I am saying."

He took a final step forward, reaching into his pocket and brandishing a pocket knife. She sat up straighter, trying to push her body even further back against the chair. It was pointless for her to try and shrink away. She had nowhere to go as he loomed over her.

Lexie looked at the knife in his hand that was coming closer to her. "I understand," she croaked.

His lip quirked upwards, his head tilting to the side. "Do you?"

She nodded eagerly. The last thing she needed right now was to anger him any further. If placating him could get him out of here and off her back for the time being she would say or do anything.

It did nothing to help her. She cried out as he brought the knife down to her upper thigh and slashed at her leg. Her scrub parted as blood started to pool at the side of the cut. The tears she had been holding back from her eyes started to fall as she whimpered and sobbed.

Egor stood up straight, wiping the blood from the knife on his pants before sheathing it back in his pocket. "There. Now, I know your ability to escape is less likely," he said smugly.

He leaned close again, but she froze too much in shock from the pain and fear to do anything else. "I am really going to enjoy our time together, Dr. Grey."

He laughed as he turned on his heel and strode from the room.

It took Lexie another couple of minutes for the heaves to stop. She looked back down at her leg, the doctor in her assessing her own injury. She couldn't fully inspect it like she need to with her hands still tied behind her back. Blood was still trickling from the cut, the sides of her scrubs where the cut happened were completely soaked with her blood.

She winced as she moved her leg to get a better look. It would definitely need stitches, but even as she hissed in pain as she moved it, she was sure that the slash had been more superficial. Her muscles and nerves all still seemed to be intact. Egor had been right though. Even the slightest movement to her leg caused a pain to shoot directly up her leg, making her suck in her bottom lip.

She knew what she had to do. The risks, the danger, none of it mattered if she didn't get the hell out of here and soon. If Egor was willing to slice and dice her just to keep her immobile, she didn't even want to know what he could be capable of if she stuck around.

First thing was first, she had to get back out of her binds. Egor had tightened them tighter than the last time, but all of her straining had helped loosen them. Now that her leg throbbed considerably, she no longer felt as much pain in her wrists as she once had.

She gritted her teeth as she would strain and wiggle against the rope tied to her wrists before letting out a gaps and pants before trying again. She didn't know how long she had been at it, but she kept up the repetition every couple of minutes until she started to feel the rope give away a little more each time.

Her last attempt, she could feel the rope was starting to give away. She just needed one more strong push. With her bum leg, it was making it harder to get the leverage and traction. She licked her lips, fighting through the white-hot pain as she flattened both of her feet towards the ground. Even stretching her leg in the slightest, made a burst of pain shoot up her leg, but she fought against it.

She positioned her legs so that they were the furthest apart as possible, took in a large full breath, and tried with all of her strength to pull at the ropes as if she was extending her arms out. Between the jabs of pain in her wrists and her leg, she couldn't maintain her footing, causing her to lose her balance, throwing her weight too much to one side until the chair and her flipped on its side.

Her shoulder took the brunt of the force. She groaned, trying to block out the fresh new sharp pain she was feeling. It wasn't bad enough with her wrists and her leg, but she had to add a bruised shoulder to the mix.

She laid there for a moment, knowing how loud the sound must've been when she had fallen over. If Egor or anyone he had posted outside the door were actually there, they would have heard the commotion from inside the room.

After a few minutes, when she couldn't hear any sounds, she started to make her move. She tried not to cry out in relief when she could finally move her arms from the pinned position behind her back. She placed her hands on the ground, helping herself into a seated position.

Her wrists were hurting as she looked down at them. They were so raw, cracked, and bleeding that even touching them made it almost unbearable. The left side of her jaw also ached, as she brought her hand to the side of her face, wincing as she touched it. His hit to the side of her face had held considerable force. It was tender and sore, and by her guess would ultimately leave a bruise.

The stinging pain in her leg brought her attention back to the slash. She sucked in her bottom lip, peeling aside the edges of her scrub pants to fully look at the cut. The flow of her blood was coming less and less, but it was still bleeding. She tore more of the material away from her leg until she created a couple of long strips. She wrapped the material around her leg applying just enough pressure to stop the bleeding. She would need to clean it and stitch it later.

She had to get out of here. She grimaced through the pain, as she tucked her good leg underneath her first to give her the strength to get up off her bottom and to a standing position. It had taken her a few times, but she had finally managed to find her stance that allowed her to get to her feet. A burst of pain shot through her leg, but she ignored it, pushing back the whimper in her throat.

It was hard to put enough pressure on her leg to stand fully. Egor was right about that too. She wasn't going to be able to run at full speed—or possibly run at all. She was going to have to hobble her way out of here. It would be slower and much more painful, but if getting her to freedom was what it would take, she would do it.

"Lexie!"

Mark.

"Mark," she called turning in all directions trying to call out to his voice.

This was just like her dream. She rejoiced knowing that in a moment it meant they would be reunited. She just had to hope that the rest would not play out like it had. Hope was a powerful feeling to have. It coursed through her giving her everything she needed to keep fighting. To keep moving forward. She just had to hope that he didn't give a reason to snuff out that feeling, breaking her in the process.

"Lexie!"

She swallowed back the panic, limping towards the closest wall to give her support as she tried to move towards the front of the room with the door.

"Mark!" she called louder, her voice still coming out weak and coarse.

The relief coursing through her that he was there, made all the last hours more tolerable. She reached the knob of the door, turning, but it didn't budge. She pulled again, and again, but nothing happened. She was panting now, her pain was worsening the more she put weight and strain on her leg, and was mentally exhausted, but the adrenaline was still pumping through her.

She leaned her head against the door, hearing faint voices and footsteps. She didn't know if it was Mark—or worse—Egor, Dimitri, or Addison that was out there as well. They would anticipate that he would come directly for her. All they would have to do is lie in wait until they could potentially pick them both off together. It was risky to call out to him, but she determined a chance to be reunited with him was worth taking the risk.

She clenched her hands into fists and started pounding against the door.

"Mark! Mark! Help!"

"Lex, I'm here," he called.

She sagged against the door, relief flooding through her. "You're here," she repeated already starting to feel so much better.

"Lex, get away from the door," he ordered.

She hobbled to the other side, moving away not sure what he had planned to do in order to get the door opened. "Ok, I'm away."

She felt two large rumbles against the door, all of the walls shaking, before the door snapped into two pieces of the lock and handle flying everywhere. She brought her hands to her face, turning away from the smashed debris.

"Lex," Mark breathed, reaching for her instantly.

She collapsed into his arms, the fear leaving her now that he had her safely in his arms. She was always safe as long as she was in his arms. He pulled her up so that he could look at her, both his hands coming to either side of her face, pushing her hair away.

"Are you ok?"

She nodded. "I'll be ok."

He scanned her for her injuries, the blue flecks of his eyes deepening with each new injury he found on her. Seeing her raw and bloody wrists already had him blazing with anger, but when his eyes came to her leg, seeing the blood and the gash, his face transformed into a murderous rage. He cursed under his breath; his lips pressed into a hard line.

It was her turn to put both of her hands to his face, making him look back up at her. "Hey…I'm ok," she said.

His lips pursed, his jaw tightening. "We gotta move."

"Where…where are we?"

"You're at a property owned by Addison," he answered.

Lexie was surprised that it was Addison's place. It had been the Russian's that had kidnapped her, but it seemed they were just doing her bidding. It was looking as if Addison was the why behind the whole thing, but then that didn't make any sense considering she remembered Addison, Egor, and Dimitri were all waiting on someone else to arrive. Someone who seemed to be the leader of this little group.

"Addison betrayed you…but she wasn't the only one," she said quickly.

Mark's expression didn't falter. "I know."

She shook her head. "No. Not just Addison and not just Dimitri and Egor. There is someone else—"

She didn't get to finish her sentence and Mark didn't get respond, over the sounds of rapid fire happening outside of the room around them. She immediately brought her hands to her ears, trying to drown out the sound that seemed like it was ricocheting in the confines of the small room they were standing in.

"We have to move, now." he urged.

He didn't wait for her to process, placing his arm around her back the other underneath her legs and lifted her effortlessly against the hardness of his chest. He started to run from the room, only to start a jog down a long corridor. The sounds of bullets grew louder all around them.

Lexie tried push back the panic that was growing deep inside her chest. This was feeling all too real from her dream. She closed her eyes praying that it wasn't going to happen. Her world came crashing down when the next two words she heard told her everything was in fact about to fall apart.

"Mark Sloan!"

The shout came from behind them, just at the opposite end of the corridor. She opened her eyes to confirm a gun was leveled at Mark's back. Her body instantly stiffened in his arms. She wanted to know who it was behind them. She could instantly recognize that it wasn't Addison, Egor, and Dimitri's voices behind them.

Something about that voice though…something tickled at the back of her mind. She knew that voice. Her eyes went wide as soon as she connected the dots. "Mark…that's…"

He stopped moving, knowing if he even moved an inch, he would be shot before they rounded the corner. When she looked back into his eyes, his expression did not register the clear shock that had been on her face. He looked as if he already knew what she was just learning.

As he looked down at her properly, his look was full of regret and longing. Recognition dawned on her from her dream that she already understood what he was going to do. Unlike her dream, she didn't want to do it, because she didn't want to remember what would happen next. Unlike her dream, this was real and she knew she wasn't going to wake up from it this time.

She clutched at him, shaking her head as the tears sprang to her eyes. She resisted as he slowly started to lower her back to her feet, his hands on her arms to keep her steady until she could find her stance with her injured leg. She forgot all about the pain to her leg, wrists, and even her face…because none of that mattered now that she was clamming up with fear. Fear of losing him forever.

Now that she knew who it was that was standing behind her, she also understood his reason for wanting her to try and get out while he stayed behind and bought her some time. You figured you would have to fight like hell to bring down the bad guys, but what were you supposed to do when the people you thought were there to protect you ended up being worse than the bad guys.

"Go," he mouthed.

She knew the words wouldn't do anything, but she found herself shaking her head anyway. "Not without you."

His footsteps from behind them were getting louder. If she didn't turn and run, his attempt at trying to save her would be for nothing. Standing there, seeing the determined look on his face, made her lip tremble. She still didn't know that if she turned and left like he would want her too that it would mean that she would be saved, or if he would survive their separation.

"Lex, go," he urged.

The tears falling from her eyes were coming faster now. She had to try at least one more time. "No. I won't go without you."

His hand came up to her cheek; and even though they had no time, he still touched her so gently that she could feel her heart breaking in two.

"I wish we had more time," he whispered. "I love you. I will always love you."

Her face crumpled. "I love you, too," she whispered.

He gave her a sad smile. "I know." His hand fell from his side, nudging with his head to turn in the opposite direction. "Go."

Her lips quivered, as the tears flowed freely. "I…"

"Don't turn back. No matter what you hear. Run. Survive. Live. Promise me," he pleaded.

She sniffled. "I promise. Please don't make me do this."

His hands clenched into fists at his side, and then he stepped back. It was not he recognized the same words from her dream. "Go!"

This time his voice was hard, cold, and closed off. She took one last look, her heart already broken as she turned and ran.

She just had to hope that the love of her life would survive too.

Mark

"You think you are saving her, but you're not. I already promised her to the Russian's, and let me tell you…they are going to have a lot of fun with her."

Mark growled. "Before I draw my last breath, I am going to kill you," he said, so low and dangerous that it left no question that it was a promise.

"Pity you won't be alive that much longer."

Mark tilted his head, his eyes narrowed at his former Special Agent in Charge. "Let me ask you, Agent Young…what's the going rate for betraying everything you are sworn to protect?"

Bruce left out a boisterous laugh. He looked as if he was so untouchable. It made sense now why he had been absent in their last few meetings. He not only fooled him and Derek, but his long-time partner Tom Summers and all of the FBI Directors.

It also made sense why Bruce had such a hard-on to want him out of the way and off the case. Mark would have put the pieces together soon and realize that Bruce had betrayed the agency and everyone involved. The last couple of years, he was taking all of the evidence and information and choosing what to give back to command. He was selecting what and who to prosecute while keeping the rest to himself for when the time came to attempt to take it over himself. Unlike Mark and Derek, he wouldn't be on the side of command, he would be working against them.

What Bruce hadn't expected, was that Addison Montgomery was about to turn on him. As soon as they involved Lexie, he was going to do everything in his power to bring down every last mobster and gang member. The thing about him, was that one of his best strengths was reading people and what drove them. Addison was driven by constant power and ability to survive.

When Tom had left the room, and he had gotten the call from Addison, he almost didn't believe the trap he figured she was setting to lure him there knowing that she was where Lexie was. He would still go if there was a chance she was there, but when she had told him that she had a deal of information that he wouldn't be able to refuse, he just couldn't pass it up.

He had learned that right after his assignation attempt, was when Bruce had made his move. He had personally handled the interrogation with Sergei Anatoly. His interrogation came at making a deal in using Sergei's men to advance his plan for a complete takeover. All those meetings that Mark had had with Dimitri and Egor…they knew all along that Mark worked for the FBI. They were having to bide their time until their new orders had come down.

Addison had filled in the rest of the clues that the attack on her restaurant came at the hands of Bruce through his new crew. Men who were happy to defect from any of the other crime lords to do Bruce's new bidding. Unlike Mark, Bruce wanted Addison to rule by his side when it came to his plan for advancing the new way of under-world crime organization.

When Addison had refused, Bruce threatened to take down everything. Mark still didn't know if her change of heart came because she was actually worried about her business and her people, or because she generally thought she could finally have everything she ever wanted. He asked her that much in their recorded conversation.

"Why should I believe you, Addie?" Mark asked. "You really want me to believe that you went along with this knowing you were going to betray him?"

She let out a long sigh on the other end of the phone. "I told you, Markie. I would always be loyal to you…even when I found out all along that you were the enemy."

"Because?"

She let out a frustrated laugh. "Why does any woman do the most unnatural or ridiculous thing they shouldn't."

She wanted him to actually believe she was doing any of this because she loved him. One thing he was certain was that Addison hated that Lexie was in his life. She knew that nothing she could ever do would come between him and Lexie. The only thing that made sense, was that she was savvy enough to recognize Bruce's plan was going to fall apart. She was selling this information for her own freedom. She was nothing if not smart…especially when it came to a good game of chess.

"You and I both know that would never happen. So, the only thing I know you would want, is your freedom," he replied.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone before she finally said, "It's a Montgomery's nature to survive."

It should horrify him that she would willingly have no concerns sealing the fate of everyone one of her crew to save her own hide. "I'll take them all down, Addie. Every single one of your crew."

"Yes, I know," she said at last. "Do we have a deal?"

Mark looked at his best friend who nodded in agreement. Mark didn't fully have the authority to offer this kind of immunity, but he didn't have the time to go through the proper channels. It was a huge risk, but if what Addison Montgomery said was true, he would be able to catch a traitor and finally get everything he would need to bring all the crime lords down.

"We have a deal. Complete immunity, no jail time, and not so much as a parking ticket on your record," he agreed.

She handed over the address to her larger mansion where they were keeping Lexie. In layman terms, she told Derek and him all of the information she had on each of the other crime lords—information that even Mark and command did not have—as well as Bruce's entire plan to ensure that command would have lost all evidence Mark had collected over the last nine years as he took over everything.

Once Bruce handled him and Derek, he would fly to a country with no extradition back to the United States and run everything remotely. It gave Mark great pleasure that he was going to foil all of his plans. He was going to make Bruce pay severely for what he had done to Lexie. The injuries she had sustained at his hands.

Bruce took another step forward, his gun leveled directly at him. The asshole had the smuggest look on his face. "You think you have all the answers, but you don't," said Bruce.

He felt the last of his patience weaning. "I have enough that you will never see the outside again. That's if I don't kill you first."

Bruce's lips turned upwards into a sick and satisfying grin. "You won't kill me. I have something you want. Something you need."

"All I need is on her way to getting out of here safely. Your stalling, and I am not biting. So, either you shoot me, or I am going to beat the ever-living shit out if you before I haul your ass off to the worst prison imaginable."

"I finally cracked the case you were never able too," Bruce taunted.

Mark's steps faltered. That hadn't been what he thought Bruce would have said. He knew the man was at the end of his rope, and trying anything he could to prolong what would happen.

"Your lying," he snapped.

Bruce's hand reached into his pants pocket. Mark followed his movements, watching as his hand pulled out a small USB drive and held it up.

"I'm not. It's all here. All the evidence. Everything you ever needed on who ordered the hit on your mother. The men that carried out the actions. You could have it all."

Mark blinked. He felt as if someone had lassoed his heart and it was beginning to slowly constrict until it would take its last beat. He felt as if the final amber of heat just went out and all he felt was coldness. He was transported back to that night when he was five years old. When everything in his world had fallen apart.

He narrowed his eyes. "Let me guess. I get the information if I give you your freedom…let you walk."

Bruce's smug smile returned. "Precisely. The fact that you're here…means someone sold me out. I could just kill you, and lord knows I want too…but I would rather have my freedom. Buy my freedom. All you have to do is make sure I get out of here with enough of a head start to get out of the country and you get to make sure dead mommy gets her justice." Bruce looked him dead in the eye. "Just think of it as a head start. We both know you will attempt to spend the rest of your life still trying to beat me and never will."

Mark's mouth opened to tell him to shove the deal where the sun doesn't shine, but his mouth stayed close when the USB drive flickered between his fingers.

The room seemed to tilt and spin around Mark. He was always about the job. He was always about protecting those that couldn't protect themselves. But could he really pass up the opportunity to finally solve the one case he hadn't been able too before? Could he be ok with knowing that if he didn't give in to Bruce's demands…he would never give his mother the peace he was looking for.

"If you found evidence, so will I," he countered.

Bruce balked as if he was an amateur. "I've destroyed all the evidence. The only remaining copies are listed here. And before you think you can just kill me and take it…the only way it works is if I give you the correct code once you input the drive into the computer. Which, I will happily give you once I escape. I hired the best code cracker in the world, Mark. You don't get this unless I want you too." he paused. "So, what will it be?"

A/N: Ok, guys…we have two chapters left. What do YOU think is going to happen?! ;)