Thanks so much again to anyone still reading this! And for your kind words. Nearly there :) Hopefully I wont be too long with the last chapter, but real life is a little loud at the moment. All mistakes here are mine. Thanks for reading :)

STSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTSTST

Jason had spent half the journey trying not lose his shit down the phone at Blackburn, arguing that they should be pursuing Ash's suddenly moving vehicle instead of heading to an address that may or may not be relevant. But the commander had stood firm, insisting that the vehicle Davis had identified could indeed be carrying Clay, and so Jason had eventually given in, accepting that Blackburn was probably right. Full Metal and Derek were quite capable of locating Ash's vehicle, and handling whoever was driving it. Jason was just desperate to find his missing brother, and his normally clear thinking was compromised - clouded with a sense of foreboding that he couldn't quite shake.

Now, as they pulled up to the single-story brick dwelling, Jason's sense of unease clicked up another notch. There was something off about the property. Blinds were drawn across every window, leaves accumulated against the front door, and a sea of dead grass, weeds, and scraggly rose bushes stood in place of a front garden. A cracked concrete driveway ran along one side of the property, ending at a rusty garage down the back.

Jason tore his gaze from the weed-strewn driveway, attempting to shake his head clear. Bad feelings were normally Sonny's thing, not his.

"Alright boys," he stated, grabbing his weapon. "Let's do this."

Seatbelts were unfastened, doors popped. The EMTs had pulled up but remained in their vehicle, for now. Their presence reminded Jason that at best, they would leave with Clay on a gurney – and at worst …

"Ray," Jason said as he slid from the van, refusing to spend any more time thinking about worst-case-scenarios. "You, Trent, and Vic go through the front."

Bravo Two gave a tight nod.

Jason swung his eyes to Sonny and Brock. "You two, with me. We'll take the back."

Without another word, they stealthily approached the building, splitting fluidly into two groups.

Cerb once again took the lead, pulling eagerly.

Once Jason and his group reached the back of the house, they saw a sedan parked close by the back porch, tucked out of sight of the street. Cerb whined, nose to the ground, picking up pace and quickly bypassing the vehicle, heading straight for the back door.

Jason felt his gut clench. He'd observed their furry team mate on enough occasions to know when the dog had a strong lead. And right now, that was most definitely the case.

Without another thought, they entered the building. A hallway ran straight through the heart of the house, and at its end Jason could see the rest of his team clearing the front two rooms.

Cerb led them straight through the kitchen to a closed door with a curved silver handle. There he halted, turning and pinning Jason with an intense, brown-eyed look that quite clearly said, He's here.

Jason felt dread punch through him. He was suddenly caught between wanting to charge through the door - and not being ready to know what waited on the other side.

Brock and Cerb quickly stepped out of the way.

Jason shook the hesitation, and he and Sonny flanked the door, shoulders pressed against peeling wallpaper, weapons ready.

The others had finished clearing the front rooms, and now stood in the hallway behind Brock, eyes bright with the realization that this was most likely it.

Jason's fingers trembled as he grabbed the door handle. He traded a look with Sonny. Whatever hope he held for Clay to be alive and in one piece, it was either about to swell - or come crashing down. He held his breath, praying for the former outcome, and shoved the door open.

There was barely time to register an unfamiliar man standing, facing them, with a gun held beneath his own chin.

"You're too late," the man stated darkly, before suddenly squeezing the trigger.

Blood exploded towards the ceiling and across the cracked mirror - the sound ricocheting around the otherwise silent house.

Jason watched the man crumple in a heap upon the tiled floor. He would have felt shock, but his attention was grabbed by the sight of a tub against the far wall - namely, what lay in said tub. Without another thought, he lurched into the small room, ignoring the stranger's body.

Oh God –

His legs gave way and he fell to his knees beside the tub, forgetting how to breathe.

Clay -

Vaguely he heard Sonny yelling, desperately calling for Trent, the EMTs, anyone to get their ass in here and help.

Clay lay bound, unmoving, in the tub, covered in blood from his still oozing wrists.

Jason scrambled to reach towards his brother - his kid. Frantically, he felt for a pulse, relief crashing over him as he found it; faint – and growing fainter – but still somehow there.

"I got you, buddy," he whispered, pushing up, awkwardly sliding his hands under Clay's armpits.

Trent appeared beside him, quickly grabbing Clay's bound legs at the knees.

Together they gently lifted their boy out of the blood-slicked tub.

Sonny made quick work of slicing through the rope binds, before helping them turn Clay over so that they could lower him onto the ground.

Jason couldn't tear his eyes away from Clay's too-pale face. There were bruises, cuts, and what appeared to be burn marks across his torso. It wasn't until Sonny gripped him by the elbow that he realized he was holding tight to one of Clay's hands. Hastily he let it go, allowing Trent to hurriedly wrap and put pressure on the wounds.

Footsteps thundered down the hall, and the EMTs crowded in.

Jason stumbled back, half-guided by Sonny. "Come on, man," the Texan urged, though his voice was distant, far too quiet and noticeably shaking. "We gotta give them room to work."

Jason nodded jerkily, spinning to face the hallway. He raised trembling hands over his face and scrubbed, as if trying to clear the image of Clay hog-tied in a tub with his wrists sliced. A steady hand fell upon his shoulder, squeezed, and Jason peered over his steepled fingers to see Ray staring at him.

"Ash Spenser isn't here," Bravo Two stated the obvious.

Jason let his hands fall. Ash Spenser was the least of his concerns right now. A small part of him hoped that Ash was in a ditch somewhere, but he would never acknowledge that out loud.

Ray's gaze skipped to the bathroom, where Trent and the EMTs were working. He opened his mouth, perhaps to offer some form of reassurance - but he was cut off by a sharp call from Bravo Four.

"He's not breathing -"

Jason felt his heart stop. His own breath suddenly and painfully caught in his throat, and he whipped back around to see one of the EMTs begin aggressive CPR on Clay's horribly lifeless-looking form.

"No, no, no -" Sonny braced against the wall, eyes wide.

"Pulse is gone -"

Jason felt his knees threaten to buckle, the small amount of relief he'd previously felt suddenly washed out from under him. A shattering thought barreled through him -

What if Clay died, without ever knowing that they'd come for him.

Vision blurring with tears, Jason forced himself to watch the frantic scene in the bathroom, even though it was brutally painful. He didn't dare look away.

Clay had been through hell, without his brothers by his side. And Jason would be damned if he'd step away from the kid now, just because he was completely terrified that this would be the last memory he would have of Bravo Six.

Ray stood, frozen, to his left, a muttered prayer spilling from his lips.

Sonny spun away from the doorway, eyes brimming with tears, first suddenly connecting with the wall.

"Clear-"

The sound of the defibrillator shot through the hallway, causing Cerb to startle and whine. Brock gently pulled his dog back and crouched to wrap his arms around the canine, burying his face in fur.

Further back, Vic leaned against a wall, looking pale and lost.

Jason watched as Trent once again checked Clay's vitals.

"Still no pulse. God damn it, Spenser, come on …"

Jason bit his lip so hard that he tasted copper.

"Let's go again. Clear -"

Another shock rang out.

Sonny returned to lean against the doorway, breaths hitching.

Jason measured his own breaths, willing Clay to do the same.

"Come on, Goldilocks," Sonny pleaded. "You're too stubborn for this. Come on."

Trent looked up, and Jason caught the shattered look in his eyes. Reflexively, he shook his head, firmly rejecting what the medic's gaze was suggesting.

No.

Clay wasn't gone.

Propelled by desperation, Jason stepped closer to the doorway. He found his voice, did his best to hold it steady as he directed his words towards their youngest team member. "Don't you dare give up, do you hear me?" He leaned closer to Clay, knowing that most likely the kid couldn't hear him. "You fight, you got that? You fight." The steadiness in his voice wavered, but he caught it. "That's an order, Bravo Six."

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Derek loved Full Metal like a brother. The towering man was an amazing team leader; fiercely loyal to those he cared about – and simply fierce to those he did not. He was known for his steely gaze, gravelly voice, and commanding stature. Out of all the people Derek knew, Full Metal could say the most in the least amount of words. And he got his kicks scaring the shit out of people - including his own 2IC.

Derek gripped the laptop, knuckles white, as he attempted to track the signal from Ash's vehicle, whilst not losing the contents of his stomach. "We're not in a fucking war zone," he grit, biting back a string of curses as they narrowly missed being t-boned by another vehicle.

Full Metal barely flinched, but his lip twitched into a small smile.

"You drive like a maniac," Derek muttered, bracing as they squealed around a corner.

"I'm efficient," came the correction.

They were quickly coming up on Ash's vehicle, and as they'd drawn closer it hadn't taken them long to work out where the mystery driver was headed; the airport.

"He's entering the multi-story parking," Derek reported. "Go left up ahead. Once he's in there we'll have a hard time finding him."

Full Metal didn't reply, just stomped harder on the gas. He nearly took out the boom gate as they entered the parking lot – and probably would have, if Derek hadn't urged him to stop and take a ticket. "Let's not cause any more damage than we have to, yeah?"

Full Metal glared. "If it is actually Ash Spenser in that car, I'll be causing some damage. To his face. With my fist."

Derek had no doubt.

They sped through the first level, checking for any recently arrived cars. Derek was just about to call Davis to check whether there was any way to hone in on the tracker from within the parking lot, when he spied the familiar figure of Ash Spenser pulling a suitcase from the trunk of his car. "Bingo," he said, indicating their target, sudden anger swelling in his gut.

Full Metal swerved and came to an abrupt halt by the trunk of Ash's vehicle, causing the older Spenser to jump and curse as he was nearly pinned between the two cars.

Derek popped his door, but Full Metal was already out and glaring at Ash.

"Going somewhere?" Alpha One questioned tightly.

Ash slammed the lid of his trunk, attempted to turn and walk away. But Derek was quickly on his other side, trapping him in the narrow space between the two vehicles.

"The trip will have to wait," Derek stated, hands resting on his hips and meeting Ash's cold stare. "You need to come with us."

Ash scoffed, squaring his shoulders. He may have matched the two SEALs in height, but he carried a lot less than half their muscle. Still, he didn't back down. "I don't have to go anywhere with you," he spat.

Derek stood firm, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your son is missing," he growled. "But I'm sure you already knew that. You can either come with us voluntarily and answer some questions, or NCIS will drag your ass off the plane in front of hundreds of people."

Ash continued to glare, jaw set. His expression was professionally stony, but Derek thought he caught the shadow of discomfort flickering behind icy blue eyes.

"Just get in the fucking car," Full Metal ordered. "We can do it the easy way, or the hard way."

Ash threw him a molten look.

"Personally," Alpha One continued, lowering his voice slightly, "I prefer the hard way."

Ash stood his ground. "Are you threatening me?"

Full Metal quirked his lip, took a half step closer. "Yep."

Ash took another moment, iron grip on his suitcase handle. His gaze darted to Derek, as if deciding that he was the more reasonable of the two men. "I want to speak with my lawyer," he stated.

Derek didn't reply, just nodded for Ash to get in the back of their vehicle.

Full Metal stepped back, allowing room for Ash to climb stiffly into the car.

Once the older Spenser was in his seat, Derek fished out his phone to call Blackburn. The commander had already informed them along the way that NCIS were ready to take the case seriously. Derek worried that it might be too little, too late. They would have a lot of questions for Clay's scumbag of a father, that was for sure. He could only hope that it would help them find Clay, if Bravo hadn't already.

Full Metal waited until Ash had his belt on, before leaning into the car and punching the older man in the jaw.

Derek raised a brow, but didn't move to intervene.

"That's from Bravo," Full Metal stated.

Ash exploded into curses and threats, cupping his jaw.

But Full Metal just straightened and slammed the door – effectively shutting out the fiery response.

Derek hit dial on Blackburn's number, catching his team leader's eye over the roof of the car.

"If it turns out Clay's hurt, and Trash Spenser here is responsible," Full Metal's tone was as dangerous as it came. "I'll be damaging more than just his face."

Derek held the phone to his ear. He didn't doubt the truth of that, and it scared the shit out of him.

Ash would be wise to go willingly for questioning, he thought. Because if he didn't, and Full Metal and the rest of Bravo got hold of him – there would most likely be nothing left to bury.