'Say hello to your Dad, Scott.'

Scott froze at the click, cursing his luck. He had known that it wouldn't matter, that he'd been set up from the beginning, but he'd had hope. A fool's hope.

'Mr Tracy? Nothing to say to your son either?'

'Scott?'

'Dad!'

'Well, isn't this nice? Scott, why don't you move a bit more into the centre.' Deltane motioned with the gun and Scott obeyed, moving further into the room, hands in the air. 'That's it. Sit yourself down on the floor, Scott, while I introduce myself properly to your father.'

Scott obeyed, sitting cross-legged on the floor with his hands on the back of his head.

'Mr Tracy, it is good to see you again – or to be more accurate, to hear you again.'

'Really.'

'Sure is. Last time we met time and circumstances were a little…fraught, shall we say.'

'You could say that. Are you going to introduce yourself properly this time?'

'Where are my manners! My name is Roger Deltane.'

'And what exactly do you want, Mr Deltane.'

'So formal! I was telling Scott here earlier that I owe so much to you both. Without your untimely intervention all those years ago, Dr Gardner wouldn't have been given access to a better lab and time to perfect his serum into this.'

Deltane held up a syringe. Scott could see it. Jeff's jaw and fists clenched.

'After we were…escorted from Scott's room and arrested there were times when all I wanted to do was put a bullet through either of you. Especially you, Scott. But then we were moved. I'm not sure who pulled what strings, but I found myself back with the good doctor.'

He walked toward Scott and crouched down, facing him.

'With the extra funding, with the extra resources, it took the doc eight years to perfect it. No testing on solders this time, we were given all the subjects we needed. But Dr Gardner never forgot you, Scott. Or you, Mr Tracy. And once it was perfected you, Scott, you were the only one he wanted.'

Scott paled and tried to lean back away from Deltane. The man merely chuckled in response.

'You have no idea how difficult it is to get any of you Tracy's dirtside. It's taken more than a year of planning before I could find anything that would be likely to see you. Honestly, I had thought that only your father would attend, but when I saw you there, Scott, I couldn't help myself.'

He stared at Scott for a moment before standing up again.

'Fate, Mr Tracy. Do you believe in Fate?'

'I do not. We make our own luck in the world.'

'I am surprised.'

'Don't be.'

'Well, I and the Doc both believe in fate. Fate made you volunteer all those years ago when Dr Gardner was just starting out with his idea. Then when he had been run off there and moved on and your Scott was in the next batch…Of course it was fate. You passed on the building blocks in your genetics. Scott was, is, the perfect specimen.'

Deltane moved back behind Scott.

'My only regret is that Dr Gardner isn't here to see his greatest creation. He died a couple of months back. But not all was lost. I still have his research. I have the serum. And best of all, I have Scott.'

Jeff jumped up, as did the rest of his boys.

'What do you want from me, Mr Deltane?'

'Want? I have everything I want, Mr Tracy. I have Scott and I have you. Watching.'

He looked directly into the camera.

'And I hope, and I'm pretty sure, that by now the rest of your remarkable boys are there too, waiting for the word to come and rescue their brother.'

Jeff sat back down but didn't say anything. He knew he didn't need to, the bond between his boys was well documented.

'I repeat, what do you want, Mr Deltane?'

'I'm coming to it, Mr Tracy. But first – '

Before Scott could react Deltane had lunged forward and emptied the syringe into Scott's shoulder.

Jeff held his breath. As did everyone else in the room. He looked to John, but his second eldest's frustration was clear, and John shook his head. Whatever – whoever – was funding this had some serious cash invested, signals were bouncing everywhere.

Suddenly there was a sound, and a gasp from both Virgil and his Mom, and Jeff swung back to the screen. The blood drained from his face.

Scott was having a seizure.

He was on the floor, shaking and jerking. Eyes rolled back, sweat pouring. It was painful to watch. Jeff could hear Virgil counting under his breath.

2 minutes and 15 seconds.

Scott lay still.

Deltane was grinning.

Scott groaned and sat up. He rolled his shoulders. Then stood up. There was a collective sigh from the penthouse. But the relief didn't last long.

He was standing, sure, but he was holding himself as a soldier ready for action.

'Captain Tracy.'

Scott stood immediately to attention.

'Sir, yes, Sir.'

'Captain Tracy, I have a special mission for you.'

'Sir.'

'I have a find and retrieve mission. Are you ready?'

'Yes Sir.'

Deltane leant forward, glancing up at the camera.

'Excellent, Captain. Your mission is to find and retrieve one Lieutenant Commander Gordon Tracy.'

Scott snapped to attention, saluted and left at a fast march.

Deltane looked straight at the camera, a little sad that he couldn't see Jeff's reaction.

'Better prepare yourselves, Mr Tracy.'

The camera cut out.