A/N: See Author's note in Chapter One (or chapter 2 as it's shown on the site).

Chapter 16

Severus drove through the desert, his teeth clenched. In the distance, he saw a group of shapes. The men who took his daughter. Leaning forward slightly, he whispered into his hidden microphone.

"Split."

The trunk popped open and Harry rolled out. He leaned down to the ground, hiding behind desert brush, the riffle gripped in his hands.

Severus came to a stop. He got out of his car, facing the group, hands in pockets.

"Snape?" one of them asked.

"Yes. I'm alone."

"Hands up. Come with us."

"Show me the girl."

"She's not here."

"Bullshit. Let me see her. Then I come quietly."

The man nodded and a van pulled up. The door opened to reveal Brianna, gagged up and helpless. Nott was standing next to her, a pistol pointed at her head.

"He wants to see the girl," the man said needlessly.

Severus looked at his daughter, face filled with relief that she was alive.

"Simple exchange," said another man. Severus' eyes widened in recognition. "You come with us, the girl takes a walk."

"Crabbe," Severus smiled. "We're old friends. Can't you just let her go now?"

"No. And take your hands out of your pockets."

Severus shrugged. "Sure thing, mate ... "He slowly raised his hands to show the grenade in his left fist. Crabbe swore. "This fucker is alive," he said, shaking the grenade. "Let her go or we all die."

Nott stepped out of the car, calmly. "Take him."

"But sir – "began Crabbe.

"He's bluffing. It's a dud. He wouldn't risk killing his own daughter."

"Don't push me," Severus said threateningly.

"Take him."

Far away from this scene, Harry was laying in the desert, riffle pointed at the figures. He locked on to one of Brianna's captors. He licked his finger and tested the wind.

"Come on," he muttered. "Come on."

He hadn't done this in years. The last time being three years after the final battle.

Harry ran a finger over the gun fondly. Wizards had started relying heavily on these weapons after a shield against the Killing Curse had been developed in 1998.

Guns just killed a whole lot faster now.

Plus, he had never like Avada Kedavra much anyway.

Severus and Nott stared each other down. A man pushed a knife to Brianna's throat.

"Put the pin back in. Do it."

Severus sweated as Nott moved forward, gun extended.

Harry sat dead still, focusing through the riffle scope.

"Move. Move away from the girl ... "

Nott cocked the gun. "Drop the fucking grenade."

"I do and we die," Severus said seriously.

"No, I don't think so." He pulled the trigger.

The bullet caught Severus in the shoulder and he dropped the grenade, diving for cover. The man holding Brianna stepped back.

Bingo.

Harry smirked evilly and pulled the trigger.

BAM!

The man dropped and Nott's head snapped around. He stared off into the distance and hissed,

"Potter!"

Severus sat up, gun in hand, firing. "Brianna, the car!" he shouts and she bolted.

A black car's windshield splintered as Harry fired again. The driver was killed instantly.

The grenade went off, showering them with a cloud of orange smoke and confetti.

"Dud!" Nott screamed triumphantly. "It's a dud!"

Brianna jumped into the black car, pushing the blood spattered driver to the side. Nott kept shooting at her.

Severus was flat on the sand, shot after shot flying out of his gun like a madman.

Brianna peeled out. Crabbe jumped onto the front of her car, aiming at her.

Harry noticed. "No," he grunted and the one-eyed man was dust. He heard her scream, but she kept driving. He lined up for another shot ...

CLICK.

Harry spun around slowly, dread in his eyes. Draco Malfoy stood over him, a gun pointed at his head.

"Not so fast," Malfoy said, smiling. "Drop the riffle." He spoke into a walkie-talkie. "I've got Potter."

Severus tried to run, firing the gun blindly. The ground around him literally exploded with gunfire. He dropped the gun, defeated.

Nott, flanked with two Uzi-carrying men, emerged through the smoke.

"A very nice try." He picked up his own walkie-talkie. "Ken, get the girl."

Harry stood, arms over his head. Malfoy studied him thoughtfully.

"How long has it been?" Harry chose to remain silent. "Oh, that's right. Since we killed that wife of yours." He smirked. "But, let me be truthful with you, Harry. After all, we were old school mates." He shook his head as if remembering better days. "The truth is we didn't know she was your wife. If that makes you feel any better. We just thought we were getting rid of the one person that the Raven cared about. And his combat record was the stuff of legends. Funny how things work out."

"Yeah. Hilarious. You always did have the most fucked up sense of humor. It'll almost be a shame when I kill you."

Malfoy laughed. "I don't think so."

Brianna drove through the desert, speeding. The sand exploded in front of her and she screamed, swerving. She pushed the dead body out of the way as it slid to collide with her.

The helicopter was flying over, raining bullets down on her. She jumped out of the car, sprinting out across the sand. Before she collapsed.

He tears were barely able to be heard over the helicopter's propellers.