Joe awoke feeling disoriented. He started to get up but a strong hand prevented the action. "Dr. Curan," Joe said as his eyes focused.

"Relax, Joe," Curan told him. "You'll get sick if you move too fast."

"Where am I?" Joe asked, doing as he had been told.

"We're in a cabin near the border of Tibet," Curan informed Joe. Joe's mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide in shock. "You're just here until you come to terms with your destiny," Curan assured him, going over and picking up a syringe from the dresser and a bottle. He filled the syringe and picked up a pre-moistened swab from a little jar and returned to Joe's side.

"You're putting me back to sleep?" Joe demanded in disbelief. How was he supposed to come to terms if he was never conscious?

"No," Curan denied with a small shake of his head. "This will help you to accept your future."

"What future?" Joe asked fearfully.

"I can't tell you," Curan said. "Matt will when he feels you are ready."

"You're not giving me any more drugs," Joe snarled, tossing his quilt off and jumping to his feet.

Joe's forward movement was halted when Curan grabbed his arm and yanked him back onto the bed. Before Joe could resist, Curan was sitting on top of him and injecting the needle into his upper arm. "There, that wasn't so bad," Curan said when he had finished. "You are all done for this morning," he added, getting off of Joe. "I suggest you shower and get dressed. Breakfast will be ready soon and you will be joining Matt in the kitchen."

Curan exited the room, locking Joe inside, and went to the living room where Matt sat with three other members of the Assassins. "How is he doing?" Matt inquired.

"He's healthy," Curan answered. "And he has now had four injections," he continued. "But I think it is going to be harder to turn him than we at first thought."

"Then we shall just have to obtain a little incentive," Matt replied with a small shrug. He looked at one of the three other men. "Take care of it."

"As you wish, Sir," was the response. The man stood and left the room. Minutes later the hooves of a horse could be heard galloping away.

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Frank snagged the phone when it rang as he walked by it on his way into the kitchen the next morning. "Hello?"

"Frank?" Camille's worried voice reached his ear. "Have you found Joe yet?"

"No," he answered. "But his abduction doesn't have anything to do with the case your dad is residing over."

"Then why was he taken?" Camille demanded curiously.

"It's a long story," Frank replied wearily. "But don't ask Joe about it," he begged her. "It's more than a little upsetting."

"Does it have anything to do with Iola?" she asked.

"In a way," Frank admitted. "Maybe."

"Is there any way I can help?" Camille practically begged.

"No," Frank replied. "But thanks for offering."

"Will you be at school today?" she asked him.

"Unfortunately," Frank answered. "Dad's gathering some information but there isn't anything I can do at this point."

"And doing nothing will drive you crazy," she guessed.

"Pretty much, yeah," he acknowledged.

"I'll see you at school then," Camille told him before hanging up.

"Who was on the phone?" Laura asked as Frank entered the kitchen.

"Joe's new girlfriend," answered Frank. "I think."

"You think?" Laura asked, raising an eyebrow.

Frank shrugged. "They haven't actually gone out yet but she really likes Joe. And," he added. "I think she's the type of girl Joe could really get into." He sat down at the breakfast table. "Has Dad called yet?" he asked. Fenton had left with Gray the night before with the promise to call as soon as he found out something.

"No," Laura replied with a frown. "Frank," she began hesitantly after a few seconds of silence. "Do you think Matt will kill Joe?"

"No," Frank answered at once. He had thought about it all night long and drawn the most logical conclusion that he could. "He probably took Joe because Lauren asked him to," he said.

"I don't understand why she wanted Joe to take over as the head of the Assassins when Matt is older than Joe," Laura said.

"Maybe Dad will find out when he questions Lauren," Frank replied. He had been wondering the same thing himself.