Scott clambered down from One and took in the still blazing hangar, he then saw the two figures huddled together in the courtyard and broke into a run. His heart was pounding as he neared the scene and in the amber glow of the flames could make out faces. Familiar faces.

"John!" Scott quickened his pace and skidded to a stop. His heart in his throat, he fell to his knees beside his brother's prone form and reached out to touch him.

"Hey." John blinked his eyes open and smiled wearily up at his brother. "Was wondering when you might join us."

Scott frowned and sat back on his heels. "You okay?"

John's smile grew. "Groovy."

"I don't think he's hurt."

Scott looked up at the bedraggled form of the suited man who sat beside John.

The man shrugged, "It's just been a hell of a night."

"Tell me about it." John chuckled softly.

Scott turned back to his brother. "Why'd you leave, John? Why'd you do this?"

John lifted his arm and pointed towards the battered remains of the Mercedes a short way off. Scott looked across at the car and gasped as he saw the figure sitting in the passenger seat. "Is that … ?"

"Yup." John nodded and sighed loudly. "At last."

"We thought it best to chain him to the steering wheel." The suited man explained with a shrug. "Not that he'd get far, anyway."

"I shot him."

Scott spun back to John in horror.

"Just a flesh wound." John continued lightly, "Still … it pissed him off."

And Scott laughed suddenly, "Dude … you sure you didn't hit your head or something?"

John grinned up at him, "I believe this is called post-trauma shock. I'll no doubt feel guilty tomorrow."

Scott's face became suddenly sombre.

"Hey …" John reached up and placed his hand on Scott's arm. "I'm okay, bro' … really … I'm just glad it's over." He lifted himself up onto his elbows and slowly sat up. "Man …" He groaned and let out a heavy sigh. "I've so had enough of this now." He turned to the man beside him. "I think I'll leave all the running and shooting and explosions to you guys." John laughed and turned to Scott. He saw Scott watching his companion in uncertainty and gasped suddenly. "Oh, sorry, guys! Arthur Barclay, Scott Tracy."

Art smiled and held out his hand.

"Art is a corporate banker." John offered, tapping his nose and offering a conspiratory wink. "Otherwise known as a spook."

Scott shook Art's hand and frowned in confusion.

Art smiled back at him. "Don't tell anyone." He offered merrily.

Scott nodded and then turned towards the car. "So … what's the plan?"

"Plan?" John grinned, "Who said we had a plan?" He saw the mock glare Scott shot him and laughed softly before then shrugging his shoulders. "Art has called his people and they're coming to collect the prize."

"Good." Scott got to his feet and turned to look at the burning building. "I'll get our guys to come and sort out this mess."

"Good idea." John held up his hand and groaned with exertion as Scott helped him get to his feet. He swayed groggily and smiled gratefully as Scott stepped forward to steady him.

"I think you should make the call." Scott suggested softly.

John understood his meaning and turned towards One.

"Wait!" Scott reached out and grabbed John's arm, pulling him back and wrapping his arms around him tightly. "I thought you were dead!" Scott husked.

"I'm sorry." John hugged him back and then pulled away quickly, too tired to deal with anything more.

Scott watched his brother wander off towards One and waited for him to climb up inside the craft. Then, happy John was definitely safe inside, he turned to Art. "And you? You okay?"

Art frowned in thought and opened his jacket, reaching gingerly inside. "Explosion threw me some. I think I busted a rib or two." He grimaced slightly and then shrugged. "I'll be okay."

Scott watched him get to his feet and frowned in concern as Art winced in pain. He hurried closer to him. "You should let one of our guys to take a look at you."

Art shook his head. "I'll be fine."

"Okay," Scott agreed begrudgingly and stepped back from him. He turned towards the car and sighed heavily. "What will happen to him?"

Art followed his gaze and shrugged a reply. "That all depends on whether we can unravel the mess he made and prove his true identity."

Scott nodded slowly.

"Ruth can never know."

Scott spun back, gasping slightly.

"I know you recognised me, Scott. I saw it in your eyes."

Scott paused in uncertainty, his heart pounding in his ears and his mind filled with the brief time he had shared with Art's wife.

"For her safety … and for my kids." Art urged. "She can never know."

Scott nodded in agreement.

"I love her." Art continued, "Very much. And I know you were once close."

Scott held his breath.

"She called me the other night and said you'd got together after Jake's funeral." Art's face was filled with sudden sorrow. "God, you've no idea how hard that was. Seeing her pain and not being able to tell her what really happened to Jake." He turned and looked at the burning hangar, "What might have happened if this one had launched."

Scott watched the emotion on Art's face and placed his hand on Art's shoulder. "You need to go home."

Art smiled suddenly and turned back to Scott. "Do I ever."

XXXXX

John sat in the quiet of the cockpit and watched the burning hangar. His throat tight with the emotion of the call he had just ended, he gazed out at the flames and sighed heavily.

The Hood was captured. It was over. And suddenly he felt lost. Every minute of every day for the past month had had a purpose. Every waking moment had been filled with what had to be done. And now there was nothing. An empty, hollow nothing.

Nothing but the first stirrings of regret. And it was making him nauseous. He closed his eyes and faces started spinning in his mind. Mishka. Ustin. Henry. Alex. And that tiny grey blob on the ultrasound screen.

John choked on a sob and hung his head, clenching his fists at his side. He was so tired that it took all the strength he had left to hold back the tears that threatened and he groaned angrily at his own weakness. There was still a fire to put out, a ruined hangar to search and another body to find.

With that thought and the knowledge that his younger brothers were heading his way, John took a deep breath and stood from the pilot's seat. He headed through the cockpit and climbed out of the craft.

"(You're a better man than I am.)"

John spun at the voice and smiled in relief as he saw Josef standing in the shadows beneath one of the wings.

"(I would have killed him.)"

John nodded slowly, "(Believe me, I wanted to.)"

Josef considered this for a moment. "(I am sorry I played you, John. I had no choice.)"

John stepped closer to him.

"(I have been trying to find a way to bring Red Dawn down for so long.)" Josef sighed, "(I just could not chance that this time would not go right.)"

"(Red Dawn?)" John echoed.

Josef nodded, "(They are not the new thing that they are being billed as. They were founded nearly thirty years ago and then, after the fall of the Soviet Union they seemed to disappear.)" He smiled thinly, "(Everyone thought that they had died with the old country. I always knew it was not so.)" He nodded out towards the burning hangar. "(They were waiting in the shadows. Waiting for their chance.)"

John watched him in interest. "(You're KGB, aren't you.)"

"(I was once.)" Josef smiled, "(I told you … I don't exist.)" He sighed heavily, "(But some things you just cannot let go of. And I kept an eye on the shadows.)"

"(I'm glad you did.)" John offered and then frowned in intrigue. "(But … why Trangh?)"

"(I had some leads about a year ago that suggested Red Dawn were gaining members and stockpiling money. I traced some of it back to the alter ego he had set up and knew I had found their new leader. I found my way into the ranks and started to work for him.)" Josef was lost in a memory for a moment. "(And then he needed a distraction. He needed the focus to be far from the growing power of Red Dawn.)" Josef looked back up at John. "(And he needed a show of strength to ensure loyalty so he killed my brother and my uncle and planted his men in their stead.)" Josef offered a small, strange half-smile and shrugged his shoulders. "(Then ... one night in the middle of the Bering Sea ... he used my family to ensnare yours.)"

John's frown grew and he shook his head in uncertainty. And then suddenly he knew. He gasped and stared in horror at Josef. "But … (there was no one left on the oil rig. We checked. We rescued those men.)"

Josef nodded and gave a thin smile. "(You rescued Trangh's men. My family were already dead.)"

John groaned in dismay. "I'm so sorry …"

Josef stepped forward and placed his hand on John's arm. "(You could not have known. He made sure of it.)"

John looked into Josef's tired grey eyes and nodded slightly.

"(And today has more than made up for what he did to my family.)" Josef urged, "(And yours.)"

"(Yeah? I don't think so. Look at the number of people who died.)"

Josef laughed gently, "(My friend, you are not seeing the whole picture. Look at what we have done.)"

John frowned.

"(We stopped a war!)"

"What?"

Josef nodded eagerly, "(The attacks on Ventura and the White House and the stockpiling in Kazakhstan. Trangh was trying to start a war.)" He glanced above them. "(He was using your ships to test the virus they had created and making you the perfect distraction away from what he was doing behind the scenes.)" Josef laughed suddenly, "(My friend, do you not see? He was trying to turn people against each other. And all that has happened is they have pulled together. It is a good day.)"

John considered this for a moment and then heard the first rumblings of aircraft approaching. He stepped out from under One and watched in wonder as first Two and then a whole fleet of helicopters flew in from all directions.

It was true. IR had found powerful allies. Agencies from across the globe were working together. And, without knowing it, he had been running alongside them; following their clues and giving them assistance in return. It was too much to take in.

"But - " John turned back and saw that Josef had gone. He hurried under One and ran round the jet, peering into the darkness around him. But there was no sign of him.

"See you around, my friend." He offered quietly.

Tbc …