He simply had no energy left and his body was completely devoid of fluid. Consequently it was amazing that he had enough sense left to know he couldn't move fast enough to dodge the flying carnage around him. Instead he plunged to the floor amongst the dead and dying and pulled the metal fold away table over himself as a shield. He heard and felt more than a few bullets hit this flimsy protection and said a prayer of thanks that Noah was safely out of the way! If they had brought him out as well… He couldn't even think it!

Off to his side lay Sam, the lawyer, his brown eyes were wide open, unseeing. Luke was momentarily surprised at how little blood trickled from the hole in his head. As macabre as the sight was, Luke couldn't seem to pull his stunned gaze away. It was easier to focus on this one dead man then to acknowledge the many surrounding him.

Unexpectedly, someone grabbed Luke from behind in a crushing bear hug, pinning his arms to his sides and lifting him off his feet. He struggled wildly as the table fell to the iron floor with a crash.

"Stand down Adam! Or the kid get's it!" It was Gianni's minty voice in his ear and Gianni's beefy arm around his chest. He was surprised by that. In his mind he had never thought of Gianni as large or strong, but he realised now, as he tried to pull Gianni's arm free from his body, that the man was both these things. He felt the barrel of a gun against his temple and immediately thought, "This is it! The end!" and then he calmed himself by focusing on one name, "Noah…"

"Drop it Gianni!" The man approaching them looked oddly out of place. He looked like he could be married to your sister or your neighbour. Like he could be your best friend, the guy you've known all your life. But his extended revolver spoke another story. It was pointing sure and straight at Gianni's head and his eyes were as focused and calm as a bird of prey.

"Ha! So that you can kill me afterwards? Forget it! As long as I have Damian's bastard you can't touch me! Think I don't know that?"

At some point during this standoff, Luke thought how lucky it was that he'd earlier noticed and retrieved a small dagger strapped to the dead lawyer's ankle. Gianni grunted, dropping his gun and reeling back, as the knife in Luke's flailing hand found his kneecap. Luke dived to the side as Gianni let go completely and staggered backwards, his hands gripping his knee around the protruding blade. He released a shocked scream of angry pain and his eyes widened as, too late, he realised his mistake. Adam fired and a red circle grew larger and larger on the front of Gianni's expensive white shirt. He fell to his knees, staring in horror at the bullet wound, before toppling over forward with a weighted thump to the floor.

Luke lay there frozen… unbelieving… in fact he couldn't remember a time he had shook so violently. He was sure that if it wasn't for his desire to see Noah off to safety, he would have lost his mind already, just from the sheer horror of the scenes of war taking place all around him. Eventually the man Gianni had called Adam, woke him from his momentary chill by yelling, "MOVE!"

The gunfight between both factions continued, each bang of a gun deafening with the echo that would follow it. Luke, adrenaline now pumping, made immediately for the fake crate, trying to pull the thing open.

"COME ON!" He yelled in desperation, knowing he would never have the strength to open it by hand but trying anyway.

"Luciano!" Adam pulled at Luke's shirt, trying to get him to move away, "You must leave now!"

"Forget it!" he replied smacking Adam's hand away, "I'm not going anywhere without Noah!"

The man swore in annoyance and went about searching the coat and trouser pockets of the surrounding bodies, all the while still trying to avoid being shot by the remaining Di Alberto men. Luke ignored him to continue his fruitless quest.

How did the damn thing work? How did it open?

"Here!" exclaimed Adam from somewhere nearby, apparently finding what he wanted.

"OPEN!" Luke screamed simultaneously and he was strangely reminded of a favourite storybook he had as a child… 'Aladdin'. Of course Adam had found the remote he'd earlier seen placed in a coat pocket, but to Luke it was as though he had uttered the magic word. The door began to move sideways and his heart leapt with joy until panic set in once again…

It jammed! Blocked by the weight of the dead bodies in its path…

"Noah!" he shouted through the tiny opened crack just before he hard a distinct whoosh right by his ear. Something knocked him to the side…

He let out an "Oomph!" as he fell on his behind over one of Di Alberto's injured men. The man made a grab for him and Luke jumped with fright as Adam fired a shot, killing him instantly.

"Luke! Are you okay?" Noah's voice contained heightened alarm from within the cavity.

Luke was at first too shocked to speak.

"LUKE!"

Noah's obvious anxiety brought him around and he quickly stood back up, "I'm fine. Just let me get you out of there!"

Adam was now at Luke's side on his knees, firing in the general direction of the shooter, "Hurry the fuck up Luciano! I don't want to end up dead because of your stupidity!"

Luke briefly clutched at Noah's fingers through the space, assuring him that he was alive, before leaving to begin the struggle of removing the bodies blocking the door. His arms were limp from exhaustion, the sweat beaded in hundreds of little pearls on his skin. It took him ages to heave the bodies out of the way, ducking bullets in the process, but eventually the metal structure opened enough for Noah to squeeze through. His face was dead white, unshaven and sheened with a hot sweat that had soaked his hair and shirt.

Before Luke could hold him, Noah grabbed at his elbows, turning him slightly sideways to examine his neck, "Oh my god Luke! You've been shot!"

Luke had noticed the sting in his neck but now, as he lifted his hand to it, he realised he was indeed bleeding. "It's okay! It's just a graze I think!" They caught each other's astonished looks and the two men shared a grateful hug. They were still alive and they had their chance! They had a chance together!

"Plenty of time for that later!" Adam cried out irritated, "Get moving!"

They ran like the wind towards the exit, and freedom, leaving the remaining mobsters to fight it out to the death. Even though it was a stiflingly hot and humid night, the fresh air hit Luke and Noah like a spring shower, instantly relieving the burn on their skin and the closeness of their lungs. Both men gasped in the fresh oxygen as though they had never breathed air, huffing and puffing from their exertion up the stairs to the deck above. Both spent a moment recovering in a spasm of coughs, bent over, hands on knees.

Adam was losing his patience, "Di Alberto had this ship rigged with explosives. I don't know who has the detonator so, unless you want to risk becoming shark food, I suggest we disembark ASAP!"

As they reached the gangplank they realised for the first time that they were being followed by around eight other men, all whose eyes surveyed the layout cautiously, weapons still raised and ready for any signs of further trouble.

They made for the parking lot where Adam grabbed Luke by the shoulder to swiftly change direction, "Come with me!"

But Luke pushed him back, "Just wait a minute! Who the fuck are you anyway?"

"Whoa! Chill man! I'm the guy that just saved your sorry ass, remember? My name's Adam. I work for your uncle. Who do you think called in the Grimaldi's to rescue you?"

"Don't make me laugh! They didn't come to rescue me! They came to keep a hold of their precious Grimaldi Shipping!"

Adam stood back for an instant and surveyed Luke critically, "You really are nothing like your father, are you?"

"No! And I thank my lucky stars everyday for that!" Luke assured him.

"You know? I really don't get you! I would kill to be you! You're a blood member of one of the richest most well known families in the world, the Grimaldi Family! Yet you deny them!"

"Yeah well, that wonderful family of which you speak has nearly gotten me and people I love killed on more than one occasion! Including THIS one! So excuse me if I choose to live a better life! If you love them so much, you can have them!"

As Luke turned to leave he noticed a BMW with blacked out windows parked across the slipway. The back window rolled down revealing an older version of Damian in the back seat. In fact it could almost have been Damian, if it weren't for the greying temples, extra wrinkles and higher cheekbones. Uncle and nephew locked eyes. Luke's defiant. Anton's questioning.

"Your uncle would like a short meeting with you." Adam informed him.

Luke sighed deeply. "Do me favour and just fuck off, okay? I don't want anything to do with you, my father or any other damn Grimaldi!"

Anton seemed to read Luke's answer from that distance and obviously decided to respect his wishes. He lifted his forefinger to his temple and nodded slightly, like a cowboy tipping his hat. Then the window wound up once more and the car drove off.

"Thank you for saving us." Luke said to Adam watching as the car grew smaller and smaller in the distance, "Whatever your reasons, we are grateful for that." And then he took hold of his boyfriend's hand and they began to walk away.

"Hey wait!" yelled Adam, "I'll drive you!"

But they walked on without responding to him.

"Hmm." he shrugged, "Each to their own…"

...

Luke had made him something amazing for breakfast. He called it pottage, no, pollage or something. It was thick and sweet from the honey poured on top and it warmed him all the way inside as he ate it. He had never had po.. poll... THAT before. His mouth watered as he thought about it.

But that was the last time he had had food. The Betty lady had offered him food on the airplane but he was sick then and he couldn't eat it. His Mommy was very angry and she was drinking, so he knew she wouldn't eat for a while. And when she didn't eat then neither did he. He was very hungry and very thirsty.

After a long time in the cupboard his tummy started to growl. He dealt with it that night by sleeping but when he woke up in the morning it was starting to hurt. He peered through the slats at the kitchen but his mommy was still there. She hadn't moved from the kitchen table, but she was now slumped over in her chair. He couldn't tell if she was asleep and he was too scared to test it so he stayed put for another period of time. Eventually he realised she hadn't moved so he thought she must be asleep. He had seen a box of biscuits in the cupboard above the sink. He knew if he ate them he'd get a beating, but by that point he would take the beating over the ache in his belly.

He decided to risk it. He carefully pushed the cupboard door open and tiptoed over to the kitchen. His shoes were loud on the floor so he sat down to tug them off, leaving them by the door. His socks were soft and quiet as he made his way past her, stopping to grab hold of a kitchen chair. He had to use all his strength to lift it and it banged slightly when he dropped it against the counter.

She stirred.

He froze.

He stood there in absolute terror. If she woke up and saw what he was doing she'd really hurt him. He knew that! But at that point the need to eat was stronger than the need to protect himself…

She remained asleep and he let out the breath he was holding. He climbed up on the chair and then knelt up on the counter to reach up for the enticing box of choc chip cookies. He twiddled his fingers against the cardboard to pull it closer and into his reach, but as he grabbed it he knew instantly that something was wrong. It was feather light, completely empty. He couldn't prevent a sound of anguish escaping and he quickly covered his mouth to muffle it.

Sure enough, every single box and tin within the cupboard was empty. He didn't know why his mommy had put them there, but he struggled to hold back the weeping as he stepped down from the counter, replaced the chair and returned morose to the bedroom cupboard, sniffing back his tears of frustration.

He got back just in time because there was a sudden banging at the front door. His mommy jumped and then rubbed her red eyes, "I'm coming! I'm coming! Jeez!"

The man took up the entire doorway! He was HUGE!

"Jimmy!" She said with a mixture of fear and surprise, "I wasn't expecting you today!"

"What are you talking about Michelle? I told you two days ago I'd be by for my money!"

"Well Jimmy… the thing is…"

"Don't be giving me excuses Michelle! I ain't leaving here today without it!"

"I had the Social people here yesterday Jimmy, and you know I can't be having any tricks over with them sniffing around! They'll take my kid off me otherwise!"

"So what are you saying?" He pushed her viciously into the door and held his giant hand round her neck. Her eyes bulged and she wheezed in her effort to suck in air.

"Look," she stumbled over her words, "I have a job tonight Jimmy! A good job! So I'll have the money in the morning okay? I promise!"

He eyed her up and down. "This is the last time Michelle, you hear? Next time you don't have the money ready when I say there will be trouble!"

She nodded wide eyed at him and he flung her back so that she fell to the kitchen floor, looking up at him. He snorted at her and left, banging the door behind him.

"Piece of shit!" she whispered under her breath. Then she spotted the kid staring at her from the bedroom. "What the f*ck you looking at, child! Jeez! Get lost will ya? Before I tan your hide!"

Knowing what would be best for him, he quickly slammed the cupboard door closed.

...

What they had thought was night when they finally escaped the craziness of the shipyard was in fact early morning. Noah flagged down the first police car they came across. It hadn't been too hard. He was sure they must have looked quite a sight, especially with Luke's clothes covered in the blood of more than one other person.

He explained to the officer who they were and that Luke had been shot and needed medical attention. Luke protested but Noah wasn't having any of it. The officer transported them to the hospital and then, as requested, contacted Detective Patrick Mullins.

Mullins arrived just as the nurse finished securing a bandage to Luke's neck. He looked unequivocally relieved to find them both alive and well after spending hours trying to track them down, convinced they had been abducted by the Di Alberto organisation. He escorted them down to the station, where they updated him on the entire series of events as they happened. He had many more questions, but both men were desperately in need of sleep and he could see that. He kept things as short as possible and then gave them some cash to get home.

Just before they reached the door Luke turned, "Oh! Detective? Would you have any problems with me flying to Branson later today or tomorrow? I won't be there long, just… there's something we need to do. It's a personal matter…"

The Detective seemed confused by this for a moment and then light dawned on his face, "Oh! Mr Snyder! I completely forgot! You wouldn't have heard the news this morning!"

"The news?" Luke's body instantly went tense.

"The DA threw out your case."

"What?" Luke and Noah said together.

"Yes, due to lack of evidence. Although we know you hired Julius, there is nothing to prove you actually ordered him to carry out the hit. There's nothing to prove Julius wasn't acting off his own bat. And of course I also testified in your defence, saying you have been extremely cooperative and in my professional opinion I don't believe you were involved."

Both Luke and Noah stood flabbergasted with their mouths hanging open. After weeks of bad news on top of bad news it finally seemed as thought the light was shining on them again. They looked at each other and smiled before laughing and hugging deeply, at least some of the tension stored within their bodies flying out the window!

"God, Detective! Thank you so much! That's brilliant news! You have no idea!" Luke beamed even in his tiredness.

The Detective smiled at them, "Anyway, that means you are free to travel anywhere you like whenever you want!"

"I could hug you right now Detective!" Noah expressed and the Detective laughed holding up his hands.

"Sorry," he joked, "I don't really swing that way! You'll have to stick with this one!" and he motioned in Luke's direction.

"Oh I will! You don't have to convince me of that!" Noah replied smiling and drawing Luke into another warm hug.

"Let's go home." Luke said over Noah's shoulder, patting his back to get him to release and then turning once more to the Detective, "Goodbye and thanks. Let me know if I can be of any further help with this whole mess! With Gianni dead I guess somebody else will take the helm of that family."

"Yes, most likely his cousin Gorro, but you don't need to worry about that Mr Snyder. Thanks to you we now know how the smuggling is going down and we should be able to seize their next shipment when it comes in. Then with your father's statements as well as your own…"

"Hang on!" Luke interrupted surprised, "My father?"

"Yes, he contacted us from prison. Said he would very much like to help get his son cleared and gave us quite a detailed statement. Hopefully we can bring this all to a swift conclusion for you Mr Snyder!"

Luke was silent for a moment as the information sank in. Damian had come through for him. Damian had given the police information that would incriminate him in the whole operation and most likely cost him even more jail time. And he did it to help Luke. He was grateful for the comfort that flowed through him as Noah knowingly took hold of his hand.

"Thanks." He said softly one more time and they left the police station.