A massive thank you for those of you engaging with this story! I hope you continue to enjoy it.

"What the hell were you thinking?! You can't just go off alone, Scott! Not now! Not after…"

Scott knew his father was thinking of Virgil. He shrugged, though. "With this many cops around? C'mon, Dad, I can take care of myself…"

"So can your brother and look what's happened!"

Scott slowly exhaled, trying to keep his temper. He was getting closer and closer to losing control completely.

The shell was the only thing he had found. But he had kept it, and made it back up the fire escape without being seen. He knew that was the real reason why his father was angry. If he could slip past the men, then who else could?

Scott didn't think anyone was coming, though. They had got what they came for when they had taken Virgil. Scott himself had been out there, and had frozen. The men could have killed or taken him as well, but they hadn't. Virgil had been the target: they had only wanted one Tracy.

It wasn't a comforting thought.

Scott knew he hadn't thought through leaving. His father had noted his absence and the police had noticed when he returned. They had been furious and Scott knew it was for the same reason why his father was angry now: it had shown up their security.

Matt had stepped in, pulling rank to settle the matter. Most of the cops had left, apart from those guarding father and son. His dad had refused to have them in the apartment, though. Matt had agreed – they couldn't talk openly or pool their resources if the cops were inside. He had also warned Scott about pulling another stunt like that. Now, however, the doors were guarded but the apartment was blissfully quiet.

Scott scowled. It shouldn't be this quiet. Virgil should be here, saying something, doing something to break the silence. His hands clenched by his sides and he was once again forced to take a deep breath, feeling his brother's absence even more now the apartment was empty.

Then Scott realised his father was still attempting to scold him like a teenager caught sneaking out.

"Dad," Scott interrupted, "I had to do something."

"You should have left it to the police."

"What good are they doing? They've been here all day and still have no idea what they are dealing with. They're still hoping it was amateurs who just happened to come across Virgil Tracy. You know that's not true."

"I know."

"I- what?" Scott had been prepared for his father to argue back. Ever since he was a child he had been compared to the man. It wasn't often they clashed, but when they did, Scott realised there was a certain amount of truth in the observation. He was like his dad, which was why he knew neither of them would back down when they had conflicting thoughts. It threw him off that his father had agreed with him.

"You think I'm not thinking the same as you? That I want to tell these men to stop wasting their time and that we know who is behind it. But I also want them to find a lead, something pointing elsewhere, because we know what it will mean for Virgil if we are right."

Scott stared. He thought his father had dismissed the idea that it was Blag, despite Scott knowing it was the truth. His dad stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You know I don't believe in coincidences, Scott. I know who it is. Just as you do. And Matt. But until we have proof, until we have evidence, our fears can't be allowed to get the better of us."

"The city was on alert because of him," Scott muttered. "Why won't they accept that he is the one behind it?"

"It's because the city is on alert," Jeff sighed. He moved away and sat on the sofa. Scott stood in front of him and, as his father looked up, was struck by how old the man was looking.

"What do you mean?"

"They don't think he can just waltz in and kidnap someone when they are looking for him, Scott. Even if someone was working for him, the cops need evidence. They don't work off hunches and theories."

Scott sank down onto the sofa next to his dad, dragging a hand over his face. His brother was missing and Scott felt he wasn't doing anything to find him.

"I know it's him, Dad," Scott said quietly. But knowing who was behind his brother's disappearance wasn't helping. No one believed him and no one was tracking Virgil down. His hand slipped into his pocket, closing around the shell. It was cold under his touch and Scott clenched his fist until he felt the metal dig into his palm. The pain didn't help.

They had come to the mainland because his nightmares were getting worse. Instead of helping, Scott felt he was now trapped in the worst one of all, with no way of waking up.

"We'll get him back, Scott," his father promised. Scott nodded curtly, aware that the man was watching him closely. He knew he must look as bad as his dad, helplessness written across his expression and obvious in the slump of his shoulders.

His cell ringing broke through the silence that had settled over the pair of them. Scott glanced at the caller I.D and switched to video.

"Hey."

Scott shifted position so his father could see the screen as well.

"Are you alone?" John's tone was cautious and Scott knew he hadn't used the watches in case the cops were still with them. His father answered before Scott could.

"You can speak openly, John."

"Well," John said, his gaze flickering to one side. Scott knew he was looking at whatever he had discovered. It fuelled his frustration that his brother was on an island hundreds of miles away and was doing more to help than Scott was able to do on top of the crime scene.

"I've managed to ha… I mean…." He coloured, looking away again. Scott saw his father roll his eyes.

"I know you hack, John. I've known that since you were twelve."

If it had been any other situation, Scott would have laughed. It took a lot to fluster John.

"Anyway," John cleared his throat, "I've got access to all the cameras in the city. Not just CCTV – shops, rich people's personal surveillance. Anything that records, I'm looking at it."

"Five doesn't have that sort of technology," Jeff said, frowning. Technically, it did but they had never utilised it. They had never needed to. It wasn't set up to do what John was currently doing.

"NASA does though. They keep it quiet but the F.B.I sanctioned it as a way of tracking terrorists."

"You hacked NASA?" Scott hoped he didn't sound too impressed.

"I helped write the security programs for NASA, of course I hacked it." John shrugged as if it was no big deal. Scott watched as their father opened his mouth, a rebuke clear, before he shut it again and shook his head. He obviously didn't want to know where John drew the line.

"I tracked the car though," John said, his expression serious. "They went to a small air-strip about fifty miles away. The owners are on the other side of the world, there's no one else about."

"That's where they are?" It made sense. Airstrips, no matter how small, would have outbuildings, places that could easily be used to hold someone prisoner. The Tracys were hardly the same family Blag had taken on years ago – he wouldn't know how quickly they could track him. Scott was halfway off the sofa before John spoke again.

"No."

"No?"

"They're not there." John looked frustrated and angry. This was the man who never let stress get to him. Scott knew how hard John was finding this. "A small plane left."

"Where did it go?" Scott heard his own voice as if from a distance, sounding hollow and flat.

"I don't know," John admitted, not holding Scott's gaze.

"You can track a car but you don't know where the plane went?"

"Scott." His name was a warning and Scott realised his dad was watching him closely. He grimaced. He hadn't intended to sound so accusing. John had got further than the rest of them, after all. His brother didn't appear to have noticed; he looked too annoyed at himself.

"So Virgil could be anywhere?"

"No." John visibly pulled himself together. "There is still a chance he is at the hangar.

John's tone indicated he didn't think it likely and Scott agreed with him.

"The plane was only small," John continued, "I'll send you the details to check, Scott, but it only has the capacity for a short-haul flight. Virg might not be in New York, but I know the plane went west and with that sort of engine, the furthest it could have got is Utah."

"Kansas."

"What?"

Scott locked eyes with John. "Virgil's in Kansas. It's closer, isn't it? The plane would have made it there."

"Yeah, but why-"

"Because he's twisted." Scott was looking at his phone, but he wasn't seeing it. His mind was trapped in the past.

"He could go anywhere," John said hesitantly.

Scott focused on his brother again. "Exactly. He'll go back to where it started."

"That's enough." His father's voice was sharp and Scott jumped. "It's one thing theorising who is behind it. But we can't chase unconfirmed leads just because you have a feeling, Scott. Virgil doesn't have time for us to be looking in the wrong place."

He reached out, pulling the cell from Scott's unresisting hand.

"John, I need you to find that plane."

"I'll get Gordon on it."

"No, you-"

"I'm coming over, Dad."

"John-"

John had clearly had enough of sitting around, though.

"You need me, Dad. The police don't have a clue and you know it. I'm coming." John disconnected before his father could respond and Scott let a shadow of a smile cross his face. John hadn't given their father a chance to forbid him from coming. His brother had always had a way of getting around obstacles.

"He has a point," Scott said, taking his phone back. He didn't want his father to call John back just to tell him no. "We need him."

"That's what worries me."

This time, it was his father's phone ringing that prevented Scott from answering. For a moment, Scott didn't think his dad was going to answer it, but then the man glanced at the caller ID and picked up.

"Nicole? Wha- No, slow down. Take a deep breath, I can't hear a word you are saying. What's the matter?"

Scott's heart pounded uncomfortably hard as he stared at his father. The colour was draining from Jeff's face as he listened and he murmured a few words of reassurance, hanging up after promising to be in touch first thing in the morning. He sat, staring into nothing, as if he had forgotten his son's presence.

"Dad?"

"Matt never made it home." His voice was flat and Scott shivered.

"What happened?"

"Nicole doesn't know. He called her as he left us. He should have been back over an hour ago. She's just had a call from the cops to say they found his car abandoned."

"We need to get over there…"

"No, Scott. She's got the police there now. We'll only get in the way…"

"But…"

"Damnit, Scott, listen to me! The cops are there. Virgil needs us here. What if someone tries to get in touch and we're driving across the state? There's nothing we can do for Matt until we know more. Focus on your brother."

Scott scowled. His every thought was on his brother! But his father stood and stalked through to the bedroom, the door closing behind him. Scott let him go. His father didn't realise how well his son knew him. He might try and hide his emotions, but Scott knew every time he turned away, it was because he was struggling to cope. Scott stared at the closed door, his own emotions churning.

Then he stood, crossing the room and letting himself out onto the balcony. It felt like a lifetime ago that he had confronted his father here.

Staring up at the heavens, Scott sighed.

"Keep him safe," he whispered, his hands clenching onto the railings so hard his knuckles turned white.

If there was one thing Scott Tracy hated, it was the feeling of helplessness. He hoped John hurried up and arrived. Not just because he could help with the investigation, but because Scott needed him. He couldn't do this alone.

TBTBTB

Virgil came to the conclusion that regaining consciousness while realising he was bound was getting old. This time, he was sitting on a chair, his arms twisted behind it and bound there. An experimental tug revealed the handcuffs; the cold metal a taunting reminder he wouldn't be able to break free. His ankles had also been secured to the chair. He was stuck.

Virgil intended to make the most of being conscious this time. He had the feeling his captors were cautious and were more than prepared to knock him out again rather than give him the chance to escape. He looked around, but the room he was in offered no clues, or aid. The walls were white-washed, the floor as white as the ceiling. The only furniture was the chair he was sitting on. It was so stark and cold that Virgil shivered, and not because of the temperature. It was unnerving.

He hadn't been awake for long when he heard a key scraping in a lock. He couldn't see the door – it was behind him and he couldn't twist that far. He hated not being able to watch his back. It didn't take long for a man to walk in, though. It was the same man from before, the man from the airfield. Despite longing to punch him, it was not the person Virgil had been expecting to see.

"Where's Blag?" He hoped Scott would be proud of how steady his voice was despite his pounding heart. He didn't want to see Blag – the man had haunted his nightmares for years, after all. But he knew who was behind this and he refused to play the man's games. He wasn't a terrified child this time. He was a grown man who dealt with horrors the world could only dream of on a daily basis.

He was also hoping that his family were already tracking him and would be bursting in any moment so he didn't have to do this on his own.

The man smirked, his gaze focused on the door. Virgil heard it open, heard someone come to a stop behind him. He remained still, though, not struggling or looking around. He knew who was standing there. Instead, Virgil focused on keeping his breathing steady. Hands rested on his shoulders, fingers digging in sharply. He tensed. The position was a twisted reflection of the way his father would sometimes comfort him. But Blag's grip was painful and Virgil winced as the pressure increased.

"You know they're coming for me?" Virgil forced out through gritted teeth, hoping his voice remained steady. There was a low chuckle before the pressure disappeared. Blag finally came to stand in front of him.

Virgil swallowed as he looked up at the man, seeing him properly for the first time in years. He hadn't changed; his face was the same one that had haunted his dreams for years and plagued his brother still. But Virgil had grown used to concealing his emotions and he was not going to show he was afraid. He glared instead.

"I'm counting on it." Blag smirked, leaning against the wall and staring at Virgil. Virgil refused to look away. Eventually, Blag turned his attention onto the Russian. "Virgil here has brothers, just like you. But, unlike you, they tend to look out for each other."

Virgil didn't know, or care, what Blag was referring to. But the man wasn't done yet.

"Chevok set his brother up. Made him take the fall for all the crimes he had committed. His brother was in the cell next to mine for years. What do you think, Virgil? Think Scott would take the fall for you? He's done it before, after all. You know it was only because of you it all happened in the first place-,"

"Save your breath, Blag. I'm not a child." Virgil was not going to admit it had taken over a year with a counsellor before he had stopped blaming himself for what had happened. His mind was racing, though. He had thought there was something familiar about Chevok. Now he knew. As soon as they were old enough, John had looked up who was imprisoned with Blag. Virgil had never understood why, just assuming it was John's need to know everything about anyone, but it hadn't stopped him from glancing at the images. Chevok was the spitting image of his brother. Blag's smirk widened.

"No, you're not. Ironic, really. I could never reach you when you were a child. There was always a brother there to protect you. And now you are an adult and look where we find ourselves. What's the matter, Virgil? Did they get bored of protecting you?"

"You obviously haven't become bored of spouting the same old crap as before. What is it you want?"

"I want your brother back, what else?"

Virgil stared. They had always believed that Blag was mad. His casual tone sent shivers down Virgil's spine. Blag must have seen his confusion though, as he rolled his eyes.

"I never intended to let him live. Your father refused to give me what I wanted. Scott should have died and no one would have crossed me again. Everything I was building was ruined because of you. So now, it's my turn. I'm going to rip your family apart."

"You're missing the point where we are no longer children," Virgil said, hoping to sound uninterested. "We can't be intimidated like that anymore, and you're completely crazy if you think you can take Scott again. He'll kill you first."

Virgil wasn't even trying to sound threatening. He just believed in his big brother and knew how deep Scott's anger ran when it came to Blag. Scott wouldn't hesitate. As soon as Blag was in range, Scott would fire.

To Virgil's discomfort, Blag smiled.

"Not if he knows that will get you killed."

"Oh? You're sure about that, are you?" Virgil was bluffing, and he had a horrible feeling Blag knew it. His brother was stupidly heroic at times, and Virgil knew full well Scott would walk straight into danger if it meant keeping him safe. It made Virgil want to punch him at times. But he could read Blag's expression and knew the man was also aware that Scott would still do anything for his family.

"I am. You're right, you have grown up. You can handle yourself and maybe your brother knows that. He's also an idiot and will do anything to save those he cares about."

"Only I get to insult him," Virgil interrupted. His palms were sweaty and it was a struggle to keep his breathing even. Blag was planning something, he was certain of it.

Blag ignored him. "What if it isn't just you though, Virgil? Would Scott risk taking me out when more than one person would pay the price? Two lives for one. Even Scott must realise those numbers aren't in his favour."

"What are you talking about?" Virgil's voice was quiet and he knew he sounded nervous. Blag was grinning, looking as if he had already won.

"You'll find out."

"Tell me!"

Blag stepped forward. Virgil didn't realise he had been struggling in his restraints, but he forced himself to sit still as Blag approached. Blag's hand slipped into his pocket and Virgil flinched, fearing he was about to pull out a weapon. But if Blag saw the flinch, he ignored it in favour of pulling out a cell. He pressed a few buttons before turning it so that Virgil could see. Virgil took one glance and swore, resuming his struggles.

"Let him go." Virgil's voice was filled with venom but Blag chuckled.

"Or what? What are you going to do, Virgil? Glare at me? You never did do a good job of saving Scott, did you?" Blag shook his head, sneering. "You're not the only ones who caused my downfall. You never found Scott, after all. Someone else did. And I intend to make all those responsible pay."

"Blag…"

"Go on, Virgil. Beg for him."

It wasn't his pride that made Virgil snap his mouth shut. It was the fact he knew it would do no good. It didn't matter whether he begged or yelled, cursed or threatened. Blag would never give him what he wanted, regardless of what Virgil said. Blag just wanted the satisfaction of hearing Virgil beg. Instead, Virgil stayed silent, shooting Blag a look that would make a sane man quail.

Blag chuckled, pocketing the phone and moving back towards the door. Chevok followed silently, but the door slammed behind them. The noise echoed around the room. Virgil listened to the key turning again before shaking himself in frustration.

Not only was he completely stuck, he had no idea what he was supposed to do to get Blag to let Matt go.