Disclaimer: Nothing from the movie is mine, however, everything else is. Oh, and I also do not own Linkin Park.

A/N: Hey, this story is moving right along now! I'm glad you guys are liking it. Thank you so much to momiji'sunusedhalo, daisyduke80, Supernaturalfreakisabookworm (thank you for all the information!), Halo, Harm Marie, Miss Fenway, and Majestik Moose for your wonderful reviews. Whatever I was sick with seems to be going away now, so that's good. So, with a sore left hand from falling on the stupid ice (just like Riley in my other NT story, Riley Versus Winter!), I bring you the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

"We believe that he didn't die from one big dosage, but small dosages over a long period of time, most likely in food," Jason told them heavily, saddened by seeing how Riley was handling the news. "I'm very sorry."

Tears formed in Riley's eyes, but he was able to successfully push them back. "I just… I didn't think that he… he was… murdered…" he muttered, having to force out the last word. "I don't understand… who…"

Ben placed his hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Riley, do you have any idea at all who would want to something like this to your father?" he asked quietly.

Riley didn't say anything for a moment, but then he cringed under Ben's hand as though he had been struck by it and got to his feet. "Just leave me alone, Ben," he whispered, not able to restrain his tears this time. "Please. I just want to be left alone."

"All right, Riley," Ben muttered, even though it was against his better judgment. He watched with rising concern as the younger man left the room, heading back up the stairs that they had earlier come down. The treasure hunter gave Jason one last look before deciding to go against his word and follow him.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Riley was relieved to be having some time alone to be able to think things over as he left the morgue and began walking aimlessly down the sidewalk. Part of him wanted Ben to be with him since he was his best friend and a good source of comfort, but the other part of him didn't want his over protectiveness around so that he could get the chance to clear his head. He had his cell phone. He could call the treasure hunter to come and get him from wherever he ended up.

It had been heartbreaking enough to hear that his dad had died, but it was even worse to hear that he had been murdered. Jeremy Poole was one of the kindest men that God had placed on this Earth. Why would someone purposely want to kill him?

The techie suddenly looked up and over his shoulder, blinking in the summer sun, when he heard the sound of squealing tires and saw a taxi come quickly around the corner. Assuming that someone on the street he was on had called for it or the person in it had to get somewhere quickly, he kept on walking.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the taxi slow to a stop beside him. Before Riley could react, the back door opened and a pair of arms reached out and grabbed him. He cried out, grabbing on to the side of the car to try to keep from being pulled in. As he struggled, Riley gasped when he saw his best friend come around the corner. He was instantly angry when he realized that he must have followed him when he told him not to, but when he remembered the situation that he was in, he was suddenly relieved.

"Ben!" Riley shouted anxiously.

But he was too late. The arms yanked on him forcefully, and he was pulled into the taxi, the door being slammed shut behind him as the vehicle drove off.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Ben!"

The treasure hunter looked up at the sound of his name, hearing that it had an anxious note to it. He was horrified when he saw his best friend being pulled into a taxi with force, the vehicle speeding off down the street afterward.

"Riley!" Ben shouted, even though he couldn't hear him. He nervously looked around him, wondering what to do. His first impulse had been to run after the taxi that had taken the techie, but he knew that he could never catch up to the car on foot. Fortunately for him, he had seen the number on the taxi door. 090. He could always call the police, but he knew that it would take too long for them to get there, even with Sadusky leading them. The taxi and whoever had taken Riley would be long gone by then. That only left him with one option.

Ben quickly ran back to the morgue parking lot, which fortunately wasn't too far away, and anxiously started the car. "Hold on, Riley," he whispered as he prepared to back out of the lot. "I'm coming."

Then, his eyes landed on the cell phone that was resting in his pocket. He quickly took it out and turned it on, searching for his best friend on GPS mode. After a moment, a blinking yellow dot appeared on the green screen, showing him where Riley was in relation with himself. Ben sighed with relief, thanking God for the GPS tracking system and that Riley had his cell phone on him and it was turned on. He set the phone on the passenger seat where he could easily see it if he glanced down, and he started his drive down the street after the taxi.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"So let mercy come

And wash away

What I've done.

I'll face myself

And let go of what I've become.

Erase myself

And let go of what I've done."

"Are you all right, Riley?" the black-haired man sitting in the back seat of the taxi with the younger man asked.

"Okayish," Riley answered him in a sarcastic way, "considering that I was just kidnapped by my own brother in a taxi, and I just found out that my dad was murdered." He paused for a moment. "Nice song choice, though. I didn't know you liked Linkin Park."

Dustin laughed a little. "It just came on the radio. I didn't choose it," he told him seriously. "Nick, could you turn he radio down please?"

Nick nodded from the driver's seat, doing as he was instructed. Riley couldn't help but notice that the blond man was strangely quiet, Dustin hadn't said anything about their father's intentional death, and they were going almost seven over the speed limit. What was going on?"

"I'm sorry that I had to go to such lengths to speak with you, Riley," Dustin said. "Kidnapping you was not something I intended."

"Then why did you?" Riley demanded, his impatience rising to anger. "What do you want with me? What's going on?!"

Dustin raised his hands in front of him in a peaceful gesture. "Please, calm down, Riley. No harm will come to you if you just listen," he muttered. "I promise. I just want you to do something simple for me. Will you listen?"

Riley rolled his eyes. "I don't know, it depends on what it is," he snapped. "I don't appreciate being forced into a taxi against my will, you know."

The older Poole locked gazes with his brother, staring straight into his deep blue eyes. "Riley… I need you to give me whatever you found at the museum early this morning."

The quiet statement caught Riley off guard, and his anger melted into confusion. "What?" he asked. "How do you know about that? You weren't there… were you?"

Dustin sighed and lowered his gaze for only a split second, but that was all the convincing that Riley needed. "Wait… You were there," the techie whispered with horror. "The explosives… the men with guns… That was you?!"

"Riley, please…" Dustin began quietly.

"And you!" Riley continued, pointing to Nick. "That's why you were at the museum when I was. You were spying on me!" The computer whiz looked hurt.

"Riley…" Dustin muttered.

"I don't believe this," Riley said, looking from his older brother's face to the back of Nick's blond head. "Did you guys break into my apartment too?"

"Riley!" Dustin yelled angrily, shocking the younger Poole into silence while he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Riley's forehead. "Listen to me very, very carefully. I will not kill you because you are my brother, and I do not want to hurt you. But I need you to do exactly what I say. Give me the clue that you found at the museum."

Riley's eyes landed with fear on the gun that was directed at him. "I don't' have it with me," he said truthfully in what he hoped was a calm voice. "Good luck reading it if I did have it anyway. It's not in English."

Dustin looked at him with confusion, but before he could ask what he meant, the taxi slowed to a stop at a red light. Riley suddenly turned to the door and anxiously pulled on the handle over and over. He wondered why it wasn't opening, and then his heart sank when he saw the infamous sticker on the bottom right hand corner of the window.

"Stupid child safety lock," Riley whispered in frustration. The one thing he hated about taxis was even without child safety lock, it was almost impossible to open the back doors anyway since the locks went down so far that you couldn't pull them up. Also, it was hard to concentrate with a gun pointed at your head.

Dustin laughed a little from behind him. "You're not going anywhere, Riley, except for your destination," the older Poole said.

"Which is where exactly?" Riley asked nervously, turning to face his brother.

Dustin smirked. "You'll see when we arrive," he answered casually as he lowered the gun, seeing that the younger man wasn't going to make any more escape attempts.

"You know, this reminds me of when I was seven and you told me that you were going to bring me to a fun place," Riley muttered. "I asked where we were going, and you said that I would find out when I got there. It turned out to be the circus, and I cried because I was terrified of clowns. I hated you for a week."

The older Poole laughed a little more. "It was funny, though, you have to admit," he said. "Remember the elephant?"

"Riley grinned. "And the chimp?" he chimed in.

"And the peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

"What are you two talking about?" Nick asked from behind the wheel, confused when he heard that both Pooles were laughing.

Dustin smiled broadly. "You would have had to have been there, Nick," he told him. "It was hilarious." Then, he reached down on the floor beside his feet. "Oh. Would you like a cookie, Riley?"

The younger Poole was caught off guard by the sudden question. "Um, no tank you," he muttered. "I'm not really hungry…"

"Oh, come on. They're your favorite," Dustin pressed, showing him the container. "Chocolate chip and peanut butter. I made them for the family dinner after the funeral yesterday, but you weren't there. So, I saved them for you. Besides, you look starved, Kiddo."

Riley sighed. "Oh, all right. I can't resist." He reached into the bowl and grabbed a cookie, beginning to eat it. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Dustin placed the container back on the floor after putting the lid back on it. "Enjoy."

"So, what do you want the clue for?" Riley asked once he had finished the cookie. "What does it lead to?"

Dustin sighed deeply, looking at the younger Poole sadly. "Let's just say that Dad didn't tell you everything like he promised you he would, Riley," he answered quietly.

Before Riley could ask further about what he meant, both him and Dustin fell off their seats as the taxi was lightly bumped from behind. "Ow…" the younger Poole muttered, rubbing his head as he slowly pushed himself back on to the seat. "What idiot…" He suddenly gasped when he saw the car that he had pulled up alongside them. "Ben!"

Dustin growled angrily when he saw the treasure hunter. "Drive, Nick! Drive!" he shouted, hitting the back of the blond man's seat.

"I'll see if I can get on to a side road," Nick replied. "The traffic's too busy up here."

"Well, do whatever you can," Dustin told him, seeing that Ben was still right beside them. He had his window down and was yelling something at the taxi. Since their windows were up, they couldn't hear him.

Suddenly, Nick turned right on to a side street right in front of Ben's car, speeding up since there was no other traffic. He was frustrated to see that the treasure hunter was right behind.

"Come on, Ben," Riley muttered anxiously, looking out the back window of the taxi. Then, he gasped when he felt the cold metal of the barrel of a gun against his temple.

"Sit down and stay quiet," Dustin ordered softly. "If you speak a word, I cannot promise that you will not be hurt."

Riley slowly turned around and sat down in the seat, fighting back the urge to say a smart comment in return. "As long as I'm not killed," he thought anxiously, watching as his older brother lowered the gun out of the corner of his eye. Safe. He looked out the window next to him when he saw Ben pull up beside them again, and he met his best friend's eyes. The techie's face saddened as he gave the older man the desperate "help me" look.

Ben seemed to fill with determination when he saw how helpless Riley looked, but he was also confused about why the younger man wasn't opening the taxi door. His friend seemed to realize this, and he began to mouth three words over and over again. After a moment, Ben realized that the three words were "child safety lock".

The treasure hunter mentally swore as he swerved slightly to avoid a garbage can. Rescuing Riley was going to be slightly harder than he had imagined. But he still knew how he could.

Riley watched with confusion as Ben slowed down the car only slightly, the back door of the taxi level with his. He reached out his open window and pulled on the taxi's door handle, beating the child safety lock. The younger man smiled triumphantly when the door opened, but he held it back a little so that it wouldn't hit his rescuer's car.

"No!" Dustin moved to try to shut the door again, but Riley pushed him back. Even though he was his own brother, the one person that he had used to look up to other than his father, the one who had helped to raise him after their mother died, he didn't want to be with him at that time. All he wanted was to get in his best friend's car and go to his best friend's house to spend some time with his best friend and his best friend's wife.

"Riley!"

The techie turned to look out the window and saw that Ben had gotten as close to the taxi as possible and was gesturing to the back door of his car. Understanding what he was saying, Riley reached out of the door of the taxi and pulled open the back door of Ben's car, something that he had only seen done in movies before. Nick tried to pull away from the treasure hunter, but was stopped by Dustin when the older Poole noticed that his brother was clinging tightly to the door of the other car. He didn't want him to accidentally get killed.

But he could make one last attempt to stop him. Dustin reached forward and grabbed on to Riley's leg. "Riley…" he muttered, trying to keep him back.

Riley stared at his brother for a moment. "I'll have to meet your friends some other time," he finally told him quietly, pulling out of the older Poole's grasp. Then, hoping that this would work since he had seen it work in all of his favorite action movies, he pushed himself out of the taxi and squeezed through the back door of Ben' s car. Thanking God that he was so skinny, Riley shut the door behind him and lay across the streets, closing his eyes as he tried to calm his breathing. He was safe.

"Stop, Nick," Dustin muttered, watching as Ben hurried off down the street with his younger brother.

Nick slowed to a stop on the side of the road as his best friend sighed, and he glanced at the container of cookies on the floor. "I thought you said that you didn't want to hurt him, Dustin," he commented sadly.

Dustin put his hand over his face, rubbing his eyes before he looked back at the blond-haired man. "Riley won't cooperate willingly," he told him, almost regretfully. "I had no choice."

A/N: And that's it for this exciting installment. I know, evil ending, but the next chapter is going to be even more evil! Don't worry, no one will die, but it's still going to be evil. Thank you for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!