A/N: Thank you all my wonderful readers. 16 chapters in and I still can't believe the following that this story has gained. I'm awestruck by it all :)

Also, I'm feeling all proud of myself, so I'm going to share with you SHAMAZING people...I have been writing for this site for 8 years now, and in those 8 years I have kept it secret from my family as I was embarrassed by what they may think, but recently I finally plucked up the courage to tell them, and even read some of my stories to them. THEY LOVED THEM AND WERE SO PROUD!

The only reason that I found the courage to share my love for writing was through the continuous support and encouragement that you guys have so faithfully provided for me. For that, I am forever grateful :) xxx

………

Chapter Sixteen

It was Rapunzel's hysterical screams that snapped Scott back into the room; his breathing ragged as his arm fell limply to his side, the gun clutched loosely in his grip as he stared down at Flynn. A pool of crimson slowly spread out around him, Scott smiling at the sight as the blonde beauty continued to kick and scream, Mike's hold on her never slackening.

Writhing from the burning pain in his left shoulder, Flynn bit his lip to stifle his screams. He knew the sound would do nothing but spur Scott on, his sadistic eyes boring into him, daring him to make a sound. But he kept silent; the odd groan escaping past his lips as he struggled to pull himself to his knees.

Seeing him move, Rapunzel let out a shaky laugh, her body relaxing momentarily as her eyes met his. He was alive. His body torn and broken, but still, breath filled his worn lungs. With a hand pressed tightly over the open wound, Flynn struggled to hold the contents of his stomach down. The fire in his shoulder was tearing through him, Scott's smirk never faltering as he started to pace in front of him.

"Huh..." Flynn managed to force out through gritted teeth, his voice quivering slightly from the blinding pain "...Looks like you missed."

"Oh, I didn't miss, Pretty Boy." Scott scoffed, carefully shoving the gun back into the waistband of his jeans "Where would my fun be if it was quick?"

Spitting blood out at the feet of the burly man, Flynn glared up at him. He couldn't exactly describe what he was feeling at that moment. Anger. Hurt. Confusion. It was all a jumbled mess in his head. Since high school, Scott and Mike had always been like family to him and Eugene. Sure, they were volatile by nature, both being well acquainted with some of Washington's finest; but for Flynn, their friendship was something that he thought would stand above all that.

How wrong he had been.

"So what do you plan now, Scott?" Flynn struggled out. He wanted to kick himself for sounding so weak. His voice seeming that of a strangers as he continued to challenge the man before him.

Smirking, Scott grabbed Flynn by his blood stained white t-shirt and hauled him to his feet once again. Feeling tears burn the back of her eyes, Rapunzel wanted nothing more than to look away. The sight of Flynn trying to keep himself up, killing her. Until then, she didn't know that it was possible to feel your heart break.

"I'm goin' to make the rest of your short pathetic life a living hell." Scott snarled, pulling Flynn in closer until their faces were mere inches apart "By the end of the night you'll be begging for that bullet."

"We'll see who'll be holding the gun." Flynn spat back, his eyes never leaving Scott's.

With his jaw clenched, Scott turned to Mike, his grip on Flynn's t-shirt never slackening.

"Take her back up to the attic." He ordered, Mike smirking as he gave a blunt nod.

Turning his attention back to Flynn, Scott couldn't help but smirk at the sight before him. He was hiding it well, but he could see the fear running wild in the back of the wounded man's eyes. His piercing gaze never leaving the Princess's as her cries of protest began to fill the room once again. Biting back his smile, Scott watched Flynn physically gulp as Rapunzel was dragged screaming, out of the room. The silent promises of salvation hidden in his eyes not going unnoticed by the beast of a man.

As the sounds of her cries grew fainter and fainter, Scott grabbed Flynn by the hair at the back of his head and started to drag him out of the living room. Where he was being led, he didn't know, all Flynn knew was that if he was going to save Rapunzel and himself he was going to have to think fast. The Swiss Army Knife in his back pocket hadn't been forgotten, but he knew that if he stood a chance of escaping he was going to have to wait until the right moment came. That would be the moment where he would take it and plunge it as far as he could into Scott's fucking neck.

With gritted teeth he let Scott lead him to the side of the rickety staircase where there stood a door. Now, Flynn would be lying if he knew that the door had always been there. Touring the old shack when he had first arrived was the last thing on his 'To Do' list, but as Scott threw the door open to reveal a hidden darkened stairwell, he knew that a tour guide wasn't needed to escort him down to what he assumed to be an equally darkened basement.

Halting him with a forceful tug to the back of the head, Scott withdrew the gun from his waistband once again before replacing his tight hold with the cold metal barrel of his 9mm. Pressing it into his scalp, Flynn raised his hands slowly and began to lead the way down the dark staircase, his mind desperately wandering to what awaited Rapunzel upstairs.

Losing his footing on the last couple of stairs, Flynn fell to the ground, the sick sound of Scott's laughter filling the blackened room as he flipped the dim light on. As the room slowly began to brighten, Flynn let out a groan of pain before rolling onto his back to stare up at the low cracked ceiling. With a deep breath he braced himself for the fire in his shoulder to blaze once again as he went to sit up, but before he could Scott was towering over him, a heavy boot pressing into his chest as he stared down at him.

"It's kinda nice, y'know that?" He chuckled, tucking the gun into his jeans "Seein' you down there, crawlin' around in the dirt. Guy could get use to that."

"Fuck you!" Flynn spat out, his brows knitted together as he knocked Scott's foot from his chest, a loud gasp of air immediately being welcomed in.

Laughing, Scott bent once again to pick Flynn up from the ground before dragging him over to an old dinning chair that sat off to the side. Lowering him into it less than carefully, he grabbed the rope that had been left next to it, forced Flynn's arms behind his back and started to tie them together.

"It's great the stuff you find in an old basement, ain't it?" Scott smirked, looking up at Flynn as he pulled the binds tighter "Old furniture...rope..."

"Yeah, it's real fuckin' convenient." Flynn muttered, wincing slightly at the new angle his arm had been forced into.

Smirking, Scott grabbed the legs of the chair and hauled it out to the middle of the room, Flynn finding it more and more difficult to maintain that icy stare as he forced back the screams of pain that so wanted to burst forth.

"There..." Scott smiled, standing up straight to admire his 'handiwork', a look of pride evident in his black eyes "Ain't that a pretty sight?"

"What d'you want me to say?" Flynn asked, glaring up at him " You want me to say the generic 'You won't get away with this'?"

But instead of an answer, Flynn was greeted by the heavy thumping of Mike bounding down the staircase, a sinister smirk gracing his features as he silently greeted his proud brother. Never taking his eyes of the duo, Flynn felt his stomach lurch, the battered red gas canister in Mike's hand not going unnoticed by him. Feeling the bile rise in his throat, he forced himself to keep his fear at bay. And he was frightened. He couldn't remember being more scared in his life. He was going to die. His brother was going to die, and Rapunzel...for all he knew she could be gone already.

………

He hated hospitals. As long as he could remember, he had always hated them. The smell. The sterile walls. The death...For Max it all reminded him of her. But as he quickly made his way through the lifeless hallways towards Eugene Fitzherbert's room, he was forced to push all memories of her to the back of his mind. He could only wish that they would stay there.

Pushing through the large double doors leading into the ICU, Max, Conrad and Fergus were immediately stopped by a rather petite, rather pissed looking Chinese nurse. Her long dark hair scraped back into a tight bun that sat on top of her head. Ignoring her demands to stop, the three men shot past her, Max soon locating Eugene's room.

"Hey!" Came the shrill voice of the little nurse as she followed the three men "You can not go in there."

"Take it up with the State." Max replied, halting her as he flashed his badge before entering the quiet room.

The sight of Eugene Fitzherbert lying in the small bed, hooked up to all sorts of machines was enough to bring a tear to anyone's eye. His body so weak and frail, to Max it was like staring down at a sleeping child. With the urgency leaving the room, Conrad quietly shut the door before taking his post beside the King. With gentleness in his steps, Max slowly approached the bed, the constant beeping from the machines filling the deafening silence.

"Mr. Fitzherbert..." Max called out softly, Eugene never wakening "Mr. Fitzherbert..."

Taking a seat by the bed, Max watched as Eugene let out a strangled groan, his heavy eyes slowly opening to look up at the ageing detective. Coming face to face with dying man, Max could feel a lump rising in his throat; the confusion in the young man's greying eyes causing his heart to thump wildly in his chest.

"Mr. Fitzherbert..." Max began, Eugene slowly shifting in his bed to face him "Hi there...My name is Max Guard, I'm a detective working with the MPDC." Turning he motioned towards the two men standing off to the side "This here is my colleague, Officer Conrad Forest and beside him is His Royal Highness, King Fergus of Corona..."

At the mention of the King, Eugene attempted to sit up a little straighter, his confusion now evident to everyone. What the hell was a King doing in his hospital room, anyway?

"Mr. Fitzherbert, I'm here regarding your brother, Flynn Rider..." With a gentle nod, Eugene turned his attention back to the detective "I was just wondering if you could answer a few questions for me? If you feel pressured at any time we can stop."

"Ok..." Eugene finally croaked out, his throat a little dry "Is he alright?"

"Actually, Mr. Fitzherbert..." Max carried on with a small sigh "We have reason to believe that he is behind the disappearance of Rapunzel, Princess of Corona."

Eugene felt like the wind had been kicked out of him, the room beginning to spin as he tried to process that one statement. Flynn? Flynn would never be able to commit such a crime. He'd spent too long trying to piece his broken life back together, just to tear it apart again.

"I know this is a lot to take in, and I apologize..." Max spoke softly, cutting into his thoughts "But can you remember the last time you saw your brother?"

"Uh..." Eugene slurred, his eyes screwing up as he tried to focus on the matter at hand "I...I saw him a couple of days ago. He came by to visit me."

Pulling out a notepad and pen, Max quickly jotted down the information before snapping his attention back to the young man.

"And how did he seem?" He asked, the urgency within him returning full force "Was he acting strange at all? Different from usual?"

"He was quieter, I guess." Eugene replied with a slight shrug of the shoulders "But, I can understand why with me being in here and all."

"Of course." Max agreed with a sad smile before turning his attention back to the notepad "Mr. Fitzherbert, we went by your home in search of your brother, and he wasn't there. Your neighbour, Mr. Parr, said he hadn't seen him in a while. Do you have any idea where he could be?"

Eugene went quiet once again as he tried to think of all the places where his brother could be. Once upon a time it was quite natural for Flynn to disappear for days on end, Eugene never knowing where he would wander off to, but as time went on and Flynn sorted his life out, those little 'Vanishing Acts' seemed to be a thing of the past.

"Umm..." He muttered, clicking his tongue slightly as he thought of all the possibilities "The only thing that I can really think of is that he could be with his friends. Scott and Mike Stabbington. They're very close."

Again, Max wasted no time in writing down the information, the excitement building up within him. Getting the address to the Stabbington Brother's home, Max stood to leave, not wanting to take up any more of the short time that Eugene may have; but for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt hope. Like things were finally starting to move for them. With a final 'thank you' and 'goodbye' he headed for the door, Conrad and Fergus leading the way out, but before he could go any further the weak call from Eugene stopped him in his tracks.

"Detective..." He heard faintly, turning slowly to look at the young man "Flynn did say that...that he'd have the money for my surgery really really soon...Without the surgery I'm a goner, but unfortunately for us our insurance doesn't cover it."

"...How much is the operation?" Max asked softly, a wave of sadness washing over him at the sight of Eugene's helplessness.

"$250,000..." He replied, his voice broken "...I'm not holding my breath for it."

Hearing the figure, Max finally managed to put the pieces together as realization hit him. It was no coincidence that the ransom for the Princess's return was the exact amount needed for Eugene's lifesaving surgery. The Princess hadn't been taken to bring harm to her and her family. She had been taken to save him...And now that chance was gone.

"...Never say never, Mr. Fitzherbert." Max said, not really knowing how to reply "Crazier things have happened..."
………

The room spun as Mike's fist connected with the Flynn's gut for what felt like the thousandth time that night; the contents of his stomach threatening to reappear. Once Scott had grown tired of throwing his punches, he had urged his overly eager brother to take a turn while he sat back and watched.

How much longer they were going to carry on like this, Flynn didn't know. Probably until he was begging them to put him out of his misery. But every time he felt the sharp pain in his ribs, or the roaring fire in his shoulder, he did the only thing he could think of at that moment that would get him through. He thought of her. Her smile. Her eyes. Her selflessness. There was so much about Rapunzel that Flynn had fallen in love with over the short space of time. He only hoped he got to tell her that one last time.

"Enough!" Came the bellow from Scott as Mike raised his fist once again, his breathing erratic as he tried to contain himself "Enough Mikey..."

Getting up from his seat on the steps, Scott slowly stalked towards Flynn, his broken body heaving as he tried to breath without too much pain. He watched as Scott pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it before blowing a cloud of smoke into his bloody face. Crouching before him, he smirked before taking another draw.

"How you feelin', Rider?" He smiled, Flynn glaring back at him with as much hatred as he could muster up "You ready for that bullet yet?"

"...That all you boys got?" Flynn forced out, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips "I'm just gettin' comfy..."

With a nod of the head, Scott motioned Mike to bring over the gas canister, his gaze never leaving Flynn's as he blew another cloud of smoke out.

"You wantin' a smoke?" Scott asked Flynn, standing up.

"Nah, I'm good." Came his reply.

"Ok..." Scott smirked, holding his own between his stubby thumb and fore-finger "Hey, could you hold this for me?"

Without batting an eyelid, Scott stubbed his cigarette out on Flynn's thigh, an unwanted scream tumbling out from his split lips.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He bellowed, his chair rattling as the pain coursed through his leg.

"Careful..." Scott chuckled "Burn's like a bitch."

Groaning, Flynn tried to compose himself once again. He wanted to give up. Wanted nothing more in the whole world than to succumb to eternal rest. But he knew that wasn't an option. Instead he watched as Scott opened up the gas canister, smirking as he walked round him, pouring the pungent liquid out as he went. Feeling the fear crawl up within him once again, Flynn found it increasingly difficult to remain stony faced as he felt the liquid run down the back of his neck, Scott carrying on emptying the gas out over him.

"You know I've heard it said..." He began, pulling a box of matches from his pocket "That psychological fear is the most terrifying. One person in control of another person's fate...the possibilities are endless on the torture you could put them through..."

Pulling a match from the box, Flynn could feel his heart rate increase.

"You could batter them until they puke..." Scott chuckled, tapping the match against the box "You could quickly put a gun to the back of their head and blow them away without a second thought...Or..." Striking the match, Flynn could feel his breathing quickening "You could play with their mind a little..."

Holding the match out in front of him, Scott's sadistic smile grew at the fear behind Flynn's hazel eyes. In two seconds he could put him out of his misery, dropping the match and walking away into the night with his brother and Princess in tow.

"I've got the control Rider..." He spoke barely above a whisper "The question is, what do I do with it?"

Flynn watched as the gentle flame burned further and further down the stick, the thought of something so tiny having the power to be his end, terrifying him. With another smirk pulling at his lips, he watched as Scott once again knelt before him, the fast burning match still held tightly between his fingers.

"I think..." He drawled out, looking between the match and Flynn "I do what will bring me more amusement in the end..."

Blowing out the match, he stood once again.

"I wait..."
………

A/N: Well guys, I don't know if it's because it's late, or if it's because I've reread this chapter like a zillion times, but I really am not too thrilled with it at all. Hopefully you all enjoyed it though. The story's probably got at maximum of 3 more chapters left (boo). Please leave a wee review to let me know if you loved it, hated it or felt...meh... lol

Thanks guys. You're the best :) xxx