Thanks to all who have reviewed. Sorry for the late update. We've been rather busy all last week. And also,it took us a while to decide whether to put up a Joe chapter or a Frank one. We've finally decided another one on Frank, and save Joe for later.

Chapter 17:

Frank woke up to see Shane waving a pistol in front of Katie's face. He had blacked out after Shane gave him those blows to his head and neck. Her hands and feet were still tied, and so were his.

"Get up," ordered Shane, dragging Katie up to her feet, but she stubbornly refused to budge. Despite the circumstances, Frank couldn't resist a smile at the girl's resilience as she struggled against her captors' grip – until Shane responded by slapping her hard across the cheek.

"Stop it!" Frank commanded. He struggled in his bonds to get at him. Shane shot him a menacing glare. Frank stared fixedly back, locking his eyes on his captor. "Leave her alone."

"I'll deal with you later, Hardy," Shane growled. He turned back to Katie. He traced her cheek with his gun. Katie shuddered.

"Why?" Frank pressed on, his detective instincts arousing. He had to understand why Shane was here. Steve yes, he understood that much. But Shane? He had a feeling it was more than just being buddies with Steve that Shane was here. Seeing that gun in his hands, he was sure Shane had a personal interest in Katie.

"What have you got against Katie? She hasn't done anything against you before. You hardly even know her."

"Hardly know you, do I?" Shane spat at Katie.

Katie was bewildered. "Why?" she choked. "I never even met you before." Her voice was raw and dry, and there was a slight quiver as she spoke. She didn't like the gun he was holding.

"Why," repeated Shane, and he gave a cruel high-pitched laugh. "Because you are Jack Ryan's daughter." He paused before continuing. "And I'm Sean Miller's son."

Katie gasped, recognizing the name 'Miller'. "What?"

"Twenty five years ago, your father killed my uncle. Two years ago, your brother killed my father. And then they killed Ted, last year."

"Your father?" Frank asked incredulously. "All these while, I thought there's only you and Ted."

But Shane ignored him. He focused on Katie instead. "God, you're really pretty, aren't you?" he mocked her, tracing the girl's face with the gun. "What would daddy and brother dear say when they find this pretty face blown off?" Katie flinched. She hadn't been born when her father shot Timothy Miller twenty five years ago, but she certainly remembered Sean Miller alright. It was just two years ago, when she was still back at Maryland.

"Your father and brother are adamant to wipe out all of the Miller family. Even Ted's life was not spared last year. I have no choice but to wipe out yours."

Frank stared fixedly at Shane. "Ted?" Ted was the cousin who ran the Rent-a-Car service. He had just died last year while on a trip to Maryland, and hence passing on the business to Shane. "Come on, Shane," he said quietly. "According to the doctors, Ted died of heart failure. You asked me to look into the case, remember?"

Shane spun round and glared at him. "Shut up! You! You said you would look into the case. Why did you give it up?"

"Because there was nothing to look into! Ted died of heart attack!"

"Liar!" Shane spat. "He was drugged. Someone put something into his bloodstream!"

"The doctors could not find anything in his bloodstream, Shane. Everything was normal!"

"You don't expect me to believe that! Why would Ted would suddenly collapse and stop breathing? And in Maryland too?" He glared at Katie.

"Well, I don't know why he fell. But that doesn't mean someone killed him," Frank tried to reason. His remark was met by Shane's cold hard glare.

"Whatever. They will die all the same. For Uncle, for Dad and for Ted"