This is the second to last (I think the proper word is penultimate) chapter!! Hope you enjoy :P

"Amber, it wasn't your fault," Li said, sometime later. The men had left, dragging Karen behind them, but Brody had left them tied to the chairs. Amber stared at the bloodstain on the carpet at her feet.

"Yes it was," she said, "I shouldn't have kept on going. I should have shut up, like he said."

Hex suddenly snapped. "For heaven's sake, Amber, stop blaming yourself. We're not going to get anywhere if we all do that." He glared at Amber, who glared right back.

"No, well none of you have anything to feel guilty about, have you?" She snarled.

"You're not helping – "

Alex chose this moment to interrupt. Arguing wouldn't get them anywhere. "You're not helping either, Hex. Calm down, all of you. We need to think things through." Amber and Hex retreated, neither of them looking each other in the eye.

"Do you think Ben and Jack are here?" Li suggested, looking hopefully at Paulo. Paulo shrugged.

"Who knows? They could be miles away. However, they could also be in the room right next to us. But neither of us know." Li sighed, frustrated. To think that Ben and Jack could literally be metres away from them now but being unable to do anything about it was exasperating and infuriating.

"Gosh! We've got to get out, guys. I'm beginning to need the loo again."

"What? Again? We only went an hour ago!" Paulo commented.

"Karen didn't give us much time in there, you know. And girls - " Li trailed off when she saw Amber shift uncomfortably in her seat. She regretted bringing Karen's name up again. She coughed and looked for a change of subject. Alex was fidgeting in his seat with a look of concentration on his face. "What are you doing?" She inquired. Alex looked at her and grinned, but he didn't stop moving.

"My dad told me how to do this once. When you're arms are tied behind your back in a particular kind of knot, you can slip it off. It's harder with a chair in the way, though."

"Really? How long does it take?" Asked Paulo, genuinely intrigued.

"Not long. Usually about five minutes, but with a chair about fifteen. That's what dad said, anyway. But he's more experienced at this kind of stuff."

Hex suddenly sniffed. "Can you smell smoke?"

"Er… vaguely." Amber said, frowning in concentration.

"I was about to say that myself," Li said, and bit her lip, "Gosh, they haven't started a fire or something, have they?"

"Don't worry too soon. Someone could be smoking, or something." Alex muttered, still trying to free his hands. "I'm getting there…"

"That's not cigarette smoke." Hex said. He knew enough about that – his dad smoked continuously and there were hundreds of smokers down the common London streets. Amber looked at him.

"How do you know?"

"It's just not. Trust me."

Ben woke up suddenly. He had splitting headache and he was finding it hard to breathe. He looked up and saw Jack in the chair opposite him, staring at him intently.

"What?" Ben said, but immediately regretted it. His throat was sore and he was incredibly thirsty. Jack shook his head.

"They took it all. All of it."

"All of what?"

"My money. They came in here a while ago while you were asleep, and showed it all to me. All million dollars of it." Ben's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry," he said. Jack smiled sadly.

"It's OK. Once we're out of here, we'll get it all back. And I'll give you some of it, too. We've been through this together."

Ben smiled. "It's OK. We don't really need it. Although Hex's dad might." Jack coughed.

"That is – if we do get out."

"Course we will. Hex knows we're missing, and so do loads of other people. They'll find us." Ben suddenly coughed again and realized his vision was getting hazy. He felt a little bit dizzy. That didn't come from electric shocks, did it?

"It's the smoke," Jack said, "I think they've set the hotel on fire. They don't need us anymore."

Li suddenly erupted in a fit of violent coughs. Was it her imagination or was the room foggier? Amber looked desperately at Alex.

"Are you nearly done? I need to take my insulin."

"What?" Alex looked up, shocked.

"I need to take my insulin," Amber said slowly, "I have diabetes, remember?" Alex cursed and started to work harder. He could feel the rope loosening and he could nearly slip his hand out. But not quite.

"We've got to hurry up. This place will be in flames in a bit if we're not quick." Hex said this while staring at Amber in concern. That's not the only reason he wants Alex to get out, Li thought. He was worried about Amber, too.

"I'm getting there!" Alex called. He glanced at Amber. Whether the smoke was getting thicker or her face was getting grayer, he could not tell. It just spurred him on.

Suddenly, Alex's right hand slid through the loop. "Yes!" He called, and used his right hand to untie his left, and then moved onto his feet.

"Hurry up," Amber choked. Alex grasped the rope and tried to get his fingers in between the gap, but it was too tight. He cursed and pulled harder, and eventually the rope slackened. Not by much, but it was enough for him to get his fingers in and pull harder.

He was free. He stood up and ran over to Amber. He began to untie her ropes, but Hex stopped him.

"No, wait. Why don't you do the insulin first, then untie her?" He said. Amber's head was lolling onto her chest. Alex looked up.

"Me? I don't know how to do stuff like that." The thought of injecting someone else terrified Alex. What if he got the wrong place, or pushed too hard? He snapped out of it as he realized Paulo was talking. Suddenly he realized he could hardly see the big Argentinean's figure through the smoke.

"…not that hard, really. Go on, quickly." Alex nodded and found Amber's insulin pouch at her hip. He got out the pen and pressed it to Amber's arm, shut his eyes and pressed. "Well done! That's it." Paulo's voice cut through the panic. Alex opened his eyes and put the needle back in Amber's pouch. Then he got to work untying the rest of the ropes.

Jack was struggling to breathe. He could hear Ben coughing from across the room but he couldn't see him. He could barely see his outline. He knew they had to get out. Right at that moment, he didn't care anything about the money. He just wanted to get Ben and himself out safely.

He let out a roar and pulled against the ropes with all his might. He'd read about people finding hidden strengths they never knew they had, like women pulling cars off their children when they needed the strength most. He pulled until the ropes cut into his skin, but the smoke got caught in his throat and he was reduced to coughing once more.

"Ben, to hell with it. I can't get out."

Ben tried to respond, but his mouth was thick with smoke. The fire must be nearby. He didn't want to die. He was only fourteen, and he had his GCSEs in a year or two. After that he'd go on to college, like Hex was next year, and then university. He wanted to marry, to have a family of his own who he could care for and earn money. Right now that dream seemed worlds away.

"Yes!" Paulo let out a whoop of delight as the last person was finally freed. The five members of Alpha Force stood up and looked at one another for a brief moment of relief, before Paulo hurled himself at the door to break it down. It didn't budge.

"It's a strong door for a place like this," he grunted, "Hex, come here!" He yelled.

"Here, let me." Li pushed past Paulo and braced herself. Then she aimed a flying kick at the door and it flew off its hinges and into the smoky corridor beyond. Smoke filled the room quickly, black smoke. Like the angel of death, Amber thought.

Paulo got down on the ground and pulled his shirt up over his mouth. He pulled on Li's ankle and indicated for her to do the same. They all got down and followed Paulo outside into the passageway.

Hex tried to remain calm, but inside his senses were screaming out against the situation. The smoke was everywhere, pressing against him and smothering him. He was suddenly reminded of Suzanne, and an image of a pale, blood-splattered and pained face staring at him with wide, lifeless eyes came before his eyes and he pushed the memory to the back of his mind. He didn't want to think about that anymore, not at a time like this.

Visibility here was almost zero. Amber could just make out Li's feet, crawling in front of her. She was afraid of losing her, so she grabbed her ankle and hoped Li wouldn't mind. She suddenly felt a tug on her own ankle, and she looked behind irritably to see Hex's pale face through the smoke.

"What about – " he yelled, but the rest was cut off as a distant crash could be heard in the hotel. Amber guessed what he was going to say and shook her head.

"It's too dangerous!" she yelled back, "Someone will have called a fire engine. They'll come in and get them out, if they're in here!" Hex bit his lip, but he knew he had no choice but to accept it. He just prayed that if Ben was in here, he would be OK. Hex would never forgive himself if anything ever happened.

Jack cried out in surprise. He had found a sharp splinter on his chair and had been rubbing his ropes against it for the last five minutes, but he hadn't actually expected it to work. Now he stared at the two ends of frayed rope in his hands, his free hands, and nearly cried. Quickly he untied his feet and suddenly the dream of being a millionaire once again didn't seem so far. He ran over to Ben, who appeared to be hyperventilating.

"Hey Ben, listen to me," he yelled, trying to catch Ben's attention, "I haven't got time to free you. I'll get out, but I promise you – I give you my word – that someone will come back for you. Do you understand?" A vague nod of Ben's head was the only answer Jack was going to get. He still felt guilty, though, "If I stay here, we might both die, and then none of us will have any chance." Ben didn't respond.

Jack bit his lip and gave Ben's shoulder a quick squeeze, hoping it had meant something. Then he pushed the door open and fled down the smoky staircase to the fresh air outside.

Surely someone must have noticed the fire and called help? Jack sure hoped, for Ben's sake, that someone had.

Paulo burst out of the burning hotel and landed in a heap on the floor. Li landed straight on top of him and Alex, Hex and Amber landed in another heap next to them. Paulo grinned.

"We made it!" He said, and started laughing. Li caught on and soon she was laughing too, then Alex, Amber and Hex joined in. For a few precious seconds all their worries were forgotten. Once again, they'd managed to find their way out in one piece… but it didn't last long.

"Amber?" An incredulous, familiar American voice. Amber looked up to see the man she'd know for nearly all her life, the man who they'd originally come to London to find.

"Jack!" She cried, and suddenly she was on her feet and hugging Jack tightly round the neck. He smiled and gently disentangled himself from Amber's arms.

"I was just about to get help," he panted, "I lost my phone. I can't believe no one called a fire engine. There's a phone booth – "

"Wait," called Hex, "Where's…?" Jack looked at Hex.

"He's in there still. I promised him I'd send someone back as soon as I could. Which is why – " Jack ran off towards the phone booth.

Hex stared after him, then looked at the hotel. There were orange flames leaping from all the downstairs windows and most of the upstairs one. He didn't want to go back in there, back into the depths of his fear, but he felt he had no choice. He shakily stood up and started going back into the fire, but Paulo grabbed his ankle, causing him to trip up on the path. Hex swore and turned on Paulo.

"Let go!" He said, and tried to pull away, but Paulo held on.

"Hex, you can't go back in there. It's way too stupid. You'll get killed - " Hex glanced quickly back at the hotel, and kicked Paulo's hand with his free foot and Paulo let go. He got up again and ran back towards the door, which had now fallen off its hinges. Hex had made his decision.

"Dios," Paulo cursed, watching Hex's silhouette disappear inside the smoke. "Someone should go with him." Alex shook his head.

"He'll be fine." He didn't look as sure as he sounded.

"Oh my gosh," Amber whispered, staring up at the flaming building. The fire brigade had to be here soon. They had to be.

"He'll be OK, Amber." Li repeated. Amber's eyes were wide with fear, and Li started to think that maybe Amber was in shock. If Hex did get out safely with Ben, it would be amazing. If he didn't – Li didn't think about that.

Amber screamed as suddenly the whole of the left hand side of the hotel collapsed, sending broken wood and debris everywhere. She scrambled to her feet, pulling Li with her, and got out of the way just in time as a large concrete slab landed where they had been two seconds earlier. Paulo and Alex joined them a few seconds later.

"Are you OK?" Alex had to shout over the sound of the ruin hitting the floor. Li nodded for both of them.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh," Amber kept repeating. Paulo grabbed her by the shoulders and stared her in the eye.

"Amber, calm down. Deep breaths." Amber stared into Paulo's eyes, concerned yet trustworthy, and mentally forced herself to do as he said.

Hex gasped and pulled himself away just in time as part of the floor fell in onto the bottom floor. He was worried about getting back. The staircase had collapsed when he was halfway up, and he'd just managed to grab hold of the ridge of the second floor and pull himself. The sharp edges had cut his hands but he barely noticed.

Surprisingly, he wasn't as scared as the first time he'd been in here. Maybe it was the determination to find Ben.

He had to continuously dodge things falling from the ceiling. The fact that he couldn't see anything didn't help. There were twenty rooms upstairs for him to choose from. Most of the doors had been burnt down, so he could glance in each one quickly. So far the first three had been empty.

Hex suddenly yelled out in pain as his shirt caught fire. He bent down and rolled over, extinguishing the flames. He suddenly remembered running back to the truck to rescue Samir, and running back to the café with Alex to rescue the child who'd been lost there. He'd managed to get out OK both times, so why should this one be an exception?

As he ran past a door near the one he'd been held in with the others, he caught a glimpse of something inside. Ben.

Hex ran inside and discovered his little brother, unconscious, slumped on a chair. Hex swore repetitively, trying to undo the ropes behind the chair. Thankfully they'd been weakened by the smoke and heat, and Hex was able to pull them off pretty quick. He did the same with the ropes around Ben's ankles and then picked up his brother and ran.

He wasn't even thinking about what he was doing. All he knew was that he had to get out safely with Ben. He wasn't even sure if Ben was still alive. In a normal situation, he'd be able to tell.

Suddenly he reached the gap where the staircase used to be. He hesitated, wondering what to do. Then he put Ben down on the floor and jumped down onto the debris of the staircase. It was unstable, but it was the only option. Then he reached back up and grabbed Ben's limp form, and ran for the entrance.

As Hex neared the door, he could feel the cold night air blowing down the corridor. He wondered how long he'd been inside for. He reached the entrance and stopped, suddenly unsure of what to do. All the strength had gone out of him, but then Paulo suddenly appeared in front of him. Hex could only watch as Paulo took Ben from him and rushed him over to a clear spot.

Then Amber's arms were around his neck, pulling him further to safety, further away from the house which had nearly killed his little brother. Or maybe it already had.

Hex barely registered the smiling faces of Alex and Li as Amber led them over to them beneath a tree. He realized how dark it was. And as he turned back to the hotel, the last thing he saw was the whole building collapse in a mess of rubble, smoke and noise, before he collapsed on the ground and finally breathed in fresh, fresh air.

Paulo bit his lip and carried on performing artificial respiration on Ben. He wouldn't let him go. He couldn't. Not after everything Hex, everything they'd all been through. There didn't seem to be any movement in Ben at all. His chest rose slightly but that was the only sign of life in his only body.

"No," Paulo muttered, "Please, not now. Not now. Come on, Ben!" It was strange, Paulo thought. He'd never met this kid in his life before but he wanted so much for him to live.

Then Ben coughed. Paulo stopped suddenly and sat back to give Ben some air. Ben leaned over to the side and coughed some more, then opened his eyes. They fell on Paulo, who grinned. He had the same eyes as Hex.

"Hello," he said, trying his best not to scare him. Ben smiled slightly then looked around.

"Did Hex come?" He said.

"Yup, he did. He saved your life." Paulo was suddenly aware of someone behind him.

"Hey, little brother," Hex stepped forward and ruffled Ben's hair, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hex!" Ben cried and threw his arms around Hex's middle from where he was sitting down. Hex laughed out loud and hugged him back. He looked at Paulo over Ben's head and mouthed 'Thank you!' Paulo smiled. He didn't need any thanks. The joy in their faces was enough. That was what Alpha Force was for, after all.

Suddenly a siren sounded and blue flashing lights lit up the whole area, and a man in a yellow fire-fighting suit ran up to where Amber, Alex and Hex were sat.

"Is everyone OK?" he asked. Amber looked over to where Hex and Ben were, and smiled.

"Yup, everyone's fine," she said, "But thanks anyway."

Don't go away yet! It's not quite finished... one more chapter to go!! Reviews are nice :D