Frank had turned heel and hot footed it back to the command centre after signing off with the Chief. On his return Ezra had filled him in with the information of what had happened both with the scout party and Joe..although he had made sure to keep the details to a minimal when concerning Frank's brother. The last thing he wanted to do was fill him with worry and fury before sending him into a volatile situation.

Frank had pushed past the Chief in order to get a good view of the monitor behind him.

"See, I told you son," Ezra said after Frank's head had drooped in relief at seeing the obviously very much alive, if injured, form of his brother still lying on the floor. "The girl beside him is taking good care of him."

"What is it exactly you want me to do?" Frank asked, bracing his hands on the desk before him as his eyes still raked the screen taking in every detail.

"All I want is for you to deliver the package," the Chief began, motioning behind him where an officer was securing brown paper bags of food on top of a crate of water. "Don't play the hero, I don't even want you to speak to the guy. This is specifically a delivery mission. It's our only chance of showing our good intentions and hopefully that crazy bastard will let you take a couple of the hostages out with you."

Frank nodded once in ascent. All he wanted was the chance to lay his own two eyes on his brother and make sure that he was truly OK.

"I mean it Frank. I know that all you want is to haul Joe's ass out of there but one wrong move and I don't doubt it will mean a bullet in the eyes of one of those people...or right between your own. I can't have any more deaths on my hands today and the only reason I'm even considering this is because I know you can keep your head."

"You can count on me Chief," Frank said, his mouth setting in grim determination.

"I'm going to call him the moment you reach the floor, do you understand?"

"Yes, and your team is going to try to negotiate with him for the release of a few of the captives. I know," Frank replied, his eyes straying back to the monitor. He tensed slightly as the forms of Lance and his men streamed out from the room they had been occupying as he had held some sort of meeting, probably to discuss their next move.

"Show time."

"Hey you, back with the herd," Lance said upon entering the room and seeing Maria settled by the prone form of Joe.

Her head had snapped up at his words, her eyes narrowing in pure hate as he motioned with the gun muzzle for her to move. The stare out lasted a full thirty seconds until she jumped slightly when Joe's hand touched hers as he silently communicated with her to do as Lance had said. She sighed slightly, her head drooping as she stood making as if to walk back to the group.

She turned suddenly, her eyes snapping back to Lance. "I need some supplies."

"...What?"

"For Doctor Edwards," she replied, motioning with her head towards where the doctor was slumped on the floor his hands bloody where he clutched at the padded material torn from one of the nurses uniforms in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Now tell me why should I want to let you do a thing like that?" Lance asked, his voice dripping sarcasm.

"You're not going to win points if the Doc dies," Joe piped up, hating how alone Maria looked facing off against the wolf in front of her.

"Shut up Hardy," Lance snarled, aiming a boot into Joe's side and causing him to curl over as the air whooshed out of his body.

"Stop it!" Maria said, unable to help herself. She made as if to bend down to help Joe but Lance aimed his rifle at her once again.

"Nah ah Miss Nightingale," he said, the sarcasm once again present in his tone, "although our resident punch bag does have a point. You got thirty seconds. Best make them count." He motioned with his head at the abandoned trolley in the corner and Maria crossed the room before busying herself with picking up vials and bandages.

"Tick tock," Lance said, cocking his head slightly. Maria turned without looking at him and walked back to the doctor kneeling at his side and moving his hands to check the wound, talking to him in hushed tones as he grunted in pain.

Joe uncurled slowly, very much feeling the aches in his body as he looked over at Maria and the doctor. Doctor Edwards did not look good, they had to get him out of here and soon if he had any chance of surviving.

"If you're planning on him living he's going to need a lot more than bandages and tape to save him," Joe said looking up to Lance from the ground. Joe set his mouth as Lance's head snapped down to him, lip curling into a snarl. It was clearly taking every ounce of restraint he had to not kill the boy before him. Joe couldn't help but wonder why Lance hadn't just put a bullet between his eyes already.

Leverage, he thought to himself as Lance twitched slightly before ripping his eyes from Joe's battered frame. He turned his head, twisting his neck to one side with an audible click before stalking to the office he and his goons had vacated recently. He returned swiftly clutching something in his hand which he waved slowly to the security camera above them. Joe's cell.

Lance lowered his arm but not his gaze and waited without movement. The message was obviously received loud and clear. Within moments the phone buzzed to life.

"Chief?"

"Hello Lance. This isn't the Chief you're talking to. My name is detective John Jones. I'm with the communications branch of the State Police department. I'm here to discuss the situation with you." Joe could hear the voice of the detective ringing from the phone from his position on the floor if he kept entirely still and strained his ears.

"Ah well, then we have a problem John Jones," Lance replied,"see, I really, really want to talk to the Chief again."

"I have the Chief with me here in the room," replied the detective, "how about you and I have a little chat first though?"

"Hmm. Well how about I just put a bullet in the kid instead?" Lance said cooly, lazily moving his arm so the barrel of his gun pointed directly at Joe as he stared, unblinking, into the camera above. Joe instinctively braced himself, unconsciously holding his breath.

"Let's not do anything hasty Lance. We don't want anyone else getting hurt right?"

Without bothering to reply and without breaking his gaze with the lens, Lance brought the gun up in the air and whipped it down clipping Joe across the cheek, instantly opening up a cut which began to bleed freely. Joe's head snapped to the side as the blow caught him off guard and he grunted in pain.

"Oh I don't know John, I'm kind of enjoying myself," Lance replied without emotion and still with an unwavering gaze.

"Hey, hey, hey, OK Lance, OK it's me, it's the Chief. John get off the goddamn phone. Hello?" the harried sound of the Chief's voice broke across the pin drop silence of the room.

"Ah Chief, I was beginning to wonder if you didn't care about me any more."

"Look I'm here now just leave the kid alone alright Lance?" the Chief asked. His tone even.

"For now," Lance replied.

"You wanted us to call?"

"I'm beginning to feel a little...charitable. But first thing's first. How are we doing on our food order? Over thirty minutes and it's free remember?" Lance asked humourlessly.

"It's on it's way now Lance," the Chief said, sounding weary, "it should be with you within minutes. Just...don't shoot the messenger alright. You wanted him to bring it in remember? No funny business. I swear he's got the gear on his back and the food in his hands and that's all."

"We'll see about that when he gets here," Lance replied. "Should everything go smoothly I'm willing to let him walk out of here with a couple of the sheep."

"Starting with the doctor right Lance? He needs that wound looked at."

"Well I'd have insisted on the women first myself but it looks like he's in no position to argue now does it?" Lance replied, breaking eye contact for a moment to look across the room where Doctor Edwards had finally succumbed to the blood loss and passed out.

"That's right," the Chief replied, "but he needs taking care of."

"Boss?" The voice of Lance's fifth family member, Pietro, rang out across the room from where Lance had placed him guarding the western door.

"What?"

"Someone's coming," Pietro replied bringing his gun up in his hands.

"Looks like I'm going to have to cut this little catch up short Chief much as I enjoy our littler chats," Lace said without rushing. "I hope your guy is on his best behaviour."

"He will be Lance, just don't hurt him OK?"

"Catch you later dear," Lance said hanging up the cell and staring at the lens for a long moment before finally turning towards the door. Without saying a word he raised his gun, the rest of his mob mimicking his movement, before he looked over to Pietro and nodding once. Pietro moved forward to open the door leading out onto the corridor and the dark shape of a man entered the room walking awkwardly because of the bulky package in his hands.

"Welcome," Lance said, an icy edge to his tone. "I trust our order is present and correct?"

The man shuffled forward before dropping the package at Lance's feet, his identity finally exposed in the unnatural light. Joe strained his neck from his position on the floor, a look of absolute horror crossing his face as he realised who had entered the room.

"Food and water, just like you asked," Frank said, a grim determination entering his eyes.

Enter Frank Hardy stage right.

Sorry about the delay. Work is crazy insane at the moment and I'm starting to work evening shifts and not getting home till 11...

Any comments and critiques from anyone still on board as always are welcomed!