The Chief stood silent. Determination seemed to radiate from him in waves though he wasn't moving an inch. He gazed over the monitors in front of him, stopping on the grainy faces of each one of the hostages in the room and finishing with the prone bodies of the Hardys. Though he could barely make out the features of each shape, he was making sure to remind himself that each of those pixellated figures was a person. A person with a family at home waiting for any news about the status of their loved ones.

It was important to him to recognise the possible human cost of whatever his next move was going to be. A calm descended on him as he thought through the possibilities. The Marchetties were demanding a vehicle and their freedom. Something he couldn't let them get away with after so much bloodshed. Someone would have to be accountable. On the other hand, he couldn't let them rattle through the hostages like they were nothing as he was sure they would. He knew they would ruthlessly back up their threat. Show boating by beating up the Hardy kids was testament enough to that. He knew they could hold their own in most situations but he felt entirely responsible for their well-being. There was no way he could look Fenton in the eye knowing he'd gotten his children killed. He brought his hand up to his face and pulled at his lip as he thought, barely noting the faces of the tech officers as they gazed up at him awaiting their next orders.

"Get me the last tactical unit," he said suddenly, his eyes hardening, "boys, we're going in."

"Joe!" Frank hissed at his brother, taking advantage of the fact that Lance and his goons' attentions were focused on the ward Dante was residing in.

Joe blew out his cheeks slightly before rolling his head to the side to look at his brother. He was clearly feeling the culmination of the day's events.

"I'm not going to lie Frank, I don't know why the hell you're in here...but it's good to see you big brother," he said with a half grin despite the sinking pit opening in his stomach at the thought of Frank joining the mad house too.

"I'm going to kill you."

"...Well that wasn't quite the opening line to the heart warming reunion I was expecting there Frank but we can probably work with it.." Joe said with a slight groan as he shifted his body over onto it's side so he could stop straining his head to view his brother.

"I am going to kill you and then resurrect your stupid, numb skull self and then hand you over to Ezra so he can kill you as well," Frank said heatedly, wincing as he rolled over and dragged his battered body up until he was sitting, propped against a chair. His eyes flashed as he aimed a big brother death glare at his idiotic sibling.

"I missed you too," Joe replied seeing the glint of relief in his brother's face despite his angry sounding words.

Frank's shoulders sagged as he dropped his head forward and closed his eyes with a sigh. He breathed deeply for a moment, wincing as he aggravated his bruising ribs, before looking up at his brother once again a look of exasperation crossing his features. Ruined by a crooked grin he couldn't suppress.

"What the hell am I going to do with you?" he asked with a laugh.

"Honestly I'm hoping you're going to frog march me out of here and into the nearest burger joint..or force feed me Advil. Whichever you feel like doing first."

"How are you feeling?" Frank asked, the fact that his own face was a mask of blood and bruises and his body was screaming at him forgotten in a moment as he eyed the weary form of Joe.

The amusement on Joe's face died for a split second as the veneer of humour and bravado cracked under the scrutiny of his older brother, allowing the bone shattering weariness his body was actually feeling to show through. He wanted nothing more than to be able to hit the deck and have Frank take over. But the Joe Hardy stubborn streak immediately kicked in as the brief thought of Frank facing off alone against the Marchettis crossed his mind and a grin broke out once again across his blood streaked face.

"Oh you know me dude, never better."

Frank cocked his head to the side, worry blossoming in his chest at the shattered look which had briefly shown in his brother's expression. Joe was a lot closer to his breaking point than he would ever admit to anyone and the strain was evident in the faint pain lines present around his eyes.

"OK," Frank said with a nod, knowing that the crack in Joe's mask would be the only admission of true feelings he was likely to get under their current circumstance. "So what next?"

"If what he says is true, and with Dante I have learned to accept him at his crazy ass word, then we are quickly running out of time before he has someone in here chewing on hot metal," Joe said, a frown marring his features.

"Right, Ezra isn't going to be able to storm the place without someone getting hurt...but this might force his hand, there may be no other way," Frank replied, his eyes glazing over slightly as he thought through their conundrum. "If we're going to act we have to do it soon."

Joe looked around the room, really seeing the faces of the scared people before him for what felt like the first time. Their wide eyed terror and tear streaked cheeks standing out in a sharper relief than they ever had before. A fire bubbled in his belly as his entire being fought against the idea of any of them losing the battle for life at the hands of the psychos running the joint.

Whipping his head to Dante's room, his eyes narrowed as he saw the Marchetti impromptu family gathering coming to a close and their time running out along with it.

"Frank, I think I might have a plan..."

Ezra breathed heavily as the sweat streamed down his face from under the protection of the heavy helmet and visor. A multitude of emotions writhed within him, each vying for his attention. Worry being chief amongst them. Worry for the hostages, worry for those Hardy kids but most of all the worry which comes with not knowing if you're doing the right thing.

Having conferred with the state police on the issue, it seemed the only course of action would be to storm the room. He knew it would likely result in casualties. People being wounded, or worse, killed. But they couldn't allow the Marchettis to walk free and they could not give into their demands. Without proper access to control the room, the only remaining course of action was to put those bastards down. Dante would be no threat in his current condition. One of the Marchettis was already dead and after their last scuffle, Joe had seen to it that Nick was out for the count as well. That left four of the lunatics.

Ezra had picked four of the most level headed recruits from the few officers he had remaining at the command centre. One for each Marchetti and himself to lead the assault. He couldn't risk sending more bodies into a meat grinder situation. They had to be able to not lose their cool when the shit hit the fan which it was definitely going to do. The last thing he needed was friendly fire.

Ezra grit his teeth and jogged just that little bit quicker upon thinking about the Marchetti scumbags. As much as he had been telling himself to remain calm, the one thing he wanted above all else was a shot at taking them down, and his pent up body was more than willing to go along with the deal.

The plan was to hit both sides of the wing. Only one of the doors was open but there was a chance Lance wasn't aware of that. Hitting the locked side would at least create a diversion so they could actually get some boots on the ground from the other entrance. A simple plan but the most effective under the circumstances. He had drilled it into the men keeping pace behind him.

Rolling his shoulders and gripping the almost reassuring weight of cold metal in his hands, Ezra narrowed his focus as they made their way across the building heading into hell.

I'm getting there..I'm close to wrapping this puppy up, I can feel it.

All comments and critiques welcomed as usual! Thanks for all your kind words so far.

(Think I need to say a quick thanks to hlahabibty for the line about killing and resurrecting Joe for Ezra too..it was inspired from one of your earlier reviews :D).