Kathryn sighed frustrated. "Why is it so hard to get in touch with everyone? Why isn't anyone telling me what's happening!" she yelled at the screen. She wondered if she should call Virgil back, but thought better of it. They were close by, so they should be there any moment. And she didn't want to interrupt in case they were talking to the guard.

She tried reaching Gordon again, and for the second time in the last two days, she wished she were closer to her brothers in order to be able to talk to Scott and John. She didn't even know if those two had accounts, but maybe if there ever acted like the siblings they were supposed to be, they would.

There was a movement on her screen and Kathryn leaned forward a little and noticed that it was recording. "Oh that's great. I've been recording this entire time," she sighed and was ready to hit the stop sign when she noticed the figure behind her. Without thinking, Kathryn grabbed the pair of scissors on her desk and thrust them behind her. Her move had been anticipated though, and it was blocked.

"Now now Kathryn," The voice of a man said. Kathryn automatically recognized it as Joe's. She had been right. Normally, she loved being right, but right now, she wished she'd been totally, majorly wrong. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

"I'm a Tracy," Kathryn said. "I make everything harder than it has to be." In that moment she pushed her chair back, slamming it into his legs and darted for the door. She didn't make it, his hand grabbing a tuft of her hair and pulling her back. She screamed, hoping someone would hear as she turned on Joe, kicking him in the stomach. He let her hair go and they both stumbled backwards a little. Kathryn looked around her room for anything she could throw.

She scrambled towards the door again, seeing nothing. Her lamp crashed above her head and she turned to see Joe had thrown it at her and barely missed. "Don't try and run Kathryn," he sneered, and showed a knife in his hand. Kathryn's breathing was labored as she tried to think of what to do next. "There's no where you can go. My accomplice is outside, so if you make it past me, he'll get you. And you don't want him to get you Kathryn. Not if you don't want to be handled by him."

Kathryn glanced over her shoulder and saw the bathroom. Maybe she could lock herself in there until Virgil came with Alan. But the other door was so close. "What do you want from me?!" she asked, edging towards the bathroom, making up her mind. She couldn't risk catching Joe's bluff of an accomplice.

"Oh that's a shame," Joe said, matching her steps. "Don't you recognize me Kathryn? We had so much fun together eleven years ago."

Kathryn froze a chill running up her spin. She knew what he meant, his voice finally really registering in her head. She knew where she had seen him before; she knew she recognized his voice. "Austin Jacks?" Her voice cracked.

"That's right sweetie. Now why don't we leave here quietly and no one gets hurt. You don't want Benny to get hurt, now do you?" Kathryn couldn't tell if he was lying to her. But Ben, she had to think of him and his safety, but then Ben would kill her for not thinking of herself first.

"I never did anything to you!" Kathryn yelled at him and took a step back.

"Your father did! And now I'm going to take it out on you!" Austin yelled and ran at her. Kathryn turned and moved, toppling her book case over to make an obstacle. She threw anything she could find, even the shadow box on her wall. She heard it shatter as it hit something, but not Joe.

Kathryn reached her bathroom and was going to open the door when a knife landed right above her hand, deep in the wood. She turned to see Austin less than a foot away. "Nice try," he said grinning, which only managed to scare Kathryn even more. He moved closer to her, and Kathryn tried to move away only to hit against the wall. She was cornered. "Game over," he said.

"Kathryn!" A new voice made them both turn and relief washed over Kathryn when she saw Virgil standing at the door way. She wondered how he made it in without a key, but then figured Joe/Austin must have left it open. Her relief quickly washed away when she saw the man step up behind Virgil.

"Virgil behind you!" she yelled, but it was too late. The man pulled out his gun and had it shoved into Virgil's back.

"One wrong move and you're done," the man said with his gruff voice. "Or better yet, your little sister will be." Kathryn saw Virgil tense slightly, how his eyes glanced towards her, and she knew there wasn't anyone coming with help any time soon. She watched as Virgil slowly shook his head.

"Alright," Virgil said his voice steady and quiet. "I'll do as you say. Just leave Kathryn alone. You only need one of us if you want our father to pay up."

"And that's where you're wrong," Joe/Austin told him as Kathryn edged away slightly, sticking close against the wall to avoid his gaze. "You see, you're father made a fool out of me eleven years ago, and I do not enjoy being made a fool. Little Kathryn here is the fault of that, and this time I'm going to make sure everything goes as planned. Really, you're more of a bonus. Or an obstacle. I will have my victory, with you dead or alive."

Kathryn knew her time was slimming; she had to get some help now before things went out of what little control she had. If she could get outside her dorm and yell, pull the fire alarm, something to attract attention, and then maybe this would all end. She glanced at her captor and then at her brother and his captor, seeing the space just big enough for her to dart in between and get out. She would have to do it quickly, but no one was paying attention to her now.

So taking in a deep breath, she pushed herself of the wall and darted towards the door. But she wasn't fast enough. A hand darted out and pulled her left arm back tightly towards it and Kathryn fell on the floor, her shoulder in pain. She closed her eyes tight, the pain in her shoulder flaring as he pulled back a little more.

"Didn't think I let you escape, did you?" Austin/Joe asked his voice so close to her ear that she moved her head away. "Good thing you tried. You reminded me just how difficult you can be." He held her tightly in place with one arm, and Kathryn started to struggle. She knew what came next; it was a moment engraved so deeply into her mind.

"No, no, no," she cried out loudly as his cloth covered hand came over her. She vaguely heard Virgil saying something, her name maybe. But she was panicking now as her worst nightmares started becoming reality. She kicked against the floor, trying to get away from it but only managing to bump with Austin.

That was his name. No longer Joe or Austin/Joe. Because she was no longer confused on whom he was really, because this scene was just like the one eleven years ago in the small Kansas athletic center. The only difference was that she was wearing a jacket now and shoes. She may have been bigger, but she felt seven years old.

The cloth covered her nose and mouth, and she tried to hold her breath as he pressed it harder against her. But she knew it was inevitable. The world started to spin and get fuzzy as she wondered if she should be so lucky to be found a second time around.

Virgil was stricken as he watched his little sister lose consciousness with the real word. He could still hear her panicked voice as she protested and could only imagine what this moment was doing to her. He had been forced to watch her struggle then go limp in this mad man's arm; a scene no one should ever have to see.

"You bastard," Virgil snapped. "Both of you. Who the hell do you think you are doing this to her? To us? Wasn't once enough?"

Austin just gave an amused chuckle as he picked up Kathryn without much effort. "Of course not," he said. "Besides, this would be Johnson's first abduction. In New Jersey anyway."

Virgil heard the man named Johnson chuckled behind him and frowned. Two psychopaths working together, this could never end up good. "Move Tracy," Johnson said as he pushed him towards the door. "Have to have you go in front, don't want you trying to mess this up."

Virgil had no choice but to walk through the door, his mind now wondering on how to attract the attention of his family. He wondered where Alan was, and upon remembering the guard at the door, hoped he was safe. They walked down the hall and suddenly there was a loud piercing sound through the air. Virgil winced, the sound too loud for his concussed head, and he turned it slightly to see Austin's hand releasing on the fire alarm.

"You're a sensitive one, aren't you?" Johnson asked, seeing the grimace on Virgil's face. "Who would have thought Tracy made 'em weak? But you see, got to have a distraction. No one will notice us disappearing through a hectic crowd. No one will notice your missing till it's too late." Before Virgil could question what he meant, the halls rang loud and turned brightly red with the fire alarm's siren. Clever, though the loud sound hurt his head and increased the headache he was having. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to go on this mission with just Alan.

Alan. Where was the kid? A fear went through him as he remembered the body of the security guard, but he had to shake it off. He couldn't think like that, Alan was smart and more than capable to handle one of these freaks.

They rushed out through a backdoor and into a waiting van. The back seats were out, and Austin sort of just dropped Kathryn in like luggage. "Watch it," Virgil snapped at Austin, who just gave him this grin and went to the front of the car. Virgil took a step towards the guy, but was pulled back by Johnson and a dull pain in his wrists. He looked behind him to see they'd been cuffed, and as he became more aware of them, he felt their pinch against his skin.

"Get in Tracy," Johnson told him with a scowl. "Or die right here." Virgil heard the clear click of a gun loading and he knew the guy wouldn't hesitate. So he submitted, which killed him, and got in the back of the car with his sister. The doors slammed shut, and there was an extra click (no doubt a lock) and then the van was in movement.

Virgil looked out the small window as the school disappeared behind them, and the group of students gathering outside the hall started to grow but get smaller and smaller the farther they were. He sighed, knowing that with each distance, their chance of being found dimmed. But he didn't lose hope, they would be found. Even if they weren't IR, his family was Tracy and they always found a way.

Virgil looked over at Kathryn, who looked asleep, and hoped that this time, help wouldn't come too late.

Alan set Ben down gently on the curb in front of the residence hall. He turned his head back to the hall, looking to see smoke rising or flames, but he didn't. Alan didn't see anything that would have caused the fire alarm to go off and right then he knew something was wrong.

"Kathryn," Alan heard Ben's voice and he turned towards the guy, only to see him standing. And swaying.

"Whoa there," Alan said, catching him. "Ben you have to sit down, that's not a small bump on your head." Ben pushed him away, and Alan saw a look of determination on the kid's face that could possibly rival Scott's. Possibly.

"No time," Ben told him. "The tree, we have to get to the tree. She'll be there, that's the plan. It's in the plan. It's the plan." Alan didn't really know what he was talking about, but could see there was going to be no point trying to fight him. Instead he stayed close by and followed the Ben so he hurt himself even more.

They didn't walk far, just a couple meters from the Hall. There was an old oak there, its tree bark split off from the main trunk and forming a branch to the side, creating a nice sitting place. Alan couldn't help but imagine Kathryn there, sitting in that place with a smile on her face as she looked down at Ben, their school books spread about. It just seemed like such a great place to sit and hang out. He'd had a place similar to this at Harvard.

"No no no," Ben's muttering brought Alan back from thoughts. Alan looked up to see Ben looking around rather distraught. "Too late, too late," he said and starting heading back towards the building. Alan's stomach churned at his guess of what Ben's words meant. Alan could see the flashing lights of emergency crew arriving at the scene, and then a loud scream was heard.

Alan and Ben set off into a run towards the building, a fear gripping both of them. Alan figured they had found the body of the dead guard, but at that moment his mind conjured up a different lifeless body. First it was Virgil's then it was Kathryn's, both each making him run faster. They didn't slow as they neared the building, and just crashed into the police men trying to make a perimeter. Alan heard their shouts to stop, but they didn't.

He followed Ben, turning right at the first hall. He saw all the doors closed, except for one and he knew. He just knew that they had been too late. They halted to a stop at the door and looked in on the mess. Alan heard the police come up behind them, saying something, looking into the room, and then calling in something on the radio. He wasn't really sure what to think or feel; he was going into this state of in between disbelief and anger. All he was sure was of how Ben suddenly swayed into him, and Alan caught him by the shoulders before he fell. With help, he set him down again.

"Whose room is this?" A man asked. "What happened here?" Alan wasn't really sure what to say.

"Kathryn Sally Swicord," Ben told the man, never looking up. "She's been abducted."

"Are you sure? That's a pretty big thing to just state."

"I'm sure," Ben told him. "His name is Austin Jacks. He went by Joe, and he was a janitor here. Only he wasn't the real Joe. The real Joe is probably dead."

"Do you have proof?" Ben just nodded. Alan was impressed for seconds ago Ben had been having struggles with complete sentences and now here he was, sounding like he didn't have a head injury. The guy should have been nauseous and in pain; and if he was, then he was holding it together really well.

"Besides the mess in here, and the sign of a struggle? Yeah, I have the actual picture that came with the work application, a current picture of the Austin posing as Joe the Janitor, and an article from a Kansas newspaper stating that Austin Jacks was released from prison not too long ago. He had been arrested about eleven years ago on child abduction charges." Alan heard everything Ben was saying and knew that this had had it all planned out for a while. Abduction like this wasn't spontaneous; it was well planned and executed, which meant he had to have had help. Alan shivered at the thought of his little sister being with two dangerous, lawless men. He wondered where Virgil was, and he feared that he may be with them as well.

He walked slowly into his sister's room, looking at what remained of it. Everything was strewn on the ground, a mess from a fight that must have happened. He glanced at the computer, and saw a red flashing light off the screen and followed it. He knew he shouldn't be touching anything, in case of contaminating the crime scene, but leaned over the computer and saw himself on the screen and the red flashing light of record. A sense of urgency overcame him as he clicked stop and save. "You might want to see this," Alan said to anyone listening as he turned up the volume on the laptop and pressed play.

On video you saw Kathryn looking quiet frustrated at the computer, then leaning in towards the camera. Behind her you could see a dark figure, and then she saw it and the entire scene of her abduction unfolded. Even though they went off camera, you could hear the shattering of glass, the taunts and thunks of objects toppling over each other. You could hear Austin speaking, and Kathryn. Then Virgil's voice appeared and Kathryn's disappeared.

Even though he couldn't see it, Alan was experience it as if he had been there. By the end, he was gripping the table so hard he thought he would break it. It was enough evidence though, and the police jumped to action.

"So what do we do now?" Alan turned at hearing a weary Ben. He noticed the sudden darkness in the guy's eyes, the way his jaw was clenched and how his shoulder's quivered slightly. There was no doubt that this guy was out for blood now, but he didn't know where to start and that just made him even more upset.

"We call in for help," Alan said and looked down at his communicator watch. They were new, Brain's had just finished the newest version yesterday, and Alan was grateful to have them. He pushed the button that would alert and connect him to Tracy Island communication system.

"Alan?" John's voice was quick to respond. "What's wrong?" Alan wondered if John was just used to being called in emergencies, or if he knew something was wrong. Of if he was just paranoid. Whatever it was, Alan was glad John picked up quickly. Every second mattered now.

"John, get dad and the guys. We have a problem."

A/N: Dun dun dun. I realize this is super long, sorry! No pauses in the story leads to awkward cuts in the uploading of the story.