"Need to use the bathroom?" Billy asked as he put away the phone. A tired nod from Alan was all he got for an answer. Gently lifting the boy to his feet, Bill led him to the bathroom. Like the last time, he removed the blindfold and closed the door.

Alan squinted in the light and rubbed his eyes; then stumbled to the toilet.

"How you doing in there, kid?" Billy knocked after a few minutes.

"I'm done," was the response, punctuated with a flush.

"Same as last time, Alan," Billy said, unlocking the door, "Kneel facing the wall, hands on your head and eyes closed."

Alan did as instructed, leaning his head against the wall as well, damn I'm tired! I can barely hold my head up…"You can come in, Billy," he called drowsily.

"Jeeze, kid," Billy said walking in, "You look like the wall is the only thing holding you up."

As Billy tied the blindfold, Alan answered, "You try three hours of electrocution and then stay awake…not to mention only running on five hours of sleep for the past…" Alan paused thinking, "I don't even know how long!"

"How does a power nap sound, then?"

"Gonna h'pp'n wheth'r you wan' it to or no'," Alan slurred before a jaw popping yawn stopped him.

"Guess that's a yes," Billy chuckled, supporting Alan on his feet.

"Duh," was Alan's quiet response as he swayed.

"Shit!" Billy swore; catching Alan as his knees buckled. Alan groaned, but didn't make any move to stand on his own. "Guess you do like your sleep," Billy whispered as he picked Alan up and carried him to the bed; Alan's head falling back limply.

After cuffing Alan's right ankle to the bed frame, Billy left the room and came back with a light blanket. Draping it over the sleeping blonde, Billy smiled to himself. This kid has handled this better than any of the others. They were all crying, screaming, or silent. The screamers, however, screamed into a gag, Billy thought wryly, course four older brother's does stiffen the spine.

Billy went back to the computer and set up the next five hours of video. As he set the recordings to play on the web page, a private chat window popped up:

Boss1: Been watching the auction, Kip. Nice article for sale. Where'd you find the bidders?

Billy had been expecting his mentor to contact him for some time and knew that his mentor was far from impressed; the use of 'Kip' was what tipped Billy off. 'Kip' was always his mentor's pet name if Billy messed up. One of his first lessons was 'never involve the family' and Billy knew his mentor had figured out Alan's family's involvement.

Prentice2: Thank you, sir. Found it lying around. High interest got the bidders.

Boss1: Seems you need a refresher in sales, Kip.

Prentice2: No, sir. I prepared for the worst, as I was also taught.

Boss1: We'll see how it plays out, then. I expect to see you after your getaway.

The chat ended, before Billy could respond, not that he would have anyway; there was no arguing with his mentor. And he knew that two weeks after the end of this auction, he had to go 'home'. But he needed two weeks to lay low and disappear; two weeks to 'getaway'.

Sighing, Billy looked over at Alan's slumbering form, for your sake, Alan, this better work like it has always worked…

After Alan had slept for an hour, Billy gently shook Alan's shoulder, "Time to wake up, Alan."

"Mmmm," Alan grumbled, "F've mo'e mi'ut's," then curled into a tight ball under the blanket.

"No, Alan," Billy said softly with another shake, "Things to do, little time to do it."

An annoyed groan came from the groggy blonde, followed by a grouchy, "You have terrible bed side manners."

Chuckling Billy responded, "That may be so, but if it is what gets you up, so be it."

"And what is so important?" Alan grumbled, "Not like you have to tie me to a chair or give me a jolt…" Alan paused, a frown on his face, "Or is there?"

"No, there isn't," Billy replied; taking Alan by his shoulders and sitting him up, "But doesn't mean you can sleep the remaining four hours away."

Alan stifled a yawn and moved to rub his eyes; Billy quickly, by gently, grabbed his wrist, "Sorry," Alan muttered, "Force of habit."

"S'okay," Billy drawled, releasing Alan's wrists, "Now, time to walk around some."

"Really?" Alan sighed, "We can skip that and sleep…works just fine for me."

"No," Billy said firmly, undoing the ankle cuff, "Because it would only be ten more minutes, not like it's another hour. It'll wake you up, too," Billy got Alan standing, "Come on."

"Coffee would work, too," Alan griped.

"That'll stunt your growth," Billy chuckled and led Alan around the room.

"Didn't stop my brother," Alan tried.

"You do realize that now that you're up and walking around, it really doesn't matter, right?"

Alan rolled his eyes under the blindfold and sighed, "It's the principle of the thing. Besides, I could fall asleep in no time, so let's turn around," Alan said, trying to go back to where, he thought, the bed was.

Billy just shook his head and pulled Alan they way he had been walking, "Give it up, Alan, you are staying awake for the next four hours."

Tracy Island

Jeff, John, Virgil, and Gordon were all sitting in the office; watching the rerun of Alan sitting in the chair change to Alan sleeping. Brains and Fermat had arrived back to the island a little after Scott had called. Tin-tin and Fermat were now out on the beach, trying to be strong for their friend; and knowing that the adults of the island were hiding something from them.

Fermat had suggest they hack the system, to see what the Tracy's were watching, but Tin-tin felt that they were being kept in the dark for a reason; no matter how much she wanted to know.

Brains was trying to enhance the search John had done on the live feeds and phone call, and was still in his lab working on it.

"Dad?" Gordon broke the silence that had fallen over the office; the Tracy's content to watch Alan sleep before seeing the more distressing recordings.

"Yes, Gordon?" Jeff looked to his second youngest.

"What do you think this guy was doing to Alan when the feed was repeating, what he's doing now?" Gordon asked with a chagrinned voice.

John put a strong arm around Gordon's shoulders and looked worriedly at his father. "I…" Jeff sighed, "I don't know, son. My hope is nothing more than move him. Alan didn't seem hurt in any of the videos, or while we talked to him. And Scott thought he sounded okay, considering."

"I'm sure Alan is fine, Fish," John cut in, "He would have said if he was hungry, this is Alan were talking about," a small twitch at Gordon's mouth told John he had reassured his brother some, "That tells me, nothing bad is happening off camera."

"But, what if…" Gordon took a shuddering breath, "What if it isn't our Alan that comes back? I can't go through life without my partner in crime," Gordon wiped at tears he refused to let fall.

"He will come back to us," Virgil said strongly, kneeling in front of Gordon, "And we will be strong for him, like he is being strong for us."

"Together," Jeff said, "Nothing can stop our family. We will work together and all get past this."

"Don't forget," John said with a small squeeze, "He's a Tracy. Stubborn as Hell."