After a stern look from Gordon, Sufern wisely let Alan get control of himself.
Alan had his face buried in Scott's shoulder as Scott gently rubbed his back. For the first time, Scott was not expressing his dislike of Sufern; all of his attention was on Alan. After a few minutes, Alan began to calm himself, taking deep breaths. Virgil had gotten up to get tissues, which he handed to Alan.
Alan blew his nose, while Jeff wiped the tears from his face. Alan took a couple shaky breaths then nodded once to Sufern, a determined look on his face.
Sufern took that as his cue to continue, "What did you do after he…restrained you again?"
"He said I could sleep," Alan bit his lip, "I think it was an hour or so before the bid."
"And you slept for how long?"
"He said five hours…but I don't…I don't really know how long," Alan answered with a frown.
"That's alright Alan," Jeff soothed. Looking at Sufern, he continued, "He slept through the three hours of live feed."
Sufern nodded, "I don't think we need to go into detail about the bids. The tape you are having made should be sufficient," looking at Alan, Sufern pursed his lips, "I'm more interested in what happened while the camera was off."
Alan swallowed and nodded in worried understanding. "You think we could take a break," Scott said in more of a command than a request.
"That sounds like a good idea," Jeff quickly jumped onto Scott's thinking.
"Alan?" Sufern looked to the nervous blonde.
"I…I just need a few…minutes," Alan mumbled.
"Okay, ten minutes enough?" Sufern didn't look like he liked the idea, but acquiesced knowing he was outnumbered five to one…six to one if Alan really decided to get stubborn.
"Thirty," Scott demanded.
"No," Alan said in soft whisper.
"Fifteen," Sufern bargained.
"Thirty," Scott didn't budge.
"No," Alan said a little louder.
Scott and Sufern were now in a glaring contest. John and Virgil figuring Scott could handle the FBI on his own. Jeff and Gordon ready to stop Scott from doing something stupid.
"Thirty, this is not a negotiation," Scott enforced.
"NO!" Alan yelled, standing up from the force of his emotions.
The room fell silent, everyone shocked by the outburst. Alan wiped furiously at a few tears; these ones not of fear or sadness but just an overflow of mixed emotions built up.
Jeff stood slowly, putting a gentle hand on Alan's shoulder, "What is it Alan? What's wrong?"
Alan flicked a glance at his father before shifting his gaze between Scott and Sufern. "Did any of you think," Alan ground out, "That maybe I should have a say?"
"Alan—" Scott began.
"No, Scott," Alan cut him off, "I only need a few minutes, not thirty," that said, Alan stalked out to the small balcony.
"Thirty minutes will give you a chance to collect yourself, Sprout," John said softly, having followed his baby brother.
"I only need ten, Johnny," Alan's voice cracked, "I only want ten."
"Why ten, Sprout?" John asked in the same soft, soothing voice as he took Alan into a strong embrace.
"I want this done," Alan whispered into his brother's shoulder; John rubbing his back soothingly, "Thirty minutes will only be worse. I need a breath…but not a long one. Please, Johnny," Alan begged, beginning to shake, "I want this behind me."
"Okay, Sprout," John held Alan close, "Shhhh, take a deep breath, that's it, shhhh, calm down. Take another deep breath," John soon calmed Alan down. Leaving Alan on a bench outside, John went back into the room. "Ten minutes," John said firmly, "Then we pick it up again."
"Why don't we get some coffee then," Jeff suggested, "All take a moment, then reconvene."
The assembled nodded, everyone moving for the kitchen or sitting area. John went back out to the balcony. "Let's sit out here while they get their caffeine," John said, sitting next to Alan on a bench.
Alan nodded and curled up next to John, resting his head on his older brother's shoulder. The sun was warm on their skin, and Alan let it sooth and relax him; thinking of the island and his favorite cove. John hummed a song, one that Alan couldn't name, but thought he had heard Virgil play it on the piano before.
After a while, Alan sat up and took a deep breath through is nose, "Okay, John," was all he said.
John nodded, standing up and offering his hand, "Okay, Alan."
Alan took the offered hand and let John pull him to his feet before leading him into the hotel room again. Virgil and Gordon were now on either side of Sufern at the table; wisely separating Scott and the agent. Scott sat between his father and Virgil, while Alan took a seat between John and his father.
"So," Sufern began taking a look at his notes, "Let's assume that 'Billy' let you sleep for five hours. That would have given you an hour of being awake before the third bid. What did you do in that time?"
"Um…he woke me up and uncuffed me from the bed," Alan thought back, "I wasn't really awake, but I felt him cuff my hands behind me again."
"Did you talk at all?"
"Maybe," Alan chewed the inside of his cheek, "But it's fuzzy. I think I asked about the time…but he didn't give me a straight answer."
"Alright, what happened next?"
"He sat me in a chair again," Alan replied, "And gave me choices for food. Orange or apple juice and butter or jam on toast."
"What did you have?"
"Orange juice and jam," Alan answered.
"After you ate?"
"He said that we were going to call Dad," Alan began, "Billy said it was a reward for good behavior."
"He called with the vid-phone," Jeff supplied.
"Did he take the blindfold off?"
Alan shook his head, "He gave me a choice of ten minutes without a gag or twenty minutes with one; I wanted to talk, so chose ten minutes."
"What did you talk about?" Sufern directed at the whole table.
"Uh…I told them not to leave the web page," Alan bit his lip.
"We wouldn't be able to get back into the…bid," Virgil barely managed the word, "If we left it," he explained.
"Then we just tried not to focus on the situation," Gordon continued.
"Something about a prank we older brothers are worried about," John smiled in memory.
"What prank?" Scott asked confused.
"That's the thing," Virgil smiled too; "We don't know what it is or who the target is. Just that it's one of us," he gestured to himself, John, and Scott.
"Great," Scott cast a calculating look at Gordon; Gordon only gave a devilish smile in return.
"Let's get back on topic," Sufern broke the brief happiness, "After the call, what did you do, Alan?"
"He tied me to the bed again," Alan said softly, not liking the memory coming to mind.
"In what way?"
"You'll see on the tape," Jeff inserted, not wanting Alan to have to relive one of the harder bids.
"That maybe, Mr. Tracy," Sufern returned, "But I want to know about any conversations or feelings Alan had. And if Billy ever went further than kidnapping."
"He did," John said dryly, "He auctioned Alan off."
Sufern nodded, but didn't say anything more on the matter, "How did he restrain you Alan?"
"He…" Alan took a bracing breath, "He tied my ankles so I could bend on knee or have both straight. And…" another deep breath, "My arms to the bed frame."
"Anything else?" Sufern asked, leading Alan.
"He wanted to put the gag back in," Alan drew out the answer, frowning because he knew what Sufern wanted, "I didn't want it, so didn't open my mouth…he forced it open anyway and put the gag in." John held Alan closer as the younger Tracy shivered, "He said the gag wasn't the worst thing."
"What did he mean by that?"
"I heard him walk away, get something, and walk back," Alan closed his eyes against the memory; but it just became more vivid, "He sat down next to me, but I couldn't move away…" a few tears escaped from behind his eyelids, "Then he said, 'this is worse'. I tried to get away again when I felt cold metal on my chest," Alan began to breath hard, lost in the nightmarish memory.
"Easy, Sprout," John soothed, bringing Alan into a strong and safe embrace, "Take a minute, breath in…now breath out…that's it…again, in…and out," John pulled Alan out of the memory.
Opening his eyes, Alan bit his lip before continuing, "He cut off my shirt," he finished simply, "And I was pissed. Does that answer your question?" Alan's voice was harder for the last part.
Scott had a pleased look on his face, why to go, Alan. Don't let this annoying little man get to you.