Another sleepless night as Claire rolled over and violently grabbed for the clock on her nightstand, well, Joey's night stand as she decided it was the safest place in her house since Jordy had violated the rest of everything she found comfort in. 4:45 in the morning, far to early to get up, but there was no use in trying to sleep with plagued dreams of her son or nightmares of Joe trying to kill her.

Claire flipped onto her back, eyes watching the shadows on the ceiling as the trees swayed in the moonlight; the more she watched, the more strange the shadows seemed to be. "Where the doors, locked, was my door locked? Where is my phone, oh, there it is. The windows are still sealed, good." Her thoughts ran through her head, she knew she was overreacting, but how could she not, after all she had been through, and then still going through? She wanted her son back. Thoughts of moving far, far away, someplace smaller seemed logical.

The more she starred the more she worried, the more she had the urge to call Ryan Hardy. It was late though, or early, he probably didn't get much sleep, and she wasn't going to chance waking him if he did. She was being irrational. - "What are those lights? Is that an engine. SHIT."

She jumped up from her, Joey's, bed and drew the curtains, phone already dialing as Ryan was number 2' Denise had been one but after they found out she was a follower and Joey's kidnapper, number one was now a free number..She ran to the closet and shut the doors…

"Hnn… He-llo?"

Barely audible, groggy, Claire knew she awoken a sleeping Ryan.

"I'm so sorry. There's a stalled car and I was watching shadows, and the lights. I'm scared Ryan."

She wasn't afraid to tell him the truth.

"C-Claire? Claire! I'll be right over!"

It didn't take much to jostle the man, a swig of vodka, a pair of pants slipped on and the nearest shoes, car keys, he was out the door. Ninety on the high way seventy-five in a thirty-five zone, whatever to get to Claire Matthews faster.

Twelve minutes later Hardy was slowly rounding the corner to Claire's street, being caution of lights or any vehicle that might gun it and smash into him. But everything was quiet, and dark and it wasn't long before something strange did catch his eye, something on Claire's steps. "Is that a body, is that Claire?"

Brakes where slammed, the car left idle, door hung open, all Ryan could think about was the shadowy figure could be a dead Claire, he was holding his breath, the soles of his shoes echoing on the pavement as he ran up, gun in hand.

"What?!"

Ryan stopped short, it was a man's body.

"VEGER!"

He dropped to the steps beside, carefully cradling the man's head as he searched for a pulse, his head moving by his face to listen. "It's there, it's faint."

"Hang on."

He gasped, setting him back down gently and running back to the car to radio for emergency help, and lingering a moment longer.

"Claire? Stay in the house."

"What? What's going on? What happened? Ryan? Talk to me!"

He didn't want to tell her that a man working with the bureau was half dead on her steps, that he was left there as show, probably not for her –"This is all for you Ryan" The resounding words echoing throughout his mind.

"Just stay inside."

Ryan clicked off the phone and jogged back over to Veger, was surprised to see the man had shifted on his own. Maybe Ryan had woke him enough, or he was conscious and just had another reason to be more so. Still, he looked dreadful and probably lost a good amount of blood.

"Hang in there, paramedics are on their way."

Sirens could be heard in the distance, no one ever far from Claire's house at this point.

"I-I…"

Veger was trying to say something, he had to say something.

"Deserved… this."

"Don't talk, save your breath."

Ryan wasn't showing it but this was so far the worst thing done to anyone besides an actual death.; Claire was held hostage, but she's alive, He himself had been the centre of attention, what, twice now? First when he tried to save Sarah, and then with Maggie. Now, they left Veger alive, why? Only he could tell them and he wasn't doing much talking.

"Re… Reese. They- they are, save… him…"

"Hey. HEY! Stay with me! Fuck where is that ambulance?!"