Thoughts raced throughout Hamilton's head. In the past ten minutes, his best friend had told him he was gay, and in a relationship with their worst enemy from the Clue Hunt, Ian, and they were now trying to save Ian, along with Atticus, someone completely innocent who has nothing to do with the Cahill family.

This was serious, because their captor was Isabel Kabra, the most violent person he knew, and now she was demanding the Clues, and Dan is the only one who knew them. Hamilton gave Dan a it's-all-going-to-be-okay smile, but he didn't know that. He had a bad feeling about this.

A feeling that not everyone would make it out alive.

But it was a feeling he had to ignore for Dan.

…

Dan slammed his head against the desk. He had no idea where to go next. He realized something with the last text from Isabel: involving Ham was a terrible idea. Now he was endangering even more lives than he ever should have. He had to fix this, alone. He paced around the room, waiting for what he hoped would be the answers to his problems to just appear in his head.

When they didn't, he started to get mad again. Not at himself, but at Ian. Why did that jerk need to get kidnapped in the first place? And didn't he like Amy? Something was just off about all of this, almost as though none of it were meant to happen. Almost as soon as the thoughts entered his head, they left, with the overwhelming feeling of guilt following soon after. How could this possibly be Ian's fault? It wasn't his fault who he liked; Dan should understand that more than anyone. But something about thinking that just made him more upset.

…

Ian tasted blood spread through his mouth. His eyes shot open, as he looked around enraged, looking for his attacker. Who had the nerve to come after him, Ian Kabra?! Didn't they know who he was?! The room was too dark to see, but his eyes soon adjusted, and he knew exactly what he was up against. The cynical smile that awaited him was the first thing he saw, followed by the rest of the face of Isabel. A shutter ran down his spine, as the sight of her shooting Natalie played through his head. Where was Natalie?

"Your sister is fine," Isabel stated, he must have said that out loud, "for now."

"What do you want with us?" Ian demanded. He was sick of his mother. No more giving into her manipulative games. He did that for his whole life. Now it isn't just my life on the line. He thought, as a picture of Dan passed through his head.

"What I want is the Clues, and your little boyfriend there is going to give it to me. You see, I had to make sure he felt for you how you felt for him before taking you, which is why I allowed you to share a kiss before kidnapping you." Isabel looked Ian up and down, "You are such a disappointment. Your sister, however, may not have long enough to be as disappointing as you are."

The thought of his sister getting hurt made Ian jump to his feet, and as fast as he was up, he was back down. He felt the fist of one of Isabel's men strike him across the face. The taste of blood returned as everything around him blurred. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion. He felt a second blow to his stomach, and he fell to his knees. He coughed and saw blood splatter on the floor below.

"Enough." The last thing he heard before passing out was his mother command, "we need him alive if we're going to attract that Cahill brat to him. Lock him up with his no-good sister and the nerdy nobody."

…

Amy felt unsure about this, but she had nowhere else to go. She knocked on the door to the door to the Holt's house. Ham answered, and she instantly knew something was wrong. His face was red, and it looked as though he was crying. "Hamilton, what's wrong?"

"Leave me alone," He said, "And tell Dan not to call me again."

Amy felt the confusion wash over her. Hamilton seemed fine at the house, why was he acting so weird now? "Hamilton, listen I can-"

That was all she could manage before Hamilton slammed the door in her face. Help. She thought. Although she wasn't sure if she was finishing her sentence, or if she was asking for herself.

…

Hamilton felt the tears roll down his face again. He looked that the text he had received right after Dan had told him to go home for the night. "If you wish for the safety of your sister, you will stop helping Daniel Cahill. You always were the least dumb of the Holts, so make the right choice here. XO - Isabel" Attached was a picture of Reagan, she looked beat up and bloody, and in no condition to fight her way out. Hamilton felt the anger in him rising. He squeezed his phone so hard it snapped in two, although at this point he didn't care.

Nobody messed with Hamilton's family.

…

Ian woke up to being thrown against the thick concrete. He felt so weak, but still, he felt like he might throw up. And that's exactly what he did.

"Dude, gross!" He heard a familiar voice call from above him. He raised his head to see Reagan sitting on the floor with Natalie, and one other person he didn't seem to recognize. That didn't matter though. He ran forward and wrapped his arms around his bloody sister. It didn't look like Isabel had been any kinder to her than she was to him.

He must have hugged her for a little too long, because the person he didn't know began to speak, almost sounding extremely impatient. "Excuse me, but does someone want to explain where we are right now? I'm Atticus by the way, Atticus Rosenblum."

Ian looked him up and down. He didn't look like a Cahill to him. He looked at his sister and they came to a silent agreement. "There's a lot to tell, so sit down."

…

Atticus could feel the red showing on his face. Not a red of embarrassment, but instead anger. How could Dan, his best friend, or make that his only friend, not have told him about his travels around the world for the 39 Clues?! Let alone not tell him that he had such powerful enemies after him. How could he not even tell him that he was gay. Best friend my butt, he thought, if I get out of here alive, I'm never talking to this jerk again.

The thought replayed in his head, one part in particular. IF I get out of this alive. He swallowed hard as the fear settled in. He was in too deep to rely on anyone but himself.