They were on their way to Chicago in less then six hours. They had managed to get a flight by luck or prayer whichever way you wanted to look at it—four people had canceled at the last minute and they had grabbed the seats before anyone else could. They arrived late in the afternoon and immediately went to the hotel to clean up and eat. None of them were eating very well but they had to eat at least something to keep up their strength for what might lay ahead. Immediately after lunch, Marcus and Quinn paid a visit to the local police station and asked for an APB to be put out on one Seth Wilkerson.

"We've tracked him to Chicago," said Marcus.

"And you want him for?" asked the detective.

"Kidnapping," said Quinn.

"Here's a picture of the boy," said Marcus. "And here's a sketch of the kidnapper."

The detective studied them for a moment them said, "They look like they're related."

"They are. The kidnapper is his older brother," Quinn answered.

"Then it wouldn't technically be a kidnapping would it?" asked the detective.

"Yes, it would. Because for the last five years he's been in prison," said Marcus pointing to the sketch. "He got out three months ago and Seth has no claim on Mikkel anymore since he's been adopted. The courts also put a restraining order on Seth. He is not supposed to get within 300 yards of Mikkel."

"By whom?" the detective asked.

"By me and my wife," said Marcus. "He's like a son to us we would like him found ASAP."

"So this is personal?" asked the detective.

"Maybe a little," Marcus admitted. "I want this guy put behind bars for the next fifty years to where he'll be too old to pull this kind of crap by the time he gets out."

"He's the violent type detective when Marcus did adopt Mikkel he had several bruises on his arms and face where his brother had slapped or grabbed him. He was better off with Marcus and Shari then with his brother—so you can understand why we want him found and quickly before Seth can do him any permanent damage—something that isn't easily repairable," Quin added

The detective nodded and said, "I'll put out that APB right away as well as give a description of both boys; to all police cars. "I hope we find him alive and unharmed."

"Me to, detective, me to," said Marcus thinking of the effect Mikkel's death would have on the family.

~~~The Kidnapping~~~

They had been in Chicago a week and still no word on Seth. No one had spotted him or anybody who even looked like him and the O'Malleys were beginning to despair that there would ever be a sighting. Apparently, Seth was being extra careful about when he went out and who he was seen by. Sooner or later both Marcus and Quinn knew he would make a mistake and they would be there waiting for when he did. Both Marcus and Quinn followed every lead they could no matter how slim. They checked out the warehouse district and found what had originally been Seth's hideout, but no Seth and no Mikkel.

They had moved it seemed. "We were this close," Quinn muttered.

"Mikkel did warn us that they moved around every few days," said Marcus. "Too try to keep the police off their tails."

"And from the looks of it we are only a day late. If only we had found this place yesterday." Both men were frustrated in the extreme—to come so close and yet just to miss them was nerve-wracking to say the least.

"We'll find them," said Marcus, trying not to lose hope.

"But when?" asked Quinn. "Will we find them before it is too late for Mikkel?"

"I hope so," said Marcus, sounding worried and frustrated all at the same time. "I really hope so."

"So do I," Quinn agreed.

~~~The Kidnapping~~~

"So Mikkel," said Seth. "What have you been doing these last few years? I bet you enjoyed knowing I was in prison.

"Actually I didn't," said Mikkel softly. "I was always hoping you would change and be more like mom and then we could be a family again."

"Me be such a nice coward like mom?" Seth laughed maliciously. "Please."

"Mom wasn't a coward," said Mikkel defending her. "You didn't see how she struggled day after day to support us after dad left. How she worked two jobs in order just to feed and clothe us. Even as young as I was I knew she was doing the best she could by herself. Dad wasn't around anymore, so there was only one income not two, which cut the money being brought in, in half maybe more."

"Yeah, well that's not what I saw," said Seth angrily. "All I knew was of a mother who was never there and threw our father out after she found out he was doing drugs."

"You never saw because you were never there, but they argued almost constantly after she found out he was doing drugs," said Mikkel. "She wanted to put him in a rehabilitation program and he refused and the very next day he was gone."

"He never even said good-bye or that he loved us," said Seth.

"So, is that what made you like you are? Mad at the world?" asked Mikkel. "Just because mom did what she thought was best for us . . ."

Suddenly he stopped as he felt Seth's hands around his neck. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP," Seth yelled, his rage overcoming him as he squeezed Mikkel's windpipe so tight he could hardly breathe. Mikkel didn't reply for he didn't have the breath to answer. Suddenly Mikkel saw spots before his eyes and he breathed out a silent prayer, then everything went black

~~~The Kidnapping~~~

"Come on Mikkel," Seth hissed.

Mikkel had been released from his bonds so he could help Seth rob their first house. Mikkel didn't want to do it, but he didn't want to take the chance that Seth would kill him and then go after Davey or the triplets. He really had no choice as he saw it.

He had woken up in the warehouse hours after Seth had tried to strangle him with a very sore throat that couldn't allow him to talk in more then a whisper and a pounding headache. His head felt like it wanted to turn itself inside out and do a little dance around in his skull. Seth had not been sorry and had simply said that next time he would know better then to argue with him.

He had been considering all he had been taught about God and the bible over the last month and he had even tried praying over the last week and it seemed as if his prayers had been answered but not in the way he expected. He wasn't sure he believed in God yet, but all the O'Malleys seemed to believe and from what he knew about their lives before they had changed their names it was hard to understand why. What had made their allegiance to the one who had seemed to abandon them, years ago as strong as cement? Marcus was fond of talking about how God created freewill. How you didn't have to obey God's laws, even if it hurt Him when you didn't. Freewill allowed you to believe in God only if you were sure he really existed.

Marcus was also fond of quoting that verse of how Jesus had died on the cross and had risen three days later—and how his dying on the cross had taken care of all the sin in the world ahead of time—all you had to do was believe and tell Him you wanted to be his son or daughter. Mikkel wasn't sure he was quite ready to take that step.

He and Seth were scuttling through dark alleys filled with refuse. "Here we are," said Seth as they came out of the last alley to where they were right across from what looked like a mansion.

"But what if somebody's home?" asked Mikkel.

"Ah, I'm not worried they're all supposedly on vacation, but if they are, I have no qualms about killing them if necessary," Seth said his words careless not caring or having the least bit of compassion for anyone that got in the way of what he wanted. Seth didn't care about anyone except himself not even his brother.

Mikkel shuddered at his brother's words and hoped their really was no one home—that they really were on vacation—for his sake as well as theirs. He didn't want to be an accomplice of a murderer. Robbery was one thing murder quite another.

Seth approached the house and quickly jimmied the lock. He then motioned for Mikkel to follow him. Mikkel did so and closed the door quietly behind him

"Didn't I tell you? This house is rich for the picking? We can steal enough here to make a few thousand dollars at least—maybe more. After this, we'll lay low for awhile and then rob someone else. After a couple of years of this I should be set for life," Seth said.

Mikkel did not reply for his brother had already tried to strangle him and he had the bruise around his neck to prove it—that and his throat was sore from where Seth had done his best to crush his windpipe.

"Remain here and tell me if any police or anybody come down the street," Seth instructed. Mikkel nodded and took his post by a big window that showed the street and the surrounding houses. "Mikkel come up here and help me with this," Seth yelled. Mikkel left his post and went to find his brother who had gone upstairs. Mikkel found him in one of the bed rooms trying to move a chest of drawers. "Heavy mother f—" said Seth. "Grab the other end would you and; help me get it downstairs."

Mikkel did as he was told and when they were about halfway down his fingers slipped and he dropped his end with a loud bang. "Watch it you clumsy oaf," Seth growled. "Do you want to wake the whole neighborhood?"

"Sorry my fingers slipped," said Mikkel, his voice sounding hoarse.

"Yeah, well I have my suspicions you probably did it on purpose just to get me caught and sent back to prison," Seth growled.

Mikkel shook his head denying it, but Seth already had his attention on other things. Mikkel picked up his end again and they got the heavy piece down without further incident.

Soon they had everything loaded in the truck and as Mikkel turned away from Seth came up behind him and conked him on the back of the head with a the handle of his knife pocket knife. "I think I'll just get rid of you now. You're two much trouble to keep around—and to dangerous."

Then Seth laughed manically and dragged Mikkel back into the house and up to the attic. "Man you're heavy," he told his unconscious brother. "They must have been feeding you well these last few years. And I bet they aren't prepared for your death. Bet it will cause them a lot of grief." He laughed again, without humor and quickly lit a match and threw it in a pile of old clothes. The match combusted instantly and the pile of clothes caught on fire which quickly spread to the rest of the attic. "Bye-bye Mikkel, by the time anybody finds you you'll be dead and you'll be out of my life forever."

Seth calmly climbed down the attic steps and to the lower level quickly looking around for any other small items he had missed then headed for the door. Before he got there however the ceiling caved in from the fire and Seth was instantly on his back caught beneath one of the ceiling beams. The fire had spread much more quickly then he thought it would and now like he had done to Mikkel he was trapped in a burning building that he had tried to make Mikkel's fate alone.

~~~The Kidnapping~~~

Mikkel woke in the attic minutes later to find himself surrounded by flames and his second headache in less then forty-eight hours. He was also tied up so he couldn't move more then a few inches in any direction. I'm going to die, Mikkel thought. I'm never going to get the chance to tell mom and dad how much I love them and how grateful I am for them taking me in. I'll never get to read the triplets another bedtime story or teach Davey how to ride a bike or play with my dog Shaggy. The smoke and flames were already thick and Mikkel could feel the heat and the smoke made him cough so hard it felt as if he was coughing up a lung. It was so bad he could barely breathe. Mikkel was beginning to feel desperate and he silently cried out to the only one who could help him. Please God help me, Mikkel cried.

Suddenly he felt a peace come over him as peaceful as he had never known during his entire 13 year existence. Everything will be all right, a voice from somewhere assured him. Mikkel felt different then he ever had in his life and he felt sure that even if he died it would only be temporary—an ending for his earthly body nothing more. His soul however, would soar up to the heavens and to eternal life. Mikkel coughed again as he suddenly understood all Marcus and Shari and the other O'Malleys had been trying to tell him about God all this time. God was real and did take an active role in your life if you let him. Mikkel tried to breathe, but all there was to breathe was smoke and the heat was beginning to burn his lungs and yet he felt nothing but peace. Suddenly he coughed hard and his head whipped back and hit the wall and for the third time in less then forty-eight hours everything went black.

~~~The Kidnapping~~~

"We have a still and box alarm fire!" Jack called as the fire alarm sounded. What still and box meant at least in Chicago was a 1st alarm fire. Company 81 fire engines started up their sirens blaring as they raced out of the firehouse and down the street.

Both Jack and Cassie were there and both hadn't been sleeping very well ever since Shari had informed them that Mikkel was missing. Marcus had flown home and done some investigating and from the description a friend of Mikkel's had given him, Marcus had then sent word down the family grapevine to be on the lookout for Seth, Mikkel's brother. It came along with a description. Jack had raged and Cassie had cried and after a month they still hadn't found him. All the O'Malleys feared he was dead. Mikkel had managed to get off one fast call and tell Marcus he was in Chicago while his brother was sleeping, but he had, to go when he had heard his brother waking up and that had been three weeks ago. All the family had handled there grief at Mikkel's disappearance in different ways. Cole and Jack both drowned themselves in work. Rachel turned off her pager and took the battery out of her phone and informed her bosses until Mikkel was found whether dead or alive she wasn't available for work. She kept her second pager activated which was for family use only. She kept her phone as well as the battery in her purse so that if family paged her all she had to do was put the battery back in to use it. Kate had stalked around the house her mood going from bad to worse with each passing day Mikkel was missing. Even at work her fellow cops avoided her when she was in this state, not that they could blame her, her nephew was missing and this was the way Kate handled her anger and worry.

Both Marcus and Quinn had thrown everything they had into the case. They followed every lead, no matter how inconsequential it might have seemed. They both prayed continually for the boy to be found alive and basically unharmed. Marcus was having a worse time of it then everyone else except for perhaps Shari. Both of them were his parents and they loved him as much as they loved their other children. He might not be of the same blood, but to them or the family it made no difference. He was loved as much as a flesh and blood son would be and if he wasn't found—alive it would destroy the family. Both Marcus and Quinn had seemed to age as the hunt went on. It wasn't anything specific that caused it. It was a dozen little things. The worry, the sleepless nights all of it was taking its toll and it was beginning to show in the bags under their eyes and the stress lines around their eyes and mouth. They were determined to find Mikkel before they agreed to rest and the price of that was very heavy indeed.

Company 81 pulled up to the old apartment building where somebody had called for the fire department. The building was blazing and smoke was pouring out the open windows by the time the company got there and Jack immediately entered the building along with his men while another company from a different station set about trying to put out the fire.

"You go left," Jack yelled at Bruce. "Nate you go right. I'll check upstairs."

"I've got someone here," yelled Nate into his radio. "I might; need help dragging him out of the house. He's pinned beneath some wooden beams."

"You go help him Jack," Cole told him over the radio. "Bruce and me will look in the attic and meet you outside."

"Ten-four," Jack acknowledged. Jack ran to help Nate and the two men struggled to release the man from where he was pinned. They finally dragged him outside where he lay coughing on the grass.

Jack couldn't help feeling as if the guy was familiar somehow. "I recognize this guy from somewhere," Jack told Nate. Suddenly he snapped his fingers as if remembering. "I know this is Mikkel's brother. Marcus sent me a description . . ." Suddenly as the man sat up a fist came in a punched him in the jaw with such force that there was immediately a cracking sound. "Where is he?" Jack demanded grabbing the man by the lapels of his shirt. "Where is my nephew you scumbag?"

"Jack come on man," Nate pleaded. "Let him go."

"Not until he tells me where Mikkel is," Jack growled.

"You don't even know for sure that this is the same guy," said Nate.

"Yes I do. He looks just like Mikkel except for the different hair colors and of course he's older."

"And who are you?" the man demanded.

"Jack O'Malley."

"Hey Jack," said Stephen coming over. He and Meghan had been staying in Chicago at a hotel and helping in the search as much as possible.

"Stephen do you know who this is?" asked Jack. "This is the guy that kidnapped our nephew caused the O'Malleys more worry and heartache then anything has since the death of Jennifer."

"He is, is he?" Stephen suddenly growled. "Where is Mikkel you scumbag. If any harm has come to him I will personally put you in a hospital."

"And who are you?"

"Haven't you guessed you scumbag?" asked Jack his anger obvious. "Stephen is an O'Malley down to the bone."

"I should have known," Seth growled his eyes filled with so much hate that Jack and Stephen had to force themselves not to shudder.

Seth managed to talk despite his broken jaw.

"Let me at him," Stephen growled as Jack held him back with strength he didn't even know he had.

"Stephen control yourself," Jack told him. "I know how much you want to break his neck, but I've already broken his jaw and we need him alive to tell us where Mikkel is."

"He's in there," said Seth pointing and laughing manically, seeming unaware that his jaw was broken—or at least dislocated. "If he's not dead from the heat he's dead from the smoke inhalation. And I will finally have my revenge on the brother who betrayed me . . ."

Seth stopped in mid-sentence as Stephen's fist came and hit him on his nose. There was another cracking sound and the man gasped in pain. "You better start praying that Mikkel comes out of this okay," Jack said. "Or you will get more then a broken nose and jaw. I'm sure Marcus will make sure you get the death penalty."

"Kate as well," Stephen said. "You better be glad she's not here or she'd probably break both your hands for you—one finger at a time."

Suddenly, there was a shout from the building and Cole and Bruce appeared dragging a body between them. Cole looked worried and that in itself was enough to send Jack rushing to his side. "You okay Cole?"

"I'm fine, it's Mikkel I'm worried about."

Jack looked down and winced at the bruises on Mikkel's neck and Stephen rushed over along with a couple of other paramedics and Stephen checked for a pulse.

"Call Marcus and Shari," Stephen ordered his brother. "Tell them to meet us at the hospital."

"That bad?" asked Jack, his usual joking nature set aside for the moment.

"He's weak and breathed in a lot of smoke. And he has second third degree burns from the fire of course, it doesn't help that it looks like his brother tried to strangle him. It worries me that he hasn't yet regained consciousness," Stephen reported.

"Where did you find him?" Stephen asked Cole.

"In the attic and it looked like that was where the fire started. He's lucky to be alive at all," Cole reported.

"Arson?" asked Jack.

"That's what it looked like. A match dropped in a pile of old clothes is what started it," Cole responded.

Jack nodded soberly and he and Stephen shared a look. "I'll go with Mikkel to the hospital," said Stephen.

"And I'll meet you there just as soon as we're sure this fire is out," said Jack.

~~~The Kidnapping~~~