They stood in their assigned positions in the huge, half-empty warehouse, guns pointed at the enemy. When more black jacketed men showed up, weapons drawn and moving in with confidence to take over, Chris assumed it was the requested backup. When he realized he didn't recognize any of the faces, it was already too late.

Crane appeared with a weasel-like smile stretched across his pasty face. Hair slicked back and shiny with oil, he looked like a rich businessman: carefully tailored and pressed suit, manicured nails, expensive shoes. Chris would expect anyone else to rub their hands together with glee and cackle at the agents' misfortune. But Crane would never do that. His smug methods of displaying control were much more cultured -- and deadly.

Crane's men quickly disarmed the stunned ATF agents. The Seven were shoved into one group and led to a smaller room. Chris, JD and Buck ended up close to each other while the others were spread out across from them along the wall's perimeter.

Judging by its placement immediately off the warehouse, the empty area had probably been an office. A slightly brighter colored rectangle of carpet showed proof of where a desk had stood. Dirt and grime traced a pattern of heavy foot traffic from the door to the rectangle. The walls had been redecorated, though. Chris was almost positive the building's original owner hadn't left the shackles and chains hanging there.

Buck caught Chris' gaze and leaned close to whisper, "I don't get it; where the hell's our backup?"

One of Crane's men overheard him. A crooked grin twisted his mouth. "Where d'y'think we got the uniforms? The local costume shop?" He rose to his toes and bounced, glancing at one of his partners to share the joke.

Buck's glare tightened then folded into a mocking smile. "You shoulda gone for the clown outfit. It would suit you better."

The automatic weapon was cocked and shoved into Buck's chest before anyone could move. Chris held still, afraid of setting the man off; afraid he would shoot Buck just for the hell of it. Chris grasped JD's arm and squeezed hard, stopping the young agent from rushing forward. Across the room, Vin and Josiah looked ready to pounce. Chris shook his head, motioning for them to stand down.

"That's quite enough, gentlemen." Crane's voice oozed into the chamber as he stepped through the door. His words held a hint of an aristocratic tone, testimony to his genteel past. Vowels rolled smoothly off his tongue and he smiled when he spoke, enjoying every syllable. "It's information we need here, not jokes. Brackman, back off."

His minion obeyed. When the gun was pulled away from Buck, Chris relaxed slightly. He heard JD release a pent-up breath and let go of his arm.

"Now, how shall we go about this?" Crane walked a wide circle, his head down, lips pursed in thought. "I want what you know and it's wise to assume you will resist giving me that information."

Ezra smirked, his eyebrows arched over wide, innocent eyes. "You know what happens when you assume: makes an ass of you and me." JD laughed until Buck elbowed him in the ribs.

Crane stopped and turned to Ezra, ignoring the others. "How quaint." His eyes shifted; the subtle signal propelled Brackman into action. The bull-necked giant jacked the butt of his gun between Ezra's shoulder blades, snapping the ATF agent's head back and sending him thudding to his knees. Buck took a step forward but weapons raised threateningly to thwart his efforts. Only Ezra's grunts as he labored to catch his breath disturbed the silence. He straightened from his hunched position on the floor and reached back to clasp his neck with one hand. "Perhaps -- I spoke -- out of -- turn." His words staggered through pain-clenched teeth.

Crane smiled. "I'll accept that as an apology." Ezra remained on the floor, gasping. Vin reached out to steady him with a hand on his shoulder. Crane's men adjusted their stances to better cover their prisoners, pushing Josiah and Nathan closer together.

"You all right, Ez--?" Josiah's question was cut off with a hard punch to his gut before Vin could protect him. Josiah doubled over, both arms hugged tight to his torso. Buck lashed out, his knuckles hammering hard into his guard's nose. Nathan rushed forward and was smashed across the face for his trouble. He staggered back, one hand pressed to his bleeding lip.

Before Buck could follow through a gun was thrust under his chin, forcing his head up. The end of the barrel dug into his flesh, indenting deeply into his throat. He lifted his hands, indicating his surrender. JD lunged forward but a guard grabbed him from behind, halting his attempt to help his friend.

"That's enough!" Chris' shout was answered with the ominous sound of cocking guns. Everyone froze, a bizarre tableau arranged by a demented artist.

Crane's laughed softly. The man was unreadable.

"I should have explained the rules first, gentlemen." He waved his hand and the gun was removed from Buck's throat.

Vin glared and reached to support Josiah, daring his captor to stop him. Chris shifted over a half-step closer to Buck and touched his arm, hoping to anchor him, keep him from doing anything stupid. He caught Vin's eye across the room and tried to give him the same message: Don't do anything stupid.

"There shall be no talking," Crane continued, "unless I have asked a question." He glanced at Ezra, who had risen to his knees and sat back on his heels. "And if the manner of the answer proves to be unsatisfactory, I believe you've already seen an example of the consequences." With a wave of his hand he indicated the ropes, chains, and shackles dangling there. "Some of my methods of retrieving information are rather crude, and painful."

His steps led him back to Chris. "How did you know where I would accept my shipment, Mr. Larabee?" He tilted his head to one side, a deceptively curious gaze on his face. "And more important, how did you know where I would be afterwards?"

Chris lifted his chin and peered through narrowed eyes at Crane. His jaw worked as he clenched his teeth. He let the silence speak for him.

"Not that I really expected an answer." Crane nodded and walked away. Brackman took his place. He handed his weapon to a fellow criminal, then set his feet, obviously preparing to get to work.

Chris tensed, unable to control his instinctual response. He sensed JD and Buck to either side of him and hoped they had enough sense not to try and interfere. To his shock, the arm swung past him. The fist slammed into JD.

Chris lunged forward. Someone snagged his coat but he managed to slip through the clawed fingers. He knocked aside elbows and hit anything he could see until hands grabbed him again and held frustratingly tight. Adrenaline pumped through him fueling his strength. He arched against their hold, nearly breaking away, and caught a glimpse of Buck beside him. The others were hidden from his view.

Cold metal suddenly kissed his temple. A hand clamped around his jaw and held his head still, then a shout vibrated through the room. "Stop! Or Larabee dies." Afraid for their leader's life, the agents stopped fighting.

JD scrambled from the floor, a livid bruise already reddening his jaw. "Chris!" Before he could join the others two of Crane's men grabbed his arms and wrenched him away. A fist jabbed twice into his ribs. Buck called to him but JD didn't answer.

Crane watched with his eyes squinted as the others reacted to the attack on JD. Chris felt a twist of panic in his gut as he recognized the enlightened look on their captor's face.

"Secure them to the walls."

Chris saw the tension in Vin's stance and knew he was waiting for a brief moment of distraction. With a grunt of effort Vin twisted hard, swinging his elbow backwards into the nearest guard. A satisfying crack echoed through the room when he hit his target. At the same time, Ezra erupted from the floor, charging headfirst into his guard's gut. The man flew backwards, his arms spread to catch his fall. His weapon clattered to the floor.

Chris lunged for the gun but someone kicked the weapon away before he could reach it. He was aware of Buck struggling beside him but was too tangled with his own guard to help him. "JD! Gun!"

Clawed fingers pinched painfully tight to his shoulders. A body blocked his view. He heard JD's voice raised in anger. The hard slap of metal against bone cut through the heavy grunts and Vin collapsed near him. Chris watched Ezra hesitate between helping Vin or reaching for the dropped weapon. His captor stepped in before he could make a decision, ramming his gun barrel into Ezra's chest. He froze, his clawed hands inches from the gun.

Chris' arms were yanked behind his back. He stifled the grunt of pain when it felt as if his shoulders had been wrenched out of their sockets. The guard forced him against a wall and used his body to hold him there. He turned his head to the side, a frown of distaste pulling at his mouth as the man's breath blew moist against his face. Another guard stepped in and took his partner's weapon. His captor gripped his wrists and pulled his arms above his head. Cold shackles rubbed against his skin. Chris arched out from the wall, but his guard pressed closer, raising one knee against his crotch in warning, and he held still.

The snap of the shackles closing around his wrists churned anger through Chris' gut. The guard stepped back, his jaw bulging as he locked his teeth. Chris strained, pulling hard to test the chains. With his arms stretched above his head his belly hollowed, pumping against his waistband as he breathed. Uneasy with his vulnerable position, he twisted to check on his friends, ignoring the guard.

Nathan was to his left. Ezra and Vin were held against the opposite wall while two other guards secured shackles around their wrists. Vin looked dazed, his head lolling feebly on his neck. Ezra pulled back, a look of disgust on his face as his guard pressed against him to reach the shackles. Buck's growl of protest swung Chris' head back around. Deep furrows bracketed Buck's mouth. His clenched teeth shown through his open-mouthed grimace. His guard, obviously tired with the struggle, jacked his knee into Buck's gut. The loud whoosh of air that escaped doubled Buck over. His arms were quickly yanked above his head and the shackles closed and tightened around his wrists before he could recover. Josiah was bound near him.

Chris noticed that JD alone remained in the middle of the room, still doubled over from the punches he'd taken, his hand pressed to his side. Chains rattled against the wall as the agents tested their bonds but otherwise kept silent.

"Bring a chair." A plain wooden chair was carried in and placed in the center of the room. Crane gestured and JD was shoved toward it, but he twisted suddenly and grabbed his guard's weapon. Crane's man jerked the gun from JD's hands easily, as if he were fighting a child. He swung his fist across JD's face, then moved quickly, almost gracefully, his muscles bulging beneath black material. Scooping JD from the floor, he pushed the young man into the chair. Another guard tied JD's arms behind his back. A switch clicked on and a harsh spotlight pointed downward onto him. Silvery shine bathed the crown of his head but created a shadow to hide the rest of his features from view.

Crane stepped in front of JD. He took several stiff pieces of paper from his inside breast pocket. "Agent Dunne, I believe?" When JD didn't answer, he continued talking as he moved around behind the chair. "If my information is correct, you were the last to enter this team. Your impressive skills as a computer technologist were brought to my attention. Are you adequate enough perhaps to hack into a state-of-the-art computer? Intelligent enough to garner information from systems that should be impenetrable?" Crane continued to circle until he stood in front of JD again. "Tell me, Agent, is that how good you are?"

JD lifted his head. White light washed the color from his face and glittered in his dark eyes. Chris saw determination there and knew the young man would refuse to cower to Crane's tactics. "Hell, yeah, Crane. I'm even good enough to know you run a crappy operation--"

"JD!" Chris' warning growl didn't stop the young man.

"-- and the trash you pass off as modern technology to third world countries is about to turn around and bite you in the ass." He hissed the last word through clenched teeth.

Crane's displeasure showed in the firm set of his jaw. "You should have listened to your leader, Agent Dunne." He turned away and glanced at Brackman, then lowered his gaze to the cards in his hands. Brackman stepped forward and smashed his elbow into JD's chin. JD grunted as his head wrenched to the side with the blow. The elbow clubbed him again, high on his cheekbone. Skin split and blood splattered a delicate pattern down the front of his shirt.

Crane held up his hand and the beating stopped. He raised his head and looked at Chris. "Agent Larabee? Does this unsightly display encourage your cooperation?"

Chris stared at him, emotion hidden behind dead eyes. From the corner of his eye he saw Buck turn and look at him. He knew what he was doing, what game he was playing with Crane, but he was also afraid the tactic wouldn't work. Only problem was, screaming and yelling and spilling his guts probably wouldn't work either. Worry gnawed in Chris' stomach.

Crane sighed. "I thought as much." He walked slowly around the room, looking at each man in turn. Finally he ended up in front of JD again. Something about him changed -- his shoulders appeared broader, his smile wider. "How much are their lives worth to you, young man?"

JD's head lifted again, his eyes sparkled in the harsh white light. The open gash on his cheekbone looked almost black against his fair skin. He remained silent but his expression told Chris all he needed to know, told of the sacrifice he'd be willing to make for his friends. He looked at Crane and shivered when the man smiled.

Crane held one of the cards out to JD. "I believe you will recognize this man."

<><><>

JD glanced at the picture in Crane's hand. Ezra had been caught in a pensive pose, his face turned to the side, eyes frozen in deep thought. The picture must have been taken when he was off duty, his clothes looked more relaxed, unlike the suits he usually wore to work.

His nostrils flared and his throat corded when he swallowed. He looked up at Crane. A predatory smile flattened the man's lips to his teeth. Crane tucked the picture back into his stack and held out another. "And this?"

JD's breathing quickened as he stared at the picture of Josiah.

Crane voiced the obvious, "Yes, I see by your reaction you know these men well." He walked around JD, his eyes tracking across the ATF agents pinned to the wall. "Of the pictures I hold, Agent Dunne, one shall be discarded for each unanswered question. The choice is yours: which one shall be first?"

The connection was clear: a card equaled a life.

JD's chest burned as he fought to control his panic. His eyes opened wide, telegraphing his fear. He scanned the room, searching for a way out of the cruel choice and locked gazes with Chris. He knew how inexperienced he was in comparison to the others. More so than ever at this moment he felt young -- and stupid. Why the hell had he ever wanted to do this job in the first place? When had risk and danger become exciting to him?

He shook his head and pulled back to look up at Crane. "Is my card in there?"

Crane's smile faltered. The corners of his mouth twitched and his eyes flickered down at the cards in his hands. "Yes."

"Then I choose myself."

"NO!" Buck's guttural yell brought two of Crane's men closer to the agent. He snarled at them, jerking against his restraints. The rattle of his chains created such a noise that none of Crane's orders could be heard. One of the men swung his gun, crashing the butt against Buck's temple. The big man collapsed, his cries going silent with his fall.

"Buck!" JD shouted at the same time that Josiah roared -- a frightening sound. The big man surged out from the wall. The chains that held him vibrated with tension.

"Josiah, no." The simple command from Chris stopped him. Josiah reluctantly held back, offering no more resistance, but the glare he focused on his guards sent them back a step.

For a heartbeat there were no words as the men slowly regained control. Then Chris turned to Crane. "I'll take his place. But none of us will tell you anything until you help Wilmington." His gaze traveled across the room to Buck's limp form hanging from the chains.

Crane's smile widened. "The choice is not yours to make. I have what I want. I've no doubt this young man shall provide me with adequate information." He waved his hand toward his men. "First, take Mr. Dunne to the other room. Then release the others."

<><><>

As the men scrambled to obey, Chris found JD's eyes and held them, offering the young man reassurance. JD broke the gaze and Chris followed his eyes to watch as Buck was released. The guard uncaringly allowed the man to fall to the floor. JD looked back at Chris, a question in his eyes. Chris nodded. I'll take care of him.

His shackles were unlocked. Chris tensed, hoping for a chance to break free. Before he could try his arms were jerked behind him. Hustled out between two of Crane's men, he could barely move in their firm grips, but he managed to twist and look back. Buck's head hung between his shoulders, his feet dragging along the floor as he was pulled down the hall. Josiah and Vin were behind him. Ezra and Nathan had been taken out first and were in front of him. He turned to face forward, only able to catch a glimpse of the drab hallway as they passed through to another room.

Their new prison was larger than the old office room and had a fresh coat of white paint on its walls. The floor was carpeted with a thin but durable thread. Long, wide lights traced the length of the ceiling. A framed metal surface took up an entire wall. Several tables and chairs and a cot in one corner made up the furnishings. A second narrow door broke the monotony of one wall. Ezra opened it and found a serviceable bathroom with a toilet and sink. "At least we have our basic needs taken care of," he mumbled.

Chris watched as the guards dumped Buck on the small bed, his limbs askew. A guard lifted one of Buck's arms and let it fall again, a leering grin on his face. Rage tightened inside Chris' heart. The guard left quickly, as if he could sense the heat of rising anger. When he left Chris noticed a keypad on the wall beside the door. It blinked colorfully and muted tones played as the door was locked from the outside.

When the door shut Nathan hurried to Buck's side. Chris joined him. Ezra approached with a wet rag, his movements stiff. Nathan took the cloth, a grateful smile dulling his grim expression. He began cleaning away the blood around Buck's injury.

Chris watched anxiously for a few minutes and finally asked, "How's it look?"

After lifting Buck's eyelids and checking his pupils, Nathan answered, "Won't know until he wakes up."

Chris glanced around the room. Josiah stood slouched against one wall, his hands in his pockets. Chris gathered him closer with a nod. Vin joined them. Chris noticed a darkening bruise on Vin's cheek and knew by Josiah's slightly hunched position that he was still hurting from that gut punch. Ezra stood with his weight balanced on one hip, his hand holding the back of his neck. "Anyone hurt worse than I can tell?"

"Nothing a good stiff drink and my own bed wouldn't cure," Josiah admitted, rubbing his hand across his stomach. Ezra mirrored his smile and allowed his hand to fall to his side.

"He's comin' 'round."

Nathan's words drew their attention. Buck moaned and opened his eyes. Rubbing his hand across his face, he reached for Chris' arm and used it for leverage to pull himself up. He sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows on his knees, and let his head hang low between his shoulders. "Damn, my head hurts." He lifted his gaze to the others, his eyes quickly sweeping the room. "Where's JD?"

Before Chris could answer the keypad lit up in a random pattern and the door opened. A guard stepped into the room, holding his weapon on the men. Two other guards carried in several items, which they placed on the table before backing slowly out of the room.

Vin's mouth twisted in a crooked smile. "Sure being careful, aren't they?"

"What'd they bring us?" Josiah apparently decided to look for himself even as he asked the question. Ezra and Vin joined him.

"Chris?" Buck snagged Chris' arm as he was about to move away. "Answer me -- where's JD?"

Chris' lips paled when he pressed them together. "Crane's still got 'im, Buck." He placed his hand on Buck's shoulder when his friend cursed quietly. "But we'll get him out."

"Before Crane does something to him?" The challenge sharpened Buck's words, made them hurt. He stood and pulled away from Chris' hand.

Nathan's voice drew Chris to the table. "This is food and water." He held up a small box. "And tape and gauze for first aid. If Crane's gonna kill us, how come he's feeding us and giving us stuff to tend our wounds?"

Ezra stood by the framed metal section of the wall. He tapped it with his knuckle. "Wonder what's hidden behind Door #1?" A soft click and the busy whirl of machinery answered his question. He stepped back when the metal bisected and pulled apart. As it opened, the long sections of metal slid into the walls and revealed another room behind a glass window. JD Dunne sat tied in a chair.

Buck lunged across the room and charged to the window. Slapping his palms against the glass panel, he yelled, "JD! Can you hear me?"

Ezra moved in beside him. Frustration built in Buck's voice with his fruitless attempts to communicate. "Dammit! We gotta break this --" Turning to search the room, he grabbed a chair. He swung it in a low arc toward the window but Josiah grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Won't do any good."

"What're you talkin' about? Now's our chance to get JD out." When Josiah didn't release him, Buck tried to pull out of his grip. Josiah's fingers pinched tighter. "Let me go, Josiah."

Chris intervened quietly, "Put the chair down, Buck."

Buck turned to glare at him. "If we all work together on this we can do it." He didn't let go of the chair. "We can bust JD out, then if we hit Crane at once --"

"Have you checked out these walls?" Chris didn't back down, firing words like bullets. "The door that leads out of here? I noticed when we came in -- it's 5-inch steel. And we'd have to figure out the code first on that keypad. Even this --" he snatched the chair from Buck and in one violent move smashed it against the window; the savage blow hardly caused a vibration in the thick glass "-- is unbreakable. Tell me, Buck: what do you suggest we do? How do you think we can bust out of here?"

Buck's shoulders slumped in defeat. He raised his hand to his head and flinched when he touched the wound. "We've got to do something. We can't just stand here and watch while Crane hurts him." He swayed and took a half step toward the glass.

Nathan moved quickly, supporting him with a hand on his back. "Easy, Buck."

Vin righted the toppled chair and placed it behind his distraught friend. Nathan pressed gently against his shoulder, guiding Buck to sit.

"He's right." Josiah stood watching JD in the other room. "Even if it means giving up what we know, we've got to help JD."

"I don't give up on my friends." Buck looked up. He captured Chris' eyes and held them, using the conviction in his voice to let Chris know he'd stand by what he said. "If it was you or any of the others in there I'd feel the same way. I'm not givin' up on him."

Chris nodded. Warmth bloomed deep inside the frozen place in his soul. Confidence broadened his shoulders. "We'll give it a little time. Maybe it won't come down to information. Someone at the Central Office has to notice by now that we're missing. And there's the other missing agents -- someone should be investigating their disappearances. All they have to do is follow the paper trail to the warehouse."

The sound of a door opening cut off his words. He watched as Crane and Brackman entered the room where JD was being held. Suddenly all his confidence drained away, leaving him reeling with fear.

<><><><><><><>

When they'd shoved him in here only to tie him up again, JD was left confused. He flexed his arms, feeling the rope's tightness around his wrists and chest. No sounds penetrated his new prison. Only white walls, a door, and what he suspected was a 2-way mirror kept him company. The mirrored wall was to his left. He glanced at it but the young, frightened face that stared back at him was unnerving, so he kept his eyes averted.

His gut churned and adrenaline kept his heels tapping. When the door finally opened he felt his heart rate spike. He shook his head to clear his hair from his eyes. Crane and Brackman walked in.

"Where the hell am I --?" A fist smashed violently into his mouth, silencing his demand and forcing a grunt from his chest. Head ringing with the blow, JD blinked at his attacker.

"I see a repeat of the rules is in order." Smiling congenially as if he were addressing a room of 5th graders, Crane walked a slow circle around JD. "No talking, Mr. Dunne, unless you are directly addressed. And then I'm afraid I must insist on an answer. Understood?"

"Understood," JD mumbled. He pushed his tongue across the raw slit in his lip. He tasted blood and barely managed to swallow.

"Good. Now, question number one. My inventory is encrypted. No one knows the codes but myself and one other. How did you open my files?"

The silence after the question was heavy.

"I'm waiting."

JD flinched slightly with the words. He kept his head down, blinking slowly at the floor. A quiet sigh from Crane brought his head up in time to meet Brackman's fist against the left edge of his browbone. Fire exploded in his eye socket. For a moment, he feared his eye had burst. Slowly recovering from the blow, he squinted his good eye open at his tormentor. "You hit like a girl."

Brackman's face twisted, his mouth pulled down in a grimace. He lunged for JD, his bruised and blood-flecked fist drawn back. Crane caught his elbow and stopped him. He shoved Brackman back and towered over JD, regarding him closely.

"Your stupidity surprises me, Agent Dunne. If you are hoping I will allow Brackman to pummel you into unconsciousness, helping you escape my questions, you are not nearly as intelligent as I first perceived."

When JD failed to respond Crane shrugged gently. "You will find your silence holds a high price." He reached into his inside jacket pocket and withdrew one of the pictures he'd shown JD earlier. Keeping the blank side to his victim, he ripped the paper down the middle, then placed the two pieces together, turned them, and ripped again.

JD sat quivering in his chair. His gut burned with tension. Bruises throbbed on his face and a warm tear of blood slipped from the outside corner of his injured eye to trickle down his face.

Small ragged pieces of paper fluttered down. Two torn sections landed in JD's lap while the rest drifted soft as feathers to the floor. A fractured picture of a familiar smile lay against his leg. Even out of context the happy expression was easy to recognize as belonging to Josiah. Devastation crushed JD and shattered his soul like fragile glass. He bowed his head, hunching forward as grief overtook him. His soft, catching breaths filled the silence.

JD glimpsed a satisfied smile on Crane's face before he turned and left, taking Brackman with him. Sorrow held him captive. A ball of pain burned in his chest but his best efforts failed to calm his breathing. Oh, Josiah. I'm so sorry. The thought of what he was protecting and the high price he'd paid for it -- Josiah had paid for it -- struck him suddenly as absurd. He lifted his head back and blinked at the ceiling. What the hell have I done?

<><><><><><><>

Silence, too, permeated the other room as the men stood witness to JD's reaction. They were unable to see the torn picture so they didn't know whose death JD mourned.

Moments after he'd left JD, Crane's voice crackled into the room through a hidden speaker. "Is everyone comfortable?"

Buck shook his head, "You miserable sonofab--"

"Crane," Chris interrupted before Buck's anger could cause more grief. "What's all this for? It isn't necessary to torture one of my men."

"You're all being tortured, Mr. Larabee. My ways can be as subtle as they are brutal. You have a chance to witness both in action."

"You don't have to do this, you've made your point. Let my men go and I'll give you what you want."

"No, thank you. I'm enjoying Agent Dunne's performance too much."

The click indicated the speaker had been turned off but Buck threw a curse at it anyway.

An hour passed before anyone else spoke. Buck drifted back to the bed. The others took the chairs, sitting in a scattered pattern throughout the room. They waited, expecting Crane to enter and take one of them, carrying out his threat to JD. As the minutes passed and no one came, each began to realize the extent of the cruelty of JD's torture.

<><><><><><><>

Sweat made his skin slimy. His shirt stuck to his back even when he leaned forward. His thoughts flittered from one image to another. He couldn't help wondering how his friends were doing, and agonizing over Josiah's fate. He shrank from examining his own future; the terror was too difficult to deal with. He blocked his silent questions and detoured back to worrying about his friends.

The door opened. Crane and his henchman, Brackman, came in again. JD's breathing automatically quickened. He cursed his inability to keep his churning emotions from reflecting in his expression.

Unable to hold his tongue, he demanded, "What'd you do to Josiah --?"

Brackman lunged at him before he could finish. JD pulled back but his bonds kept him from escaping the hand reaching for his throat. Clawed fingers pinched deeply into the sides of his neck. The hard bony edge of Brackman's hand pressed painfully against JD's trachea. The surprised hitch of breath he'd sucked in expanded his lungs and stayed there, seizing his chest. Brackman pushed, forcing JD's head back, arching his throat.

The feeling of being laid out for sacrifice burned fear through JD. The vulnerable area of flesh at the base of his throat pulsed with his heartbeat. Anticipated pain of a slashing blade opening his jugular shot through him and he bucked helplessly in his chair. Brackman's steady breathing, Crane's measured footsteps, the almost unnoticeable hum of the overhead lighting -- faded into blackness.

Air rushed unexpectedly into his lungs. JD coughed and slung himself forward. The ropes kept him from toppling to the floor, hugging him tight in their scratchy embrace as he struggled to regain his breath.

"I'm wondering if you break rules as a habit? Perhaps I should ask Agent Larabee how he handles you."

Crane's voice undulated through JD's wavering conscious. He pulled in a full breath and lifted his head.

"Ah, I see I have your attention now. Good. Once again, Mr. Dunne: how did you get into my encrypted files?"

"Piece of cake," JD gasped willingly. He swallowed hard, grimacing with the pull of abused muscles through his throat. "You oughta pick your help better, Crane. Whoever built the password for your documents didn't know what he was doing."

A smile widened Crane's lips but his eyes narrowed. "Enlighten me."

JD held his breath for a second while looking up at his captor. The obvious expression of anticipation on Crane's face cleared his thoughts. Josiah's face sprang to his memory. He shook his head. "I'm not telling you nothin', you son of a bitch."

His reflexes dulled with exhaustion, JD missed Brackman's movements but felt the ram of a powerful fist pummel his gut. His breath gushed from his lungs in a loud grunt. He slumped forward in the ropes, gasping for air. He lifted his head, watching as Crane slipped another picture from his inside pocket. No!

"Who shall pay this time, Agent Dunne?" He ripped the paper in two and again, then let the pieces fall to the floor.

Several fragments landed face up at his feet. JD recognized Vin's face through the torn pieces. Helplessness pulled at his soul, shredding his endurance. He was defenseless against the onslaught of emotion that twisted his face and stung his eyes. The need for revenge tore his soul from his bones. Throwing back his head he shrieked in impotent rage. Brackman's expression of fascination dampened JD's fury. Unwilling to give his enemy any satisfaction, he choked off the shout in his throat, strangling his anger. Hanging his head he leaned forward as far as the ropes would allow, his body rocking with sorrow.

The soft sound of the closing door brought a feeling of deep abandonment. "What the hell am I supposed to do, Chris?" The request whispered through the room and JD strained his hearing for an answer. "Buck? Help me here, I don't know what to do." Tears closed his throat. JD gasped, his breath catching in his chest. Silence surrounded him and confidence fled. Darkness closed over him and he merged with it, using it to block Josiah and Vin's faces from his mind.

<><><><><><><>

Chris watched through the glass; his anger building as JD weakened under Crane's torture. The need to have Crane in his power, to be alone with the man for five minutes, clenched his muscles tight through his frame. Hell, it wouldn't take more than five seconds, but Chris wanted him to suffer before he died. Realizing that fantasizing about Crane's death wasn't helping, he turned to look at the others. He knew it was only a matter of time before Buck crumbled. He and JD were close, roommates and friends, and it was killing him to watch his partner suffer.

Vin's voice broke the quiet. "Chris." When Larabee looked at him, Vin pointed with his chin toward the ceiling. "Crane's still with JD, so he'd probably not paying us any attention. Think anyone else is listenin' in?"

Chris' eyes slid upward, searching the room again. Ezra spoke first. "The speaker Crane used before -- it can probably be used to both hear and communicate with us."

Vin nodded, agreeing with Ezra's assessment. "How 'bout a camera? Any of you boys see anything looks like a hidden lens?"

"If it's hidden how the hell're we supposed to see it?" Buck's irritation made itself known through his tone. "What're you gettin' at, Vin?"

Vin shifted from where he'd been leaning against the wall. "If they can hear us, but can't see us, there might be something we can do next time a guard comes in."

Josiah joined in. "The glass is two-way, we know that. We can see in, but JD can't see us."

"And we can't break through the glass." Buck stood from the bed and paced to the center of the room.

"But bullets might."

Buck's expressive face opened with surprise. He turned to Chris and lowered his voice. "What makes you think a bullet can bust through that?"

"Not a bullet -- " Chris pantomimed a gun with his hand and aimed for the window. "Bullets -- a lot of 'em. All we gotta do is get a gun."

"Of course, why didn't I think of that?" Sarcasm laced his words with bitterness. Buck turned back to the bed and sat down heavily. "How the hell're we supposed to get a gun?"

"Sometimes the oldest trick in the book is there because it works the best," Ezra drew his words out slowly, as if he were thinking as he spoke.

"Huh?" Buck's apparent confusion did nothing to brighten his mood.

Apparently catching on to Ezra's plan, Chris stood up straighter. "How are you feeling, Buck? Head hurting? Feeling a little sick to your stomach? And Josiah -- how's that gut feel?"

"No -- m' fine --" Then understanding dawned and Buck shook his head. "That's not gonna work. They'd never fall for that." But even as he spoke he lay back on the bed and threw his arm across his forehead, shielding his eyes.

"Crane's leavin'." Vin's soft warning set the others into action.

Slipping quickly into their roles, Nathan grabbed one of the chairs then motioned for Vin to hand him another. They stacked them together, one on top of the other. Realizing what they were doing, Chris slipped out of his coat and handed it over. Vin draped the garment over the chair. Josiah knelt on the floor and doubled over, both arms wrapped around his body. Ezra and Vin surrounded Josiah, showing concern, and Nathan stood in front of the jacket-draped chair, partially blocking it from view. Chris took a position near the foot of the bed, which also put him conveniently behind the door when it opened.

Chris lifted his chin, aiming his voice toward the location of the speaker. "Nathan, for god's sake do something, the man's not breathing!"

The lock clicked loudly and the keypad toned, then the door opened slowly. Josiah immediately began to moan, hunching forward tighter. Vin and Ezra hovered, keeping him from collapsing. Two guards, apparently distracted with the trick using Chris' coat, didn't seem to notice there weren't six men in front of them. Guns held low at their sides, they approached cautiously. Chris waited until they'd passed through the door, their attention on the men in the middle of the room, then slammed the door closed and lunged for the nearest captor. Buck was a whir of color beside him, tackling the other guard. The two men went down quickly.

"That was just too damn easy," Buck grumbled. Ezra, Vin and Nathan quickly upended the bed and shoved it against the door. They leaned into it, holding it shut.

Buck grabbed the gun from the floor and hurried to stand in front of the window. Bracing the weapon against his hip, he fired into the lower corner. The first bullet smacked into the glass and a tiny fracture appeared. Chris stood beside him, and using that first crack as his target, fired with the other gun. Their bullets created a fine spider-web pattern that spread rapidly across the glass.

Chris noticed JD's reaction in the other room. His head snapped up and he jolted in his chair, tugging against his restraints when the bullets began pelting the window. He couldn't move but the strain of trying showed in his pale and bruised face. When one bullet finally punched a hole through the glass they stopped firing. There was too much danger that a ricochet might strike JD. Josiah picked up a chair. With a grumbling roar he swung the chair, his neck cording with unleashed power, and smashed the furniture into the ruined window. It crashed through, shattering the fractured glass.

"Let's go -- we can't hold this door much longer." Ezra and Nathan held their shoulders to the door, but the booming on the other side nearly jarred it open with each hit.

"Move back," Buck yelled. As soon as the others were clear, he fired into the keypad beside the door. A brief spark blackened the wall and Ezra looked at Buck in confusion.

"Hey, it worked in Star Wars." Surprisingly, the door held. Whatever damage Buck had managed to do to the lock must have jammed it from the other side.

"Looks like the Force is with us," Ezra quipped, then joined the others in climbing through the ruined window.

<><><>

"Damn it's good to see you guys," JD said as Vin struggled to loosen the ropes. He blinked rapidly, embarrassed with the wetness rimming his eyes. "Especially you two." He looked up at Josiah, towering over him, and glanced at Vin with relief. Reaching out to touch Vin, he stood. When he swayed drunkenly on his feet, Josiah pulled him close. JD leaned into him, relishing the relief as grief drained from his heart.

"And here I thought I was your favorite." Chris smiled at him then walked to the door.

Buck carefully cupped the back of his head. He lifted his eyes and watched Buck clench his jaw at the sight of the bruises but then pasted a smile on his face that JD knew was for his benefit. "Nice to see you again too, kid." Something scraped under his shoe when he shifted. JD followed his gaze to the floor, where several scraps of paper were scattered like puzzle pieces. Fractured bits of Josiah's and Vin's smiles stared back at them. Buck's hand gently squeezed the back of his neck in silent sympathy before he pulled away to join Chris at the door.

Confusing sounds echoed through their prison. Running steps passed the door and no one broke in from the other room. When the handle rattled, Chris and Buck backed up, their guns lifted quickly to cover whoever came in. The door opened. Two men faced them clothed in black ATF jackets. Both Chris and Buck held their weapons steady, unwilling to lower them.

"Agent Larabee?"

Chris nodded when the man looked at him.

"I'm Sergeant Waits. We've been sent in as backup."

"You won't mind if I ask for some ID?" Considering the circumstances surrounding their capture, JD couldn't blame Chris for being cautious.

Eyes squinted with confusion, Sergeant Waits lifted one hand away from his gun. Moving slowly, he reached for his ID and held it up for them to see. "Sergeant Waits, ATF."

JD watched Chris relax from his tense stance and lower his weapon. "Thanks." Chris glanced back over his shoulder before addressing the Sergeant again. "Some of my men are hurt, they need medical assistance."

"Yes, sir." Waits pointed behind Chris. "Agent Samson's in charge in the main area. You'll find him down the corridor." He thumbed his shoulder mike and communicated with his team.

Chris maneuvered past him into the hall. "Buck, you're with me."

<><><>

Chris and Buck jogged down the hall and entered the warehouse where Crane and his men had captured them. The huge room was full of ATF agents and policemen, easily outnumbering Crane's men. They quickly found Agent Samson. Chris identified himself then asked, "Where's Crane?"

Samson shook his head, the glare on his face told of his failure. "He's not here, Larabee. We've managed to round up about 20 men, and enough equipment for 100 men, but no Crane."

"Dammit!" Chris' curse echoed in Buck's head. He knew they shared the same frustration.

"I'll send you my report. We know more about him than we did before, but we still need to catch him."

Samson nodded. Chris and Buck turned to leave and found the rest of their team headed their way. JD walked under his own power, but he was flanked closely by Nathan and Josiah. The kid's face was pale beneath the dark bruises shadowing his eyes and jaw, but he smiled when he caught sight of them.

Nathan handed Buck a cloth with a simple explanation: "You're bleeding again."

He accepted it and pressed it gingerly to his head. His attention centered on JD. "How you doin', kid?"

The tension in Buck's question must have tipped JD off that something wasn't right. He frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

Chris answered. "Crane got away."

For an instant JD's nostrils flared and his face darkened with rage. Then just as abruptly his face cleared and he shrugged. "We found him once, we can find him again."

Buck's face mirrored JD's anger. "Damn straight we will."

Chris nodded and touched JD's shoulder. "But not today. Let's get you to a hospital."

They left the warehouse. Buck moved in next to JD. Switching hands to hold the cloth to his head, he slipped his free arm around the young man's shoulders. No words were needed as the friends walked out together.

The End